Chapter 68 Geng Lihua: Investigate this person
I left the meeting room and returned to my office.
Jiang Ling slowly sat back in her chair, placed the notebook in her hand on the table, and let out a long sigh.
Li Zhenliang glanced at her expression and fawned over her, pouring her a cup of hot tea: "Team leader, have some tea."
Liu Haoran used his notebook as a fan to help Jiang Ling cool off, saying, "Don't be angry, don't be angry."
Zhou Wei sat opposite Jiang Ling and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Well, I also wanted to say a few words for you, but for some reason, the atmosphere in the venue was so heavy that I didn't dare."
Li Zhenliang and Liu Haoran both looked apologetic: "Yes, we're sorry, team leader."
Although they were a group, the other three remained silent when Qin Tieshan angrily rebuked Jiang Ling; they were all a little guilty. It was simply that Qin Tieshan's expression was too unpleasant and his gaze too sharp, which frightened the three of them.
I've never had a leader this fierce before, not even in the police station.
Jiang Ling took the teacup and took a sip: "It's alright. If you were to speak up now, it would only add fuel to the fire, which would be counterproductive."
When there's pressure, the team leader has to step up; otherwise, how can they lead the team?
Hearing Jiang Ling's words, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Zhenliang asked, "What do we do next?"
Liu Haoran suggested, "How about we refine the three-step investigation method further?"
Zhou Wei: "Yes, I think what you said at the meeting makes a lot of sense, but the part about painting facial masks can be further refined."
Jiang Ling nodded.
The three immediately began to act.
Li Zhenliang took a piece of chalk and wrote the words "June 15 Rainy Night Murder Case" on the blackboard.
Liu Haoran pasted the backup case photos onto the white wall.
Zhou Wei sat at the conference table with his laptop in his hand.
Everything is ready.
Luo Yunchen arrived with his team.
Luo Yunchen didn't consider himself an outsider and sat down at the conference table: "I'd also like to participate in the case discussion."
Jiang Ling did not object.
She appreciated Luo Yunchen's support during the meeting, despite Qin Tieshan's anger.
Jiang Ling said to him, "Team Leader Lei mentioned at the meeting today that there was an eyewitness..."
Luo Yunchen immediately understood what she meant: "Don't worry, I've already spoken to Captain Lei. He'll call the eyewitness over soon to prepare a sketch. However, it was late at night, the streetlights weren't on, and it was raining heavily. The eyewitness only saw the person's general shape; he couldn't see their face clearly."
Jiang Ling said, "If you can't draw the face, then leave it blank for now. Draw the body shape and the movements."
Luo Yunchen laughed: "The way you talk is quite like your master's."
Jiang Ling glanced at him.
Luo Yunchen quickly raised his hands: "Okay, okay, I'll do my best to draw the figure and the movements."
Jiang Ling gestured for Li Zhenliang to begin.
Li Zhenliang said, "The team leader already mentioned this at today's meeting..."
As he spoke, he wrote key phrases on the blackboard.
—Characteristic: Premeditated murder, retaliation.
—Setting the direction: retrospectively investigate past medical accidents, and observe the scene, clinic, and medical school.
—Characteristics: Male, 25-50 years old, auxiliary worker in the medical system, ordinary, honest, local or long-term resident.
Jiang Ling glanced at her team members: "Team Leader Lei is focusing on traditional investigation methods, while our psychological profiling team has only one goal: to transform the murderer from a vague shadow into a clear and actionable profile to guide the arrest. Now, let's delve deeper and refine our approach, leaving no detail overlooked."
Luo Yunchen added, "Our criminal investigation profiling team has only one goal: to draw a profile of the criminal suspect by combining the profiles of eyewitnesses and those of the psychological profiling team."
Jiang Ling walked to the blackboard and said to Li Zhenliang, "I'll explain, and you write."
Li Zhenliang responded loudly: "Yes!"
Jiang Ling said, "The nature of the incident can basically be determined. Although Captain Qin lost his temper today, he ultimately approved our proposed adjustment of the investigation direction. Captain Lei and his team have already arranged to conduct a retrospective investigation into the medical malpractice. Here, I suggest making a list and requiring a focus on screening the following points."
Li Zhenliang quickly wrote on the blackboard, while Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei worked together to make a list on paper.
"1. Involving nurses' operational errors or disputes over liability; 2. Resulting in the death or serious disability of patients; 3. The time of the accident is clearly recorded, especially close to 12 o'clock. This 12 o'clock could be noon or evening, but I personally tend to think it was evening, which is basically consistent with the time when the murderer committed the crime."
Luo Yunchen raised his hand and suggested, "We can send someone to check the medical school archives and the health bureau archives. The clinic's old records may not be complete, so we should try to find out more."
Su Xinwan weakly added, "The medical malpractice that the murderer suffered may not have happened in our Yan City."
As soon as she said that, everyone's eyes turned to her.
Yes, medical accidents that happened ten or even twenty years ago don't necessarily happen in Yan City!
That would make the area too large.
Jiang Ling frowned.
After a few seconds of silence, Jiang Ling sighed, "That's all we can do for now. If we're not in Yan City, we can't investigate. We can only rely on investigators to ask older people if they remember anything."
Li Zhenliang suggested, "Then let's shift our focus to the observation point. Didn't the team leader say that the murderer wants to be seen? He will return to the crime scene or the places where the victim often frequented."
Jiang Ling looked at Liu Haoran: "Haoran, based on the map, make a table showing the best observation positions, field of vision, and peak times of personnel flow for the three points: the clinic, the alley entrance, and the nursing department building of the medical school. Mark them clearly, especially the exact times when nurses go to and from get off work."
Liu Haoran immediately replied, "Yes!"
Jiang Ling looked at everyone and said, "Let's discuss together what micro-expressions, body language, or behavioral patterns the murderer might exhibit at the observation point. Dawei, you're in charge of compiling a list. Once it's done, give a copy to the colleagues who are keeping watch, so it will be easier to identify."
"Yes!" Zhou Wei said, taking notes as he spoke, his notebook in hand.
Everyone chimed in, and soon a considerable amount of information was gathered.
—The stay was long and without a reasonable purpose;
—Excessive focus on specific targets, such as nurses in uniform or cordoned-off areas, and avoidance of natural communication with people around them;
—Facial expressions may show brief moments of satisfaction, focus, or even tension, which are inconsistent with the emotions of the surrounding environment;
—Recurring cover-up actions, such as touching the chin or adjusting glasses; abnormal sensitivity to police or police cars, such as excessive avoidance or deliberately pretending not to care.
...
At this point in the meeting, Luo Yunchen seemed to be deep in thought.
Jiang Ling's group has a thorough understanding of micro-expression psychology and behavior, which has been very helpful to him.
Luo Yunchen began to ponder: how would a man intending to kill react if he suddenly encountered a passerby? Why did they bump into each other? Would it be on the shoulder or the arm? What would his reaction be? What angle would he present to the eyewitness?
All these details helped him in his subsequent portraits.
After Zhou Wei finished the list, Jiang Ling pointed to the three words "Fixed Face" on the blackboard and emphasized again: "Male, 25-50 years old, auxiliary job in the medical system, ordinary and honest, local or long-term resident."
After a brief pause, Jiang Ling picked up the chalk and drew a large circle on the blank space on the right side of the blackboard: "Now we'll focus on refining his psychological profile."
Jiang Ling looked at everyone: "Medical system support jobs, that's a pretty broad category."
Liu Haoran eagerly raised his hand: "I know, I know. Equipment maintenance, caregivers, cleaners, security guards, warehouse managers, canteen kitchen staff, ambulance drivers, stretcher bearers, etc. all count."
Zhou Wei added, "And there's more. For example, there are maintenance workers, drug deliverymen, and medical waste collectors dispatched by medical equipment companies that provide services to hospitals and clinics. Oh, and there are also the local vendors. You can see nurses going to and from get off work every day."
Liu Haoran volunteered: "It's alright, I'll do this. I can check the phone directories and company lists to sort out the personnel list by position, age, and place of residence, is that alright?"
Jiang Ling nodded approvingly: "Very good."
After resolving the issue of job type, Jiang Ling guided everyone to focus on the words "ordinary" and "honest," and then drew two heavy horizontal lines under them with chalk.
“This is a disguise.” Jiang Ling’s gaze was distant, as if she were seeing the scene of the investigation in her previous life.
—Investigators checked again and again, and the murderer was always on the list. However, after questioning, because he had no time to commit the crime, no motive, and the neighbors' rumors were very good, he was quickly ruled out.
Li Zhenliang thought of Chen Anping: "An honest man isn't without temper. He just keeps it to himself and doesn't dare to resist, which makes him seem more honest."
Liu Haoran also thought of Chen Anping: "Someone like Chen Anping can be terrifying when he gets angry. If we hadn't intervened in time, something really bad might have happened."
Zhou Wei thought for a moment: "Honest people are often quiet, reserved, and have a low profile. When investigating such people, leaders, colleagues, and neighbors will all say: 'This person is honest, there's nothing wrong with him.' However, I suggest that Captain Lei and his team pay special attention to so-called honest people, those who are too ordinary and easily forgotten, during the investigation. They should ask more questions: Does he live alone? Is he somewhat withdrawn? Are his family relationships cold or abnormal? Are his whereabouts during the time of the incident vague?"
Hearing what everyone said, Luo Yunchen felt a little itchy to do something.
He picked up a pen and began to draw on the white paper.
A kind, slightly round face, round eyes, straight, thick eyebrows, wide spacing between the eyebrows, full lips...
These elements combined create the image of an ordinary male face.
Luo Yunchen put down his pen, held up the portrait, and waved it at Jiang Ling: "Is this the kind of person you are?"
Everyone craned their necks to look at the portrait that Luo Yunchen had just finished drawing.
Liu Haoran pursed his lips and pointed to the area between his eyebrows, saying, "You drew it so pleasingly. Look, such a wide gap between his eyebrows, he looks like a magnanimous person, how could he be a murderer?"
Li Zhenliang also shook his head: "His round face makes him seem like an honest and simple man."
Zhou Wei: "Thick lips indicate deep emotions, and your drawing is quite unusual."
Luo Yunchen opened his mouth, wanting to say something in his defense. But then he thought better of it, put the painting aside, and lowered his head to continue painting.
I muttered to myself as I drew.
A wide space between the eyebrows means a broad mind, right? Then I'll draw it narrower for you!
A round face looks too honest, right? Well then I'll draw a big horse face on you!
You want full, expressive lips? I'll draw them thinner!
This time, Luo Yunchen was very engrossed in his painting.
He searched his mind for the countless faces of criminals he had seen when sketching in prison.
Insidious, ruthless, cunning, desperate...
Countless faces flashed before Luo Yunchen's eyes.
Ordinary, able to blend perfectly into a crowd;
He's a psychopath; after killing someone, he even went back to the scene to observe the police's reaction.
Persistence is key; even on a rainy night, the clock must be set to midnight.
Correspondingly, these features will also be reflected in the face.
His facial features are not perfect;
Keeping secrets in one's heart and observing others in secret will give him a somewhat sinister air;
A persistent person will have a more determined look in their eyes.
Face, eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, neck...
As the saying goes, your appearance reflects your heart.
Different life experiences, different personality traits, and different upbringing will leave different marks on your face.
Luo Yunchen quickly pieced together the image in his mind.
The murderer who brutally killed a female college student on a rainy night and let the rain wash away all the physical evidence is no benevolent person! Nor is he an ordinary person.
The portrait was finally completed, and Luo Yunchen felt a sense of exhilarating satisfaction.
He slammed the drawing paper down on the table, put down his charcoal pencil, and burst into laughter.
"Hahaha... That's great!"
Jiang Ling stared intently, her pupils shrinking slightly.
This face...it looks familiar!
If you add some crow's feet around his eyes, some wrinkles to his face, and a little more drooping at the corners of his mouth, then he is Geng Lihua, who was imprisoned in December 2024 for intentional injury.
Geng Lihua's criminal record then came to Jiang Ling's mind.
File Number: JJ-2024-1215
Name: Geng Lihua
Gender: Male
Date of birth: July 19, 1956
Date of imprisonment: December 3, 2024
Age of imprisonment: 68
Sentence: 12 years imprisonment
Charge: Intentional injury (causing serious bodily harm)
The case of Geng Lihua's assault also sparked heated discussions among the public about the doctor-patient relationship.
The incident began as follows.
Geng Lihua's daughter, Geng Simin, was the deputy chief physician of neurosurgery at Renxin Hospital in Nanjiang City. On November 15, 2024, she performed a highly complex meningioma resection surgery on patient Zhang Shixiong. Due to complex underlying diseases and postoperative complications, the patient unfortunately passed away on November 25.
The patient's son, Zhang Qiang, believed that his father's death was caused by Geng Simin's "surgical error." He repeatedly caused trouble at the hospital, verbally abused Geng Simin, and made false complaints to the hospital and the Health Commission.
On the afternoon of November 28, Zhang Qiang went to the neurosurgery ward of the hospital again, intercepted and continued to verbally abuse Geng Simin. During the altercation, Zhang Qiang lost control of his emotions and repeatedly struck Geng Simin's right forearm and wrist with a metal thermos he was carrying, causing her to fall to the ground in great pain.
Geng Lihua happened to be at the hospital delivering food to his daughter when he witnessed the entire attack. According to witnesses, the moment Geng Lihua saw his daughter being knocked down, he let out a beast-like growl and then pulled a household cleaver from his canvas bag and charged at Zhang Qiang.
Surrounding medical staff and security guards were too late to stop him. Geng Lihua repeatedly slashed Zhang Qiang's shoulder, neck, back, and arms with a knife, causing Zhang to bleed profusely and go into shock on the spot. The scene was extremely bloody and chaotic, with blood splattered over a huge area.
After committing the crime, Geng Lihua did not flee the scene. He threw the knife on the ground, knelt down next to his unconscious daughter, and remained there until the police arrived and took him into custody.
Police intervened and found that the victim, Zhang Qiang, suffered a comminuted fracture of his left scapula, severe damage to the left brachial plexus, and multiple open lacerations in his neck and back that reached the muscle layer, accompanied by massive blood loss. After emergency treatment, he was out of danger, but his injuries constituted a second-degree serious injury, leaving him with severe disability.
Geng Simin, who was assaulted by Zhang Qiang, suffered a fracture of the radius and ulna in his right forearm, and severe contusion of his right wrist with ulnar nerve damage. Despite multiple surgeries, the ulnar nerve function did not recover well, resulting in permanent and severe damage to the fine motor function of his right hand, making him unable to perform neurosurgery and effectively ending his medical career.
The verdict was swift—Geng Lihua's crime was cruel, the consequences particularly severe, and the social impact extremely negative. However, given that he acted on impulse after witnessing a close relative being seriously injured, did not flee afterward, showed remorse and repentance, and that the victim, Zhang Qiang, bore significant responsibility for initiating the crime, the court sentenced him to 12 years imprisonment. Zhang Qiang was also sentenced to 1 year and 6 months imprisonment in a separate case for intentional injury.
During the initial psychological evaluation of Geng Lihua upon his admission to prison, it was found that he suffered from severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. He constantly recalled the scene of his daughter being beaten and repeatedly expressed self-blame and remorse. Geng Lihua's self-blame mainly stemmed from his worry about his daughter's future. He did not regret injuring Zhang Qiang, and would grit his teeth whenever Zhang Qiang was mentioned, feeling that Zhang Qiang had ruined his daughter.
After medication and psychological counseling, Geng Lihua's emotions stabilized but she remained extremely depressed. Her physical condition was worrying; she became taciturn, rarely interacted with others, and was reluctant to discuss her past experiences. Her main hobbies were reading medical journals and corresponding with her daughter.
Rewind thirty years, and on June 15, 1994, Ke Xiaoyu was murdered.
Geng Lihua was 38 years old at the time.
Did he kill Ke Xiaoyu?
When Geng Lihua was imprisoned, Jiang Ling had seen his personal file.
Although it consists of only a few thin pages, it records the life experiences of Geng Lihua.
Geng Lihua was born into an ordinary working-class family in Yanshi. His father was a technician in a machine tool factory, and his mother was a textile worker. He was the only son in the family. During his childhood, he experienced the Three Years of Natural Disasters and the Great Revolution, which interrupted his studies. At the age of 16, he became an apprentice at the Yanshi Machinery Factory.
In 1978, 22-year-old Geng Lihua was transferred to the Equipment Department of Yanshi Medical College, becoming a medical device repair technician. Through diligent study, he became a key technical member of the department, especially skilled in the maintenance of precision surgical instruments and early imaging equipment.
In 1980, he married Zhao Shufen, a female worker at the same factory. Zhao Shufen was gentle and had a weak constitution. In 1982, their daughter, Geng Simin, was born, becoming Geng Lihua's greatest hope and source of emotional support. He poured all his heart and soul into his daughter and had extremely high expectations for her.
In 1985, Geng Lihua's wife, Zhao Shufen, underwent surgery for uterine fibroids at the First People's Hospital of Yanshi City. Post-surgery, she developed a severe infection, leading to sepsis, and died seven days later despite all efforts to save her. Geng Simin was only three years old at the time. After his wife's death, Geng Lihua never remarried, raising his daughter Geng Simin alone. The two relied on each other for survival. He placed all his hopes on his daughter, focusing his life entirely on her well-being and education.
Geng Lihua worked in the Equipment Department of Yanshi Medical College for a long time. Later, the medical college merged into Yanshi University, and the Equipment Department was upgraded to the Medical Engineering Department. Geng Lihua continued to serve as a senior technician. Due to long-term hypertension and coronary heart disease, he retired early in 2011.
During his work, Geng Lihua was highly skilled, taciturn, and responsible, but he was almost demanding in his work, especially in his attention to the cleaning and sterilization procedures of surgical instruments. This often led to arguments with nurses and supply room staff, and he was considered overly meticulous and eccentric. He was distant from his colleagues and had almost no friends.
To be honest, Geng Lihua's daughter is truly outstanding.
Geng Simin was intelligent and diligent from a young age. Under her father's strict requirements and her own efforts, she was admitted to the top medical university in China for clinical medicine through the college entrance examination. She pursued a direct doctoral degree for eight years and became a neurosurgeon at Renxin Hospital in Nanjiang City after graduation.
It can be said that Geng Simin was Geng Lihua's lifelong pride and pillar of support. His retirement primarily involved caring for his daughter, helping raise his granddaughter, and supporting her career development. His daughter's rise to prominence in neurosurgery, becoming an associate chief physician, was Geng Lihua's greatest comfort and source of meaning in his later years.
Therefore, when Geng Simin was injured by Zhang Qiang, Geng Lihua unleashed tremendous strength, severely injuring the strong Zhang Qiang. Consequently, the judge sentenced him to only twelve years in prison. As a result, the public sympathized with his plight, even portraying him as a "brave father who protected his daughter."
If it weren't for his sleep-talking being reported by a fellow inmate, the prison guards would probably have thought Geng Lihua was a decent person who only made a big mistake on impulse.
As Jiang Ling recalled Geng Lihua's file information, she pondered to herself.
Geng Lihua was taciturn, introverted, and socially awkward. He lived an extremely simple, almost impoverished life, and seemed indifferent to people and things other than his daughter. In the eyes of his neighbors and former colleagues, he was an honest, somewhat eccentric, and stubborn old man who doted on his daughter.
Going back to the previous question: Did Geng Lihua kill Ke Xiaoyu?
Geng Lihua was 38 years old at the time, working at Yanshi Medical College. He was of average appearance, had a withdrawn personality, and was a local resident.
This perfectly matches the psychological profile of "25-50 years old, working in a support role in the medical system, ordinary, honest, a local or long-term resident".
Furthermore, his wife died from a post-operative infection, and the deep-seated grief of losing her years ago may have fostered an extreme sensitivity, anxiety, and distrust towards medical safety, especially surgical procedures. These emotions, which festered long after his wife's death, may have been triggered by certain events, leading him to contemplate murder.
—He had a motive to kill.
His ability to carry a knife because his daughter had been the subject of numerous complaints, and his willingness to yell and pull out the knife when his daughter was beaten, indicates that he has an extreme and impulsive personality and a tendency toward violent crimes.
Although Geng Lihua was not convicted in his previous life, the portrait drawn by Luo Yunchen today successfully triggered Geng Lihua's criminal file and also served as a wake-up call for Jiang Ling.
We can first list Geng Lihua as a key suspect.
Although he wasn't the kind of honest, simple person in the conventional sense, his stable job and doting love for his daughter might also make him overlooked by investigators.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ling looked at Luo Yunchen with a faint smile in her eyes: "Senior brother, the drawing is quite good."
Luo Yunchen was extremely pleased with himself at this moment, and even after being praised, he did not forget to boast: "Of course! After studying with Master for so long, I have finally found a bit of the knack today."
Jiang Ling picked up the portrait: "Okay, I'll go find Captain Lei and investigate this person."
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