Chapter 54 No way!
Fangfang didn't feel like she was enduring humiliation; being an undercover agent was really fun.
The children tried to restrain themselves and not be too lively, but their eyes still shone like stars.
It's like a thrilling adventure game.
Participating in person is even more fun than Monopoly.
The receptionist smiled and sat down beside them; the soft sofa creaked softly.
“Ms. Sheng, it takes courage in itself to choose to seek help.” She opened her notebook, her pen lightly tracing lines on the paper. “Could you tell me about your situation?”
The receptionist needs to complete the supplementary information.
Zhu Qing nodded, her fingers gently squeezing Fang Fang's soft little hand, quickly concocting a poignant backstory in her mind.
This story was inspired by a Cantonese film that was playing on TV at home while we were eating.
However, the "Sheng Shala" she mentioned was even more pitiful than the female protagonist.
“When I was a teenager…” she hesitated, then bit her lower lip at just the right moment.
“Indeed, you are so young.” The receptionist’s pen paused. “You should have been in school at the time… Based on that age, the other party committed a crime.”
Zhu Qing lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a shadow beneath them.
“I don’t understand these things… My parents never care about me, and I have no place in the family.”
"He said he would treat me well and raise our son together."
Her voice grew softer and softer.
Fangfang listened attentively, and when he felt his niece's hand gently stroking his cheek, he immediately understood.
The baby tilted his little face up, revealing an innocent smile.
In his heart, Fang Sir secretly gave her a perfect score of 100. Qingzai's acting was so realistic!
"I didn't expect him to run away." Zhu Qing lowered her head, her voice trembling slightly.
Eye contact is the most difficult to act, so she chose to close her eyes.
The little girl, Shengfang, clung to Qingzai's arm and repeated, "They ran away!"
He continued to stare intently at his niece—
Our Qingzai has such a pitiful side!
Zhu Qing covered his ears: "Actually, I don't want to say these things in front of the child, I'm afraid it will hurt him."
"I understand. You are such a good mother. You always keep your sadness to yourself and show your smile to your child."
"But you don't actually have to be so strong."
Just as Fangfang was about to add more scenes, she heard her niece choke out—
"Let him go have fun."
Looking out through the glass doors of the reception area, you can see a warmly decorated children's treatment room.
A colorful little table was covered with crayons and drawing paper, and a corner was piled high with plush toys. As Fangfang was led away by the staff, she turned back and glared at Zhu Qing angrily—don't think your uncle doesn't understand, he was just sent away!
The door to the reception room was still open, and Zhu Qing, making sure her uncle was within her sight, continued to speak slowly.
The child can no longer interfere with her performance. Zhu Qing has fully embraced her new identity and let go completely. Apart from the fact that she can't squeeze out tears, she almost perfectly portrays the image of a helpless and exhausted single mother.
"Could I ask about the doctors here?" she asked casually.
The receptionist enthusiastically introduced the procedures, from qualification certification to treatment process, talking non-stop for ten minutes.
Zhu Qing left her pager number on the information card.
Before she left, the receptionist handed her a new brochure. Unlike the previous one, this brochure contained the doctor's photo and resume.
"All the center's medical records are here," the receptionist said. "Ms. Sheng, you can take a look."
She escorted the uncle and nephew to the elevator.
Zhu Qing led Sheng Fang into the elevator: "Say goodbye to Auntie."
The baby waved and said in a childish voice, "Goodbye, Auntie."
Compared to his niece, the uncle's acting was more natural.
"What a well-bred child! Look how bright his eyes are!" The receptionist smiled and knelt down. "Listen to Mommy, okay?"
...
As soon as they entered the elevator, Shengfang squinted and tiptoed.
"Qingzai is a big liar!"
"Then you're a little liar."
The big-time conman's niece and the little-time conman's uncle looked at each other and burst out laughing.
They are no longer a family of police officers; they have become a family of con artists.
Inspector Fang has an incredibly strong sense of mission; he's even willing to lower his seniority to investigate cases.
"Let's get down to business first, what did you find out?"
Zhu Qing flipped through the brochure repeatedly, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper.
"Strange, how could this be?"
Neither of the two doctors surnamed Xu is Xu Mingyuan.
Even after she sat back in the carriage, Zhu Qing was still studying the brochure.
The carriage was dark, with only the streetlights outside casting dappled shadows.
The worried uncle couldn't bear to watch any longer, so he leaned on the back of his seat and muttered to himself from time to time.
"Qingzai, stop looking."
"It's bad for your eyes..."
Zhu Qing put away the brochure and looked out the car window.
After a long while, she looked away and said, "Let's go home."
The evening activities were so much fun that the children were so excited they forgot everything else.
On my way home, I hummed a song the whole way.
On the radio, Situ Peiling's program was coming to an end, the host's unique, mysterious voice flowing slowly.
"Many of our listeners have probably already heard that our radio station will be relaunching the 'Yin Yang' special program. Aren't you all excited?"
"After the first episode of 'Yin Yang' aired, we received over a thousand letters from listeners. Some friends shared their personal paranormal experiences, while others, scholars, discussed folk culture..."
"For the second episode, what topics would you like to hear about? Feel free to write in and submit your suggestions!"
Zhu Qing recalled the casual conversation she had in the police station's break room a few days ago.
Colleagues discussed that the show attracted a lot of attention from all sides as soon as it aired, an effect that even if the radio station spent a lot of money on advertising, it might not have. Now that the case is closed, they will definitely strike while the iron is hot and continue to produce this paranormal program.
Just as I predicted.
Zhu Qing stared at the red light counting down, while Situ Peiling's voice continued to echo in the carriage.
"Many listeners have written in to inquire about the follow-up to the 'water ghost taking lives' legend, but the police have already released the results of their investigation."
The story of the "water ghost seeking revenge" will come to an end with the conclusion of the case.
Just like the name You Minmin, it will eventually fade from the public's memory.
Zhu Qing gripped the steering wheel, her gaze falling on the healing society brochure in the passenger seat.
"Qingzai, the light's green!" Fangfang reminded him.
Zhu Qing then looked away and gently pressed the accelerator.
"In the next episode, we will explore more folk tales. See you there, friends." Situ Peiling's voice gradually faded into the distance.
...
Every Monday evening, Kang En Medical Center hosts a supportive event themed "Mental Reconstruction".
But before that, Zhu Qing received a call from the receptionist who invited Ms. "Sheng Shala" to participate in an event organized by the center's mothers' mutual aid association.
"Ms. Sheng, we cordially invite you to tonight's mothers' support group meeting." The voice on the other end of the phone was gentle and kind. "Many single mothers in similar situations to you will be there to share their parenting experiences and encourage each other. If you have the time, you are very welcome to join us."
After she finished speaking, the receptionist added, "After the event, we have also arranged for a professional psychologist to provide you with one-on-one counseling."
After hanging up the phone, Zhu Qing glanced at the time. The event was at 7 p.m., so she had plenty of time.
I initially signed up for the healing session just to do some research; I never imagined it would escalate like this. Now, calmly considering the situation, what if I were to run into Dr. Xu Mingyuan at the event…?
She appeared at Xu Mingyuan's clinic last time, posing as a police officer.
If they are recognized, not only will all our previous efforts be wasted, but we might also alert the enemy.
Therefore, before setting off, Zhu Qing carefully "dressed up".
Shengfang was sitting on the sofa, swinging her short legs and eating potato chips, when she caught a glimpse of Qingzai coming and going out of the corner of her eye.
Ever since he tasted success during his last undercover mission, the young master has developed a strong interest in activities like this.
At this moment, Zhu Qing stood in front of the dressing mirror, carefully examining her new look.
Black-rimmed glasses, a bucket hat, and a casual outfit that was completely different from her usual style. This was an outfit she had bought on her way home from work, just to avoid being recognized.
Zhu Qing turned around and asked, "Will he still recognize me like this?"
A cartoon was playing on the television, and Zhu Qing stood in front of the screen, blocking Sheng Fang's entire view.
The baby on the sofa tilted his head and used both hands and feet to move his body around the "obstacle".
"Of course," the child replied perfunctorily while trying to watch TV. "You're such a pretty girl, I'd recognize you no matter how you dress up."
As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed that Qingzai's lips curled up slightly.
It turns out that even a cool madam like their Qingzai will smile when praised for being beautiful.
This major discovery made Fangfang proudly swing her little feet.
Aunt Ping had just come out of the kitchen and was a beat slow to react, but she nodded in agreement as well.
"Young master is right!"
"Those TV dramas where women dress up as men are obviously recognizable at a glance, but the plot insists on pretending not to know them."
With both the elderly and the young family advisors saying this, Zhu Qing went back to her room and found a face mask.
When she came out again, she was fully armed.
"And now? Can you still recognize it?"
Aunt Ping shook her head, and little Shengfang followed suit.
However, the little one quickly added, "He was acting suspiciously, like a thief."
This kid is definitely talking more and more.
Zhu Qing reasonably suspected that the child was holding a grudge because she hadn't taken him with her when she went out to handle a case today, and was taking the opportunity to pour cold water on him.
In the end, Zhu Qing took off her mask, keeping only her glasses and hat, and drove to Central.
The mutual aid society at the medical center is much more formal than I imagined.
In the activity room, a dozen single mothers sat in a circle. Zhu Qing noticed that these women were not gloomy or distressed. Although they all looked tired, many of them still had bright and spirited eyes.
"Looking at it from another angle, it's actually a good thing that the child's father ran away," a short-haired mother said with a smile. "To spend a lifetime with a man who has no responsibility and doesn't know how to care for others, that's what despair is."
In the children's examination room, several children were sitting quietly.
The older children were already in school, diligently doing their homework, while the younger ones were playing quietly with their toys. Zhu Qing then realized that for many single mothers, having a safe place to temporarily house their children, allowing them to catch their breath and talk, was already a tremendous help and comfort.
“You’re still young, you have a long life ahead of you.” An older mother held Zhu Qing’s hand. “It will be better when the children are older.”
"When I was your age, I always felt like the sky was going to fall."
"Actually, there's no need to pull your hat down so low. Being single or divorced is nothing to be ashamed of. I've been divorced for three years, and I'm actually living a happier life than before."
"If you're unhappy, feel free to come here anytime. Last Wednesday we helped Yinghong find a craft job to do at home, and yesterday we all went to help Xiaoqi move."
By a twist of fate, Shengfang, a child, gave Zhu Qing'an a persona that was prone to portraying her as a single mother with a tragic past.
However, upon arriving here, she discovered another real world.
As the event drew to a close, the receptionist reminded her that she could go see the on-duty psychologist.
Zhu Qing didn't want her fabricated story to take up the doctor's time, so she made an excuse and hurriedly said goodbye.
"Please wait a moment."
Just as the elevator doors were about to close, a mother pressed the open button. The small space was filled with mothers and children who had just finished their activities. They chatted about tomorrow's breakfast and today's homework, and their ordinary yet heartwarming conversations echoed in the elevator.
As the elevator doors opened again, these figures, leaning against each other, gradually disappeared into the night.
It's not melodramatic at all.
As for clues about Dr. Xu Mingyuan, there are still no leads.
Perhaps she was overthinking it.
...
In the blink of an eye, Shengfang has been in school for two weeks.
The young master who once haggled with his niece and was extremely reluctant to go to kindergarten has now become one of the most enthusiastic students in the entire kindergarten.
Every morning, he would jump out of bed, tidy himself up neatly, just to catch the earliest school bus.
He wanted to be the first to arrive at the classroom and personally turn on the lights!
Zhu Qing didn't understand—
What is the significance of doing this?
Perhaps many things don't need to be questioned for their meaning; children's happiness is simply that simple and pure.
"Qingqing, we're not in a rush to go to the police station today, are we?" Aunt Ping's voice came from the kitchen. "I simmered chicken soup with vermicelli for two hours, and it's cooked just right."
Before dawn, Aunt Ping was already busy in the kitchen.
Neatly arranged freshly made dumpling wrappers lined the cutting board, freshly wrapped wontons tumbled in the iron pot, and an enticing aroma wafted from the clay pot. To avoid waking the uncle and nephew, she always prepared the ingredients the night before, which would make a loud clanging noise during cooking. Then, just as dawn was breaking, she would quietly get up and prepare breakfast.
As the aroma from the casserole gradually intensified, it was time for Zhu Qing and Fang Fang to get up.
"Aunt Ping, you don't need to go to so much trouble." Zhu Qing took the bowl. "Just eat something."
"The early bird catches the worm," Aunt Ping said with a smile, shaking her head. "How can you be so casual about it?"
Aunt Ping found a true sense of belonging in this job. Actually, doing her best to take care of the uncle and nephew wasn't entirely for the generous salary—
She doesn't have many expenses.
Aunt Ping is truly grateful to Zhu Qing and Fang Fang.
Sometimes she even feels disoriented, as if they were the ones who gave her a home.
A safe and secure home.
"By the way, Qingqing," Aunt Ping said in a low voice, "it seems that the young master had a minor conflict with a classmate at school."
Zhu Qing's chopsticks stopped in mid-air.
The two good friends that Fangfang often mentioned, Jinbao and Yesi, immediately came to mind.
"It was a little boy named A-Juan who snitched," Aunt Ping explained. "The young master secretly changed his seat in the nap room, wanting to sleep next to Jinbao, but that child raised his hand and told the teacher."
This may seem insignificant to adults, but it is a huge deal to children.
Zhu Qing suddenly remembered Fang Fang's hesitant manner last night. It turned out that he had a lot to say, but missed the opportunity to confide in her because his niece was too busy.
There was a rustling sound coming from the bathroom.
Zhu Qing walked over and saw Fang Fang with her back to the door, her little shoulders trembling.
She paused for a moment.
This child has incredibly sharp ears; could it be that he heard Aunt Ping's words and felt wronged?
Zhu Qing walked over, put her hand on his small shoulder, bent down and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
That's when she noticed the toothpaste on the sink.
The baby's children's toothpaste was almost gone, and Aunt Ping forgot to restock. He was pressing the tube hard with both of his little hands, his face scrunched up in a grimace.
"This is—" Zhu Qing peeked out.
"Cardiopulmonary resuscitation." Fangfang answered seriously, pressing down with her hands folded together, her expression extremely earnest.
Zhu Qing helped him squeeze out the toothpaste.
While the little one was brushing his teeth, he heard his niece asking about kindergarten.
"You mean A-Juan?" The young master thought for a while before remembering, then waved his hand. "He's just a boring kid."
...
In kindergarten, A-Juan is a little old-fashioned boy who wears round-framed glasses.
He always had a stern little face, his hands behind his back, patrolling the classroom in a serious manner, just like a mini version of a discipline monitor.
The three little groups of Shengfang, Yesi, and Jinbao usually keep to themselves and don't interfere with this little old-fashioned guy.
Although the young master would occasionally fall victim to his tattling, being nagged by Teacher Ji was of no consequence to him.
During afternoon extracurricular activities, the children gathered in the children's play area.
Activities like slides are beneath Sheng Fang's notice. In the small garden of the Sheng family villa halfway up the mountain, his father had a deluxe, extra-long slide built for him, but the young master disliked the toy that required a long climb to reach the top and almost never played on it. So, the extra-long slide was left unused, though someone carefully wiped it clean every day, keeping it spotless; it was the loneliest thing in the small garden.
As for the simple slide in the kindergarten—
The metal frame was peeling paint, and the slide was pitifully short. The children lined up for a long time, finally climbed up, and before they could even sit properly, they were swooping down.
"Childish." Fangfang pouted, but reluctantly joined the queue at Jinbao's urging.
The moment Fangfang slid down, her eyes lit up, and she was completely captivated.
It's so much fun when everyone's scrambling to play!
He climbed the steps with a "tap tap tap" sound and slid down with a "whoosh," repeating this action more than ten times, never tiring of it.
Fangfang sat on the slide and waved to the little girl below: "Coconut, come play!"
Little Coconut stood below, puffing out her cheeks and shaking her head.
With another "whoosh," Shengfang slid down and ran to her friend's side.
After listening to Coconut Baby's explanation, he realized that she was wearing a little dress.
She's wearing a pink tutu today, so she can't play on the slide.
"Just change your pants!"
"That's not pretty!"
Shengfang tilted her head: "How can I hold a gun dressed like this?"
"I don't carry a gun."
"Don't you want to be a policeman?" Sheng Fang stared wide-eyed, looking completely bewildered.
"I want to be a model!" Coconut Baby's sweet little voice rang out, and her beautiful big eyes sparkled as she spoke of her dream.
This answer was a huge blow to Fang Da; someone actually didn't want to be a policeman.
It must be because his "Preschool Police Training" wasn't promoted effectively.
Where is Jinbao?
“I’m a nouveau riche,” Jinbao said matter-of-factly.
"Being a nouveau riche isn't a profession!"
Teacher Ji listened to their conversation from a short distance away, trying so hard not to laugh that her shoulders were shaking.
After thinking it over, Jinbao replied, "Daddy and Mommy said that when I grow up, all I need to do is be able to tell others how to do things."
"Jinbao, we children should also have ideals!" Fangfang earnestly persuaded.
The autumn sun shines on the babies.
They sat side by side on a bench in the amusement area. None of them had legs long enough to reach the ground, yet they talked about their life ideals with expressions as mature as three little adults.
Jinbao: "My dream is to sell ice cream, so I'll have an endless supply of ice cream."
Coconut Flakes: "My dream is to sell strawberries, because I love eating strawberries the most!"
They were so generous, promising to provide Fangfang with unlimited ice cream and strawberries when they grew up.
Unlimited ice cream and strawberries—that's tempting! He'll cut the strawberries into star shapes and embed them in the vanilla ice cream.
Shengfang unconsciously swallowed, she was so excited!
As Teacher Ji watched this heartwarming scene, the smile in her eyes deepened.
The afternoon sun cast long shadows of the children, and time seemed to slow down, becoming peaceful and gentle.
When the school bell rang, the children lined up and headed for the school bus.
Suddenly, Fang Fang slammed on the brakes and bounced up.
"Qingzai, Qingzai!"
It turned out that Zhao Lin had given Zhu Qing special permission to leave work early to pick him up.
John is really a loyal friend!
The young master of the Sheng family has become a proud little peacock, showing off to everyone he meets.
"My niece is here to pick me up!"
"My niece—"
"Come pick me up!"
Just as Zhu Qing took that soft little hand in hers, the pager suddenly started vibrating.
She instinctively gripped the pager, a strong intuition welling up inside her.
Could it be Xu Mingyuan?
...
A single mother who has to support her child on her own —
There probably isn't that much free time to return calls at any time.
Therefore, Zhu Qing did not return the call until 9:40 p.m.
Before turning on the phone, she found the voice changer she had bought earlier.
This voice changer, called "Phantom Sound Box," does more than just change your voice.
Zhu Qing turned on the recording function and held it close to the earpiece when she called back.
"Is this Miss Sheng?" Xu Mingyuan's voice came from the other end of the phone.
They had met once before, but only once, and Zhu Qing didn't think he would recognize her voice.
But just to be on the safe side, she took a deep breath and made her voice sound tired and fragile.
"Hello, are you a doctor from the healing center?" She paused deliberately, as if organizing her thoughts. "I'm sorry to call back so late; I just got home and put my child to bed. Is this bothering you?"
Dr. Xu's voice was gentle: "It's alright, please speak slowly."
Zhu Qing closed her eyes and recalled the details of the case.
What would the deceased You Minmin have said when she first received a phone call from this psychologist a year ago?
She let her tone waver: "Taking the kids to kindergarten every day, working two jobs..."
"I still have a mountain of bills to deal with when I get home. I—"
Dr. Xu waited patiently for her to finish speaking.
Meanwhile, he was taking notes with a fountain pen, and Zhu Qing could hear the sound of the pen tip sliding across the paper.
"You've really worked hard." The sound of papers turning over came from the other end of the phone, his voice still gentle. "You know, many mothers like you subconsciously blame themselves. They always feel that they haven't provided their children with a better life, but you don't need to think like that."
"Actually, you've already done very well."
These comforting words sounded so ordinary, just like any ordinary psychological counseling session.
Zhu Qing couldn't help but wonder if she had acted too deliberately or said something wrong.
Or perhaps this psychologist has enough patience to wait for his prey to take the bait, saving it for the final snatch?
"The healing session will have a parent-child activity next Wednesday. You can bring your child to relax."
“We have a special picture book corner for children.”
Finally, she heard the pen nib stop on the paper on the other end of the phone.
"But now, you should go and rest."
"Take care of yourself before taking care of others, okay?"
The call ended twenty minutes later.
There was no inducement, no probing.
In fact, Xu Mingyuan's attitude is already quite clear.
He removed her from his list of potential targets.
Xu Mingyuan always spoke in the name of the healing association, and even deliberately emphasized at the end that "the healing association welcomes you at any time," never mentioning his private clinic.
Clearly, this psychologist did not intend to truly accept her as his patient.
But this one phone call was enough to become a breakthrough.
At 10 p.m., Fangfang was already fast asleep, and Zhu Qing picked up her car keys and went out.
The SUV drove along the wide road and eventually stopped downstairs at the Concordia Medical Centre in Central.
As the neon lights flickered at night, she looked up at the lit window of the psychological clinic.
That night, she noticed something when looking out from Xu Mingyuan's office—
It allows for a clear view of people entering and leaving the medical center.
Zhu Qing dialed Mo Zhenbang's number.
"Mr. Mo, I need to apply for a letter of assistance in the investigation."
"Retrieve the complete membership registration form of the Kang En Medical Center Healing Association."
...
A few days ago, Mo Zhenbang placed his hands on his desk and looked at Zhu Qing with a serious expression.
He said the investigation could continue, but remember, everything must be based on evidence.
Now, she finally has evidence.
Zhu Qing spread the documents out on the conference room table.
Xu Mingyuan is not on the official list of doctors of the healing association, so why would he take the initiative to contact her?
The phone recording has been archived. That "psychological counseling" call was indeed made from the office landline of Xu Mingyuan Psychological Clinic.
If the healing society is a legitimate organization, then the only explanation is that Xu Mingyuan bribed its staff to illegally obtain members' information.
When Zhu Qing handed the evidence to Mo Zhenbang, her colleagues were all bewildered.
"Wasn't the case already closed?"
Zeng Yongshan walked over: "I knew you would continue to investigate."
They all knew that Zhu Qing had reviewed the medical committee's complaint files and the case files of suicides from the past five years. However, in the last two days, she seemed to have put those files away.
Almost everyone thought she had given up, except for Zeng Yongshan. No one expected that the investigation was still ongoing.
A few minutes later, the conference room door opened again.
"So, he's screening for specific types of patients." Haozi leaned back in his folding chair, a ballpoint pen tucked behind his ear, legs crossed. "He specifically targets introverted women who lack affection."
“People like You Minmin, who have no friends or family to take care of them, are the easiest to be controlled by him.”
"In other words, this psychologist illegally obtained members' information, screened targets from the registration forms, and found ideal prey like You Minmin... But the question is, why did he do this? Assuming he really induced You Minmin to commit suicide, what benefit would he gain from doing so?"
A murderer must have a motive for killing.
Take You Yikang, for example. He killed You Minmin for that house.
So, Dr. Xu Mingyuan—
What is he after?
With these questions in mind, the police officer took the order and went to the Kang En Medical Center Healing Association to obtain the complete membership list.
The documents were packed in a thick cardboard box, and the compiled list contained hundreds of names, phone numbers, and addresses.
The colleagues from Major Crimes Unit B all gathered around.
"Did Xu Mingyuan use these lists to screen candidates and contact You Minmin?"
"But didn't the record store clerk say that it was You Minmin's grandfather who persuaded his granddaughter to see a psychologist?"
"But given You Minmin's personality, would she really obediently go to the doctor? And insist on going for so long?"
“Unless—” Zhu Qing flipped through the thick registration form, “someone offered an irresistible condition, such as providing free psychological counseling.”
"Do they specifically target female patients who lack both money and love? The cost of weekly treatment is indeed difficult for You Minmin to afford. She could only persist with such treatment for such a long time if it were free."
"Her salary as a record store clerk simply cannot afford the cost of such frequent treatments. Even though her grandfather left her some money, she has to support herself and Chui Shui Hui. No amount of money can withstand such spending."
"The cardboard box that Arou sent has been handed over to the deceased's parents. I remember she said that You Minmin liked music but couldn't bear to buy records. She listened to the CDs that her boss gave her, which were scratched and had very poor sound quality."
"So why would she spend so much money to see a psychologist?"
"It's no use saying all this now, let's first confirm if You Minmin is on the list—"
Suddenly, Liang Qikai held up a list of documents and raised his voice: "It's You Minmin! She's really on the list!"
Amid the rustling sound of papers being passed around, Mo Zhenbang frowned as he stared at the signatures on the list.
The personal information has been confirmed to be correct; it is not a case of the same name as someone else. You Minmin did indeed visit the spiritual healing center.
The police called the agency to learn more about You Minmin's situation and discovered a heartbreaking detail.
A month before You Minmin passed away, the healing group contacted her to ask if she needed psychological counseling.
In fact, she had tried to contact me like this many times, but she had rejected me every time.
“The staff at the healing center were unaware that You Minmin was already receiving treatment at Xu Mingyuan’s psychological clinic.” Zeng Yongshan leaned closer, frowning. “For them, this situation is all too common. Many visitors are like this; they finally muster the courage to step into the healing center, but then they realize that no one can truly help them.”
"The healing association can't do anything about it, since the person seeking help must be willing to be helped..."
"The staff never expected that You Minmin was actually willing to accept help, but Xu Mingyuan beat her to it."
"Inspector Mo," Zhu Qing turned to Mo Zhenbang, "Can we reopen the case now?"
Uncle Li tapped his pen on the conference table and looked up at him: "Illegally obtaining the list, contacting the deceased privately..."
It was cloudy when I went out this morning, but now when I look out the window, the sky is clear and blue.
It's as if all hidden evils will eventually be revealed.
Mo Zhenbang, who never followed the rules, began assigning tasks without waiting for instructions from his superiors: "The Healing Association has been established for three years, but it has only advertised in the newspaper this past year. We need to investigate—"
“Four hundred and seventy people!” Xiao Sun looked up from the pile of documents. “I just counted, exactly four hundred and seventy people.”
"We've accumulated three years' worth of member data. How many of these people have changed their phone numbers? How many have moved?"
"If you really investigate carefully, it's more frightening than finding a needle in a haystack."
Xu Jiale gasped: "So many people have mental health issues? Is society really that stressful these days?"
“Don’t make a fuss,” Zeng Yongshan said. “My older brother’s girlfriend works as a nurse in the psychiatric department of a hospital. She said that there are long lines at the outpatient clinic every day, and eight out of ten patients have insomnia.”
Although they spoke in a lighthearted tone, the thought that the deceased had been "targeted" made everyone feel uneasy.
A year ago, You Minmin saw an advertisement for a healing society in the newspaper, perhaps full of hope. When Xu Mingyuan offered to provide free consultations, she probably felt that she had been unlucky all her life and that this time she was finally lucky.
You Minmin will never know that from the day she received "treatment," her mental state began to deteriorate.
As a patient, she is inherently in a vulnerable position, so how could she doubt her doctor?
“That’s precisely why we need to conduct a thorough investigation,” Mo Zhenbang said in a deep voice. “We’ll call each person to confirm and visit each household one by one. You Minmin’s case may only be the tip of the iceberg.”
Perhaps You Minmin's case is just an isolated incident.
That would be perfect.
But what if it isn't?
The entire Major Crimes Unit B was back in work mode for the entire day.
In the office, the sounds of telephones, keyboards, and papers turning never stopped, and everyone's workstations were piled high with documents.
You Minmin's short life was a tragedy.
Such a tragedy may not be the first time it has happened, nor is it unique to her.
Zhu Qing kept her head down and continued typing the number on the phone keypad.
"Hello, this is..."
"Excuse me, are you Miss Luo?"
The questions from my colleagues were also coming from all around me.
Is Ms. Ling there?
"Excuse me, but just to confirm, Ms. Ling has passed away?"
The CID office fell into a deathly silence.
Everything froze, and everyone looked up in Zeng Yongshan's direction.
After a moment of silence, Zeng Yongshan said softly, "It's very sad to hear this news. Please accept my condolences."
She lowered her eyes and wrote down a line of small print—
He died in a car accident.
He died unexpectedly, not by suicide.
"Continue," Mo Zhenbang's voice came from the end of the office. "If there's even one suspicious case, we'll investigate it thoroughly."
The telephone receiver was picked up again.
Every day, lives are lost in this city.
However, with the case files reopened, You Minmin's tragedy will not be hastily concluded.
There will always be people who demand the truth about the silent deceased.
...
The police station's phone lines are insufficient. More than 400 people need to be contacted by phone first, and only those who cannot be reached will be visited in person.
This is impossible to complete in a short time, but they must race against time.
Considering that people's rest should not be disturbed, Mo Zhenbang asked everyone to finish work before nine o'clock.
Zhu Qing brought a stack of documents home.
It was exactly nine o'clock when I entered the house, and the children were jumping around in the living room, "tampering with the house".
There were four or five cushions on the sofa. He played a relay race with himself, throwing the cushions on the floor and running across them like a little horse carrying stones across a river.
At nine o'clock, even a three-year-old child is still awake.
Are people resting so early?
Uncle Li said that complaints are not scary; no matter how big the complaint is, their boss will help cover it up.
Zhu Qing silently spread the membership information she had brought back on the coffee table.
"Aunt Ping, can you do me a favor?" She divided the documents into two parts and handed one to Aunt Ping.
Zhu Qing taught Aunt Ping how to ask questions, while she herself used her mobile phone to contact members of the healing society.
Aunt Ping smiled and reminded her, "Qingqing, mobile phone calls are expensive... You have so many numbers here."
"It's okay." Zhu Qing handed her a pen. "Check it off after you confirm."
Shengfang lay sprawled on the sofa, watching intently—
Our Qingzai is so rich and generous, she's getting more and more extravagant!
Aunt Ping started to help, and every time she made a call, she strictly followed the script that Zhu Qing had taught her.
She plays slowly, even making marks on the membership registration form takes her a long time.
The children were eager to try it out.
How could we not let him join such a fun activity?
He imitated him, pressing his chubby little hands to his ears and pretending to make a phone call.
"Hello? This is CID. We are investigating a case."
"Is Ms. Zhou here? Is Ms. Zhang here? Is Ms. Wang here?"
Shengfang raised her little hand: "Qingzai, I want to participate too."
"Don't cause trouble." Zhu Qing glanced at the time. "You little mouth?"
Shengfang stared wide-eyed.
She wanted her uncle to shut up? After attending kindergarten for so long, this little one has become quite the smooth operator. Even the principal himself couldn't make him obediently shut up, let alone his niece?
"I won't cause trouble! Qingzai, I've already learned how!"
"No, this is work."
The young master was so angry he collapsed onto the sofa.
Looking to the left, Qingzai is busy as a bee.
Looking to the right, even Aunt Ping can get involved, while he, the real police officer, has become an idle person.
Zhu Qing flipped through the next document, pinching his cheek between dialing calls: "We're the best."
Shengfang turned her head: "We're not doing well!"
The call connected, and Zhu Qing withdrew her hand.
Shengfang turned her head away.
Hmph, finally I don't have to let her rub my face anymore!
Zhu Qing held the cell phone: "Hello, this is Yau Ma Tei Police Station..."
"We are investigating a case. Is Ms. Wang here?"
A nonchalant reply came from the other end of the phone: "Looking for Yingtong? She's dead."
Zhu Qing held her breath: "May I ask what the cause of death was?"
While the niece was in shock, and while Aunt Ping went to the restroom—
The children quietly crept to the phone and dialed the number listed in the caller ID.
The call was answered quickly.
The baby, with a sullen face, said in a gruff voice, "This is the Yau Ma Tei Police Station, we—"
"Smack!"
The other party hung up.
Fangfang sat there holding the receiver, her round back filled with the sorrow of being betrayed by the whole world.
Seriously? They even dared to hang up on the police officer.
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