Chapter 212: Fanning the Flames
"Colluding? Fine! Then produce your evidence! Produce one piece of proof that Dean Song has a private deal with the health center!"
Ya’er straightened her back.
"If you’re going to accuse us, you need real evidence, don’t you? You think you can slander a respected director just by running your mouth? You seriously underestimate the eyes and judgment of everyone here!"
This was the exact line Yang Meiling had been waiting for.
A corner of her mouth lifted, and she smugly raised her chin, holding the medicine box high in her hand.
The medicine box reflected a blinding glint in the sunlight.
She held the box over her head so everyone could see it clearly.
"Evidence?"
She sneered, her voice clear and sharp.
"You want evidence? I’ll give you evidence!"
"Isn’t it obvious?"
"This medicine box was hidden in the batch of old equipment you sent over, and I found it with my own two hands! If you say this isn’t evidence, then what is?"
"This is brand new medicine, and it’s very expensive! Why would it mysteriously show up in your pile of old equipment?"
Her tone grew increasingly aggressive.
"A single box of this medicine costs several hundred yuan, and the entire hospital uses it in limited quantities. How could it end up in your heap of dilapidated medical equipment? Unless someone was colluding from the inside and misappropriating it!"
"That panicked look on your face just now—if that wasn’t you giving yourself away, what was?"
Her eyes were fixed on Ya’er, not missing the slightest change in her expression.
"The moment you saw this medicine box, your face changed! You could barely even speak straight. Isn’t that a sign of a guilty conscience? If you didn’t have something to hide, why would you react like that?"
Ya’er was so angry she could have coughed up blood.
She could barely stand and nearly fell, only catching herself by grabbing a nearby table.
’This woman’s ability to twist the facts was truly masterful!’
’She knew perfectly well that Yang Meiling was deliberately framing them.’
’But her words sounded just "reasonable" enough to fool the uninformed crowd.’
’She’s the one pulling the strings, yet she twists it to make it sound like others are the guilty ones!’
Ya’er gritted her teeth, her nails digging deep into her palms.
’She finally understood.’
’Yang Meiling didn’t care about the truth at all. What she cared about was public opinion and making everyone doubt Dean Song’s integrity.’
Dr. Xiao Yu, who had been silent all this time, stepped forward and shielded the agitated Ya’er behind him.
"Yang Meiling, you need to watch what you’re saying."
"Accusing someone is a serious matter, especially when it involves their reputation and professional conduct. You can’t just spout nonsense. If you truly have evidence, you should submit it to the organization for investigation, not stand here in public fanning the flames!"
"You repeatedly spout nonsense, slander Dean Song, fabricate lies, and try to incite everyone."
His tone grew heavier, tinged with a sense of disappointment.
"Dean Song has worked tirelessly for the health center for years. She has never been corrupt for a single cent, nor has she ever done anything to let us down. Attacking her without any basis not only hurts her, but it also hurts all of us who trust her!"
"Let me remind you of something: you can’t wrap fire in paper. When the truth comes out, you’ll be the only one to suffer for causing such a scene!"
Dr. Xiao Yu’s gaze was firm, his tone grave.
"Every word you’ve said here today will leave a mark. If it’s one day proven that you are making false accusations, what you’ll have to bear will be more than just moral condemnation."
But Yang Meiling was too immersed in the thrill of "taking down" Song Qingya to listen.
"Hah," she sneered, the corner of her lip curling. "What’s wrong? Getting nervous? Starting with the threats now? This is what happens when you have a guilty conscience!"
"Suffer? I think you’re the ones who are scared!"
Her voice suddenly shot up, laced with provocation.
"Otherwise, why be so nervous? If you really haven’t done anything wrong, why won’t you let me investigate? Why won’t you let me get to the bottom of this?"
"What? Lost your nerve? Afraid Song Qingya can’t protect you anymore?"
Her disdainful gaze swept over Dr. Xiao Yu and Ya’er.
"You can act tough now, but just wait until this matter gets reported to the higher-ups. Let’s see if you can still be so arrogant then!"
"This isn’t over, I’m telling you! Today, I’m going to make sure everyone sees Song Qingya’s true colors!"
She raised the medicine box and slammed it hard onto the table, making a loud BANG.
"Where did this medicine come from? Song Qingya must give us an explanation! Otherwise, I won’t let this go!"
’Hiding in the crowd, Qi Yuanyuan watched Yang Meiling’s aggressive display and gave her a mental thumbs-up.’
She secretly clenched the corner of her clothes, suppressing her excitement.
Seeing that the time was right, she immediately stepped out and walked over to Lu Mei’s side.
"Sister Lu Mei, quick, look... this medicine..."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"This medicine... I think I’ve seen it in Dean Song’s private drawer before..."
She pointed at the medicine box in Yang Meiling’s hand, her face filled with worry.
She sighed softly, her tone gentle.
"You should still check carefully to see if it’s the one missing from the warehouse."
Startled by her reminder, Lu Mei quickly snapped out of it, pulling herself from her chaotic thoughts.
She looked down and stared at the medicine box in her hand, her gaze darting back and forth over the batch number, production date, and drug name on the packaging.
One look, and her heart sank.
’It really is the anti-inflammatory medicine missing from the warehouse!’
’The evidence was ironclad, undeniable.’
’The item had been found, but she only felt more confused.’
’It wasn’t because the truth was out, but because she suddenly realized that what was behind this incident was far more complicated than a single box of medicine.’
Her mind raced, and a cold sweat quietly beaded on her back.
At that moment, all eyes were focused on her.
Seeing her frozen in place, Qi Yuanyuan took another step closer.
"Sister Lu Mei, the medicine’s been found, and we have both a witness and physical evidence."
Then, her tone shifted, her voice dropping lower.
"I think we need to find Dean Song and get a clear answer about this right away."
"She should go and have a good, long think about what she’s done. If you ask me, she shouldn’t be director anymore. It would save everyone from bigger trouble down the road."
Qi Yuanyuan’s words sounded quite sincere.
But when Lu Mei heard them, her heart skipped a beat.
She didn’t dare to respond, merely tightening her grip on the medicine box until her knuckles turned white.
"It’s so noisy out here. What’s going on?"
A cool, detached voice came from the doorway.
Song Qingya was standing at the office door; no one knew when she had arrived.
Her tone was cold, devoid of any emotion.
Everyone instinctively fell silent and turned to look at her.
Her gaze swept over everyone present, her eyes flitting from one face to the next.
Finally, it landed on the medicine box clutched in Yang Meiling’s hand.
’Song Qingya instantly understood the situation.’
But she didn’t let it show on her face, her expression remaining calm.
The moment Yang Meiling saw her, she rushed over, her steps frantic.
Her voice changed pitch, filled with tears and grievance. "Dean Song! You’re finally here! You have to explain to everyone!"
"This medicine..."
"I was just getting it for you, so how did it turn into me stealing it? And they’re saying..."
Her words were fragmented, but they cleverly shifted the blame.
She was subtly pushing all the responsibility onto Song Qingya.
Song Qingya didn’t rush to refute her, listening quietly.
A hint of confusion appeared in her eyes.
"Yang Meiling, what are you talking about? What medicine? What did I ask you to get?"
Seeing her play dumb, Yang Meiling grew so anxious that her voice rose and her cheeks flushed bright red.