Chapter 245 - 1100: Top Star of the 1960s Cultural Troupe (39)
Chapter 245: Chapter 1100: Top Star of the 1960s Cultural Troupe (39)
"He was sent for an autopsy, and the doctor said he died of tetanus—all because of a rusty nail clipper!"
"If the person who planted the tack knew about the dangers of tetanus, their intentions are truly sinister. This is murder..."
The group grew anxious. "What should we do then? Should we call the police?"
Peng Shulan looked at Wang Huiwen. "Huiwen, what do you think?"
Wang Huiwen pressed her lips together. "What are the odds of catching the real culprit if we call the police?"
Zhao Si’en sighed. "No one can guarantee it. If there were concrete evidence, we could easily root them out. But if they were careful enough, this could drag on for a long time."
"But wouldn’t that just tip them off and affect our performance?" Wang Huiwen furrowed her brow. "Why don’t we do what Teacher Xia suggested and beat them at their own game!"
All eyes turned to her. She gave a slight smile. "I’ll just pretend I’m injured. For the next few days, I’ll have to limp around and act like I’m still trying to train. We’ll let everyone get worked up and worried, which is exactly what that person wants."
"Besides, I wasn’t actually hurt; I found the thumbtack before it could do anything. Even if we catch the person, how could we get them charged with anything? I think it’s better if we just hold on until the show. Then we’ll follow Comrade Xia to the city for the performance and be in top form. That would be the best revenge!"
The group nodded in agreement. Yao Yunying smiled and said, "Exactly. For someone to resort to a murder plot, you can see how important these two performances are to her. We won’t give her the satisfaction. This is more than just defeating her; it’s about crushing her spirit."
"But we have to be extra careful from now on. Don’t give anyone an opening."
"But for now, we should make a big scene. I’m sure someone will be in a hurry to expose themselves, right?"
The group all agreed again. They huddled together and worked on it for a bit, and soon Wang Huiwen’s foot was a ghastly, swollen bruise, with blood spattered on the floor.
What followed was a huge commotion, so chaotic that even the building manager was alerted...
Yao Yunying stood in the hallway, hands on her hips, and started cursing at the top of her lungs. "Some good-for-nothing piece of trash who can’t win first place on their own merit decided to sabotage someone else, stabbing their toe with a rusty thumbtack!"
"I can’t believe such a disgusting thing would happen in our troupe. No, we have to call the police. What if Huiwen gets tetanus and just kicks the bucket overnight? Wouldn’t that be a terrible tragedy?"
"Who’s going to dare win honor for the factory after this? Everyone will be too busy watching their backs for some petty backstabber!"
Zhao Si’en also chimed in, vividly recounting the story of her own relative’s neighbor to drive the point home.
A female colleague was bent over, "treating" Wang Huiwen’s wound by dabbing it with gentian violet.
Wang Huiwen, for her part, was slumped over a table, crying her heart out. "SOB... I finally got a chance to be on stage, and I was even going on first."
"My spins are amazing! You probably can’t find anyone in the entire Capital City who can spin better than me..."
"My foot is all cut up... Teacher Xia will be so heartbroken. She said we’re a team, and if one person is missing, it won’t feel right. SOB... The performance is in two days, and I..."
At this, she sobbed so hard she could barely breathe. The crowd that had gathered upon hearing the commotion wore mixed expressions. Some were gloating over her misfortune, while others felt a mix of pity and satisfaction. The only ones who truly felt her pain were the girls from Group Three.
Soon, Mr. Xue and Director Yuan were alerted and came rushing over on their bicycles.
Even Xia Zhaoyun, over in the family courtyard, had been notified.
’Her expression was grim. She wondered if her astonishing healing ability could also help others. Could her blood reduce inflammation and heal someone else’s wound?’
’But an ability like that was too extraordinary. If it were ever exposed, she’d probably be captured and dissected.’
Even in her fury, Xia Zhaoyun stuck to the main road. She sped along, ringing her bike’s shrill bell at anyone in her path and pedaling even faster.
The three of them arrived at the dormitory one after another, and their first move was to check on Wang Huiwen’s foot.
The light in the room was dim, and Wang Huiwen was too emotional to cooperate, refusing to let anyone get a good look. They could only vaguely make out a wound smeared with gentian violet, mottled and still slowly oozing blood.
On the table lay two tacks, the blood on them already congealed. Patches of blood on the table and the floor testified to the severity of the "incident."
Mr. Xue’s face was livid. He knew exactly what was going on. He said angrily, "First thing in the morning, I’m going to the bureau myself to have them investigate this."
"Our troupe members are allowed to compete fairly. I even tolerate a little bit of forming cliques. But taking things this far is absolutely outrageous!"
"I will not tolerate a single bad apple trying to ruin this group."