Chapter 29

The young woman, breathing like a fragrant orchid, furrowed her brow in concentration and inadvertently bumped the large glasses into Bak's chest. Finally, she realized she seemed to have thrown herself into his arms. She clicked her tongue and, without any pretense, laughed and let go of his hand: "Can this be considered a thank you?"

Bak's opinion of the young woman's demeanor improved. Not bad, he thought, and smiled: "We may be familiar, but you still owe me 35 yuan for the takeout."

Seemingly relieved, Fang Lingying became light-hearted. She turned her head with a dance-like step, sat down at the small table, and began to focus on her dinner, not facing Bak. She mumbled indistinctly: "To be honest... what do you do?"

Her tone was relaxed, but the content made Bak slightly uneasy. However, he maintained his composure: "Is this a police interrogation?" In Europe, if a police officer questioned someone like this, the likely outcome would be to silence them permanently?

Fang Lingying still didn't turn her head, and Bak couldn't see her expression. Moreover, with her mouth full, her tone wasn't clear: "I've wanted to ask you for a long time. Whatever I ask, you nod vaguely. If I say you pick cotton, you nod; if I say you sell grilled meat, you nod. Now? Just by touching and looking, you can see the marks of a bullet wound... I know you're trying to help me, right? It's like a friend's concern, right? At least I didn't hide my profession. I told you my name, but you just vaguely said you're surnamed Bak. I saw your full name at the police station. Isn't that a bit unfriendly? Bak Zhiming?"

Eating grilled meat, picking at tiramisu, biting into a steamed bun, and drinking soup, the young woman managed to speak so fluently. Bak felt a bit guilty: "Call me Bak... I'm not even used to the name Bak Zhiming anymore."

Fang Lingying finally turned her head, her cheeks puffed out, looking endearingly honest: "Not bad... Bak, it sounds much more resonant." She spoke with great difficulty.

Bak faced her bright eyes: "I indeed spent a long time in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Those places are tough, and gun battles are common. I survived, so I've experienced some things, but they don't matter now. I'm just a grilled meat vendor now, and I don't want to get involved with my past. I just want to create a better economic environment and take care of my family and sister. That's enough."

Fang Lingying waved her spoon: "Not bad! A man needs a bit of a story to have depth. Do you know where you most give yourself away?"

Bak was taken aback and asked humbly: "Where?"

Fang Lingying tapped her hand with the spoon: "The gloves... This habit is very strange. I am a forensic pathologist, but in fact, forensic doctors in our country are divided into two categories: forensic pathology and forensic clinical science. When I was in school, I had to learn both, and I went through a period of wearing rubber gloves, which was very uncomfortable. It took a long time to get used to it. Now, I'm very sensitive to the thickness of muscles and bones when doing clay modeling, so I still don't like wearing gloves. But you... You're a grilled meat vendor, why do you wear gloves for no reason? It's not only uncomfortable but also draws attention. Do you know that?"

Bak suddenly wanted to laugh.

Fang Lingying was wearing a skirt, shorter than the blue overcoat. Now, sitting on the high stool, she turned and talked to Bak with a spoon, crossing her legs in a very relaxed and elegant manner, quite like a white-collar worker, but she kept saying "wearing gloves"...

How could he not laugh?

Fang Lingying saw Bak's smile and realized her slip of the tongue. She made a sound and awkwardly patted her mouth, which looked quite pitiful: "We sometimes joke around privately, and I accidentally let it slip..."

Bak reined in his smile to help her cover up: "Yes, I care a lot about hygiene..." He felt this sentence was also problematic and quickly explained: "I have a background in medicine, and disinfection and sterilization are basic requirements. So, whenever I handle objects, I get into the habit of wearing... gloves. This way, I'm responsible for the health of both myself and others in most cases." This still felt a bit awkward to say.

Fang Lingying waved her hand to stop: "Alright, let's not discuss the issue of wearing gloves. But your involvement in the medical field is another surprise to me. Well... surprises between friends should be discovered gradually to avoid turning into shocks."

Bak emphasized: "I just purely noticed that you were too..."

Fang Lingying, being smart, said: "I know, I know. You saw my worry. I won't tell anyone. You haven't broken any laws, have you? You haven't committed any crimes in the northern border, right? If you did, I'd be the first to lead the way to catch you!"

Bak smiled bitterly: "Do you think I would walk back if I had committed a crime?"

Fang Lingying nodded reassuringly: "I vouched for you. I think you're a good person..."

Bak had just received a "good person card" and was about to make a joke and go back to his stall when his phone rang. Fang Lingying couldn't help but laugh: "You, your stall isn't that big, but you have a lot of things to deal with. You've been away for just a moment..."

Bak walked out while answering: "Street vending, there are indeed a lot of things to deal with." Before he even put the phone to his ear, both of them heard the anxious voice of the sisters: "Brother Liu fainted, he just fell down!"

It was unclear whether it was the older or younger sister. Bak blinked: "Fainted? Not hit by someone?"

The voice was very sure: "He was just flipping the meat skewers by the grill, and suddenly he fell down... He's breathing, I checked..." She must have taken care of her sick mother before and knew how to make a basic judgment.

Bak was a bit puzzled but not panicked. He shrugged at Fang Lingying and quickly walked out. Unexpectedly, Fang Lingying, who had heard the phone, also followed: "That young man, right? He doesn't look very healthy. I'll go and see... Anyway, this matter is getting some leads now."

As they walked, she took out her phone and called: "Captain Yang? It's like this, there's some progress on the case of evidence number 02739... You're coming? Alright, call me when you get here."

Bak instinctively wanted to avoid that somewhat professionally sharp gaze: "Your colleague... you can wait in the studio." The stairs were dark, and he slightly supported her. Fang Lingying's steps were quick.

Fang Lingying shook her head: "I don't know why, but I don't really like them coming to my studio. Sometimes I just walk around the campus and discuss the case... it's a personal quirk. Mainly, I want to see what's wrong with that young man and can help you introduce some hospitals."

Bak understood the Chinese way of doing things, where connections are important: "I thought you only dealt with dead bones."

Fang Lingying laughed: "You're a layman. The scope of forensic medicine in China is very broad, from autopsy to medical disputes, injury assessment, toxicology, evidence assessment, and mental assessment. There are many categories, and not all are trained in police system schools. I studied forensic medicine at a regular medical university, and most of my classmates became regular doctors. What field are you in?"

Bak was enlightened: "That's how it is. I... am a bit of a wild card, maybe surgery?" He wasn't quite sure himself, as the classification of battlefield medics is more complex and interdisciplinary, ranging from clinical orthopedics to physical therapy, cardiovascular, ENT, and advanced battlefield medical training, which is equivalent to an assistant physician in a typical European or American hospital from the start.

For someone like Bak, who had more often encountered situations on the battlefield and then received targeted training, his practical experience far exceeded his theoretical knowledge, and he didn't even know which field he belonged to.

Fang Lingying couldn't help but look at him more closely. Medical students are sensitive to classifications, and it's rare for someone not to know which field they belong to.

This time, they didn't climb the wall. The two quickly came out together. If it weren't for the incident, the midsummer night, with the shadows of the trees, and the beauty by his side, would have been quite charming.

When they arrived, they saw a crowd around the stall, but it was clear they weren't there to cause trouble. A few vendors from other stalls were watching with a smug look, and when they saw Bak, they quickly turned away.

A kind-hearted person suggested: "Splash some cool water on the back of his neck, he might be suffering from heatstroke..."

The sisters, who had experience caring for the sick, managed to support Liu Changyuan and sit him on a plastic chair, though he was limp and leaning back. This prevented him from lying flat and blocking his airway. One of them used a small electric fan to ventilate, and the other pinched his philtrum.

Bak immediately stopped them: "Wait... take him to the hospital directly!" This wasn't a symptom of heatstroke. It was already midnight, and Liu Changyuan had always looked a bit sickly, possibly anemic or something else.

The sisters didn't hesitate and quickly tidied up the plastic table and chairs. Bak looked around and asked Fang Lingying: "Can you help me look after the children and the stall? I'll take him to the hospital right away." It was just a couple of bus stops away, and calling an ambulance would take longer than riding a tricycle.

Fang Lingying waved her hand: "Go quickly, I'll watch over here. Someone will be looking for me later, so I'll stay here. If you need anything, just call me. I know the level of your employee hospital... it's not great. This young man doesn't look like he has heatstroke."

While calling Liu Changyuan's family, Bak immediately rode the tricycle to the hospital. He didn't know which department to take Liu Changyuan to when he finally carried him into the emergency room.

Don't think that a military doctor can do everything; that's just a myth. Especially for old military doctors, it's a joke. Bak, a Western-style battlefield medic, mainly dealt with war-related injuries. For everyday illnesses in peacetime... well, he probably wasn't as skilled as Liu Shufen in choosing the right medicine for a cold or headache.