Case Files 013

Chapter 75: Always Like That

With the capture of Zhang Xue, the 16,000,000 RMB returned to the police and the economic crime unit would follow up on it. The dreams of the 4 teens were destroyed. Originally 4,000,000 RMB each was more than enough for them to fulfil their dreams but now everything was kicked back to the start. I couldn't forget the last gaze Zhang Xue gave me before she was taken away. The hatred and sadness were so deep that it was like she would eat me alive if she had the chance. If Xiao Liu didn't continue to investigate the truth, perhaps Zhang Xue might have walked free. But the book, To Live, she gave me also had sold her out, the grandson of the main character inside the book also died from gorging on soybeans. Perhaps Zhang Xue accidentally decided to mimic that or she did it on purpose, who really knows?

Finally the day of the middle-year exam arrived, and it was raining. That night, a man was sent into detention. The man was Zhao Erming. That night Zhao Erming finally couldn't hold back the urge and stabbed the customer who was crawling all over his mother. On the way to the hospital, the person died due to excessive bleeding. Zhao Erming's mother cried harder than the rain outside the detention centre. I went to look and saw that she was a prettily dressed woman, her dress was revealing and sexing. But due to the torrent of tears and rain, the make-up on her face was all clouded, she looked more like a clown.

All these years, Zhao Erming's mother sold her body to support her son's education but her son never really focused on school and always got into fights. However, Zhao Erming was her son. She cried and pleaded, saying that this wasn't her son's fault. She was willing to go to prison on her son's behalf but it was too late now.

When I left, she laid collapsed on the ground. Wrinkles appeared after the make-up was washed away and her waterfall-like long hair showed strands of white. Her wails travelled far. Many passing pedestrians looked and pointed at her. She was always someone who valued her appearance, but at that moment, she didn't care anymore. "You really don't want to participate in this case?" Gu Chen behind me asked. I shook my head. This case was simple, it would be solved with or without me. Furthermore, I didn't know how to face Zhao Erming. If he had the 4,000,000 RMB, his mother probably would have stopped the prostitution and this could have been avoided.

Summer.

A heavily injured Lin Rou was dumped at the door of the hospital. Based on the police who handled the case, it was her younger brother who did this to her. Lin Rou's family valued males heavier than females. At home, Lin Rou had no standing, her grandmother bullied her and her father beat her. Her younger brother originally loved Lin Rou but with influence from both his seniors, the love was slowly twisted into hate. He would beat his sister for no reason and didn't know how to hold back. When the tragedy happened, Lin Rou was having a nap. Her brother was pissed off because he lost a game. To vent, the brother used the burning iron to beat Lin Rou. This was the worst Lin Rou had ever been beaten. She was literally dying. Her grandmother was worried about having a death on their hands but didn't want to waste any money on the useless granddaughter so she dumped Lin Rou on the hospital door and then left. In the end, it was a Good Samaritan who paid for Lin Rou's medical fee or she would have died.

The police arrested Lin Rou's family but the 2 adults and 1 kid all shielded each other and pushed the blame on Lin Rou. Lin Rou's younger brother was only 13, even if the punishment stuck, he would only spend little time in prison. However, his grandmother was not going to let that happen. She volunteered to go to prison on her precious grandson's behalf, stating that it was her who beat up Lin Rou. The expression on her face was proud and glad. Their ugly faces were a direct contrast to the melancholic Lin Rou in the hospital room. Perhaps Lin Rou thought it would have been better if she had died outside the hospital. She was only 16, after she was released from the hospital, she would have to go home. When would her pitiful life end?

One month later, Lin Rou was released from the hospital. She didn't know that it was me who paid for her medical bill and I borrowed that money from Mary. The rich had a wonderful life because at least they had choices, while some people didn't even get to choose their own life. The day Lin Rou was released from the hospital, Lee Taida was released as well. He was a juvenile and he didn't really kill someone so he wasn't locked for long. When Lee Taida got released, I was present. I believed he had heard about Zhang Xue because he glared at me with taunt and anger. I had no doubt that if he had the chance, he would kill me. But to my surprise, we met Lee Taida again not long after that.

It was a rainy night, Lee Taida held a bleeding knife and arrived at the police station. Lee Taida was there to surrender. He had killed his father. Last time, Lee Taida had failed. The cyanide didn't kill his father and he was angry. Only Lee Taida didn't know it was Zhang Xue who purposely intervened so that Lee Taida wouldn't need to do something like this. Zhang Xue told the gambler to bring Lee Xian to the gambling den. After Zhang Xue was arrested, the investigation began into the gambling buddy's account so Lee Xian naturally had no one to lend him money anymore.

Therefore, Lee Xian returned to his old habit of drinking. That night, the drunk Lee Xian thrashed the home again. When Lee Taida arrived home and saw this, he couldn't stand it anymore. This house was the only thing his mother left for him, until today, he had no idea where she was, what she was doing, this was his only connection to her. A sharp knife and an unconscious drunkard. When the police arrived, Lee Xian's neck had around 10 slashes, his head was barely connected to his shoulder. The blood from the arteries even shot up to the ceiling, it showed how much force Lee Taida must have used. I was reminded of Lee Taida's promise, "Remember, as long as I am still alive, I will kill him." He was absolutely serious.

If they had 4,000,000 RMB, would their endings be different? I didn't know. But I did know the result if they didn't have the 4,000,000 RMB, it was displayed right before me. Then was my decision correct? Zhou Guo had decided to sacrifice himself, that was the decision he made, must I be so heartless?

I took puffs of smoke inside the breakroom. The door swung open behind me and someone walked in. I turned back to look, it was Captain Zhao. "What's wrong? Why do you look so sad?" Captain Zhao asked, "The case has been solved and the money has been found." Then Captain Zhao reached to pull out a cigarette from my box. I sighed, "Captain Zhao, there's a question that I have been meaning to ask you. Every time we close a case, I will face this conflict. There are cases where I asked myself, do we really have to capture the killer? We know that they would not repeat the crime and we know that they killed out of necessity, why do we need to vanquish their last bit of hope?"

Captain Zhao lit the cigarette and said, "From the start, I knew the kind of man you are. I knew that from the moment you didn't report about the money in Lin Su's case. Many times, you pity the criminals and sometimes you even went so far to harbour them."

"Don't you ever get troubled by that conflict?" I looked at Captain Zhao, hoping that he could give me an answer. "The criminals have to be captured regardless of the nature of their crime? I hear that the born criminal is actually your teacher?"

Captain Zhao puffed out the smoke and said, "I can give you some advice, there's only one thing that you need to remember and then you won't face that conflict anymore. Something that made me confident that no matter the crime, no matter who the killer was, no matter how sad the history was, as long as they have committed the crime, I will arrest them."

I straightened up. "What is it?'

Captain Zhao said, "Because there are many other people in the same situation as they were in the world. But most people, even facing the same tragedy, even if they were about to die, they didn't turn to crime. They chose to fight to survive with their own hands and determination to stay on the straight and narrow." Captain Zhao stood up and walked out. Before that, he said, "If you chose to give them a way to escape the law because they are pitiable, or because you believed they were forced to do so, then it would be so unfair to the others. I didn't get it at the start until I encountered an incident."

"What incident was it?"

Captain Zhao leaned against the door and answered, "At the time, I was still a student, and I was out buying breakfast. There was an old lady operating a small stall selling trinkets like embroidery. A girl bought something worth 50 cents from her. While the granny was finding her change, a beggar walked over. The girl gave him a full dollar without much thought and until now I cannot forget the emotion in the old lady's eyes. She woke up early in the morning to set up the stall and worked to produce the merchandise but all that was less meaningful than someone younger than her, someone who had a perfect body waving his hand around." Captain Zhao walked out the door then. "At that moment, I understand there are always people working hard the honest way in this world. I do not want to disappoint them. It is our job to give these people hope, not the ones who turn to pity and crime. Whenever I have questions about my job, I would remind myself of that old lady, then I know, criminals are criminals, there are no criminals that shouldn't be captured."

Captain Zhao had already left but his words remained in my heart. No wonder Captain Zhao's conviction was so firm. If a sad history could become a reason to commit crime, then it would be too unfair for those who abide by the laws. We needed to give these honest people hope, not the criminals. I snuffed out the cigarette and looked at the yellowed To Live beside me. The people who couldn't be saved are those who wanted to die. I was reminded of the question Zhang Xue posed to me, "Is life always this hard or is it just when you are a kid?" Her tone and mannerism, the anxiety and loss in her eyes were imprinted in my mind. Now I would be able to say confidently, "Always like this."

Even though life might be hard, there are always people who can survive and even thrive without turning to crime. Their lives are not about hardship, they are about overcoming hardships. They live because they want to.

That would have been much more inspiring.