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墨書 Inktalez
We stepped back, waiting for Dezi to finish interrogating the unknown woman, so we could compare her statements with what Guo Guoqing had said and determine whether he was lying. However, my intuition suggested that Guo Guoqing was generally truthful in his overall narrative, though he had omitted some details. We couldn't afford to be careless about this; we needed to ask him again, carefully.
At that moment, Dezi emerged, having completed the interrogation. According to Dezi, this woman made a living by fishing for wealthy men in nightclubs, and she had straightforwardly recounted everything. After listening to her, we found that her account was similar to Guo Guoqing's, including how they had trained Roland like a dog that night.
Through the telescope, the woman had also observed Roland's every move and participated in the training process. However, after Guo Guoqing took Roland out the next afternoon, he never saw him again. Guo Guoqing didn't explain where Roland had gone; the woman assumed he had returned to school.
She paid no further attention until today when Guo Guoqing opened the door and the police brought both of them to the station. Until now, she remained unaware that Roland was dead. Dezi concluded that this woman likely wasn't lying; she was merely a witness summoned by Guo Guoqing.
If that were the case, then Guo Guoqing must have some other plan that he hadn’t revealed to us.
Although much of what Guo Guoqing said was accurate, he failed to mention one crucial detail: the footprints near the greenhouse. Standing at about five feet seven inches tall, he was relatively short among boys. Yet the footprints left behind suggested a person around six feet three inches tall and weighing approximately one hundred sixty pounds—clearly not matching Guo Guoqing's stature.
I rubbed my temples, contemplating the possibilities when suddenly an idea struck me. The reason I could see a reflection on the Ferris wheel might have been because Guo Guoqing had intentionally set it up that way. He could have been using a telescope to reflect light towards me, meaning he likely observed our investigation through it.
He knew we would return to that building for inspection yet pretended not to recognize us. This indicated that Guo Guoqing deliberately allowed himself to be caught. Analyzing his final words, it became evident that he understood his age would result in a lighter sentence if he were guilty of murder—perhaps only four or five years in prison.
Now at fifteen years old, by the time he got out, he'd only be in his twenties! He didn't care about this time; he knew we couldn't inflict any greater harm on him. Thus, it seemed clear that Guo Guoqing had intentionally allowed himself to be captured.
With this realization in mind, I decided to interrogate Guo Guoqing again.
When he saw us re-enter, he asked, "Did that woman confess? Was she consistent with what I said? I killed her; I admit it." As he spoke, tears began to flow down his cheeks. "I didn’t want to kill her; I just couldn’t control myself. Every time I think of how my mother abused me as a child, I can't help but want to kill."
We were taken aback by this sudden display from Guo Guoqing. His tears streamed down slowly until they reached his lips; he appeared deeply remorseful. Coupled with his pitiful expression, it evoked a sense of pity in us.
The young woman taking notes had never heard of Guo Guoqing before and thought he was genuinely sorrowful and distraught over his guilt at that moment. She reached for a tissue to wipe his tears away, but I stopped her gently and said, "Your acting is quite impressive; you could win an Oscar."
Seeing our Special Investigation Team remain unfazed by his performance, Guo Guoqing abruptly ceased crying and remarked, "This is pointless; you’re all so dull. You know, three years ago I used this same method to deceive many girls in their twenties. Haha! Just imagine how many people would sympathize with me if I acted like this in court! How many years do you think I'd get sentenced?"
At this remark, Dezi slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Guo Guoqing! Don’t push your luck! You may deceive many people, but you cannot deceive yourself! You will be punished for what you've done!"
We were all furious; if this Guo Guoqing tried to manipulate public opinion from a moral high ground, who would believe that this fifteen-year-old boy had killed seven people? If he cried and lamented about childhood trauma while claiming regret, I believed many would side with him.
I suddenly remembered that Lu Xun once said something similar: killing is like a game of chance; the one who dies has already lost, while the killer becomes the subject of debate about whether they should have killed. This is the harsh reality we witness every day.
Guo Guoqing, at only fifteen years old, had already seen through human nature and knew how to manipulate it. At this moment, we could understand why some said an adult's soul had entered his body, while others referred to him as a Demon Boy.
He truly deserved that title.
Guo Guoqing smiled and said, "Is that so? You can think that way, and I can think this way. I know that once I turn sixteen, even if I commit a minor offense, I could be locked away for life. And if I reach eighteen, I will definitely face execution."
"So, this is my last year of life," Guo Guoqing continued with a smile. "When I come out of prison in four years, I should be nineteen. By then, I will be a good citizen. I'll have money, a car, and my own business—enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life."
"And when I have children, I'll tell them how amazing their father was." Guo Guoqing closed his eyes, speaking with pleasure. "Many people reoffend after being released because they lack jobs and money, but I'm different. Perhaps after you all are gone, I'll come to your graves and urinate on them. Haha!"
Dezi was seething with anger, wishing he could devour Guo Guoqing whole. How could a minor possess such intricate logic? Indeed, our duty was merely to report the truth of the case to the court as best as we could; however, how it would be judged remained a question beyond our control. In reality, what Guo Guoqing predicted might very well happen.
In the case involving Criminal B, everyone else had changed their names and had not committed any further crimes. Although we knew how monstrous their actions had been in their youth, they continued to live in that world—having spent only six or seven years in prison. Even if Guo Guoqing were to spend six or seven years behind bars, he would still only be in his twenties upon release.
He might continue living in Tianlan City until the victims' families passed away and until people like us were gone; perhaps no one would ever know what Guo Guoqing had done. The wealthy young man might become the object of admiration for many girls and live out his life without remorse!
Guo Guoqing was calculating well, which explained why he was so calm when we apprehended him.
I suppressed my anger and said, "I know you're still controlling things outside; you definitely have accomplices. Who is that person?"
Guo Guoqing clicked his tongue a few times before replying, "I didn't expect you to catch onto that! Haha! The Special Investigation Team really is the Special Investigation Team! After this year, I'll be sixteen. I want to give myself a special gift before turning fifteen. It's already early December; winter is coming soon."
"But it seems due to global warming that it's still raining now; who knows when it will snow?" Guo Guoqing remarked.
I didn't care about his melancholic musings about the weather and pressed on: "What exactly do you want?"
Guo Guoqing sighed and said, "Look here; it's early December now. By mid-December, I'll reveal everything I've done and who my accomplice is. At that point, after confessing everything, I'll be transferred to court where I'll admit my crimes and express remorse—probably taking about seven or eight days."
"How do I know this? Because I've been through it once three years ago!" Guo Guoqing laughed as he continued: "My birthday is on the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month; according to the Gregorian calendar, it's January twelfth. Whether calculated by lunar or solar calendar, I'm still fifteen! Exciting, right? This is the best gift I can give myself and the happiest thing for me this New Year."
"I have never spent New Year's with anyone since I was a child. This time, will you all accompany me?" Guo Guoqing continued, "Then I can celebrate the New Year in prison. That's better than being all alone outside, right? I heard there's even the Spring Festival Gala to watch."
"What exactly do you want to do!" I slammed the table and shouted sternly.
"I've already said it; I want to give myself a gift. Of course, if it were just for my own amusement, that would be meaningless. So I'm throwing a party for everyone. The reason you caught me is that I wanted you to catch me; you need to understand that. And the reason I'm here is that I wanted to come in; you need to grasp that too."
Guo Guoqing looked at me, his voice low as he said, "So, our game officially begins now. When I took on my first case, everything I planned had already started. Let's see whether the Special Investigation Team from three years ago is more formidable or if you are."
"So you're saying that three years ago, you intentionally got caught!" I gritted my teeth and said.
Guo Guoqing nodded and replied, "Of course, I was the one who called the police, haha. At that time, I just wanted to ride the wave of that trend so that I could possibly be released in just a few days. Sure enough, things developed just as I expected. They monitored me for quite a while afterward, but during that time, I was busy with business and had no time for murder. Now, my schedule has opened up!"
"How about this? You all look quite pitiful." Guo Guoqing pouted and said, "I'll give you a little hint: see who is missing around you?"
The scene shifted abruptly as the narrative continued...
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