Chapter 27 Bird of Paradise 12

After coming out of the detention center, Luo Siwei went all the way to the Municipal Bureau.

The Municipal Bureau was much quieter on weekends than usual. She turned on her computer and carefully checked all the information Tang Xi had collected about the case.

When she no longer thought that He Jin was the real murderer and read the information, she found some new clues. Although the He family seemed to have no conflicts with the people around them, when the police visited a former employee of his company, the employee used a not-so-good word to describe his former boss: a bully who only fears the strong and bullies the weak.

Luo Siwei called the person again to verify the information. The former employee panicked: "Why are you calling again? My boss's death has nothing to do with me."

Luo Siwei comforted him and said that she just wanted to know the real situation of that family, and then the man spoke.

"Take my former bosses, my husband and wife. You can't say they're bad people, but you can't say they're good people either. They're quite harsh on their employees. They're very calculating. For example, if they ask us to work overtime for their own reasons, they'll greet us with a smile. But if we need to take time off for our own reasons, they'll give us a cold shoulder."

"They treated their products like their lifeblood, giving us expired ones as employee benefits, even though the shampoos they sold were not good at all."

"Once, a box of shampoo was stolen and they started to suspect us employees, treating everyone as a thief. They even threatened to call the police and arrest us."

The other party complained about many things, most of which were not big, such as Boss He taking the portion with the most meat when everyone ordered takeout together, buying parallel imports for the sake of cheapness and getting cheated, immediately giving in after being beaten for cutting in line, and taking advantage of his subordinates when he suspected them of saying bad things behind their backs. He was narrow-minded.

As expected, only employees who have resigned dare to complain about their boss.

Luo Siwei asked him about the He family's relationships, and the man said, "I don't know. I only know that the relationship with the eldest daughter is not good."

Luo Siwei wrote down everything he said, and after the conversation, she went to the tea room to pour herself a cup of coffee. Luo Siwei found that Chi Li's office door was open, and it seemed that she was not the only one who came to work overtime.

Luo Siwei was busy until the afternoon. She closed the documents, walked across the corridor and knocked on Chi Li's office door.

Chi Li was inside, sitting at his desk with several stacks of scattered documents neatly placed on it.

Luo Siwei took a quick look and found that they seemed to be URLs of some gambling websites and transaction records.

Chi Li lowered his head to collect the documents and asked her, "How is your case going?"

Luo Siwei told Chi Li about her concerns and new discoveries, and then she said: "I think there are still some problems with this case, so it may take a while to close it."

Chi Li nodded slightly, his fingers habitually interlaced, and then asked Luo Siwei: "How are you going to investigate next?"

"I want to understand what kind of person He Jin is and find the logic behind her words and actions."

Luo Siwei then elaborated, "He Jin's lying seems to be a habit. She seems a bit eccentric, but she doesn't have any mental problems. She's a normal person. There must be an underlying logic to her actions. It's just that this logic may be hidden beneath her lies and may be difficult for ordinary people to understand."

Chi Li asked: "Then where are you going to start?"

Luo Siwei took out her student registration form and said, "I noticed something contradictory in what He Jin said. Her grades weren't bad, and she was in the upper middle class in high school. With those grades, she could at least get into an undergraduate program, or even a key university if she performed well. But she didn't take the college entrance exam this year, and she said her parents wanted her to repeat the year, but she didn't want to."

Chi Li nodded slightly. Luo Siwei took this subtle action as encouragement. She took out another junior high school report card.

"When she was in junior high school, He Jin was always among the top students in her class in several subjects. She was particularly good in Chinese. I checked and found out that her homeroom teacher happened to be her Chinese teacher, so I wanted to find that teacher to ask her about it."

"When are you planning to go?" Chi Li said, looking at the calendar. "Teachers are quite busy. It's exam week soon, so it's best for us to go over the weekend so we can get a more detailed understanding."

Luo Siwei said: "Okay, then I will notify the team members to come over and work overtime."

According to regulations, at least two police officers are required to be present during witness questioning. Luo Siwei was wondering who would be the unlucky guy who would be dragged here to work overtime.

Just as she was about to turn around and leave, Chi Li called her again: "Wait a minute."

Luo Siwei paused.

Chi Li stood up and said, "I have almost finished my work for today. If you don't mind, I'll go with you."

Luo Siwei didn't expect Chi Li to be willing to take action personally: "Of course... I don't mind."

Chi Li put the recorder and notebook into his schoolbag: "But you still know the case better. I'm just listening in and making notes for you."

Luo Siwei hurriedly bowed: "No, no... Captain Chi, you are so humble that I can't speak. You are here to guide the work!"

Luo Siwei quickly made a phone call and contacted the teacher, whose surname was Tang, and expressed his willingness to provide them with some information.

This was an investigation that was carried out on a whim, and the two people came to the parking lot downstairs of the Municipal Bureau.

Chi Li drove here today. He opened the door of a car and got in.

Luo Siwei used to dislike riding alone in a car with her male colleagues, and even in taxis, she would always sit alone in the back seat. Because of those experiences and the lingering nightmares, she was always a little afraid of men, as if they could turn into a monstrous monster at any moment when she was alone.

Before getting in the car, Luo Siwei hesitated for a moment. She remembered the several times Chi Li had met her before and felt that the person in front of her was safe. Every time she saw Chi Li, she always had an inexplicable sense of security. When facing him alone, she would not feel as nervous as when facing other male colleagues.

Thinking of this, she opened the front door and sat in the passenger seat.

This car is Chi Li's private car. It is very clean and has a light mint smell. The seats are also very comfortable. Luo Siwei fastened his seat belt and glanced at Chi Li sideways. He did not look away and started the car with full concentration.

In the past, when Luo Siwei was alone in a closed space with men, she would feel uncomfortable, her heart would beat faster, and goose bumps would appear on her skin. This had nothing to do with the age, handsomeness, or familiarity of the men.

In her last year of college, she tried hard to move on from those things and even considered whether to have a boyfriend.

At the time, there was a boy named Dou Chengzhi, who was studying immigration management and wanted to pursue her. Dou Chengzhi was very handsome, tall, and came from a well-off family. He was definitely a hot blue chip on campus.

But when he asked her to have dinner alone and the two of them sat in the same private room, her heart almost jumped out of her chest.

It was a perfectly ordinary scene, but Luo Siwei was so frightened that her teeth chattered and her entire body felt unwell. Finally, she grabbed her bag and rushed out. After returning to the dormitory, she took a long time to regain her composure. She texted the boy surnamed Dou, saying she was feeling unwell and declining his invitation.

From then on, she never got close to a man again, let alone fell in love.

But now, Luo Siwei found herself sitting next to Chi Li without any reaction.

Luo Siwei was a little surprised, but also a little pleased about this situation. Regardless, it would be much more convenient to go on missions together in the future.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the two arrived at Teacher Tang's home.

Teacher Tang is in her thirties, a thin female teacher. She looks very gentle, speaks as softly as the breeze and has a scholarly air.

Teacher Tang asked them to sit on the sofa and poured them two cups of tea. There were landscape paintings on the teacups, which were exquisite and beautiful.

After explaining the purpose of my visit, Teacher Tang said, "I've always remembered that child. I started teaching her class six years ago. It was my first time as a homeroom teacher, and I tried my best to do a good job."

Luo Siwei got straight to the point and briefly described the fire. Then she asked, "Teacher Tang, this is the situation. Do you think, based on your understanding of He Jin, that she would do such a thing?"

Teacher Tang said, "I don't believe my student would commit arson... But I haven't seen her for three years. People change."

Luo Siwei asked her, "What is He Jin like in your memory?"

Teacher Tang looked down and recalled, "He Jin was a bit stubborn and liked to lie, but I don't think she was a bad kid." Then she explained, "As teachers, we see so many children and spend time with them every day that we can tell whether they are good or bad. This kind of good or bad is innate and has nothing to do with nurture."

Luo Siwei said, "He Jin said that her parents wanted her to go to college, but she didn't want to repeat the year. I suspect this is a lie."

Teacher Tang nodded in confirmation. "From what I know about her family, He Jin probably wanted to study, but her parents wouldn't let her go. Her parents always wanted her to work and earn money early, or to help out in their company."

Teacher Tang then added, "During the high school entrance exam, her family had a scene. They said it was useless for girls to study and that it would be better for them to go to a vocational high school. Several of us teachers persuaded his parents, saying that He Jin's grades were good enough for him to get into the key high school nearby, and that as a parent, he could receive a bonus. Finally, his parents agreed."

Luo Siwei felt that she had found the right person. She told him about He Jin's false report to the police and then asked, "Teacher Tang, do you know anything else? Can you tell us in detail?"

Teacher Tang put down his teacup when he heard this.

"He Jin didn't have many friends and kept to herself. One day, she didn't show up for school. I called her, and her mother calmly said, 'He Jin ran away from home.' I asked if they had called the police, and they told me, 'No need, she'll come back once she runs out of money.'"

"I was still debating whether to call the police, but other teachers advised me that it was better to mind our own business. The parents weren't worried, and if we, the teachers, called the police, they would think we were meddling. But after listening to them, I decided that if the child was missing for more than 24 hours, I would definitely tell the police. Luckily, nothing happened, and in the afternoon, I was able to contact He Jin."

At this point, Teacher Tang lowered his head and said, "So I think that she made a false police report just to get his parents' attention."

Hearing this, Luo Siwei asked, "Are her parents so indifferent to her?"

Teacher Tang nodded. "Having two or three children is becoming increasingly common. I know many parents treat their children differently. It's human nature. Whenever there's more than one child, parents will inevitably favor one over the other. They might favor boys over girls, or prefer the smarter one, or even the youngest. But I never imagined parents could be so partial to one another."

"There was something strange about He Jin's family. I first noticed this during an exam shortly after school started. The essay topic was 'My Happy Family.' Then I discovered that He Jin, who always had good grades, didn't write this essay and simply handed in a blank paper."

"I was very curious about this situation, so I went to their home for a home visit."

"It was the weekend, and I had a last-minute trip. I called downstairs and found out his parents were home, so I went upstairs. Her mother brought me in, and I saw He Jin walking out from the balcony..."

"Balcony?" Luo Si frowned slightly.

Teacher Tang said, "Yes, it sounds unbelievable, but it's true. She lived on the balcony. Later, I asked He Jin, and she said that her father snored, so the second bedroom had always been used by her mother and sister, and the study belonged to her younger brother, so she slept on the balcony."

Luo Siwei still remembers the fire scene. The balcony was seriously burned. There was a wooden board and some bedding piled on it. She thought it was just some sundries. She didn't expect that the simple place would be He Jin's bed.

The balcony is almost completely separated from the house, and it is hot and stuffy in the summer and cold in the winter. It is really too much for the family to let an underage girl live in such an environment.

Chi Li sat next to Luo Siwei and listened attentively to Teacher Tang's story. The recorder in his hand recorded all the evidence.

"Later, I discovered why He Jin deliberately didn't write the essay. During the entire home visit, He Jin's father excused himself to go out, while her mother kept nagging her, accusing her of not doing things right, saying she wouldn't play with her brother or take care of her sister. He Jin sat there with her head down. Once she tried to explain something, her mother interrupted her and said, 'Don't pay attention to her. She loves to lie, and nothing she says can be trusted.'"

"Then she told me some stories about He Jin. They were unmarried when she was pregnant with He Jin. They were both very young and were caught off guard by the sudden birth of a child. They got married after the child was born. They then went out to work and left the child in their hometown for many years until he started primary school."

"He Jin's mother said that He Jin is untreatable, an ungrateful person who always lies and has no good intentions."

"From what she said, I could sense her dislike for He Jin. I really can't imagine why parents would have such strong malice towards their own children."

"During a home visit, their only young brother was nearby, throwing blocks at He Jin and shouting, 'If you don't play chess with me and don't lose to me, I'll beat you to death.' I remembered that scene for a long time, and even now it's still vivid in my mind. As a teacher, facing a family like that, I feel at a loss as to how to help."

Teacher Tang became a little angry at this point. She took a sip of tea and continued, "And do you know what He Jin said to me after my home visit? She said to me, 'Teacher Tang, thank you for visiting my mother. My mother hasn't talked to me so much in a long time. In the past, I was like a transparent person at home.'"

"She was smiling at the time, but my heart skipped a beat. I was wondering to what extent her parents had neglected her for her to say something like that."

"I asked her, 'Do your parents often beat you?' She told me, 'No, they just scold me occasionally. Most of the time, they treat me as if I don't exist. They don't talk to me and only take care of my younger siblings. They ignore me.' She said to me, 'Teacher Tang, I feel like I'm redundant at home.'"

"When I can take care of He Jin, I will give her special care. But I'm just a teacher. He Jin will do some odd jobs to earn money during the summer vacation of junior high school. She is actually a very sensible child, but it's a pity that she was born in such a family. As for the situation, I know this much. If you need anything, you can contact me again."

Teacher Tang felt somewhat helpless at the end of his speech. A child cannot decide his own origin, cannot decide who his parents are, and how they treat him.

Luo Siwei and Chi Li came out of Teacher Tang’s house.

The two got in the car, and Chi Li looked at the time: "It's a bit late, I'll just take you home."

Luo Siwei gave an address.

Chi Li started the car and asked, "Did you find the answer you wanted?"

Luo Siwei looked out the window and nodded: "I understand He Jin's logic. There are reasons for those lies."

This visit to Teacher Tang seems to have nothing to do with the case, but in fact it fills in an important part of the investigation.

Teacher Tang said that the life she described to He Jin was completely different from what she had said. Luo Siwei confirmed that all the trivial family matters He Jin had said were lies.

"That's a neglected child," Chi Li said. "In criminal psychology, child abuse is divided into multiple categories. The two most common and often overlooked types are emotional abuse and neglect. When children don't receive enough support, attention, and love during their growth, they become abnormal."

Listening to his story, Luo Siwei felt like she was back in college, taking a criminal psychology class. No, more accurately, it felt like she was listening to that person's analysis of her.

He was the best teacher. He could always hit the nail on the head and help her clear the fog when she was in trouble with just a few words.

Chi Li continued, "I feel that He Jin has never received enough love, and she has not learned how to love others. She is unwilling to tell the truth about herself because she thinks that if others know, they will not love her anymore."

Faced with such parents, after years and months, He Jin has become accustomed to hiding herself with lies and embellishing her life when facing other people's problems. That's why her lies are so natural and difficult to tell.

Luo Siwei couldn't help wanting to hear Chi Li continue. She turned her head and asked him, "Then why do you think He Jin lied repeatedly during the interrogation?"

Chi Li said: "Have you ever heard of a term called the slippery slope effect?"

Luo Siwei nodded: "Once you start to fall, it's like you're on a slide, there's no way to stop."

Chi Li said: "The same is true for lying. In the end, the liar will even fall in love with the feeling of lying and cannot tell the truth. I think He Jin is a pathological liar. She has low moral and ethical discernment and flat emotional reactions. This kind of person cannot understand the meaning of honesty and even ignores the importance of the occasion and the consequences of her impulsive behavior..."

Luo Siwei suddenly understood, Chi Li's words just explained why He Jin behaved abnormally.

She supported her chin with her fingers and continued to analyze Chi Li's words: "Liu Wangnan was aware of the conflict between herself and He Jin, so after the fire, she thought it was her daughter's revenge... On the other hand, He Jin's pathological lying created obstacles for our interrogation. After hearing her mother suspect her of being the murderer, she was heartbroken, so she said she was the murderer."

It seems that this case needs to be re-investigated. Luo Siwei lowered his head in thought: "But if He Jin is not the real murderer... who is the real murderer?"

She felt like she was back to square one in an instant.

Chi Li said: "Whether you did something or not, it is an established fact that happened in the past. I believe you can find the corresponding evidence."

All day long on Sunday, Luo Siwei studied the information related to the case over and over again.

Now some of the results of He Jin's blood test have come out. The test data show that she did not take drugs and the alcohol content in her blood was not high. He Jin repeatedly said that she drank too much and could not remember what happened that night.

If she wasn't lying, there was probably another reason.

Luo Siwei applied for a blood test review, requesting to check whether there were other types of drugs in He Jin's blood. Then she planned to focus the next investigation on the music bar. As long as she could find out what He Jin's movements were that night, she would be able to prove whether she was really guilty.

M Bar No. 5 is an old medium-sized bar in Donglan. It is located not far from the Tomorrow Lake business district in the city center and has always been popular.

Guo Zhengyao, Shen Qing, and the auxiliary police had visited this bar twice, but the people inside were clueless. When the police tried to retrieve the surveillance footage, the owner only gave them a few unclear, distant surveillance recordings.

If you want to know what happened that night, it is best to investigate it yourself. If the police go there openly, those people will pretend to be confused. Guo Zhengyao and others have already met with the people in the bar, so it is definitely not appropriate to go there at this time.

Luo Siwei wanted to ask Huo Cunsheng if there was any news, but when she called, Huo Cunsheng's phone was turned off.

In order to carry out their duties, criminal police have to keep their cell phones on 24 hours a day. Luo Si frowned and left him a message.

No one else can use it, so it seems I have to go there in person. Thinking of this, Luo Siwei called Ni Xiang.

Ni Xiang picked up the phone and asked, "Captain Luo, what's going on?"

Luo Siwei told her the results of yesterday's investigation.

Ni Xiang asked, "Do you need to work overtime? I'll go to the Municipal Bureau now."

"No, you don't have to go to the city bureau." Luo Siwei walked to the window and looked at the night outside. "Dress up nicely, and I'll take you to the bar."