39. After dawn, everything always ends in haste.

While extracting the tongue from the unconscious mouth, Bai Haonan pulled out his phone to call the nurse. He never used the contact list, always dialing numbers from memory. “Xiaowen? I’m on Tianlan Road—there’s been a major accident, six injured, call the ER for ambulances right away… No, not me. I’m fine. I’m just nearby…”

Xiaowen was the ER nurse. In fact, over the past month, Bai Haonan had managed to collect the numbers of nurses from every department in the hospital this way, and had basically figured out each one’s responsibilities—so at least now he knew whom to call.

Luckily, Xiaowen was on duty today, so his call didn’t get cut off; he kept the phone pressed to his ear, guided step by step by the emergency physician on the other end as he checked and resuscitated each victim. One police officer, likely with a broken leg, was propped up by Bai Haonan beside the police car, watching as Bai Haonan started another patrol car and backed it up to block the accident site from oncoming traffic. The officer was too exhausted to speak, only managing a feeble gesture of thanks.

The distance wasn’t far. When the ambulances arrived, sirens wailing, Bai Haonan was adjusting the fourth injured officer. Xiaowen hopped out with several nurses and doctors, expertly opening the emergency cart and beginning professional rescue work. Yet her gaze lingered on Bai Haonan’s wrist, where a pair of handcuffs dangled conspicuously.

She seized a chance to approach and whispered to the man who still had his freedom, “What happened?”

Bai Haonan, surprisingly candid, replied, “Went out drinking a bit with Xiu’er, got caught for drunk driving. Xiu’er went home, but her car—see, got smashed by some guy high on drugs, then he crashed into the police.”

Xiaowen’s eyes flickered; she silently departed, returning a moment later with something in hand, which she handed to Bai Haonan. “Drink this quickly.”

Seeing her secretive gesture, Bai Haonan smiled, opened it and drank before asking, “What is it?”

The masked nurse gritted her teeth, “Estrogen. Drink it and you’ll be impotent—how dare you go on a date with Xiu’er!”

Even now, Bai Haonan joked flirtatiously, “Wouldn’t that ruin you, too?”

She kicked him and hurried off, “Drink plenty of water!”

Bai Haonan kept helping, always with a bottle of water in hand. He’d heard that drinking water could dilute blood alcohol concentration, though some said it was unreliable.

Still, he trusted the professionals. Bai Haonan decided to take a risk—he didn’t think he was at the end of his rope yet, so he’d gamble.

Of the five police officers, three were severely injured, chest trauma requiring surgery in the ICU—the first elderly officer Bai Haonan had tried to save among them. The other two had shattered bones in their lower limbs. The drunk-driving uncle, who wore a safety helmet, had his collarbone broken; apparently, if the helmet hadn’t cushioned him and bounced the lightweight sedan, the car would have gone straight over his head and chest, and he’d be dead.

At the emergency center, Bai Haonan chose to follow the officer with a broken leg, who was conscious. The officer watched him, made up his mind, and beckoned him over. After Bai Haonan came closer, the officer drew the handcuff key from his belt and released him. “You’ve been recorded as apprehended. So, stay here and have your blood drawn for testing. I’m going in for surgery. When I come out, I’ll supervise it myself.”

Bai Haonan blinked, puzzled by the implication of those words, though he knew there was meaning.

The officer, clearly still in pain, grew impatient, “About four hours—unless you’re completely wasted, most traces will be gone. Go, drink water, pee as much as you can!”

Police were already gathering near the ER entrance. Bai Haonan hesitated again. “The license plate is Rong A34774. At the time of the accident, the driver walked past me to open the car door. I saw—either drunk or high, definitely out of it. That’s all.”

Perhaps only now did the officer realize what had happened. “Is that so?”

Bai Haonan knew these extra words might implicate himself, but since the officer had just cut him a break, he wanted to repay it simply—that was his straightforward mindset. “That’s it. I was cuffed to a tree, the car parked beside me, blue, Rong A34774, a modified Mitsubishi Lancer—a favorite among car enthusiasts. The driver was tall and thin, about twenty, just arrived. As soon as the music started in the car, he went wild, shaking his head like crazy, started the car and rammed the parked vehicles out of the way. I saw his face—no response whatsoever, most likely high on meth…”

The officer grew excited, then winced from pain, gasping as he waved to his colleagues. But professional habit made him scrutinize Bai Haonan, “You’re familiar with drug use?”

Bai Haonan smiled wryly, “You’re about to blood-test me, aren’t you? I hate dealers and users. I hang out in clubs a lot, see plenty of this—it ruins lives, shouldn’t be tolerated.”

A crowd of police closed in. At this point, running was out of the question—some were fully armed. “Old Yu! What’s going on?” The urgency in their voices matched the constant queries from their walkie-talkies.

Old Yu simply pointed at Bai Haonan, “Let him explain. Honestly, at that moment I heard the engine, instinctively stood up, the headlights blinded me, then I was hit and thrown.” He slumped weakly.

Bai Haonan repeated his account. The officers cursed, made calls, used walkie-talkies, some shook hands in thanks. Another officer with a broken leg was wheeled out of surgery; he pointed at Bai Haonan, “All thanks to him. If he hadn’t given first aid to Old Guo, things would’ve gone bad. I was so dazed I couldn’t move. Thanks!”

So, another round of handshakes and gratitude from the police.

It seemed different from Bai Haonan’s previous impression of police—at the end of the day, they were just special professionals, not so different from himself, workers after all.

At last, someone asked his identity, “You are…?”

Before entering surgery, Old Yu forced an explanation, “This guy and his girlfriend had a few drinks, we stopped them, cuffed him beside us to wait. His girlfriend has brain cancer… I said I’d check his blood alcohol when I get out.”

The others chuckled, quickly took Bai Haonan for a blood test to check the remaining alcohol, timing it precisely, and took his witness statement. Then they urged him to go home early to be with his girlfriend—it was already late.

The result stunned everyone. The blood test showed no alcohol concentration at all—either Bai Haonan hadn’t drunk or barely touched it.

What could Bai Haonan say? That Xiaowen had probably given him some medical antidote for alcohol? Or that he’d had sex with the nurse who drew his blood yesterday?

Usually, blood tests were carried out in police-designated hospitals; today was special, and the police had deliberately bent the rules. Yet running into Bai Haonan’s lover in this way was a rare coincidence, so after the statement was signed and confirmed, he left his contact info and was allowed to go.

Xiu’er, having gotten the news, was already waiting in the ER nurse station. As soon as she saw Bai Haonan, she rushed into his arms, sobbing.

Hey, hey, hey—weren’t they supposed to keep emotions out of this? Now Bai Haonan was even more at a loss.