189: I am innocent. I don't even know what instigation means.

Although Liu Shuo was a small-time hoodlum and had dropped out of high school after only one year, he knew how to use the internet. So, even though he didn't fully understand "inciting minors to commit crimes," he at least knew he seemed to be in trouble.

He had seen other hoodlums get arrested before, but they were usually called in by phone.

It was rare for someone to come directly to their door like this, and with a summons warrant at that.

The scale of the operation was too big, and combined with his guilty conscience, Liu Shuo was scared.

At this point, he couldn't care less about saving face; he definitely needed to explain himself first.

"Uh, I didn't, I really didn't incite any minors to commit crimes!"

After a pause, Liu Shuo added, "I don't even know what 'incite' means… Really."

It was like a blind man being accused of peeking at confidential documents.

His appearance made the surrounding "minions" laugh. A "big brother" type, once he loses face, can no longer be a big brother.

And this clearly showed he was a novice; any seasoned veteran who had been to prison would absolutely not explain anything at this moment.

If they are already here to summon you with a warrant, it means they must have some evidence. At this point, you should just cooperate honestly.

Don't think about explaining or doing anything else; when you get to the Public Security Bureau, they will naturally give you time to explain.

The Police Officer also found it a bit hard to hold back a smile and quickly said, "Uh, you come back with us first, okay? What's real can't be fake, and what's fake can't be real."

"Let's go, don't dawdle. We will investigate whether or not there was incitement."

Liu Shuo finally stopped talking, but his face was pale, and he was constantly sweating cold sweat.

He silently followed his friends into the police car, and one of the older Police Officers kept staring at him.

The old Police Officer felt that something was off; this person named Liu Shuo was too nervous, as if he was particularly afraid of something.

The remaining young people looked at each other. Their 'big brother' had been arrested, and the key was, what exactly was incitement to crime?

After Liu Shuo was summoned, the interrogation began quickly. After the interrogating Police Officer's explanation, he finally understood his current situation.

"What? This incitement means I told them to rob?"

"I didn't! How could I tell them to rob? I just… I just told them to ask other students for some money to spend, or to have students buy them a pack of cigarettes. I didn't ask them to rob!"

Liu Shuo tried hard to defend himself, desperately trying to explain that he did not intend for Lü Xinhao and others to commit robbery.

Then… the Police Officer almost burst out laughing. To be honest, this kind of interrogation was not difficult at all; they didn't even need to ask, the suspects just told them.

When Liu Shuo had said almost everything he had to say, the Police Officer finally spoke, "So you admit that you told Lü Xinhao and others to ask students for money, right?"

Liu Shuo stopped talking, hanging his head without opening his mouth.

The Police Officer didn't mind and began to ask other questions: "On January 15th of this year, at 3 PM, what were you doing then?"

After several rounds of questioning, Liu Shuo finally confessed, telling them everything they had done.

He said they would beat anyone they disliked without any reason, simply wanting to make them realize their power and ensure no one dared to provoke them.

Besides that, it was about demanding money, but Liu Shuo himself would not go to demand it.

The interrogating Police Officer kept taking notes, and they also found some videos on Liu Shuo's phone… He didn't know why young people nowadays liked to record videos.

And so, time quickly passed to the next day. The Fengxian County Public Security Bureau decided to place Liu Shuo and his accomplice under criminal detention and decided to summon and investigate Lü Xinhao and others.

However, because Lü Xinhao and another student were still hospitalized, they temporarily summoned the other two with minor injuries first.

And based on a tip from an anonymous source, they decided to confiscate Lü Xinhao and his accomplice's mobile phones first.

At the entrance of the Fengxian County People's Court, Wu Qiwen got out of the car with several Police Officers.

The County Bureau is actually similar to other agencies; there aren't many people who truly get things done. The more capable, the more they do, and this saying applies everywhere.

If you can write reports, then write more. If you can handle cases, then handle more.

It seems that Police Officers going out to arrest people is particularly interesting, especially the accounts on some platforms, where things like combating prostitution look especially appealing.

But you should know, this is only what is shown to you. Bringing people back only accounts for a small part of the work; various written and unwritten procedures can make you bald from staying up late.

Meanwhile, in the hospital ward, Lü Dehai and his wife were also present.

"Don't worry, our son will definitely be fine. He's a victim; how could he be in trouble after being stabbed like this? Old Liu has already pulled strings and asked around."

"It can't be robbery. How could children fighting and playing be robbery?"

Lü Dehai was talking next to her, while his wife was feeding Lü Xinhao.

Just then, the door to the ward was pushed open, and a nurse walked in and said, "Family of patient in bed 13, please step out."

Hearing this, Lü Dehai was a bit stunned, but he still followed the nurse out, all the way to the stairwell.

Then he saw several men standing there.

"Who are you? Is there… Is there something wrong?" Lü Dehai asked.

Wu Qiwen stepped forward and pulled out his identification: "From the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Fengxian County Public Security Bureau."

They were wearing civilian clothes today, so they had to show their identification first to prove their identity.

If they were wearing police uniforms, they wouldn't need to show their ID.

They also didn't drive a police car; they drove Old Wu's own car… This is quite normal. In the current system, it's not about public cars for private use, but private cars for public use.

Because minors are involved, the case must be handled with strict confidentiality.

So, no police car, no police uniform, and calling the guardian to the stairwell first, all these measures are for confidentiality.

This is because there is an issue of "sealing juvenile criminal records." Although normally only offenses with sentences under five years can be sealed, the entire investigation process must be kept confidential.

Lü Dehai's face immediately changed when he saw the identification, and he said, "You, why are you here?"

Wu Qiwen put away his identification: "Your son, Lü Xinhao, is suspected of robbery. He should be summoned, but considering he is still hospitalized, he will not be summoned for now. He only needs to be questioned at the hospital."

"His mobile phone needs to be seized. This is the seizure decision. If you have no issues after reading it, have your son sign it."

"We will begin the interrogation shortly."

The Public Security Bureau handles cases very flexibly. If they encounter situations like hospitalization or other circumstances, they will decide where to conduct the interrogation based on the specific situation.

Article 198 of the "Provisions on Procedures for Handling Criminal Cases by Public Security Organs" states that interrogations should generally be conducted in the interrogation room of the Public Security Bureau's law enforcement and case handling premises, and then lists several exceptions.

These are situations where interrogation in the interrogation room is not required.

Among them, the second paragraph states that for criminal suspects with serious injuries, illnesses, disabilities, or mobility issues, as well as pregnant criminal suspects, interrogations may be conducted at their residence or at the medical institution where they are receiving treatment.

So, interrogation in the ward is certainly permissible. It's not as if they can't do anything if you're lying in a hospital bed.

Lü Dehai quickly said, "Police Comrade, there must be a mistake. My son didn't rob anyone. He didn't rob. What does a teenager like him understand? It was those hoodlums from outside the school who instigated him."

Wu Qiwen directly said, "The hoodlums from outside the school you mentioned have already been criminally detained by us and have confessed to all the issues. So please do not obstruct us."

"We will not wrong a good person, but we will not let go of a bad person either. Let's go."

Lü Dehai didn't move. He desperately tried to argue, wanting to explain that his son couldn't possibly commit a crime, but it was useless.

"Lü Dehai, I am now giving you your first warning. Please cooperate with our work!"

After two warnings, Lü Dehai finally stopped talking, but his face was filled with a look of despair.

They were already in a private ward, which made things easier. Soon, Wu Qiwen led his people to the ward door.

Lü Dehai went in and whispered to his wife. His wife's face also changed dramatically, and she was about to say something.

However, Wu Qiwen and the others had already walked in.

"What are you doing? My son, he…" His wife was there, crying and trying to stop them. She had already decided that even if it cost her life, she would protect her son.

However, Wu Qiwen's next sentence immediately made her freeze.

"All of our current investigations are confidential. Do you want everyone in the hospital to know that your son was arrested for robbery?"

It's a very simple principle: we are willing to keep it confidential, but if the parties involved insist on making a scene, then there's nothing we can do. Even if the secret is leaked and others find out, it's not their problem.

Hearing this, Lü Dehai's wife was immediately dumbfounded and could only keep muttering about her unfortunate child.

Lü Xinhao, lying in the hospital bed, finally reacted. These were Police Officers in front of him. Was he going to be arrested by the Police Officers?

Although he often beat up other classmates, demanded money, and bullied people, he was still young. Plus, his father had been talking about this matter for the past few days, so he suddenly panicked.

"Mom and Dad, what's wrong? What's going on? Don't leave! I didn't do anything! Don't leave, Mom!"

As he spoke, he started crying directly, and with the bandages on his body, he looked quite miserable.

But Wu Qiwen was completely unmoved. He had read Liu Shuo's interrogation record and clearly knew what this kid had done.

It could even be said that many adults were not as ruthless as these children.

The videos of beatings saved on Liu Shuo's phone made him, an old criminal Police Officer, frown.

A Police Officer next to him was quick-witted and immediately stepped forward to take the phone and put it in a sealed bag.

Lü Xinhao kept crying and shouting, but it was useless. He could only watch helplessly as his parents were led out.

Only three people were left in the room. One of the Police Officers skillfully set up the camera. No matter where the interrogation took place, the rules were the same.

At least two interrogators, full video recording, and a signed and confirmed transcript—all of these were required, otherwise, it would be very troublesome later.

Especially now, in such a special situation, there absolutely could be no problems with evidence collection.

In fact, from the moment they met Lü Dehai, a Police Officer had been continuously filming and recording, ensuring no issues were left behind.

Once everything was ready, Wu Qiwen immediately said, "We are from the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Fengxian County Public Security Bureau. We are now interrogating you according to the law. These are the relevant proofs."

"Alright, name…"

Facing this kind of setup, let alone Lü Xinhao, who was only fourteen, many adults couldn't handle it.

Meanwhile, his phone was quickly taken back to the Bureau by the Police Officer, where colleagues from the technical department were already waiting.

Retrieving videos from a phone is, of course, not done casually; it also requires a record, otherwise, it will definitely be criticized later.

It's fine to be a bit rough normally, but this case absolutely cannot be.

Both sides were proceeding simultaneously, and outside the ward, a Police Officer stood guard at the door.

Lü Dehai's wife was wiping away tears, while Lü Dehai was constantly making phone calls.

"Old Liu, what exactly is going on? Why did the Police Officers suddenly show up today, right in the ward!"

On the other end of the phone, Old Liu was equally bewildered: "I don't know either. I asked them before, and they said there was nothing, so I don't know why there's something now."

"Don't worry for now, I'll find someone else to ask."

After hanging up the phone, Old Liu quickly called his friends, but he soon found that the friends who used to call him brother when they ate together were now directly not answering the phone.

There was no way, truly no way now. Old Liu could only tell Lü Dehai about the situation.

"It's probably because of Zhou Yun. Now no one is answering my calls. Sigh, this matter is troublesome…"

Lü Dehai really wanted to curse, but cursing was useless now. After telling his wife, the couple truly felt a bit desperate.

How could things turn out like this out of nowhere? Before, they were still pressuring Guo Xitian for money, and now, their own son was about to go in?

Just then, the Police Officer at the door's phone suddenly rang. He picked it up, answered a couple of times, and then pushed the door open and entered the ward.

Wu Qiwen was in the middle of an interrogation and was annoyed to see someone enter, preparing to say something.

However, the Police Officer who entered whispered a few words to him, and Old Wu's face immediately changed dramatically.

"Are you telling the truth?"

The Police Officer said, "Absolutely no problem, Captain Wu. The technical department just retrieved it. The little girl doesn't look very old, anyway, she should be their peer, probably from the same school."

Old Wu waved his hand, telling him to leave, then stared at Lü Xinhao opposite him and said, "I ask you, where were you on the evening of March 5th at 7 PM!"

Hearing this, Lü Xinhao was immediately stunned, mumbling and unable to speak.

Many people always say that adults know more, but in fact, children nowadays know far more than some adults.

Not only did they find videos of Lü Xinhao and others previously beating Guo Zihao on Lü Xinhao's phone, but they also found another video that had been deleted.

It was a video of Lü Xinhao and two others forcibly having sexual relations with a girl.

To put it bluntly, it was rape.

And a very crucial point was that the girl was not very old and looked like she should be their classmate.

More than a month had passed since that incident, but it was unknown why the girl had not reported it to the Police.

Based on Old Wu's experience, it was highly likely that the girl hadn't even told her family about it.

He could only say that the situation was even more complicated than he had imagined. At this moment, he was even thinking of quickly notifying the Procuratorate, suggesting they also get involved in this case early.

However, with this new development, the case could no longer be viewed with previous assumptions. At the very least, they had to control the people first.

Outside, Lü Dehai knew nothing and was still anxiously trying to find a solution. He still thought his child was young.

After the interrogation, Wu Qiwen immediately went to the school to retrieve surveillance footage without stopping.

The case was getting bigger and bigger, and he felt that if it continued like this, it would have to be transferred to the City Bureau to manage.

Earlier, a certain young man said that the surveillance cameras at Fengxian County No. 5 Middle School were broken and couldn't be accessed at all.

Today, he was going to see what the situation truly was.

...

In the hotel room, Zhou Yun was still going through the materials. Although he didn't know the exact progress, he could guess that the Public Security Bureau must have first arrested those two hoodlums.

This was as clear as day.

On one side were minors, who were extremely troublesome to summon and detain, and a slight oversight could lead to problems.

On the other side were adults, with nothing to worry about, so they would definitely go for the adults first.

He just didn't know how much content could be found on the phones. According to Guo Zihao, the videos filmed on Lü Xinhao and the others' phones were particularly extensive.

Time slowly passed. In Jinghai, Old Zhuang looked at the increasing number of complaint letters recently, feeling very helpless.

After thinking for a long time, he still made a phone call. He wanted to ask Zhou Yun what he had been doing lately, and why so many people were persistently complaining.