Criminal Psychology Chapter 23

Xing Cong Lian entered the bus to investigate, stepping over glass debris and plants strewn on the ground as Yang Dian Feng trailed behind him.

Lin Chen, on the other hand, stayed outside and chatted with Wang Chao. Facing the fields, the two of them didn't notice the dwindling amount of vehicles on the other lane.

"You mean the tablet he took from the bus appeared in the city?"

"Yes, it's strange, and the route it took was very weird. It looks like the GPS is faulty." Wang Chao glanced at Yang Dian Feng and gestured to Lin Chen. "I suspect that there's something wrong with their company's system."

At this, Lin Chen's eyebrows furrowed and his expression turned grim.

This case was extremely strange and dangerous.

This criminal hijacked vehicles for candy, made the police track him for 10 km to no avail and managed to accomplish a seemingly impossible smuggling feat. He was very powerful, yet only did meaningless operations, making this case worth the alarm. 

All of a sudden, a faraway roar of engines disrupted Lin Chen's thoughts.

Lin Chen turned around and found that the opposite lane was deserted. However, in the distance, there were more than ten cars approaching at a high speed.

Leading the way was a white police car, followed by multi-purpose vehicles in a range of sizes, all of which were painted with logos of the top major TV stations. These were clearly cars full of reporters. Last in the line was a .

In mere moments, the fleet of vehicles arrived before them. The leading white police car braked with so much force the tires screeched as it brushed against the white line. Dozens of cars stopped one after another, scattering dust and smoke. However, none of the people in them came out.

Several people in the back came down to quickly to remove a section of the as the cars all stopped before the yellow warning tape.

Watching the white police car, Lin Chen was struck by a bad premonition.

With a click, the door opened followed by shiny leather shoes and a pair of well-ironed pants. It was Huang Ze.

Lin Chen saw Huang Ze, so naturally the reverse was true. He also noticed that Lin Chen wasn't alone.

However, Huang Ze ignored him, having more important things at hand. He turned around, went to the back and opened the door. His gentleman-like demeanor was so attractive that all the cameras from the reporters flashed.

Then, Jiang Ze emerged from the back seat.

Lin Chen was shocked, but what surprised him even more was that after Jiang Zhe got out of the car, all the flashes and microphones turned from Huang Ze and focused on the young man sporting messy curls. 

"Mr. Jiang, what's your analysis of the crime scene?"

"Mr. Jiang, do you think the hijacking will happen again?"

"Mr. Jiang, can you analyze the bus-hijacking teenager's psychological state?"

"Mr. Jiang…"

The reporters bombarded Jiang Zhe with seemingly endless questions

Jiang Zhe had recently returned from abroad and was a host for an emotional talk show on a famous TV station. He was known for his sharp tongue and ruthless style. This was the first case he took over after becoming a consultant for the police, so the reporters had received the news in advance. They knew that Mr. Jiang's plan was to go to the R&R station first, then conduct an on-site investigation and welcome the media to make a report on his entire process. The media was, of course, very excited by this invitation.

Moreover, this case was exciting. The hijacker was a cute young man who only robbed candies. The young man's actions could be described as humorous and playful, chewing bubblegum one moment and mingling with passengers the next. Who knows what his next course of action would be?

The candy robber was already a big topic, and now with Jiang Zhe in the mix, the media could not love any combination more than this one.

"According to the age of the hijacker, he should currently be in a rebellious period given that . Rebelling to attract other people's attention, it's like the lustre of flashing people off; he wants to be seen." As sharp as ever, Jiang Zhe made his point in an explosive manner. The atmosphere boiled as the sound of shutters went off and the reporters' faces filled with excitement. 

"Is that really the case?" Seeing the massive crowd arriving, Xing Cong Lian came out of the bus and stood beside Lin Chen.

"He's right." Watching this scene, Lin Chen said, "It's because he's right that it's terrifying."

"True," Xing Cong Lian replied.

Wang Chao was confused, "Ah, what do you mean?"

"You see, if he did all this to get attention, then he definitely succeeded." The wind carried over the noise of the reporters as they did their interview. Jiang Zhe was full of life, pulling the reporters back and forth with his words. Lin Chen paused, then turned to Xing Cong Lian. "The real question is, what exactly does he want the attention for?"

"Teenagers are like that." Wang Chao didn't think the matter was that complicated.

"Yes, once they enter adolescence, most teenagers would feel the need for attention. This is not a problem. But youths who sought attention like this are generally unbalanced, full of extreme paranoia with their reaction and behavior reflecting this. This young man, however, didn't display any of this in his actions. He was resolute, charming and witty…"

"Now that you say this, he was a bit cute, ah!"

"Yes, he makes his actions look cute and cool. He's a hijacker with a gun in his hand, yet you feel this way about his actions. Isn't that terrifying?"

"Don't pay attention to him, his brain is abnormal." Xing Cong Lian grabbed Wang Chao's collar and dragged him backwards.

"What did you find?" Lin Chen asked.

"The bus is clean." Xing Cong Lian took off his gloves and put them in his pocket.

The word "clean" certainly wasn't referring to the sanitariness of the bus. It was referring to the traces that the young man might have left.

"No fingerprints, no hair, he even took the candy wrappers with him."

"Bold, careful and attentive," Lin Chen concluded.

"His purpose might not be as simple as wanting the attention." Xing Cong Lian looked at Huang Ze and Jiang Zhe, isolated from them by the sea of reporters.

Lin Chen felt bored. He gazed at the far end of the field full of reeds then said, "Xing Cong Lian, you should close off this road."

The words that came out of his mouth shocked everyone present.

"You must be joking!" The first to react was Yang Dian Feng who had been listening quietly.

With the total length of 317 km, Hong Jing Highway stretched starting from that mountain in the west and ending with the YongChuan River in the east. It's a transportation path that connects two provinces together. The average traffic flow spans over 30,000 cars a day, so if this highway was closed for even half an hour, all the cars would be backed up until not even the end is visible. What's more, they wanted to close the highway simply because of a hijacking case, which was an unprecedented occurrence.

"Well, I can't make the decision." As a matter of fact, Xing Cong Lian also felt the same bad premonition as Lin Chen.

In his experience, both the tablet that somehow teleported across the entire city and the shoes doused in perfume, were simply distractions for the police. Since their force started to become divided, it opened an opportunity for the young man to start his final act.

However, these were all just speculations. Without solid evidence, all they could do was watch as danger approached.

Noticing Xing Cong Lian's uneasiness, Lin Chen pointed at Huang Ze in the distance and asked, "Can he?"

Xing Cong Lian looked in the direction Lin Chen was pointing to. Feeling as though someone was looking at him, Huang Ze turned around.

"Captain Xing, your superior who told you to stop investigating, was Young Master Huang?" Yang Dian Feng suddenly made the connection. 

"Yes, it's him." Replying in a casual manner, Xing Cong Lian then resumed talking to Lin Chen. "Want to try?", he asked.

"Young Master Huang* is well-known for his rigidity. He is prejudiced against you, why seek trouble for yourself?" Yang Dian Feng rushed to say. Businessmen always sought profits and avoided disadvantages. Instead of fawning over Huang Ze, Yang Dian Feng chose to stick close to Xing Cong Lian, which was unusual.

Xing Cong Lian glanced at him and said indifferently, "Persuading Huang Ze is a shortcut. You should always first try the shortcut when there is one."

Lin Chen nodded in agreement.

At this time, Huang Ze already made his way over to them, several others following behind him. He didn't spare Lin Chen a glance, choosing instead to shoot Xing Cong Lian an icy glare. "Captain Xing, this case doesn't seem to be in your jurisdiction. Please take the irrelevant individuals away and leave at once."

The irrelevant individuals Huang Ze was referring to was of course, Lin Chen.

"Huang Ze, you're so boring."

Xing Cong Lian was slightly taller than Huang Ze, so he would lower his head as he spoke. This condescending gesture made Huang Ze uncomfortable. "Captain Xing, don't you have other cases to investigate? Why are you still here? The people don't pay taxes for you to travel around."

"I have no case in hand that is more important than this one."

"Oh, important? If you really think that this case is important, then why was there no progress in your investigation for over a month after you got your hands on this case? Now you say this is important, don't you think it's a bit too late?…"

"There's no point in quarreling. I can quarrel with you for three days and three nights and you will still lose. Now, listen to me carefully," Xing Cong Lian interrupted. "We suspect that the criminal is going to make a big move. I hope you can make an effort to talk to the higher-ups to close up the highway, just in case."

Translator: Kuro
TL Check: Teo
Editing & proofing: Namio, Celine, Kiri

HZ got served lol On a side note, my weeks have been so hectic and I ended up troubling a lot of people. Thank you so much to everyone who pitched in for this week's update. Special thanks to Kiri and Teo who took trouble to help with this even though they're already busy with their own project. Thank you to the editors and proofers as well! <3 <3 <3 

Chapter end