I could sense how scared and anxious An'an was. Of course, I wanted to help her solve all the problems she was facing, but the situation was clear: only she herself could save herself. She needed to give herself a lot of courage and the determination to break with the old and build anew.
I just stood there quietly beside her, waiting for her to make a decision.
An'an finally spoke and asked me, "Michael, if all these charges against him are proven true, what will his sentence be?"
After some deliberation, I replied, "I can't say anything recklessly. You can ask Wang Xiaoling. She has been investigating Cao Jinbo, and no one knows better than her how many crimes Cao Jinbo has committed."
Will he be sentenced to death?
“I don’t know… If you really care about him, you should go and meet Wang Xiaoling… The Cao Jinbo you and I see now is not the real him… The real him is far more wicked than we imagine… He has murders on his hands, and more than one.”
An'an broke down in tears...
I know this is difficult for her, but the current situation is beyond the control of any one person. If she wants to protect herself, she must cooperate with the police.
After waiting for a long time, she finally wiped away her tears and said to me, "I'm going with you to see your policeman friend... I want to hear what she has to say. If he really is going to be sentenced to death... I'd rather go to jail myself than hurt him."
Looking at An'an, I became increasingly confused. Was her reserve due to her own character, or was she truly confused?
...
As evening fell, we met Wang Xiaoling again at the teahouse called "Jiujiu". When they faced each other, the atmosphere was indescribably heavy. I saw An'an constantly rubbing her hands, looking very helpless, while Wang Xiaoling looked at her with a sharp gaze... I knew that this was already a contest in which one side had an overwhelming advantage.
Wang Xiaoling spoke first, saying to An'an, "I'm so glad we had the chance to meet... I believe you know why I'm here... You must have come prepared."
“I wasn’t mentally prepared. I feel like a soulless shell. Everything I’ve done has been preordained by others… I really don’t know Cao Jinbo’s character. He never let me into his circle, and I had no idea that the money he gave me was tainted… I only found out about all of this recently… I can hand over all the money he gave me. I just want to leave this place, find somewhere no one knows me, and live a quiet life… So please stop pressuring me, okay? I’m innocent… I’m really scared, so very scared!…”
"The law is impartial; it's a fact that you took his money to invest... We won't just listen to your side of the story; we will conduct a thorough investigation because you are Cao Jinbo's mistress. We have reason to suspect that you and he..."
There are many more shady financial dealings, and even... you're working for him, aiding and abetting his evil deeds!
An'an looked at Wang Xiaoling in horror. She probably didn't expect Wang Xiaoling to be so unfriendly... But I could understand Wang Xiaoling. Her hatred for Cao Jinbo was so deep that she couldn't possibly treat An'an with a normal attitude.
I understand An'an, because she is genuinely terrified... Before meeting Cao Jinbo, she was just a student who had recently graduated and was inexperienced in the ways of the world. How could she possibly withstand such heavy pressure? But in this situation, it is not appropriate for me to express my opinion, so I can only remain silent.
...
After a brief silence, Wang Xiaoling softened her tone and said to An'an, "I'm sorry, what I said just now was a bit too harsh... but I still want you to understand my feelings, because as a criminal investigator, I am well aware of all of Cao Jinbo's evil deeds; over the years, he has harmed far too many people... Even if you choose to cooperate with us, you are not harming him, it is his own fault."
An'an avoided Wang Xiaoling's gaze and then asked, "If all these charges are ultimately proven... what kind of punishment will he face?"
“Death penalty, without even a chance of probation.”
An An gave a bitter smile and said, "Wouldn't that be harming him?... Although I'm a woman who can't even kill a chicken, I'm not afraid of the pressure you put on me... I will find the best lawyer for myself, and if I am found guilty in the end, I will accept it calmly."
"Aren't you being foolish! You have a chance to redeem yourself right in front of you. If someone's values weren't flawed, they wouldn't give up this opportunity... You need to understand what kind of person you're protecting right now!"
“I didn’t cover it up; I just didn’t want to harm him with my own hands.”
"This is blaming and condoning!"
Wang Xiaoling could barely control her emotions. She slammed her hands heavily on the table and stood up from her seat.
An An didn't look at her, but silently shed tears, though her determination was clearly written on her face; if I hadn't been there, this would have been considered a failed communication.
...
With a soft sigh, I finally spoke to An'an, "You want to know what Cao Jinbo has done all these years, right? You can listen to her story. If you still insist after hearing it, then there's no need for further communication. An'an, I genuinely want to help you, and I hope you cherish this opportunity. Some people aren't worth protecting like this!"
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