Chapter 321: School Bullying

Lin Qiupu asked excitedly, “Miss Gu, what exactly is the method?”

Gu You shook her head, “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask a real expert. Actually, there’s a hypnosis expert at my psychology clinic. He specialized in hypnosis during his time at XX University and was once one of the top hypnotists in the country. The beta-wave sleep theory I mentioned earlier was part of his academic research during his postgraduate studies.”

“I didn’t expect your clinic to be such a treasure trove!” Lin Qiupu praised.

“Is consulting such an expert very expensive?” Xu Xiaodong asked.

“Not at all. The consultation fee is just three hundred yuan per hour, like any other psychologist. By the way, you can look up the name Ji Changxin online. You’ll get a more comprehensive understanding of him…”

Everyone pulled out their phones or laptops and started searching. Typing in “Ji Changxin,” they were greeted with a flood of terms like “train pervert,” “sexual assault,” and “lecherous old man,” which greatly shocked them.

Gu You explained, “Originally, he was a professor at a university in Shanghai and also worked as a psychologist. He had a promising future, but that incident forced him to move and start over in Long’an. Unfortunately, he hasn’t changed his ways. Recently, I’ve received several complaints about his inappropriate behavior, and after investigating, I found them to be true. So, on May 7th, I fired Ji Changxin.”

Gu You’s gaze briefly flicked towards Peng Si-jue. She didn’t mention that Peng Si-jue had been present during the treatment, respecting his privacy.

“May 7th?” Old Zhang slapped the table. “Isn’t that the same day as the three deaths at the subway station? Miss Gu, does Ji Changxin pass that station on his way home?”

“To my knowledge, he doesn’t get off at that station,” Gu You replied.

“For now, let’s not jump to conclusions about Ji Changxin. He does have the skill, but as Miss Gu said, hypnosis can be a natural talent. Other criminals could have learned it as well,” Lin Qiupu stated.

“Yes, hypnosis is complex in theory but very simple in practice!” Gu You added.

Old Zhang suggested, “I think we should visit Ji Changxin and ask him about the methods of violent hypnosis.”

“Good idea. I’ll leave that to you.”

Gu You offered, “I’d like to visit Ji Changxin as well. As a professional, I might be able to get to the core of the issue more effectively. I’d also like to act as a consultant for this case.”

Lin Qiupu assigned tasks accordingly, treating this as a criminal case for now. Old Zhang, his partner, and Gu You were to visit Ji Changxin. Xu Xiaodong, Lin Dongxue, and others would investigate the school. Since it was now a criminal case, an autopsy could be requested without parental consent, and Peng Si-jue would talk to the families to gain permission.

Lin Dongxue, Xu Xiaodong, and Luo Haifeng went to the local police station first. Luo Haifeng mentioned he had some evidence to show them.

At the station, Luo Haifeng opened a folder on his computer, dated and organized. “These are from the phones of the five girls who committed suicide. Initially, I was looking for reasons behind their suicides but found something else.”

Luo Haifeng played a video showing a girl in a school uniform, kneeling in what appeared to be a girls’ bathroom. A stream of water was being poured over her, soaking her completely as she shivered. Laughter could be heard in the background, and the video was set to music, lasting nearly five minutes.

Lin Dongxue was stunned. “Middle school students did this?”

Luo Haifeng explained, “The girl being bullied is Fan Lixue. She was in the same class as the five deceased and Han Jingming.”

He showed another video, this time in a corner of the school. A short-haired girl was slapping Fan Lixue while holding her hair, taunting her, “Go tell the teacher, I dare you! I’ll tear your mouth apart. Ever seen someone so low? Fan Lixue, you shouldn’t even be in school. Go be a hooker, fifty yuan a time!”

The person filming and others around them laughed continuously.

Lin Dongxue felt anger boiling inside her. Xu Xiaodong, unable to contain himself, walked to a wall and punched it hard three times, attracting the attention of everyone in the office. “I’m fine,” he said. “Just venting. I was bullied like this in school… Teachers and parents just see it as kids messing around, but back then… I really wanted to kill those bullies!”

Lin Dongxue said to Luo Haifeng, “Enough. I’m afraid he’ll lose control.”

“I’m fine,” Xu Xiaodong insisted, though his eyes were red with anger.

“That’s the situation,” Luo Haifeng concluded. “This group of six girls bullied Fan Lixue for nearly a year.”

“The teachers really didn’t know?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“They claimed they saw the ‘roughhousing’ occasionally and would scold them, but they insisted they didn’t know it was this serious. They said if they had known, they would have called the parents long ago.”

“Typical hindsight… What’s the school’s stance now?” Lin Dongxue sneered.

“Five students dying is no small matter. The school has been overwhelmed with reporters, and many parents don’t want their children attending anymore. Attendance is down to sixty percent. The principal issued a ‘gag order,’ forbidding any teachers from being interviewed or questioned. You might not get much from them.”

“Classic bureaucratic thinking, reducing impact first,” Lin Dongxue scoffed.

“Also, I don’t recommend going to the victims’ families. They’re extremely agitated and have formed a group, harassing Fan Lixue’s mother, demanding ‘a life for a life.'”

“Can’t the police do anything?”

“The police can only act if the victim reports it. Fan Lixue’s mother called the police one night after being harassed so much she couldn’t stand it anymore. That’s how we found out the families had been harassing her for days. She’s been forced to sleep at her workplace… Oh, and Fan Lixue comes from a single-parent family. Her mother works at the city’s grain bureau and struggles financially.”

“Rotten parents raise rotten kids!” Xu Xiaodong fumed.

“It’s not about who’s right or wrong. Both sides are victims and perpetrators,” Lin Dongxue noted.

“Exactly. Our job is to prevent this from escalating into violence. I promised the deceased’s families I’d get answers, so I came to you for help,” Luo Haifeng said.

“Don’t worry, we’ll uncover the truth!” Lin Dongxue assured him.