Chapter 90

Chu Tianshu said with a wicked smile, "This... well, Yufei, how about I make you my mistress?"

"Pah!" Du Yufei spat loudly, "You wish! Chu Tianshu, if you dare to talk nonsense again, I won't answer your calls in the future."

"No, no, no," Chu Tianshu quickly changed his tone and pleaded bitterly, "Yufei, please help me. Otherwise, I'll die a very ugly death."

Du Yufei sneered, "Hmph, what does it have to do with me if you die a very ugly death?"

Although Du Yufei spoke firmly, Chu Tianshu felt more at ease. After several interactions, he knew that Du Yufei had a soft heart despite her harsh words. The harsher she spoke, the more hope there was. If she really didn't want to help, she would have refused outright long ago.

Sure enough, after Chu Tianshu said a few more soft words, Du Yufei agreed.

Chu Tianshu told Du Yufei all the information he had gathered about Yuan Jiong.

Du Yufei was a straightforward person. Once she agreed to help, she would take it seriously.

She said seriously, "I've heard the name Yuan Jiong, but I'm not sure if it's spelled with these two characters. Moreover, if this person has no criminal record, the household registration information usually only includes age, not height or workplace. It will be very difficult to find him. You should be prepared for the possibility of finding nothing."

Chu Tianshu hung up the phone and asked Bai Yunduo if she could confirm the two characters in Yuan Jiong's name.

However, Bai Yunduo hit a wall with her colleagues in the hospital's pharmacy and equipment departments one after another.

At first, they would still chat with her and say a few words of comfort, but as soon as she asked about people and matters related to medical equipment sales, they all clammed up and avoided the topic.

Bai Yunduo threw her phone far away in anger, sat on the sofa, and stared blankly at the ceiling, feeling gloomy and dejected.

Bai Yunduo was muttering to herself. She wasn't angry at others but at herself: "Bai Yunduo, Bai Yunduo, don't you usually feel good about yourself? You seem to have good relationships, but when it comes to a critical moment, why doesn't anyone want to tell you the truth?"

Seeing Bai Yunduo sulking alone, Xiang Wanqing and Chu Tianshu exchanged glances and didn't dare to ask more.

Bai Yunduo's personality was usually quite cheerful, but after being betrayed by Zhu Wangcai and staying at Yunqing Beauty for several days, she had become a bit neurotic.

After sulking for a while, Bai Yunduo couldn't help but ask Chu Tianshu, "Hey, Old Chu, will your police friend help?"

Since the last time she said she would be his mistress, Bai Yunduo had been calling him "Old Chu" boldly.

Chu Tianshu said, "She agreed, but hasn't replied yet."

Bai Yunduo sighed, "Sigh, it seems my character is really bad."

"Yunduo, don't blame yourself," Chu Tianshu consoled her. "The pharmacy and equipment departments have the authority to purchase hospital drugs, equipment, and supplies. They are all Zhu Wangcai's confidants. They know about your conflict with him and naturally won't dare to reveal any information to you."

"But, even other people ignore me," Bai Yunduo said.

"Hehe, I think you're sulking too much," Chu Tianshu tried to lighten the mood, smiling. "Those ordinary staff might sympathize with your situation, but they don't want to offend Zhu Wangcai by helping you."

"That's right," Xiang Wanqing also consoled her. "Who would want to leave these two lucrative departments?"

With that, Bai Yunduo felt relieved, but she still wasn't satisfied. She looked at the ceiling, thinking about whom else she could ask for information.

Chu Tianshu asked, "Yunduo, what is the procedure for drug and equipment procurement in your hospital?"

Bai Yunduo said, "According to the proper procedure, if the hospital wants to introduce a new drug or equipment, it needs to be decided by the Pharmaceutical Management Committee, which consists of department heads, renowned professors, the head of the pharmacy department, and the vice president in charge. However, in recent years, the Pharmaceutical Management Committee has become a rubber stamp. Zhu Wangcai can do whatever he wants."

Xiang Wanqing asked discontentedly, "Doesn't that mean Zhu Wangcai has absolute power?"

"Isn't that the case?" Bai Yunduo became even more angry at Xiang Wanqing's question. "The procedures are written on paper, but what to introduce and how much to introduce are all decided by Zhu Wangcai. Others can't even get a word in edgewise."

Xiang Wanqing asked in confusion, "Zhu Wangcai is just a vice president. What about your president? Doesn't he care?"

Bai Yunduo looked even more worried. "Sigh, the old president is a scholar who doesn't care about power struggles and has long been marginalized by Zhu Wangcai and his gang. Zhu Wangcai is the vice president in charge, and he decides everything big and small in the hospital. Otherwise, the hospital wouldn't be in such a mess."

Chu Tianshu thought for a moment and suddenly said, "Yunduo, I think you could ask the committee members who don't have much power."

Bai Yunduo stared at Chu Tianshu. "Old Chu, you say I'm silly, but you're even sillier. They don't have any power, so what can they tell me?"

Chu Tianshu said calmly, "Hehe, I don't know if they can tell you anything, but I know that if someone's power is taken away without reason, they will definitely have a grudge against the taker."

"Ha, Old Chu, you're really suited to be an official," Bai Yunduo smiled, hugging Chu Tianshu's neck and giving him a peck. She picked up her phone from the floor and started making calls again.

Thoughts determine the way forward!

Soon, Bai Yunduo confirmed from a department head who had just been removed from his position by Zhu Wangcai that Yuan Jiong was indeed a medical equipment supplier.

He remembered that when Zhu Wangcai became the vice president in charge, he had held a perfunctory committee meeting where he mentioned Yuan Jiong. However, because it was a while ago, he didn't remember which company Yuan Jiong represented clearly.

Chu Tianshu quickly sent a message to Du Yufei, telling her that the person to investigate was Yuan Jiong.

At this point, Bai Yunduo's character seemed to improve. She asked several colleagues from different departments for help and collected the names of over twenty suppliers from the brand lists on the packaging of the medical equipment used in their departments. Chu Tianshu compiled this information and told Du Yufei.

After more than an hour, Du Yufei finally called back.

Yuan Jiong, male, 32 years old, 1.69 meters tall, vice president of Kangerte Technology Development Co., Ltd.

The company's registered address is on the 12th floor of Victory Building on Zhongshan Avenue in Beihu District. The legal representative is Wu Qingyuan. The main business is capital operations and technology product development, with a sideline in medical equipment sales.

Bai Yunduo quickly handed Chu Tianshu a piece of paper and a pen, then leaned close to him, watching him talk to Du Yufei with great anticipation.

Chu Tianshu, while taking notes, joked with Du Yufei, "Yufei, you've done a great favor. Don't forget the benefits I promised you. Haha."

Benefits? Mistress? Du Yufei's heart trembled. This guy is really annoying; he can't seem to stop taking advantage of people verbally.

She didn't continue in Chu Tianshu's tone but said seriously, "I'm not joking with you. I can only help so much. A roaming theft gang has been lying low for a while and is now committing crimes again. The criminal investigation team is under a lot of pressure."

Chu Tianshu, hearing Du Yufei's serious tone, stopped joking. He knew very well that the pressure from the theft gang case was just one aspect. More importantly, she was adhering to the principles and standards of a police officer.

Chu Tianshu thanked Du Yufei and hung up the phone.

When Chu Tianshu looked back at the notes on the paper, he suddenly realized that Kangerte Technology Development Co., Ltd. was also involved in the bidding for the instrument factory and was one of the eight companies that had passed the qualification review.

He remembered that Wu Mengdie had said that among these eight companies, two were associated with Kunpeng Industries, and three were organized or bought off by Qingtian Real Estate. Therefore, Kangerte, as a company in Qingyuan City, was likely under the control of Qingtian Real Estate.

As a company that also sells medical equipment, Kangerte not only promoted its products to the First People's Hospital of Qingyuan City but also to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in the provincial capital. This inevitably involved some under-the-table transactions.

Chu Tianshu felt a sudden excitement. He had an idea: perhaps he could trace the connections between Yuan Jiong and Zhu Wangcai through Kangerte and uncover any potential irregularities in the bidding for the instrument factory. Unfortunately, he had no good reason to ask Du Yufei for more help, so he would have to find another way to break through.

Seeing that Chu Tianshu wasn't speaking, Bai Yunduo couldn't hold back any longer. "Old Chu, what should we do next? Have you thought of any plan?"

Chu Tianshu beckoned to Bai Yunduo and Xiang Wanqing.

The two beauties leaned in.

Chu Tianshu said, "I think Yunduo and I should disguise ourselves as procurement intermediaries from an out-of-town hospital and directly approach Yuan Jiong to discuss procurement intentions. We can follow the leads from the hospitals he deals with and uncover the kickbacks that Zhu Wangcai and others are taking."

Bai Yunduo immediately clapped in agreement.

Xiang Wanqing was slightly worried. "If you get caught, you'll be in great danger."

Bai Yunduo said, "Wanqing, neither Old Chu nor I are afraid. Why are you afraid?"

"Wanqing, this isn't about being afraid or not," Xiang Wanqing said. "Based on my years of experience as a journalist, Kangerte can only continue to sell medical equipment with the support of certain forces. Your undercover investigation is also illegal. If they figure out your intentions, you'll be in serious trouble, and you won't be able to speak up about it."

Bai Yunduo, determined to bring down Zhu Wangcai, looked at Chu Tianshu and asked, "Old Chu, you can't get the tiger without entering the tiger's den, right?"

Chu Tianshu smiled and said, "Yunduo, Wanqing isn't afraid; she's just making sure we consider the consequences."

Xiang Wanqing said, "Yunduo, if this goes wrong, you can always quit and focus on Yunqing Beauty. But have you thought about Tianshu? His life will be ruined because of you."

Bai Yunduo lowered her head and muttered, "Hmph, who asked him to think about me being his mistress?"