Chapter 131 Why Not Live a Carefree Life?
"They've caught someone over there too. Who will interrogate them when they get back?" The wind outside the Cherokee window blew against Gu Yanzheng's stubble-covered head; his hair was already half-dry.
“That must be Captain Liu and his team over there.” Shen Zhenzhu looked back and saw Xiaobai’s expectant face. She smiled and said, “Chen Junsheng is still in the forensic room. I’ll take her to try.”
Gu Yanzheng glanced at Xiaobai, who was beaming with delight, in the rearview mirror, as if he saw the shadow of a young girl who had just joined the criminal investigation team three years ago: "Okay."
He turned the steering wheel and said, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself during the first interrogation. It's just a small fry, so it won't have much of an impact."
"Understood." Xiao Bai thought Captain Gu had taken the wrong medicine today, being so considerate.
She pulled out her ever-present notebook and buried herself in it, scribbling and drawing in advance to prepare, lest she be rendered speechless upon entering.
Shen Zhenzhu simply took out her mobile phone to let Shen Liuhe know she was safe. As soon as she dialed the number, the other end picked up the phone instantly, and Shen Liuhe's anxious voice came through: "Hello, is this Zhenzhu?"
"Mom, it's me. The case has been solved." Chen Zhenzhu looked out the car window. People queuing to board the bus continued their daily lives, and street vendors began their day's hawking.
She leaned gently against the car window and whispered, "I'm not hurt. The bad guys have all been caught."
Shen Yuyuan cheered on the other end of the phone. She snatched the phone and said, "Sixth Sister has been so worried these past few days. If you hadn't called, she would have rushed out to see how you were doing."
Shen Liuhe hurriedly said, "I will definitely cooperate with the police officers and won't hold you back. I just can't help but worry. Bad people have no heart, and you have such a kind heart. I'm always afraid that you will be bullied."
"The case is nearing completion, so don't worry. By the way, Xiaobai came to help out with her colleagues from Shen City. I'll have her come over for dinner later. Mom, don't worry, everything's fine now."
"What do you mean there's nothing wrong? I'll personally set up a few tables to thank everyone for their support. Anyway, the shop isn't open yet. When do you have time?"
"Let's do it tonight then. I'll have my colleague take you and Yuyuan home later."
"Alright, I need to hurry up and call to order vegetables and meat. I've decided, I'll still buy the meat from the stall of an old acquaintance. Although Mr. Feng and Mr. Qian are nice people, I always feel that we're not on the same wavelength, and it's awkward to talk to them. Hey, why don't you call everyone? Don't forget who."
We're definitely not on the same wavelength!
"Okay! I'll tell you later." Shen Zhenzhu hung up the phone lightly, wondering what Shen Liuhe would think if she found out that Feng Dahuan and Qian Changda were in cahoots with the bad guys.
"Sister Pearl, what do you think of these questions I came up with?" After Chen Zhenzhu finished her call, Xiaobai handed her a notebook from the air, secretly slipping a pen inside as well.
Shen Zhenzhu took it and carefully examined it, making a few changes before saying, "There's no need for completely rigid questioning. The facts of Zheng Dao's crimes are already clear. There's no need to ask 'Did you do it?' It's better to use 'Why did you do it?' and 'What does it mean?' Instead, you need to understand that the goal of this interrogation is to complete the chain of evidence, understand the criminal motives, assess the social danger, and leave investigative leads for other related cases."
Xiao Bai quickly jotted it down in his notebook, then heard Chen Zhenzhu say slyly, "You also need to learn to set little traps. For example, you can ask Zheng Dao, 'How do you ensure that its source won't cause you any trouble?'"
"'...the source won't cause trouble...'" Xiaobai thought for a moment, biting the end of his pen, and then a flash of inspiration struck him. "I know! If he says 'I thought it was okay to buy it from abroad' or 'I thought it was okay as long as I didn't kill anyone,' it proves that he had the subjective intent to 'knowingly do something illegal'!"
“Xiao Bai is very smart,” Shen Zhenzhu said with a smile. “This is crucial when sentencing, as his answer can indirectly confirm his level of understanding of the illegal behavior.”
"Wow." Little White was opened a door to a new world by the pearl.
Seeing that she was still taking notes, Shen Zhenzhu said a few more words: "Old police officers often ask during interrogations, 'Do you think your actions have harmed others?' The purpose is to test the suspect's sense of remorse and empathy. A person who completely lacks empathy and thinks, 'This is just a matter between the buyer and seller and has nothing to do with the deceased,' has a much higher risk of recidivism than those who commit crimes but have a moral conflict in their hearts."
“I understand, because they fundamentally believe it’s wrong,” Xiaobai said.
“That’s right,” Shen Zhenzhu praised, “It’s a pity that such a smart intern ended up working for someone else.”
Little White pouted, "Waaah, Sister Pearl, please stop talking."
Chen Zhenzhu laughed heartily.
"Sister Pearl, were you born with these skills?" Lu Ye, who was standing to the side, also felt he had benefited greatly and couldn't help but ask.
Shen Zhenzhu glanced at Gu Yanzheng. As for setting a trap for the suspect, well, like father, like son.
“Just think about it more.” Chen Zhenzhu changed the subject and said, “You can also look at court judgments when you have nothing to do, which can broaden your thinking on cases.”
Xiaobai continued to write it down.
Lu Ye turned to the side and saw the densely filled notebook, saying, "Hey, can I borrow it to take a look?"
Xiao Bai turned around, carefully put it in her bag, and zipped it up, behaving extremely stingy.
Sitting in front of her, Shen Zhenzhu felt a strange sense of kinship.
Upon arriving at the criminal investigation team, before entering the interrogation room, Shen Zhenzhu encouraged Xiaobai, saying, "You need to be more patient than the suspect. If you win in this aspect, you've already won half the battle. Details are key to determining the nature of the crime during interrogation, so use your brain."
"Yes." Xiaobai entered the interrogation room with a stern face, and Chen Zhenzhu followed her in and sat down next to her.
Outside the door, Liu Yiyang was also preparing to interrogate another puzzle player he had captured. When he saw Xiao Bai actually enter the interrogation room and sit in the presiding judge's seat, he couldn't help but stop.
Song Xinchen, who was rambling on behind him, was still muttering: "Gu Yanzheng is so lucky. He doesn't have to do anything himself. It's so comfortable to be a hands-off boss. Unlike us, who are all veterans, we still have to do everything ourselves. We'll die of overwork sooner or later... Hey, why did you stop?"
"It's nothing." Liu Yiyang continued walking forward without saying a word.
Xiao Bai imitated Chen Zhenzhu's manner, first taking a sip of water and ignoring the suspect in front of her.
Zheng Dao entered the interrogation room. No one asked him any questions, and he immediately began his endless, contradictory arguments: "Why did you arrest me? What crime did I commit? I didn't kill that person!...Hey, speak up! Why did you send two women to interrogate me?"
Even during the day, the incandescent lights in the interrogation room were kept on, casting a cold, pale light on people's skin and creating a tense atmosphere.
Shen Zhenzhu nodded to Xiaobai, who said with a straight face, "Zheng Dao, we've found the item and traced its source. Today, we won't talk about how you did it, but why you did it."
She pointed with the tip of her pen at the skull on the table and said, "What does this mean to you?"
Zheng Dao leaned forward slightly, a feignedly relaxed and dismissive expression on his face: "It's just a collectible. Some people like to buy watches, some like women, some like stamps. I like anthropology and am just interested in skeletal structures. There's no law against appreciating human skeletons, is there? If not, then arrest all the medical and art students. I don't know how I got this; it has nothing to do with me."
Xiao Bai made a checkmark on the notebook and said calmly, "How did you choose it? I mean, there are many skulls, how did you choose this one?"
Zheng Dao's eyes flickered for a moment before he said, "The condition of the baby in the photos provided by the seller looks good. The teeth are intact, the skull shape is also very standard, and it's from a 12-year-old girl... I chose it from an academic appreciation perspective."
Xiao Bai tried to set a trap for him: "What did you do with it after you got it? Cleaned it? Polished it? Placed it in a specific location?"
Chen Zhenzhu nodded slightly to the side.
Zheng Dao relaxed his guard slightly, seemingly thinking that the two young female police officers understood his "hobby," and leaned back casually, saying, "I cleaned off the dust, and sometimes I put it on my desk to look at, but unfortunately, I have to put it back under the bed when my wife comes home. Although I don't have a job, it's hard work taking care of those two old geezers at home. When I'm tired, I look at it; it's very quiet and won't disturb anyone... much quieter than a living person."
Shen Zhenzhu caught the last sentence and glanced at Xiaobai.
Xiao Bai subtly ticked the key points in her notes, speaking in a calm tone as if she were genuinely having a conversation with him: "So, in your eyes, is it a decorative object or part of the human body?"
Zheng Dao dropped his relaxed demeanor, stared at Xiaobai with narrowed eyes, and said, "Of course it's an object. It's just a skeleton. It's been dead for so many years. Where is there any 'human' element left? Comrade, don't accuse me of disrespecting the dead. I've never thought that way."
Zheng Dao astutely avoided the trap set.
Xiao Bai looked nervously at Chen Zhenzhu, who gave her an encouraging look.
Xiao Bai composed herself and asked, "Zheng Dao, when did you first develop this interest in death or bones? Did anything special happen?"
This is a question Shen Zhenzhu mentioned before when analyzing psychology, aiming to trace the origins of the suspect's pathological interests. Whether it stems from childhood trauma, a specific event at a particular time, or a gradual development, will help in determining the next steps during interrogation.
Zheng Dao's expression stiffened slightly: "...I don't remember. I probably saw it on TV and thought it was cool, so I paid attention to it. What does that have to do with anything?"
Shen Zhenzhu suddenly interjected: "When you possess it, what is your main feeling? Calm? Excitement? Or a sense of control? Or some other experience?"
Xiao Bai realized that the purpose of this question was to accurately pinpoint Zheng Dao's emotional drive. Was it to fill an inner void, gain a sense of control, or satisfy sexual impulses? Different emotional drives correspond to different psychological types.
Zheng Dao started to get a little impatient: "I told you, it's just for appreciation! It makes me feel calm, it makes me feel that the world is peaceful!"
Chen Zhenzhu suddenly asked, "So how did you find out about the purchase channels? Which website? Which intermediary?"
Zheng Dao said abruptly, "It's a small foreign forum, full of like-minded people who exchange collecting experiences..."
After saying this, he froze, his face turning deathly pale.
The interrogation room was deathly silent.
Shen Zhenzhu slowly said, "Collection experience? Zheng Dao, you just said that you think it is just an object, but if it is just an object, why do you need to go to an overseas secret forum to exchange 'collection experience'? You can go to the medical school or the gate of the art academy to find like-minded people."
Zheng Dao's mind went blank, and he didn't know how to refute it for a moment.
After regaining control of the interrogation, Shen Zhenzhu handed it over to Xiaobai to continue.
Xiao Bai gently patted the notebook and, based on Chen Zhenzhu's previous psychological analysis, concluded: "Because you know you're not collecting bones, you're collecting the feeling of 'possessing the remnants of other people's lives.' You need someone to share this sense of control, you need to be recognized by that shady circle. What you're pursuing isn't some bullshit aesthetics at all, but the pleasure of toying with other people's lives!"
pretty.
Shen Zhenzhu remained expressionless, but her toes touched the ground twice.
Zheng Dao's lips trembled. Faced with such an interrogation that dissected the darkness in his heart, all his previous sophistry and pretense collapsed.
He slumped in his chair, muttering, "I...I just need someone who will never...never laugh at me for being a piece of trash...and who will never leave me unless I abandon him."
......
Xiao Bai's first interrogation experience went smoothly, except for a slight hiccup at the beginning.
By the end of the interrogation, she could barely suppress a smile. Reading a book a hundred times is not as valuable as experiencing battle once; this time, she had gained a great deal.
Before Zheng Daolin was taken away, Shen Zhenzhu stopped him and asked him one last question at the door: "Will this skull be properly buried? Tell me, did you finally get the feeling of 'never leaving' that you truly wanted from the skull?"
"...Please...please stop talking." Zheng Dao lowered her head, covered her face with her hands, and was dragged away.
His psychological illusions have been shattered, and he is forced to confront the meaninglessness and tragic nature of his skull-collecting behavior, bringing the entire interrogation to a profound close.
"Sister Pearl, how did I do?" Xiao Bai asked impatiently as she walked outside the interrogation room.
Chen Zhenzhu pinched her round face: "That's great! Let's go to Sixth Sister's place tonight for some stir-fried potatoes, green peppers, and eggplant. It'll be as much as you want."
"Wow, you still remember what I like to eat? My dad said the big meat buns from last time were super delicious!" Xiaobai skipped along beside Shen Zhenzhu, chattering on and on. "Sister Zhenzhu, let me tell you, I was so nervous when Zheng Dao denied it so vehemently when we went in..."
Behind them, Liu Yiyang and Song Xinchen also came out of the interrogation room.
This thrilling "Operation Sharp Sword" has come to a successful conclusion.
Upon returning to her office, Shen Zhenzhu first called the hospital: "Hello, this is Shen Zhenzhu from the Major Crimes Unit. How is the situation there?"
"Hello Section Chief Shen, I'm their colleague. They're all fine and have regained consciousness. It's just... I feel so guilty that they were drugged by the mixed-race man. They remember a middle-aged man with black hair asking them where the doctor was, but they don't remember anything after that. I'm really sorry."
"Stop apologizing. Mixed-race people are good at disguising themselves and are hard to guard against. We can't be so careless in the future." Shen Zhenzhu knew they might face punishment, so she sighed and said, "Pass on my words to them. The mixed-race people have been successfully captured. Instead of feeling guilty, they should take good care of their health and return to the front line as soon as possible."
"They've been caught? That's great!" The person on the other end of the phone seemed eager to relay the good news: "I'll go tell them right now."
"Okay, see you later."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Zhenzhu tapped on the table. There was still one person she couldn't forget.
It was both tragic and hateful, directly causing Scar's death.
Although he deserved to die.
As Shen Zhenzhu grabbed her mobile phone to call Gu Yanzheng to request his arrest, a woman's cries and sobs echoed down the corridor: "So what if I retaliate? I'm the one who told the mixed-race guy, so I'll make sure he dies."
Lu Ye "invited" the female victim back from the hospital. When Shen Zhenzhu came out, he handed her over to someone else to take away and said to Shen Zhenzhu, "The boss asked me to arrest her. He speculated that Scarface was the one who told the mixed-race person about the leak, which ultimately led to Scarface being retaliated against by the mixed-race person."
"Hmm." Shen Zhenzhu nodded and glanced at the woman who walked away barefoot.
"Do you know where Brother Zheng went?" Shen Zhenzhu came out of the interrogation room but hadn't seen him yet.
"I don't know." Lu Ye shook his head and said, "I'll hurry over and interrogate them. Sigh, I'll take the blame for this."
"Okay." Shen Zhenzhu returned to her office and began organizing the files; the thick stack of materials almost buried her.
Little White was helping out on the side, his stomach rumbling every now and then.
"I still have some bread here, do you want some?" Shen Zhenzhu took it out and handed it to Xiaobai.
"No, I want to eat my sixth sister's mother's food in big mouthfuls!"
"I want to eat Mom's cooking too." Zhao Qiqi was so busy that she lost track of time: "I'm so hungry."
"I've already told my family that I'm going to my sixth sister's for dinner tonight. Forget about bread, I won't even drink a drop of water right now." Wu Zhongguo was still thinking about the lotus root soup his sixth sister used to make.
"I can't finish today, I'll write it tomorrow." Chen Zhenzhu stretched, just as she was about to see Gu Yanzheng come in.
"Attention everyone, there are two psychological counseling rooms set up at the very back of the third floor. Director Liu requires all personnel involved in this case to go and talk to a psychologist for half an hour. Team Three is almost done, now it's Team Four's turn. Don't delay your departure time, hurry up and go."
Chen Zhenzhu stood up and said, "Brother Zheng, after get off work we should all go to Sixth Sister's for dinner. Sixth Sister said she'll treat us well. Also, if you know anyone, please tell the other people in the office. I'm afraid I might miss someone. My mom said we can't leave anyone out."
Wu Zhongguo stood up, rubbed his back, and said, "Okay, I'll go first, and then I'll notify everyone one by one."
Zhao Qiqi, utterly dejected, sorted through the photos of the "crafts": "...I don't want to go."
Shen Zhenzhu understood Director Liu's intention. On the front line of criminal investigation, criminal police officers are exposed to the dark side of society all year round, and under high pressure, they will more or less have some psychological burden.
Society still has reservations about seeing a psychologist, but properly relieving negative emotions can solve a lot of problems.
Thinking this way, Shen Zhenzhu actively responded to Director Liu's call and pulled the somewhat resistant Zhao Qiqi down with her.
"I really don't need to. How am I mentally unhealthy?" Zhao Qiqi grumbled. "Besides, I've seen all kinds of bloody scenes. How could I possibly be scared by mixed-race people? Is a suspect who's scared by criminals even a detective?"
"Let's go, it might just be a formality. As long as he's not crazy, it'll be fine." Shen Zhenzhu grabbed Zhao Qiqi's arm and said perfunctorily, "When we get there, I'll ask Sixth Sister to stew some extra braised pork for you, I promise you won't have to fight with Brother Aye for it."
Zhao Qiqi is easier to fool than Lu Ye. She hates crime and is like a clingy golden retriever to her own people.
"Okay." He reluctantly went to the makeshift psychologist's office, only to see his colleagues outside, who had been looking miserable, suddenly beam with joy.
It turns out we're all the same.
Tian Yongfeng came out from inside, looking miserable, and said, "How could I possibly be depressed? I'm perfectly fine."
Song Xinchen resonated with them at this moment: "Yes, I don't think I'm emotionally depressed. It must be that the psychologist is incompetent."
He glanced around, his gaze landing on Shen Zhenzhu. He paused, then said, "Never mind, let those inside see."
Shen Zhenzhu rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall to wait in line.
After waiting in line for more than an hour, I could hear angry voices and low sobs coming from inside.
One by one, grown men went in and had their inner thoughts analyzed by strangers. At first, they were very resistant, but later they were moved by the communication with professional psychologists and slowly tried to open their hearts. In the end, the results showed that they were repressed, depressed or irritable, but fortunately, the problems were not very serious.
When it was Shen Zhenzhu's turn, everyone was eager to see what problems she might have.
The pearl was quickly tested inside, and occasionally cheerful laughter could be heard.
Tian Yongfeng and the others hadn't left, and upon hearing the laughter, they doubted their ears.
After the consultation, Chen Zhenzhu came out with the medical report, showed it to herself, and said, "I, Chen Zhenzhu, am healthy! Happy! And full of sunshine!"
Everyone rushed forward to grab the medical report and examine it closely. It really did say, "Very healthy emotions, sunny and happy mindset."
"..." Everyone fell silent.
Is it the criminal investigator? Or the serious crimes unit?
This...this is so healthy it's almost unbelievable!
"This is called emerging from the mud unsullied, do you understand?" Xiaobai was even happier with this result than Chen Zhenzhu.
The psychologist inside was also puzzled, as this kind of mentality usually appears in the elderly or people who have had a profound realization after experiencing a life-or-death moment.
Section Chief Shen, she's so young, how come she's so... cough cough, so different from everyone else?
"Let's have dinner together at Sixth Sister's restaurant tonight! My mom wants to thank you all!" Chen Zhenzhu waved her hand, humming, "...How many people can truly understand the entanglements of love, hate, life, and death?...Time knows no sorrow in this world, why not live life to the fullest?"
Seeing Shen Zhenzhu smugly leading Xiaobai away, Song Xinchen said, "Tsk. This 'Walk Away in Style' song has gone all the way to the Northwest. Don't go to karaoke for your get-together."
Shen Zhenzhu returned to her office in a good mood, humming a tune as she continued organizing the files she had just worked on.
Gu Yanzheng hung up the phone and said with a smile, "How was it?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Healthy, happy, and sunny."
Gu Yanzheng paused for a moment, then said, "That's really good."
Shen Zhenzhu asked again, "Did the call go through? All the organization members have been captured. How's it going in Southern Russia?"
Gu Yanzheng said, "We have made contact. They have been investigating Morish, but unfortunately they have no evidence. They were very happy to hear that we have enough evidence to convict Morish. They have already sent people over."
"That's really good." Shen Zhenzhu smiled and mimicked Gu Yanzheng's words.
Gu Yanzheng found it quite interesting and continued, "This case has had a huge international impact, with police in related countries such as South Russia, the United States, and Southeast Asia launching investigations."
As they talked, time passed by unnoticed until Tian Yongfeng shouted loudly from downstairs, "Time to eat! Everything's finished!"
"Let's go," Gu Yanzheng said, glancing at the time. "We'll talk about it later."
"Walk."
Shen Zhenzhu and Gu Yanzheng went downstairs side by side and saw that the forty or fifty people from the criminal investigation team who were involved in the case couldn't wait to have a big meal.
Forget about taking the car, everyone walks there. The vast expanse of olive green is quite a sight.
"Help! My dear mother!"
"Sixth Sister, we're here."
"Hungry, hungry, hungry, food, food, food."
"Mommy, Mommy—"
A group of people, their stomachs rumbling, arrived at Sister Liu's restaurant like a zombie apocalypse.
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Author's Note: Sixth Sister: Oh my, what a bunch of grown-up kids!
***
It's not over yet; there are still several cases left.
Kids, please read normally, and I'll write normally here [hugs].
See you tomorrow, there's a red envelope coming! [Let me see]
***
The psychological analysis and interrogation in this article and case referenced and revised versions of "Criminal Psychology," "Interrogation Psychology," "The Integrated Practical Handbook of Interrogation and Lie Detection," and online resources.
The song is "Walk Away with Style" by Sally Yeh.
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