CHAPTER 351: 327 SO THAT’S HOW IT IS.

With that thought, Du Heng came up with an idea. He was going to pick up Zhao Xinfang that evening anyway, so he might as well ask then.

Liao Quansheng seemed a bit surprised at Du Heng’s unexpected visit. He shoved aside the clutter on his couch to make room. "Geez, what’s up with you?" he said. "At least give me a call before coming."

Du Heng carefully edged his way toward the offered space on the couch in the office, which resembled a crowded storeroom. "I was passing through, so I thought I’d drop by," Du Heng said.

Once seated, he couldn’t help but look around. "Bro, you’re a regional manager, for goodness’ sake. How can you let your office become such a pigsty? It’s a mess."

Liao Quansheng made a cup of tea for Du Heng and took out some washed fruit and sliced watermelon from his mini-fridge. "You have no idea. I’ve nearly gone crazy recently."

Du Heng picked up a piece of watermelon and took a satisfyingly juicy bite. "It’s so refreshing, so sweet." With a couple of smacks of his lips, he swallowed, feeling the summer heat in his body dissipate by more than half.

After a few comfortable breaths, he asked, "What happened?" Then, he happily started eating watermelon again.

Liao Quansheng, possibly having some pent-up frustration, casually pulled over a box—not really caring what was in it—and sat on it. He also picked up a piece of watermelon and began munching. "Damn, it’s really sweet. I had it in the fridge but haven’t even had time to eat it."

After a few bites, he said, "In another two or three months, it’ll be time to start harvesting medicine ingredients. So, we were preparing to start signing purchase agreements with the farmers."

Liao Quansheng tossed away the watermelon rind and casually grabbed a tissue to wipe his hands. "They were all our regular clients, so we didn’t expect any problems. But surprisingly, not a single one has signed with us this year. They all backed out. Even those with long-term contracts aren’t planning to deliver to us this year."

Du Heng also tossed his watermelon rind, but he took out a pack of tissues from his own bag to carefully wipe the sticky juice from his fingers. "So, what does this have to do with your office looking like a pigsty?"

"When we first started signing contracts with farmers for the purchase of medicine ingredients... Ah, forget it, you wouldn’t understand. Just tell me why you’re here."

"I told you, I was just passing by and decided to visit. You didn’t actually fall for that, did you?" Du Heng teased.

Liao Quansheng gave Du Heng a disdainful look. "Oh, cut it out. Hurry up and say what you want. I’m really busy."

Du Heng chuckled. "Alright, it’s like this: I wanted to ask how Zhao Xinyuan is doing."

As soon as he said it, Liao Quansheng rolled his eyes at Du Heng. "If you have something to say, just say it. Do we really need to beat around the bush?"

Then Liao Quansheng’s expression changed. "Speaking of Zhao Xinyuan," he said, "I have to say, that relative of yours is really something."

Du Heng quickly waved his hands. "He’s not my relative."

"Pfft! Your wife’s cousin, isn’t that your relative?" Liao Quansheng curled his lips, dismissive of Du Heng’s self-deceiving denial.

"At first, we thought the kid just hit my sister and stalked your wife. But who would’ve guessed? After the police intimidated him a bit, he confessed to a whole bunch of other things. Spilled all the beans, sold himself out completely."

Du Heng was curious; he really wanted to know what a person like Zhao Xinyuan was capable of.

"According to Zhao Xinyuan’s own testimony, he stole money from his dormitory roommates in May and June. In mid-June, after moving out of the school into rented accommodation, he had a dispute with the landlord. He then defecated and urinated on the landlord’s doorstep for a week straight, only stopping when the landlord installed a surveillance camera.

"Moreover, after the graduates left school, he didn’t have a graduation certificate and couldn’t find a hospital job, so he started spending his time at internet cafes. During this period, he repeatedly stole components from the computer towers at the internet cafe—anything he could get his hands on. He even stole mice and keyboards.

"Oh, and get this: because his mentor failed him in a course, he went to that teacher’s house and beat up the teacher’s child, knocking out one of their front teeth."

What the hell!

Du Heng was stunned. What kind of madness was this?

Stealing, Du Heng could understand. He was probably short on money. The timing Liao Quansheng mentioned coincided with when Wang Shuqiu had stopped giving money to her family. That was also around May when her aunt and uncle had come to her door to ask for money. His parents had no money, and he wasn’t working. Stealing a little to get by... that was somewhat understandable.

But defecating and urinating on the landlord’s doorstep? What on earth was he thinking?

And knocking out his teacher’s child’s tooth? How could that bastard dare to do such a thing? Is that something a normal person would do?

"Weren’t these reported to the police?" Du Heng asked.

"Except for the school incidents, everything else was reported. However, he used an ID card he’d found at an internet cafe, so the police couldn’t track him down. The other two incidents weren’t considered too serious. Especially the defecating one—aside from being disgusting, it didn’t cause any major damage, so it was just brushed off.

"The incident with the teacher’s child’s tooth also wasn’t pursued. You’ve seen Zhao Xinyuan yourself. He was gaunt and thin, with disheveled hair, looking like a homeless man who seemed to have neurological disorders. After the complainants and the police viewed the surveillance footage, they also gave up on pursuing it."

Du Heng slowly digested what Liao Quansheng had told him. He had just eaten watermelon, and perhaps it was too sweet, as he felt a bit thirsty. Du Heng picked up the water on the table, took a sip, moistened his lips, and asked, "So, what’s the verdict now?"

"It hasn’t been decided yet; the police are still gathering evidence. But I heard that, excluding the defecation incident, all the other charges combined could lead to a sentence of three to five years."

So that was it. No wonder they said he wouldn’t make it to my wedding.

If he could actually make it to my wedding, now *that* would be truly bizarre.

With his doubts resolved, Du Heng got up to leave. "Xiao Fang won’t be coming to your place today," he said. "I’m taking him out."

"Hey, don’t rush off," Liao Quansheng quickly stopped him. "You’re here just in time to help me with something."

"What is it?" Du Heng asked.

"My little niece—my sister’s daughter—is having some problems. I was hoping you could take a look."

"Seriously?" Du Heng looked mildly surprised. "With your family’s connections, you can’t find a good doctor?"

"Of course we’ve sought medical help!" Liao Quansheng said, standing up and walking towards his desk, kicking aside obstructing items. He picked up his mobile phone and car keys from the table, beckoning Du Heng outside. "We’ve seen all the experts in the province, but no one can find the problem. My sister and brother-in-law were planning to take her to the Capital in the next few days for a check-up. Now that you, the Divine Doctor, are here, it’s a perfect chance for you to take a look."

Du Heng, walking out with Liao Quansheng, curiously asked, "What are the exact symptoms?"

"My little niece is in second grade," Liao Quansheng began, a troubled expression on his face as they walked. "She used to do well in her studies, consistently scoring above ninety in both Chinese and Math. But this semester, her grades have plummeted. She’s struggling to understand many things. Plus, her handwriting is getting progressively worse, incredibly sloppy, and she’s uncoordinated—even walking is difficult for her."

Liao Quansheng was clearly distressed talking about his little niece.

"Initially, her teacher criticized my sister and brother-in-law, saying they weren’t supervising her enough, that her problems were due to lack of care. But later, when my sister was looking after her more closely, she realized the little girl was uncoordinated, as if she couldn’t control her own hands. That’s when they took her to the hospital.

"At first, one doctor said it was a degenerative muscle lesion. After treatment showed no effect, they consulted another doctor who suggested myasthenia. Anyway, they’ve seen many doctors, heard all sorts of diagnoses, and tried various treatments, but nothing has worked."

Du Heng listened attentively, thinking carefully before asking, "Has the child’s condition been like this continuously?"

Liao Quansheng frowned. "Not exactly. It started around March. But then, towards the end of May or early June, hey, the kid got better on her own! She could write properly, and her movements were fine."

"That sounds good. So why the need to go to the Capital now?"

"That’s the problem. Summer vacation just started, so my sister enrolled her in a dance class. After just two days of classes, she regressed to her previous state. And this time, her arms and calves are constantly twisting, making all sorts of strange movements."

By the time they reached the car, Liao Quansheng sighed. "I can’t explain it very well. Just go take a look and see what you think. If you don’t have any ideas either, then my sister will take her to the Capital tomorrow or the day after."

「Then, the two men drove to Liao Quansheng’s sister’s house.」

After entering and exchanging introductions, Du Heng saw the little girl sitting on the sofa watching TV.

Liao Quansheng’s sister and brother-in-law were busy packing for the trip to the Capital. When Liao Quansheng finished speaking, they paused their preparations, their faces etched with worry. "Our daughter’s condition has worsened these past two days," his sister said. "We can’t delay any longer. We’re taking her to see a specialist in the Capital tomorrow."

While Liao Quansheng’s sister was talking, Du Heng carefully observed the little girl.

In just that short interval, the joints in the girl’s arms—shoulders, elbows, wrists—were alternately extending, flexing, and twisting. Her fingers continuously flexed, extended, and adducted.

Du Heng tuned out Liao Quansheng’s sister’s litany of complaints and regrets, walking directly over to the little girl.

Reaching the little girl’s side, Du Heng squatted down, extended his hand, and said with a warm smile, "Hello. I’m a classmate of your uncle. It’s nice to meet you."

"Hello," the little girl replied, appearing quite composed despite her condition.

As she spoke, however, her face contorted with involuntary movements: pursing lips, blinking, flicking her tongue, and knitting her brows, making it look as if she were pulling faces. Yet, Du Heng could see in her eyes that these actions weren’t intentional; she was clearly trying to resist these expressions.

When she extended her hand, her five fingers writhed and twisted into odd positions, looking quite strange.

The little girl, seeing her own uncontrolled movements, looked distressed and perhaps shy, starting to withdraw her hand as if reluctant to shake his.

Du Heng, however, gently took her hand. His smile remained warm and steady, his gaze unwavering.

Upon taking her hand, Du Heng immediately noticed that the little girl couldn’t control the strength of her grip; it fluctuated, sometimes tight, sometimes weak.