Chapter 33

Gu Changzheng leisurely lit a cigarette for himself before saying, "Do you harbor a particular hatred for people like me?" Liu Baoshan knew he was referring to the fact that he had killed Zhang Hongyu.

"Yes! I especially hate the police! You claim to be the people's police, but when I needed you, you were nowhere to be found. Whenever you do appear, it means I'm about to have a run of terrible luck! Since I was 12, half of my life has been spent behind bars! I've had enough! That's why, whenever I get the chance, I think about leaving this place. I want to get a large sum of money and flee abroad; that's the only place that suits me!"

"Heh heh! I know about some of your experiences in the juvenile detention center. You were too young back then, and you truly endured things you shouldn't have. From a certain perspective, we were indeed at fault."

During a physical examination, it was discovered that Liu Baoshan's sphincter was in a relaxed state, and based on the degree, it had likely been that way for a long time. This discovery left Gu Changzheng feeling incredulous!

To clarify Liu Baoshan's past, he made a trip to the juvenile detention center (a juvenile reformatory in the 80s) far away in the Northeast. While reviewing his files, he discovered a record of Liu Baoshan having been sexually assaulted by a peer. At the time, he was already a loner, and he felt extremely inferior because of it. The perpetrator was discovered and dealt with according to the law, and psychological counseling was provided to him afterward, but since he showed no adverse reactions later, it was no longer monitored.

After seeing these records, Gu Changzheng suddenly had a feeling: had Liu Baoshan's psychology changed since that time? Originally, he had also believed that Tan Haiqing's psyche had been traumatized and undergone an extremely huge change after being assaulted by Liu Baoshan when he drifted into Zizhen City, leading him to develop a dependency or even a twisted love for his abuser.

But he hadn't expected that the words of that old prison guard in the archives room would lead him to another conclusion.

Liu Baoshan was not the only one assaulted by that pervert in the reformatory; another boy of similar age to Liu Baoshan had also been assaulted by the same person. That boy's situation was similar to Liu Baoshan's, with no other relatives at home except for an underage sister.

And the fact that the old guard mentioned they later became good friends made Gu Changzheng even more suspicious. He immediately asked the old guard to find the file of the prisoner named Tan Yang. The youthful face in the black-and-white photo within the yellowed file looked more and more familiar the longer he stared at it...

When he returned to Zizhen City with a complicated mood, the 6.21 case and 6.23 case had already been prepared for closure, and the 7.5 major case had also reached the point of being a settled matter. Liu Baoshan's confession and chain of evidence were all confirmed, and the next step was to file a public prosecution. What awaited Liu Baoshan was the execution of the death penalty! He, Gu Changzheng, knew that creating complications now was meaningless, but his longing for the truth made him unable to just give up like this!

So he deliberately deceived Luo Fei to create an opportunity to be alone with Liu Baoshan! The truth! It must be unraveled today! Otherwise, there would never be another chance!

When Liu Baoshan heard him mention his experience in the juvenile detention center, the cigarette dangling from his lips trembled slightly! He seemed extremely wary of others mentioning the words "juvenile detention center"! His originally lifeless face surfaced with a terrifying, baleful aura!

"What are you trying to say?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

"Interested in hearing a story about two little boys?" Gu Changzheng exhaled a puff of smoke and said indifferently.

"Heh heh, sure! Anyway, there won't be any more chances to listen to people tell stories in the future. If Captain Gu is interested in telling one, I'm naturally willing to listen." Liu Baoshan laughed, feigning ease.

"You'll love hearing it!" Gu Changzheng took another drag of the cigarette in his hand, leaned back in his chair, and squinted his eyes, speaking as if to himself:

This is the story of two little boys whose life paths were originally completely different but later became entangled for a lifetime.

Both were born in the 1970s, but one was born in the bitter, cold land of the extreme north, from a poor family with eccentric and cold-hearted family members. The other was born in a scholarly family in the fertile water towns of the south; although they were also poor due to the special era, the family was harmonious, with a strict father, a kind mother, and a sister who cared for him everywhere.

I'll refer to the boy from the north as Xiao Bei, and the one from the south as Xiao Nan!

Although Xiao Bei was born in the 70s, due to special reasons, he was an only child, but this status did not bring him the care of his elders. Instead, from the time he could remember, he was the object of disdain by the entire family, including his mother.

Having been beaten since childhood, he even thought this was the daily routine of a child growing up. Until one day, one of his relatives helped him open Pandora's box! From that moment on, a demon took up residence in the heart of Xiao Bei, who already had no feelings for this family! This demon finally erupted under the enticement of another twisted soul!

After poisoning his grandfather and father to death, Xiao Bei was sent to a deep, dark prison by the aunt who had enticed him into evil!

Gu Changzheng paused here, seeing Liu Baoshan opposite him looking at him with a playful smile, seemingly waiting for him to continue.

Gu Changzheng cleared his throat and continued:

After Xiao Bei was sent to the juvenile detention center, his already shattered family fell apart further; his aunt accidentally fell into an ice hole one morning, and his mother became demented after a serious illness! Although Xiao Bei did not become an orphan, he was no different from one!

Originally, he would have stayed in the reformatory for a few years like this, and when he finally got out, he would only be in his 20s, with plenty of opportunities to walk the broad, straight path of life! Unfortunately, in prison, he met the person who changed his life—Xiao Nan!

"Give me another cigarette!" Liu Baoshan, who had maintained a single expression, suddenly interrupted Gu Changzheng's narrative.

"Oh! Sure!" Gu Changzheng seemed startled, a hint of cunning appearing in his eyes. He didn't light it and hand it to Liu Baoshan's lips like last time; instead, he stuffed the cigarette butt directly into Liu Baoshan's mouth and then lit his lighter to light it for him. At such close range, he seemed to feel Liu Baoshan's heartbeat accelerate and his body temperature rise! Although it was just a feeling, he knew he had touched the secret in Liu Baoshan's heart.

"Shall I continue?" Gu Changzheng asked for his consent.

"Are you such a polite policeman? Being so courteous to a prisoner?" Liu Baoshan teased him, seemingly no longer resisting.

"Heh heh, then I'll continue!" Gu Changzheng lit the cigarette for him, returned to his seat, and continued his narrative:

The boy named Xiao Nan happened to be assigned to the same team as Xiao Bei after being sent to the juvenile detention center. In the whole team, Xiao Nan appeared particularly different! Unlike those juvenile delinquents who grew up in the bitter, cold lands, his skin was as white and tender as a peeled egg, feeling even more delicate than the local girls' skin. He wasn't tall either, and especially when he spoke, it was soft and sweet, unlike that group of rough kids!

Perhaps because they were of similar age, perhaps because both were newcomers, or perhaps it was fate from a past life, the two children, Xiao Nan and Xiao Bei, who originally lived in completely different environments, became good friends there.