NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2 - Stabbed Eighteen Times!
Chapter 2: Stabbed Eighteen Times!
Nurses were of two types: emergency room (ER) nurses and outpatient nurses.
Outpatient nurses work regular office hours, typically from nine to five. ER nurses, on the other hand, had rotating shifts, including day shifts, evening shifts, and overnight shifts, with occasional shift swaps and extra shifts.
Day shifts were easy to understand, as they cover the daytime hours, usually 8 AM to 4 PM. The evening shift, known as the “small night shift,” went from 4 PM to midnight, while the “big night shift” started at midnight and went until morning.
Tang Xiaorou had worked the big night shift yesterday and finished her shift at 8 AM this morning. After leaving the hospital, she found a place to have a bowl of wonton soup for breakfast and was about to head home. Her home was near the hospital, so she usually walked to and from work.
However, today, she felt something was amiss. Since leaving the hospital, she felt like someone had been watching her every move from the shadows. This feeling intensified when she reached less crowded areas. The only time she felt relief from this sensation was when she was having breakfast at the wonton shop, but as soon as she left, that strange feeling returned.
She was certain that someone was tailing her in broad daylight. Such a person was either crazy or foolish. Tang Xiaorou immediately sent a message to her boyfriend, Lu Ming:
“I might be being followed,” she texted and then placed her phone inside her bag. She wondered if this person tailing her had motives related to money or something else entirely.
Just as she was preparing to walk towards a more crowded area, a figure suddenly darted out in front of her, blocking her path. The man was around 170 centimeters tall and had a spring-loaded knife in his hand. With a menacing look, his eyes wandered over Tang Xiaorou.
Tang Xiaorou immediately understood the situation. It was a potential assault.
“Don’t move, don’t scream, or else this knife could end up anywhere on your body!” The creepy man held the small knife, slowly stepping towards Tang Xiaorou.
Tang Xiaorou glanced around. This was a secluded path in a semi-open park area. In the early morning, around five or six, there were usually many elderly people exercising there. However, at this moment, they had all gone back home for breakfast, leaving the area nearly deserted.
The creepy man had chosen this time and place for a reason, exploiting the lack of witnesses. Tang Xiaorou suspected that he had scouted the location in advance and had planned this. But this creepy man might have chosen the wrong target.
“Do you want this knife to end up anywhere on my body?” Tang Xiaorou murmured to herself.
On the other side, Lu Ming had left the hospital and decided to call the police. Lu Ming, after some deduction, figured that it was broad daylight. If the assailant tailing Tang Xiaorou intended to strike, they would likely choose the semi-open park area near Linfeng Avenue. It was the only place with relatively few passersby. So, he relayed his location information to the police.
“Hello, my girlfriend is being followed. It should be in the semi-open park near Linfeng Avenue,” he said urgently. “Please dispatch officers immediately. There might be a life at risk!”
The operator on the other end, upon hearing the possibility of a life at risk, didn’t waste any time. He immediately issued the task and coordinated police resources.
At the same time, they tried to reassure Lu Ming, “Sir, please don’t worry. Our officers are on their way. Your girlfriend will be fine.”
However, Lu Ming responded surprisingly, “I’m worried that something might happen to the assailant!”
The operator at the other end of the call looked puzzled, mirroring Shen Mumu’s confusion earlier. “Huh?” He doubted if he had misheard. Who exactly was trying to harm whom? He was thoroughly perplexed.
Because there was a Linfeng Bridge Police Station near Linfeng Avenue, the police arrived within three minutes. Lu Ming, on the other hand, was a few minutes late. When he reached the scene, a crowd had gathered, and the police were maintaining order.
Lu Ming soon spotted Tang Xiaorou sitting on a stone bench, being questioned by a female police officer. He also saw the unconscious assailant lying on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood.
As this was happening, an ambulance arrived, and it was from Mingren Hospital, the hospital where both Lu Ming and Tang Xiaorou worked.
Lu Ming watched as the barely conscious assailant was lifted onto the ambulance stretcher. Lu Ming felt a pang of concern. It seemed like the assailant was seriously injured. Could this result in an excessive use of force charge?
“Lu Ming!”
At that moment, Tang Xiaorou noticed Lu Ming and smiled, waving to him.
Lu Ming hurried over to Tang Xiaorou’s side.
“Are you her boyfriend?” The female police officer sized up Lu Ming.
Lu Ming nodded slightly, “Yes.”
The female officer then explained, “This is a case involving bodily harm, and the injuries to the other party seem quite severe, so that it might get a bit complicated. Despite the assailant deserving some punishment, there might still be a charge of excessive use of force.”
“Once the assailant successfully undergoes a medical examination, there could be a potential civil liability as well.”
Lu Ming felt a headache coming on but looked gently at Tang Xiaorou and asked, “You’re not injured, are you?”
Tang Xiaorou shook her head, “No.”
“You went a bit too far with that takedown,” Lu Ming said with a hint of helplessness after expressing his concern.
“Not heavy at all. I just lightly stabbed him eighteen times,” Tang Xiaorou quickly reassured, waving her hands gently.
“How many?” Lu Ming’s tone suddenly escalated, even elongating the word “how.”
Tang Xiaorou blinked, “Eighteen times.”
The female police officer standing nearby gasped in shock. That was some serious force.
Lu Ming, on the other hand, felt a mix of anger, helplessness, and amusement.
“Stabbed eighteen times..,” he muttered to himself. “Criminal, oh criminal, why did you provoke her?”