Chapter 4 The Interrogation Room: Those with nothing to lose are fearless.
Unlike the approachable and warm atmosphere of the police station, the interrogation room appears cold and solemn.
A table and three chairs, a gray-blue cement floor, snow-white walls, and the eight large black characters on the wall that read "Confess and be lenient; resist and be severely punished" give it a sense of authority.
Upon entering the interrogation room and seeing the slogans on the wall, Qian Darong was visibly intimidated. He dared not look around and huddled close to his mother without uttering a sound.
Jiang Ling did not speak immediately. Even after Li Zhenliang came in and the two sat down behind the wooden interrogation table, she remained silent.
Jiang Ling's silence put immense psychological pressure on the Qian family.
Zhao Yanhong gave Qian Jianshe a push, signaling him to communicate with the police.
Qian Jianshe had no choice but to step forward and sit down opposite Jiang Ling: "Officers, please say what you have to say. We will do our best to cooperate."
“My major at the police academy was criminal psychology,” Jiang Ling finally said.
Qian Jianshe paused for half a second, stunned. Criminal psychology? What kind of thing is that? What did Officer Jiang study, and what does it have to do with him?
“Psychological research shows that if long-term bullies are not intervened in time, their probability of committing violent crimes as adults is more than four times that of ordinary people.” Jiang Ling spoke slowly and deliberately, but every word was clear.
Qian Jianshe felt a tightness in his chest, and his voice became dry and hoarse: "Well, my son Darong was just playing around with his classmates, it's not bullying at all. The police officers from the station came to the school to investigate the previous two times, and it was Liang Jiushan who made a mountain out of a molehill..."
"No need to explain." Jiang Ling raised her hand to stop Qian Jianshe's defense. Liang Jiushan's file contained the three mediation agreements from that year, and the lawyer later re-examined the evidence, confirming that the classmates who testified for Qian Darong were all lying.
"In 1990, there was a robbery and murder case in Shanghai. During the trial, it was discovered that the perpetrator had been bullying weaker classmates for five years, when he was 17. Because his violent criminal tendencies were not corrected in time, he eventually committed a heinous crime and was sentenced to death."
What parent wants to hear such a case? Isn't this clearly saying that if Qian Darong isn't properly cared for now, he will go down the path of crime in the future? Qian Jianshe's face turned pale, and he turned to look at Zhao Yanhong.
Zhao Yanhong, protective of her son, hurriedly defended him: "Don't try to fool me! My son, Darong, is an obedient and good child with a bright future. It's this Liang Jiushan who dared to hit people in the police station. I think he has criminal tendencies and will be executed in the future."
Jiang Ling's first step was to make the Qian family pay attention to Qian Darong's education and prevent problems from arising in the first place.
Qian Darong bullies the weak for two reasons: first, he gets pleasure from suppressing Liang Jiushan; second, he has his parents protecting him, so if anything happens, he can just pay some money. Therefore, he is not afraid at all.
With the indulgence of his family, Qian Darong's pleasure from bullying the weak escalated, and he gradually became addicted to it, eventually turning to a life of crime.
However, this step appears to have failed.
In Qian Jianshe and Zhao Yanhong's eyes, Qian Darong was their precious treasure, a mischievous yet clever child who, under their protection, was sure to have a bright future. No matter what Jiang Ling said about the consequences, they simply refused to believe it.
Jiang Ling said calmly, "According to Article 134 of the Criminal Law, intentionally injuring another person can be punished with imprisonment of up to three years."
The interrogation room was too serious, which made Zhao Yanhong, who was used to stirring up trouble and being unreasonable, a little scared. But she refused to show weakness in front of the young policewoman and said stubbornly, "Don't talk to me about any article of the criminal law or any sentence of less than three years in prison. My son, Darong, is a minor. At most, you police can only educate him."
Jiang Ling narrowed her eyes, a sharp glint in them. She pointed at Liang Jiushan and said, "He is also a minor. Even if he kills someone, he won't be sentenced to death!" Jiang Ling deliberately emphasized the word "also".
Before Liang Jiushan could understand Jiang Ling's meaning, Zhao Yanhong had already nervously put her arm around her son's shoulder, protecting him tightly: "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Li Zhenliang's palms were sweating slightly. Jiang Ling had reported for duty in July, meaning she had only been working there for a little over a month. She was usually quiet, and when communicating with colleagues, she mostly used only "um," "okay," "fine," and "I know." He hadn't expected her to be so fierce and sharp-tongued as soon as she entered the interrogation room today, which made him a little uneasy.
Jiang Ling raised her voice: "Even a rabbit will bite when cornered. Aren't you afraid that Liang Jiushan will risk his life to hurt Qian Darong?"
Zhao Yanhong acted so recklessly simply because they were in a superior position.
Qian Darong was tall and strong, and had several henchmen to help him. He was always the one who injured Liang Jiushan, while Liang Jiushan could never hurt him in the slightest.
However, Jiang Ling's words had a hidden meaning, which made Zhao Yanhong tremble with fear. What if... what if Liang Jiushan really went all out if pushed too far?
Perhaps because he had seen too many files and dealt with too many criminals, Jiang Ling understood human nature very well.
In the eyes of a selfish parent like Zhao Yanhong, Liang Jiushan's worthless life was not worth even half a finger of Qian Darong's. If Qian Darong injured Liang Jiushan, it was because my son was capable, but if Liang Jiushan injured Qian Darong, it would be an unforgivable crime.
Only when she is afraid and in pain will she restrain herself.
Liang Qiqiao was an honest person, and she hurriedly explained, "My younger brother is very sensible, he wouldn't..."
Liang Jiushan's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood. He shouted, "Those who have nothing to lose are not afraid of those who have something to lose. Qian Darong, if you bully me again, I'll stab you to death! Anyway, you all say that minors don't go to jail for crimes. At worst, they'll just go to a juvenile detention center for a few years. When I get out, I'll still be a hero."
The fact that juvenile delinquency was originally a shield for Qian Darong has now reversed. Liang Jiushan is also using this as an excuse, acting like a scoundrel, which has made Qian Jianshe very nervous.
Qian Jianshe looked at Liang Jiushan.
Liang Jiushan is fifteen years old this year. He is tall and thin and looks like a teenager. But his beautiful eyes are filled with anger, as if they contain extreme power to burn everything in front of him to ashes.
Thinking back to the scene at the police station where Liang Jiushan jumped up and punched his son, Qian Jianshe finally became a little scared.
What if Liang Jiushan really goes mad one day and kills his son with a knife? Qian Jianshe only has this one son, and he can't be put in danger.
Qian Jianshe was about to smooth things over and ease the tension when Qian Darong, who had been hiding behind his mother, seemed to have adapted to the unfamiliar environment and curled his lip in disdain: "Liang Jiushan, anyone can brag. You've never even killed a chicken, yet you dare to kill someone? Bah!"
Qian Darong's sexual awareness developed very early. After entering junior high school, he led a group of followers to swagger around the campus, but he couldn't suppress the lustful fire in his heart. Liang Qiqiao was gentle, beautiful, and had a good figure. Qian Darong fell in love with her at first sight and would harass her in the senior high school section whenever he had free time.
Liang Qiqiao was very honest and immediately chose to complain to the teacher. However, she was timid and shy, and there were some things she couldn't say, so the teacher didn't take it seriously enough and only gave Qian Darong a few simple criticisms.
Qian Darong acted like a bully at school. After being criticized and educated by a high school teacher, he vented all his resentment on Liang Jiushan. First, he picked a fight and pushed her. After being criticized by the teacher, he turned to provoking and beating her outside of school. Liang Jiushan called the police twice, but Qian's parents easily dealt with both cases. This made Qian Darong's ego grow arrogant. He felt that Liang Jiushan and her brother were just easy targets.
Although Qian Darong was afraid of Jiang Ling, the cold-faced policewoman, he never took Liang Jiushan seriously. As soon as he heard Liang Jiushan make a harsh statement, he popped out from behind his mother and mocked her.
"Kill a chicken?" Jiang Ling glanced at Liang Jiushan.
Liang Jiushan was very clever and understood immediately. He grinned broadly and said happily, "Is killing a chicken difficult? I'll go to the market and learn how to kill a chicken when I get back. Twist the neck, and draw blood in one stroke, ha!"
After saying that, Liang Jiushan gestured as if he were killing a chicken, grabbing with his left hand and making a horizontal cut with his right palm, raising an eyebrow at Qian Darong.
Qian Darong stared blankly at Liang Jiushan's movements, a chill running down his spine. Liang Jiushan was clearly half a head shorter than him, and usually he was trampled underfoot like a clown, but today, with a raised eyebrow, he exuded an indescribable evil aura, as if he had become a completely different person.
Seeing Liang Jiushan's eager expression as he talked about killing a chicken, Zhao Yanhong felt a little scared. Qian Darong was the foundation of her position in the Qian family, and she couldn't afford to make any mistakes. If her son got hurt, Qian Jianshe would definitely not let her off the hook and would surely kick her out.
Qian Jianshe realized that things were spiraling out of his control, so he decided to try and talk to Jiang Ling first: "Officer Jiang, you really need to give Liang Jiushan a good talking-to. We need to nip this in the bud. If a juvenile delinquent really does appear in our jurisdiction, you'll be criticized too, won't you?"
Police stations are evaluated for excellence every year. If several mediations not only fail to achieve the desired results but also exacerbate conflicts and lead to juvenile delinquency, they will indeed be criticized by their superiors, fail to be evaluated for excellence, and receive a smaller year-end bonus.
"Heh." Jiang Ling only gave Qian Jianshe a single word.
Qian Jianshe looked at Li Zhenliang, who was taking a statement, and said, "Officer Li, say something. Shouldn't disputes among residents in the jurisdiction be resolved through mediation first? How did it escalate to this point where it's a fight to the death?"
Li Zhenliang felt a surge of satisfaction.
Who would have thought that giving them a taste of their own medicine could be so satisfying!
Didn't Qian Darong brazenly claim that minors who commit murder don't go to jail? Let him taste that bitter fruit then.
When Qian Jianshe called his name, Li Zhenliang suppressed the ever-growing smile on his lips and coughed twice in a mock manner: "Isn't Officer Jiang mediating right now? You should just do as she says."
Qian Jianshe smiled wryly: "Officer Jiang, just tell us straight, what exactly do you want us to do to be satisfied?"
Seeing that Qian Jianshe had finally taken the matter seriously, Jiang Ling pointed to Liang Jiushan and said, "You should ask him about this."
Qian Jianshe had no choice but to turn to Liang Jiushan: "Liang Jiushan, didn't we just agree on the terms and reach an understanding? Why are you shouting for war now? Don't you think that if you kill someone, even if you don't get the death penalty, your and your sister's future will be ruined?"
Liang Jiushan sensed the threat in Qian Jianshe's words, pursed his lips, and countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
Liang Qiqiao's face was pale, and she clung tightly to her younger brother's arm, her body trembling slightly.
Jiang Ling leaned back, her face cold: "Oh? When Qian Darong was shouting that minors don't go to jail for breaking the law, why didn't you use that to educate him?"
With that, Jiang Ling suddenly stood up, slammed his hand on the table, and raised his voice sharply: "Qian Darong! Did you hear me clearly? Minors who break the law will have their futures ruined just the same!"
Jiang Ling's eyes flashed with a cold light, like icicles hanging from the eaves in the twelfth lunar month, icy and hard, inspiring fear in those who looked upon them. Qian Darong was intimidated by Jiang Ling's gaze and dared not meet her eyes, hiding behind his mother once again, not daring to utter a sound.
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