Egoist altruist
The union members weren't caught, but at least they made some progress, so it wasn't a wasted effort. Xu Lidong must have gone through something between being arrested and taken to the police station as a health product vendor and becoming a criminal, and this experience is the biggest clue to finding the mastermind behind it all.
Currently, Xu Chunfen, the first eyewitness to the incident, is being questioned at the nearest police station. The process is not going smoothly, mainly because her mental state is not very stable.
The meeting room door opened and closed repeatedly. Jiang Ling, clutching her laptop, let out a long sigh as soon as the crack in the door disappeared behind her. Xie Wuchang, as a representative of the investigation team, remained at the crime scene to assist in its handling. This arrangement gave Jiang Ling, the technician, time to catch her breath and recover from her stomach discomfort, but she couldn't remain idle during this time.
Now she went into the corridor, again to catch her breath from "this period of time".
But the corridor isn't empty right now.
"Why are you still standing here?" she asked the two people sitting in the waiting area, focusing on Ms. F. "Ms. F, it's your turn to go in and ask some questions."
"Is that person ready to be questioned now?" Little F looked up from his thoughts. "What did you find out this time?"
“…No.” Jiang Ling sat down by the door, her voice weak. “She kept crying, so the captain told me to come out first.”
"That's it. Let me tell you a corny joke, Miss Jiang Ling. When the tear ducts are working, the brain is very noisy. Rather than a memoir, there are some more worthy topics for discussion here." Xiao Fu said, looking at Cheng Xiangwu, "Share your thoughts, another eyewitness."
"Did you find anyone wearing a cloak at the scene later?" Cheng Xiangwu asked Jiang Ling. "We checked surveillance footage, we interviewed people, or something similar."
Cheng Xiangwu also asked Xie Wuchang, who had been watching the supermarket entrance and exit, this question. Her answer was, in short, no.
“The supermarket’s surveillance cameras only cover a few specific angles, and I haven’t found anyone dressed like the person in the cloak. But it wouldn’t be difficult for someone familiar with the supermarket layout to deliberately avoid the cameras.” Jiang Ling opened her laptop. “As for inquiries, Ms. Dai has also been asking around, but we haven’t gotten any results yet.”
Independent investigative journalist Diana is anonymously assisting police in calming public sentiment.
Jiang Ling's answer can be summarized as no. As things stand, it's hard for Cheng Xiangwu not to suspect that the cloaked man is also one of the human bombs, or that he has escaped. Either way, it's not an optimistic situation.
"...Moreover, I think those surveillance cameras are a bit strange." Jiang Ling's voice was hesitant. "I don't know if it's a problem with the quality of the supermarket's cameras or a network problem, but the surveillance footage inside the supermarket during the incident was very choppy. At least in my opinion, it has no practical value at all."
“Let me see,” Little Franz said confidently, extending his hand.
Jiang Ling's lips twitched, but she still turned the computer screen towards Xiao Fu to demonstrate. Just as she had said, the monitoring viewpoints, which were divided into multiple windows, all showed varying degrees of stuttering, but the signal icon in the upper right corner was normal.
Just like the previous times.
After a limited-time exhibition, the computer screen will face its owner again.
“I’ll investigate further later to find out what happened. For now, the captain also wants your reply.” Jiang Ling looked at Cheng Xiangwu, the computer screen lighting making the shadows under her eyes appear even heavier. “What are your thoughts on inexplicably drawing away half of Ms. Dai’s firepower?”
"Are you used to it?" Cheng Xiangwu suggested.
"Get used to what? This is only the second time!" Jiang Ling questioned. "Including the car accident, this is only the third time. If things don't happen more than three times, please wait until the third time before you get used to it."
Despite this, Cheng Xiangwu's heart was not stirred at all.
"What exactly do you mean by 'idea'?" Cheng Xiang asked five times.
"...Don't you think that some of those people, at least Xu Lidong, were actually targeting you?" Jiang Ling asked.
Indeed, and not only that, Cheng Xiangwu felt that the person with the gun, or rather all the human bombs, were aimed at her, and that Diana was merely the one who temporarily drew away some of the firepower for her. However, Xu Lidong was the only one who wasn't a supermarket employee; she was a later addition, her role being to act as bait to attract attention.
The question is why she was waiting there so early, as if she knew Cheng Xiangwu would be going to the supermarket.
“There’s one more,” Little Franz reminded him. “Why would the person who arranged for her to wait know that you two know each other? There aren’t many people who have seen you two together.”
“There were quite a few people at that police station, most of whom had seen us go to the jail,” Cheng Xiangwu said.
“Ms. Fu, are you suspecting the police officers?” Jiang Ling asked, frowning. “Neither we nor the local workers have any reason to do such a thing, let alone any consequences, and the scene—”
“Xu Lidong has no reason to take that savings card.” Xiao Fu interrupted coldly, “Miss Jiang Ling, the law enforcement officers’ three-dimensional mental protection device is effective, but that’s all it is.”
“…Okay, let’s talk about evidence.” Jiang Ling took a deep breath and ran her gloved hand through her hair. “Law enforcement officers are required to wear body cameras when on duty. I’ve been watching these surveillance videos while showering these past few days. I can touch my badge and guarantee that there is absolutely no evidence of excessive use of force in those videos.”
"Let's not even talk about how that piece of metal is as weighty as it is in my eyes." Xiao Fu sneered, "Excuse me for being blunt, Ms. Jiang Ling, you yourself know how pitiful the distribution rate of body cameras among local law enforcement officers is, and how casually they are turned on and off. The reason you want to correct my attitude now is simply because you are worried that our investigation direction will ultimately hinder your actions."
"I don't know? How could I not know? The police here run faster than the victims when something serious happens, and when they can shirk responsibility, they turn on their body cameras faster than the victims themselves. Do you think I've read a lot of useless materials? And your last sentence was basically obstructing police duties. I am a police officer, how can I not worry?" Jiang Ling's temper flared up, but even when she was angry, her voice was still slightly weak, which greatly reduced her anger.
"If you're not satisfied with your work, go find your team leader, instead of coming here and criticizing our plans." Little F said dismissively, "You think you can correct our attitude with that attitude?"
“What do I have to complain about? I love my job to death.” Jiang Ling’s eye bags twitched as she said this. “And if I may be frank, Ms. Fu, your past words and actions make it hard for me not to suspect that the investigation plan you proposed is actually based on your own prejudice against law enforcement officers, rather than the empirical evidence I am talking to you about.”
"What kind of empirical evidence are you talking about? The stuff your captain keeps spouting? Why don't you pick out the good parts and learn from them instead of only using the parts you want to use?" Xiao Fu pointed to the conference room door without hesitation. "If you have the guts, call Ms. Han Lingfeng out and let's hear our opinions, see if she supports your views on my attitude."
"What kind of evidence is it if it's useless?" Jiang Ling laughed in anger. "If you think we're suspects, then show us the evidence! Do you believe me if you bring up the captain and she says the same thing?"
“Of course I believe you. But we need to find the evidence, and we were about to take action when we were stopped because your attitude displeased us. Do you dare to write that in your report?” Little F wasn’t afraid at all.
“The suspicions raised before the case is officially opened are what guide the action. Your suspicions now are at best fabricated.” Jiang Ling stood up.
"Making something out of nothing? I think your inexplicable program is the one making something out of nothing. What happened happened, who cares whether your program acknowledges it or not?" Little Fu also stood up.
"What the hell happened! You don't know anything about the importance of procedures. Without procedures, where do you get the right to point fingers at our team?" Jiang Ling said, baring her teeth.
“The program is so important, why don’t you send the case details to the artificial intelligence and let this masterpiece of programming spend a few minutes thinking of an answer for you and then fill it into the report?” Xiao Fu pointed to Jiang Ling’s computer.
“…I’m going to expel you, this unlicensed foreigner, from Senhu City!” Jiang Ling said angrily.
"Hahaha, just wait and see! You invasive species that are disliked by both sides will definitely be the first to be kicked out!" Little F said, hands on his hips.
Hearing them start arguing for no reason, Cheng Xiangwu finally understood why Xiao Fu always liked to go to the police. It was because she really liked to persuade people with reason, even if the other party had no choice but to comply.
Judging by how skilled they are, the two of them must have had quite a few arguments these past few days.
"Gentlemen," Han Lingfeng said with a smile as he poked his head out of the conference room door a crack, "please don't argue."
“…I’m sorry.” Jiang Ling’s voice weakened as she sat back down, clutching her laptop.
"Hmph." Little Fu, having won the right to speak the last sentence, was clearly in a good mood. "How is Ms. Xu Chunfen doing now?"
"Thanks to you all, I'm feeling a bit better now." Han Lingfeng pushed the door open a little wider. "Come in."
The layout of meeting rooms and interrogation rooms differs greatly, but their actual uses are not significantly different. Both are soundproof spaces where some people try to get others to say something useful and prevent outsiders from hearing this information.
Xu Chunfen sat hunched over behind the long table, her head bowed, her body reeking of tears, and the trash can at her feet was half full.
She was very sad, it was obvious.
"Why are you sad?" Xiao Fu sat across from her, crossed his legs and took out his notebook. "Miss Xu Chunfen, you've been crying ever since you fled the crime scene. Now you can finally catch your breath and talk about it."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling frowned and looked at Han Lingfeng. Seeing that she shook her head, she lowered her head and returned to her computer.
"...What do you mean?" Xu Chunfen was indeed deeply saddened. The emotional outburst she displayed when she looked up perfectly captured the spirit of someone who had lost a loved one. She looked at Jiang Ling, "Who is this? I remember seeing her at the police station before. Isn't she—"
"I'm sorry," Cheng Xiangwu said. "I didn't explain clearly that time. She is my companion, not what you think."
Upon hearing this, Xu Chunfen paused, but still waited for Jiang Ling to give her an answer.
“…Yes.” Jiang Ling said through gritted teeth, “Ms. Fu and Ms. Cheng are our external assistants.”
"Hmph." Little F chuckled. "Then let's talk. Why are you sad?"
“Even if you’re an external helper, you can’t ask that, can you?” Xu Chunfen shook her head and said, “Do I need a reason to be sad? Just because the deceased has nothing to do with you, you can be so cold-hearted?”
“No, I need to talk to you about your grief, not have you give me a reason,” Little F said indifferently. “I don’t care about your explanation; it’s what these programming enthusiasts need.”
"...This is utterly absurd, you—" Xu Chunfen's voice was filled with anger.
“Your country has a tradition of ‘no more than three times’. I’ve asked you three times and you’ve refused to answer three times. Fine.” Xiao Fu looked up and met Xu Chunfen’s gaze. “So, Miss Xu Chunfen, why are you afraid? This time you need to tell me your reasons.”
Xu Chunfen paused, speechless for a moment.
“I gave you a chance to express your attitude and thoughts, but you refused,” Xiao Fu said indifferently. “Your grief stems from your acceptance of your loved one’s death, Xu Lidong’s death. I’ve said before that I would be tolerant of everyone’s limitations, and the same applies this time. But your behavior clearly doesn’t require my tolerance. You started to grieve the moment you left the scene, and you accepted the death of your loved one the moment you left the scene, even though you didn’t witness it with your own eyes at that time.”
She turned her head slightly, using her blue eyes to catch Xu Chunfen's panicked gaze. "You started feeling fear the moment you left the scene. Now, that's what we're going to talk about."
“…Me.” Xu Chunfen’s breathing quickened. “Of course I was scared. How could I not be scared in a scene like that?”
“Fear and apprehension are two different things. Fear of facing oneself, apprehension of facing the outside world.” Little F paused as he spoke, “However, there may be some translation issues that confuse my expression, please understand.”
“…I think Ms. Fu means…” Jiang Ling paused, then looked at Xu Chunfen, “Perhaps you have some understanding of the reasons for the incident, and are therefore feeling fear?”
“…How could I possibly know why that happened?” Xu Chunfen shook her head.
“Possibly,” Little Franz said confidently, “because you’re regretting it.”
Xu Chunfen's breathing quickened slightly, and she shook her head, lowering her skull, as if she were about to cry again.
“You regret ignoring Xu Lidong’s thoughts and changes, you regret not noticing her resentment, you regret not calling her back when she left this morning, and you also regret—” Xiao Fu stopped here, looked at Xu Chunfen who had suddenly raised her head, and asked, “Do you need me to continue?”
"How did you know..." Xu Chunfen paused, then suddenly let out a long sigh, which calmed her breathing. "...Well, there's no point in asking now."
"Please." Xiao Fu picked up the pen, and Jiang Ling placed her hands on the keyboard.
"...You all saw it that day, I went to pick her up." Xu Chunfen looked at the palm on her knee, where there were marks from her fingernails that had drawn blood. "You know I'm a teacher, I'm the homeroom teacher of Class 3, Grade 12 at No. 1 High School. Recently, with the college entrance exam approaching, a group of students from No. 2 High School suddenly transferred to our school. There are conflicts between students, cliques, parents' dissatisfaction, extra tutoring... Okay, these are all excuses. I hit her that day, largely because I was venting my emotions."
Jiang Ling's expression was filled with unbearable pity.
“Our family background is rather unusual. She’s much younger than me, only a little older than some of the students in my class.” Xu Chunfen looked up at the window as she spoke. “My parents went to work in another city after I turned 18, so I raised her. I often told her to think more about her future, and she listened to me. She’s quite smart and wants to share my burden, but she just likes to take shortcuts. If you’ve investigated and asked around, you should be able to see that this isn’t the first time she’s been to the police station for similar reasons. It was one thing when she was a minor, but now she’s—”
She paused, then lowered her head. "Sorry, I've gone off on a tangent. Anyway, we didn't talk much after we got home that day. Later, the police came to our house and explained the situation to me, and people around us also told me. I wanted to talk to her and clear things up, but she wouldn't open the door. I couldn't do anything. Someone recommended that I go see a professional. Yesterday, I went to a counselor to ask what to do in this situation."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiangwu was suddenly taken aback.
“She sympathizes with our situation.” Xu Chunfen sighed again. “She said she has seen many similar people. They have things they want to do and hidden talents. They are not inherently bad people, but they often lack proper guidance and an opportunity. Over time, such people either suppress their desires and talents and become anonymous in society, or they fail to become normal people in the eyes of others due to socialization failure. I know she is right. Many of my students are like this. They still have their own dreams and personalities in high school, but they lose their traces after entering college or society.”
These words are perfectly reasonable coming from Xu Chunfen, a teacher, but she is merely relaying the words of someone who packages ordinary people into human bombs and chases after them. What kind of person is this? A hypocrite? A psychopath? Or simply a madman?
Cheng Xiangwu didn't know, but judging from Xu Chunfen's expression, there was no doubt that she genuinely agreed with these words.
Her voice rose slightly, “Xu Lidong shouldn’t have become that kind of person. She’s different from me. She’s very smart. She shouldn’t have stayed in Senhu City as a replaceable cog in the machine, nor should she have become someone who stays indoors all the time.”
She was saying these words, but tears streamed down her face. "But I shouldn't have brought her home to see her. It must be, it must be something she said, yes, it must be something she did, I—"
"...Please calm down." Jiang Ling handed over a half-empty tissue box. "Do you still have any information about that counselor?"
"Yes!" Xu Chunfen said, pulling his wallet from his pants pocket and checking the card with trembling hands. "I... I keep her business card—"
As if she was eager to clear her name, she pulled out a black and white paper business card and handed it straight to her. Xiao Fu reached out and took it, and Jiang Ling and Cheng Xiangwu on either side leaned over to look.
Dr. Hayashi, Human Resources Consultant, Moriko Private Employment Workers Association. Email address and phone number below; the back is blank.
“…Dr. Lin.” Cheng Xiang repeated five times.
"It's her!" Xu Chunfen nodded. "She was wearing a mask that day, so we couldn't see her face. She was dressed formally. Please, you absolutely must find her, otherwise, otherwise I..."
"Don't worry." Jiang Ling took out her camera to take samples of both sides of the business card. "We will act quickly and will not give her the chance to harm the next person."
“…Then I’m relieved,” Xu Chunfen said softly.
As eyewitnesses, they also needed to sign various documents. Cheng Xiangwu and Xiao Fu left the meeting room first and went to the police station.
“Lin Che’an,” Xiao Fu said.
“Hmm.” Cheng Xiangwu responded, “She’s a local. I saw her yesterday. Her behavior was consistent with who I was supposed to be consulting with. I also talked to her about something similar to what we did at the supermarket today.”
Then, a possibility, a consultation, a newcomer, an act of violence.
“Previously, when we investigated the hospital, Xiaobai said that the person making the diagnosis wanted to avoid the testing procedures and put those two people in a vegetative state. Thinking about it carefully, she was also among the people who could have handled the victims and signed the documents,” Cheng Xiangwu continued. “Going further back, when I went to Qin Zixi, she was on the bus and knew the exact time we got off the bus.”
However, none of this was direct evidence. Even after the victim's relatives handed them their business card, they still couldn't immediately consider the therapist as the mastermind. She might have signed the diagnosis, so what? She heard they might be going to the mall on Monday, so what? She knew what she was going to do at what time, so what?
She might be Dr. Lin, so what? Who can forcibly change a person to that extent without causing a head injury? A conversation can't do it, humans can't do it, Dr. Lin can't do it.
Cheng Xiangwu recalled Lin Che'an's previous attitude; his pity and sympathy for the victims were genuine, as was his adherence to the professional ethics of a psychological counselor.
“…That day, outside Xu Lidong’s cell, she was watching too. Do you know what she was thinking?” Xiao Fu looked at the busy street in front of the police station, her tone cold and calm. “So pitiful, so pitiful. I really want to help her.”
She turned to look at Cheng Xiangwu, "But when she looked at Zhang, she didn't think about anything or show any emotion. If it really is her, this attitude of using one thing before and another will surely chill the hearts of her clients."
Cheng Xiangwu closed her eyes, then opened them again to look at the street. "...Let's go see her."
“Of course,” said Little Franz.
The police station door opened, and Xu Chunfen walked out looking lost. She tripped on the threshold and almost fell down the stairs, but Cheng Xiangwu managed to pull her back.
“…Thank you.” She couldn’t concentrate as she said her thanks.
Cheng Xiangwu simply shook his head.
“…Actually, that person said something to me at the end.” Xu Chunfen’s voice was very soft, “but I shouldn’t have told those policemen.”
"What?" Little F turned his head.
Xu Chunfen was silent for a moment before finally speaking, "She said this—"
“I have met many, many people like this, but I cannot change them or give them the right guidance, because I myself am not a completely correct or outstanding person,” Dr. Lin said. “My knowledge is quite shallow, I cannot see through people’s hearts, and I do not have enough sense of justice to be a role model for everyone.”
Dr. Lin never offered to visit Xu Lidong, nor did he propose any treatment plan.
After saying this, Xu Chunfen burst into tears again, choking back sobs as she said, "...It was all my fault. I killed Xu Lidong."
This is the root cause of her constant sadness, regret, and fear.
“It’s been a while since I’ve heard that kind of talk.” Little F raised an eyebrow. “Usually, the next person will start preaching, teaching you to rely on their all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-correct Lord. The absence of this part is probably because you, as a faculty member, are required to have a faith report card.”
Xu Chunfen was in tears.
"...What did you two say to her again?" Jiang Ling asked softly as she walked out of the door.
“…No.” Cheng Xiangwu looked away.
Jiang Ling stared at her for a while, then gave up. "Anyway, we're going to her house to get evidence now. Do you want to go take a look?"
“Yes,” Little F nodded. “Of course I’ll go.”
There are no traces of the shooting that happened in the Southern Residential Area recently. Rather, the case didn't leave much of an impression on the residents. The police went door-to-door several times but didn't get any information. Over time, the topic of conversation seemed to have lost its value and dissipated into thin air.
"...Is this normal?" Little Franz asked, somewhat puzzled. "No, but there are indeed special circumstances in Senhu City..."
“We also feel that the local authorities are being too passive in their approach to the cases,” Han Lingfeng said, frowning. “Whether it’s the police or ordinary citizens, the former are not actively handling the cases and the latter are not actively discussing them. There are too many backlogged cases in the bureau, but nobody cares.”
As a case enthusiast, she was quite dissatisfied with this phenomenon, but as an outsider, she felt powerless to change it.
"Is that so?" Xu Chunfen led the way with some doubt. "It's always been like this here. Whatever happens, everyone forgets about it soon enough. I guess that's how small cities are. Or rather, a more peaceful environment is better for the people here..."
"...Do you really think this from the bottom of your heart?" Cheng Xiangwu asked. "Is it okay to forget about this?"
Xu Chunfen fell silent.
On the top floor of Building 4, Xu Chunfen unlocked the door and entered the room under the watchful eyes of four people; the body camera was working normally.
Judging from the entrance hall and living room, Xu Lidong is the only person who frequently uses this space. Xu Chunfen only comes back here occasionally. The handicrafts in the cabinets, the hand-woven items hanging on the sofa, and the various ornaments on the table are all things left behind by that young man who likes to tinker but doesn't like to tidy up.
The dining table and kitchen were neatly arranged, not in the empty neatness that Cheng Xiangwu had left when she first returned to the apartment, but in a way that made sure every item was out of sight and easily accessible. The floor was also clean, without any hair, scraps of paper, or plastic packaging. Cleaning tools were stored on the balcony, drying in the sun along with the clothes on the clothesline.
Xu Lidong's bedroom door was locked. Xu Chunfen opened several cabinets and found the key. She stood in front of the door for a while, then unlocked it and went inside.
This is a room that's incredibly difficult to tidy up. The owner's hobbies and various experiments have resulted in a vast amount of materials and tools piled up in every corner, far exceeding the number of storage cabinets found in most rooms. Some unopened household items are carelessly tossed about in corners, on countertops, or even on the bed, waiting for someone to need them or remember them and have to throw them away someday.
But more noteworthy than these things is the lingering smell of candles in the room.
“…This was probably brought by her.” Xu Chunfen frowned, skillfully stepping over the clutter to open the window. “She doesn’t have the habit of lighting candles, and we don’t have any in our house either.”
“I found that you contacted a worker surnamed Zhang from the same community. Could you show us the place where he worked?” Jiang Ling asked, holding her camera.
“Okay, please follow me.” Xu Chunfen nodded and stepped over the clutter again, leaving the room.
The remaining person in the room, dressed like a standard detective, wore gloves and a magnifying glass as she rummaged through the pile of things, taking some of what she wanted with her.
"What do you think?" Han Lingfeng asked. She was clearly not satisfied with the smell of candles in the room. After the search was completed, she went to stand by the door, took off her gloves and put them in her pocket, and stayed with the evidence bags.
“Clearly, the candles are the key.” Little F showed little interest in the room’s furnishings and changed the subject, “How do you plan to contact Dr. Lin?”
"Check the surveillance footage, trace the IP address and radio waves." Han Lingfeng looked at Xiao Fu, "But it seems you have a better way."
"There are some leads, but the success rate is uncertain, so I won't disturb your process," Xiao Fu said with a smile. "I hope you don't run into a wall."
"Then I wish you all the best." Han Lingfeng nodded. "Although, in terms of the outcome of the incident, the person on this business card sounds like the target we need to arrest, based on Ms. Xu's testimony, I don't think she is the main culprit."
"For your mission, isn't it enough to catch the people who can be held accountable?" Xiao Fu said dismissively. "Miss Jiang Ling has quite a few complaints about the process of this job."
"...Everyone has worked hard this time." Han Lingfeng sighed slightly. "But it's really not enough. Completing the task is one thing, but finding the truth is my personal pursuit."
As she spoke, she took out a brown leather wallet from her pocket, took out a slightly wrinkled folded envelope, unfolded it, and showed its contents to the two of them.
This is a letter of authorization, the gist of which is as follows: Bai Yuntian, secretary to the chairman of Bai Bai Co., Ltd., sincerely invites all law enforcement officers who have traveled from afar to attend the 60th birthday celebration banquet of our company's chairman, Bai Langtao, and to provide relevant guidance on security technology to our company's security team on that day.
“After my call with the city’s Public Security Bureau chief yesterday, less than an hour later, a waiter knocked on my door and brought me this.” Han Lingfeng put the wallet away again, the snap clicked as it fell into his jacket pocket. “I’ll just have to keep it for a while now.”
Even so, her smile was expectant, like that of a fruit farmer seeing bees gathering on a grapevine, clearly not feeling embarrassed.
"Which hotel are you staying at?" Cheng Xiang asked five times.
“It’s a hotel in the city, not Senhu Grand Hotel,” Han Lingfeng said. “The reimbursement standards for everyone in the investigation team are different, so we can only lower the hotel star rating since we’re staying together.”
“…I see.” Cheng Xiangwu couldn’t quite empathize with her; she never went on business trips with her colleagues.
"And what about the two of you?" Han Lingfeng asked, his tone seemingly expectant.
"Of course you'll see our amazing performance." Xiao Fu cleared his throat, and with the pile of clutter as a backdrop, he slowly stepped to the side and extended his arm, patting Cheng Xiangwu's back with a rather solemn gesture. "Not everyone has the chance to taste the culinary skills of the young master of Wuxianglou!"
Cheng Xiangwu had nothing to say, but looked away and nodded.
“...In that case, I’ll look forward to it.” Han Lingfeng said, glancing at Cheng Xiangwu, who then looked away.
"Have you investigated the background of that truck driver?" Cheng Xiangwu, who almost became a victim, asked.
“We couldn’t find any identification in his car, but there were some clues about the license plate. About a month ago, he would regularly appear in the corners of various high-traffic trading venues for drug transactions. He wasn’t the only one.” Han Lingfeng’s tone became slightly serious, and his long eyebrows furrowed. “The packaging was the same, but the drug’s effects were different from the batch Xu Lidong had. It was an instant-acting tunnel vision hallucinogen. We couldn’t find any drug tests, so it wasn’t addictive, but most of the traceable buyers had experienced typical aftereffects, and some still have some symptoms to this day.”
"...So, he's reformed?" Cheng Xiangwu wondered. The difference between the drug's effects, which were immediate yet left with side effects, and now depended on psychological effects, was quite significant.
"It's more like the supply of goods has run out," Han Lingfeng said, stroking his chin. "The raw materials are quite expensive compared to tobacco, and the target customer group is young people, which can be said to be a major source of income for the union. Not to mention that this situation has led to a certain degree of social disorder. I don't think that even if the buyer intends to keep it a secret, it won't last long."
Judging from the timing, it's hard to imagine that this supply cutoff isn't related to the Senhu No. 2 Middle School case, especially since Cheng Xiangwu had some ideas popping into her head. Han Lingfeng looked at her and blinked inexplicably.
“According to you, the local law enforcement officers were unaware of this situation,” Little Fran asked doubtfully. “The phrase ‘the actions of outsiders caused delays in the investigation’ was mentioned twice during yesterday’s speaking contest. If you had any leads on this, why didn’t you mention it yesterday?”
“Because these internal structural clues are more valuable to decision-makers than they are for debate,” Han Lingfeng said.
"Like that city police chief?" Xiao Fu asked, frowning.
Upon hearing this, Han Lingfeng smiled and said, "Of course, we have to start from the source to solve the problem."
After the evidence was collected, both parties left the residential area.
It was already close to afternoon when Cheng Xiangwu took out her phone to check the exact time. On the one hand, they hadn't had lunch yet, and on the other hand, Bai Yunxian still hadn't sent a reply.
It wasn't that she cared too much about the environment of someone's ancestral grave; it was mainly that Cheng Xiangwu simply didn't believe Bai Yunxian, with her physique, could dig to the depth of a coffin on her own. Even assuming she did have that ability, how would she put it back in after digging it out? And if she couldn't put it back in...
In short, it was inconvenient for her to answer the phone under any circumstances, so Cheng Xiangwu turned to checking lunch locations.
“...I can accept this cause-and-effect relationship.” Xiao Fu said, looking at the back of Cheng Xiangwu’s head.
"Let's go." Cheng Xiangwu put away her phone. "Let's go eat."
This lunch followed Cheng Xiangwu's usual menu, all purchased from a convenience store. The two sat on a roadside bench sheltered from the sun; the metal material was sturdy and reliable, but the comfort was far from satisfactory. Fortunately, the resting party didn't intend to stay for long.
"What do you think is the probability that they can catch someone directly?" Cheng Xiang asked.
“The probability of finding useful information from the crowd is lower than that of Miss Xie Wuchang. It’s more about participation.” Xiao Fu shook the still steaming paper cup. She was completely out of place in this season. Fortunately, when the two of them sat together, passersby might start to suspect them. “Miss Han Lingfeng also has the same suspicions, but they can’t just go to someone’s office to ask questions. They have to wait for approval to check the files.”
The only psychological assessor under the Municipal Public Security Bureau is also a local. She has genuine expertise and a lot of power to make decisions about the mental health of law enforcement officers. Without concrete evidence, Lin Che'an can ignore most of the harassment from outside law enforcement officers simply by sitting in her office.
"And what about us?" Cheng Xiangwu asked.
“We can directly suspect Miss Lin Che’an and take targeted investigative measures.” Xiao Fu said, turning to Cheng Xiangwu with a smile. It was a notification smile that said, “It’s your turn next,” and it was very practical. Cheng Xiangwu was already starting to feel troubled.
“For the sake of our investigation, Wuxiang, please grant us some privacy,” she said, clearing her throat. “Just say it like this—”
"Hello, is this the city police department office? I heard that many witnesses have received psychological counseling at your police station. Yes, I also have some questions I'd like to ask." Cheng Xiangwu braced herself and dialed the emergency hotline.
"Okay, please briefly repeat your question." The operator's voice sounded a little listless. The call came from a public phone booth, and it was a young man's voice—it was practically a classic prank call in the making.
“…It’s like this.” Cheng Xiangwu took a deep breath. “I was an eyewitness to the car accident in the city. I saw that truck hit and kill many people, and I was almost hit myself, but I didn’t feel anything. I’ve been in this calm state ever since that day. I saw online that this seems abnormal, but I think I’m perfectly normal. So I’m wondering if I should try to see what kind of situation would make me stop being so calm. But I don’t know who to talk to or what to do about this, so I wanted to ask you guys.”
"...Oh, I see." The operator seemed unsure how to respond, stammering, "Please, please wait a moment, let me find someone to ask you what to do in this situation..."
The call then went to the waiting music.
Inside the public phone booth, Xiao Fu leaned against the glass wall, laughing happily.
"Hahaha—" Her laughter, which she had barely managed to suppress by pressing her head against the wall, burst out at this moment. "I've always wanted to see this scene with my own eyes. Thank you, Wuxiang. I really have to thank you for your help this time."
"...Are you sure it will work?" Cheng Xiangwu looked at her like this and began to consider whether to hang up the phone.
"She found herself a part-time job in the same field in addition to her full-time job, so she must really love bomb disposal work. How could she possibly refuse a bomb like yours?" Little Fu finally stopped laughing.
As if in response to her remarks, the music stopped.
"Hello, I am a psychological assessor from the Municipal Public Security Bureau. I am sorry to hear about what happened to you. I am worried to hear that you have such thoughts. How are you feeling now?" The person who answered the phone had a different voice. It was a gentle greeting with concern.
It was indeed Lin Che'an's voice. Cheng Xiangwu paused, picked up the phone, and said, "To be honest, I didn't feel anything."
“Perhaps that’s what you think, but in many cases we can’t accurately judge our own true feelings, and I can’t offer you any advice or help just by talking like this.” Lin Che’an sighed softly. “Since you called us, it means you’re still willing to ask for help, which is a good thing. Would you like to meet with me?”
Cheng Xiangwu looked at Xiao Fu and gestured for her to wait, and then the phone booth fell silent for a moment.
“…How about this, we won’t meet at my workplace, and I won’t speak to you as a police officer. Let’s just find a place to sit down and talk, okay? You can decide the time and place.” Lin Che’an’s voice held a hint of encouragement. “I really want to help you. Your words remind me of many people. I also believe that you will find your own path one day. Until then, all you need is some guidance and help.”
After another moment of silence, Cheng Xiangwu gave an address at an intersection and set the time for tomorrow morning.
"Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I will take this conversation seriously," Lin Che'an said solemnly. "Well then, I hope you will be well when I see you tomorrow."
The call ended, and Cheng Xiangwu hung up the receiver.
"I hope so." Little Fer stood up straight. "Let's go, let's go check out that flower shop now."
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