It all began on a quiet morning.
In the nursing home, several elderly residents had suddenly passed away over the past few days. Their deaths seemed calm, almost natural, as though it were just part of the aging process. However, none of the deceased exhibited any particular signs of illness. Doctors and nurses believed it was caused by sudden disease or old age frailty. But as the deaths piled up, the atmosphere in the nursing home began to feel oppressive, with the shadow of death hanging over the place.
When Su Wanqing received the case, she quickly noticed something was wrong. The elderly victims were of similar ages, and most hadn't shown any obvious health issues before their deaths. Her intuition told her that there was a hidden secret behind these deaths.
"Lu Chenzhou, we need to go to the nursing home right away," she said firmly on the phone. "The cause of these deaths is not simple."
"Alright, I'll be there soon," Lu Chenzhou responded, sensing a growing unease.
When Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou arrived at the nursing home, the atmosphere was especially heavy. The families of the deceased were busy with funeral arrangements, while the director seemed remarkably calm, unaffected by the situation. A few young nurses were quietly conversing, their expressions devoid of any obvious sadness, as though the deaths had nothing to do with them.
"These elderly people died too suddenly," Su Wanqing said, entering one of the rooms and looking at the corpse on the bed, her expression unreadable. "If we can figure out the cause of death, we might uncover the mystery behind it."
Director Zhao Yunxuan appeared in front of her, wearing a somewhat fake smile. "Dr. Su, I heard you're here, thank you for coming. These elderly people are getting old, and they sometimes face health problems. You see, we run this place quite well, and there haven't been many issues."
"Not many issues?" Su Wanqing frowned. "Then can you explain the cause of death for these elderly residents? They were healthy and didn't seem like the type to die suddenly."
Zhao Yunxuan was taken aback, but quickly regained his composure. He spoke in a low voice, "These elderly people were old, with their hearts, kidneys, and other organs having deteriorated. Death might just be the most natural result."
"Natural result?" Su Wanqing scoffed. "I think there's something wrong here."
Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou began carefully examining the bodies of the deceased, conducting autopsies one by one. The results were shocking—each body contained large amounts of insulin, and the insulin levels of these elderly people were far beyond normal, clearly indicating they had been injected with an overdose. Insulin poisoning led to hypoglycemia, which ultimately caused their deaths. This conclusion sent a chill down Su Wanqing's spine.
"These people didn't die naturally," Su Wanqing said, holding the autopsy report. "They were all injected with massive doses of insulin. This is no longer a coincidence; it's deliberate murder."
"Who would do this? Why kill these helpless elderly people?" Lu Chenzhou asked, perplexed.
"We need to investigate the management of the nursing home further," Su Wanqing said. "These elderly people are not just residents; they're part of the nursing home. Who would benefit from their deaths? Who stands to gain from this?"
The two decided to look deeper into the nursing home's operations. Through further investigation, Lu Chenzhou discovered some startling facts—Zhao Yunxuan had close ties with a health supplement company. Many of the "specially cared for" elderly residents were customers who had bought the company's expensive supplements. Zhao Yunxuan had secretly begun a business arrangement with the supplement company, where many elderly residents chose to buy these costly products in exchange for better living conditions and special privileges. Meanwhile, those who refused to purchase the supplements were often neglected, and some were even forced to leave the nursing home.
However, as the sales of supplements grew, the nursing home began running out of beds. To free up space for more paying customers, Zhao Yunxuan and his collaborators made a chilling decision—to eliminate the elderly people they deemed "useless." By injecting them with an overdose of insulin, they made their deaths look like natural occurrences, all in order to achieve a cruel goal: clear out the non-profitable residents to make room for those willing to spend money.
"This is a typical case of economically driven murder," Lu Chenzhou said, his voice full of anger. "These elderly people were just numbers to them. For more money, they didn't hesitate to sacrifice lives."
"Zhao Yunxuan is not just a cold-hearted businessman; he's a full-fledged murderer," Su Wanqing said, her eyes cold. "For money and profit, he could easily take the lives of these innocent elderly people."
As the investigation progressed, the police discovered that the web of corruption and crime between Zhao Yunxuan and the supplement company was far more complex. Every year, the nursing home heavily promoted the "miracle effects" of the supplements, forcing residents to buy them using various methods. Those who purchased the expensive products were given better rooms and more attentive care, while those who refused were left in dark corners, possibly ignored or even subjected to inhumane treatment.
Eventually, the police arrested Zhao Yunxuan, and during his interrogation, he showed no remorse. He coldly stated that all of his actions were for the business to keep running. "A few dead old people won't hurt the reputation of the nursing home. In fact, it'll make more people aware of our 'special' services."
"A man without conscience," Su Wanqing said after the case was solved, still feeling furious. "For his own profit, he could so easily take the lives of others."
"His cold-bloodedness and ruthlessness are unforgivable," Lu Chenzhou said, deeply shocked. "But at least the case has been solved, and the truth has come out. These dead elderly people have received justice."
This case revealed the most terrifying side of human nature—willing to harm the weak without hesitation for personal gain. Behind the case was an ugly transaction of exchanging money for lives, and all of it was eventually uncovered by the power of justice.
Although the lives of those elderly people could never be brought back, Su Wanqing believed that exposing the truth would at least bring them some comfort. And she and Lu Chenzhou once again stood on the side of justice, protecting the silent victims.