Chapter 5 — The Patient I Saved Twice

Ms. Trieu recalled the screenshot. But everyone saw it. I placed the phone face down on the table. The meal in front of me is still intact. Don't move your chopsticks even once. The noon news was playing on the cafeteria's TV. The sound echoed loudly in my ears. I stood up. Throw all food into the trash. Then return to the department. There weren't many patients in the afternoon. I sat in the clinic reading medical magazines the whole time. Flip from first page to last page. But I couldn't read a word. Only that screenshot appeared in my mind. 200,000 yuan. He is boasting 200,000 yuan on social media. Among them... 50,000 yuan is my money. This is the amount of money I had to eat instant noodles for a month to save. It's the money I was forced to pay to a scammer. And he used it to show off to people. I closed the magazine. Close your eyes for a moment. When I opened my eyes again. I have made a decision. I want to investigate Zhou Chi Minh. Not for revenge. But because the date on that complaint has always been a thorn in my heart. The complaint was written three days before the surgery. That proves... This is not a temporary intention. It's a plan that was prepared in advance. One person hasn't even stepped onto the operating table yet. A written complaint has been written. What does that mean? Meaning regardless of whether the surgery is successful or fails. He will also complain. If the surgery is successful. He will say the doctor did not fully explain the risks. If surgery fails. He will denounce the medical accident. No matter what. The ultimate winner is still him. This is not the type of thinking that a normal patient would think of. Behind this story... There must be someone who informs. That person is... Lawyer Phuong. The man only appeared once. But standing behind this entire chess game. That evening, I turned on my computer. Type lawyer Phuong's name into the search box. Phuong Thanh. Practicing lawyer, working at a small law office in the city. There is not much information about him online. But while surfing a local forum, I accidentally found an old post. The article title is:

"Does anyone know how the medical dispute at XX hospital should be handled?"

Posting time is two years ago. Below, someone left a comment nominating lawyer Phuong Thanh. Rough content:

"Specializes in handling medical litigation, very high success rate."

I continued scrolling down. Not long after, another similar article was discovered. Posted a year ago. And the person introduced is still Phuong Thanh. What caught my attention is... The word usage is almost identical. Many sentences even have strange similarities. I immediately took screenshots of both posts. Save to your device. Then I did something. I went to the boarding house. Find the patient who was in the same room as Chu Chi Minh. The old man's family name is Liu. Broken leg, still not discharged from hospital. While I was checking the hospital room, I took the opportunity to ask a few questions.

"The person named Chu Chi Minh who was previously in the same room as him, did he say anything special during his stay in the hospital?"

Mr. Liu raised his head and looked at me.

“Doctor To, why do you ask this?”

I smiled slightly.

“Just asking.”

The old man hesitated for a few seconds. Then suddenly said:

“That person is not a kind person.”

I don't interfere. Just quietly waiting for him to continue.

“He calls his wife every day.”

“The volume is not small at all.”

“I lay next to it and listened to it all.”

“What did he say?”

Mr. Liu snorted coldly.

“He once told his wife that when he went to look for her, he would definitely cry.”

“Cry as hard as possible.”

"He said the hospital's biggest fear is when the patient's family cries and makes a fuss."

I nodded slightly.

“Is there anything else?”

Mr. Liu thought for a moment.

“Ah yes.”

“One time he called a person named Mr. Phuong.”

“I heard what he said at that time…”

The old man frowned, remembering.

“Somewhat..."

'This time I can definitely eat it.'

'The more successful the surgery, the easier it is to blackmail.'

“Something like that.”

“I don't remember it verbatim, but that's the idea.”

That moment. My hands clenched into fists. The nails were almost stuck into the skin. A cold feeling arose in my heart. Turns out I guessed right. Right from the start. They didn't care whether the surgery succeeded or failed. The only goal... I took a deep breath. Look at Mr. Liu.

“Do you agree to write down what you just said in writing?”

The old man looked at me for a long time. A few seconds later, he spoke up.

“Doctor To.”

“The other day you helped me adjust the pain medication.”

“That night I slept well for the first time.”