"When we rescued that woman onto the boat, she only had one breath left," Old Li said. "If we hadn't found her then, she probably wouldn't have lasted much longer. The waves were tossing her around, and the strap had moved up to her neck. Any later, and she would have been hanging on the buoy like a 'hanged ghost.'"

　　"Did she have any injuries?" Zhang Lin asked.

　　When Zhao Di was rescued, her windbreaker had already been washed away by the sea, leaving only a suspender top, which was also being tossed and scrubbed by the water. She was practically naked, so Old Li's wife took care of her.

　　Old Li's wife said, "When the girl was brought onto the boat, there was some blood on her clothes, although it was diluted by the water, you could still see it. I looked around and found a big wound on her head. We hadn't noticed it before because she had been soaking in the water. It only started bleeding again when we pulled her up. Her hands and feet were stiff; she really only had one breath left. We covered her with all the cotton-padded coats we had in the cabin, afraid she would freeze to death."

　　"When did you return to shore?" Zhang Lin asked.

　　Old Li said, "The wind and waves were too strong that night, and the rain was heavy, so we could only wait. We waited until the next day when the wind and waves calmed down, and we could see the way before daring to head back. That night, we were afraid the girl would die on the boat, especially with that big gash on her head. We could only give her a simple bandage."

　　"When did you get her to the hospital?"

　　The couple exchanged a glance, and Old Li spoke again, "We went home first the next day, charged our phone, and then called the hospital. You know we live on a small island; transportation is inconvenient. The dozens of families there all live by fishing. The hospital didn't have a boat to pick her up yet, so after calling the hospital, we had to take her to the nearest shore ourselves."

　　The old man rambled on without getting to the point, so Zhang Lin had to ask again, "Specifically, when did you get her into the doctor's hands?"

　　The old man's wife added, "Well, we got back to the island the next morning, and then took her to the doctor on the shore in the afternoon."

　　After listening to Old Li and his wife's description, Zhang Lin had only one feeling: Zhao Di was truly lucky.

　　She must have drunk the drugged wine on the boat, then fallen into the sea after being injured. Perhaps driven by the instinct to survive, she was swept by the waves to the buoy and hooked on it while swimming in the sea. Then, she encountered the couple who rescued her, Old Li and his wife, and endured a night on the boat with her injuries, finally waiting for the rescuing doctor.

　　Having gone through so much, if there had been even the slightest mishap, she wouldn't have come back alive. It could only be said that Zhao Di's life was not meant to end.

　　But now, Zhao Di's condition was not optimistic. The doctor said they didn't know when she would wake up, or even if she would wake up at all. It was still unknown whether Zhao Di would be able to speak. If she didn't wake up, the case couldn't wait forever. Once the doctor confirmed that she wouldn't wake up, the case would likely be judged according to the original verdict. But now, Zhao Di's sudden return had disrupted all previous plans.

　　Thinking about how Wu Peng had been speaking up for Jia Wenjun all along, Zhang Lin understood Wu Peng. He wasn't the type to stand by whoever he was defending, after all, he didn't even want to be a lawyer. But with the evidence being so solid, he still insisted that Jia Wenjun hadn't killed anyone, which Zhang Lin couldn't understand.

　　He recalled a detail Jia Wenjun had mentioned during her previous statement, saying that she had fallen on the deck and heard someone shouting for help in her ear. If what Jia Wenjun said was true, then that meant Zhao Di was conscious at the time, and if she could wake up, she should be able to identify the culprit who pushed her.

　　Zhang Lin also recalled the video at the time, and there was a strange feeling he couldn't quite put his finger on.

　　He hoped Zhao Di could wake up and prove that his previous deductions were correct. But when his colleagues went to interrogate Jia Wenjun these past two days, she still insisted that she was innocent, and that everything would be revealed once Zhao Di woke up.

　　She didn't panic because of Zhao Di's return. On the contrary, she urged them to send more people to protect Zhao Di.

　　Jia Wenjun's reaction made Zhang Lin wonder if she was doing it on purpose or if she really saw a chance to clear her name. He felt a little agitated. After leaving the office, he went directly to the leader's office and explained his thoughts in detail again.

　　"You think there's something wrong with this case?" The leader stood up from his chair and went to the water dispenser to get a cup of water. "Video evidence, eyewitnesses, and the wooden boat evidence, DNA evidence of hair on Jia Wenjun's windbreaker, you still don't think we can convict Jia Wenjun?"

　　"I just think Jia Wenjun's reaction is a bit abnormal. If Zhao Di really wasn't pushed by her, then the real killer might strike again before she wakes up."

　　The leader was silent for a few seconds, and asked, "What did the doctor say?"

　　"The doctor said there's a possibility she might wake up."

　　The leader paced back and forth. Zhang Lin was the backbone of the bureau, and his work ability was beyond doubt. Now, as the main person in charge of this case, he could be said to be the one who knew the most about the case.

　　The leader stopped and decided, "For the time being, send a few more people to guard secretly."

　　After continuous stakeouts these past few days, Wu Peng finally found an opportunity to sneak into Zhao Di's ward.

　　The room was brightly lit, and a young nurse was changing the IV drip for the person lying on the hospital bed.

　　The woman lying flat on the bed had her eyes closed, as if she were asleep. The nurse raised her hand to give her an injection, and the needle went into her arm, but the woman didn't react at all.

　　Wu Peng had seen Zhao Di's photo; she was very internet-famous looking. But the sallow and thin woman in front of him needed careful identification to recognize that she was indeed Zhao Di. The black and shiny large wavy hair in the photo had been shaved off, leaving only thick gauze wrapped around Zhao Di's entire head.

　　"Who are you?" the nurse asked Wu Peng.

　　Wu Peng made up a lie: "I'm her friend. I heard she was injured, so I came to see her."

　　He was handsome, so the nurse didn't chase him away and even started chatting with him.

　　"She's been in the hospital for several days, right? Is she getting any better?" Wu Peng asked.

　　"I'm not too sure about that. We just administer the medicine prescribed by the doctor every day. If you want to know, you can ask the attending physician."

　　The nurse was very enthusiastic and said she would take him to the doctor, but Wu Peng refused.

　　After the nurse left, Wu Peng walked to Zhao Di's bed. She was motionless. The only thing that represented her still being alive was the constantly pulsing heart rate monitor next to the bed.

　　People were already walking towards this side outside. Wu Peng quickly bent down and put his finger under Zhao Di's nose to check. A faint stream of air slid across his fingertip.

　　He steadied his mind before walking out.