Chapter 702: Don

“I—I guessed something?”

Zhou Jiacheng felt uneasy under Yu Dazhang’s gaze but still forced himself to ask.

“You don’t know what Zhang Jiangke does, yet you guessed his actions are illicit.”

Yu Dazhang stared at him, eyes probing.

“The survival skill you learned in the children’s welfare home wasn’t to suppress curiosity—it was to play dumb.”

“Only by playing dumb can you make others lower their guard; over time, it becomes an instinctive part of how you interact with people.”

His voice was low and slow, as if weighing each word:

“At your age, being able to play dumb so naturally is no small feat. Your greatest strength is not lying—you simply choose what to answer.”

“This conversational tactic lets you avoid revealing your true thoughts while avoiding the impression of deceit or cunning.”

He had felt something was off from the start.

Talking to Zhou Jiacheng felt like acting—he seemed genuine, yet something remained unexpressed.

At first, you might not notice, but the longer you talked, the more artificial it felt.

It wasn’t that Zhou Jiacheng was evil—his act of playing dumb easily misled others’ thinking.

Seeing Zhou Jiacheng’s face flushed red yet still pretending calmness, Yu Dazhang couldn’t help smiling.

Still too young… He suppressed his smile and turned serious:

“If you know Zhang Jiangke isn’t doing anything legal, why not hide it for him?”

“You yourself said he’s the closest person to you besides your mother. Even for the sake of that bond, you should stand by him.”

The most important thing in criminal investigation is spotting anomalies and raising reasonable suspicion.

Though Zhou Jiacheng appeared cooperative with police, his behavior contradicted normal human patterns—it felt unnatural.

In fact, Yu Dazhang had been quite gentle.

Children who grow up in welfare homes value family ties above all.

Because they lack familial love during upbringing, when someone shows them unconditional kindness, they see that person as family—even if that person is a criminal.

If he had shown any resistance at first, Yu Dazhang would’ve thought him innocent.

“Y-Yes, Uncle Zhang told me to say that.”

Zhou Jiacheng lowered his head, stammering:

“He said if the police ever come asking about me, I should tell the truth and cooperate fully.”

“I know he meant well, so I followed his advice—but deep down, I still feel twisted about it.”

That’s more like it… Yu Dazhang nodded in satisfaction.

If Zhang Jiangke anticipated police searching the motel, he must’ve also foreseen they’d come to question Zhou Jiacheng.

He’s a fox who plans three steps ahead—given his mind, he definitely gave Zhou Jiacheng prior instructions.

“What else haven’t you told me?”

Yu Dazhang’s face darkened.

“You’ve heard of harboring a criminal, right? Let me explain the law to you.”

“If the person harbored is a major criminal, or if the harboring prevents timely case resolution and causes serious consequences, it qualifies as a grave circumstance.”

“The sentencing range is three to ten years.”

Seeing Zhou Jiacheng’s face turn from flushed red to ashen, Yu Dazhang’s tone grew even sterner:

“In your case, three years won’t be enough—if proven, you’re looking at a minimum of five.”

When someone explains the law to you and specifies exact penalties, people instinctively apply it to themselves.

Anyone who got into Jinling University clearly has a sharp mind.

Zhou Jiacheng could tell this fat man wasn’t bluffing—he was seriously, earnestly explaining the legal consequences.

If he really went to prison, it wouldn’t just be a matter of years—it would destroy his entire life.