Chapter 27: The Wickedness of People

More than half an hour passed before the man reappeared. The child had already stopped breathing; his small body was growing cold, his suffering finally ended.

The man rushed to Bella, snatched the child from her arms, and shouted, "My child was fine when I brought him here! How could he die? You must compensate me!"

Cold sweat broke out on Bella's forehead. She had suspected as much. The child had been near death, and the man was trying to extort money.

Her anger flared. "He had congenital biliary atresia! He was already dying! You said he was fine? You knew he couldn't be saved!"

The old doctor adjusted his glasses. "We're a small-town hospital. We can't afford your extortion. Besides, we gave him no medication or treatment. You have no proof his death is our fault."

Ignoring the doctor, the man glared at Bella menacingly. "You didn't treat him, but he died here! Who knows what you did?"

The old doctor looked at Bella with a helpless expression. Bella's heart sank; he had no recourse. As the admitting physician, the responsibility fell squarely on her. The family wouldn't let this go.

She felt disgusted by the man's wickedness. She'd never encountered such a situation in her previous work in Joville.

Soon, the man called in reinforcements. They didn't create a scene, but they surrounded Bella, effectively trapping her.

By 10:00 p.m., the situation remained unchanged. Most doctors had left; only a few night-shift workers remained. Fear kept everyone away from Bella's besieged office.

The seemingly honest man behaved like a thug. They blocked the door and forced Bella to pay for their food and drink. Even when they stole her wallet, she could only endure silently. The hospital disavowed responsibility, leaving her to handle the situation. They advised her not to return to work until it was resolved.

The message was clear: in this small town, there were no proper procedures, and everyone shirked responsibility.

Near 11:00 p.m., Bella's phone rang. Before she could answer, the man snatched it. He yelled into the phone, "Bring money! She owes me for my son's life!" Then he hung up.

Finally, Bella decided to reason with him. "You want money, right? Keeping me here won't produce it. Let me go home. I don't have my bank cards."

The man sneered and spat. "You have money? I'll go with you to get it. Don't try anything. I have connections here. Try to run, and you'll regret it."

A cold voice echoed from the hallway. "Since when do lowlifes like you run things around here?"