Insights Chapter 35: Perfect Character Design

Chapter 35: Perfect Character Design

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

The next day at noon, Liao Yinghan was finally locked in Interrogation Room 3 at Penang City Bureau. Shen Junci came over and sat in the observation room to watch. Everyone was nervous, except for Gu Yanchen, who remained calm and instructed the detective to recheck the basic information.

Director Ding came down to inspect and asked, “Has the interrogation started? Has he said anything?”

“We’ve just started,” Gu Yanchen replied. “Isn’t it already noon? Suspects also need to eat. Let’s continue after lunch.”

Bai Meng went in and asked Liao Yinghan a few questions, then came out to tell Director Ding, “The suspect is a bit picky, he doesn’t want to eat at the police canteen. He’s asking if there’s any fried chicken.”

“Spoiled brat.” Lu Ying rolled up his sleeves. “For scum like him, even getting decent food is a luxury. I’ll go talk to him!”

“Forget it, just buy him a meal. Building rapport during the initial interrogation phase can help with later progress,” Director Ding intervened. Then, he asked casually, “Have you guys eaten?”

“Not yet, we were just about to go,” Gu Yanchen paused for a moment and added, “It’d be easier if we could get some fast food.”

“I knew you were trying to extort me,” Director Ding sensed the implication and took out three hundred bucks. “Get at least two buckets of fried chicken and a few more egg tarts. I want a potato cup too. And, don’t order any of their new items, don’t risk trying out their new products.”

Lu Ying said, “Exactly, I don’t know why their new products always seem to clash with consumers. Just when you think their food couldn’t get any worse or weirder, they come up with new ideas that defy imagination.”

When Director Ding handed over the money, he gave them a stern look. “Let’s make it clear, if you manage to get a confession, this meal is on me. But if you end up fruitlessly messing around for hours, you’ll owe me back.”

“If we can’t get anything, it’s on me,” Gu Yanchen instructed Lu Ying to take the money first, then turned to Director Ding. “If we succeed, I’ll personally thank you at the City Bureau’s commendation ceremony.”

Director Ding waved his hand, “Alright, alright. I was just kidding. Otherwise, people might think I’m stingy. A takeaway meal is worth remembering for you guys.”

Gu Yanchen turned to ask Shen Junci what he wanted to eat. Doctor Shen replied, “I just examined a decomposed body this morning, so just get me some vegetable soup.”

Gu Yanchen said, “That soup is just made from compressed soup cubes. Have some more.”

Only then did Shen Junci say, “Then add a random hamburger.”

Half an hour later, the takeout arrived.

Gu Yanchen pulled Shen Junci over and said, “Once you finish eating, you should go back and rest.”

Shen Junci asked, “Why?”

Gu Yanchen replied, “Today’s interrogation will take a while, at least five hours to start with.”

The first few hours of such interrogations were often like a test of endurance, and there were many conversational tactics that were essentially just small talk, making the process quite dull.

Gu Yanchen added, “Also, I need you to prepare some things for me here.”

“What do you need?” Shen Junci asked.

“Photos of the crime scene and the autopsy, around three or so, the more gruesome, the better. Also, I need a photo that clearly shows the facial impressions of the deceased during the secondary autopsy.” Gu Yanchen said.

Shen Junci nodded, “Alright, I’ll bring them to you this afternoon.”

So, Doctor Shen obediently finished his lunch and went back.

At 3 o’clock in the afternoon, after Shen Junci finished his work as a medical examiner, he came over. Director Ding was still inside, overseeing the interrogation. The interrogation had moved past the phase of building rapport and was now into the part where the suspect retells the events of the case.

Liao Yinghan had recounted this segment of the process numerous times over the past two days, becoming extremely proficient at it.

Director Ding sat in the observation room and chuckled lightly, “Liao Yinghan seems quite confident, probably thinks he can walk away from this unscathed.”

Shen Junci whispered to Bai Meng beside him, “What’s the strategy now?”

He could tell Lu Ying was coordinating with Gu Yanchen. Lu Ying was stern, while Gu Yanchen was noticeably more gentle.

Bai Meng explained, “This is the classic good cop, bad cop routine. In simple terms, one plays the good cop, and the other plays the bad cop.”

With one interrogator being harsh and the other calm, in the small interrogation room, the suspect would unconsciously develop a sense of dependency and trust towards the “good cop,” making it easier for the “good cop” to elicit the desired answers.

After summarizing the case, Gu Yanchen began a new round of questioning. His questions were rapid-fire, many seemingly unrelated to the case, more like a rapid Q&A session.

“Were you and your wife living together?”

“Yes.”

“How big is your house?”

“Three bedrooms, two living rooms.”

“Did your wife buy the house before marriage?”

“No, she sold her pre-marriage house and added some money to buy a new one after marriage.”

“How did you celebrate her birthday last year?”

“I rented a yacht and surprised her with it.”

“Is the ring on your finger from your proposal?”

“It’s our wedding ring.”

“Where did you buy it? It’s quite stylish.”

“At the Diamond Shop in Penang World. The style was chosen by my wife.”

“Who usually cooks when you and your wife are together?”

“Mostly me, occasionally we eat out.”

“You grew up in a single-parent household, living with your mother?”

“Yes.”

“Was your mother busy with work? Who did the household chores then?”

“It was still me.”

“So, whether it was with your mother, your wife, or even your ex-wife, you were always the one taking care of them?”

“I was raised to believe that, as a male, it’s my responsibility to take care of the women around me.”

“Your mother passed away six years ago?”

“Yes, I was just 22 at the time. It was the first time I lost a close family member.”

“You were the one who planned this trip?”

“Yes, I planned everything, including the details of each tour.”

“And did you purchase the diving equipment?”

“We did that together.”

…

Liao Yinghan’s mind was forced to spin along with these questions. After enduring several hours of interrogation, he clearly felt his thoughts slowing down, and his answers becoming more sluggish, fearing that any of his answers might reveal inconsistencies.

“I’ve looked at the plan carefully, it’s very meticulous. You’re a detail-oriented person, considering every detail thoroughly,” Gu Yanchen said, sounding like he was praising him. “And from what I know, your relationship with your wife has always been very good.”

Gu Yanchen appropriately gave him a compliment.

Liao Yinghan nodded in confirmation, “Yes.”

At this point, he breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like he had passed another hurdle. Shen Junci recalled the strategy Gu Yanchen had mentioned to him yesterday. Caring for his wife, respecting women, being meticulous—this man was gradually fitting into the perfect character set by himself.

By expressing affirmation and agreement with this character set, Gu Yanchen pretended to believe in it. At this point, the suspect would think he had fooled everyone, feeling proud and careless. But in reality, as long as this character set was false, it would become a noose around his neck in the subsequent interrogations. The more smoothly he admitted to it now, the tighter the noose would become in the later inquiries.

Liao Yinghan didn’t know that he was actually walking step by step into a trap.

Then Gu Yanchen began questioning him again about the events of that day. Gu Yanchen asked, “How many years have you been diving, and where have you dived?” 

“I learned ten years ago, I’ve dived in China and abroad,” Liao Yinghan replied.

“Did you check all your diving equipment before going underwater?” Gu Yanchen paused for a moment here. “The breathing apparatus wasn’t faulty. I think, in such a situation, a normal person would hand the breathing apparatus to her and assist in breathing.”

“Yes, my… my first reaction was to find her breathing apparatus and let her breathe. My second reaction was to give her my breathing apparatus,” Liao Yinghan stuttered. His face turned paler, as he seemed to realize that there was a contradiction. He, an experienced diver and a caring husband, had handled the situation at the scene illogically.

Gu Yanchen pretended not to notice, jotting down notes on paper, then asked, “Starting from a depth of thirty meters underwater, how long does it normally take to ascend?”

That was a considerable amount of time, enough to take various measures.

Liao Yinghan’s hands involuntarily tightened. “My mind is too chaotic. I can’t even remember the details of being underwater now.”

Gu Yanchen looked at him and seized on this point, asking, “With your experience, you should know that after she surfaces from holding her breath, there might be a risk. But at that time, you didn’t grab her, nor did you take any emergency measures. Instead, you pulled your wife and let her surface? “

Liao Yinghan’s face turned even paler, and he seemed to realize that there was a contradiction. He stammered, “She… she pulled me. I couldn’t hold her. She made a mistake, and I was too nervous at the time.”

He was flustered, on the verge of tears. Normally, the police would offer tissues, but Gu Yanchen seemed oblivious and urged Liao Yinghan to keep acting. Liao Yinghan choked for a few seconds but couldn’t cry due to nervousness.

Gu Yanchen continued writing, “You and your wife have a significant difference in physique and stamina. If you wanted to stop her, there was a chance. Under the circumstances, treatment underwater is more critical than treatment on the surface. I believe you were not helpful in treatment.”

Liao Yinghan reluctantly admitted, “I deeply regret these things. My wife died in front of me like that.”

The conversation inside seemed calm, but Director Ding in the interrogation room nodded repeatedly, “Well done! Neglecting treatment can also affect sentencing. In cases with clear motives and intentions, admitting to neglecting treatment might even lead to heavier sentences.”

Liao Yinghan didn’t know that at this moment, one foot of his was already in prison.

Gu Yanchen continued questioning, his voice steady, not accusatory, as if chatting with a friend, “After such a tragedy, what did you do that night?”

“I went to see my in-laws and explained the situation to them… I was completely confused,” Liao Yinghan replied.

“There’s a bar expense on your consumption records,” Gu Yanchen said.

“Yes, I went to buy some alcohol in the middle of the night. I was too upset. I couldn’t sleep at night, I had to numb myself with alcohol,” Liao Yinghan said.

As the questioning progressed, Liao Yinghan’s demeanor gradually became unnatural from the initial calm and confident state. Whether he liked it or not, with each step of the interrogation, his perfect character was being stripped away by Gu Yanchen.