Sweeping Mouse Ridge – Chapter Three : 7

Liu Simiao looked at Guo Xiaofen, as if searching for something on her beautiful, intelligent, and lovely face. Then, whether she found it or not, she slowly lowered her eyelids, her gaze lingering on the cup of tangerine and pear tea for a long time before she slowly said, “I’ve been transferred from the Special Task Force group, you know that.”

“Yes.”

“You know why too.”

“Yes.”

“Everyone’s defined in the eyes of others. Even if she has changed, the problem’s not the definition but the person being defined.”

Guo Xiaofen’s eyes widened.

“I’m also a person who has been defined,” Liu Simiao said calmly. “Although Xiangming and I were never together, in everyone’s heart, I’m his girlfriend. So even if it was a judgment he made on a case ten years ago, I have to bear the responsibility for whether it was right or wrong.”

“This is unfair,” Guo Xiaofen said.

“Expecting others to treat you fairly while simultaneously treating others unfairly—that’s human nature.” Liu Simiao gave a cold laugh. “I’ve never had any hope for humanity, so I never complain.”

“Then why are you involved in this case again?”

“Two reasons,” Liu Simiao said. “First, I feel that in the last two years, there’s been a rise in scientism in criminal investigations, and that’s wrong.”

“My God!” Guo Xiaofen exclaimed softly, “Did I hear that right? You, the forensic scientist who always champions the spirit of science, are actually saying scientism’s wrong?!”

“Scientific spirit and scientific supremacy are fundamentally two different things. The former’s a form of positivism, while the latter’s a kind of religious blind obedience and dependence,” said Liu Simiao. “The solving of the Baiyin Serial Murder Case and the Huzhou Robbery Murder Case were epoch making events in the history of Chinese criminal investigation. They demonstrated that modern scientific methods, especially DNA biotechnology, can be used to capture the true culprit even in crimes committed decades ago. At the same time, the establishment of the Skynet system and the social security firewall built by big data and information technology have led many police officers to mistakenly believe that the long arm of the law is inescapable, that nothing can escape justice, and that everything’s fine and the world’s at peace. This tendency to completely rely on scientific methods to prevent and combat crime, believing that technology can solve all problems, is extremely dangerous. This is precisely the fundamental reason why, after arresting Zhou Liping, the police went from being full of confidence and high morale to being completely confused and disoriented.”

Guo Xiaofen listened attentively.

Liu Simiao continued, “In essence, crime is a perverse reaction resulting from the complex interaction between human nature and a distorted social environment. We may see lively or indifferent faces through surveillance videos, but what lies hidden beneath those faces is something that no scientific instrument or device can possibly explore. When a crime occurs, arresting the criminal is not easy, but even more difficult is figuring out their motives. You work in legal reporting, so you know best how diverse and absurd people’s motives for crime can be; it’s definitely not just about money or sex. Crimes committed ‘without ulterior motives’ often leave even the most experienced police officers speechless. In such cases, equating the investigation process with ‘crime → technological means → case solved’ was an irresponsible simplification, yet people increasingly favors this simplification. Earlier this year, in a shopping mall, when a crazed assailant attacked people with a knife, an excellent policewoman rushed forward, hailed as the ‘most beautiful act of defiance.’ This was undoubtedly very brave, but let’s not forget that the actions of that vicious assailant were the true ‘defiance’ for society as a whole! Simply praising nobility and good deeds while dismissing or ignoring the underlying motives that trigger violence is meaningless for crime prevention.”

“What you said makes perfect sense!” Guo Xiaofen nodded repeatedly. “It’s a pity that few people listen to such thought-provoking words, and even if they do, they do not understand them.”

“That’s precisely why, after the Sweeping Mouse Ridge Case, I thought of you and hoped you could help me with a task,” Liu Simiao said, looking at Guo Xiaofen. “That morning at the nursery gate, I did not see a single journalist, only a bunch of recording equipment… I despise people who lack professionalism; conversely, even someone I’ve argued with before, if she has professionalism, I respect and trust her.”

Clearly, Guo Xiaofen was deeply moved by Liu Simiao’s words.

“Of course, there’s another very important reason. I learned that after the student loan incident that led to Mr. Du’s daughter’s suicide two years ago, you interviewed the Love Charity Foundation’s local office, but you were intercepted by Zheng Gui before you could meet Tao Zhouyao in person. I found that article online, and compared to other media outlets, your reporting was not as inflammatory.”

“That’s because the newly appointed editor-in-chief holds a board member title at Love Charity Foundation and receives over a million yuan in bonuses every year, so they ripped my article to shreds.”

“However, I believe that precisely because of this, Love Charity Foundation and even Zheng Gui do not harbor much ill will towards you.”

“That’s true. Zheng Gui even sent me gift cards afterward, but I refused to accept them…” Guo Xiaofen seemed to understand. “You want me to help you investigate the truth behind the Sweeping Mouse Ridge Case by focusing on Love Charity Foundation and Mingyi Public Relations Company’?”

Liu Simiao shook her head. “My request for your assistance is definitely not about helping me investigate the truth behind the Sweeping Mouse Ridge Case; that’s the police’s job. I want you to gain a comprehensive, detailed, and systematic understanding of Zhou Liping from a journalist’s perspective. To put it bluntly, I want you to investigate how he became a criminal, especially how he went from a serial killer who escaped the law to not only showing no remorse but also escalating his crimes into a child abuser and killer—if those crimes were indeed committed by him.”

“And then?” Guo Xiaofen was still a little confused. “Write an article and publish it in a newspaper, magazine, or public account?”

“Wait a minute.” Liu Simiao glanced at her watch. “It’s getting late; let’s have lunch together here.” She then gestured for the waiter and ordered plain pancakes, pizza, pasta, curry beef rice, and other dishes. Guo Xiaofen told her to order less, but she just smiled and continued, “If necessary, I can recommend the article to the relevant media for publication. However, I think the greater significance lies in including it in the unfinished investigation that Xiangming did.”

Guo Xiaofen suddenly understood.

After returning from studying in the US, Lin Xiangming led a criminological research project, interviewing incarcerated serial killers in the country to gain a deep understanding of the characteristics and features of serial murder cases. This was intended to better suit the country’s national conditions when introducing Criminal Personality Analysis techniques for criminal investigation. Unfortunately, this research was interrupted by his arrest, but it was clear that Liu Simiao was determined not to miss any opportunity to continue this work.

“So, it’s not unreasonable for others to associate you with Xiangming,” said Guo Xiaofen.

Liu Simiao gave a wry smile.

They discussed the specific work plan. The basic idea was to start with Zheng Gui and trace back to all the people Zhou Liping had come into contact with over the years, including Sun Jinghua, who had introduced him to Mingyi Public Relations Company; the street director who arranged for him to work as a traffic assistant after his release from prison; the real estate agent who found him an apartment… Liu Simiao suggested that, if possible, they should interview Fang Mei, the only survivor of the “Western Suburbs Serial Murders.” Guo Xiaofen acknowledged that it would be very difficult but worth a try.

“By the way,” Guo Xiaofen casually mentioned, “what do you think of Xiangming’s insistence that Zhou Liping only killed Fang Zhifeng?”

“As I just said: I agree with that conclusion, and so far no new evidence has been found to overturn it. Of course, if Xiangming’s wrong, then it means he must also be held responsible for Zhou Liping’s new crimes.” Liu Simiao looked out the large French windows; a small gray sparrow perched on the power lines hanging like musical staves, flapping its wings twice but not taking flight.

Just then, the waiter brought over all the food Liu Simiao had ordered on a huge silver tray, piling it high on the table. Guo Xiaofen looked on, her mouth watering, and could not help but mutter, “I told you to order less. I spent half a month sweating it out at a weight loss camp, and I finally got back to my slim waist. Now I’m going to be all fat again…”

“I like fat too!”

With that cheeky remark, a short, stout man, as heavy as a weight, plopped down next to Guo Xiaofen, grinning at her.

“Ma Xiaozhong?!” Guo Xiaofen was quite surprised. She glanced at Liu Simiao and, from Simiao’s smile, understood that he had been called over by her.

“It’s indeed me!” Ma Xiaozhong clasped his hands in a fist salute. “Little Guo, it’s been so long! I’ve missed you dearly!”

Guo Xiaofen made a WeChat emoji of herself covering her face, on the verge of tears: “Why are you always around? Weren’t you arrested for injuring someone with your spicy hot pot? How come you’re out so quickly?”

“What are you saying?” Ma Xiaozhong frowned. “For you, am I not even allowed to break out of prison?”

“Pah!” Guo Xiaofen spat at him fiercely.

“Alright, alright! Little Guo, please do not take it to heart by arguing with Old Ma for my sake,” Liu Simiao smoothed things over. “Now that you’ve resigned, you’ve handed in your press card, right? I imagine it will be inconvenient when you need to identify yourself during interviews. It’d be best to have someone around who can handle any situation. Perfect timing, Old Ma’s also suspended for reflection, so I’ve asked him to assist you.”

“Exactly! Back in the day, we were both unemployed, and everywhere except the matchmaking agency was a buy one get one free deal,” Ma Xiaozhong said affectionately to Guo Xiaofen. “I’ve got it all figured out. My ‘Ma’ plus your ‘Xiao,’ from now on we will be called the ‘Ma Xiao Duo.’ What do you think?”

“Get lost!” Guo Xiaofen scoffed. “Why not ‘Guijie Hotpot’?”

The two bickered a few more times before finally settling down to eat. Ma Xiaozhong kept trying to get closer to Guo Xiaofen, but Guo nudged him hard with her elbow, which made him behave a bit.

Liu Simiao asked Guo Xiaofen for her bank card number. Guo Xiaofen, confused, asked why she needed it. Liu Simiao explained that the interview was her personal arrangement, and all expenses could not be reimbursed through company funds. Therefore, she planned to pay Guo Xiaofen’s interview expenses from her own account. Guo Xiaofen declined a couple of times, but Liu Simiao silenced her with a single sentence: “Little Guo, you still have to pay rent. You cannot spend another night on a park bench…”

“What’s going on?” Ma Xiaozhong asked, lifting his chubby face, which was smeared with ketchup.

“None of your business,” Guo Xiaofen said casually.

Then, she gave Liu Simiao her bank card number.

After finishing their meal, the three of them walked out of the coffee shop together. This coffee shop was located on the second floor of Ocean Times Square. Across the street was an early childhood education center. It was the weekend, and a large group of children were playing and laughing inside: some were running around in karate uniforms, some came out of the art room with paint all over their noses to show their new works to their parents, some were banging on the small xylophone hanging on the wall, and some were kicking and shouting in the circular swimming pool. Their laughter could be heard through the soap bubble-shaped glass windows. A little girl in a pink jacket bravely slid down the elephant trunk slide, then called to her younger brother, who was sitting trembling at the top, to slide down as well. Along with her cheerful shouts, a rather pleasant song drifted into the air:

“Little bird says the mountain snow has melted,
The river is singing a tinkling song,
The running deer has such beautiful eyes.
The forest flowers rise so early,
The spring breeze is just the right warmth,
The leaves on the branches greet the sun.”

Watching these carefree children under the protection of their parents and teachers, Liu Simiao suddenly remembered the children in Tongyou Nursery, especially what Ma Xiaozhong had told her about the swill-like food and the filthy “lunchboxes”…

“Simiao, what’s wrong?” Guo Xiaofen noticed her expression suddenly darken.

“It’s nothing,” Liu Simiao said as she walked up the escalator. “I was just thinking that it would be better to close the case as soon as possible to avoid causing a public relations crisis.”

“Do not worry, it will not,” Guo Xiaofen said.

“Why not? Parents these days treat their children like treasures. Children’s issues are the easiest to attract public attention. Look at those kindergarten needle pricking incidents—”

“How many cases of child sexual abuse happen in rural areas every year? How many of them cause a public outcry?” Guo Xiaofen sneered. “Ultimately, everyone only cares about things that directly affect their own interests. The kindergarten needle pricking incident was triggered because it touched a nerve with the middle class, the main user group of mass media. What does Tongyou Nursery’s story have to do with them? No matter how many disabled children die, that’s for deliverymen, migrant workers, cleaners, and domestic workers—parents who have left their hometowns to work. The middle class probably would not even bother to forward it on WeChat!”

These words shocked Liu Simiao. Just then, the escalator reached the first floor. Pushing open the doors of Ocean Times Square, she felt a chill. Looking up, she could not see the sun. The little sparrow on the power line had flown away and disappeared.

“Alright, I have some things to take care of and need to go back to the station,” she said to Guo Xiaofen and Ma Xiaozhong. “Let’s keep in touch—Guo, be sure to stay safe during the interview; Ma, take good care of Guo.”

“Do not worry,” Guo Xiaofen said.

“Absolutely!” Ma Xiaozhong said with a grin. Watching Liu Simiao drive away, Guo Xiaofen suddenly muttered to herself, “Simiao has changed.”

“Huh?” Ma Xiaozhong did not understand. “How has she changed? She’s still a stunning beauty!”

“Idiot!” Guo Xiaofen glared at him and slowly said, “In the past, Xiangming was her eternal pain, but today, she suddenly revealed another meaning: Xiangming’s the burden she will always carry.”