Unlike the approachable warmth of the police hall, the Interrogation Room felt cold and solemn.
A table and three chairs, a blue-gray cement floor, snow-white walls, and the eight bold black characters on the wall reading “Leniency to those who confess, severity to those who resist”—all these combined to create a sense of authority.
Walking into the Interrogation Room and seeing the slogan on the wall, Qian Darong was clearly intimidated, his eyes not daring to wander as he shrank next to his mother, silent.
Jiang Ling didn’t speak immediately. It wasn’t until Li Zhenliang entered, and the two of them sat down behind the wooden interrogation table, that she still remained silent.
Jiang Ling’s silence weighed heavily on the Qian family.
Zhao Yanhong nudged Qian Jianshe, signaling him to communicate with the police.
Qian Jianshe had no choice but to step forward and sit across from Jiang Ling. “Officers, if you have anything to say, just say it. We’ll do our best to cooperate.”
“My major at Police School was criminal psychology.” Jiang Ling finally spoke.
Qian Jianshe froze for half a second. Criminal psychology? What does that even study? What does Officer Jiang’s major have to do with him?
“Psychological research shows that, without timely intervention, habitual bullies are more than four times as likely to commit violent crime as adults compared to ordinary people.” Jiang Ling spoke slowly and steadily, but every word was clear.
Qian Jianshe’s chest grew tight, his voice dry and raspy. “Uh, my Darong was just horsing around with classmates, nothing like bullying. The comrades from the police station already investigated twice at the school. It’s that Liang Jiushan kid making 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 included three mediation records from back then, and afterwards, the lawyer had re-investigated, confirming that the classmates who testified for Qian Darong were all lying.
“In 1990, there was a robbery-murder case in Modu. During the trial, it was found that the criminal had started bullying weaker classmates five years prior, at age seventeen. Because his violent tendencies weren’t corrected in time, he ultimately committed a heinous crime and was sentenced to death.”
What parent would want to hear such a case? Wasn’t this clearly saying that if Qian Darong wasn’t managed now, he’d end up on the path of crime in the future? Qian Jianshe’s face turned pale as he glanced back at Zhao Yanhong.
Zhao Yanhong, anxious to protect her son, hurriedly defended him. “Don’t try to scare us! My Darong is a good, obedient boy with a bright future ahead. It’s that Liang Jiushan—he even dared to hit people at the police station. I think he’s the one with criminal tendencies and will end up executed one day.”
Jiang Ling’s first step was to get the Qian family to take Qian Darong’s education seriously and prevent trouble before it started.
Right now, Qian Darong bullied the weak, partly because he got pleasure from oppressing Liang Jiushan, and partly because he had his parents’ protection—at worst, they’d just have to pay some compensation, so he wasn’t afraid at all.
With his family’s indulgence, the pleasure Qian Darong got from bullying would only escalate, and he’d gradually become addicted, eventually walking down the road to crime.
But this first step seemed to have failed.
In Qian Jianshe and Zhao Yanhong’s eyes, Qian Darong was the apple of their eye, a clever but mischievous boy who would surely have a brilliant future under their protection. No matter what consequences Jiang Ling described, they simply refused to believe it.
Jiang Ling said coolly, “According to Article 134 of the Criminal Law, intentionally injuring another person can be punished with up to three years in prison.”
The environment in the Interrogation Room was so strict that Zhao Yanhong, who was used to stirring up trouble and acting shameless, felt intimidated. Still, she refused to show weakness in front of this young policewoman, stubbornly sticking out her neck. “Don’t talk to me about criminal law or three years in prison. My Darong is a minor. At most, you police can just give him an educational warning.”
Jiang Ling’s eyes narrowed, a sharp glint flashing in her gaze. She pointed at Liang Jiushan. “He’s a minor too—even if he killed someone, he wouldn’t get the death penalty!” Jiang Ling deliberately emphasized both “too”s.
Liang Jiushan hadn’t yet caught Jiang Ling’s meaning, but Zhao Yanhong had already tensed up, wrapping her arms protectively around her son. “What nonsense are you spouting?”
Li Zhenliang’s palms were sweating a little. Jiang Ling had only reported for duty in July this year, so she’d been on the job for just over a month. She usually didn’t talk much, and the most she ever said to colleagues was “Mm,” “Okay,” “Alright,” or “I know.” He hadn’t expected that the moment she entered the Interrogation Room, her words would be so sharp and forceful—it made his heart race.
Jiang Ling raised her voice. “Even a rabbit will bite when cornered. Aren’t you afraid Liang Jiushan might risk everything and hurt Qian Darong?”
The only reason Zhao Yanhong was so brazen was because they were in a position of strength.
Qian Darong was tall and strong, with several little followers to help him. He was always the one hurting Liang Jiushan—Liang Jiushan couldn’t lay a finger on him.
But Jiang Ling’s words had a hidden meaning, and Zhao Yanhong was starting to feel a little afraid. What if… what if Liang Jiushan really was pushed to the edge and snapped?
Perhaps because she had read too many case files and dealt with too many criminals, Jiang Ling understood human nature well.
In the eyes of selfish parents like Zhao Yanhong, Liang Jiushan’s life wasn’t worth half as much as Qian Darong’s little finger. If Qian Darong hurt Liang Jiushan, that was just her son’s ability. But if Liang Jiushan hurt Qian Darong, that would be utterly unforgivable.
Only by making her afraid, by making her feel pain, would she restrain herself.
Liang Qiqiao was an honest person, hurrying to defend her brother. “My brother is very well-behaved, he wouldn’t…”
But Liang Jiushan’s eyes lit up as he immediately understood, and he shouted, “Barefoot people aren’t afraid of those with shoes! 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 crime. At worst, I’ll just spend a few years in the Juvenile Detention Center. When I get out, I’ll still be a hero!”
Juvenile crime had originally been Qian Darong’s shield, but now the tables had turned, and Liang Jiushan was using it as a threat, acting shameless. Qian Jianshe’s heart leapt into his throat.
Qian Jianshe looked over at Liang Jiushan.
Liang Jiushan was fifteen this year, skinny and lanky, looking like nothing more than a half-grown kid. But in those beautiful eyes blazed a fury, as if a tremendous force was burning inside, ready to incinerate everything before him.
Thinking of how Liang Jiushan had just leaped up and punched his son at the police station, Qian Jianshe was finally a little afraid.
What if one day Liang Jiushan really went crazy and stabbed his son? Qian Jianshe only had this one son—he couldn’t let him be put in danger.
Qian Jianshe was just about to smooth things over and ease the tension, but unexpectedly, Qian Darong, who had been hiding behind his mother, seemed to have gotten used to the unfamiliar environment. He sneered disdainfully, “Liang Jiushan, who can’t talk big? You haven’t even killed a chicken, and you dare talk about killing? Pah!”
Qian Darong’s sense of manhood had awakened early. After entering junior high, he strutted around campus with a gang of lackeys, unable to suppress the wild fire inside. Liang Qiqiao was gentle, beautiful, and curvaceous, and Qian Darong had fallen for her at first sight, often going to the high school section to harass her.
Liang Qiqiao was honest and immediately reported him to the teacher. But she was timid and thin-skinned, unable to voice everything, so the teacher didn’t take it seriously and merely gave Qian Darong a mild scolding.
Qian Darong, used to being the campus tyrant, vented all his resentment at Liang Jiushan after being rebuked by the high school teacher. He started by picking fights and shoving him, and after being criticized by teachers, switched to provoking and beating him outside school. Liang Jiushan had called the police twice, but both times, Qian Darong’s parents easily settled things, which only made Qian Darong more arrogant, thinking the Liang siblings were just easy targets.
Although Qian Darong feared Jiang Ling, the cold-faced policewoman, he never saw Liang Jiushan as a threat. Hearing Liang Jiushan’s tough talk, he immediately jumped out from behind his mother and mocked him.
“Kill a chicken?” Jiang Ling glanced at Liang Jiushan.
Liang Jiushan was quick-witted, immediately catching on, and grinned broadly. “How hard can it be to kill a chicken? I’ll go learn at the market. Grab the neck, one slice, blood everywhere, ha!”
As he spoke, Liang Jiushan mimed the action—left hand grabbing in reverse, right hand chopping sideways—and raised his eyebrows at Qian Darong.
Qian Darong stared blankly at Liang Jiushan’s actions, a chill running up from his feet. Clearly, Liang Jiushan was half a head shorter and usually trampled underfoot like a clown, but today, with that raised eyebrow, he gave off an indescribable wickedness, as if he’d become a different person.
Seeing how eager Liang Jiushan looked at the mention of killing a chicken, Zhao Yanhong felt a little afraid too. Qian Darong was her foothold in the Qian family—nothing could go wrong. If her son got hurt, Qian Jianshe would never forgive her and would surely throw her out.
Qian Jianshe realized that things had completely slipped out of his control, so he decided to try reasoning with Jiang Ling. “Officer Jiang, you really should educate Liang Jiushan well. Prevention is key. If a juvenile delinquent really appeared in our district, you’d get criticized too, wouldn’t you?”
The police station held annual evaluations. If, after multiple mediations, things not only failed to improve but led to juvenile crime, the higher-ups would certainly criticize them. No awards, and the year-end bonus would be cut.
“Heh.” Jiang Ling gave Qian Jianshe only a single word.
Qian Jianshe turned to Li Zhenliang, who was taking notes on the side. “Officer Li, say something too. Aren’t disputes among residents supposed to be mediated first? How did things get so out of hand?”
Li Zhenliang was secretly delighted.
He hadn’t expected this—using their own logic against them felt so satisfying!
Wasn’t Qian Darong always so cocky, saying minors wouldn’t go to jail for murder? Well, let him have a taste of his own medicine.
Having been called out, Li Zhenliang suppressed the upward curve of his lips and pretended to cough twice. “Isn’t Officer Jiang mediating right now? Just do as she says.”
Qian Jianshe forced a wry smile. “Officer Jiang, just tell us straight—what do you want us to do?”
Seeing that Qian Jianshe was finally taking this seriously, Jiang Ling pointed at Liang Jiushan. “This question, you should ask him.”
Qian Jianshe had no choice but to turn to Liang Jiushan. “Liang Jiushan, didn’t we agree on terms just now? Both sides reached an understanding, so why are you shouting about killing? Think about it—even if you’re not sentenced to death, if you kill someone, your and your sister’s futures will be ruined.”
Liang Jiushan heard the veiled threat in Qian Jianshe’s words, pursed his lips, and a thousand thoughts flashed through his mind.
Liang Qiqiao’s face turned pale as she gripped her brother’s arm tightly, her body trembling.
Jiang Ling leaned back in her chair, her face cold. “Oh? When Qian Darong was shouting about minors not going to jail for crime, why didn’t you use those words to educate him?”
With that, Jiang Ling suddenly stood up and slammed her hand on the table, her voice rising sharply. “Qian Darong! Did you hear me clearly? If a minor commits a crime, their future will be ruined all the same!”
There was a chill in Jiang Ling’s gaze, as cold and hard as icicles hanging from the eaves in midwinter, making people shrink away. Qian Darong, cowed by her stare, didn’t dare look her in the eye and once again hid behind his mother, not daring to make a sound.
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