Aftermath and Distant Concerns

The glass doors of the municipal bureau building slowly closed behind me, shutting out the unique atmosphere inside—a mixture of disinfectant, printer toner, and tension.

The crisp night air filled my lungs, carrying the city's unique scent of dust and freedom. Cars streamed down the streets, neon lights flickered, a stark contrast to the oppressive atmosphere of the interrogation room I had just been in, a world apart from the one-dimensional focus I had felt.

Lin Feng, Lawyer Zhou, and Lü Yi, along with the other "helpful citizens" who were also temporarily released, silently walked down the steps and disappeared into the night. The police's final decision was as expected—given that the nature of the case leaned more towards legitimate self-defense and that a large number of people were involved, criminally detaining all of them would have too great a social impact and would not be proportional to the principle of fairness.

Ultimately, after the initial questioning, everyone was required not to leave the city in the near future, to keep their communication channels open 24 hours a day, and to be available whenever needed.

This is actually standard practice for the police in handling many controversial cases or cases where evidence is still being sorted out. It gives the investigation time and avoids taking excessive coercive measures against parties who are clearly not primarily responsible.

Walking on the slightly noisy sidewalk, Lawyer Zhou habitually pushed up his Glasses and began to analyze the case in a low voice to Lin Feng, his tone returning to its usual calm and organized manner.

"Boss, based on the evidence we have and the situation at the scene, our position is solid." He said as he walked, keeping his voice low enough for only the three of them to hear. "The facts of the other side being armed and provoking us, and launching an attack, are clear. The surveillance footage and multiple testimonies corroborate each other. The probability that our actions will be considered legitimate self-defense is very high."

He paused slightly, considering the worst-case scenario. "The only variable lies in the aftermath of the injuries sustained by those people in the hospital. If... I mean, if the worst-case scenario occurs, and someone dies from their injuries, it might lead to a complex determination of 'excessive self-defense resulting in death,' which would be quite troublesome. But even so, given the other party's serious prior fault, the final outcome won't be too pessimistic."

Lawyer Zhou then shifted his tone, becoming even more certain. "Moreover, an organized, armed gang like theirs is most likely not a first-time offender. As the police investigate further, they're likely to uncover their previous criminal records or other illegal activities. This will further solidify their image as 'violent perpetrators,' which will be even more advantageous to us. Once the police have a clear understanding of their background, this case can essentially be considered closed."

After analyzing the overall situation, Lawyer Zhou's gaze fell on Lü Yi, who was curiously examining the roadside roasted sweet potato stall, and his tone carried a hint of reminder:

"Of course, if we really want to delve into the details, Lü Yi might be in a slightly troublesome position among us."

Lü Yi was pondering whether to buy a roasted sweet potato when she heard this. She turned around, pointed to her nose, and looked innocent and confused. "Me? What trouble do I have? I was just doing a good deed! When you see injustice, you have to speak up and act!"

Lawyer Zhou smiled helplessly and explained, "Your previous 'verbal exchange' with the burly leader might be legally interpreted as provocation. While it doesn't affect the overall determination of legitimate self-defense, it might be brought up during the breakdown of liability. More importantly,"

He emphasized, "You hit that old man, although it was to stop him from extorting money, but there was still a physical altercation. Of course, this won't lead to criminal trouble, since the circumstances are significantly minor and there was a reason for it. However..."

He glanced at Lin Feng and continued to Lü Yi, "Considering your previous mental health diagnosis record, the judicial authorities, for the sake of prudence, may recommend or even decide to send you back to a professional medical institution for a period of compulsory observation and treatment during the case proceedings or after the case is closed, to ensure your emotional and behavioral stability."

Lawyer Zhou had assumed that Lü Yi would object to this, since compulsory medical treatment meant losing her freedom.

Unexpectedly, Lü Yi's eyes lit up instantly, and a big, even expectant smile spread across his face. He clapped his hands vigorously.

"Forced treatment? Back to a mental hospital? Hey! What a joke! Oh well, no problem!" He was so excited he almost jumped for joy. "Mental hospitals are great! I love them! Everyone there is so talented, and they all speak so nicely. There are professional doctors and nurses to chat with, regular schedules, and all-you-can-eat meals! It's so much more interesting than delivering takeout!"

Lin Feng: "..."

Lawyer Zhou: "..."

Seeing Lü Yi's genuine joy, the two were speechless for a moment. The words of comfort and explanation that Lawyer Zhou had prepared all stuck in his throat, ultimately turning into a helpless sigh and a shake of his head. Well, perhaps this wasn't really bad news for Lü Yi.

In another corner of the city, in a secluded rented room with the curtains drawn tightly shut.

A middle-aged man, dressed plainly but with sharp eyes, sat on the sofa, listening expressionlessly to a subordinate's report. He was the true core of this fraud gang, the Chief General of the "Eight Generals," known to his men as "Mr. Wei."

"Mr. Wei, Brother Wu... Brother Wu and his men have been defeated!" The underling gasped for breath, his face filled with panic.

Mr. Wei didn't even lift his eyelids, but simply gave a faint "hmm" to signal him to continue.

The younger brother steadied himself and recounted everything he had learned: how Old Wu (Fire General) led his men to seek revenge, how they were brutally beaten by a group of seemingly ordinary diners in a small restaurant, how they were all hospitalized, several reportedly seriously injured, how the police had intervened, and how they had all been taken to the city police station...

"Mr. Wei, should we... do something?" the underling asked tentatively after reporting, his face showing a hint of resentment and anger.

After listening, Mr. Wei frowned slightly, remained silent for a while, then exhaled a breath of stale air and decisively said, "It seems we can't stay in this city anymore. Let's make preparations; we need to find another place."

The younger brother was stunned. "Boss, why? Do you really think Brother Wu would betray us? Surely not! At most, Brother Wu and his gang are only guilty of disorderly conduct. Even with the previous staged accident, it'll just be administrative detention and a fine. Betraying us wouldn't benefit him at all; it would only extend his sentence. He wouldn't be that stupid, would he?"

Mr. Wei shook his head, his eyes deep. "I'm not so worried about Old Wu. He's loyal, knows the rules, and knows what he should and shouldn't say."

He paused, his tone becoming serious:

"What I'm worried about are the few henchmen Old Wu brought. Some of them aren't our core brothers; they're just temporary replacements. They have a lot of criminal records and their backgrounds aren't clean. These kinds of people are opportunists; they have no loyalty whatsoever."

If the police intimidate them even slightly, or offer them a little something, they'd easily betray Old Wu to protect themselves. Once the police realize that Old Wu might be carrying other, or even more serious, secrets we don't know about, they'll start investigating along Old Wu's trail...

The younger man seemed to understand. "You mean the police will investigate further?"

Mr. Wei nodded. "If other things are dug up about Old Wu, it's hard to say whether he can withstand the interrogation and implicate us under pressure."

The younger brother was still a little puzzled. "He can't, right? It wouldn't do him any good to turn us in? Do the police still dare to use... that 'big memory recovery technique' on him?" He lowered his voice, with a sense of mystery akin to rumors in the world.

Mr. Wei slapped him on the back of the head and yelled, "Have you been watching too many short videos? What's going on in your head? What era are we living in? 'Great Memory Recovery Technique'? That kind of low-level, brutal method, the police wouldn't use it now, it's too risky!"

The younger brother covered his head, looking aggrieved, and asked, "If not this method, what other methods are there? How can the police get a criminal to talk without hitting or scolding them?"

Mr. Wei snorted coldly, a hint of apprehension about the police's methods showing on his face. "The police's most proficient and effective interrogation method isn't torture at all, but empathy."

"Empathy?" The younger brother looked blank. "What does that mean?"

"It's all about winning hearts and minds," Mr. Wei explained. "Some skilled interrogators specialize in this. They'll be very patient, listen to the prisoner, understand his situation, even chat with him casually, take care of his emotions, and appropriately fulfill some of his reasonable or not-so-reasonable requests, such as a cigarette or a nice meal. At the same time, they'll make arrangements with the detention center."

He paused, looking at his younger brother's confused eyes. "Over there in the detention center, there are naturally ways to make a particular person 'uncomfortable,' such as arranging a difficult roommate or creating as much trouble as possible within the rules. Over time, the prisoner will feel that staying in the interrogation room, with food, drink, and 'concern,' is actually better than going back to that awful place in the detention center. In order to stay in the interrogation room, he might slowly start to confess some questions, starting with small ones, to test the police's attitude."

"Especially for 'old offenders' like Old Wu, who might be carrying other criminal records," Mr. Wei said in a low voice, "They know that once they're sentenced and in prison, the environment is actually more standardized and better managed than a detention center. At this point, if the interrogators give them a little 'hope,' such as hinting that a clear confession could lead to an earlier transfer, or even helping them 'choose' a better prison..."

The younger brother was dumbfounded. He had never been to the palace before and had no idea that there were so many intricacies involved. He subconsciously asked, "Prison... you can choose?"

"Of course we can choose!" Mr. Wei affirmed. "The prisons in small county towns have the worst conditions. Prisons in first-tier cities and provincial capitals have relatively standardized facilities and management, and the living conditions are much better. So when we commit crimes, we try to choose these big cities. If we fail, life inside will be better."

He waved his hand, seemingly unwilling to discuss this further. "Alright, let's not get sidetracked. Hurry up and tell the brothers to pack their things; we need to leave as soon as possible. Things are getting tense."

The underling quickly replied, "Yes, boss!" He turned to leave, then hesitated, turning back to ask, "Boss, before we go, should we try to help Brother Wu and the others get revenge? After all, they were beaten so badly..."

Without a second thought, Mr. Wei flatly refused. "No way! Things aren't as simple as you think! We shouldn't cause any more trouble; the best course of action is to leave quietly as soon as possible!"

The younger brother was still puzzled by his boss's decisive retreat and couldn't help but ask, "Boss, why? Aren't they just a bunch of nosy ordinary people? Even if they could fight, we could have done it secretly..."

Mr. Wei interrupted him directly, asking in return, "Let me ask you, if you were on the street and saw seven or eight burly men with gleaming knives, about to attack some other people, what would you do?"

After thinking for a moment, the younger brother honestly replied, "I... I'll probably stay far away to watch the show, or just walk away altogether to avoid getting splattered with blood."

Mr. Wei nodded. "That's right, that's normal human thinking. Perhaps a few individuals would choose to call the police. But look at this," he looked sharply at his underling, "The 'diners' around, not just one or two people, but almost everyone, all chose to 'act bravely' at the same time, and they were extremely ruthless and coordinated perfectly. Do you think that's reasonable? Is that normal?"

The younger brother paused, carefully considering his boss's words, a look of realization and fear gradually appearing on his face. "Boss, you mean... the people in that restaurant weren't ordinary diners at all? They... they were prepared all along?"

Mr. Wei nodded heavily, his eyes dark and menacing. "I suspect it's because we've been too active lately, or perhaps we've inadvertently crossed a line, incurring the wrath of some local tyrant. This is their warning, a way of telling us we're not welcome here and need to get out. If we don't know our place, next time it might not be as simple as ending up in the hospital."

He took a deep breath, his tone resolute. "So, don't think about anything else, just go! Immediately! Right now!"

The younger brother finally understood the danger involved. A cold sweat broke out on his back. He dared not say another word and hurriedly bowed and scraped as he retreated to inform the others to prepare for evacuation.