Everyone was waiting for Jiang Ling to start the mediation.
Jiang Ling turned her gaze to Qian Darong. “Qian Darong, step forward.”
Hearing his name, Qian Darong’s legs went a little weak.
No matter how domineering he usually was, he was still only fifteen—and still somewhat afraid of the police.
The reason he had repeatedly ignored warnings before was that his parents always smoothed things over, leaving him no chance to reflect.
Now, seeing his parents humbled right before Jiang Ling, Qian Darong naturally felt a chill in his heart. Hesitantly, he shuffled out from behind his mother and edged up to the interrogation table.
Jiang Ling’s expression was serious.
“Name?”
“Age?”
“Gender?”
“Education?”
“Family situation?”
…
One question after another, coupled with the solemn manner of Jiang Ling and Li Zhenliang, made Qian Darong’s answers grow quieter and quieter, until in the end his voice was barely audible, like a mosquito’s buzz.
Jiang Ling asked, “Where do you usually go to hang out after school?”
Qian Darong: “…”
Jiang Ling slammed her hand on the table, raising her voice. “Louder!”
With a sharp smack, Qian Darong flinched, wishing he could shrink his neck into his shoulders. “V… video room… and the billiard hall.”
Jiang Ling pressed on. “What movies did you watch in the video room?”
Qian Darong’s eyes darted around. He was about to make up something casually when Jiang Ling let out a cold snort.
That snort made Qian Darong shiver again. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Action films and crime movies from Hong Kong… A Better Tomorrow, Project Eagle…”
Jiang Ling: “Which video room?”
Li Zhenliang added just in time, “Yes, be specific. We’ll investigate and collect evidence.”
Now Qian Darong’s face went pale. “J-just the one next to the school. Please, don’t mention my name… or Ah Hu will kill me.”
He’d been hanging around the video room long enough to know the ropes. The owner’s nickname was Ah Hu, rumored to have ties to the underworld and acquaintances with many local thugs. If Ah Hu found out he had dragged the police there, Qian Darong knew he could really be in danger.
Jiang Ling said, “If you don’t want us knocking on the door, then just honestly tell us which films you watched.”
Qian Darong was chubby and intolerant of heat. The cramped interrogation room had already drenched his back in sweat. Now, scared stiff by the two officers, he nearly lost his mind. His hands and feet went cold, and his sweat-soaked clothes turned chilly.
Seeing that there was no way out, Qian Darong finally confessed the videos he had watched recently. Just hearing the titles made Qian Jianshe want to beat him senseless! Rou Putan… The Peach Blossom… What was this kid even watching? Instead of studying, he spent all day on adult videos. No wonder he set his sights on Liang Qiqiao.
Jiang Ling asked, “How long did you stay in the video room each time?”
Qian Darong: “Just after school, not for long.”
Jiang Ling glanced at his restless hands. “Lying!”
Qian Darong had no choice but to tell the truth. “At least two hours… sometimes overnight.”
Jiang Ling: “No one noticed you staying overnight?”
Qian Darong lowered his head, staring at his toes, and said nothing.
Jiang Ling: “Why didn’t you go home?”
Qian Darong scratched his head, a hint of irritation flashing in his eyes. “My parents are always fighting, it’s annoying!”
Zhao Yanhong and Qian Jianshe’s expressions changed, and they both scolded, “Darong, don’t talk nonsense!”
Qian Darong looked up, the anger in his eyes deepening. “I’m not lying! You—one of you is keeping a mistress outside, the other plays mahjong all night—why should I go home?”
Qian Jianshe felt humiliated. “Mistress? I’m just working late!”
Zhao Yanhong answered defensively, “Wasn’t there a nanny cooking at night? You’re big enough, why care if I play mahjong? Can’t I have a hobby?”
Qian Darong, provoked by Jiang Ling’s rapid-fire questioning, started to lose control: “I’m not lying! I know everything! Dad, you’re never home, having fun with that awful woman from finance; Mom, you’re useless—won’t divorce, just fight with Dad, cry when you can’t win, and run off to play mahjong all night. I come home, and the house is cold and empty, not a single person there!”
Qian Jianshe, not expecting Zhao Yanhong to be neglectful while he was gone, erupted: “Zhao Yanhong! You can’t even take care of our son—what was the point of marrying you?!”
Zhao Yanhong clenched her jaw, face shifting from red to white and back again. Finally, she couldn’t hold back and fired back, “You shameless man, keeping a harlot outside, yet you blame me? How many times have you cared for our son?”
The interrogation room erupted with noise again.
The couple’s shouting carried through the thin wooden door to the hallway, making the people in the police hall ache with headache.
Wei Changfeng returned to the police service hall after finishing a robbery case and realized that the Qian Darong–Liang Jiushan fight hadn’t been fully mediated yet.
Frowning, he thought, Wasn’t this just one signature away from being settled? How is it still not over?
He pushed open the interrogation room door.
A wave of hot, sweaty stench hit him. Wei Changfeng looked at Jiang Ling, sitting calmly at the interrogation table, watching Qian Jianshe and Zhao Yanhong argue, not intervening at all.
Wei Changfeng asked sternly, “What’s going on?”
Seeing him, Qian Jianshe jumped up like he had found a savior. “Officer Wei, you’re finally here! Your new recruit doesn’t know how to mediate. Now look, the conflict is only getting worse.”
Wei Changfeng looked at Jiang Ling.
Jiang Ling responded slowly, “All conflicts need to be exposed openly before they can truly be resolved.”
Wei Changfeng nodded thoughtfully.
Liang Jiushan had already reported to the station three times. Though mediation was reached twice and Qian Darong had signed guarantees, nothing truly changed. Wei Changfeng felt deeply powerless.
Since Jiang Ling was willing to take over and seemed confident, perhaps it was worth giving the newcomer a chance.
He nodded. “Alright, continue.” Then he left, closing the door without even glancing at Qian Jianshe.
Qian Jianshe felt frustrated that his complaint received no response and slumped back into his chair.
Interrupted by Wei Changfeng, Zhao Yanhong lost the energy to argue further, huffing coldly through her nose and falling silent.
Jiang Ling asked, “Done shouting?”
Qian Jianshe replied reluctantly, “Done.”
Jiang Ling: “No, continue.”
Qian Jianshe looked up at her in disbelief, stunned.
Jiang Ling said calmly, “You two have argued countless times, right? Has it solved anything?”
Zhao Yanhong’s eyes reddened. “No.”
Because of Qian Jianshe keeping a mistress, she had argued with him so many times, but nothing was ever resolved. Later, Qian Jianshe even got worse, only coming home on Sundays to spend time with their son.
Jiang Ling said, “Then keep arguing here until the problem is solved.”
“No, no, no, we won’t argue anymore. This is a minor issue between husband and wife—we’ll handle it at home. Officer Jiang, let’s focus on resolving the children’s dispute.” Qian Jianshe was genuinely intimidated by Jiang Ling. The interrogation room was stuffy and hot, and staying any longer might make him faint from heatstroke. How could he focus on arguing?
Jiang Ling sneered. “You think this is just a marital issue? Wrong! This is the root cause of why Qian Darong keeps causing trouble.”
She pointed at Qian Darong. “See this? The child you raised—disinterested in school, addicted to videos, obsessed with sexual and violent content, forming cliques at school, bullying classmates long-term, verbally abusing female classmates… every single one of these problems stems from the environment you created!”
Qian Jianshe and Zhao Yanhong exchanged a glance, then quickly looked away.
Qian Jianshe forced a smile. “Officer Jiang, it’s… it’s not that serious, is it? Darong’s still a child. Maybe we just neglected him before, but we can teach him properly from now on.”
Zhao Yanhong, as a mother, felt her heart ache the first time she heard her son’s inner dissatisfaction voiced aloud. She immediately promised, “From now on, I won’t play mahjong. I’ll pick Darong up at the school gate every day.” There were all sorts of unsavory people in the video room; she couldn’t let them harm her son again.
Seeing his wife bow her head, Qian Jianshe felt some regret. After all, Darong was his only son. He shouldn’t have spent all his time with his mistress, neglecting his child.
He sighed. “Fine, I’ll go pick him up with you.”
Jiang Ling spoke earnestly. “A rotten branch means the problem lies in the root. Darong’s behavioral issues stem from the family. I hope you truly take this seriously, so you won’t regret it in the future.”
Seeing that Qian Jianshe and Zhao Yanhong were no longer as arrogant as before, Jiang Ling shifted her focus to Qian Darong. “When you make a mistake, you have to admit it and face the consequences. You’ll report to the community committee every weekend and participate in two hours of community service. Can you do that?”
“Yes.” With even his parents admitting fault, Qian Darong didn’t dare refuse.
Jiang Ling said, “Liang Jiushan suffered minor injuries. You will cover the medical expenses. Do you agree?”
Qian Jianshe nodded vigorously. “Agreed, agreed. I’ll take him to the factory clinic for treatment and cover all the costs.”
Jiang Ling continued, “We’ll coordinate with the school to have teachers set up a supervision team to monitor Qian Darong’s behavior. If anything seems off, they’ll report it immediately to the school and the police station. We’ll also make unannounced visits. If Qian Darong bullies Liang Jiushan or speaks disrespectfully to Liang Qiqiao, then…”
Before Jiang Ling could finish, Qian Jianshe repeatedly promised, “It won’t happen, it won’t happen. If Darong misbehaves again, I’ll transfer him to a boarding school immediately. I guarantee it won’t affect Liang Jiushan or Liang Qiqiao’.”
With that settled, Jiang Ling looked at Liang Qiqiao and Liang Jiushan with a gentle tone. “Do you think this mediation is acceptable?”
Tears filled Liang Qiqiao’s eyes, but her lips curved in a smile. “Yes, it does.”
Liang Jiushan’s eyes sparkled like stars. “Officer Jiang, we’ll listen to you!”
…
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