Chapter Nine: The Abandoned Gender Reassignment Surgery

Professor Jin took the note from An Changpu’s hand, his brows never relaxing. He read through the “letter of introduction” from his old classmate in City C swiftly, crumpled the paper, tossed it into the empty bowl, and stood up, saying to An Changpu and Qin Ruonan, “Let’s go to my office. The cafeteria is too noisy.”

Without another word, he tidied up his dishes and utensils, and led An Changpu and Qin Ruonan to his office, which was on the opposite end from the outpatient department.

“What’s going on?” Back in his office, Professor Jin did not bother with pleasantries. He settled behind his desk, took a few sips from his insulated cup to moisten his throat, and asked, his brows still drawn in a slight frown, as if he was not particularly pleased about the visit from these two unexpected guests.

An Changpu signaled Qin Ruonan to sit with him and explained their purpose for coming, maintaining a respectful demeanor without being obsequious, unmoved by Professor Jin’s arrogant attitude.

After hearing his account, Professor Jin seemed impatient. “So you’re telling me you don’t have any direct evidence proving the deceased might be my patient, yet you want me to provide patient information?! Are you aware how absurd that is? Do you even understand what patient privacy means? On what grounds do you come asking for personal information when you have no leads? Have you thought about the trouble you’d cause me if your judgment is wrong?”

“We have considered that. At this point, although we cannot confirm the deceased was your patient, our investigation is not mere guesswork. As a specialist in chest surgery, you’ve handled more patient cases than we’ve ever heard of,” Qin Ruonan, displeased by Professor Jin’s reproach, her face grew somber and her tone sharpened, “A male undergoing silicone implant surgery—apart from pre-operative procedures for sex reassignment, how many other possibilities are there? How many such male patients appear nationwide each year? As a doctor, it’s your duty to protect patient privacy. As detectives, it’s ours to identify the headless victim as quickly as possible and catch the murderer. Whether you choose to assist us or not, at least refrain from unwarranted accusations.”

Her words caught Professor Jin off guard, and her reasoning was impeccable, leaving him momentarily at a loss.

An Changpu cast a look of appreciation at Qin Ruonan; her approach was just right. When dealing with a veteran authority like Professor Jin, one could neither be too aggressive and offend his pride, nor too deferential and allow him to wield his status unchecked. A balance of dignity and reason was essential.

Just as he was inwardly praising her, An Changpu suddenly realized he had made an error: Qin Ruonan was about his age and had earned a reputation at her previous post before joining the City C Major Crimes Unit. Yet he had subconsciously regarded her as a rookie, like Tian Mi.

Professor Jin was silent for a long time, clearly hesitating. Just as An Changpu and Qin Ruonan were about to abandon hope, convinced he would not cooperate, he finally spoke.

“I cannot give you the patient’s medical records unless you can produce sufficient evidence that the murdered person was my patient,” Professor Jin laid out his bottom line, “But I can tell you the patient’s place of origin. Investigate it yourselves, and when you have ample evidence, come back for the records.”

His reply was neither ideal nor disastrous; a doctor’s duty to protect patient privacy was clear. Even if Professor Jin had refused outright, An Changpu and Qin Ruonan would have had no recourse. Now that he had compromised, they understood it was wise to accept.

With that, An Changpu promptly agreed to Professor Jin’s proposal. Professor Jin told them to wait in his office while he went to consult with the nurse about the records.

“Your words were key just now. Otherwise, Professor Jin might not have agreed to budge! Well done!” An Changpu was never stingy with praise; during Professor Jin’s absence, he gave Qin Ruonan a thumbs up.

Qin Ruonan’s lips curled into a smile, which had just reached her eyes before she caught herself, cleared her throat, wiped away the smile, and resumed a stern expression, saying to An Changpu in measured tones, “It’s just what I should do.”

The abrupt shift made An Changpu pause, but he wisely refrained from probing further.

Soon, Professor Jin returned, holding a handwritten address, which he handed to An Changpu.

The address was not very specific, merely a general area. An Changpu read it and passed it to Qin Ruonan, who also frowned slightly. Neither pursued further questions.

From the address, it was clear that Professor Jin had encountered this patient seeking gender reassignment surgery about a year ago. The individual was indeed a resident of City C, living in a secluded part of Jiangkou District. With these details, the police now had a much clearer direction for their investigation.

After thanking Professor Jin, they prepared to leave the hospital and return to City C. Professor Jin accompanied them out of the office, ready to resume his consultations for the afternoon.

At the intersection, the three slowed their pace out of courtesy. An Changpu offered a few polite words to Professor Jin, who nodded and waved them off before turning toward the outpatient department.

“Professor Jin!” After he had walked a few meters, Qin Ruonan suddenly remembered something and called out, quickly catching up to him. “I have one more thing to confirm.”

Professor Jin showed a hint of displeasure, frowning as he waited for her to speak.

“I won’t violate your principles by asking for specific personal information about this patient,” Qin Ruonan assured him, sensing his caution, and then asked, “Could you tell us whether the male patient requesting gender reassignment surgery actually completed the operation?”

“No, he didn’t,” Professor Jin replied, unconcerned by the lack of sensitive details. “He was supposed to come early this year for genital reconstruction, but he never showed up as scheduled. I don’t know if it was due to financial reasons or regret over his decision. This has happened before, so the hospital didn’t follow up.”