Xiao Lin smiled and greeted Lin Zhifang, looking even more nervous than himself. "Director Lin, we meet again."

"Why are you still wearing handcuffs? Officer Wu, quickly loosen them." Lin Zhifang felt a sharp irritation at the sight of the bright handcuffs on Xiao Lin's hands, his neural tension beginning to activate. "Xiao Xiao, I'm truly sorry, but there's a case we need your help with for an investigation, I hope it won't delay your work."

"There's not much going on at the hospital recently, I'm quite free." Lin Zhifang didn't close the door, nor was there anyone entering or exiting the corridor outside, making the interrogation seem futile.

"Officer Wu, play the tape we received." Wu Shuang took out the tape and placed it into the equipment behind her. "Xiao Xiao, is the person in this footage you!"

"It looks like me."

"Then I'd like to ask you, what were you doing on the night Zhang Teng died?"

"I was in the school hospital's operating room, performing surgery on Dan Qing."

"What was the surgery about?"

"A kidney transplant, there happened to be a donor that night."

"Is there relevant donation documentation?"

"No, the donor suddenly passed away at the time, there wasn't enough time to sign a donation agreement. To save a life, I couldn't consider everything."

Lin Zhifang nodded at Wu Shuang, quite satisfied with Xiao Lin's answer. "Then, does this surgical procedure in the footage look like you performing the kidney extraction?"

This time, Xiao Lin observed the footage carefully, scrutinizing each passing frame intently. "I can only say the person in the footage looks a lot like me."

The entire angle was from above down to his head, with the last frame facing his face. Xiao Lin fell into memories; if he remembered correctly, this was after he finished the surgery when the forensic doctor emerged from the white dust cover and faced him for the first time, the angle just now wouldn't have caught this frame.

"Director Lin, I think there's something wrong with this tape."

"Go ahead and tell us."

"In the previous footage, the main camera angle was above, meaning a top-down view, but the last frame was a direct frontal angle, isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

Listening to Xiao Lin, Lin Zhifang and Wu Shuang replayed the footage, examining it carefully, realizing it was indeed the case. "Are you suggesting this includes some forgery?"

"I'm not a professional, so I can't be certain, I just feel the footage seems off." Xiao Lin refocused on the footage, wondering who else had been in front of them at the time, able to film from such a close distance? There was no one then. Where was the camera?

Seeing Xiao Lin remain silent, Lin Zhifang nudged Wu Shuang with his elbow. "Dr. Xiao, assuming the person in this footage is you, were you coerced into performing an illegal surgery? If I'm not mistaken, the white shadow on the side resembles a dust cover, implying someone else was present then."

"Officer Wu, I don't see the necessity in responding to such hypothetical topics. I think we should consider the tape's authenticity first. I question the validity of this tape, being interrogated as a suspect with such unfounded evidence, I'm going to file a protest."

"Dr. Xiao, we understand your feelings, and we will certainly conduct a thorough examination of the tape. Additionally, there's another document I'd like you to verify." Wu Shuang took a few sheets of paper sealed in plastic from her briefcase. "Please verify if the handwriting on it is yours."

The kidney sale contract, Xiao Lin immediately found the last page signed with his name. "Not mine."

"I see!" Wu Shuang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Dr. Xiao, we will do a handwriting comparison with yours."

"If there's nothing else, may I leave now?"

"This..."

"We'll need to trouble you to stay here for a few more days. Until we can confirm you have no connection to this case, we cannot let you go back." Wu Shuang's polite tone left no room for refusal.

"Understood."

As the young officer left, Lin Zhifang shook his head at Wu Shuang. "Director Lin, there are many issues with this case. My intuition tells me someone is framing Xiao Lin."

"Xiao Wu, you saw it too; the person in the video is Dr. Xiao, right?" Up close, there would be no mistake. Lin Zhifang had been comparing the person on the screen with Xiao Lin himself, the bodily characteristics wouldn't be erroneous, but the signature on the documents could be fake.

Hearing this, Wu Shuang's joyous mood dimmed. "I know you want to help Dr. Xiao. He's helped us a lot, but in the face of the law, everyone must be equal, you understand?"

Lin Zhifang's words were heavy, but Wu Shuang understood. She nodded unconsciously and began replaying the footage again. Seeing no strong reaction from Wu Shuang, Lin Zhifang awkwardly left the room.

No matter how many times she replayed it, the footage had no significant room for improvement. Wu Shuang stared at the screen unable to find any more flaws. From the sound quality of the footage, she heard a faint sound of air flowing; it was on the dock. She put away the videotape, placed it in her bag, and closed the door.

Xiao Lin sat in a clean and compact cell. Lin Zhifang was considerate, distancing him from the noisy criminals outside. This was the most secure area of the detention center, with a surveillance camera overhead; it must be for holding important criminals. He took off his coat and lay on the bed integrated with the wall, pondering.

Is Xiao Mu really trying to imprison him with this shoddy evidence? It seemed too dismissive of the police, or rather too dismissive of him. Then the purpose was clearly to isolate him and then what?

A set of footsteps approached from afar; there would be no visitors today. If there really was such a person, he thought it should be the forensic doctor. Looking at his watch, it was when the police station generally clocked out, the person would only appear now. He continued lying on the bed, ready to meet this enemy.

"The efficiency of Yanjing Police Station is really high; I just sent the tape yesterday, and I see you here today." The forensic doctor, wearing a white coat with hands in pockets, his black hair neatly pushed back, smiled at Xiao Lin.

"Want to come in and sit?" He invited the forensic doctor, there was still a chair in the room.

Unlocking the iron door, the forensic doctor walked in. "Lin Zhifang isn't treating you badly, not even a handcuff."

"It means I have a good character."

"I should consider reporting issues with the Deputy Director of the City Police Department duties." The forensic doctor adjusted his glasses.

"Why take it out on others?" Xiao Lin turned sideways, propping his head with one hand, drawing circles on the iron-hard mattress with the other. "Thanks to you, I seriously watched your tape today, the technique is awful, even an amateur like me can see the flaws. Do you intend to use such evidence to hold me?" Xiao Lin stopped his hand movement and looked up. "Also, the sales contract signature is questionable, my name in someone else's handwriting, this too is not evidence to silence me. Moreover, you were there at the time, and you should know the signer was not me."

"My purpose is simple; Xiao Mu has already told you."

"And I've told Xiao Mu my answer, your plan cannot send me to court, too many loopholes."

"Why do you assume I intend to send you to court?" The forensic doctor asked imploringly at Xiao Lin. "If I wanted to do that, why give the tape to someone closely connected to you? I could give it to any police officer in Yanjing, it would make a significant stir. Just in terms of ethics and morals, it would be enough for you to bear, the public wouldn't care about any loopholes, they would just chew on it post-news."

"Is controlling the world's underworld your goal, or Xiao Mu's?"

"So you know the legend of the 'Hijacked Dharma Seal'. You should know, as a Xiao Family heir, how could you not be aware of these?" The forensic doctor chuckled darkly, his appearance even more sinister. "Whether it's me or Xiao Mu, does it make a difference?"

Xiao Lin shook his head, no difference; just felt it was a pity.

"Now everything is going according to your plan; I'm already here. What do you want to do next?"

"Make a trade, you ascend to your throne; I want the Rose Staff."

"The person with the highest power in the mob must simultaneously have the Staff and the Dharma Seal." His eyes gleamed coldly. "The Dharma Seal is with the Wang Family, so Xiao Mu protects it fully. The Staff is with the Xiao Family, always a hidden secret; where did you come from?"

"A hidden secret? There are no true secrets in this world."

Xiao Lin stared motionlessly at the forensic doctor. From the age of sixteen, his father established him as the future heir, and on his sixteenth birthday, he saw the Staff firsthand. It was his first real approach to the forbidden, and then his father never took him into that room again. He vaguely remembered the old man telling him it was his responsibility, which he still didn't understand. However, after returning from the Middle East, he found himself getting closer to that responsibility.

"At least let me know, what is my opponent's name?" Xiao Lin changed the subject. This person's motive wasn't simple. This was unlike using force, dealing with an enemy concealing strong intentions, where force becomes a mere accessory.

"Mu Rongyun!" The forensic doctor articulated each syllable of his name, and anticipated shocked, hesitant expressions on Xiao Lin's face, similar to Xiao Mu's when told. But Xiao Lin disappointed him, his calm face revealed no reaction. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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