Chapter 111 Interview: Welcome to My Research Team
March 1995.
Early spring in Kyoto carries a chill in the air.
The postgraduate entrance examinations for this year are underway in the Department of Criminal Psychology at Huaxia Public Security University.
The office was spacious and bright, with simple and austere furnishings. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting long, slanted shadows on the polished terrazzo floor, creating a serious atmosphere.
Jiang Ling was very excited at that moment.
Because the five professors sitting in front of her at this moment are all the top criminal psychology professors in my country. In particular, Professor Ying Xuanji, who is sitting in the very center, is the first person to develop criminal psychological profiling theory in my country, and is someone that Jiang Ling has always looked up to.
Jiang Ling sat upright in a hard wooden chair, her palms slightly sweaty from the upcoming assessment, but her eyes were calm and determined.
Professor Ying Xuanji is 46 years old this year. Her hair is neatly combed back, revealing her full and intelligent forehead. For this year's postgraduate entrance examination, she specially changed out of her usual uniform and wore a dark gray wool cardigan with a light-colored shirt, exuding a calm and gentle femininity.
Ying Xuanji sat behind her large desk, in front of her Jiang Ling's preliminary exam results, application materials, and letter of recommendation from her workplace. Thinking of the letter her nephew, Ying Songmao, had written, Ying Xuanji's gaze towards Jiang Ling held a hint of scrutiny and inquiry. This young policewoman, so enthusiastically praised by her nephew, whose father worked at the Kyoto Public Security Bureau—was she a hidden gem or someone with connections?
The other professors asked a few routine, simple questions.
Jiang Ling applied for a part-time postgraduate program, recommended by her employer, and underwent a rigorous political review; her resume was outstanding. Among the 12 candidates taking the criminal psychology re-examination this year, Jiang Ling was the only woman, which made the professors even more interested in her, treating her with great gentleness and asking non-critical questions.
—Jiang Ling, you excel in your primary job. The Yanshi Public Security Bureau has given you high praise, calling you a pioneer in psychological profiling. Could you tell us how you apply criminal psychology to create psychological profiles of criminals?
—You are a front-line criminal police officer. Why didn't you apply for criminal investigation, which emphasizes practice, but instead thought of applying for criminal psychology, which is more theoretical?
—What are your plans for the next three years of graduate school?
—If you are pursuing a master's degree while working, you must be fully committed to it in the first year. Are you prepared for this?
Jiang Ling answered the professors' questions sincerely and politely, but her heart was in her throat. Professor Ying Xuanji remained silent, her gaze filled with inquiry, even a hint of aloofness.
Finally, Ying Xuanji spoke.
Her voice was calm, but every word was clear and forceful: "Jiang Ling, what is your motivation for applying to my graduate program? Is it merely because of your father's suggestion, or... someone's enthusiastic recommendation?"
Jiang Ling was completely unaware that Ying Songmao had privately written a letter of recommendation for her, and she did not understand who Professor Ying was referring to as "certain people," but she sensed the skepticism in Professor Ying Xuanji's attitude.
Jiang Ling raised her eyes to meet Ying Xuanji's sharp gaze without flinching.
“Professor Ying, I applied to be your graduate student because I agree with your views on crime prevention, and because of the cases I have handled, especially those tragedies that I could not prevent.”
Faces flashed before Jiang Ling's eyes: Liang Jiushan, Lin Xiaoyue, Chen Anping, Sun Xiaohai...
"No one is born a criminal. Behind every case lies a story of blood and tears. Some people are born evil and their crimes are unforgivable. Some people make one wrong step after another and eventually can't turn back. Some people act impulsively and regret it too late. Others are caused by the influence of their family of origin."
"How can we prevent these tragedies from happening? This is a question I've been pondering."
"Combating crime is important, but I believe preventing crime is even more urgent. Criminals are punished by law, but what about the people they have harmed? What about the families that have been destroyed? The dead cannot be brought back to life, the psychological trauma of those who have been cruelly treated remains, and broken families can never be reunited."
At this point, Jiang Ling's throat tightened.
“I’ve handled several cases on the front lines of criminal investigation, and each time I solve a case, I feel incredibly heavy-hearted. I arrested an arsonist who had been bullied and oppressed for a long time and was extremely insecure; he set fire to the house to be seen! I arrested a murderer who was only 17 years old; he killed someone because the other person had brutally killed his dog. I arrested a poisoner who was a retired elderly man; he poisoned the house to get the government to pay attention to the construction of community infrastructure…”
“I think if I had noticed the signs earlier, stopped the crime a moment earlier, and taken intervention measures a little earlier, perhaps these criminals would not have become criminals! They would be like the ordinary people around us, enjoying life and living in peace and contentment.”
"However, my strength is too small. Although I realize the importance of crime prevention, its implementation involves many aspects and is far beyond what I can accomplish alone. When I worked at the police station, I proposed an intervention mechanism that links families, schools, and society, but it was shelved after only one attempt because we police officers are too busy and have too many things to do. The implementation of this mechanism requires multi-party collaboration and involves a lot of tedious and extra work, making it too difficult."
Tears welled up in Jiang Ling's eyes. She took a deep breath and suppressed the tears that were welling up: "When I was lost, it was my father who guided me. He suggested that I apply for graduate school so that I could continue to learn and work hard to become stronger. Only in this way could I have more say and promote the realization of the concept of crime prevention."
At this point, Jiang Ling boldly looked at Ying Xuanji with earnest eyes: "Professor Ying, I have read about you in the newspaper. You have conducted in-depth research on the psychology of juvenile delinquency and put forward the view that family education should be emphasized and crime should be prevented. Therefore, when I decided to improve myself, the first person I thought of was you."
"As for what you said about the enthusiastic recommendations from certain people, I don't know who you are referring to. I don't think I need anyone to recommend me to you privately. I entered Huaxia Public Security University and am sitting here being questioned by the teachers through my own efforts and abilities. I have that confidence."
Ying Xuanji was somewhat moved.
The policewoman in front of me is pure-hearted and has clear eyes; she truly regards "crime prevention" as her ideal and pursuit.
—He's a promising talent!
Ying Xuanji raised an eyebrow slightly: "So, you believe the ultimate value of criminal psychology research lies not in solving cases, but in 'prevention is better than cure'? That idea is very idealistic. The human heart is dark and ever-changing. How do you define 'potential possibilities'? How do you avoid abusing predictions and creating new injustices? This requires not only criminal psychology research, but also a profound understanding and construction of human nature, society, and even institutional levels. Are you ready to tackle this tough nut?"
This was precisely the challenge Jiang Ling had been waiting for. Her eyes lit up, like two flames igniting. She took out the brown paper bag, pulled out a few pages, which contained her thoughts on patterns she had pieced together from multiple cases.
Excited, Jiang Ling's speech quickened involuntarily: "Yes, Professor Ying, it's difficult, but not without clues. I've noticed that some individuals who commit recurrent violent crimes exhibit specific behavioral patterns and psychological traits in their early years, especially during adolescence: an extreme desire for control, a severe lack of empathy, a morbid fascination with or rationalization of violence, and often accompanied by a neglected or distorted family upbringing."
Jiang Ling took out a non-classified criminal file: "This is the first case I handled when I was first assigned to the police station, a case of juvenile home invasion and rape. In fact, there were signs of this case before it happened: although the perpetrator was only 15 years old, his family was not harmonious. His father had been having an affair for a long time, his mother was addicted to mahjong, his parents quarreled all day long, and they spoiled him too much. He was exposed to video arcades at an early age, was sexually precocious, and showed violent criminal tendencies."
The professors, long engaged in theoretical research and deeply interested in actual cases, listened intently. One of them asked, "And then? Did you intervene?"
Jiang Ling nodded: "Yes! This is the source of the home-school-society linkage mechanism I just mentioned. Our police officers visited the school and found a lot of obscene materials in his desk. The school took it very seriously and separated him from the siblings he had been bullying. We also conducted home visits, making the parents take it very seriously and requiring them to send their child to participate in community service and supervise them. That's why we were able to arrive in time and stop him when he committed the home invasion and rape."
The professors all breathed a sigh of relief.
Mentioning the Liang siblings, Jiang Ling's tone became light and cheerful: "This juvenile offender is in juvenile detention, and the brother and sister he bullied..."
"Last year, my older sister was admitted to Hunan Normal University. She said she wants to be a good teacher in the future. Last year, my younger brother was admitted to Yanshi No. 1 High School. He said he wants to be a policeman like me. But what if we hadn't intervened in time? Can you imagine the fate of these two siblings?"
Although he couldn't recount the events of his past life, this didn't stop Jiang Ling from emphasizing the idea that "prevention is better than cure": "Bullying will escalate, rape will actually happen, the juvenile delinquent will escape punishment under the protection of his parents, the older sister will commit suicide because of the fear of gossip, and the younger brother will abandon his studies to pursue the killer across thousands of miles to avenge his sister. In the end, although he killed the killer, he also sacrificed his life."
Jiang Ling sighed, "Of course, this is just one possibility. But it is this case that has made me think about what our duties as police officers are, and what my ideals are."
A hint of admiration appeared in Ying Xuanji's eyes: "So, how do you plan to realize your dream?"
Jiang Ling took out her notebook, which was filled with her experiences in handling cases and the tables she had compiled: "My colleagues and I published a paper on the application of criminal profiling technology. I was thinking that profiling could not only be used to portray criminals who have already committed crimes, but also to predict crimes through behavioral retrospection. If we could establish a more scientific early risk identification indicator system and a joint early warning mechanism involving schools, communities, families, and professional institutions, wouldn't that help prevent crime?"
Ying Xuanji was overwhelmed with emotion and remained silent for a long time.
The ideals of this 21-year-old policewoman are so similar to mine!
Ying Xuanji did a lot to realize this ideal, but she always felt powerless. Because preventing crime is too difficult, too difficult.
Ying Xuanji's voice trembled slightly: "Jiang Ling, do you know? What you're talking about not only requires interdisciplinary research and massive data support, but also institutional reform!"
Jiang Ling nodded emphatically: "I know! It's like the Foolish Old Man Who Moved Mountains, it's very difficult. But if our generation of police officers and researchers don't think about it and don't do it, there will never be any change! I came here to learn from you how to move this mountain of crime prevention more scientifically and systematically, even if it's just moving a small stone! I believe that as long as we work hard, we can definitely stop more crimes and save more innocent people!"
A brief silence fell over the entire teaching and research office. The only sound was the rustling of the wind through the treetops outside the window.
Professor Ying Xuanji stared at Jiang Ling for a long time.
She saw the burning flame in the eyes of the young policewoman before her, a flame that was by no means a momentary impulse; she heard her clear and logical analysis and insightful explanation; she saw her precious quality that was not misled by the goal of solving the case and gaining merit, but was deeply stung by the regret of "failing to stop it" and gave rise to powerful motivation; and she saw her profound thinking that went beyond the technical level and touched on the essential issues of crime prevention, as well as her courage in the face of difficulties.
The doubts raised by the recommendation letter from her nephew Ying Songmao vanished completely under Jiang Ling's radiant professional expertise. Ying Xuanji even felt a pang of shame—she had almost missed out on such a gem because of her prejudice.
Ying Xuanji rubbed her temples with her fingertips, and when she looked up again, her sharp gaze had completely transformed into a deep, warm feeling filled with admiration. A rare, almost imperceptible smile curved her lips: "The Foolish Old Man Who Moved Mountains? Well said!"
Her voice was no longer cold, but carried a deep and gentle strength, "Jiang Ling, where do you want to start with your first task? Or rather, what specific direction do you hope to research with me? Don't just talk about ideals; I want to hear your first concrete step."
Jiang Ling's heart pounded. She knew that the door to her ideal was slowly opening for her under Professor Ying Xuanji's gentle yet firm gaze.
Jiang Ling's eyes shone brightly, filled with determination and anticipation: "Professor, I want to start by building a 'Model for Early Psychological and Behavioral Identification and Tiered Intervention of High-Risk Adolescents.' Based on the juvenile delinquency files of Yan City over the past five years and the cases I've handled, combined with existing research both domestically and internationally, I'll attempt to extract operable and quantifiable core early warning indicators and design a preliminary multi-level, interconnected intervention process framework. This requires extensive case analysis, data statistics, and interdisciplinary knowledge. I earnestly request your guidance!"
Sunlight streamed through the window, falling perfectly between the two of them.
The dust particles in the air danced merrily in the sunlight.
Ying Xuanji stood up and extended her hand to Jiang Ling: "Jiang Ling, welcome to join my research team."
Jiang Ling quickly stood up, stretched out both hands, and tightly grasped Ying Xuanji's outstretched right hand. Her heart was filled with excitement, and her face was beaming with joy: "Teacher, thank you!"
A collaborative research project on future crime prevention, involving both mentors and students, officially began in this book-filled teaching and research room.
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