Chapter 107 Arsonist: It's great that my comrades are growing up so fast.
Li Zhenliang attempted to break down the criminal motive into two lines.
"First, let's assume that the arson was intended to murder Fan Guoping."
Liu Haoran was the first to raise his hand in rebuttal: "Impossible. Fan Guoping was in the duty room, a relatively isolated and secluded location. If the murderer's main target was to kill him, there would be more direct and covert methods, such as sneaking into the duty room to commit the crime. Why would they go to the trouble of setting fire to the entire warehouse? It would be too noisy and too risky. Moreover, multiple fire points were concentrated in the main area of the warehouse, and the duty room was more like an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire."
Li Zhenliang looked at Liu Haoran: "Haoran is right. I also think that the murderer's main purpose was not to kill."
After speaking, Li Zhenliang pointed to the hand-drawn warehouse floor plan: "Look. The murderer chose to act when Fan Guoping was probably eating or had just finished eating, probably because he thought Fan Guoping would be more vigilant at that time. This shows that the murderer knew Fan Guoping very well. He used this time to quickly start a fire and then left. He probably thought the guard room was a brick and stone structure and relatively safe. Or, subconsciously, he didn't care about the lives of the people inside, he only cared about whether the fire could start and whether it would burn big enough."
Li Zhenliang finished speaking in one breath, then subconsciously looked at Jiang Ling, seeking her opinion with his eyes.
Jiang Ling nodded slightly: "Very good, continue."
Encouraged by Jiang Ling, Li Zhenliang wrote the three characters "determine the nature" on the whiteboard: "After ruling out murder as the motive, we will now analyze the murderer's motive for arson."
Liu Haoran, who has been studying criminal psychology on his own, picked up the thread: "The motive for arson is usually revenge. For example, the murderer works in a warehouse and has been wronged or aggrieved. In anger, he decides to burn it down."
Jiang Ling bowed slightly: "From a psychological perspective, in arson as revenge, the perpetrator enjoys the intense stimulation and sense of control that the act of arson itself brings. The destructive power of the flames makes him feel a distorted force."
Li Zhenliang's eyes lit up: "Yes, yes, yes, Fan Guoping's death was just a side effect."
Liu Haoran opened his notes: "Multiple ignition points and the use of accelerants to create a fierce fire all point to the perpetrator obtaining psychological satisfaction through arson, which is usually related to deep-seated psychological trauma and a sense of powerlessness."
Li Zhenliang grinned: "Haoran, you've learned a lot of new things lately!"
Liu Haoran scratched his head sheepishly: "Well, the team leader is preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam, and I didn't want to fall behind, so I found some professional books to read."
Jiang Ling agreed with Liu Haoran's supplementary theory: "Haoran is right, this leads to the core characteristics of our portrait. Liangzi, I'll say it, you take notes."
Li Zhenliang hummed in agreement, picked up a black marker, listened attentively to what Jiang Ling had to say, and took notes on the whiteboard.
Jiang Ling began to create a psychological profile of the arsonist.
"First, they suffer from extreme repression and low self-esteem. They are usually in a situation where they are ignored, bullied, or extremely lack a sense of accomplishment. In the real world, they may be invisible, unable to feel their own value, and full of powerlessness."
"Second, lack of control. They are usually unable to control situations in real life and are unable to effectively express anger or resistance."
Liu Haoran shook his head and sighed: "Alas! Arson is actually a way for the incompetent to vent their frustrations."
Criminal psychology has conducted detailed psychological analyses of arsonists, who typically gain a sense of "power" and "existence" through arson. Because fire possesses immense destructive power and can instantly alter the environment, it provides them with a sense of control and influence they cannot experience in daily life. Watching the flames rise, they feel a distorted sense of "power" and "release," which is their only way to prove their "existence" and even "importance."
Jiang Ling looked at Li Zhenliang: "Now that the nature of the problem has been determined, we can define the scope."
Li Zhenliang took a deep breath and, while organizing his thoughts, slowly and clearly stated what was on his mind: "First, we need to focus on investigating all the internal employees of the warehouse. Pay attention to those who, as you just mentioned, are extremely depressed and have low self-esteem, or have been bullied at work or in life. Also, pay attention to those who have recently experienced major setbacks in their work or life, such as having their wages deducted, being treated unfairly, experiencing heartbreak, or family changes, and whose emotions are obviously low or abnormal."
Jiang Ling added, "Pay special attention to people with a history of arson or who show an unusual interest in fire, such as those who like to play with fire, talk about fires, or watch related movies."
“Okay, I understand.” Li Zhenliang responded and continued along his train of thought, “Second, investigate employees who have recently left, especially in the last three months, focusing on those who were fired, had conflicts with foremen or bosses, or had unpleasant experiences with Fan Guoping. Understand the reasons for their departure, their recent activities, and their emotional state.”
Li Zhenliang paused at this point.
His analysis of the two points he just made, based on the two criminal motives of revenge and venting anger, should be quite comprehensive, right?
Jiang Ling waited a while and then asked, "Liangzi, are you finished?"
Li Zhenliang said, "Team leader, that's all I can think of."
Jiang Ling looked at Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei: "Do you have anything to add?"
If she can successfully pass the postgraduate entrance examination next year, she will need to take a break from her studies for at least the first year. At that time, only Li Zhenliang and the other two members of the psychological profiling team will be left. We need to seize the time to help them get rid of their dependence on us and grow up quickly.
Liu Haoran pondered for a moment, then astutely seized upon a loophole: "Let me add something. Didn't the scene say that Fan Guoping was eating when the fire started, or had just finished eating? It's illogical for Fan Guoping to be eating so late. We can conduct a thorough investigation into who had contact with Fan Guoping before the incident, especially those who might have caused him to delay eating or lower his guard."
“Very good.” Jiang Ling gestured for Li Zhenliang to write this down.
Zhou Wei also stood up: "I'd like to add something as well. We should investigate the receipt, use, and storage of the accelerant. Who was in charge? Were there any unusual losses recently? Who had access to it? In addition, we should conduct a detailed verification of the whereabouts of all warehouse employees and people in the vicinity on the night of the incident, and look for loopholes in their alibis."
Although it was a routine screening focus, Jiang Ling was still very happy that her team members were able to use their brains and respond actively.
“You all did a great job. Now, I’d like to work with you all to create a profile of the killer.” This is an area that the team members are not currently good at, so Jiang Ling deliberately slowed down her speech.
Li Zhenliang quickly drew a table on the whiteboard, with columns indicating a series of physiological characteristics such as gender, age, height, and body type.
Jiang Ling asked, "First, the gender of the arsonist."
Liu Haoran reacted the fastest: "I think it's a man, but I don't know what the basis is."
Jiang Ling smiled: "Trust your instincts. Arson is often associated with traits such as aggression, destructiveness, and a pursuit of power, traits that are more prominent in men in crime statistics."
"Hehe, I guessed right!" Liu Haoran grinned, a hint of pride in his eyes as he looked at Li Zhenliang and Zhou Wei.
Jiang Ling said, "This case was carried out late at night in a rainstorm. It involved moving accelerants, setting up multiple ignition points, and breaking door locks. It required a certain level of physical strength, courage, and adaptability to the environment, all of which are more in line with the behavioral characteristics of a male character."
Li Zhenliang suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, you really are the team leader, you understand right away!"
Liu Haoran, not understanding, asked, "Then may I ask, what are the most common ways women retaliate when they encounter bullying? This will help us to create more accurate profiles of suspects in the future."
Jiang Ling wished she could cram all the theoretical knowledge she had into her team members' heads at once: "From a criminological perspective, women's retaliatory behavior does indeed differ significantly from men's. Men tend to use direct violence, such as physical altercations, arson, and property damage, while women tend to use indirect confrontation methods."
"Women are more adept at using interpersonal networks, such as spreading rumors, social isolation, and exposing privacy. Or they may retaliate through third parties, instigate crimes, or use institutional means to make false accusations or malicious complaints."
Thinking of the cases she had encountered in the women's prison in her previous life, Jiang Ling's mood became heavy. As a woman herself, she always felt more empathy for the pain of women being harmed and women committing crimes.
"Furthermore, women may resort to self-destructive retaliation. When long-term repression explodes, they may retaliate by harming their children or through self-harm. They believe that harming themselves and their children is damaging the core interests of the bullies, but in reality..."
Thinking of the cases of women who have been cheated on or subjected to domestic violence, who dared not resist their husbands due to the power imbalance, and who turned to abusing their children, self-harm, or even suicide, Jiang Ling felt a pang of sadness and did not want to continue talking.
Li Zhenliang quickly changed the subject: "Well, I heard that the proportion of poisoning is relatively high among women."
After all, the story of "Big Brother, drink your medicine" is a classic that has been passed down through generations.
Jiang Ling nodded: "That's right. Compared to men's direct acts of violence, women may take more covert methods. For example, they may secretly damage the other person's cherished items, including cosmetics, clothes, and electronic products, or tamper with food by adding large amounts of salt or laxatives, or even poisoning in extreme cases."
Li Zhenliang felt he had gained a lot.
Sure enough, the team leader is the team leader. His words are as valuable as ten years of study.
Li Zhenliang solemnly filled in the word "male" in the "gender" column of the form, then looked at Jiang Ling and asked, "And the age?"
Jiang Ling countered with, "What do you think?"
Li Zhenliang tried to analyze it using Jiang Ling's way of thinking: "The three ignition points were close in time, and the accelerant also needed to be moved. The process required a certain amount of physical strength. Therefore, I speculate that he was a young adult, probably between 18 and 35 years old. If we narrow it down a bit, I would lean towards 20 to 30 years old."
Jiang Ling reminded him, "You can also infer the killer's psychological maturity from the modus operandi."
Liu Haoran was completely absorbed in this "learning and practicing" state, his mind working quickly. He quickly chimed in, "The arsonist was able to set multiple fires and knew how to use accelerants, which clearly shows that he acted with great planning. This means he's not too young. Teenagers are generally more impulsive and their methods are simpler. Older people have decreased physical strength and adventurous spirit, so they wouldn't easily commit arson. Therefore, I support Liangzi's analysis."
Zhou Wei added: "Psychological profiling points to a neglected and bullied social status, which is more common among migrant workers who have just entered the workforce. They are at the bottom of the workplace and are usually young and middle-aged. In addition, manual laborers working in warehouse environments are also mainly young and middle-aged men."
Jiang Ling affirmed everyone's analysis: "Young and middle-aged adults, that's right." The vague memories of his past life's criminal records reminded him that the perpetrator of this fire was a first-time offender and shouldn't be too old. The deduction of being between 20 and 30 years old was reasonable.
Li Zhenliang perked up, filled in the age field with the words "young adult," and then pointed to the height and build section, saying, "Judging from the scene, the damage to the door lock was caused by firefighters, and the perpetrator chose arson—a method that doesn't require direct confrontation but can cause massive destruction—therefore..."
After a pause, Li Zhenliang said, "I suspect the murderer is not tall and not physically strong. Do you all remember Fan Hu, whom we arrested before? He was strong and muscular, and his way of retaliating was through violence, not arson. A person who is used to avoiding direct physical conflict and tends to use arson to vent his anger could not possibly be like Fan Hu."
Upon hearing this, everyone present nodded in agreement.
Liu Haoran: "Yes, Liangzi's analysis is very accurate."
Zhou Wei: "That's right. In manual labor environments, being short and not physically strong often leads to being bullied."
Jiang Ling: "That's good, continue."
Li Zhenliang gradually got the hang of it. After filling in his height and body type, he stared blankly at the appearance section. After a long while, he smiled wryly and said, "This is a bit difficult. I really don't have Luo Yunchen's ability to draw portraits out of thin air."
Jiang Ling encouraged him: "Although it's difficult to accurately determine specific facial features, we can infer overall temperament and state characteristics based on psychological traits. Think about it, what kind of appearance and temperament do people who are long-term repressed, have low self-esteem, and lack a sense of presence usually have?"
Liu Haoran tentatively asked, "Hooped, hunched over, head down? Avoiding eye contact, appearing somewhat timid and hesitant?"
Jiang Ling hummed in agreement. "That's good, continue."
Li Zhenliang also had an inspiration: "His expression is rather wooden, he doesn't dare to make eye contact with people, and he may appear taciturn and expressionless when not working?"
Zhou Wei also joined the discussion: "As warehouse workers or similar manual laborers, their appearance may bear the marks of their profession. Their skin may be slightly rough and dark due to outdoor or dusty environments, their hands may have calluses, and they may wear work clothes or cheap casual clothes."
Li Zhenliang clapped his hands and summarized, "Then we'll remind the investigators to pay attention to whether there are any particularly short or thin individuals among the young and middle-aged population during their visits and investigations. They should also look into their personalities, asking if they've recently experienced any low mood, sudden leave requests, or strange behavior, whether they've had any conflicts with others, or whether they've been criticized or had their wages deducted at work."
Zhou Wei, who prefers geospatial analysis, said to Li Zhenliang, "Considering the arsonist's short and thin build, I'll refine the internal paths of the warehouse based on the location of the fire to see which hidden or narrow passages they are more familiar with or prefer to use. This will narrow down the scope of the investigation and make it easier to find other evidence."
The task of the psychological profiling team is more about providing technical support than on-site investigation.
Liu Haoran also began to assign himself tasks: "Then I will continue to analyze the psychological traces of arsonists, such as whether they paid unusual attention to fire news before the incident? Did they show any unusual interest in flames? After the incident, were they unusually silent or instead showed inappropriate ease? Is it possible that they returned to the vicinity of the scene to observe? After all, a fascination with fire is a common characteristic of arsonists. After understanding these things, I will formulate an interrogation strategy to try to break through the psychological defenses of such suspects!"
Seeing how enthusiastic his team members were, Li Zhenliang was not to be outdone: "Okay, then I'll write the psychological profile report, summarizing our process of defining the nature, scope, and characteristics, and give it to Captain Fan so that they can identify the suspect more quickly when conducting investigations."
Jiang Ling maintained a smile throughout.
The value of psychological profiling lies in transforming unseen and intangible psychological motivations into clear and understandable investigative pathways.
It's great that my colleagues are growing so fast.
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