FVN Chapter 21
Chapter 21
The He'an District Police Station received the emergency call at the first opportunity. A mass poisoning incident had occurred at the Little Sun Daycare Center within their jurisdiction. Twelve children had already shown symptoms of poisoning and were currently being treated at the Maternal and Child Health Hospital.
The police station divided its forces into two teams. Rao Shishi led a team to the daycare center to secure any potential evidence that could have caused the poisoning, while Zhong Jin personally went to the hospital to gather information.
The daycare center had already notified the parents of the affected children, and the hospital was in complete chaos. Some parents were crying by their children's bedsides, while others were confronting the principal demanding compensation.
Zhong Jin and Little Wang, both clad in their police uniforms, appeared at the end of the corridor. Someone shouted, "The police are here!" and the chaotic parents immediately surrounded them.@@@@
"Officer, our child was poisoned at the kindergarten."
"You need to investigate this urgently."
"Is the security situation so bad that someone would dare to poison a daycare facility?"
"..."
Zhong Jin and his team were instantly engulfed by the crowd.
In the past, he would have simply dismissed these concerns with official responses, avoiding any time-consuming details. But perhaps due to having a child of his own, Zhong Jin found himself empathizing more with the parents' anxieties. He patiently explained the procedural steps of the investigation and even comforted a few distraught parents.
"I need to talk to the doctors now," Zhong Jin said.
The parents stepped back, making way for him to pass.
As he walked forward, Zhong Jin noticed Teacher Zhuang at the rear of the crowd. Her face was pale, but she maintained her composure.
She greeted Zhong Jin, "Yuntong is fine. She's still at the daycare center, and other teachers are taking care of her. Don't worry."
Zhong Jin nodded and proceeded to the doctors' office at the end of the corridor.
Teacher Zhuang had previously reassured him over the phone that Yuntong was unharmed, which had enabled Zhong Jin to remain calm. Otherwise, if he had known his own child was poisoned, he might have been just as frantic as these parents.
The remaining children at the school were visibly anxious. They cried for their parents, so the teachers gathered them in the nap room, closed the curtains, and turned on the moon-shaped nightlight. The children sat on their soft beds, finding some comfort in the familiar surroundings.
During normal nap times, Teacher Zhuang would pay extra attention to Miao Qingyue's legs. She would wrap her lower body in a blanket before placing her on the bed, making her appear like a little mermaid, hidden from view.
However, today was too chaotic, and the substitute teacher wasn't as meticulous as Teacher Zhuang. She directly lifted Miao Qingyue from under the blanket, exposing her empty trouser legs as she placed her on the bed.
Yuntong, lying on her stomach on her own little bed, wiggled her way to face Miao Qingyue. Her gaze lingered on Miao Qingyue's empty trouser legs for a moment. Then, with agile movements, she climbed onto Miao Qingyue's bed. She grabbed both legs of the trousers and awkwardly tied a messy, yet recognizable, bow. Without a word, she climbed back to her own bed and, tilting her head, closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Miao Qingyue stared at the tangled mess of a bow in front of her, completely baffled.
Xiang Zimo, witnessing the entire scene, was unsure what to make of it. Worried about upsetting Miao Qingyue, he remained silent, his mouth hanging open in a stunned expression.
Yuntong, having successfully bewildered her two companions, slept soundly with her butt sticking up.
Yuntong was woken up not long after by a teacher, who informed her that a police officer and policewoman had arrived and needed to ask them some questions.
Rao Shishi asked, "...Mo?"
"Uh," Xiang Zimo scratched his head embarrassedly. "I think it was actually 'Mantou'?" He chuckled. "I don't remember his full name."
One of the accompanying teachers explained, "His name is Luo Jiahao, but his nickname is Mantou. He's four years old and a part of the summer daycare program." The teacher added, "We didn't notice him bringing any drinks to school."
Xiang Zimo confidently replied, "He did bring drinks—two bottles, one milk and one Coke. He even shared them with other kids. Based on my observation, most of the kids who drank the drinks ended up being among the ones who got sick. You can ask Zhong Yuntong and Miao Qingyue; they can confirm this."
Xiang Zimo had always admired his mother the most and often imitated her way of speaking and demeanor. Now, when he spoke, his words were clear and logical, showing a touch of Deputy Director Mao's charm.
This reminder made Yuntong remember something even more upsetting and immediately complained, "He wouldn't even let me have a sip of Coke!"
Rao Shishi quickly contacted Little Wang, who was still at the hospital, "What's the situation over there? We've heard that a child named Luo Jiahao brought two bottles of drinks to school, and most of the kids who got sick had drunk from them."
Little Wang replied, "The hospital's initial diagnosis is nitrite poisoning, but we're still waiting for the lab results to confirm. Some of the conscious kids with clear speech did mention drinking the drinks. You should search around the area and try to find the empty bottles for testing."
Under the joint testimony of eyewitnesses Xiang Zimo, Yuntong, and Miao Qingyue, two empty drink bottles were indeed found behind a wall in the kitchen—a 2-liter Coke and a 1.5-liter Nutri-Express.
Rao Shishi donned gloves, carefully picked up the two empty bottles, and sealed them in evidence bags.
The police suspected intentional poisoning, and the daycare center was immediately shut down, with all teachers and staff required to undergo investigations. The unharmed children were gradually picked up by their parents.
When Xiang Zimo's grandmother came to pick him up, she asked Yuntong if she wanted to go home with her. Mao Feixue had informed her about Zhong Jin's situation—a police officer so busy he barely had time to sleep, let alone take care of a child. The kind grandmother thought she could lend a hand if needed.
Yuntong tugged at Rao Shishi's sleeve and said, "I want to go to the police station."
"Alright," Rao Shishi picked up the child and hugged her, "Let's go home together, everyone's been waiting for you."
Rao Shishi held Yuntong tightly, reluctant to let her sit down and ride on her own. It was as if her own child had been wronged, and now that the family was here to back her up, she deserved extra indulgence.
The child had almost forgotten about the Coke incident, but seeing the adults' tender concern made her even more unabashed. She whispered against Rao Shishi's face, "He wouldn't even let me have a sip of Coke."
Rao Shishi continued to comfort her, "When we get back to the station, I'll give you snacks and let you watch cartoons on the tablet. And since your dad's not around today, you can watch as long as you want."
Passing by a supermarket, Gu Le, who was usually quiet, unexpectedly stopped the car, got out, and silently returned with a large bag of snacks, which included a big bottle of Coke.
After attending daycare for a while, Yuntong returned to the bustling atmosphere of He'an District Police Station, which hadn't changed a bit. The police officers were bustling about, their footsteps quick.
Yuntong sat on a long bench in the lobby, clutching a tablet to watch cartoons. Upon hearing about the incident at the daycare, several officers came over to comfort her.
Whenever someone approached, Yuntong would widen her eyes, pout her lips, and complain pitifully, "He wouldn't even let me have a sip of Coke."
As expected, this would earn her even more snacks.
When Zhong Jin and Little Wang returned to the station after finishing their tasks at the hospital, the corner of the office lobby had already become a miniature mountain of snacks.
In the midst of this snack-heap, his child sat like a little emperor, one hand holding a large bottle of Coke, the other scooping chips into her mouth.
Even her entertainment setup had been upgraded—someone had brought a lazy stand for her tablet, so she could free up her hands to eat.