Chapter 34: Identity Under Suspicion

The head nurse was surprised to see that she possessed such skill and gestured for her to continue.

Wen Ran did not intend to waste time. She selected the injection site, disinfected it, and performed the venipuncture in one smooth, fluid motion. The elderly lady felt no pain at all, and the IV was set.

The old woman exclaimed in admiration, "Your technique is excellent! From now on, I want this nurse to be the one to give me my injections."

"Very well, as you wish," the head nurse replied. Although she was unaware of the old woman’s true background, she dared not neglect her. The reason she had chosen this particular patient to test Wen Ran was that the woman was known for having a better temperament than the others.

What truly stunned the head nurse was Wen Ran's venipuncture skill. Combined with the sharp, quick-witted nature she had displayed over the past few days, the head nurse asked once they were out of the ward, "Wen Ran, did you study medicine before joining this hospital?"

Knowing the head nurse remained skeptical, Wen Ran thought for a moment and replied, "I have always had an interest in medicine. Before I was admitted to the hospital, I had been teaching myself in secret."

"Then you have a great natural talent," the head nurse remarked with genuine emotion. If she could achieve this level of proficiency through self-study, she was definitely a talent worth nurturing.

However, if she were not a natural talent but someone whose performance had been pre-arranged, she could potentially be a spy planted in the hospital by the enemy. Such things had happened before, and one had to be vigilant. Whether Wen Ran was a genius or an enemy agent was a serious political matter. The head nurse knew she had to report this to the hospital director immediately. After assigning Wen Ran a new task, she hurried to the director’s office and recounted Wen Ran's performance and her own suspicions to the director in detail.

The director, He Changshan, possessed a high level of political awareness and took the matter seriously at once. "Head Nurse Liu, what is the name of this young nurse you mentioned?"

"Song Wenran!" the head nurse replied quickly.

"Who?" The name sounded familiar to He Changshan.

The head nurse repeated it, syllable by syllable: "Song. Wen. Ran."

He Changshan pondered and finally remembered. This was the young woman whom Shen Nanzheng had specifically asked him to look after. He could not help but overthink the situation. Could it be that his request for "special attention" was not actually about care, but a coded hint to keep a close eye on her because of some classified military intelligence? Every new recruit underwent a political vetting process before entering the hospital; had something gone wrong in the middle?

He tapped his fingers rhythmically on the desk, lost in thought. Unable to sit still, he stood up and said, "Have Song Wenran come to my office."

The head nurse did not hesitate. "Yes, I will go at once."

"Wait," He Changshan added. "Keep this matter confidential. Do not tell anyone." He was preparing for both possibilities; after all, a guess was just a guess, and perhaps Song Wenran was simply a genius. If she were a true talent, she would need to be groomed for greater things.

The head nurse understood and spoke to Wen Ran privately. "Wen Ran, you did well today. The director wants to see you."

"See me?" After a moment of confusion, Wen Ran realized the situation. She had stood out today, so a summons from the director was plausible. She had no idea they harbored such complex suspicions, assuming at most that her performance might draw some professional jealousy from her colleagues. She put down her work and headed over.

She felt calm. She had done nothing wrong, so she had no reason to fear the consequences. Moreover, in her memories, Director He was a man of integrity and always a positive figure. Arriving at the office door, she took a deep breath and knocked.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

"Please come in."

At the sound of He Changshan’s voice, she pushed the door open. Since joining the hospital, this was her first time being this close to the director. In her memories, He Changshan was essentially her stepfather-in-law, and he was far more easygoing than her biological father-in-law, Shen Zhaoting. Whenever she saw him, he was always working to bridge the relationship between Shen Nanzheng and Zeng Lanhui. He was skilled at parenting, and his children were all people who loved life. She did not know why Zeng Lanhui and Shen Zhaoting had divorced, but Zeng Lanhui and He Changshan were quite devoted to each other.

He Changshan studied her, noting the clarity in her eyes, and his first impression was favorable. He pointed to a stool nearby. "Sit."

"I would prefer to stand," Wen Ran replied. She could not gauge the situation, but she knew her place.

He Changshan took a sip of tea and began, "The head nurse tells me that your performance with both the elderly patient and the child today was excellent. You are a rare talent!"

Wen Ran was modest. "It is all thanks to the head nurse's guidance. I was so nervous during my first time that my palms were sweating."

"Haha..." He Changshan adjusted his glasses. "That’s normal. When I first performed an IV, my palms were sweating so much I couldn't even hold the needle. You did better than I did; at least you were successful on the first try both times."

Wen Ran sensed there was more to his words and remained cautious. "To be honest, this wasn't strictly my first time. Before coming to the hospital, I was interested in nursing, so at home, aside from practicing on pigskin, I also practiced on my own hands."

She extended her hand, which still bore faint marks from an IV she had received during a previous illness. She had indeed tested her memory of the procedure on herself, and it had proven useful. Her words were a mix of truth and fabrication.

He Changshan glanced at her hand and did not doubt her. He added, "You are quite bold, young comrade, to dare to test on yourself!"

"As a nurse, one must lead by example. I suppose it was just a case of a newborn calf not fearing the tiger. I didn't dare let my mother know, as she is already tired enough from her work." Wen Ran mentioned this specifically, fearing that the director might send someone to investigate her mother. If they did, her cover might be blown. Some things were impossible to explain, and she risked being labeled an enemy agent. The phrase "enemy agent" flashed through her mind, making her heart tremble. Given the current circumstances, it was a genuine risk.

He Changshan admired her courage and followed up on her previous statement. "I see in your file that your parents are veteran workers at a garment factory. Why did you choose to apply to the hospital?"

Wen Ran answered carefully, "I did consider the garment factory, but unfortunately, I couldn't secure a spot. My classmate, Ruan Ling, suggested I take the hospital entrance exam with her, and since I was interested in it, I gave it a try. I had a bit of luck and managed to get in."

He Changshan seemed satisfied; he heard nothing amiss in her story. He began to think he might be overthinking it. After all, if her political vetting had been insufficient, she wouldn't have passed the school screening or the residential committee's checks, and the hospital wouldn't have hired her.

Yet, Shen Nanzheng had asked him to pay special attention to her!

Could it be...

Another possibility occurred to him, and he asked directly, "Do you know Shen Nanzheng?"