Chapter 175 Big News
In late April, the front page of the Liancheng People's Daily featured a front-page article titled "The Dilemma of Elderly Care Behind the Tragedy of Patricide."
After describing the basic facts of Yu's "bride escort" service, a series of follow-up questions were raised. This case was transformed into a topical issue, guiding the public to move beyond simply investigating and criticizing the parties involved and instead reflect on structural problems in society.
Reporters interviewed many suspects about their upbringing, family environment, and social circles, depicting how the suspects embarked on the criminal path of murdering their parents.
Further, it raises the question of how to think more deeply, helping the public understand that crime does not happen suddenly but is not without precedent, and guiding reflection on issues such as children's education and mental health.
During this period, there were many submissions from the public, one of which, titled "We Young People Are Getting Old Too," expressed the idea that "respecting the elderly now is also respecting our future selves," which resonated with young people.
In addition, at the suggestion of the municipal bureau leaders, Liancheng TV invited criminal psychology experts, sociology experts, lawyers, and community members to discuss "Filial Piety and the Dilemma of Our Time".
Major radio stations have launched reader letter programs with topics such as "My Views on Retirement," "Discovering Lonely Elderly People Around Us," and "Reducing the Burden of Retirement for Children." These programs encourage ordinary citizens throughout the city to participate and share their family stories and perspectives.
Voices from society are the most down-to-earth and reflect the true public opinion and focus.
"This nationwide discussion on 'filial piety' has shifted from 'criticizing individuals' to 'improving the pension system,' creating harmonious public opinion for advocating future pension policies."
Shen Zhenzhu closed the newspaper; this direction of public opinion was one she was pleased to see. A criminal case that nearly caused a pension crisis had been successfully turned into a topic of public discussion thanks to the intervention of the municipal police and government.
The ultimate goal of this combined public opinion campaign, besides punishing evil and promoting good, is to encourage individuals, families, and society to engage in a collective reflection on love and responsibility, life and aging.
Xiao Bai said with pride, "Our team's case has made the big news again."
Zhao Qiqi ran to work from outside, glanced at the time, and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "I got up early, but I almost made it late."
When Shen Zhenzhu arrived in the morning, she was puzzled because Wu Zhongguo, who always arrived early, was not there.
After finishing breakfast and reading the newspaper, Wu Zhongguo rushed in from outside, looking for a rare moment of peace and quiet: "I'm late, and there's even traffic at this hour."
Shen Zhenzhu said mysteriously, "I arrived at work two hours early. You don't know, Sister Wang told me that their police station is full of people arresting practitioners. I noticed it when I was practicing driving a while ago. Every few hundred meters, there were people with banners saying 'Kung Fu is great,' and they would sit on the roadside and practice together. The police station has been almost full of arrests in the last two days."
"So that's what happened. Last time my parents went to see a movie, someone handed them flyers and told them to practice some kind of kung fu. They said it could improve their health, prevent them from taking medicine when they were sick, and even help them heal from injuries. Isn't that weird?"
Lu Ye was sitting on the sofa reading a book on criminal psychology. Upon hearing this, he put down the book and continued, "And then there are those who believe in religion, believe in God, believe in religious leaders... all sorts of monsters and demons have appeared overnight."
"Oh dear, someone stamped a missionary seal on my money." Xiao Bai's monthly pass was expiring, and he planned to renew it at noon. He pulled out a ten-yuan note from his wallet, looking extremely disgusted.
Shen Zhenzhu went over to take a look. The entire banknote was stamped with seals, which read "Faith XX Law" on the top and "Harmony between husband and wife," "Cure all diseases," "Prolong life," and so on below.
"Give it to me. There's a savings bank near my house. I'll get you a new one later."
"Thank you, Sister Pearl!"
At noon, Chen Zhenzhu and Xiaobai agreed to go eat at a newly opened shumai restaurant next to the police station.
Passing by the police station, I saw Chief Ma looking worriedly at the huge crowd of people with all sorts of supernatural powers.
“It’s all a lie to persuade them to stop practicing. They say they won’t practice anymore, but then they go back to practicing.” Ma complained to Shen Zhenzhu, “Community supervision is useless. Without enforcement, these people just listen in one ear and out the other.”
Shen Zhenzhu peeked into the police station. The group of people practicing various supernatural skills were full of energy, while the grassroots police officers who arrested people day and night had dark circles under their eyes like pandas.
Upon arriving at the shumai shop, Chen Zhenzhu and Xiaobai sat facing each other, while a person shouting slogans about divine power was escorted to the police station.
"Why so much at once?" Xiaobai wiped her chopsticks, ordered two servings of shumai, her eyes full of curiosity.
"It's been around for a while, but it wasn't as rampant as it is now. It started with a little girl who could read with her ears. Later, more and more people had this superpower. Some people used the guise of superpowers to cheat and swindle people everywhere."
Shen Zhenzhu recalled the newspaper she had seen that morning and said, "You were handling a case recently and didn't know that they've been arrested for a while now. The central government has issued a statement opposing pseudoscience and ignorant activities. It's said that some high-ranking members of society have also been brainwashed into participating in 'divine arts,' which has had a very bad influence."
"Hurry up and catch them all." Xiao Bai handed Shen Zhenzhu chopsticks and said, "Never mind that, the steamed shumai I had with my classmate in Yue City last time was so delicious. It was made with half-fat and half-lean pork and fresh shrimp, with a thin skin and fish roe as a garnish. I can't forget it."
The shop owner quickly served the shumai, and upon hearing Xiaobai's words, he smiled and said, "Our shumai is divided into northern and southern styles. You're talking about the southern style, but I make the northern style. You'll know the difference once you try it."
"There are so many intricacies to shumai?" Shen Zhenzhu picked up a shumai with generous filling and a hearty aroma of beef and mutton. Taking a bite, the rich meaty fragrance immediately captivated her: "Delicious!"
"Shumai filled with mutton and scallions?" Xiaobai curiously took a small bite, and after swallowing it, she took a big bite: "It's so delicious! I love it no matter if it's from the south or the north."
"That basket was steamed, this basket is pan-fried. We'll also serve you two bowls of seaweed and dried shrimp soup. Enjoy your meal." The shop owner put down the shumai, then placed a roll of toilet paper on the table before leaving.
He was outside serving customers, while his wife was in the kitchen mixing fillings. Their child rode a small tricycle back and forth in the restaurant; the little shop was filled with the family's hopes for the future.
"When we get back, we must let Brother Ye and Brother Qi come and try it." Shen Zhenzhu was very satisfied after eating the shumai; this meal was perfect.
"We need to tell the boss in advance to prepare more." Xiao Bai patted her stomach. Although it was very close, the trip was worthwhile.
With time to spare during their lunch break, the two strolled back. Shen Zhenzhu wanted to see what was going on at the police station entrance when she heard Officer Ma shout, followed by him running out of the station clutching his upper arm: "Who? Who bit me! I'm bleeding!"
Even the usually gentle Sister Wang lost her temper inside, and the noisy commotion gradually subsided.
"Sir Ma, let me go with you to get a shot. This cut is so big, you might need stitches." Shen Zhenzhu was, after all, the little seedling that Sir Ma was protecting. When she saw blood gushing from Sir Ma's arm, she quickly ran inside to get the first-aid kit to stop the bleeding.
Sister Wang found the man who assaulted the police officer and had him handcuffed. She went outside and said, "Officer Ma, go get a shot; who knows if you're mentally ill?"
That's a blunt way of putting it, but in Shen Zhenzhu's opinion, the group of people noisily practicing all sorts of divine skills inside were indeed a bit crazy.
"Okay, then be careful." After being persuaded, Ma agreed to go to the hospital, and Chen Zhenzhu waved to stop a car.
"Xiaobai, you go back first. Call me if anything happens to the team."
"good."
Shen Zhenzhu helped Ma Suo into the car, and the taxi driver kept looking back after driving for a while.
Shen Zhenzhu is no longer the same Shen Zhenzhu she once was; she is now Shen Zhenzhu who will soon have a driver's license. She reminded him, "Master, looking left and right is a bad driving habit. Please look straight ahead."
The taxi driver chuckled, his gaze returning to the road ahead, and began to chatter: "What are you going to the workers' hospital for?"
Ma said irritably, "My arm is bleeding."
The taxi driver glanced back again, and Chen Zhenzhu silently raised her hand and grabbed the handrail above.
"Why go to the hospital for such a minor injury?" the taxi driver said. "I have a relative who went to a hospital in Beijing for a checkup and they said she had a tumor in her brain. Is that serious? The specialists said she wouldn't live more than three months. Now she's lived for seven years. Her family didn't even tell her. She ate well, drank well, had fun, and had a good attitude. Everything was fine. When she went to the hospital for another checkup, hey, the tumor was gone."
Shen Zhenzhu frowned and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
The taxi driver said, "You see, when you go to the hospital, you get this disease or that disease. It's mainly because the feng shui of the hospital is bad. Even healthy people get sick when they go there. Not only do you spend money, but you also suffer. It's better to adjust your mindset, let your body's functions 'improve,' and let the injury heal itself."
This was the first time Chen Zhenzhu had heard such a statement, but Ma Suo was not. He lowered his arm and said with a cold smile, "Then how can you 'progress'?"
The taxi driver pulled out a few "missionary leaflets" from the armrest box and handed them to them, saying, "I'm only giving them to you because I feel a connection with you. I don't usually give them to just anyone."
Shen Zhenzhu looked down silently at the "missionary leaflet," which resembled a flashy and exaggerated advertisement for psoriasis, nothing more than claims of curing all diseases and achieving instant results. She couldn't believe how many people would have their treatment delayed.
Ma carefully put away the flyer and wrote down the taxi driver's employee number.
The taxi driver waited for them to ask questions, and seeing that they remained silent, he waited a while and then said, "I can answer your questions."
Chen Zhenzhu said curtly, "How far is it to the staff hospital?"
"..." The taxi driver fell silent and stepped on the gas to take them to the hospital entrance.
As soon as Chen Zhenzhu stepped out of the car, the door was still open when the taxi started moving.
Ma, clutching his arm, said, "I've noted down his company and name. I'll contact the local police station to arrest him later."
"How arrogant," Shen Zhenzhu muttered.
Ma said, "This is after multiple crackdowns, so it's been moved to a semi-underground state. There have been too many shady characters in the past two years, and we can't catch them all. Before, they would recruit people on the streets, and some even advertised on TV. Although there are still some now, there aren't many. Most of them just do one job and then move on to another."
After returning to the Criminal Investigation Brigade from the staff hospital, two days later it was May Day. The bureau first organized a labor mobilization meeting, and then organized the citywide public security sports meet.
All four teams participated and performed exceptionally well at the Municipal Public Security Games, consistently ranking among the top three in overall event points.
Shen Zhenzhu shouted "Secure second place, strive for first," but halfway through the shout, a case came up, and the police quickly dispatched.
“The tenant had an argument with the landlord’s family, and the landlord’s family suddenly disappeared. The landlord’s aunt couldn’t contact them and suspected that the tenant had killed the whole family. She then saw dismembered bodies in the newspaper and became even more certain of her suspicions, so she called the police.”
Chen Zhenzhu climbed the stairs dejectedly, grumbling to Lu Xiaobao who was delivering the report: "It turns out the landlord's family blocked my aunt's phone number and went on vacation to the island. It's a pity we almost won the championship and handed over the city's first place to someone else."
Lu Xiaobao didn't participate in the sports meet; he had a dissection in hand. He comforted Shen Zhenzhu, saying, "It's a good thing no one died. The bone in my hand was shattered into pieces, and it took me a week to put it back together. The word 'miserable' doesn't even begin to describe it."
"That's right, that's how I comfort myself too. Our four teams have been preparing for the sports meet for a long time, let's just treat it as exercise."
Lu Xiaobao went to the third floor, while Chen Zhenzhu continued upstairs.
Several unfamiliar agents appeared on the stairs. When Chen Zhenzhu went up to the fifth floor and walked down the corridor, she found Park Heung-sung, Jeon Young-bong, and others gathered at the door of her office.
When they saw Chen Zhenzhu arrive, they made way for her, their eyes filled with meaningful glances.
Chen Zhenzhu walked into the office and found that it had changed. The wobbly desk had been replaced with a new one, there was a new ballpoint pen in the pen holder, ink and letter paper were placed on the table, and the mop and broom in the corner had also been replaced with new ones.
"Excuse me, please make way. The filing cabinet is a bit big, just passing by." Three officers from the logistics department carried a metal filing cabinet into the fourth team's office.
Park Heung-sung glanced at it twice and said, "It's always easier to get things done if you know someone anywhere."
"What acquaintance?" Shen Zhenzhu didn't know what was going on either. Why was the office furniture they had applied for for so long suddenly agreed to be replaced?
After Park Heung-sung left, Tian Yongfeng patted Chen Zhenzhu on the shoulder and said, "Don't take his words to heart. When you see Lao Gu later, tell him to fix the faucet in the water room. It keeps dripping water."
Shen Zhenzhu asked, bewildered, "What does this have to do with Brother Zheng?"
Tian Yongfeng pointed upstairs and asked, "Does the Logistics and Police Support Section know about this?"
Chen Zhenzhu nodded: "Yes."
Seeing her looking dazed, Tian Yongfeng cut to the chase: "Gu Yanzheng is the office director there now. Although I don't know what he did wrong, it's not bad for him to be in logistics. Tell him to get back to work and fix the faucet for me—hey, why are you running?"
Before he could finish speaking, Shen Zhenzhu took off running upstairs.
Chen Zhenzhu ran up to the sixth floor, where the corridor was marked with specific department names such as "Logistics Department First Office," "Warehouse," and "Materials Room." The iron gate at the top of the stairs had been moved to the middle of the corridor, and a new wall had been built, completely obscuring the space behind it.
A familiar, tall figure emerged from the warehouse carrying two buckets of water. He looked up and saw Chen Zhenzhu grinning at him, flashing her white teeth: "Got it?"
"Brother Zheng!" Chen Zhenzhu said crisply, "How did you become the logistics director?"
Gu Yanzheng beckoned, and Shen Zhenzhu ran over. Gu Yanzheng bent down and whispered in her ear, "Where is there a safer and more secure place than the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Brigade?"
With sparkling eyes, Chen Zhenzhu said, "You replaced all those things in the office for us? You really know how to take sides."
Gu Yanzheng smiled and said, "I heard that there were people cursing downstairs when I was renovating here?"
Chen Zhenzhu opened her arms to help her brother Zheng carry the water bucket, and quickly said, "No, that's not true. You're very welcome. Why didn't you tell me about our last meal together?"
Gu Yanzheng didn't let her get the water. Instead, he turned to her side and let her take a box of chalk from her pocket and hold it in her hands. He then carried a bucket in each hand and walked downstairs with ease: "I wanted to give you a surprise."
Shen Zhenzhu said from the bottom of her heart, "I am really happy."
Gu Yanzheng was stunned for a moment when he saw her bright and innocent smile, then lowered his head and quickened his pace.
Shen Zhenzhu also sped up and ran downstairs. As she ran, she saw her brother Zheng laughing so hard he couldn't stand up straight at the corner.
"Brother Zheng, what are you laughing at?"
Why are you running?
"I only ran because you ran."
Gu Yanzheng stopped smiling, looked directly into Chen Zhenzhu's eyes and said, "I've made up my mind, I'm not running away anymore."
Shen Zhenzhu looked at Gu Yanzheng with utmost seriousness and nodded hesitantly, "That's fine."
“You’re right.” Gu Yanzheng picked up the bucket again and carried it to the fourth team’s office.
Shen Zhenzhu followed behind him, complaining: "Team Leader Park said that Team Four has connections, and it's easier to get things done if you know someone. Team Leader Tian even asked you to fix the faucet in his water room so that you could work more diligently."
Gu Yanzheng placed the water bucket on the water dispenser, and another bucket against the wall. He clapped his hands and said, "Okay, I'll go and clean them up one by one."
Seeing that Chen Zhenzhu didn't answer, he looked up and saw her chuckling to herself. He couldn't help but pat her head and ask, "When are you going to take your driver's test?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "I'll take the test the day after tomorrow. Once I get the certificate, I can hit the road."
"I'll go with you the day after tomorrow."
"OK."
Gu Yanzheng added, "Director Liu mentioned to me that you handled the last case very well, and Director Tu even praised you to him. Each team needs to be equipped with a field vehicle, and in principle, the fourth team should also have one. I had a Cherokee back then, so I didn't ask for it. This time, he asked me to arrange a car that you can easily drive. I'll go to the vehicle fleet and look around for you later."
"Thank you, Brother Zheng!" Shen Zhenzhu thought happily. Captain Park was right; having connections makes things easier. She really didn't want to ride in that beat-up old car with the steering wheel still on.
"Sister Pearl, you're finally back!" Xiao Bai came upstairs carrying a stack of books, looking for Chen Zhenzhu: "Two teachers from the publishing house came to deliver sample books."
As she made way, two editors behind her, also carrying books, greeted Shen Zhenzhu politely: "Section Chief Shen, we've heard so much about you. We're from the Provincial Public Security Publishing House. 'The Collection of Major Cases in Criminal Psychology' has been officially released. We called you last time but you were busy, so we specially brought you a sample copy. Professor Hu Zhiyun is our chief editor. He's really too busy, but he'll call you later to congratulate you."
“I almost forgot, Professor Cheng told me last time that it would be released on May Day. I just remembered it now that May Day has passed.” Shen Zhenzhu reached out to take the book, but a strong arm reached out from the side and took the books from both editors.
Shen Zhenzhu introduced, "This is Director Gu of Logistics."
The two editors greeted Gu Yanzheng: "Hello, Director Gu."
"Thank you for your help, Director Gu."
Gu Yanzheng nodded, carrying the books, and went into the office. The two editors behind him exchanged knowing glances; it was a pity that Gu Yanzheng, despite his handsome appearance, was just a logistics officer.
Shen Zhenzhu led the two editors into the office to pour tea and chat, her whole demeanor beaming with joy.
Gu Yanzheng felt at ease in the fourth team's office, not touching anything inside, and sat down at Shen Zhenzhu's desk to start flipping through a book.
After carefully reviewing the two cases, Gu Yanzheng felt relieved. The two professors from the provincial department were very dedicated to this textbook-level "Compilation of Major Cases in Criminal Psychology," which was a hardcover edition with color-printed pictures and clips from the news scenes at the time.
The author's column only listed the name "Chen Zhenzhu".
After the two editors left, the four teams, each with a copy in hand, came to Shen Zhenzhu and asked for her autograph.
"Sister Pearl, I want the first one." Xiao Bai grabbed two books, one to read carefully and the other a signed copy to keep as a collector's item.
Shen Zhenzhu was surprised that she could actually publish a book and that it would become one of the textbooks for the next semester's criminal psychology class at the police academy. Her face flushed.
With Xiaobai taking the lead, the others also grabbed two copies each, as people in the area had an advantage.
After Shen Zhenzhu finished signing autographs for everyone, it was Gu Yanzheng's turn to place the book on the table. Shen Zhenzhu signed it for him, but he didn't accept it, jokingly saying, "Section Chief Shen, could I have an autographed photo too?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "But I don't have any photos."
Lu Ye shouted from behind, "Don't we have registration photos for the sports meet? I see you still have some in your drawer."
Xiao Bai angrily retorted, "Who uses a registration photo as an autograph photo?"
Wu Zhongguo said with a smile, "Strike while the iron is hot. Anyway, they're all photos, just for the atmosphere."
Zhao Qiqi also said foolishly, "Then I want an autographed photo too."
Surrounded by enemies, Xiao Bai leaned back in his chair, rolling his eyes in despair.
Gu Yanzheng walked to her side and lowered his voice, saying, "Didn't we agree not to be a stumbling block?"
Xiao Bai hummed twice and ignored him.
Chen Zhenzhu opened the drawer and was about to sign the registration photo when Gu Yanzheng grabbed the photo and flipped it over: "Sign the back first, don't cover your face."
"Okay." After signing for him, Shen Zhenzhu had one more to sign for Zhao Qiqi.
Gu Yanzheng shamelessly said, "Let's keep one copy. What if we need to attach a photo when writing materials? We can't just go and take another one, can we?"
“That’s true.” Shen Zhenzhu believed her brother Zheng’s lies eight hundred times over.
Zhao Qiqi stood in line behind Gu Yanzheng, angry but not daring to speak out. Finally, she sensed something unusual behind Gu Yanzheng.
"Come on, Qiqi, be a good girl and help me move these two pots of flowers outside." Wu Zhongguo pulled Zhao Qiqi, carried the flowers outside, and stuffed a bag of beef jerky into Zhao Qiqi's pocket.
Having received the "bribe," Zhao Qiqi followed Wu Zhongguo eagerly to the balcony at the end of the corridor and asked, "Boss, do you have feelings for Sister Pearl?"
Wu Zhongguo saw a shadow moving on the stairs and was about to stop it when Zhao Qiqi, thinking he hadn't heard, asked again, "When did the boss start liking Sister Pearl? I didn't know."
"What? Old Gu has a thing for Old Shen?" Tian Yongfeng sat on the outer staircase smoking, peering down: "Xiao Min, did I hear that right?"
Xiao Min was also smoking nearby, and choked on her cigarette, coughing violently: "Cough, cough... Did anyone hear that?"
Kang He and Chen Youwei stood side by side on the stairs. Kang He's cigarette fell to the ground, and the lighter almost burned his eyebrows: "No wonder, no wonder the fourth team upgraded from muskets to cannons."
Chen Youwei bent down to pick up the cigarette and said, "This is serious."
Zhao Qiqi quickly ran towards the stairs, saw a bunch of loudspeakers, looked up and said, "I was just talking nonsense, don't take it seriously."
Tian Yongfeng said with a smile, "We all know you're honest and never lie. This is big news!"
Kang He also said with a smile, "The internal settlement within Team Four is going very well. We're all classmates. Team Leader Chen is so busy, yet he managed to resolve his single status earlier than me. Congratulations!"
Zhao Qiqi gripped the handrail and looked up, saying anxiously, "That's not true, I was just asking. Don't talk nonsense, be careful not to spread rumors."
"Who's smoking over there?" Guo Daye came up from downstairs following the smell of smoke, pointed at them and said, "Smoking together and spreading rumors! What rumors?"
Tian Yongfeng, not one to shy away from stirring things up, said, "They say Old Gu likes Section Chief Shen and is still pursuing her."
"Tsk tsk, it's been so long and we still haven't caught up." Guo Daye pointed at them and said, "Don't litter cigarette butts, and catch all the ashes."
"I'm not smoking anymore, let's leave now."
"Yes, yes, there are still cases, so we're leaving too."
Teams two and three scattered like birds and beasts, carrying big news, and Guo Daye also left with his hands behind his back, sighing.
Zhao Qiqi was completely dumbfounded: "Don't take this seriously, don't leave... I'm doomed, the boss will kill me if he finds out."
Wu Zhongguo patted Zhao Qiqi's drooping shoulders hard, then squeezed them a couple of times and said, "What a pity for this body of flesh, I wonder which desolate mountain it will be buried in."
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Author's note: Pearl: Achoo, who's talking about me?
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See you tomorrow, there are 100 red envelopes to be won! [Let me see]
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This is a fictional story, so please don't take it personally.
This case advocates science, not pseudoscience or various cults and monsters. Its purpose is to combat [please].
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