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Old Shao arranged for Yuan Jun to prepare the materials, and suddenly turned to Xu Yiman, saying, "Xu Yiman, when you deliver the documents to Deng Xiangyu's parents later, if you can omit the details about Deng Xiangyu going to the Black Hotel on Huanghua Street, please do so. That has nothing to do with the case. Deng Xiangyu is dead, but they still have to live on."
Then Old Shao continued, "By the way, Jiang He, take my card and withdraw one thousand four hundred yuan for Deng Xiangyu's parents. It’s from what we found in Deng Xiangyu's backpack."
Jiang He frowned and asked, "Aren't we going to tell them the truth? They have the right to know."
Xu Yiman also looked at Old Shao.
Old Shao turned his head and said seriously to Jiang He, "We are police officers, so regardless of whether the truth is good or bad, we must pursue it without missing a single detail. But they are not police officers; we should leave them some room for hope. I was just like you more than a decade ago, thinking that as long as it was for the truth, I could disregard others' feelings."
The two seemed to understand but not fully. Old Shao added, "They are still young, in their forties; they can still have children. There is always a bit of hope for them to continue living."
With that, Old Shao took out his bank card and handed it to Jiang He, saying, "You all go ahead; the password is one to six."
While they were busy with their tasks, Old Shao did not remain idle. He contacted the Provincial Public Security Department and detailed the results of the investigation. No one had anticipated this outcome. While Old Shao could conceal it from the two grieving parents who had lost their child, he would not hide it from the public.
Given the situation, both the Director and Old Shao could imagine how the public would react, but there was nothing they could do about it.
When Jiang He went to withdraw money, he discovered that Old Shao's bank card balance was only a few hundred yuan—far from enough to withdraw one thousand four hundred yuan. As a seasoned detective and expert in criminal psychology, it was surprising that Old Shao had less than a thousand yuan in his account. Jiang He easily guessed that Old Shao rarely withdrew money.
In the end, it was Xu Yiman who used her own card to withdraw the cash before she and Jiang He returned to the conference room with a stack of documents.
Inside the conference room, Deng Xiangyu's parents had stopped crying. The two were huddled together, heads leaning against each other and shoulders touching. From behind, they looked like two pieces of withered wood leaning against one another, as if they had taken root in their seats.
"This is the money left over from Deng Xiangyu’s hotel stay along with some documents; please take a look," Xu Yiman said as she placed both items in front of Deng Xiangyu's parents.
Deng Xiangyu's father pulled his hand away from his wife's grasp without even looking at her and signed his name on the document. Then he asked, "Can I see my son now?"
"You can," Xu Yiman nodded. "Just walk outside; I've already spoken with the officers out there. You can follow them."
The two nodded.
Xu Yiman led them to identify the body, and she and Jiang He hurried to Old Shao's location.
"You," Xu Yiman said lightly as she walked ahead, "why do people choose to commit suicide?"
"It's simple; they don't want to live anymore," Jiang He replied almost without thinking.
Xu Yiman rolled her eyes at him. "I already know he doesn't want to live, but why would someone not want to? There are so many who wish to live but can't due to illness, while some who are perfectly healthy choose not to. It's strange how people never seem to get what they truly want."
Old Shao hung up the phone just in time to hear Xu Yiman's words. He turned to her and said, "It's not that people don't get what they want; it's that they want everything. They look at one mountain and wish to climb another, only to find that the first mountain was better after all."
The press conference was held earlier than scheduled, yet the room was nearly packed with reporters. Countless flashes blinded the members of the task force as they sat behind a long table made from several smaller ones. The sound of cameras clicking filled the air, and microphones were almost thrust into their faces.
Old Shao cleared his throat gently and began speaking slowly, ensuring every word reached the ears of the reporters. "Regarding the bullying incident at Dragon City Fourth Middle School, concerning the threatening 'murder' notes sent to participating students, and the death of Deng Xiangyu, who was involved in bullying Xiao Xuanmiao, the City Public Security Bureau has made some progress. After my statement, you may ask questions freely."
His voice was loud and deliberate: "The bullying incident occurred on August 20th. The victim, Xiao Xuanmiao, had eight participants in total. Six of them have already been identified by vigilant netizens: Ge Dongyun, Zhuang Qinyun, Liu Huairou, Wang Liguo, Li Liangcai, and the deceased Deng Xiangyu."
Before Old Shao could finish his statement, a reporter shouted out, "There were eight assailants; why has your police department only released six names? Some netizens speculate that the other two are children of wealthy executives and thus have been overlooked by you. Is that true?"
"That is not the case," Old Shao replied firmly. "The other two did not show their faces in the video and are minors; therefore, we are legally obligated not to disclose their information. The other six have already been publicly identified; whether we announce it or not is no longer a secret."
He continued, "Furthermore, until we clarify the situation regarding the 'murder' notes, all eight individuals remain at risk. Keeping the identities of the two minors confidential is also a matter of their safety. In this regard, the police will maintain confidentiality. However, I hope everyone present can cooperate with us and refrain from further inquiries or investigations into this matter."
"That's all for this point; now I will address the investigation results regarding Deng Xiangyu's death."
At this point, Old Shao paused and laid out all the case materials before him.
This was the critical issue; reporters in attendance perked up their ears as they listened intently to Old Shao's explanation of the case.
"After an in-depth investigation by the police, it has been confirmed that the deceased, Deng Xiangyu, committed suicide," Old Shao stated emphatically.
"What?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd of reporters erupted in disbelief. This conclusion was hard for them to accept, and a chorus of skepticism and murmurs filled the air.
One reporter spoke up, "According to the information we've gathered, the body was dismembered. Surely, one cannot cut themselves into so many pieces to commit suicide? Did the deceased really dismember themselves?"
With this remark, laughter broke out among the crowd.
A few individuals wore serious expressions, and Xu Yiman nearly slammed her hand on the table to silence their laughter. At that moment, however, Old Shao joined in the laughter, tears streaming from his eyes.
The reporters were puzzled by Old Shao's reaction and quickly asked, "What are you laughing at? Do you not agree with the police's findings?"
Old Shao laughed so hard he had to clutch his stomach. After a moment, he replied with a grin, "What am I laughing at? I'm laughing at your foolishness."
His words were quite severe, almost akin to an insult.
The reporter retorted disdainfully, "Are you implying that those of us who seek truth and justice are fools?"
Old Shao hurriedly waved his hand and clarified, "No, I'm not targeting you specifically; I'm referring to all of you here. You assume that finding dismembered remains must mean it's a homicide. If someone wants to commit suicide and jumps into a wood chipper, their body will be dismembered. If someone accidentally falls from a rooftop and their limbs are shattered, that too results in dismemberment."
"Just because a body is found in pieces does not automatically indicate homicide. How do you explain the two scenarios I mentioned? One is suicide and the other accidental death. Yet when we see the bodies, they are both dismembered. So I say again: those of you who laughed earlier are lacking in logical reasoning."
"I hope you can report my next statement accurately to the public without sensationalizing it with misleading headlines like 'Police Discover Dismembered Body; Confirmed as Suicide.'"
Although Old Shao's voice was not loud, it carried weight and authority.
"Firstly, it has been confirmed that Deng Xiangyu committed suicide. Based on various pieces of evidence collected by the police—both physical evidence and witness testimonies—there is no doubt that Deng Xiangyu took his own life. The cause of death was due to ingesting Paraquat while standing on a high platform; during the fall, he struck a metal surface in mid-air, resulting in one arm being severed. That is why the body was dismembered."
Old Shao pointed to the stack of documents in front of him and said, "Here, I have a complete Autopsy Report and investigation records. Jiang He, please distribute these for everyone to see."
Jiang He nodded and handed out the documents to the reporters.
One reporter asked, "Since Deng Xiangyu has been confirmed as a suicide, does that mean the perpetrator who wanted to kill those six children hasn't acted yet? Have you determined whether this note was a prank or if there is something to it?"
"The police are currently investigating. To avoid alerting the suspect, we cannot disclose further details at this time," Old Shao replied.
"From what we understand, the Six Children were released back home without any punishment. Doesn't this send a message to other kids that they can bully others without consequences as long as they are minors?" another reporter said angrily.
Old Shao responded slowly, "The police are responsible for apprehending suspects and solving cases; sentencing is not our duty. Given the current situation, this case is complex and should be handled simply."
At that moment, a police officer approached Old Shao and whispered something in his ear. Old Shao nodded and calmly addressed the reporters, "Alright, in order to quickly find the perpetrator, the police have more work to do. I want to emphasize once again that I hope everyone reports accurately to avoid misleading the public."
With that, Old Shao stood up and remained silent despite the barrage of questions from the reporters.
As he exited the conference room, Xu Yiman noticed Old Shao's unusual expression and quickly asked, "Old Shao, what happened?"
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