Chapter 78 Glory: He was a glorious policeman
Outside the window, dusk was falling.
The gates of the Pinganli community across the street were wide open, warmly welcoming people leaving get off work.
In the office of the First Brigade of the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Yan City Public Security Bureau, everyone sat upright in their seats, silently watching Lei Xiao.
The truth behind the soy milk poisoning case is about to come to light.
The most distinctive feature of this case is the variety of criminal motives and the complexity of the relationships between the individuals involved. However, Jiang Ling's three-pronged investigation method, especially the innovative star rating system, directly addresses the core contradictions and demonstrates a strong ability to simplify complex matters.
If the scope of the investigation and the psychological profiles had not been defined through the three-pronged investigation method at the first meeting, it would have been difficult to quickly identify seven suspects in such a short period of time.
Three investigation teams and seven suspects—it was precisely because of this clear division of labor that they were able to concentrate their efforts, quickly find evidence, and identify the real culprit.
Now, only Xu Mancang and Li Qiang remain as suspects.
Xu Mancang's identity is sensitive, and Li Qiang has not yet been apprehended.
Lei Xiao held the forensic report, which the evidence team had worked overtime to complete, and remained silent for a long time.
After a moment, he calmed himself down and began to assign tasks: "Zheng Yu, you lead the team to capture Li Qiang and bring him to justice."
Zheng Yu immediately stood up: "Yes!"
Lei Xiao looked at Liang Youxun and said with difficulty, "Please, please ask Comrade Xu Mancang to come to the bureau to cooperate with the investigation."
Liang Youxun: "Yes."
Lei Xiao then turned to Jiang Ling and said, "Jiang Ling, your psychological profiling team will be responsible for developing the interrogation plan."
Jiang Ling stood up and responded loudly, "Yes!"
Li Zhenliang, Liu Haoran, and Zhou Wei were all invigorated; they finally had work to do!
Lei Xiao looked at the spirited Jiang Ling in front of him, his voice trembling slightly: "Be careful, be careful..." Be careful of what? Lei Xiao talked for a long time but couldn't get a clear answer.
Jiang Ling, however, understood what he meant.
Xu Mancang is a police officer and is familiar with case-handling procedures.
Therefore, it is important to ensure that interrogations fully comply with procedural and regulatory requirements.
Xu Mancang is an experienced criminal police officer who is skilled in interrogation techniques. It would be difficult for an ordinary person to break through his psychological defenses.
Therefore, it is important to note that interrogations should not follow conventional methods.
Xu Mancang knows many leaders in the Public Security Bureau. He was once a comrade-in-arms who fought alongside them and fought them to the bitter end. This will probably put a lot of pressure on the interrogators.
Therefore, it is important not to let emotions cloud your judgment.
It was because of these factors that Lei Xiao entrusted this arduous task to Jiang Ling, a newcomer who had just been transferred to the Municipal Bureau.
The criminal profiling team consisted entirely of new faces who had no prior working interaction with Xu Mancang. With no reservations, they were able to act freely.
Moreover, Jiang Ling's team has extensive knowledge of criminal psychology, is skilled in psychological warfare, and has a strong sense of innovation, which is why they were able to catch Xu Mancang off guard.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ling met Lei Xiao's gaze, her eyes calm: "Don't worry, we will ensure that we comply with the procedures and standards, put aside our mental burdens, and do our best to innovate methods."
Unexpectedly, Jiang Ling's thinking was so clear, and Lei Xiao felt relieved, nodding and saying, "Good, good, good. It's good that you understand."
Next, Lei Xiao assigned tasks to everyone.
The third meeting has concluded.
Stepping out of the conference room, Jiang Ling approached Liang Youxun: "How did you persuade Grandpa Xu's son to cooperate?"
Jiang Ling found it strange during the meeting. Wasn't it said that Xu Mancang's children were very affectionate towards him and had always wanted their father to move to the provincial capital after their mother's death? Why was his son willing to cooperate with the police in secretly searching his father's bedroom?
Liang Youxun sighed, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes: "Xu Mancang's son is also a policeman."
After a pause, Liang Youxun added, "His name is Xu Weiqun. He used to teach at the police academy. You should have heard of him."
Jiang Ling couldn't help but feel a deep sense of respect.
She certainly knew the name Xu Weiqun.
Although Xu Weiqun had already been transferred from the police academy to the provincial department when Jiang Ling entered the police academy, he had cultivated batches of talents in the field of criminal investigation and was a well-known figure in the police academy.
I never imagined that Grandpa Xu's son was Xu Weiqun.
His cooperation with the police this time can be described as putting the greater good before family.
Previously, the phrase "putting righteousness before family" only evoked a sense of heaviness. Now, connecting it to Xu Weiqun and Xu Mancang, Jiang Ling sensed the struggle, pain, and greatness hidden behind those four words.
Jiang Ling asked, "Then, where is Teacher Xu now?"
Liang Youxun said, "He went back to Yanshi to accompany Grandpa Xu a couple of days ago. There was an emergency meeting at the provincial department this morning, so he left overnight last night."
Jiang Ling said "Oh," indicating that Xu Weiqun was not currently in Yan City.
Liang Youxun said, "Jiang Ling, go ahead and don't be afraid. Before Teacher Xu left, he told me to follow the rules and let the law decide everything."
Jiang Ling nodded: "Okay."
Even if it's painful, we will never tolerate crime.
This is the magnanimity of a police officer; this is the realm of Teacher Xu Weiqun.
In that case, let's go all out and make preparations.
After having dinner in the cafeteria, Jiang Ling took some time to go home before working overtime.
The setting sun, like blood, gilded the gnarled branches of the old ginkgo tree in the center of Ping'anli Community with a sorrowful golden-red hue.
The massive canopy cast a deep shadow, like a silent witness, covering the still upright but undeniably aged figure beneath it—Xu Mancang.
Upon seeing the old man, Jiang Ling slowly walked towards him.
When Lei Xiao finally decided to assign the interrogation task to her, the trust in his eyes increased the pressure on Jiang Ling.
Xu Mancang is not an ordinary criminal suspect, but an old man who has spent half his life protecting the order of this city.
Jiang Ling knew that she couldn't confront them head-on.
Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle.
After taking a deep breath, Jiang Ling adjusted her expression and walked towards the ginkgo tree with a deliberate, relaxed gait.
"Uncle Xu, I've seen you sitting here for quite a while. What are you thinking about?" Jiang Ling's voice was very soft, as if she was afraid of disturbing something, and she naturally sat down on the stone bench next to Xu Mancang.
The stone bench was icy cold, seeping directly into my body through my thin summer clothes.
Xu Mancang seemed to have just awakened from some deep thought, his cloudy gaze slowly focusing on Jiang Ling's face. For a fleeting moment, Jiang Ling caught a sharp scrutiny in his eyes, as if he were still the all-knowing old detective from back then. But this light vanished in an instant, covered by a deeper layer of confusion and weariness.
"Who are you?" His voice was a little hoarse, with the slowness typical of the elderly.
Jiang Ling pointed to her building: "My name is Jiang Ling. I just moved here last week. I live in Unit 1, Building 3, East District, Room 302."
After hearing Jiang Ling introduce herself, Xu Mancang thought for a long time and said, "Oh, that house used to belong to Old Li. He's willing to sell it now?"
Jiang Ling was surprised that Xu Mancang knew so much about the community residents. She nodded and said, "Yes, my parents bought that house."
Xu Mancang had a good impression of Jiang Ling, and forced a smile as he said, "You're still young and don't have the financial means to buy a house. It's good that you have family members helping you."
Perhaps out of loneliness, Xu Mancang began to talk to himself without Jiang Ling having to speak: "Look at this ginkgo tree. This tree is older than me. Back when the bureau was doing landscaping, I was the one who suggested planting it."
Xu Mancang raised his withered hand, pointing towards the Public Security Bureau building. His movements were stiff, and his eyes were full of nostalgia. The afterglow of the setting sun fell on the creases of his faded old police trousers, the straight lines like a belief he had upheld throughout his life.
Jiang Ling continued the conversation, saying, "You remember things about the bureau very clearly."
A hint of joy at being praised flashed in Xu Mancang's eyes: "That's right, my memory is excellent. My son is always saying that I'm getting old and need someone to take care of me. But I'm healthy and sharp-minded, I don't need anyone to take care of me."
Before coming, Jiang Ling had read Xu Mancang's file, so she deliberately brought up his glorious past: "I heard that when you solved the steel mill theft case, the criminals were hiding in this area?"
Xu Mancang immediately perked up, and a fire suddenly ignited in his slightly cloudy eyes. He described the details accurately and could even repeat a sentence that the criminal had said during the interrogation years ago.
Jiang Ling played the role of a good listener, listening attentively and occasionally asking a few questions.
"Ah, I see."
"And then what?"
"You're amazing."
Jiang Ling was already very knowledgeable about people's hearts, and at this moment, as she listened and asked questions, every question hit the nail on the head, making Xu Mancang even more interested in talking.
After Xu Mancang finished recounting his heroic deeds with great enthusiasm, Jiang Ling steered the conversation to recent events: "I saw you arguing with Officer Wang a few days ago. What was it about?"
Xu Mancang suddenly froze.
He looked up at the sky, then at the ground, his eyes clearly puzzled: "Really? Oh... I remember now, it's about that Zhang kid's clogged sewer, isn't it?"
Jiang Ling carefully observed his reaction: "Isn't it because of the flooding on the roads in the neighborhood?"
"Oh." Xu Mancang thought for a long time, then raised his hand and smacked his head, but his tone was not so certain. "Yes, you see, this waterlogging problem must also be solved."
Jiang Ling's heart sank. She remembered the past glories clearly, but recent events were vague. This did not conform to the normal pattern of memory.
Jiang Ling began to probe Xu Mancang's attitude towards the various issues in the neighborhood: "I just moved to this neighborhood and there are many things I don't know. I heard the neighborhood is quite chaotic, and there are often fights among young people, is that true?"
The mention of the community's chaos immediately agitated Xu Mancang, who pounded his fingers on the stone table: "Chaos! Utter chaos. Petty theft goes unchecked, garbage is everywhere and nobody cares, and everyone in that building across the street seems blind!"
As he got emotional, he pointed to the police station building, his arm trembling slightly with anger, but his voice was filled with a helpless grief and indignation. "The unit doesn't care at all. There are no rules or regulations. The older generation are either dead or gone. Ping Anli is just like us old guys, old and sick... It hurts me so much."
For some reason, he suddenly stared at Jiang Ling and said, "If someone is sick, they need to be treated seriously. Xiulan was sick, but the doctor refused to perform surgery, and the children insisted on conservative treatment, so she didn't survive. If you ask me, serious illnesses require strong medicine to cure them completely!"
Xiulan was Xu Mancang's lover, who passed away from illness three years ago.
As he spoke, Xu Mancang's eyes suddenly became somewhat dazed: "Xiao Jiang? Have you finished writing your case report? Hurry up and write it, you must hand it in tomorrow."
Jiang Ling's heart sank little by little.
Xu Mancang is not only old, but he is also sick.
He suffers from short-term memory loss, temporal and spatial confusion, and his thinking fluctuates between clarity and chaos.
In his heart, Ping'anli Community is like a lover who has been with him for decades. It is sick and old, and must be treated with strong medicine to cure it completely.
His wife is gone, but the Pinganli community remains.
Is poisoning the soy milk what he considers "taking drastic measures"? Perhaps in his confused logic, the act of poisoning was his last act of law enforcement as a guardian and long-time resident, in order to solve all the problems and "cure" the community's chronic ills.
Jiang Ling worked overtime all night.
The next morning, an "Emergency Application for Mental State Assessment of Suspect Xu Mancang" was placed on Lei Xiao's desk. Jiang Ling's reasoning was quite sound: his cognitive state directly affects his criminal responsibility and interrogation strategies.
Lei Xiao immediately submitted the report to the bureau leadership, which granted special approval for an assessment of Xu Mancang's mental state by authoritative experts from the Municipal Mental Health Center.
The test results came out a day later.
—Early-stage Alzheimer's disease, commonly known as senile dementia. Cognitive function is impaired, especially recent memory and executive function; there is a tendency towards persecutory delusions and grandiose delusions; and emotional control is reduced.
Holding the weighty report in her hands, Jiang Ling sat in her office for a long time.
The incandescent light bulbs in the new office emitted a slight hum. Jiang Ling opened her notebook, her pen hovering over the paper before finally writing down the core of her interrogation strategy based on criminal psychology.
—Anchoring glory, reconstructing reality.
Li Zhenliang and the others sat around the conference table, not daring to disturb Jiang Ling, who had a solemn expression on her face.
Now that everyone knows Xu Mancang has mental health issues, can the planned interrogation still proceed?
Interrogating a detective with Alzheimer's disease, sigh.
Jiang Ling looked up at everyone and said, "The interrogation will continue as usual. Now let's discuss the division of labor."
Li Zhenliang and the others immediately regained their energy and spirits, and said in unison, "Yes!"
The once quiet office has become lively.
Jiang Ling stood up and wrote the eight characters "Anchor to Glory, Reconstruct Reality" on the blackboard hanging on the wall.
The three of them stared at the blackboard, lost in thought.
They recognized every word, but no one really knew what to do.
Jiang Ling explained, "I have spoken with Xu Mancang. He has a vivid memory of his past glorious deeds, but his memory is somewhat hazy when facing reality. Therefore, to obtain his confession, we need to connect the past with the present."
After a moment of silence, Jiang Ling's eyes showed compassion: "This interrogation is different from the previous ones. Our goal is not to break him down, but to try to find the truth amidst Xu Mancang's chaotic obsessions. He is a veteran criminal investigator, and even if he has broken the law, he will naturally be punished by law. We are not judges, and we cannot put him on trial."
Li Zhenliang sighed: "Police interrogating police officers, what a tragedy."
Liu Haoran shrugged: "Even princes are subject to the same laws as commoners. Even police officers are punished if they break the law."
Zhou Wei took out his notebook, neatly noted down the key points of the interrogation proposed by Jiang Ling, and began to ask: "Has Xu Mancang been brought back to the Municipal Bureau? What did Liang Youxun say?"
Jiang Ling shook her head: "He didn't explain."
Zhou Wei continued, "What did he say when they found rat poison in his house?"
Jiang Ling said, "He said that this only proves that his family has this kind of rat poison, but it does not prove that he poisoned the soy milk."
Xu Mancang's thinking is very clear and his logic is rigorous.
At least during Liang Youxun's initial interrogation, he showed a strong sense of counter-surveillance.
In his mind, he could poison people, but he couldn't be a criminal on trial, much less a defendant standing in the dock.
Zhou Wei frowned: "Xu Mancang has a wealth of counter-interrogation skills; he's a tough nut to crack."
Jiang Ling nodded: "Yes, so winning hearts and minds is the best approach."
Li Zhenliang understood a little: "Team leader, do you mean to use Xu Mancang's glorious past to influence him?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Haoran immediately raised his hands: "I can work with my colleagues in the archives department to organize Xu Mancang's case-solving records. Oh, right, we can also start with Xu Mancang's son; he must have heard his father tell stories of his glorious history of solving cases."
Jiang Ling's gaze was deep: "That's not all. Get ready quickly."
--
With everything prepared, Xu Mancang was led into a reception room.
As soon as he stepped into the reception room, Xu Mancang's stubborn gaze softened.
One corner of the room was set up as an "honor corner," where several certificates of merit that Xu Mancang had received in the past were displayed. There were certificates of merit for "Outstanding Individual" and "Advanced Worker" in a certain year, as well as certificates of merit for "Advanced in Eliminating the Four Pests" with strong characteristics of the era.
Xu Mancang walked with a slight limp.
He was still wearing those old police trousers, and his gray shirt was buttoned up neatly at the collar. When his gaze swept over the certificates of merit on the wall, he quickly walked over, leaned closer to examine them carefully, and said with bright eyes, "How did you find these certificates? I don't have any at home; I almost forgot about them."
Li Zhenliang and Liu Haoran exchanged a glance.
Seeing Xu Mancang's reaction, it was worth the two of them spending the whole day in the archives.
The overhead fluorescent lights were too cold, so a warm yellow floor lamp was added in the corner. The light was soft, creating a nostalgic and cozy atmosphere.
Two desks were placed against the wall in the reception room, with stationery, ashtrays, calendars and a well-worn police handbook on them.
Jiang Ling, Li Zhenliang, and Liu Haoran sat at the north-facing desk, while a cup of cooled jasmine tea sat on the south-facing desk.
After looking at the certificates on the wall, Xu Mancang slowly walked to his desk, touched the edge of the desk, and remained silent for a long time.
After a long silence, he said in a trembling voice, "This is my old office, isn't it? This desk is so worn it's practically shiny."
Xu Mancang picked up the enamel mug with the words "Serve the People" printed in large red characters, closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the faint jasmine fragrance in the tea, a smile playing on his lips: "Jasmine tea, ah, this was my favorite tea back then."
He took a sip of tea and carefully examined the enamel mug in his hand.
"Serve the people." He murmured, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes, which was then overwhelmed by a deep, indescribable emotion.
Yes, to serve the people.
As a great man once said, we should serve the people wholeheartedly and never be separated from the masses.
This was once his motto; did he live up to it?
Jiang Ling did not disturb Xu Mancang and sat quietly opposite him.
Today, she is wearing a crisp police uniform; she is no longer the resident chatting with Xu Mancang under the ginkgo tree yesterday, but an ordinary police officer.
Li Zhenliang and Liu Haoran were both wearing police uniforms, with notebooks open in front of them, ready to be silent recorders.
"Uncle Xu, please have a seat." Jiang Ling's voice was gentle and clear, carrying the respect of a junior to an elder. "We invited you here today to ask for your advice on this tricky case we are facing."
The atmosphere in the meeting room was pleasant. Jiang Ling deliberately avoided the word "interrogation" to prevent Xu Mancang from becoming confrontational.
Xu Mancang slowly sat down, his back straightening as usual. He placed his hands on his knees, his gaze falling on Jiang Ling's overly young face. He frowned and tentatively asked, "Have we... met before?"
Jiang Ling smiled: "Didn't we chat for a while in Pinganli yesterday? My name is Jiang Ling. I was just transferred from Jinwu Road Police Station to the Municipal Bureau. I live in Unit 1, Building 3, East District of Pinganli. Do you remember me?"
Xu Mancang stared at her for a long time, as if he had thought of something: "Oh, right, the little girl who bought Old Li's house."
Jiang Ling said, "Yes, we had a very pleasant chat yesterday. You are an experienced veteran police officer and a long-time resident of Ping'anli. I invited you here today because I have a case I'd like to ask for your advice on."
Xu Mancang was very satisfied with Jiang Ling's attitude. He lowered his head and took another sip of tea. The jasmine fragrance eased his tension: "You're not bad, young man. You know how to respect the elderly. Unlike that Xiao Liang, who puts on airs and acts ridiculously. When he asked me questions, he treated me like a criminal. Humph!"
"Uncle Xu, you have so many awards." Jiang Ling knew that Xu Mancang was venting his dissatisfaction with Liang Youxun, so he immediately changed the subject, pointing to the awards on the wall with sincere admiration in his tone.
Xu Mancang's face lit up with pride at the praise, but he humbly replied, "I'm old, I'm old, these are all achievements from back then."
“Although you have retired, your dedication to your police duties and your commitment to maintaining social order are still deeply ingrained in you and serve as a role model for us younger generations,” Jiang Ling said at the opportune moment.
Xu Mancang nodded slightly, a smile playing on his lips. His tense shoulders relaxed considerably, and his cold fingertips warmed up a little. He seemed to be basking in the glory of the past, which excited him greatly.
With the first step successfully completed, Jiang Ling began guiding the interrogation into the next stage.
Jiang Ling changed the subject, her tone becoming serious: "Uncle Xu, when you protected the steel mill and bravely fought against criminals back then, were you thinking about our duties as police officers?"
Xu Mancang nodded with a hint of pride and said, "That's right. The duty of the police, whether in the past or present, is to safeguard the peace of the area and maintain social order. This is the soul of us police officers."
“Then tell me,” Jiang Ling’s voice was not loud, but every word was clear, “if someone, for some purpose, even if he thinks it’s to cure an illness or awaken something, puts a deadly poison right across from our police station, in the place where the neighbors eat breakfast every day, causing innocent people to lie in the hospital, their lives hanging in the balance, what do you think that is?”
Xu Mancang suddenly froze.
Jiang Ling pressed on, "Eleven people have been poisoned, one of whom is still in critical condition, his life hanging in the balance. What do you think this is?"
Xu Mancang shifted his gaze to the certificates on the wall, but quickly looked away, as if he had been burned by the certificates.
Jiang Ling decided to add a bit more: "You should recognize the one whose fate is uncertain, Grandpa Liu Lesheng. He's a retired teacher who lives with his son's family and has a lovely grandson. The grandson just started learning the violin, and at first, his playing wasn't very pleasant, which made Du the Cripple come upstairs and bang on the door. You're quite close to him, aren't you? Now, Grandpa Liu doesn't know if he'll survive, and his grandson has lost interest in practicing. Every day he asks, 'When will Grandpa come back?'"
Xu Mancang's body jolted violently.
Upon hearing Liu Lesheng's name, his lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something, but was blocked by a huge wave of confusion.
Jiang Ling's gaze sharpened: "You're a veteran police officer, please tell me, is this kind of poisoning illegal?"
After a long pause, Xu Mancang finally nodded with difficulty: "It's illegal."
"Then tell me, is this kind of illegal behavior consistent with or contrary to our duties as police officers?" Jiang Ling stared intently at him, her voice becoming low.
Xu Mancang fell into deep thought.
After waiting for two minutes, Jiang Ling asked again, "I think this behavior goes against the duties of the police, disrupts social order, and makes Ping'anli no longer peaceful, right?"
“Destruction…no more peace…” Xu Mancang murmured, repeating the two words over and over, his eyes filled with growing confusion and pain.
The remaining rationality was rife with conflicting emotions within him:
He poisoned the animals to cure their illness, to sound the alarm, and to make more people see the problems in Ping'anli. Wasn't that maintaining social order? How come this Jiang Ling says that everything he did deviated from his duties as a police officer and disrupted social order?
I think I just admitted to myself that this behavior was illegal.
Could it be that I have become the criminal he hated most back then?
Confused thoughts and the shock of reality caused cold sweat to gradually seep from Xu Mancang's forehead.
Seeing that Xu Mancang was struggling internally and his self-esteem was crumbling, Jiang Ling gestured to Liu Haoran to speak.
"Uncle Xu, I would like to ask you to hear the voices of the victims and their families." Liu Haoran picked up a tape recorder from under his desk and pressed play.
"Who was the heartless bastard who poisoned the soy milk? My wife still has diarrhea every day and has had to take a week of sick leave. My wife works in a small private factory, and HR said that if she takes any more leave, they will fire her. Tell me, what are we going to do?"
"Officer, I'm really scared. I feel like throwing up whenever I see soy milk now. I'm too scared to eat out anymore. I've developed a psychological trauma."
"Waaaaah... I've had the worst luck imaginable! I drank a bowl of soy milk and ended up in the ICU. I had to have my stomach pumped, get injections, and almost died. Who was this shameless bastard who ruined this? This lousy neighborhood, they even have the nerve to call it Ping'anli? Ping'an my ass! I'm going to sell my house as soon as I get back and never live here again."
Xu Mancang's gaze was deep and his expression grew increasingly somber.
He froze when he heard a familiar, faint breathing sound coming from the tape recorder.
"Cough cough cough... I'm old, I'll just die. I just can't bear to leave my little grandson. He says he wants to become a great musician, and I really want to see him perform on stage."
"Old Liu!"
"It's Old Liu's voice."
"I, I'm not... Oh no! I was..." Xu Mancang began to stammer incoherently.
He held his head in his hands, his fingers digging deep into his gray hair, tearing at it as if trying to rip those chaotic, painful thoughts out of his mind.
"I did it to... to use strong medicine to cure... cure..." He talked about "curing" for a long time, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words "cure the root."
His carefully constructed logic of "justice" to support his actions finally crumbled amidst the condemnation of the victims.
Jiang Ling did not press the matter further.
She watched quietly as the once dignified old man before her hunched over in pain, his eyes like those of a wild beast trapped in a snare, struggling desperately.
After a long while, her voice rang out again, softly but clearly.
Her words were not an interrogation, but rather a profound yet warm guidance.
"Uncle Xu, I know you care about Ping An Li. You want it to be better than anyone else, you want it to be peaceful and orderly, right?"
"Watching the houses in Pinganli being built one by one, the roads in Pinganli being repaired one by one, and the trees in Pinganli being planted one by one, don't you feel a great sense of accomplishment?"
"But houses, communities, and people all age. Exterior bricks weather, roofs leak, roads break down, and trees die. People come and go, and this community, built forty years ago, is getting old too."
Jiang Ling's words struck a chord with Xu Mancang. The profound agreement caused Xu Mancang's body to tremble violently, and a suppressed sigh escaped from deep within his throat: "Yes, Ping'anli is getting old. Like me, it's getting old!"
Jiang Ling's voice was filled with compassion: "Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the laws of nature. We cannot stop the progress of the times, just as we cannot stop the community from declining."
Xu Mancang suddenly looked up and stared intently at Jiang Ling: "No! I can."
Jiang Ling countered, "What can you do?"
Xu Mancang suddenly became excited: "I want to appeal to everyone to pay attention to Ping'anli and to get the government to take notice of Ping'anli. As long as the public pays attention and the government is willing, we can repair roads, renovate, and revitalize Ping'anli."
Jiang Ling said, "Yes, your idea is correct. I specifically went to the municipal government to learn that the renovation of old communities will start next year, and our Pinganli is one of them."
Xu Mancang's spirits lifted: "Really?"
Jiang Ling nodded: "Yes."
Xu Mancang's eyes shone with excitement: "Ah, thank you government, thank you Party, our Ping'anli is finally going to be transformed!"
Jiang Ling pointed to the tape recorder: "Uncle Xu, you were once the best policeman. You know better than anyone what truly protects social order. It relies on the law, on feedback through normal channels, on open and aboveboard appeals, and on respect for every life, not... poisoning that causes panic and chaos."
“Now, Pinganli needs the truth.”
Jiang Ling began to show her sharp edge, her voice carrying a deep sense of pressure: "Please tell me, what exactly happened on the night of the 24th? Who put the poison in the bean powder bag? Only by telling the truth can you truly be worthy of this police uniform you've worn your whole life, and worthy of the peace and security you've wanted to protect. This is what you should truly be doing now... as a glorious police officer!"
Jiang Ling's words were like a warm hand, leading the confused Xu Mancang out of the fog-shrouded forest.
Jiang Ling did not mention the word "confess," but emphasized the truth.
She didn't ask him to confess, but instead emphasized that he should be worthy of his police uniform and protect the peace of the neighborhood.
She said he was a proud policeman.
Xu Mancang slowly raised his head, his wrinkles deepening. He glanced at the certificate on the wall that once represented the glorious moments of his career, then looked down at his faded old police trousers.
"I..." His voice was broken and filled with deep sorrow, "I'm sorry to Old Liu, I'm sorry to the neighbors, I'm sorry to this uniform."
He stretched out a trembling finger, pointing to the certificates on the wall, then to himself, and finally covered his face. His trembling and slow voice echoed in the interrogation room, which was decorated in an almost warm manner, filled with endless regret and pain. Like a kite swaying in the wind and rain, he was on the verge of breaking his string and falling at any moment.
“It was me, I put the medicine in. I wanted them, everyone in that police station building across the street, to see this, to wake them up. Ping'anli is really old, I can't let it die like Xiulan, I have to use strong medicine to save it.”
Jiang Ling listened quietly without interrupting.
Li Zhenliang quickly took notes.
Liu Haoran sighed softly and closed his eyes.
Outside the window, dusk was settling in, swallowing the last outline of the ginkgo tree in Ping An Lane.
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