The Brain Science Case 94

Chapter 94: The Psychologist – 1

#A foreign land is a foreign land after all. There is nothing left here for me to be attached to.

**

A minivan was parked at the main entrance of the hospital.

At 11:30 in the evening, Zhou Jingxun, accompanied by her manager Lee Tae-sung and her assistant Vicky, quickly arrived at the municipal hospital.

Keys had just finished their two-day spring festival concert. Logically, she should have been at the celebration party and then gone to bed early. The flight back to Korea was scheduled for four in the afternoon on the fifth day of the new year.

But just after the concert, as she was celebrating with her members, she had immediately received a message from her mother—Zhou Zengxiang had been hospitalized after being shot.

At the word “shot,” she had instantly shivered.

It was only later that Lee Tae-sung had said that he had received the news on the third day of the new year, but for the sake of her emotions and the performance, he had decided to keep it a secret for the time being.

No wonder. No wonder my parents had only sent messages of congratulations for a few days, and she hadn’t seen Su Huiquan on the day of her accident.

She went straight up the elevator, and when she opened the door to the single room and saw Zhou Zengxiang sitting on the hospital bed, looking energetic, the pent-up pressure was finally released through her tears.

“Jing… Xun?” Zhou Zengxiang was surprised. “How did you…”

“You’re finally here. I’m sorry. I thought she should know.” Su Huiquan’s words drew a glare from him.

Not only her parents, but also her younger brother Zhou Jingting were there. “How are you, Dad? Are you really okay?”

“The wound is on my shoulder…”

“If it were really serious, your mom would have been unable to hide it long ago.” He cut her off, pulling at the quilt with displeasure. “Honestly… I’ve already told you not to let her know.”

“What are you talking about? It’s such a serious matter. Even if she were in Korea, she should have come back to see you, let alone when she’s in Taiwan.”

“Why was Dad hurt like this?” she asked, grabbing the bed rail. When she looked closely at Su Huiquan, she was unexpectedly taken aback. “Mom, your face…”

“Your mother was kidnapped. I pretended to negotiate with the culprit to save your mom, and then I got shot. That’s all.” He said briefly, and as if he were not proud of it, his face was always very ugly.

“T-That’s all?” Zhou Jingxun covered her mouth. “Oh my god. Then what about Mom? Did the culprit do anything to you…”

Su Huiquan touched her face. “I got hit in the face. Besides the psychological shock, it was actually fine. It was just a very trying process.”

“If you count, all three of you have been in trouble. Only I…” Zhou Jingting couldn’t help but interject.

Zhou Jingxun glared at him. “You’d better not say anything.” she forced him to retreat to the sofa to play on his phone.

She looked at her parents. “The culprit? Was he caught?”

“He got away. Chief Fang has been here to see your dad several times in the past two days, and he’s sure that the culprit is the mastermind who colluded with Shi Changyun.”

“She came prepared. Not only did she incite your assistant, but she also scouted out your mother’s place beforehand.”

“Beforehand… what do you mean?”

Zhou Zengxiang raised a hand to stop Su Huiquan from continuing. “In any case, the Criminal Investigation Division will continue to investigate and will not let the culprit get away with it.” He propped himself up. “Since you’re here… Huiquan, why don’t you go and buy some sweet soup to warm us up? I remember Jingxun likes small glutinous rice balls, right?” he turned to his daughter, “you just finished your performance. You must be very tired.”

Her feelings were complicated, and she shook her head. “I’m fine.”

“Don’t be so strong. Your mom has always said you’re very hardworking… today is also a rare reunion for our family. You’ve always been on a show on New Year’s Eve before, so why don’t we take this opportunity… it’s okay for Jingxun to eat a little starch, right? A little won’t make you fat.”

It was rare for him to show a sense of humor, and the three of them all laughed.

“It’s almost twelve… Zhou Jingting, you go with your mom.”

“Oh.”

The mother and son quickly left the room. Zhou Jingxun took off her hat and came to the bedside.

“I didn’t even realize until you said it just now.”

“Hm?”

“It’s been two weeks since I came back, and this is the first time the four of us have been together.”

“A lot has happened since you came back. And with your work… so short, aren’t you cold?” It was still raining outside.

She looked down at her miniskirt. “No, it’s fine with stockings.”

“I heard from Chief Fang that a colleague from the Criminal Investigation Division came backstage to save you…” thinking of his daughter almost dying in that fire, his face tensed, “it’s so good that you’re okay.”

“You should thank Sister Zhou.”

His daughter’s delicate features were mostly inherited from Su Huiquan, but she also had a bit of his look. Zhou Zengxiang gazed at her and couldn’t help but think of the scene when he had met Zhou Jinglin in the emergency room.

The two of them, whether it was their eyes, eyebrows, or overall temperament, had a lot of similarities.

“Jingxun, you and Zhou… Officer Zhou were living together before, right?”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever heard her mention anything about her family?”

“Family… only once. The first time I went, I saw a photo of her and her mother. She quickly snatched it back and said her mother had been involved in a case. It was so sad.”

“Did she explain what kind of case?”

“No, and I didn’t dare to ask… Dad, do you know?”

Zhou Zengxiang nodded slightly, not as if he were answering, but as if he were lost in thought. “Did she mention her father?”

She shook her head. “I saw that she was very sad, so I didn’t ask. And she really didn’t mention it… ah.”

“Hm?”

“I remember…” she frowned, “I think she mentioned it once.”

“What did she say?”

Zhou Jingxun said a little awkwardly, “She said her dad was neglectful. Because, because we were just talking about how you and I have less contact after I went abroad, so she was just expressing her feelings.”

“That’s all?”

“Yes.”

His thoughts drifted to the moment when he had confronted the woman in the mask while rescuing Su Huiquan. Although her face was covered, her figure, her voice, and even the way she held the gun were exactly the same as he remembered.

Fang Zijun had already sent the bullet to be tested for rifling marks. In reality, it wasn’t necessary. He not only knew the killer, but he was also not unfamiliar with that gun.

So Li Yuejiao had come for a personal grudge? Mixed with his, and all the old and new grudges of the past. Ironically, her daughter had protected Jingxun. And perhaps, Zhou Jinglin and he also…

“Dad, are you okay?” his face was not looking good.

“Ah, I was just thinking about something.” He waved his hand. Zhou Jingxun pulled up a chair and sat down. “When are you going back tomorrow?”

“A four o’clock flight in the afternoon. The company has already made all the arrangements.” Her phone suddenly rang.

“That’s good… is it important?”

It was a message from Choi Eun-hee. Zhou Jingxun pouted and shook her head. “No, I’ll just leave after I finish the glutinous rice balls.”

The corners of his lips lifted, and he smiled happily for a rare moment.

**

After Zhou Jingxun’s matter had quietly come to an end, the Criminal Investigation Division continued to operate as usual, and the new year continued to be celebrated.

“Yes… the usual. Besides meeting a few friends, it’s just work. What else can I do? I’m not interested in squeezing into crowds.”

Tang Yingli received a long-distance call from Tang Zhichao. Counting the days, they should be back soon.

“I’ve been to the hospital more times than you these past few days… yes, Officer Zhou was injured. By the way, you were able to take a four-day vacation and go abroad. Did Dad get that for you?” For medical staff, a three-day vacation could be called a “long vacation.”

As expected. It seemed he found the topic awkward, and Tang Zhichao quickly said he had bought her a gift. “Oh, thank you… actually, I would have preferred red wine… yes, that’s all for now.”

“Teacher, do you want to… you ordered a bento box.” Tao Qianya came over and unexpectedly smelled the aroma of food.

“Yes.” Zhou Jinglin was still recovering, and no one was preparing lunch for her. “Did you find any other good restaurants?”

“No, just the same few in rotation.” He put his hands in his pockets and glanced at the TV. “Wow, what a big fire. It just started, and it’s already so big…”

The fire seemed to be at a furniture factory. “It was probably caused by sawdust.” She glanced at it and couldn’t help but smile. “Every time I see a scene like this, it always gives me some unpleasant associations.”

“For example?”

“Someone deliberately set a fire to create chaos, or to destroy a corpse. A charred corpse must be very troublesome to examine.”

“It is very troublesome.” Tao Qianya chuckled. “It’s the new year, Teacher. Don’t say such scary things.”

“I’m sorry. When I was a trainee agent, we did a complete analysis of arsonists. In the States, the damage caused by arson is much more serious than in Taiwan. After all, there are a lot of wooden houses,” she added in a low voice, “and a lot of psychopaths.”

“I see.”

Tang Yingli crossed her legs. “Speaking of autopsies… has anyone ever asked you why you chose this profession?” Especially since being a medical examiner is not an easy job.

“Oh, of course. A lot of people have asked.”

“Hm?” she blinked, waiting for him to continue.

“Uh, I’ll tell you some other time, Teacher. I don’t have much time.”

“Right, I almost forgot you have to go to eat. Then hurry up.”

She turned back to focus on her meal, but Cai Yuwei approached. “Teacher, your coffee.”

“Ah, thank you.” She had just asked him to buy it.

He looked at Tao Qianya’s retreating back. “The question you just asked Dr. Tao, I’ve asked it too.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Do you know, Teacher? Dr. Tao was raised by his relatives. I think it was his uncle.”

She shook her head. “I don’t usually pry into people’s privacy.”

“Is that so? His parents seem to have passed away when he was very young…”

The hand holding the chopsticks clearly paused. “His parents passed away?”

“Yes, and his relatives didn’t give him much financial support, so for him to have been able to study all the way up, he’s really strong.” Cai Yuwei sighed. “I wonder if his choice to become a medical examiner has anything to do with his parents.”

Tang Yingli shrugged. “If you want to know, just ask him.”

“Ah, that’s true. Will you be in the office this afternoon, Teacher? Or will you be going to the lecture?”

She paused as she was opening the can of coffee. “A lecture?”

“Yes, from 1:00 to 2:30 in the afternoon, and police officers from other precincts will also be there. It’s about how to deal with psychological stress. The speaker is a psychologist I know, but unfortunately, I have to go out to investigate.” He looked regretful. “If you’re going, Teacher, can you record it for me?”

“I’m not going.”

“Huh?”

“I have an appointment.” She paused and emphasized, “It’s very important.”

“Is that so? Xiangrong is on leave again. I’ll have to ask someone else to help…”

“Wait a minute, a psychologist?” she frowned, “how do you know a psychologist?”

“Uh, it just so happens, haha… you eat slowly, Teacher. I’ll go and ask someone else.” Cai Yuwei ran away.

Tang Yingli was not on the payroll, so some announcements or information about “employee health” would not be sent to her. She took a sip of her coffee and quickly found the relevant information. The message included the topic, time, and location of the lecture.

She paid special attention to the speaker’s column.

“Lian Huizhu… what a rustic name,” she muttered, then paused. “Lian Huizhu? Huizhu… have I heard that somewhere before?” she rubbed her temples, and then her phone rang. It was a reminder she had set for herself, for an appointment at one in the afternoon.

Glancing at the clock, she drank her coffee, put on her scarf, and left the station before the lunch break was over.