Disciplinary Code

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It was 7:30 in the evening, still within the normal visiting hours.

Jiang Heng handed the appointment notice for Building 21-6 in Area C to the security guard at the entrance and successfully obtained a temporary parking card.

Ruiting Riverside was a newly built villa area. Only a third of the area had been sold so far, and most of the houses in the complex were dark and gloomy. Occasionally, a few yards had cement and sand piles, indicating the beginning stages of renovation.

Jiang Heng parked the car in the visitor parking space at the entrance of Building 21-6, then walked to the gate and rang the doorbell.

The one who opened the door was Li Nan, the elder daughter of Li Linghua. Her eyes were slightly red, and she wasn’t wearing makeup. Her long hair was slightly messy at the ends, as if she hadn’t taken care of it properly.

“Lawyer Jiang,” Li Nan managed a faint smile and gestured for him to come in. “Sorry to trouble you so late.”

“No problem,” Jiang Heng said. “It’s all in order to solve the problem as soon as possible.”

While speaking, Jiang Heng discreetly assessed Li Nan. He noticed that she was dressed in soft home clothing, and two of her artificial nails on her right hand were missing, which was quite evident when they shook hands.

Li Linghua had built her business from the ground up, and Li Nan served as the marketing director in her company. People like them who constantly met with clients usually paid attention to their appearance and demeanor.

Looks like she hasn’t been out these past few days, Jiang Heng thought.

Li Nan welcomed him inside, and the entrance to the villa was slightly open. As they approached, they could hear a heated argument from inside.

Jiang Heng raised his head upon hearing the voices and noticed that the windows of the balcony on the second floor were not tightly closed.

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As soon as he stepped inside, the previously indistinct argument became clear. It sounded like Li Linghua was venting her anger to someone.

“I knew it. You wish Xiao Wen was dead, and I was dead too. You want to be free with your little fox spirit.” Li Linghua’s voice was sharp and cutting, mixed with countless traces of anger. “Let me tell you, Liu Qiang, you won’t succeed. I’d rather donate everything than give you a single cent!”

“Aren’t you wrongly accusing me?” The male voice sounded extremely wronged, almost higher in pitch than Li Linghua’s. “Xiao Wen is my son too. How can I not be sad?”

Li Linghua sneered, “Then who knows what you’re plotting?”

“I was a little confused before, but even a tiger wouldn’t eat its cubs. You have to believe me on this,” Liu Qiang’s voice suddenly softened, trying to appease her. “The matters of adults have nothing to do with the child. I only have this one bloodline. How could I bear to harm him?”

“Xiao Wen has been under my care since childhood. He wasn’t well when he was young, and I carried him to the hospital every time.” Liu Qiang’s voice choked up, low and hoarse. “Linghua, you can say I’m not human, that I’m a beast, that I’m weak against temptation. But you can’t say that I conspired with someone to harm Xiao Wen.”

This sentence seemed to finally touch Li Linghua. The argument suddenly ceased, and after a few seconds, low sobs could be heard.

“I’m sorry you have to hear all this,” Li Nan’s expression was somewhat uneasy. She touched the back of her neck and whispered, “Mom and Dad are arguing, and it’s about Xiao Wen—”

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Li Nan pursed her lips, seemingly finding it difficult to speak.

“Although Mom is really angry, after all these years of marriage, deep down, she still wants to believe in Dad,” Li Nan sighed and said, “I advised her, but she’s a bit stubborn.”

“Hmm?” Jiang Heng keenly sensed something from Li Nan’s words and casually asked, “Do you suspect there’s some hidden situation?”

“Not really.” Li Nan shook her head, cautiously refraining from speculating, “I just feel that if a man dares to betray a woman once, he will definitely dare to do it a second time.”

Jiang Heng unexpectedly glanced at her upon hearing that.

After contemplating for a moment, he chose a tactful way to respond, “You seem closer to Mrs. Li.”

“To be honest, I’m not her biological daughter.” Li Nan hugged her arms, seemingly thinking that since Jiang Heng had already heard the argument between Li Linghua and Liu Qiang, there was nothing she couldn’t say, “From a blood relation perspective, my mother is her second cousin—she wasn’t well at the time and couldn’t have children, so she adopted me from my biological mother. Xiao Wen is her only child. It’s not a secret, but you just didn’t know, Mr. Jiang.”

“I see.” Jiang Heng lowered his eyes slightly and confirmed, “So, Mr. Li Wen is the only child of Mrs. Li and Mr. Liu Qiang?”

“Yes,” Li Nan said.

Jiang Heng nodded and didn’t say anything more.

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After changing his shoes at the entrance, Jiang Heng followed Li Nan into the living room. The argument upstairs had also come to an end. Li Linghua and Liu Qiang, one after the other, came down the stairs. Both of them appeared to be in low spirits.

Li Linghua went straight to the cold refreshment area, poured herself a glass of ice water, while Liu Qiang followed a few steps behind her. He greeted Jiang Heng with a nod, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

Jiang Heng smiled at him, and Liu Qiang, initially trying to avoid eye contact, somehow forced himself to look back at Jiang Heng. He managed a strained smile.

Li Linghua seemed to still hold some resentment towards Liu Qiang. After getting her water, she brushed past him without even looking at him, then turned and walked towards Jiang Heng.

Liu Qiang’s face darkened for a moment, but he didn’t say anything. After hesitating for a while, he followed Li Linghua’s footsteps without a word.

Jiang Heng stood up from the sofa, shook hands with Li Linghua, and said, “You’ve been through a lot, Mrs. Li.” Li Linghua’s expression looked quite exhausted. “Has the matter at the hospital been resolved? When can we proceed with the lawsuit?”

“Not yet, but rest assured, I’ll let you know when there’s concrete progress on my end,” Jiang Heng said. “I’ve conducted preliminary inquiries with the parties involved and others present, but for more detailed medical records and medication lists, I’ll need your signature to obtain the evidence.”

“Sure.” Li Linghua’s spirit and mind were both fatigued. She took a sip of water, then nodded slightly, saying, “You can bring whatever materials need my signature. As long as we can get justice for Xiao Wen, I don’t mind the trouble.”

“Great.” Jiang Heng nodded and said, “I also need to inquire about the details of the event from relevant individuals.” He turned to Liu Qiang and asked warmly, “Mr. Liu, on the day Mr. Li Wen was admitted to the hospital, were you present?”

Liu Qiang was caught off guard by the direct question and gave a quick nod, vaguely confirming that he was.

“I went to the hospital today,” Jiang Heng said. “The hospital’s version of events differs slightly from yours. They claim they didn’t receive any information from you, nor did they obtain any patient information from you. Is that true?”

“No, that’s impossible.” Liu Qiang’s body jolted as he was directly addressed. He hurriedly shook his head and denied, “I provided all the information I should have. It’s—”

Jiang Heng suddenly made a gesture to interrupt his words. Then, right in front of Liu Qiang, he took out a recording pen from his pocket and lightly placed it on the coffee table.

Liu Qiang looked at the recording pen with its blinking blue light and his expression turned slightly grim.

“Key information is needed as evidence in court. It’s better to be cautious,” Jiang Heng smiled and said, “Furthermore, as a lawyer, I prefer open and honest information exchange. That’s the only way we can resolve this matter as soon as possible… Wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Liu?”

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Liu Qiang refrained from looking at the blinking blue light on the recording pen, and he forced a nod.

“Mr. Liu,” Jiang Heng’s speech wasn’t hurried, but his pronunciation was precise, “Are you certain that you provided clear and crucial medical information?”