Volume 40: Love The House[1]

“In the barren outskirts, a child’s remains were found. Who could have killed the 10-year-old child so cruelly?

A kidnapping case shattered the formerly happy and blissful family. The father became terminally ill and the mother bathed her face in tears all day long.

The police analyzed it layer by layer to find out the truth and discovered an astounding inside story. A wrong encounter a decade ago actually caused today's tragedy. Behind all this, was it moral distortion or a loss of humanity?!"

In the conference room, everyone was watching a legal program expressionlessly. The case mentioned was the case of Hao Jie’s mother which had previously been solved by the second team. After the artistic processing of the TV station, accompanied by eerie music that tortured the soul and also baffling images, it made everyone’s scalp crawl.

"Stop, stop, stop!" Lin Qiupu said, "Don’t add random drama for the police, okay? Who came up with those inner monologues? And this entire case-solving process was completely inconsistent with the facts!"

The program director said with a smile, "Police officer, this is to add some drama. The audience likes this kind of thing. If it was totally based on the facts, then we simply need to take the case file and read it out. It’s all for the ratings! This case is complicated enough and it also easily arouses sympathy. I believe the response will be good."

Lin Dongxue said, "Do you have to add this kind of cliché every time? What "moral distortion of human nature"? I only find it laughable when I hear this sentence now."

The director shrugged, "Beauty, have you seen Peking Opera? Is Peking Opera realistic? It isn’t! The things on the stage are a little more exaggerated in order to catch people's attention. The same is true for TV shows. Otherwise, who would watch it? This is the routine. I admit that it’s a bit hackneyed, but if there was no such routine, it’d feel wrong. It’s the same as eating sushi without wasabi. The teacher[2] who wrote the script is very experienced. He’s worked with China Central Television before and there’s no problem with the script."

"My surname is Lin, not ‘Beauty’."

"Okay, Beauty Lin."

Xu Xiaodong raised his hand, "I just want to say one thing. I think that the content you edited is a bit too partial towards Hao Jie's mother. It seems to imply that the victims were guilty. Since the deceased were a mistress and her illegitimate child, it seems as though Hao Jie’s mother was very innocent. This is very bad. The woman was crazy. We’ve all seen her. She wasn’t so wronged and helpless."

"We can change this. You only saw the trial broadcast version. Not the official version." The director pretended to accept the suggestion humbly. "Captain Lin, how do you think it looks overall?"

"Just leave it like that!" Lin Qiupu sighed helplessly. It was just a 20-minute lunchtime legal program. He felt that there was no need for them to take it too seriously since no matter how it was changed, the audience would never know the truth.

The director seemed to have obtained official permission and was very happy, "By the way, I want to shoot a few more scenes of forensic experiments, human bones, as well as a scene where the police are dispatched. Can you guys put on police uniforms and cooperate with the cameraman for a few shots? I just want to highlight the positive image of the police in Long’an City."

"You find the source materials yourself. We’re really busy. We still have cases on hand."

"What?!" The director's eyes lit up. "Is it a murder case? Can we follow you and film it? We promise not to interfere with your work."

"Sorry, you cannot be allowed to participate until the case is solved."

"Then let me talk to the bureau chief. Excuse me, everyone."

The director brought his team with him to annoy the chief, and the lights in the meeting room were turned on. Today was November 3rd. When the TV station had looked for the chief previously and said that they wanted to shoot a legal program, the chief had agreed. The matter that the higher-ups had casually agreed to made Lin Qiupu feel very helpless. Reporters and cameramen had been been wandering about in front of them for the past two days.

"Please bear with it, everyone. The reporters will leave today after finishing it. The higher-ups said that it’s necessary to strengthen the publicity promoting a positive image of the police force. This is a mission. You should cooperate with it." Lin Qiupu said.

"But you have to tell them not to run into the laboratory without asking for permission. The laboratory is a sterile environment. Outsiders can't come in without permission. Today, the reporter also asked which machine was used to photograph DNA." Peng Sijue looked expressionless. He obviously had suffered terribly.

"The machine used to photograph DNA!" Xu Xiaodong thumped his legs and laughed.

"I appreciate everyone’s hard work. Let's talk about the case at hand. Father and son were both killed. What progress have you all made?" Lin Qiupu said.

"The father, Zhang Haichang, operated a pharmacy. His son, Zhang Chao, had just graduated from college and worked in a design company. Zhang Haichang married another woman after getting divorced. The woman was the ex-wife of a colleague from his previous job. The wife had lent money to her ex-husband behind his back. Due to this, there had been conflict, but it was only a few thousand dollars. I don’t think it constituted a motive for murder. The son’s social relationships were simple. The young man had just graduated. Seeing that the father and son were killed at home, the probability of the murderer going after the father is higher!" Old Zhang reported.

"Do the wife and the wife's ex-husband have alibis?" Lin Qiupu asked.

"The wife does, but the wife's ex-husband does not. I’m still following it up."

Peng Sijue said, "The autopsy report on my side is out. The father and son had their throats slit open after they were drugged. They had mung bean porridge in their stomachs. The table and stove at the scene had been wiped clean by someone. The drugged food had been taken away. Some fibers were found. It’s suspected that they had fallen from an accessory such as a headscarf or a ribbon. The footprints aren’t very clear. The murderer had wrapped the shoes. They were probably size 39."

Xu Xiaodong said, "The lock at the scene hadn’t been pried open. The murderer may have been an acquaintance. The surveillance footage had captured someone who had entered and left the housing community before and after the incident. They were well-wrapped up in clothing, wearing a green windbreaker, and the characteristics weren’t clear."

Lin Qiupu nodded and was about to express his opinion when he turned around and saw the director lying in wait by the door with his eyes shining like a wolf who had seen food. He said, "Wow, both father and son were killed. Captain Lin, can we follow this case?!"

Seeing the director's smiling face, Lin Qiupu felt his scalp crawl. "No, this case is still under investigation and cannot be made public."

"Oh, we're not a newspaper. We may not use the material immediately even if we film it. Please let us film some scenes! This first-hand material is very precious. You’ve also seen the trial broadcast version just now. It’s not enough to catch people's attention!"

"If I say no, it means no!"

"Then I’ll talk to the chief..."

They had used this tactic again. Lin Qiupu gritted his teeth with anger and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "By the way, you haven’t met the person who understands the case of Hao Jie's mother best. His name is Chen Shi and he handled the whole case."

"Is Officer Chen here?"

"He’s not a police officer. He’s a consultant."

"Wow, the criminal police consultant. That means he’s a master! Where can I find this master?!" The director was excited.

Lin Qiupu gave them Chen Shi’s contact information and address. They set off immediately, and it felt as though they had lured a dog away with a meaty bone. They finally had peace and quiet. Lin Dongxue whispered to him, "You’re so bad! You’re letting him suffer misfortune on your behalf!"

"Ever since Zhou Tiannan fell off the building and died, he’s been playing MIA with us, saying something about giving himself a vacation. Let this group of reporters annoy him!" Lin Qiupu smiled naughtily.

1. Also the first half of the 4 character idiom: Love the house and its crow, which means that there’s involvement with everyone connected.

2. Expert.