Zwilling

Kapitel 25

thump!!

The force wasn't actually very strong, but it was just right, with only one purpose: to make him fall into the water.

Who is it?

Even after falling into the water, Lu Yaodong remained convinced that there was no one behind him.

Was the person who pushed me into the water not a "person"?

Lu Yaodong quickly adjusted his posture in the water and lifted his head above the surface. He could swim; he was a regular at the university swimming pool, and his strong calf muscles were the result of splashing around in the water. It was simply impossible for a swimming enthusiast like him, who hadn't taken drugs, drunk alcohol, or had a history of heart disease, to drown in a mere two-meter-deep pool.

So he wasn't panicked. He treaded the water, his head floating on the surface, and swam towards the poolside. The distance was only four or five meters, which he could reach in a few strokes of the breaststroke. He just needed to grab the edge of the pool with his hands, and there were protrusions on the pool wall below the water at intervals for him to step on. He could step on them and press down with his hands to get out of the water and onto the shore.

Lu Yaodong stretched out his hand, almost reaching the edge, when he clearly felt that pushing force again, pulling him towards the center of the pool and preventing him from swimming closer to the shore. He didn't panic. After several failed attempts, he turned and swam to the other side of the pool, trying to avoid this inexplicable force, but it was in vain. The force seemed to be everywhere, forming a circle that surrounded the pool like an iron barrel, preventing him from getting out of the water unless he could flap his wings like a water bird and fly out of the water.

Oil painting No. 51: 773 Horror Series 13

Section 58: Tonight is the perfect opportunity to make a move.

He repeatedly told himself, "Stay calm, stay calm, don't panic, there's still time."

He swam back to the center of the pool, treading water, and thought that with his stamina, he could at least struggle in the water for another half hour, so he still had time to save himself...

Huh, why is the water hot?

Just now, he struggled to swim from one side to the other and back again, trying to get ashore time and time again, ignoring the changes in water temperature. Only now did his skin clearly feel the water temperature rising and becoming hot.

The Casio watch on his wrist had a thermometer function. He glanced at it and his heart clenched; the water temperature was already 46 degrees Celsius. Normally, under constant temperature conditions, the water in a swimming pool is only around 20 degrees Celsius. Swimming is not like taking a bath, and now the water temperature had exceeded that of a large public bath.

Due to the sudden rise in water temperature, a thick layer of water vapor condensed again on the glass ceiling. Outside the ceiling, the face of the drowning victim was blurred, and it was unknown whether Qiao Ming was still lying outside, looking down at his enemy.

The Casio watch, capable of diving to depths of 50 meters, was covered in condensation, indicating it couldn't withstand the water temperature and the thermometer was illegible. Lu Yaodong, however, could feel the water temperature continuing to rise. Despair began to creep in; it felt as if he were standing on a living volcano, spewing lava, not a swimming pool or bath. He'd seen it on television—crimson lava rolling in, sparks flying, melting trees, houses, and roads in its wake, like putting an ice cream in a microwave, instantly turning it into a puddle of sweet water. The power of nature could easily conquer arrogant humanity…

Am I still alive?

Lu Yaodong was a little confused. He saw strings of small bubbles rising from the bottom of the kettle. He remembered that boiling water was like this; when it was almost boiling, strings of small bubbles would rise from the bottom of the kettle.

Oh my god, the water is about to boil?

My fate was to be scalded to death!

How tragic, how tragic!

At the entrance of the swimming pool, the mother and daughter peeked inside. The scene inside made them wonder if they had gone to the wrong place. They entered a large public bathhouse and were greeted by a wave of heat.

Huge bubbles churned in the pool, making gurgling sounds, like a giant pot of boiling water. As the water boiled, Lu Yaodong was like a "sea monster" dumpling, bobbing and bubbling in the pot. Water poured into his body through his mouth, ears, and nostrils, rushed into his trachea, submerged his lungs, and cleansed his internal organs.

The mother and daughter ran wildly out of the clubhouse, running a long distance in the rain until they could no longer run. Looking back, the building, with its half glass curtain wall and half creamy yellow structure, still stood like a fresh cream cake, tempting people's appetites.

The next day, the club's staff came to work, all dumbfounded. The swimming pool was completely empty, leaving only a large rectangular pit. Hundreds of tons of water had inexplicably evaporated overnight. Someone must have loosened the valve, letting all the water drain away—a serious dereliction of duty.

The walls of the swimming pool had turned a pale yellow from being soaked in bleach for a long time. Scattered on the bottom of the pool were some items left behind by swimmers, such as hair clips used by girls, locker keys, Band-Aids, swimming goggles broken in two, a plastic watch, and even... a person.

His body was curled up in a C-shape, lying on his side at the bottom of the pool. His entire body was red, like a cooked lobster. Of course, no one dared to go down and taste it.

The news that someone had been boiled alive in the swimming pool spread like wildfire throughout the neighborhood, with all sorts of rumors flying around. Some people swore that they had witnessed a UFO-like object hovering above the clubhouse last night, spewing out a dark red stream of air. The scorching air dried up the water in the swimming pool, resulting in an unfortunate swimmer being boiled alive.

Modern people's tastes are getting worse and worse; the more violent, pornographic, and bizarre the content, the more interested they become. The next day, the *News Morning Post* published the photo on its front page with a sensational headline:

The headline read, "Hundreds of tons of swimming pool water evaporated overnight, cooking a 70-kilogram 'prawn' alive," with the subtitle, "Aliens visiting the neighborhood?!"

Du Yaofeng and Nuonuo paid no heed to the hustle and bustle of the neighborhood. The mother and daughter huddled at home, staring blankly at their phones on the coffee table. A text message displayed on the screen, received at noon earlier that day, from the same number: 13901673693. The message was simple, just six characters:

"I'll help you, you help me."

Ye Xiaohui's company is an agency providing overseas study services. Due to the enduring popularity of studying abroad, many parents are even sending their elementary school-aged children overseas for "further education," demonstrating their eagerness. Some jokingly say this isn't about hoping their children will succeed, but rather about forcing them to succeed. As a result, many agencies have sprung up, offering a one-stop service from school selection, form filling, registration, visa processing, airfare, accommodation, and even part-time work—all you have to do is pay. Of course, if the visa officer says no, you're out of luck.

The meeting was arranged at a tea restaurant across the street at noon.

Xiao Hui, standing in front of me, is less than 1.6 meters tall. She is a petite and delicate girl with slender almond-shaped eyes and speaks softly. Moreover, her style is very Japanese, and she is often mistaken for a Japanese girl.

Why are you asking about Zoe?

Xiao Hui raised the same question as Xiao Yu, and received the same answer: Nuonuo was Zoe's cousin, and Du Yaofeng was Zoe's aunt. They had some thoughts about Zoe's suicide, not necessarily to find out anything, but just to offer some comfort to her wounded heart. To better disguise her feelings, Nuonuo said seriously, "Mommy has been dreaming about Zoe lately. Could it be my cousin visiting me in my dreams?"

"I only started working with Zoe, who is Dr. Yu, after An Ruohong became the head nurse. We only spent less than a year together..."

Xiao Hui wasn't as talkative as Xiao Yu, who worked in marketing; her speech was intermittent.

"Before, when I wasn't by Zoe's side, I often heard people say that she was the strictest of the doctors, and some even said that she was kind on the outside but cruel on the inside."

There were five doctors, four of whom were men, and she was the only woman. All the nurses, however, were women.

Male doctors, being more gentle and considerate, wouldn't scold nurses even if they made mistakes. Zoe, however, was far less polite. She had high expectations of the nurses and was very strict. We knew that in her eyes, no one but An Ruohong was acceptable.

Oil painting No. 51: 773 Horror Series 13

Section 59: "I'll help you, you help me"

After An Ruohong became the head nurse, Zoe specifically asked me to be her nurse. At the time, I was very nervous, even a little scared, and others were worried about me too.

At first, I really struggled to adapt. When cleaning a patient's teeth, the dentist used an ultrasonic probe that sprayed water simultaneously to clean and cool the area. During this process, the patient's gums would bleed and produce a lot of saliva. The nurse next to me would use a suction device to remove the water mixed with blood and saliva. I tried my best to keep the suction device close to her probe, thinking that staying close couldn't hurt. Unexpectedly, she suddenly pushed my suction device away and glared at me fiercely. I was genuinely startled, thinking: "Like repels like," it's so true! What did I do to offend you?

Afterwards, she said that my suction tip blocked my view, especially when cleaning the front teeth. Water overflowed from the patient's mouth and flowed down their neck, wetting their collar. She told me not to make such a basic mistake again and to keep the suction tip and probe at a distance of one tooth.

Later, as we spent more time together, I gradually discovered that Zoe wasn't as scary as people said. On the contrary, she was a thoughtful and caring partner.

For example, when taking X-rays for patients, normally the patient sits in the X-ray room, we adjust the machine's position, and then leave the room. There's a remote control on the wall outside the room, like an air conditioner remote, to minimize X-ray radiation exposure. However, the clinic's X-ray machine malfunctioned; it shifted. If you aimed it at position 4, the resulting image would show position 6. So, someone needed to stay in the X-ray room to hold the machine in place. This is normally the nurse's responsibility, but Zoe called me out. She stayed inside to hold the machine for the patient, letting me operate it outside. She said that a young woman in her early twenties like me still has a fully developed reproductive system and should minimize radiation exposure.

I was really touched.

When I told the other nurses about this, they all said that the male doctors couldn't do it.

When it was my birthday, Zoe gave me a Wenquxing electronic dictionary so that I could study English properly.

There was a nurse named Minnie who took ecstasy at a bar. The police happened to be on patrol and caught her. Later, Minnie was fired by Boss Zhu. Zoe told me to learn from this experience, not to waste my youth, and to learn more while I'm still energetic and have a good memory. As the saying goes, a skill is worse than a fortune; you won't suffer no matter where you go in the future.

She added that even the most beautiful girl will develop wrinkles after thirty. There are so many beautiful, energetic girls in their early twenties on the street; what can you compete with them on? You're doomed to lose if you rely solely on your looks; you can only rely on your skills. While nursing doesn't pay much, it offers learning opportunities. If you persevere and gain experience, you can become a dental assistant, independently cleaning patients' teeth. If you want to switch to another clinic and ask for a raise, they'll likely agree. Experienced nurses are welcome at any clinic.

I did as she said. But after she died, I never wanted to be a nurse again. I just wanted to leave dentistry, to do whatever I wanted, to get as far away from this profession as possible. If I were to go back to that environment, sitting in the nurse's seat, I would think of Zoe, as if she were always sitting next to me, looking at me with concerned eyes…

At this point, Xiao Hui's tears began to fall.

Xiaohui still keeps Zoe's business card and always carries it with her. She took the card out to show everyone; the front of the card reads in Chinese: "Attending Physician Yu Linyin".

The name evokes a sense of tranquility, and two images come to mind: Zoe busy in the consultation room and Zoe sitting on the windowsill in the painting.

The Zoe that Xiaohui described seemed completely different from the Zoe who sat on the windowsill.

The business card was passed between the three people, and they all noticed that the phone number on it started with 138, not the alarming 13901673693. Why wasn't Zoe using her own number? The three exchanged puzzled glances.

The back of the business card reads in English: "Zoe Yu, General Dental, Email: zoe@"

Xiaohui explained the origin of the name Zoe: the clinic has a dedicated website where every employee must register their email address. Previously, Yu Linyin's English name was Anna, which happened to be the same as An Ruohong's. Yu Linyin said it didn't matter, you're still Anna, I'll choose another one. She casually flipped through the list of European and American names in an English-Chinese dictionary, and happened to be on page Z. Her eyes immediately fell on the last one. Everyone said Zoe was good, at least the probability of repetition was low. Who wants a name that's always the same as someone else's?

At the clinic, we addressed all the other doctors as "Dr. So-and-so," and Zhu Chuan and Wu Laogan as "General Manager Zhu" and "General Manager Wu," respectively. Only Zoe asked us not to call her Dr. Yu, but just Zoe. We quickly got used to calling her that, and everyone felt very comfortable with it. I like the name Zoe, just like I like the people who are like her...

Before she knew it, tears streamed down Xiao Hui's face.

During the meal, in addition to the four set meals, Nono specially ordered an extra dessert for Xiaohui. She explained that desserts can stimulate the taste buds and help regulate emotions, especially for women who have just broken up. Although Xiaohui had lost a friend, not a lover, having a dessert would be beneficial for their conversation later.

Sure enough, as she ate the dessert, Xiaohui's emotions gradually stabilized.

Du Yaofeng asked her, "So, can we say that Zoe is quite popular and very likable, is that right?"

Xiao Hui nodded.

Why did she commit suicide?

Xiao Hui paused for a moment, not answering immediately, then said, "Well... this matter... is rather complicated."

"Complex," was the word Xiaohui used.

In other words, Zoe's suicide was not caused by a single factor, but by a combination of factors, including both known and unknown ones.

If a person is not only beautiful but also capable, it is a blessing from God, and there will definitely be people who are jealous of her.

In the clinic, there were people who were jealous of Zoe, and more than one.

Oil painting No. 51: 773 Horror Series 13

Section 60: "Then why did she commit suicide?"

I worked with Dr. Tu, and my impression of him was the exact opposite of my impression of Zoe—it was good at first, then bad. When the clinic first opened, there was no medical director position. Zhu Chuan had verbally promised Tu Bonian that he would promote Tu Bonian to that position in six months, so Tu Bonian felt that the position of medical director would be his sooner or later, and he always acted like the medical director.

At the Ninth People's Hospital, Tu Bonian specializes in prosthodontics, while Zoe works in endodontics. Many people don't know that dentistry is actually divided into internal and external departments. Internal medicine involves teeth cleaning and fillings, while external medicine focuses on restorations, including dentures, orthodontics, and cosmetic procedures. At White Dental Clinic, a single teeth cleaning costs 300 yuan, porcelain veneers cost 1600 yuan per tooth, and full orthodontic treatment costs 10,000 yuan. This shows that the clinic's profits largely come from external medicine. Although internal medicine contributes far less to the clinic's overall business, it is the foundation. Typically, after several teeth cleanings and fillings, patients gain an understanding of the clinic and confidence in the dentist's skills before entrusting them with such an important matter as dentures.

In state-run hospitals, the dental departments separate internal medicine and surgery, while in private clinics, doctors need to perform both, resulting in varying skill levels. In surgery, Tu Bonian was the most experienced. Zhu Chuan required Tu Bonian to review every dental model; his approval was sufficient. Once, Zoe had a patient who wanted porcelain crowns for her tetracycline-stained teeth—gold crowns for the first eight upper teeth, each costing 2400 yuan, totaling nearly 20,000 yuan—a tempting case. After taking the patient's impressions, Zoe first showed one model to Tu Bonian, who said it was fine. However, when Zoe showed him the complete plaster models, Tu Bonian said it was no good and needed to be redone, meaning a new impression would be taken, which would be a loss of face for the clinic. Zhu Chuan demanded that Zoe hand the patient over to Tu Bonian, who reluctantly complied. Undoubtedly, Tu Bonian had set her up.

Xiao Hui saw Zoe shed tears after losing this hard-won big case.

Tu Bonian himself was also disappointing. In terms of internal medicine skills, he was not as good as Zoe, but he just wouldn't admit it. He was arrogant because he was going to be the medical director sooner or later, and refused to humbly ask for advice. As a result, he paid the price for his arrogance.

Here's what happened: One of Tu Bonian's patients had a toothache in his lower left sixth tooth. (Note: In dentistry, the upper two incisors are numbered 1, left 1 and right 1, arranged sequentially, left 1 to left 7, right 1 to right 7, with 8 being the tooth closest to the root, and so on for the lower teeth.) After X-rays, a diagnosis couldn't be made. Zhu Chuan consulted several doctors. Zoe thought it might be a root fracture, but no one agreed with her because root fractures are quite rare. Tu Bonian took it upon himself to have the lower left sixth tooth extracted. The patient developed a high fever that night and returned for a follow-up appointment the next day, where he received intravenous fluids at the clinic.

Zhu Chuan realized the situation was serious and convened another consultation. Zoe suggested consulting Professor Huang from the Ninth People's Hospital. Professor Huang had been Zoe's mentor at the hospital and was a recognized expert in oral medicine, a highly respected figure in the dental community. Zhu Chuan dared not delay any longer and personally drove Zoe to pick up Professor Huang from his home in Wujiaochang and bring him to the clinic on Huaihai Road. The diagnosis confirmed Zoe's suspicions: the tooth root was indeed fractured. This made the situation even more serious, not only wasting two days of time but also causing the patient to lose a healthy tooth. The patient took all the medical records and complained to White's headquarters in Beijing, threatening to sue if they didn't receive satisfactory compensation. Such medical disputes are a major headache for private clinics; they can afford to lose money, but they can't afford to lose their reputation! Ultimately, General Manager Li personally intervened, inviting the patient to dinner at the Beijing Hotel, where they privately negotiated a compensation amount, finally settling the matter. The exact amount paid remains unknown, but it was certainly not a small sum.

Afterwards, General Manager Li severely criticized Zhu Chuan, saying he was indecisive and missed the opportunity. If he had adopted Zoe's suggestion, things wouldn't have turned out so passively, almost leading to a lawsuit. Although Zhu Chuan didn't directly criticize Tu Bonian, the perceptive Tu Bonian already sensed that Zhu Chuan's promise regarding the medical director position was unlikely to be fulfilled. In fact, after this incident, even if Zhu Chuan wanted Tu Bonian to be the medical director, General Manager Li would never agree, because General Manager Li had already developed a negative opinion of Tu Bonian.

Tu Bonian bluntly told Zhu Chuan that if he couldn't become the medical director, in Shanghai dialect, it would be "too embarrassing"—too shameful. He would rather leave and find another way out than stay and be ridiculed.

In fact, Tu Bonian had already prepared an escape route for himself. At that time, several large private dental clinics were vying for market share. Among them, "28" Clinic (most people have twenty-eight teeth) was White's main competitor. The two were locked in fierce competition in Beijing, with White holding a slight advantage. Shortly after White opened its first clinic in Shanghai, "28" also moved south, opening its first clinic in Shanghai's Hongqiao business district. Unlike White's recruitment methods, "28" preferred to poach talent, specifically targeting White. At the same time, it extended tempting offers to Tu Bonian and Zoe, inviting them to dinner to gauge their interest. Zoe's attitude was firm. She had left the Ninth People's Hospital, where she had worked for over ten years, because she saw the potential in White's future. Now that the clinic was just getting on track, she was unwilling to switch jobs frequently for a higher salary. For her, changing jobs was a big deal, no less than getting married, and she didn't want to get married twice in one year.

In contrast, Tu Bonian's words left room for maneuver, so "28" focused its main attack on him, offering a series of tempting conditions, including increasing the base salary, increasing commissions, and, crucially, hiring Tu Bonian as the medical director, with all the doctors and nurses in the clinic under his management.

Having figured things out, Tu Bonian turned the tables and began to blackmail Zhu Chuan. Perhaps everyone assumed that Zhu Chuan, born into a high-ranking family, would possess an imperial air of dominance, but the reality was quite the opposite. His family's arduous careers and his own struggles making a living in Japan had made him cautious, even somewhat timid. Moreover, as a lawyer, he knew almost nothing about dentistry, adding to his caution; he didn't want his clinic to lose a key employee in less than a year. In fact, the shrewd Tu Bonian saw Zhu Chuan's weakness, which is why he dared to blackmail him. Zhu Chuan discussed with General Manager Li about making Tu Bonian the medical affairs supervisor. Upon hearing this, General Manager Li was furious, telling Zhu Chuan, "First, tell him (referring to Tu Bonian) to understand who the boss is! He works for the boss, how can he blackmail the boss? This is a capital offense. Second, it would be one thing if he went to another clinic, but he specifically went to '28'! Doesn't he know that White and '28' are mortal enemies? This is treason!" It's a betrayal! We must not be lenient with traitors; we must make an example of them!

Oil painting No. 51: 773 Horror Series 13

Section 61: This is defection! This is treason!

Eight months after the clinic opened, Tu Bonian submitted his resignation, left White, and became the medical director of "28". Shortly after, Zhu Chuan announced that Zoe would take over as medical director, which was also Li's idea.

EO was promoted to medical supervisor, which required signing a contract and also resulted in a salary increase.

The same job can be enjoyed by some, but exhausting for others. Zoe belongs to the latter; there are too many things she needs to correct one by one. Perhaps in Tu Bonian's eyes, the medical supervisor is an easy, well-paid position, but in Zoe's eyes, it's a job that offends people.

After becoming the medical director, Zoe offended many people, people who were originally her friends but were now in a superior-subordinate relationship. Society is different from the military; the superior-subordinate relationship is not simply a matter of orders and obedience. In short, being a supervisor is not easy.

Head Nurse Mao Lifang comes from the Department of Stomatology at Huashan Hospital. Like the Ninth People's Hospital, Huashan Hospital is a Grade III Class A hospital, which is the highest level among hospitals. However, there are obvious differences in some specific operations.

For example, Zoe required Mao Lifang to assign a dedicated person to oversee instrument sterilization. Simply preparing a few sets of sterilized instruments wouldn't suffice; with a surge in patients and doctors and nurses working non-stop, the supply would fall short of demand. Furthermore, metal instruments should be soaked in a 2% glutaraldehyde solution. While soaking them in disinfectant solutions or 8424 disinfectant is cheaper, soaking for more than half an hour can easily cause rust, so the soaking time must be strictly controlled. However, nurses often just throw them in and leave them unattended, resulting in rust appearing on the instruments after only a short time, requiring replacement.

Zoe's approach was characterized by "clear division of labor and standardized operations," reflecting the style of the Ninth People's Hospital. This was quite different from the habits Mao Lifang had developed at Huashan Hospital. She felt that Zoe was making a mountain out of a molehill. Of course, now that you are the supervisor, I can only listen to you.

Zhang Tiejing, the front desk supervisor, rarely has the character "Tie" (iron) in her name. It is said that she was named "Zhang Jing" when she was born. Everyone said that the child was destined to be a beauty, but her parents began to worry. Since ancient times, beautiful women have been said to have short lives. Her father racked his brains and insisted on adding a piece of iron to the name he had already chosen, hoping to suppress her short life. However, he did not expect that the child would become uglier and uglier as she grew up. It seemed that the beautiful child had turned into a dinosaur, but the piece of iron was never removed and had been suppressing her for decades.

The receptionist's job is to greet patients and schedule appointments with doctors. Dr. Teng complained to Zoe that Zhang Tiejing had sabotaged him. One of his patients had recently come for an initial appointment, just for a simple teeth cleaning. Due to his heavy smoking habit, his teeth had a thick layer of tartar and tea stains. It took over an hour to clean them thoroughly, scraping away a lot of tartar and even spraying a layer of sand. The patient was very satisfied. Soon after, the patient wanted to get porcelain veneers. He called the receptionist to schedule an appointment, but Zhang Tiejing said that Dr. Teng's schedule for the month was completely full, and suggested scheduling with another doctor, Dr. Zhou, who was also very good at porcelain veneers. The patient believed her and scheduled an appointment with Dr. Zhou. In fact, Zhang Tiejing lied; Dr. Teng's schedule wasn't full at all. Seeing a large piece of flesh about to be taken away, Dr. Teng was very unhappy and questioned Zhang Tiejing. Zhang Tiejing made excuses, saying that the schedule was written incorrectly. Dr. Teng didn't believe such a flimsy explanation.