According to the doctor, this child was already halfway to the gates of hell. Whether he would live was a difficult question, and all they could do now was pray for him.
Liu Yuning and I closed our eyes and sat on the public seats, constantly praying for the child. Tai Qiaotong stood by the operating room door like a zombie. Although everyone was very nervous, I believed the child would make it through.
I suddenly looked at Liu Yuning. When she lay in bed without any reaction at the beginning, I had felt the same way. I never expected to feel it again so soon.
For some reason, I suddenly thought: if our child were to become like this one day, how would we face it? Perhaps we would also be like Tai Qiaotong, with all our attention focused on the operating room door, unwilling to leave for even a minute.
I clutched the Polaris pendant on my chest and silently recited the prayer the priest had taught me. Although the priest was part of the organization, I knew that his sincerity when he brought me into Christianity was genuine.
When we were tired from praying, Liu Yuning leaned her head against my shoulder weakly. She hadn't slept for several days, and neither had I. I gently squeezed her arm, urging her to rest.
I stared at the operating room door in front of me. Tai Qiaotong was still standing there. For a moment, her entire world seemed to freeze at the door of the operating room.
All her hopes were pinned on this.
Even her future life...
Many doctors and nurses bustled outside the operating room, carrying countless medicines and blood bags into the room. This all proved how critical the child's condition was.
Tai Qiaotong was crying her heart out, and I had never been so nervous, my hands trembling slightly.
I don't know how much time had passed. Time seemed to flow especially fast at such moments, completely beyond control. It wasn't until the operating room door slowly opened that it was like devout believers waiting at the gates of Eden, finally receiving the favor of the gods, standing up excitedly to await their blessings.
Judging by the doctor's relaxed expression, the child should be alright. Indeed, he said to Tai Qiaotong, "Congratulations, Ms. Tai. The child has once again passed a dangerous moment. Although there may be future challenges, we will continue to do our best. Please continue to trust us!"
"I understand, Doctor. Thank you, thank you!" Tai Qiaotong said with sincere gratitude, tears streaming down her face.
As we also began to relax, my phone received a message. I handed it to Liu Yuning to read. She said, "He's temporarily back. I really want to know Mr. Huang's explanation. Also, the fingerprint results are out. Although there's no record in the database, we compared it with Mr. Huang, and it is his. It seems this guy is a major suspect."
We hadn't investigated Mr. Huang in detail before, but now that he was under suspicion, the situation changed.
Huang Junwei, 32 years old, legal representative of Xinze Bar. Divorced. Originally from Hubei, he bought a house here several years ago and transferred his household registration, thus becoming a resident of Guangming City.
Huang Junwei had been in Guangming City for over ten years. Before opening this bar, he had worked as a manager at the Hao Ming Club nearby for several years, accumulating considerable social experience.
When we found him, he showed no signs of evasion. On the contrary, his expression suggested he had anticipated our visit.
The bar was currently closed, and he was at home as usual. Seeing us arrive, he invited us in. After some curious inquiries, he realized we were talking about the fingerprints. However, Huang Junwei said, "I've been with all the women in the bar. Officers, you can't just conclude I'm the killer because there are my fingerprints on that belt. I did go to the bar early that day, but I was just meeting Song Meiqin. Things are not as you imagine."
"Are you sure? If we hadn't verified and investigated thoroughly, we wouldn't have come to you!" I said solemnly. Liu Yuning was beside me at the time.
She looked at Huang Junwei with a cold, silent gaze from across the room.
Even without speaking, she was more impactful than I was.
Huang Junwei, however, became angry. "Why wouldn't I be sure? What's wrong with me going to meet Song Meiqin early? She didn't see me go into the restroom, so how can you assume I'm the killer? Couldn't someone else have taken the opportunity to go in and do it? Are you police officers investigating cases too carelessly? Haven't you conducted multiple investigations? This approach is disappointing!"
"Huang Junwei! Don't try to change the subject. We've actually found a witness, someone from your establishment, who can prove you entered the restroom before and after the incident. She told us herself. How do you explain that?" I questioned.
Huang Junwei's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he maintained a calm expression. "How is that possible? You wouldn't just find someone and force them to impersonate someone, would you?"
At this, Liu Yuning became furious. "Huang Junwei, don't you dare twist the truth. If she comes forward to testify in court, do you think the judge will believe your story?"
"Why wouldn't they? She's just a cleaner, what's the big deal!"
"A cleaner? How did you know that? Heh! Did you see her that day too?" We had found out about the cleaner before we came.
I quickly seized upon the flaw in Huang Junwei's words. In his slight loss of composure, he had revealed a fatal loophole.
"I, it's not like that! Both of you, I'm really not the murderer. Actually, that day I went to the restroom..."
At this point, Huang Junwei seemed embarrassed. To prevent him from escaping, Liu Yuning moved behind him, already holding handcuffs. But Huang Junwei immediately said, "Don't handcuff me. I really didn't go to the restroom to kill someone. I saw Song Meiqin's message. She asked me to go to the restroom at that time, but later she denied it. I suspected she wanted to frame me. When I entered the restroom, I saw the body, so it wasn't me. I didn't mention it because I was afraid you would suspect me!"
I observed that what Huang Junwei said seemed to be true. The surveillance cameras should have captured it, especially since there weren't many people in the morning; whoever entered the restroom would be clearly visible. We temporarily left Huang Junwei's home. We needed to change our strategy.