Regarding Su Xiaohui's insistence on the "life-saving grace," Lin Jie didn't continue to refuse; after all, he wouldn't lose out, and who knows if it might come in handy in the future.

"Dr. Lin, the surgery is done, and my arm's been put in a cast. Can I leave now?" Su Xiaohui asked.

Lin Jie shook his head, saying, "Not for the time being! Many foreign objects like pins, screws, and bone plates have been implanted in your arm, and we need to observe if you'll have any allergic reactions or other abnormalities."

"Also, in the coming days, you'll need regular anesthesia injections, or you'll be in a lot of pain!"

"Pain?" Su Xiaohui's mouth twitched slightly as she said lightly, "Dr. Lin, do you think someone who can endure the pain of having their bones broken one by one is still afraid of pain?"

Fully aware of her injuries, Lin Jie couldn't help but shudder at the image she described.

"In that case, you'll only need to stay here for twenty-four hours of observation. If no allergic reactions or abnormalities are found, you can leave. After leaving, if signs of inflammation occur, return immediately for a detailed examination!"

"Additionally, after your right arm heals, you'll need another surgery to remove some of the implants."

After saying all this, Lin Jie couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Su Xiaohui, after you've recovered, you're not thinking of retaliating, are you?"

Su Xiaohui let out a bitter laugh and said, "This time, I was the one who recklessly acted without knowing the situation first; getting caught was due to my lack of skill."

"After being caught, they at least adhered to the unwritten rules of the streets, not humiliating me in other ways, giving me two choices instead—one of which was directly chopping off my right hand!"

"I chose this punishment..."

Upon hearing this, Lin Jie felt goosebumps rise on his back!

This also made him realize that the so-called "unwritten rules of the streets" were not just a fictional construct but a brutal reality!

Perceiving the fear on Lin Jie's face, Su Xiaohui didn't elaborate further and continued, "They are the local overlords of Binhai, influential and powerful, while I'm all alone, unable to contend."

"Even if a sneak attack succeeded, escape would be unthinkable..."

At this point, she turned to look at Monkey and said, "My senior brother wouldn't be able to escape either; they would certainly find out about him. Now, he's my only family, and I can't harm him!"

Seeing that Su Xiaohui hadn't been blinded by hatred and could weigh the situation, Lin Jie also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He definitely didn't want to see a bloody cycle of revenge.

Monkey hurriedly advised, "Xiaohui, just listen to me and stay in Binhai. Don't wander around anymore!"

Su Xiaohui was silent for a while before softly saying, "I'll recuperate with my senior brother first. I'm not sure if I can adapt to settling in one place."

"You can, you definitely can!" Monkey said excitedly, "I remember when you and Master left, you cried your heart out, saying this place was your home."

A slight blush appeared on Su Xiaohui's face as she said, "Senior brother, let's head back to the ward. We shouldn't disturb Dr. Lin's work and rest."

After they left, Lin Jie washed up and lay down in his bedroom, chatting with Li Ting on WeChat for a while. He hadn't slept well last night, and after a long half-day of work today, he quickly fell asleep.

The next evening, Su Xiaohui and Monkey left the clinic!

On the third evening, Kong Mingqing came.

"I collected surveillance video related to that night, including footage from the business hotel. Lin Jie, it's quite troublesome!"

Kong Mingqing said with a serious expression, "There were three people who took you and Miaomiao into the hotel! They were wearing hats, masks, and gloves and deliberately avoided the camera's direct view while walking. It's clear they were experienced!"

"I asked the service staff at the time, and she recalled that they spoke Mandarin without a noticeable accent. They said you and Miaomiao were drunk, and they were your friends, just bringing you over to open a room to rest and sober up!"

"There are many bars near this hotel, and such occurrences aren't rare. The hotel staff didn't suspect anything. After they took you into the room, they stayed for thirty-six minutes before leaving!"

Kong Mingqing rubbed his hands together and said, "They drove your car to the place, but they left on foot and disappeared into a surveillance blind spot! The money and envelope also didn't have any useful fingerprints extracted."

"Lin Jie, try to recall, can you remember any clues?"

Lin Jie frowned deeply. The other party had meticulously planned everything, which indicated premeditation, and suggested they possessed considerable power or wealth.

At this moment, Shen Lanruo's voice echoed in his mind again, "You and Miaomiao are fraternal twins, so while both of your matches with your parents are at least half compatible, to select the best match, Miaomiao should also have had her marrow extracted. But she didn't!"

"This indicates the other party took your blood and already matched it beforehand. About this, have you thought of anything?"

This prompt immediately brought Lin Jie back to the supermarket scene—the injury on his hand and the blood-stained sanitary napkin.

"Brother Kong, I actually thought of a clue!"

He recounted what happened at the supermarket and his deductions in detail.

Kong Mingqing was delighted, saying, "Time-wise, the surveillance video from that day at the supermarket should not have been deleted or overwritten. I'll go back and retrieve the video material, hoping to find a clear face of that woman."

After seeing off Kong Mingqing, Lin Jie received a call from Chen Shi, feeling somewhat annoyed.

"Has the enrollment assessment date been set?" Lin Jie asked directly!

"No! It's the end of the year, everyone's busy with their own things, so it's not that soon. I'm calling to tell you that you're to attend the New Year appreciation banquet hosted by the An Family tomorrow night."

Although the pain in Lin Jie's lower back had improved significantly, it hadn't fully healed. Moreover, he wasn't particularly interested in gatherings like banquets.

He decisively said, "I'm not going; I have a lot on my plate too, no time!"

Old Chen was infuriated again and shouted, "You must go; this is crucial for your enrollment assessment!"

"How can a banquet be related to the assessment?" Lin Jie asked, puzzled.

"Of course, it's related!"

Old Chen's tone softened a bit, and he said, "Let me tell you, my brother-in-law An Weize's appreciation banquet is quite high-profile."

"Let's put it this way, of all the well-known medical experts and chief doctors in Binhai, not saying we can nab them all, but at least seventy to eighty percent will be attending!"

"Some members of the assessment team targeting your specialty might be among them. I'll introduce you to them, help you get acquainted, and during the assessment, things might be easier for you!"

"With my abilities, do I still need to do such minimally effective outside work?" Lin Jie said arrogantly!

Old Chen sighed heavily over the phone and said, "Lin Jie, you're still too young. To accomplish something in the country, ability isn't always the most important thing. Sometimes, outstanding ability can even be a hindrance."

"Someone as talented as you isn't appreciated by everyone. Unlike me, who is noble, broad-minded, and cherishes talent like my life! Some old folks can't stand you being so young and exceptional; what if they deliberately suppress you?"

"Occurrences like this aren't uncommon!"

Seeing how seriously he put it, Lin Jie reluctantly said, "Alright, alright, I'll attend this banquet. I'll just stay by your side, playing nice with these so-called experts, and get familiar with them!"

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