《Psychic》Ch58 - 'It's my honor to be recognized by you'
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The sudden and violent pounding from the one-way mirror startled Fang Hu, and he subconsciously asked the officers in front of him, "Who is there?"
Then, just as suddenly, the sound came to an end. Xiao Li, who was in charge of recording the confession, glanced towards the mirror with a somewhat worried expression on his face, while the always calm Song Rui simply continued to question Fang Hu about the case.
Despite this pounding incident, the interrogation was not disrupted. Everything seemed to be back to normal.
Unbeknownst to Xiao Li and Song Rui, in the narrow observation room attached to the interrogation room, Shen Youquan was being pressed against the wall face-first by two police officers, who had both of their hands on his back, just so that he could calm his emotions.
But how could Shen Youquan calm down after hearing such a confession?
His hair was dishevelled, his eyes were red, his lips were mangled, and his heart felt as if it was being pulled and torn apart by intense fear and deep regret. It wasn't until this moment that he understood the real meaning of the words Fan Jialuo had said to him that day.
It was not a metaphor foreboding about an ominous future at all. It was a cruel prophecy foretelling a murder that was to be staged in reality! It was only when the whole truth was revealed that he finally understood just how accurate the prediction had been!
On that day, Fan Jialuo had caught hold of his arm, pulled him close and had then murmured directly into his ears, placing undue emphasis on each word— Do you know? Your daughter has no future at all. She will be killed by someone closest to you soon! And this person will then take everything from the Shen Family!
The so-called 'dove occupying the magpie's nest' had turned out to be a literal dove occupying a magpie's nest, it was not just a rhetorical metaphor alluding to the hidden truth.
As demonstrated in the documentary, the doves would unite to push his starving daughter down from the high branches and simply watch as she fell to her death!
He thought that what he had imagined as the representation of these figurative words was cruel enough, but in the end, he had underestimated the evil nature hiding in the human heart.
It seemed that the truth was that some people did not even have the basic human morals; the fact that their heart could be vicious to such a degree and be so extremely cold was enough to make people shudder.
He believed Shen Yurao was a crib-robber. What Shen Yurao had stolen were the affection and resources that rightfully belonged to his daughter.
But why did they want to take her life as well?!
They wouldn't give his daughter a chance to grow up at all. Even the tiny piece of wealth that would be left for his daughter's future had long been regarded as something that belonged to them, and so they wouldn't allow her even the slightest bit of share!
What about Shen Youquan himself? When all these tragedies were silently unfolding, where had he been?
At this thought, a heartbroken cry emerged from Shen Youquan's mouth. All because he had suddenly realized that if it had not been for Fan Jialuo's reminder, he would not harbour even the slightest of doubts about the events that had just occurred.
During the time all these plots were being hatched and executed in the dark, he had still been ignorant. He had indulged the ambition of the robbers, had raised their chick, and had even acted as an accomplice throughout it all—for he had simply looked on as his daughter suffered from the cold treatment and neglect directed towards her by her very family.
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If Fan Jialuo hadn't approached him, he would have never gotten the paternity test, nor would he have gone and picked up his daughter by himself. If these two events hadn't taken place, the kidnapping would have happened exactly as laid out in Long Chengsheng's plan.
At that point, Shen Youquan would have given everything he had for the sake of obtaining his only 'wild' son back, which would have been accompanied by a small cold body.
He would have been kept in the dark about the truth behind the matter for the rest of his life, and wouldn't get to know that his only flesh and blood was already long gone even after his death.
He would unknowingly raise the other child, never doubting that he was not his own flesh and blood. When in reality, it would actually be a crib-robber who had the genes of a criminal running in its veins.
His family would experience a tragic loss this summer, but his lost-and-found-again son would cause him to be immersed in so much the happiness that he would soon forget the pain of losing his daughter...
Thoughts of his only child would eventually fade from his memory with the passing of seasons, after which it would be as if she had never existed at all.
Shen Youquan couldn't bear to imagine such a scenario any longer. His tears flowed endlessly, it seemed as if he wanted to drain away the negative emotions accumulated in his body all at once.
The case had been solved successfully and all the culprits had been arrested, but the heavy and unresolved fear which attacked Shen Youquan at this late stage made him break down. The hindsight this fear brought about had completely invaded his heart, and he felt as if he were drowning in despair even when trying to simply breathe.
His face was completely red, his expression twisted with flames of anger, his pupils were dyed red with fear, and the sounds coming out of his mouth were similar to those emanated by a grievously wounded beast growling meaninglessly. The two police officers almost couldn't hold him down anymore.
Father and Mother Shen, who could not accept the way reality unfolded—completely contrary to their expectations and even imagination, immediately shoved aside all their doubts and evasive thoughts the moment they witnessed their son's overstimulated state.
They quickly grasped their son's hands and comforted him by repeating, "Youquan, Nan Nan is safe right now, do you hear me? Don't think too much into these things. It's not your fault. It's Zhong Huilu and Long Chengsheng's fault. If you go back like this, Nan Nan will be frightened."
The words 'Nan Nan' touched the softest corner of Shen Youquan's heart. He closed his eyes, and the previously uncontrollable howling coming out of his mouth turned into wailing instead. He cried loudly, just the way his daughter had always done, paying no attention to what a sorry figure he cut out in front of others.
He was too scared, and too grateful. Both great joy and sorrow pounded away at his mind and made it unbearable for him to restrain his actions.
Father and Mother Shen also choked up, as they continued to repeat, "Youquan, Nan Nan is still here. She's fine. Our family is not ruined. God has blessed us!"
"It's not God, it's Fan Jialuo." Shen Youquan did not forget to add this sentence despite his tears. The still-lingering fear was proof of just how grateful he should be towards the other person—Grateful for that person's inexplicable appearance, and also grateful for his reminder and warning.
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By the time Shen Youquan had overcome the stimulation these overflowing emotions had brought about, Song Rui had obtained the whole confession from Fang Hu's mouth. After Fang Hu, Zhou Yuan also quickly surrendered under his psychological attacks. Zhong Huilu was the worst in terms of psychological quality and was also the first to confess.
Song Rui placed the three confessions before Long Chengsheng, and upon realizing that he could no longer resist, he directly pleaded guilty.
As each of them were being escorted to the detention center, Zhong Huilu happened to meet Shen Youquan, Father Shen and Mother Shen in the corridor.
With frightened eyes, she stretched her hand out to try to grasp her husband's clothes, but she was quickly avoided.
She could only plead bitterly, "Youquan, please be kind to Rao Rao!"
Aware of the ambiguity in her words, she hastily corrected herself, "No, no, no, no need to be so nice to him. Just give him a bite to eat! Youquan, you don't need that little bit of money, I beg you! Please, I beg you!"
A police officer dragged her forward, but she continued to turn back obstinately, stretching her arms out with all her strength over and over again, just to try and get a guarantee from her husband.
Shen Youquan sneered at her actions. "Even until now, you only care about Shen Yurao. You have never thought about what state Ling Ling will be in? What were you thinking when you agreed with Long Chengsheng and his plan to kidnap the kids? Ling Ling is also a child you gave birth to. How could you have had the heart to let them kill her?"
"I didn't know that Long Chengsheng wanted to kill Ling Ling, otherwise I would never have agreed! You must believe me, Youquan! Youquan, please don't abandon Rao Rao!" Zhong Huilu was still taken away by the police in the end, but the echoes of her sharp voice did not dissipate even after a long time had passed.
As soon as she left, a policewoman arrived with Shen Yurao at the police station. He was a little weak, but had no signs of abuse or injury, which was something fortunate amidst all the misfortune he had suffered.
At the same time, the police had also picked up Shen Yuling. After all, there was no one else at the Shen Family's House and Shen Youquan naturally felt uneasy leaving his daughter to a group of servants. Even the one who had slept beside him everyday had betrayed him, so how could he trust anyone else so easily?
Upon seeing Shen Yurao, whose eyes were flushed with tears, Father and Mother Shen subconsciously went to welcome him. They instinctively wanted to hug and kiss the little boy, but suddenly stiffened, turning rigid and freezing in the spot they were standing, not daring to approach any further.
Their love for this child was not fake, but this love and affection had originated from his 'gender' and his status as the so-called 'future heir of Shen Family'.
Now that the heir to that throne had been unveiled as being a wild seed, they were sure that he wouldn't only take everything away from the Shen Family, but would also destroy the family foundation, as the blood flowing in his veins did not belong to the Shen Family.
Naturally, such thoughts would greatly reduce the love they held towards this child, and may even generate hidden resentment in their hearts for him.
When the policewoman handed the child over, Father and Mother Shen turned their backs and their heads from him, their expressions frightfully cold.
Instead, it was Shen Youquan who brought the child over and gently placed him on a nearby chair. Then he picked up his daughter, carried her in his arms and gave her a kiss.
Unaware of what had actually happened, Shen Yuling circled her arms around her father's neck, and giggled at the way his stubble tickled her. While the Shen Family had been experiencing dire straits, she had been well protected.
Shen Yurao stared at Shen Yuling's smiling face, and his lips tightened, but he remained silent, and did not say a single word as usual. Instead, he silently jumped off the chair, staggered to Shen Youquan's side, and carefully tugged at his trousers with his small hands. He raised his lovely jade-white face and willed his crystal clear tears to fall down quietly, to look just like a frightened small animal.
The usual Shen Youquan would have immediately placed his daughter down, and would have then comforted and hugged him in distress. But the current Shen Youquan just looked down at him for a long, long time, before gently backing away and breaking free of his tugs.
Such a small child, yet already aware of how to play such tricks, using his weak appearance to crowd out his sister, so as to obtain the greatest favor and attract the attention of all the people around him.
What his parents had bequeathed to him through blood were the natural instincts the hatchling dove possessed—the inherent knowledge of how to murder the magpie chick to take over the nest.
Inexplicably, this gave him the shudder.
If he personally raised the child himself, would he learn how to be grateful? Could his genetic makeup and the blood flowing through his veins even be changed?
Shen Youquan did not know the answer to that question, nor was he prepared to sacrifice the rest of his daughter's life to be a good parent to another person's child.
For the sake of Shen Yurao's future, Long Chengsheng had dared to scheme for his daughter's life, and this fact alone was enough for Shen Youquan to completely dispel the idea of adopting Shen Yurao.
So, he made a call to Zhong Huilu's mother.
Fortunately, the woman was kind-hearted and very concerned about her grandson. Although she could not so easily accept the reality of what her daughter had done, she still agreed to take her grandson away.
It was only when she arrived and carried Shen Yurao towards a car that Shen Yurao finally realized something was wrong. He was always smart—smart to a terrible degree.
He shouted again and again, "Dad, don't you want me anymore? Grandpa, Grandma, don't you want Rao Rao? Rao Rao will be good. Won't you take Rao Rao back?"
Father and Mother Shen silently shed tears, but Shen Youquan pressed his daughter's head into his arms and ordered the driver to take the grandmother-grandson pair back to their home.
Shen Yurao, who had perfected crying soundlessly, cried out very loudly at this moment, crying to the point that one's heart and lungs would hurt...
—
In this way, a major case involving 50 million yuan was solved.
From the time Shen Youquan's reported to the police to the time the child was successfully rescued, the entire process took only eight hours, once again refreshing the record for speedy crime solving at the Chengnan Branch.
The Bureau Chief was highly commended and praised by his superiors. When he returned to the Sub Bureau, he said, "Our branch has made great achievements once again. Everyone in the investigation team will get a bonus!"
"Great! We got a bonus!" Everyone laughed happily, while on the side, Song Rui quietly tidied up his briefcase, looking out of tune with the warm atmosphere.
After coming face-to-face with Fan Jialuo in the interrogation room, he had taken a psychological test, and the result showed that he was mentally healthy and could continue to serve as a Consultant to the police. The only difference was that now, he rarely showed the same gentle smile from the past, and it was as if he was a completely different person.
As a person who once questioned his ability, the Bureau Chief felt embarrassed, so he coughed and said, "This time, it's really thanks to Dr. Song. Had it not been for Dr. Song's clever approach to successfully test Long Chengsheng and Zhong Huilu with the false severed finger, and thus breaking through their psychological defensive barriers and obtaining their confessions, this case would definitely not have gotten solved so quickly. Dr. Song, this achievement is all yours."
Song Rui slowly rolled down the sleeves that he had folded to his elbows, pursed his thin lips slightly, and then said with a sigh, "Chief, you're flattering me too much. You should be very clear about who this accomplishment truly belongs to.
"If it had not been for Fan Jialuo's advice, Shen Youquan would not have applied for a paternity test, would not have picked up Shen Yuling in advance, and would not have secretly called the police without telling anyone else in the family. Amongst these three steps, if he had even taken a single one incorrectly, what would have awaited the Shen Family and us as the police side would have been the loss of one or even several lives.
"Although we have solved the case, there is nothing to be proud of. Because the truth is that we participated in an open-book exam where the final answer had been revealed to us in advance by Fan Jialuo. We could catch the kidnapper and rescue the child this easily only by extrapolating from the already provided answer.
"If you replace me and everyone in this group, you would still be able to solve the case. The credit is not worth mentioning. It's just a little hard work."
The joyful team members quietened down one after another, then showed looks of shame. Yes, since Fan Jialuo had laid the truth bare in front of their eyes, this case could have been solved by anyone. It was really nothing to be happy about.
The Bureau Chief glanced around the room at everyone, took a deep look at Song Rui and then shook his head.
"I don't think your efforts are trivial. Without you, the case could never be solved in just eight hours, and the child might not have come back safely.
"Dr. Song Rui, you seem to be doubting yourself recently, but have you ever really thought deeply about it? Why did Fan Jialuo remember you, and you alone, and recommend you to Mr. Shen?
"Because he knew that you are the best at psychological warfare, and in this case, you clearly determined the psychological situation of each of the kidnappers, identified their psychological weaknesses, and then caught them in just one blow! Your capability in mental deception was exactly the key that led us in solving this case so quickly.
"I really apologize for having doubted your ability during the last murder case. Please forgive me and continue to cooperate with us."
Song Rui's eyes flickered slightly, as they concealed his emotional stirrings. After a long silence, he proactively extended his hand and shook hands with the Bureau Chief.
Seeing this scene of reconciliation, all the members of the First Criminal Investigation Team laughed along happily.
After leaving the Chengnan Branch Police Station, Song Rui drove his car to a secluded corner.
First, he took out an antiseptic wet wipe, repeatedly wiped the hand that had shaken hands with the Bureau Chief's hand not long ago, and then even wiped the steering wheel several times.
After that, he pulled out his mobile phone and dialed a phone number that had been stored for a long time but one that he had never dared touch before.
That person—fresh like a breeze and bright like the moonlight—seemed as if he was within his reach. A low chuckle echoed against his eardrum, and made the hairs on the side of his face silently stand up as a tingle of numb heat ran through.
Even though they were separated by time and space, the effect Fan Jialuo had on others was still just as strong.
"Dr. Song."
These words slipped from the tip of the other's tongue, seemingly steeped with an unknown magic that had the ability to cleanse its audience of all stray thoughts.
Song Rui's throat suddenly became dry, and he was silent for a long time before he said meaninglessly, "It's me."
"Has the child been saved?" Although it was a question, its connotation contained the vibe of complete positivity.
"Saved." Song Rui removed his tie and took a deep breath. "Why did you recommend me for solving the case? I thought you hated me?"
"Hmm?" Fan Jialuo murmured carelessly. Song Rui could almost imagine the scene of Fan Jialuo leaning his head to one side and examining him closely.
Are his eyes as dark yet bright, just like they were last time?
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