Chapter 323: Adding Insult to Injury

Lin Dongxue and Xu Xiaodong left the school building. Xu Xiaodong, who had been holding back his questions, finally spoke up, “Dongxue, why did you play along with her act?”

“Do you think the suicides are related to her?”

“Uh… probably.”

“I think so too. This girl knows something but won’t talk. It’s better to play along for now and find concrete evidence to confront her with.”

“Good point. I noticed she got nervous when we mentioned May 7th. Let’s check the surveillance footage from that day… Wait, today is May 14th. It’s been a week. Some footage might have been erased already.”

Xu Xiaodong’s reminder spurred Lin Dongxue into action. “We need to hurry.”

They decided to start by reviewing the school’s surveillance footage. Other officers were already in the security room. When the guard pulled up the footage, they found that the recordings from May 8th, 9th, and 12th were missing.

The school had only one security guard, a relative of the school administration, who lived in the security room. Lin Dongxue asked why the footage from those days was missing.

The guard replied, “I don’t know!”

“What were you doing those days?”

“Nothing unusual, just my regular duties… The computer’s old, maybe it lost the footage.”

No matter how many times they asked, the guard feigned ignorance. Lin Dongxue noticed a mark on the guard’s neck and asked, “What happened here?”

“Huh?” The guard checked in a mirror and answered, “I don’t know.”

“Is there anything you do know?”

“I’m just a guard, not a cop. If you don’t trust me, take the computer and check it yourselves.”

Lin Dongxue decided to have the computer sent for inspection, though this meant the school would be without surveillance temporarily. She planned to return it by night.

Next, Lin Dongxue and Xu Xiaodong went to the subway station. They inquired around but found nothing useful, spending the entire afternoon in vain.

Meanwhile, Gu You and two officers found Ji Changxin working at a convenience store. It had taken them most of the day to locate him. A week ago, he was dressed in a suit; now he wore the store’s uniform, hat, and was sweating as he moved beverages from the storeroom.

“Ji, someone’s here to see you!” the clerk called out.

Ji Changxin looked up, seeing a pair of long legs. His eyes traveled upwards to see Gu You, elegantly dressed, standing with arms crossed, looking at him coldly.

“What, Boss Gu, here to see how low I’ve fallen?” Ji Changxin sneered.

“I’m not here for you; the police are,” Gu You replied.

Ji Changxin was initially startled, then pretended to be angry. “Did you show the video to the police?”

Old Zhang, unsure of what video they were referring to, looked curiously between them. “Professor Ji, we’re here to ask you some questions. Can we talk outside?”

The four of them went to a nearby restaurant. Ji Changxin, exhausted from physical labor, ravenously ate a bowl of beef and potato stew. Old Zhang found it hard to believe this man was once a professor and psychologist.

He whispered to Gu You, “Miss Gu, why don’t you handle this? We might not understand the technical terms.”

“Sure,” Gu You agreed. “The police want to know about a method called ‘violent hypnosis.'”

Ji Changxin wiped his mouth. “Violent hypnosis? What’s that?”

“It’s supposed to be a method that can forcibly hypnotize someone who is resistant.”

“Haha, you’re joking. There’s no such thing as violent hypnosis!” Ji Changxin looked at the officers, emphasizing, “Without cooperation, hypnosis is impossible. I’m an expert in this field, more knowledgeable than her.”

Old Zhang, partially understanding, nodded and looked at Gu You. Could she have been mistaken?

Gu You took out a laptop, saying, “Excuse me,” and moved the tea cups and bowls aside to make space. As she typed, Ji Changxin’s expression became uneasy, and he chewed more slowly.

Gu You turned the laptop to face everyone, displaying a document. “In a 1998 paper, you mentioned a physiological hypnosis method from Japanese master Fujimoto Masao. It involves the hypnotist using the left hand to support the back of the subject’s head, pressing on the carotid artery with the right hand. When the subject experiences asphyxia and the hand is released, a rush of blood to the brain causes the subject to lose consciousness, making them susceptible to hypnosis. You emphasized the dangers of this method in your paper, advised against its use, mentioned it again in a 2009 lecture, and demonstrated it on a TV show in 2010.”

Gu You hit enter, and a video played. A younger Ji Changxin was on stage, using the described method to hypnotize an audience member. “Relax… relax… From now on, you can only hear my voice. Your mind is empty. You feel increasingly sleepy. On the count of three, you’ll be completely asleep. One… two… three!”

Ji Changxin continued chewing but sweated nervously. These materials were obviously prepared in advance, not just quickly found online. This scheming woman had set him up for police suspicion!

He bit into a rock, spat it out, and pounded the table, yelling, “Waiter! Waiter! Look at this, almost broke my tooth!”

Gu You intercepted the waiter, telling Ji Changxin, “I’ll buy you a steak later.”

“Forget it!” Ji Changxin wiped his mouth. “I need to get back to work. I have to work until 9 PM to earn my pension!”

“Mr. Ji, Mr. Ji!” Old Zhang stood up, pressing on Ji Changxin’s shoulder. “Why did you say there’s no such method when you clearly know about it?”

Ji Changxin glared at Gu You, who smirked conspiratorially.

“Because…” He hesitated. “Because…”

“Are you afraid we’ll suspect you of using this method for criminal activities? Or have you already used it?” Gu You interjected. “No need to hide. The police already know about your ‘glorious’ past.”

Furious, Ji Changxin stood up, pounding the table, knocking over the condiments, spilling vinegar and chili oil everywhere, staining his sleeve.

He slowly raised his trembling finger, pointing at Gu You. “You wretched woman, why kick me when I’m down? Haven’t you done enough? What did I ever do to you? Are you jealous of my knowledge? Do you think I stole your spotlight? If I speak to you again, I’m a dog!”

With that, Ji Changxin stormed out, ignoring the police calls to stop.

Though he left with bravado, he knew his anger was a facade to mask his guilt. Gu You had successfully planted seeds of suspicion in the police. They would be back. They would definitely be back!