The Brain Science Case v1c3

Chapter 3: Paranoid Delusions – 3

Who could she have offended in a past life to have this much bad luck?

She had just gotten off a plane with nowhere to go, and then a simple trip to a department store for bubble tea had landed her in the middle of a bombing and robbery.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the police now saw her as a prime suspect.

Hadn’t she just thought that the police hadn’t disappointed her? No, she was taking that back.

“Tang Yingli, thirty-four years old… you just entered the country this afternoon?”

“Yes, I was still dragging my suitcase around.”

“You landed around three p.m. Why were you still out at six in the evening, and how did you get involved in a robbery?”

“I just happened to be there! My family’s house is locked, and the landlord of my rental isn’t around, so I had nowhere to go. Who in their right mind would commit a crime while dragging a huge suitcase around right after getting off a plane? Do I look like I’m dressed for a robbery?” She pointed at her high heels and lace dress.

The male officer chuckled and continued reviewing her personal information. “University of California… Santa Barbara? A PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience?” He let out a low whistle. “A real brainiac, huh!”

She rolled her eyes. “Thanks so much.”

As he read further down the experience section, his expression changed instantly. “Federal Bureau of Investigation…” Yingli pursed her lips, trying to suppress her growing irritation as she pushed her glasses up her nose.

“Senior Ah Mu!”

Zhou Jinglin approached and said in a low voice, “The male suspect regained consciousness after receiving medical treatment. Also, the officers who searched the scene found a female accomplice with a backpack full of cash and stolen goods…” She looked directly at Yingli. “Just like she said.”

“Alright, I’ll go check on the guy. You handle her.”

After Chen Huomu left, her eyes met Yingli’s. “Miss Tang, the male suspect is finally awake.”

“Is that so? Finally, my innocence can be proven.” She pouted, raising her still-cuffed hands.

“He just woke up, he hasn’t been interrogated yet.” Zhou Jinglin threw cold water on her hopes but still stepped forward to unlock the handcuffs. “Your suitcase has been brought over by other officers. Please wait a little longer.”

Flexing her wrists, Yingli rubbed her temples. “I just want to go home and rest! I just got back to the country, and I’m still jet-lagged. My phone and bag are gone!” What a day!

“About that… I know you must be tired, but I still need to ask you a few details about the case.” Zhou Jinglin glanced at the personal data sheet. “You studied in the US?”

“That’s right. I went over after graduating from high school.”

“You seem to be very familiar with firearms. I heard you accurately calculated the number of bullets the suspect had left and even knew the model of the gun.”

“The H&K USP is very common, and it’s a .45… That’s not such a big deal, is it?”

“Perhaps not. But taking down a man who is over one hundred and eighty centimeters tall and well-built, especially when he initially had a gun, is not common at all, is it?”

“Right. And next you’re going to say that the gun has my fingerprints on it, and the blood is his, so my testimony about being an accomplice who turned on him is the only way I could have taken him down, right?”

Zhou Jinglin smiled faintly. “I didn’t say that… but subduing a man bigger than yourself, who also has a ‘weapon,’ is no easy feat.”

Yingli crossed her arms. “I had one too!” She crossed her legs and pointed to her stiletto heel.

“You mean your shoes?”

“Of course!” She tilted her chin up and confidently pointed to her temple. “And this. Have you seen my resume?”

Is she showing off how smart she is? She scanned the sheet with disdain. “Hmm… your file says you’re a scientist. How does a scientist have such impressive combat skills?”

“I’m also a trainee criminal profiler! I went through two full years of intensive training!” Yingli pushed her glasses up forcefully. “Are you deliberately giving me a hard time right now?”

“Because I suspect someone isn’t telling the truth!” Zhou Jinglin clutched the data sheet. “Even with… high heels! It’s almost impossible to subdue a larger man armed with a weapon!”

“Fine, fine! I’ll tell you something else. The man has asthma!” Yingli made a gesture of surrender. “I did everything I could to agitate him and create an advantageous situation. Go check his medical history. I guarantee you he has a record of treatment for it! Is that enough for you?”

It matched the information just sent over from the hospital. “What about the bomb?” Zhou Jinglin’s expression didn’t change. “Someone said you were the one who took the bomb out of the trash can. How did you know there was a bomb inside?”

“I already told you! The man was carrying bags into the department store. Shouldn’t it normally be the other way around?”

“And that alone was enough for you to deduce there was a bomb and a criminal plot?”

“Argh… Aaargh!” Yingli covered her mouth and let out a frustrated scream. Their eyes locked, neither willing to back down. “I get it! You’re trying to break me down mentally to force me to give you the testimony you want, aren’t you?”

Zhou Jinglin raised an eyebrow but didn’t answer.

“That’s all I can tell you. You won’t get any new answers by asking again… The other salesclerks can prove my innocence. I’m not speaking to you anymore.”

“Thank you for your cooperation.” She put the file down. Yingli no longer looked at her, her fair profile seemingly coated in a layer of frost.

Cai Yuwei walked over to her. “She looks really angry! She has such a baby face, how old is she?”

Zhou Jinglin showed him the data sheet. “Almost ten years older than me!” Setting aside her impressive academic and professional background, her calmness and skill in dealing with the robber were astonishing.

Although the whole story was hard to believe, Zhou Jinglin knew deep down that the possibility of Miss Tang being an accomplice was extremely low. Multiple salesclerks had vouched for her, and she hadn’t wavered for a second, her gaze remaining clear and steady.

A neuroscientist? A trainee criminal profiler? Just another person born with a silver spoon in her mouth, a member of the lucky few. She frowned, feeling a deep-seated aversion to people like her. She could have lived a comfortable life at home but had to be restless. This whole criminal profiling thing is probably just a half-baked hobby.

“She’s ten years older than me, too! You’d never guess!”

Fang Zijun finally emerged from the interrogation room, and Zhou Jinglin went to meet him. “Chief, I’ve confirmed that Miss Tang…”

“I know all about it!” he interrupted, scratching his head with the hand holding his phone. She stared quizzically at the unfamiliar phone in his hand. “This is insane! What are the odds…”

Muttering to himself, Fang Zijun walked over to Tang Yingli, carrying a woman’s handbag.

“Little Zhou!” It was Lu Tingfeng, nicknamed “Big Head,” who called out to her. “That suitcase, the district officers just brought it over. Do you know whose it is?”

In the corner of the office sat the matte black suitcase, a large dent in its surface.

“Yeah!” She glanced toward Tang Yingli. Facing Fang Zijun again, the baby-faced woman was clearly showing her exhaustion.

“I think I do.”

**

It was nearly nine p.m. Standing outside the office of the Criminal Investigation Division, Yingli felt as if every ounce of her strength had been drained.

“So Miss Tang really is your sister!” Fang Zijun apologized profusely. “I’m so sorry for the trouble! I never would have imagined…”

While she was being questioned, her phone and ID had been temporarily confiscated. After finishing his surgery, Tang Zhichao had been calling her frantically, but he could never get through. In the end, the person who finally answered was Fang Zijun.

From Fang Zijun, he had gotten a rough idea of what had happened at the department store and how Yingli had been caught up in the robbery, and he had rushed to the station immediately.

It was only when the two sides finally connected the dots that Yingli realized this was the “part-time gig” Tang Zhichao had found for her.

What could she say? She was the victim, yet she had nearly been treated as a suspect. And the people who had viewed her with suspicion were the very unit she was supposed to be assisting.

Even with the highest level of emotional intelligence, Yingli really couldn’t bring herself to smile right now.

“You should be apologizing to her!” Tang Zhichao said with a wry smile. “Sigh! I didn’t even have a chance to introduce you two… I was planning on us all having dinner tonight. We’ll have to reschedule.”

“Some other time, definitely! Miss Tang must be exhausted today… I’m truly sorry!”

She forced a smile. “It’s fine. It’s all in the past.”

“Regarding the main case, I’ll get the files organized. When you have time, Miss Tang, please come by the office so we can discuss it. We really need your help!”

“Yes, I understand.” Faced with a sincere ninety-degree bow, Yingli gave a faint nod. As he straightened up, her eyes unexpectedly met those of the female officer walking out of the office.

The officer quickly looked away. Yingli parted her lips but simply watched the woman’s ponytail disappear into the distance.

Before he left, Fang Zijun even gave Tang Zhichao a meaningful look. Was he asking him to put in a good word for them? Yingli couldn’t be bothered to guess. But even without her brother’s intervention, she was determined to take this job.

“That was rough. I didn’t expect your return to be so… ‘eventful’.” Tang Zhichao said pointedly as he loaded the suitcase into the car.

Because it had been near the blast, the sturdy suitcase now had a large dent in its shell. She hadn’t had a chance to check inside yet, but the few bottles of red wine she’d packed were probably done for.

“You think I enjoyed it? Today was just…”

“I was shocked when Zijun told me you were at the police station. I’m just glad you’re okay!”

“You can thank the self-defense and combat skills I learned abroad for that.”

Climbing into the car, Yingli took a deep breath of the leather-scented air. She closed her eyes and immediately kicked off her high heels. “I can’t. I’m about to fall asleep.”

“Go ahead and sleep. Just make sure you can walk through the door on your own when we get home.”

She pouted and poked his arm. “You’re not going to carry me to my room? Being a doctor means you don’t have time to work out, huh?”

“I don’t even have time to eat!” he said, starting the engine. “And you! You’re too heavy… You’re not that little girl anymore!”

“Brother! Do you know it’s a huge taboo to call a woman ‘heavy’?” She opened her eyes to glare at him. “No wonder you don’t have a girlfr—oh, right! Where are Mom and Dad? Did they know you were coming to pick me up?”

“They’re not home! They went on a trip with friends. The dates were set a long time ago, otherwise they definitely would have pushed me to go to the airport.”

“Neurosurgery must be busy, right? And doctors are under a lot of stress. I didn’t want to trouble you.”

“What trouble?” He paused at a red light. “Yingli, about the thing Zijun asked for help with…”

“Ah, I’ll take it.” She closed her eyes. “Don’t worry, it’s not because of you, and it has nothing to do with them mistaking me for a suspect. I’m not that petty.”