Chapter 624: Laboratory Report
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In the midst of the commotion, He Yan stood firm, serving as a barrier that Li Er dared not cross. With the presence of two police officers, Gu Zi knew she was safe.
She responded to Li Er’s accusations with a calm demeanor, “Rumors are stopped by the wise, but if you insist on exploiting them, I may find it hard to defend myself. I can only reiterate that our food contains no illicit additives. As for evidence, it will soon be presented before you.”
No sooner had Gu Zi finished speaking than there came a knock at the door of the ward. A tall, handsome man strode in, coming to stand beside Gu Zi. After exchanging a glance with He Yan, he handed a brown paper bag to Gu Zi. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she turned to Li Er, “The evidence has arrived. I can now provide you with an explanation to silence your baseless accusations.”
As she spoke, she pulled a document from the bag and handed it to He Yan, “Captain He, you are a respected police officer. Please review this lab report first. Once you’ve read it, you’ll understand.”
He Yan accepted the lab report and began to read. Li Da, clearly panicked, shrank back into his mother’s arms, not daring to utter another word.
Li Da’s father also looked anxious. Seeing the confident demeanor of the person in charge, he began to worry that his eldest son, who was not the sharpest tool in the shed, might have made a grave mistake. He wondered, with a sinking heart, how they could possibly rectify this situation.
Li Er was also in a state of panic, sensing that things were not going in his favor. He hadn’t expected this woman to be so composed and clear-headed. The more she remained calm, the more he felt his chances of winning dwindling.
Cursing under his breath, he decided to make a quick exit. He needed to settle accounts with Lin Laoyao.
Damn that Lin Laoyao, he thought bitterly. If he couldn’t get money here, he would get it from Lin Laoyao. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Li Er tried to slip away, but was stopped by another police officer at the door, “This is a crucial moment. No one is to leave.”
Li Er, not ready to give up, clutched his stomach and pleaded, “Officer, I have a stomachache. It’s really painful!” The officer, however, shook his head firmly, not allowing him to leave. Li Er didn’t dare to run outright, as that would be an admission of guilt. He had no choice but to stay.
During this time, He Yan, while reviewing the report, had been keeping an eye on the situation. He was satisfied with how his subordinates were handling things. After all, it would be a joke if someone managed to slip away right under their noses.
He Yan put away the report and said solemnly, “I’ve read the report from the Chemistry Institute. I have no reason not to trust it.”
He didn’t mention that the person who had issued the report was his own mother. He could tell from the signature that it was her handwriting.
It was then that Su Shen spoke up, “As my wife suggested, I sent samples of the food consumed by the alleged victims to the Chemistry Institute yesterday. The report indeed came from there.”
Gu Zi nodded in agreement, “That’s right. Since the opening of our restaurant, we have made it a rule to keep samples of every dish we serve. This is to ensure food hygiene and to continuously improve our services. Little did we know that this practice would come in handy today. Captain He, please make the announcement.”
The Li family members listened in confusion, not fully understanding the concept of food sampling or the significance of the report.
He Yan explained to them, “You can understand it this way: the data in this report matches the data from the food that Li Da consumed.
“The report shows that all the food samples are perfectly safe and contain no harmful additives. The rumor that poppy flowers were added to enhance the flavor is baseless. Now that Miss Gu has produced this report, it is reasonable to suspect that Li Da was poisoned by something else.
“As for the police, we can confirm that the food from Sister Hua’s Gourmet Shop did not cause your food poisoning. You have no right to demand compensation from them. Instead, you need to issue a public apology in the newspaper. On the other hand, the restaurant owner can sue you for defamation. You will have to bear legal responsibility for this and may even face imprisonment.”
Upon hearing this, Li Da started to tremble with fear. He might not be the brightest, but he understood the implications. If the restaurant owner decided to press charges, he could end up in jail. How could this be happening?
In a panic, he yanked the IV needle from his hand and ran over to Li Er, grabbing his collar, “Second Brother, you’ve ruined me! I don’t want to go to jail. It was you who taught me to frame them!”