Chapter 41 Diary: The Bellflower Represents Eternal Love and Hopeless Love
Yuan Yi agreed with Jiang Ling's statement: "That's right, the sooner these things are discovered, the better."
After a pause, Yuan Yi raised his doubts again: "You smelled a special odor, which only means he's using drugs, not that he knows Yu Hua. You said they have a close relationship, how did you figure that out?"
Jiang Ling said, "Didn't I just trick him a little?"
Yuan Yi then remembered that when Jiang Ling walked to the bench and faced Chen Mu, who had looked up, she had asked him: "You've come to see Ying Yuhua?"
Jiang Ling explained, "His reaction at the time was suspicious. His muscles were stiff and his eyes were glazed. This is a kind of freezing reaction. People only react like this when they encounter danger."
Yuan Yi frequently dealt with human traffickers and interrogated countless criminals, so he was naturally aware of the existence of a freezing reaction and understood what it meant when it occurred during interrogation.
A loud "smack!" came from the other end of the phone, followed by Yuan Yi's angry voice: "That kid's got a tight tongue! He clearly knows Yu Hua, why is he keeping it a secret? Damn it! He's definitely no good."
Zhou Wei, who was in charge of taking notes, quickly wrote in his notebook, while Liu Haoran looked at Jiang Ling with admiration. If Jiang Ling hadn't been on the phone, he probably would have been fawning over her.
Liu Haoran had the same doubts as Yuan Yi, but after listening to Jiang Ling's explanation, he suddenly understood.
Always be vigilant about suspicious people around you, and try to bluff them when appropriate to observe their reaction. This tactic can be used when patrolling the community in the future.
Jiang Ling asked, "What are your plans for dealing with Chen Mu?"
Yuan Yi was now seething with hatred, wishing he could beat Chen Mu to a pulp.
He was a few years older than Ying Songmao. When they played together in the family compound as children, Yu Hua would always watch quietly from the sidelines. The boys in the chemical plant's family compound had all been warned by their parents not to bully Yu Hua.
In Yuan Yi's heart, the well-behaved and adorable Ying Yuhua was like his own younger sister. Now that he heard that Yuhua was having an affair with a drug addict, how could he not be filled with indignation?
Yuan Yi gritted his teeth and said, "We didn't find any drugs on him. First-time offenders are usually detained for a few days before being sent to community-based drug rehabilitation."
Jiang Ling said coldly, "No. Community-based drug rehabilitation won't work for him. Just send him to a drug rehabilitation center for compulsory rehabilitation."
Just thinking about the scene when Chen Mu was taken away made Jiang Ling feel a tightness in her chest.
He denied knowing Ying Yuhua and denied coming to the hospital to visit her. But when his arm was twisted behind his back and Yuan Yi pinned half his body down, he turned and looked at the closed door of ward 303, his shimmering peach blossom eyes filled with deep pain and regret.
Faced with such a deeply affectionate and sorrowful gaze, how could Ying Yuhua possibly resist?
Perhaps they truly loved each other deeply?
Without hesitation, Yuan Yi agreed: "Okay, I'll do as you say."
Community-based drug rehabilitation allows for freedom of movement, but compulsory drug rehabilitation is a different story. This is a good opportunity to separate Chen Mu and Ying Yuhua, to prevent them from harming such a good girl.
As if he had heard what Jiang Ling was thinking, she said, "Let him stay in the drug rehabilitation center for a while longer, and don't let him have any contact with Yu Hua."
The drug addicts Jiang Ling encountered in prison seemed normal when their cravings weren't kicking in, but once the drugs took hold, they turned into beasts. The longer they used drugs, the less humanity they had and the more animalistic nature they possessed.
What good can come of Yu Hua getting entangled with someone like that?
This suicide attempt failed; will there be a next time?
Did Ying Songmao hate drug dealers and dedicate himself to the fight against drugs because he lost his sister and learned that she was dating Chen Mu?
The thought that Ying Songmao's original fate was to sacrifice himself heroically made Jiang Ling's heart clench.
No! We must do everything in our power to help Ying Yuhua and change Ying Songmao's fate.
Yuan Yi immediately patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, I guarantee I'll complete the mission."
Jiang Ling reminded him, "It would be best to ask him how he got the drugs. If we can follow the trail, it might be a great achievement."
Yanshi is not a border city, and the city's public security bureau has very few drug-related cases. At present, there is no anti-drug brigade, and drug-related cases are generally handled by the first or second brigade.
Yuan Yi grunted "Mmm" on the phone: "Okay, I'll transfer this kid to the First Brigade and let them interrogate him properly. Sigh! You know, we've been strictly controlling drugs for years, so why is it still so difficult to eradicate them?"
Jiang Ling remained silent.
The reason is something every police officer knows perfectly well.
The profits from drugs are beyond the imagination of most people. Although the country has a strong anti-drug campaign, there will always be drug dealers who take risks for money.
Yuan Yi didn't expect Jiang Ling to answer his question.
But he hated it.
I hate these drug dealers for being utterly depraved.
I also hate these drug addicts for not valuing their lives.
Yuan Yi sighed again: "Chen Mu is a kid from our chemical plant. If his parents knew he was doing drugs, they would be so heartbroken."
The Yan City Chemical Plant is a large plant, comprising six branch factories, so it's normal that Yuan Yi and Chen Mu didn't know each other. However, as children of factory workers, seeing Chen Mu using drugs still pained Yuan Yi.
Jiang Ling's tone softened slightly: "Do more ideological work. If he has only been involved with drugs for a short time, there may still be hope."
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Ling said to the three people who had been waiting for her to speak, "The young man in black is named Chen Mu. He is an appliance repairman with no fixed job. He usually does odd jobs here and there. His urine test was positive. Although he said he didn't know Ying Yuhua, I judge that he has a close relationship with Ying Yuhua."
Li Zhenliang was finally able to speak: "I knew you were right!"
Liu Haoran had been holding back for a while, but as soon as Jiang Ling hung up the phone, he immediately spoke up: "Xiao Jiang, I also believe your judgment! Chen Mu is addicted to drugs and may be in a relationship with Ying Yuhua. As the sister of a policeman, Ying Yuhua must feel very guilty and tried to save him by cutting her wrists."
Jiang Ling nodded: "Possibly."
Judging from the injuries, Ying Yuhua was punishing herself, but Liu Haoran's line of thinking also makes sense.
Using self-harm to awaken Chen Mu's conscience was a pity, as Ying Yuhua had failed in her previous life.
Even more excited after receiving confirmation, Liu Haoran rubbed his hands together and asked, "Then we have to help Ying's sister. Ying has helped us so much, hasn't she?"
“Yes, that’s right.” Li Zhenliang raised both hands in agreement. “That’s right, Captain Ying is such a good person. He doesn’t mind that our police station is small. He’s always willing to help whenever we ask. Do you remember? The bicycle bell theft case, such a small case, he actually came over in person.”
Zhou Wei said, "Team Leader Ying even helped us publish our paper."
Jiang Ling then remembered the thesis.
When Ying Songmao called to tell her the good news about her published paper, she was preoccupied with her family background and didn't think much of it. Then, she got so busy that she completely forgot about it.
When Jiang Ling received the call from her father, Lin Weidong, he praised her for her thesis, which shows that the thesis had a great impact on the public security system.
Despite Ying Songmao personally handling the writing and submission of papers, he gave Jiang Ling the first author position.
These all demonstrate Ying Songmao's selfless and sincere nature.
Good people should be rewarded.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ling clenched his right fist and drew an arc in the air: "Yes, we have to return the favor."
Li Zhenliang and the other two clenched their fists in unison, declaring, "Yes! We will work together to help the Ying team."
Jiang Ling began assigning tasks: "Here's a three-step approach."
Before he finished speaking, Liu Haoran had already hung the small blackboard in the office on the wall, took out the chalk and said to Jiang Ling, "Xiao Jiang, you say it, and I'll write it down."
A slight smile appeared on Jiang Ling's lips.
The four-person psychological profiling team is working together more and more seamlessly, which fills her with confidence for the future.
"The first step, of course, is for you and me to go to the People's Hospital tomorrow morning to communicate with Ying Songmao's sister."
Li Zhenliang asked, "What do we need to prepare?"
Jiang Ling thought for a moment: "Prepare paper and pen for easy communication. Also, we need to prepare some questions in advance."
Liu Haoran volunteered: "My handwriting is pretty good, quite neat, and fast. You can tell me what to write, and I'll write it."
Since the person being questioned is deaf and mute, it's impossible to judge their authenticity based on tone of voice or expression. Therefore, the questions designed accordingly become very important.
Jiang Ling tried hard to recall the journal articles she had read before, and suddenly her eyes lit up.
—Isn't there a complete set of question-setting strategies in criminal investigation polygraph technology?
Criminal investigation testing techniques can quickly screen suspects through psychological testing, eliminate innocent individuals, and improve case-handling efficiency. Especially after the enactment of the new Criminal Procedure Law, polygraph technology can be conducted without infringing on the suspect's rights, reducing unnecessary interrogations and detentions, and protecting the suspect's human rights. Therefore, it holds an extremely important position in criminal investigations.
But it's still 1994.
In 1980, China's public security department sent a delegation abroad to study polygraph detection technology for criminal investigation. In 1981, it imported a polygraph, and in 1991, it began independent research and development of polygraph instruments. If Jiang Ling remembers correctly, the first domestically produced PG-I polygraph was successfully developed two years ago.
From theory to practice and then to promotion, it is a long process.
Lie detection technology is not yet widely used in the entire public security system. Criminal investigators still prefer to use traditional interrogation methods and believe that using instruments to detect lies is something that only exists in novels.
Even without instruments, Jiang Ling can determine the authenticity of Ying Yuhua's handwriting.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ling said to Li Zhenliang, "Liangzi, hurry up and find a book on graphology to brush up on your knowledge. We need to judge from the perspective of graphology whether what Ying Yuhua wrote is true or false."
Li Zhenliang suddenly felt a heavy pressure on his body, but he knew that Jiang Ling was instructing him, so he immediately stood up and said loudly, "Yes!"
Jiang Ling said, "Time is tight, so don't worry about the definitions and concepts for now. Just look at the content that is useful for our exchange."
Li Zhenliang's face felt a little hot.
To be honest, after starting work, Li Zhenliang had been dealing with community residents, mainly handling neighborhood disputes. Trivial matters took up his time, so he rarely read books and had become somewhat lax in his professional studies. It wasn't until he partnered with Jiang Ling that he felt a sense of urgency, always feeling that he didn't know enough professional knowledge and was afraid of holding her back.
This time, Jiang Ling asked him to read and study, and Li Zhenliang felt a bit of pressure.
There's a copy of "Graphology" on the table in the police station's Party and Mass Activity Room, but he never reads it. It's such a thick book; he could finish it in one night, but he was completely baffled as to which parts were useful for communication and which were useless.
Jiang Ling noticed his embarrassment and patiently taught him: "If the handwriting is heavily slanted, it means she was emotionally agitated or uneasy at the time. Dark strokes indicate emphasis, while light strokes indicate that she didn't want to mention it or deliberately downplayed it."
Li Zhenliang's eyes lit up.
Jiang Ling said, "The most basic requirement for crafting lie detector questions is that the question patterns must elicit a 'yes' or 'no' response from the test subject. For example, you can ask, 'Is your home in Yanshi?' but not 'Where do you live?' Therefore, handwriting analysis..."
Li Zhenliang suddenly understood: "So handwriting analysis is relatively simple. We only need to compare the handwriting of 'yes' and 'no' written by Ying Yuhua. It's easy to summarize the patterns that way, isn't it?"
Jiang Ling nodded: "Yes, that's right. You should prepare in advance, and when you communicate with Yu Hua, you need to quickly analyze the handwriting to determine whether she is telling the truth or lying. Based on the truth or falsehood, we will then decide what questions to ask next."
Li Zhenliang nodded emphatically: "Yes!"
This feeling of being guided and mentored made Li Zhenliang feel as if he had returned to his student days, and his spirits were lifted.
After assigning the task to Li Zhenliang, Jiang Ling looked at Liu Haoran, whose eyes were shining: "Haoran, you are in charge of drafting the questions. Ying Yuhua is deaf and mute, and she is very sensitive. In addition, she is currently suffering from physical and mental trauma. We must be extremely careful about how to ask her and what to ask her."
Liu Haoran answered loudly, "Yes!"
Seeing that he hadn't been assigned a task yet, Zhou Wei got a little anxious and interjected, "What about me? What am I supposed to do?"
Jiang Ling said, "You are responsible for guarding outside the ward to prevent outside interference."
Generally speaking, there are requirements for the indoor environment when conducting lie detector tests.
For example, the room shouldn't be too large; six square meters is sufficient. Additionally, the room should be well-ventilated, at a moderate temperature, and with adequate lighting. Most importantly, it should be free from external disturbances.
Ying Yuhua is still hospitalized and it's not advisable to move her. Although the double room is a bit large, a curtain can be used to create a private and quiet space, which is fine. The only thing that needs careful attention is to avoid external disturbances.
Doctors making rounds, nurses giving injections, family visits, noise in the corridor... any of these distractions can disrupt normal communication, so someone needs to stay outside the ward.
Zhou Wei did not slack off because the task was not professional enough. He stood up and responded loudly, "Yes!"
Jiang Ling raised her hand and pressed it down: "No need to stand up, everyone please make yourselves at home. After we assign the tasks, the four of us will work together to formulate the questions."
Upon hearing the proposed questions, Liu Haoran offered his opinion: "During interrogations, we usually start with basic information like name and age, but you're asking for only yes and no answers, so that's inappropriate. Besides, Ying Yuhua is deaf and mute and has a sensitive nature, so shouldn't we avoid being too serious?"
Li Zhenliang agreed: "Yes, we're going to help Ying Yuhua, not interrogate her. We can just ask Captain Ying for her personal information. We can start by talking about light topics."
Zhou Wei suggested, "How about we start with the weather?"
Liu Haoran chimed in, "Yeah, we can start by talking about the weather. You see, sometimes when we see acquaintances and don't know what to say, we'll say, 'It's so hot today, I wonder when it'll rain.' And that really gets the conversation flowing."
Jiang Ling shook her head: "It's best to start with things she likes to reduce her resistance to police questioning."
Favorite things? Li Zhenliang suddenly thought of something: "Flowers!"
Jiang Ling smiled slightly, thinking that her partner, Li Zhenliang, was getting smarter and smarter.
Li Zhenliang thought about it more and more and felt that his suggestion was very good: "If the boy in black is Yuhua's boyfriend, then he must know how to cater to her preferences. Bringing a bouquet of flowers when visiting a patient shows that Yuhua likes flowers."
Jiang Ling nodded firmly: "Okay, then let's start with the flowers."
Liu Haoran said, "Then why don't we bring a bouquet of flowers? It's April now, and there are plenty of flowers at the flower shops."
Jiang Ling said, "Okay, then the task of buying flowers will be assigned to you and Dawei. I'll pay for it."
Liu Haoran quickly replied, "It's just a bouquet of flowers, why would you need to pay for it?"
Jiang Ling's attitude was firm: "Captain Ying has helped me a lot. You are going with me to visit Captain Ying's sister, so I must pay for the flowers." After saying that, she took out fifty yuan and handed it to Liu Haoran.
To be a leader of a team, you must take responsibility.
Jiang Ling is now rich, so of course she can't let the group members pay for the flowers themselves.
Liu Haoran didn't refuse anymore, took the money and replied, "Okay, then I'll go buy it with Dawei this afternoon."
Jiang Ling instructed him: "Buy a mixed bouquet, with bright, warm colors, so that it gives people a pleasant feeling at first glance."
Liu Haoran nodded repeatedly: "Don't worry, I know. Let the florist arrange the hyacinths, tulips, carnations, and roses." A budget of fifty yuan is quite luxurious; there should be some left over.
After deciding to start with flowers, the team quickly listed out the problems.
"Isn't this flower beautiful?"
Do you like flowers in colors like red, yellow, and purple?
"Those warm-colored flowers are like sunshine, able to dispel gloom. Would you like to grow a pot of warm-colored flowers yourself?"
Do you like roses?
Did you know that the red rose symbolizes passionate love?
...
Everyone discussed the matter enthusiastically, and once they had decided on a number, Liu Haoran wrote all the questions on cards, numbered them, and made them readily available. They could also switch between cards based on the answers given.
Jiang Ling watched from the sidelines, feeling secretly pleased. Her little team was both united and efficient; it was wonderful.
After this stage of the question design was completed, Liu Haoran looked up at Jiang Ling and asked, "Now that we've finished asking questions about flowers, what should we ask next?"
Jiang Ling was confident: "Once she relaxes and we've established initial trust, we can gradually delve into more serious topics, such as suicide. As I've already analyzed, wrist-cutting is a form of self-punishment, not an act of suicide with death as the real goal. Ying Yuhua will feel guilty seeing her parents' worry and her brother's anxiety. If we can grasp this guilt, we can find out the real reason she attempted suicide."
Li Zhenliang and his two colleagues immediately began designing the second phase of the problem.
After you committed suicide, did the attitudes of those around you change?
Do you still have expectations for your future?
"If you could go back in time, would you still commit suicide?"
Do you think family and friends can give you the strength to get out of the shadows?
Have you ever thought about talking to a friend about your pain?
...
When the heavy topic of suicide is brought up, everyone sighs.
Li Zhenliang asked, "Xiao Jiang, do you think the love of her family can awaken her hope to live on?"
Jiang Ling nodded: "Yes. Most people who are saved from suicide attempts don't have the courage to attempt suicide again. Although Ying Yuhua was in a state of pain and turmoil for a long time and couldn't think straight for a moment, when she woke up and saw her mother's pale face, her father's gray hair, and her brother's anxious look, her heart would definitely be touched."
In this life, there is not only love, but also family and friendship.
Ying Yuhua's life is not perfect, but she has a strong support system, namely the love of her parents and brother.
Even if someone is hopelessly in love, they should be more sober after experiencing such a painful experience.
After receiving Jiang Ling's affirmative answer, Li Zhenliang and the other two felt a little better.
After Liu Haoran finished writing down all the questions, he looked up and asked again, "What's next?"
A cold glint flashed in Jiang Ling's eyes: "Naturally, I need to talk to her about that black-clad boy, Chen Mu, who gave her the white daisies."
The four of them then took turns organizing the questions they would ask tomorrow.
After preparing all the question cards, Li Zhenliang went to the Party and Mass Affairs Office, took the book "Graphology" back to his office, and began reading and taking notes as he read.
Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei went to the flower shop to buy flowers.
Jiang Ling tidied up her dormitory, preparing to welcome her grandmother and younger sister tomorrow. Although she didn't intend to change her life decisions, she still needed to prepare for meeting her family for the first time.
The next morning, the sunlight was just right.
April is the most beautiful time of year, and this is exactly what this time of year is all about.
Jiang Ling led her team members to the hospital.
As soon as I entered the inpatient department lobby, I saw Ying Songmao.
Ying Songmao has been staying at the hospital since yesterday, without changing out of his police uniform. He stayed up all night, too afraid to sleep, and the dark circles under his eyes were even deeper, his face looking somewhat haggard.
“Yuhua was silently crying all night. I asked her, but she wouldn’t say anything. I had no choice but to go to her room and look for her. I found this in her drawer.”
After he finished speaking, Ying Songmao handed over a small, green plastic-covered notebook.
Ying Songmao raised his hand to rub his temples and sighed softly, "My mother has never searched through my sister's and my room before. This time, she was forced into it."
Jiang Ling opened the notebook, and each page was tucked with dried flower petals. There were daisies, roses, violets, and lisianthus... Next to the flowers, the time was recorded in neat handwriting.
—From September 1992 to February 1994, the flower color gradually transitioned from pure white to a bright red.
—After February 1994, only green and white bellflowers remained.
Daisies symbolize innocence and hope, like new buds just sprouting in spring.
Violets represent loyalty and humility; their color may be understated, but their fragrance is long-lasting.
Red roses represent passionate love, while white roses symbolize purity and innocence.
Bellflower represents eternal love and hopeless love...
Seeing this diary, Jiang Ling seemed to smell the sweet scent of love.
Ying Yuhua, a deaf-mute girl, leads a life that, though quiet and still, is filled with a unique vibrancy. Her boyfriend, a somewhat rebellious young man, often takes her for walks in the mountains, picking the freshest flowers for her.
To preserve this love forever, she dried the flowers and pressed them in her diary, carefully noting down the times of their dates.
Every page of the diary recorded their precious moments together. The dried flowers were like twinkling stars, illuminating her world and warming her heart.
But starting in February of this year, Ying Yuhua's beautiful world changed.
Holy love has been defiled.
Her heart was broken.
Those withered bellflowers were witnesses to her painful struggle and hopeless waiting.
To be honest, if I hadn't seen the pages after February of this year, and if it weren't for Chen Mu's drug use, Jiang Ling would have thought that this kind of love was worth protecting.
The thought of Chen Mu, who was incorrigible despite repeated attempts to reform, remained unchanged even after 30 days of compulsory drug rehabilitation and two years in prison, and even worsened to the point of robbery and murder, filled Jiang Ling with rage.
Getting this kid to quit drugs? That's extremely difficult.
Seeing that Jiang Ling remained silent, Ying Songmao cautiously asked, "Is this notebook useful to you?"
Jiang Ling looked at Ying Songmao with clear and firm eyes: "It's useful. Now I can confirm that Yu Hua's suicide was related to love."
Love? Ying Songmao's body stiffened slightly.
Ying Songmao is already twenty-six years old, but he is a blank slate when it comes to love.
He is very clean and dislikes contact with outsiders; this is an innate personality trait that he cannot change. Because of this, he doesn't have many friends.
Yuan Yi lived in the same building as him and they had been friends since childhood, which is why Ying Songmao could tolerate his habit of putting his arm around Yuan Yi's shoulder. As for other people, Ying Songmao was polite and courteous, maintaining a certain distance.
Later, Ying Songmao was admitted to the Public Security University to work in forensic identification technology. This job did not require much interpersonal skills, and he spent all his time in the laboratory, which he found quite good.
The word "love" has not yet appeared in Ying Songmao's life plan.
Now, upon suddenly hearing that his sister had committed suicide because of love, Ying Songmao felt his head buzzing and his legs going numb. At that moment, he had only one thought.
--who is he?
Who exactly is he?!
————————
The description of lie detection technology references a paper:
[1] Wu Boxin and Tian Xinhua. The Principles and Applications of Lie Detection Technology. Public Security Research, No. 2, 1994.
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