Criminal Investigation Notes

Su Hui stood beneath a tall building in the city center, where a crowd had already gathered below.

Firefighters and regular police officers had arrived and began laying out air cushions on the ground.

Qu Ming separated the crowd and opened up a cordon. He waved his police officer badge and said, “Major Crimes Unit, let us through. The person who wants to jump off the building is a suspect in one of our cases. What’s the situation here?”

“The girl is on the top floor, and she’s too emotionally distraught for us to get close,” the rescue worker in charge said, turning his head. “The air cushions won’t be much help from this height, and jumping down would be fatal. We’re trying to put a safety rope on her, but she’s too agitated to allow us to approach.”

Su Hui looked up at the building, which was too tall for him to see the girl sitting on top. He then turned to the rescue workers beside him and said, “Can you take me up there? I know her and can try to persuade her. When I distract her attention, you can move in.”

Qu Ming said, “I’ll go up with you.”

The rescue worker said, “That sounds like the best plan for now, but the girl is very alert and won’t let anyone get close. Do you think you can do it?”

Su Hui nodded calmly and said, “She hasn’t jumped yet, so there’s still hope. I’ll do my best.”

The person in charge at the scene hesitated for a moment and said, “Okay, our people will take you up, but be careful of her emotions. If she rejects you, don’t get too close.”

Soon, someone led them to the top floor, which was a hundred meters away. The wind was much stronger up there, and it was colder than below.

The top floor was a decent-sized platform, with a small iron door locked for maintenance use only. Su Hui didn’t know how Liu Mengying had managed to open it.

There was a fence around the edge of the roof, and outside the fence was a circle about forty centimeters wide. At that moment, Liu Mengying was sitting on a corner of the roof, wearing a white dress. Her legs were hanging down, and the wind on the roof was strong, blowing her black hair around her head.

Su Hui was about to approach her when he felt his phone vibrate twice in his pants pocket. He took out his phone and saw a message from Lu Junchi.

“Through fingerprint and flower purchase information, we can basically confirm that An Yu Ci is likely the one who killed Zhuang Xueyi. An Yu Ci is a prime suspect.”

Su Hui finally understood the truth of the matter and put away his phone.

Qu Ming was about to take a step forward, still ten meters away from the girl, when Liu Mengying turned her head and issued a warning, “Don’t come any closer. If you do, I’ll jump for real.”

Su Hui took a step forward and said, “Liu Mengying, we meet again.”

Liu Mengying saw him and sneered, “You have the nerve to come here? If it weren’t for you…”

It was the previous police operation that gradually exposed their wrongdoing.

“If it weren’t for me, would your secret have remained hidden forever without anyone finding out?” Su Hui said, taking two steps forward.

When she realized that Su Hui had entered within five meters of her, Liu Mengying shouted, “Don’t come any closer!”

Su Hui stopped and opened his hands, placing his cane aside. “I’m alone. If you really want to jump, I can’t stop you.”

Everyone present held their breath. Liu Mengying blinked and lowered her head, no longer stopping Su Hui’s approach.

Her mind was in turmoil, and at this moment, she felt great fear deep in her heart. Facing a familiar person could weaken her sense of fear.

Compared to the rescue team, Su Hui was someone she was familiar with. His handsomeness and gentleness reduced her aversion to him. In her subconscious mind, she even hoped that someone could get close to her and hold her…

Su Hui had never intervened in a suicide attempt before. He had always been in dialogue with those criminals. Although the young girl in front of him had participated in a murder case, her motives and purpose for killing were different from those vicious killers. She was more like someone who was induced to commit a crime. In this situation, there was no need to use the same conversation skills he used with the murderers.

Su Hui did not want the young girl in front of him to die, not only because she was an important witness in this case, and she and him had a previous connection, but also because Liu Mengying committed those acts under inducement. She was not the mastermind behind the crime. Her testimony was crucial, and her death could allow the more heinous mastermind to escape justice.

Moreover, she herself had the desire to live. Even if she was guilty, she still had a life.

Su Hui was thinking quickly about how to stop Liu Mengying’s behavior.

He was thinking about what Liu Mengying might be thinking at the moment.

In psychology, there is a principle of a “revolving lantern”. At the end of one’s life, people will recall their life, remembering important people and emotions.

He believed that the way to stop the girl was through her own thoughts.

He needed to guide her thinking, let her follow his words, make her question her behavior, arouse her nostalgia.

And, he needed to shatter her faith.

The reason she was sitting here was her faith. She firmly believed that what she had done was right.

Once she realizes that her beliefs are false and are being questioned, she will stop and be eager to refute. Su Hui did not expect to completely shake Liu Mengying’s mind in a few words, to dispel her thoughts. His goal is to interfere and delay until the best time for rescue. 

After quickly devising a plan, Su Hui took a few steps forward to the edge of the fence. Liu Mengying raised her head and asked Su Hui, “What do you really want to do?” 

Su Hui said, “I didn’t lie to you last time. Most of the things I told you were true. Those things have nothing to do with my profession.” The purpose of saying this was to establish a basic trust relationship. 

Their trust was broken during the last fishing operation, and he must start over at that point. “How can you say that you have nothing to do with me now? I can’t save myself, and I can’t control others.” Liu Mengying said softly, “I just want to sit here for a while and then leave quietly. So no matter what you say, it’s useless. I won’t change my mind.” 

“I’m not here to stop you… I just want to be with you at the end, facing death requires extra courage…” Su Hui said, looking outwards, “This side is high, but the scenery is good.” 

Liu Mengying also looked outside, “Yes, I have always liked high places since I was young. The view is broad, and you can see far away. There is only the sound of the wind here, no sound of the piano… I often feel that we city people carry too much, like birds locked in a cage without freedom.” 

She liked all kinds of high places since she was a child, from the school’s platform to the small garden on the top floor of her house, until her mother fell down the stairs and she never went to high places again. Today, when she wants to end her life, she still chooses this way for herself. 

She hopes to reduce the pain, so she chooses a high enough place. This height makes her hesitate, afraid, and a little dizzy. She wants to fly like a bird, but she has no wings. She wears her favorite dress. When she jumps down, there may be a moment when she looks like an angel. 

“I also like high places. Here, you can think of nothing and empty your mind,” Su Hui said, looking at the surrounding environment. His current position is not close enough to Liu Mengying. He must cross that fence to reach her, but that way, he will also be in danger. Su Hui calculated that the risk is worth it. 

He took a deep breath and climbed over the fence, holding onto it with one hand, and stood on the outside of the fence. Now he can finally reach Liu Mengying. There should be many people below, and there are still cars on the street. Su Hui looked down, but the distance was too far. With his vision, he couldn’t see anything clearly, like a mist. He didn’t feel scared or frightened. So far, their conversation has gone smoothly. 

Liu Mengying had been undecided for a long time, and there must be a reluctance to live in her heart.

First, he needed to interrupt her actions, guide her thinking, give appropriate stimulation, attract her attention, but not let her completely lose control.

“The person you want to protect is Doctor An, right?” Su Hui spoke up.

Liu Mengying was taken aback and turned to look at him.

Su Hui’s tone was calm. “The police have already gathered a lot of evidence. So even if you jump, you can’t protect him.”

Su Hui was conveying a message to Liu Mengying that even if she died, she couldn’t protect An Yuci. Her death would be useless and meaningless. He hoped to continue the conversation with her on this premise.

Liu Mengying’s eyelashes trembled slightly as she said, “Doctor An is a good person. He hasn’t done anything. Don’t frame him…”

She tried to sound calm, but her tone betrayed her. She was trying to deceive herself and others.

Liǔ Mèngyíng’s gaze swept down from the clouds, and Su Hui’s heart tightened.

“You’re still very young,” Su Hui said as he looked at the girl. It was his true feeling, and it was also something he instinctively said.

But Liǔ Mèngyíng took it as a comfort and smiled, “You don’t have to try so hard. If we’re counting, I’ve probably said and heard more than you.”

“Initially, you were Dr. An’s patient, right?” Su Hui asked. “Do you feel like you’ve been redeemed?”

“Of course,” Liǔ Mèngyíng nodded. “I’m very grateful to him. Without Dr. An and everything that happened, I might have died a long time ago.”

Su Hui asked her, “Were you doing well during the time after your mother’s death?”

Liǔ Mèngyíng was taken aback, unsure of how to answer. Then she whispered, “I was doing well.”

Although she said it with her mouth, Liǔ Mèngyíng began to think about it in her heart. It had been over a year, and although she appeared to be fully invested and had already recovered, the memories still lingered.

Now that she was mature enough to look back on her relationship and conflicts with her mother, perhaps her mother was going through menopause and she was going through teenage rebellion, and the conflict was gradually escalating.

After her mother’s death, Liǔ Mèngyíng was doing well, but she still often thought of her mother and couldn’t help but cry.

She tried to focus her attention on saving other people.

But she herself still felt like an empty shell.

Su Hui continued to ask her, “Are the people you saved still doing well?”

Liǔ Mèngyíng’s voice trembled, “They’re…they’re doing well. They’ve all been saved and overcome their depression.”

“Do you know Zhang Ming and Qin Zhihua?”

Liǔ Mèngyíng didn’t say anything, and Su Hui continued, “Zhang Ming passed away today, and Qin Zhihua is in the hospital and in danger at any moment.”

Liǔ Mèngyíng listened quietly, her lips pursed slightly. Initially, it was An Yuci who convinced her to save those who had fallen into misfortune because of others. But when did this mission start to distort and change?

She had struggled out of depression, but the more sober she became, the more she reflected.

Her mother’s death, as well as the incident with Lian Fei who she pushed into the lime pit, were like thorns stuck in her heart and a sword hanging over her head. She often had nightmares and woke up suddenly in the middle of the night…

She often wonders whether her choices were right or wrong.

But if she had truly been redeemed, why was she now standing in a high place, forced to die?

And if those people had been saved, why did they all die one by one?

Trembling, Liu Mengying said, “Sometimes sacrifices are necessary for the sake of justice.”

Su Hui whispered, “Do you really want to leave this world?”

These were the same words that Liu Mengying had asked her before, but now he was asking her. It was a game between good and evil, life and death.

The young girl in front of them was like a chip on a balance.

Once the balance tipped, she would fall rapidly.

Tears streamed down Liu Mengying’s cheeks, and her heart was shaken as her will to live struggled within her.

Did she really want to leave?

Su Hui continued, “Do you have no attachment to this world?”

Attachment…

She was only 23 years old, and had just begun to appreciate the beauty of this world – the delicious food, the joy of waking up naturally, the good TV shows, the fun games. Once she died, all of these things would cease to exist. She was greedy, and had attachments…

Liu Mengying suddenly realized that Su Hui had not said much to her, but had used a calm tone. Yet why were there so many thoughts swirling in her mind?

Why was she becoming more and more uncertain, shaken, and doubting about death?

She suddenly understood that Su Hui was helping her to review the whole situation.

No, this must be a police conspiracy. They were trying to catch her, interrogate her, and even use her to threaten Dr. An.

They were not wrong, and they killed people who deserved to die.

She did not want to be caught, did not want to be interrogated, and all the confusion about the past was meaningless.

She could not turn back now, even if she did not die, she would be caught. What awaited her would not be a beautiful resolution, so she might as well end her own life.

Liu Mengying’s eyes were filled with tears as she turned her head and said, “It’s too late for you to tell me all this now. Even if I think it through, what difference does it make? Maybe there were some lies in it, maybe I was really deceived. Maybe some things are really wrong? I have killed someone, I can’t go back… Those sixteen months were like an additional sixteen months in my life. Maybe I entered a nightmare when my mother died. Now, I don’t care about right or wrong or the truth… I have made my decision…”

Her body leaned forward, and if her center of gravity shifted a little more, she would fall.

“Ah!!!” The onlookers downstairs exclaimed in shock, everyone was nervous and sweating.

Su Hui’s body tensed up, even though he was calm, he felt a hint of pressure…

A vision of Liu Mengying falling from the building appeared before his eyes, she leaped past him like a bird and then fell rapidly.

He couldn’t hold the girl in front of him alone.

She would be splattered with blood on the spot.

But this should not be the fate of this young girl.

Su Hui knew that An Yuci must have spent a lot of time on Liu Mengying.

Liu Mengying’s dependence and trust in An Yuci could not be completely shaken by him in just a few minutes and a few words.

From Su Hui’s angle, he could see two blurry figures approaching behind Liu Mengying. He had to attract Liu Mengying’s attention and ensure that the approaching people would not be discovered.

Su Hui had to increase his efforts to further disrupt Liu Mengying’s crazy behavior.

“You have lobbied so many people behind the scenes and done so many things. So you should know that your mother’s death was not an accident, right?”

Liu Mengying looked up at him, her brow slightly furrowed.

Su Hui continued, “The police have been re-investigating past cases and found a bouquet of carnations and a dropped signature pen at the scene of your mother’s death. After investigation, those could have been left by An Yuci.”

Liu Mengying’s lips trembled, and more tears flowed.

“No… my mother’s death was an accident…”

The people behind them were only two meters away from them. Su Hui looked down at her eyes and said, “Liu Mengying, death is an escape and cannot solve the problem. You are just being used…”

That was not a so-called act of justice, not a redemption, just to satisfy the rescuer’s selfish desires.

All the superficial bubbles have dispersed, and the truth has surfaced.

“Is killing someone really the only way to redeem and help someone else?” Su Hui questioned her, “Why are you sacrificing yourself? That sense of justice is fundamentally twisted!”

“No! What we’re doing is right…” Liu Mengying was eager to make herself clear, but before she could finish her words, a rope descended from above and looped around her waist. At the same time, Su Hui and the people behind her worked together to pull her up from her seat.

The rescue personnel, who had been waiting for this opportunity, tightly held onto Liu Mengying’s waist.

“You guys! What are you doing…” It wasn’t until now that Liu Mengying realized she had walked right into the trap set by the hunters.

Ignoring her struggles, the people held her tightly and brought her to safety.

Lu Junchi arrived five minutes ago, and he quickly developed a plan with the rescue personnel in charge. Su Hui had already attracted Liu Mengying’s attention, and they needed to quickly move her away from danger.

With Su Hui’s cooperation, the action was quick and smooth. After rescuing Liu Mengying, the others were too busy controlling her to do anything else.

“Be careful,” Lu Junchi said, holding onto Su Hui’s hand and exerting pressure on his fingertips.

His hand was warm, but Su Hui’s was cold.

Su Hui was standing so high that there was a bottomless abyss below. Ordinary people would have already had weak legs and collapsed, but Lu Junchi didn’t know what was supporting Su Hui’s frail body, allowing him to remain calm and composed.

But he knew that if Su Hui hadn’t stepped forward earlier, they might have been faced with yet another corpse.

Liu Mengying was rescued, and only then did Su Hui heave a sigh of relief. He had only spoken with Liu Mengying for less than ten minutes, but it felt like an hour, or even a day.

His legs were a bit stiff, and he moved slowly. Even with Lu Junchi’s support, he couldn’t cross the guardrail smoothly the first time.

Lu Junchi pursed his lips, his heart pounding. He was even more nervous than Su Hui.

As soon as Su Hui’s center of gravity shifted, Lu Junchi couldn’t wait to reach out and embrace Su Hui’s waist, bringing him down.

Su Hui looked up at Lu Junchi and finally closed his eyes wearily. “Officer Lu, can I borrow your shoulder for a moment? Let me lean on it for a while…”