CH 134

In traditional folklore, there was face reading, and in psychology, there have been studies on first impressions.

Psychologists often say that the first impression of someone would determine the direction of your subsequent interactions, and the influence of this first impression was often greater than subsequent impressions.

For example, when he first met Xing Conglian, Lin Chen’s first impression was that he was really a good-looking and interesting person. Then, when he saw Mu Zhuo, his first impression was that he was a very simple person.

Mu Zhuo had short blond hair, big eyes, and a dimple on his left cheek. Like many rock and roll youths, he wore a lot of strange metal accessories and had sporadic tattoos on his body and arms, but he was still a simple person.

This was reflected in his eyes, and it was also reflected in his messy dressing table. His keys, phone, and wallet were just thrown casually everywhere. Magazines and snacks were spread all over the table, and there were even half-eaten potato chips under the magazines.

It was natural to use the simplest method to deal with simple people.

Lin Chen said bluntly, “The rape case of your former band member Li Jingtian is very suspicious. We suspect that the person who sexually assaulted you wasn’t Song Shengsheng but Mr. Li Jingtian, so now we need you to cooperate with our investigation.”

He spoke in a very businesslike manner, which only made Mu Zhuo’s reaction more typical.

The expression of the young rocker changed drastically. He jumped off the dressing table, grabbed Lin Chen by the collar, and violently shoved him to the wall.

With a loud crash, Lin Chen felt as if his internal organs were about to be displaced.

“Are you kidding me?! You don’t know what I’ve been through!” Mu Zhuo roared in his ears.

Xing Conglian was about to step forward and pull Mu Zhuo away, but Lin Chen slightly shook his head at him.

Being scolded by the victim was a novel experience. Lin Chen carefully observed Mu Zhuo’s face, analyzing every trace of Mu Zhuo’s emotional reaction as he spoke.

He said, “Of course I don’t know what you’ve been through, but you should know it well.” He spoke calmly. “At that time, Song Shengsheng was convicted because the key evidence was male semen fluid that remained in your body, but what I find strange is that there was also lubricating fluid from a condom also detected in the semen. The question is, since Song Shengsheng used a condom, how could it be that you have his semen inside your body?”

Mu Zhuo was taken aback when he heard this. His eyes then flushed like those of an angry little lion. Lin Chen suspected that his crazy roar could be heard in the corridor outside the dressing room. “Are you trying to humiliate me?”

As Mu Zhuo spoke, he clenched his fists tightly.

Before Mu Zhuo could swing, Lin Chen kindly reminded him, “If you hit a police officer, you are suspected of obstructing justice, and you will be detained for not more than 15 days or fined.”

The fist brushed past Lin Chen’s ears and hit the wall beside him. Lin Chen could clearly hear the crisp sound of bones colliding with the wall.

Mu Zhuo said, “Nine years have passed, and I have finally moved on. Why are you trying to force me? Why!” After Mu Zhuo roared, his voice gradually lowered. “Whether it’s A’Tien or me, we’re both victims. Why should we victims be treated like suspects by the police? Is this what you call impartial law enforcement?”

Mu Zhuo finally backed away as tears flowed down his face. Seeing this, the manager raised her phone angrily. “Even if you’re the police, get out, get out! If you don’t get out of here, I’ll post this on Weibo and expose you!”

They didn’t know when it had started but public opinion had become a means of pressure or game. However, Lin Chen didn’t pay attention to her threats. He looked at Mu Zhuo’s face and felt sad.

In fact, before walking into the dressing room, he had also guessed what the stories of Mu Zhuo, Li Jingtian, and Song Shengsheng would be like. Perhaps Mu Zhuo was really a victim, and he misidentified Song Shengsheng because of some misunderstanding, but now Mu Zhuo’s reaction has told him that the real victim in this case should be the man who has been imprisoned for nine years now.

Sometimes real stories were bizarre. Some people who were murdered couldn’t get justice, while others who were innocent went to jail.

Lin Chen didn’t even know how this story would end.

Mu Zhuo’s voice was still echoing in his ears. His eyes were full of anger and timidity.

Lin Chen took a steady breath and said to Mu Zhuo, “You must know that the reason why I dare say these things in front of you means that I’m confident. No matter what, no matter how much time has passed, the truth will eventually come to light.”

After he finished speaking, he patted Mu Zhuo on the shoulder, then turned around and left. Xing Conglian shrugged and exited with him, while Lu Xu stayed inside to deal with the aftermath.

After leaving, Xing Conglian was by his side. They silently walked through the long passageway backstage, and only after they reached the sunlight did Xing Conglian speak. “There seems to be something wrong with Mu Zhuo’s reaction.”

Lin Chen took a deep breath. “His emotional reaction is too exaggerated. The acting is terrible, and he actually showed a guilty expression when he was angry. If Li Jingtian really has any loopholes, it must be Mu Zhuo.” Xing Conglian recalled how Lin Chen wasn’t an expert at micro-expression recognition but could still detect Mu Zhuo’s false emotional reactions just now.

When a rape victim’s victimization experience was brought up to them, their first reaction would often be shame and guilt, rather than anger.

The shame of being sexually assaulted was also the reason why victims often choose not to report the crime. Even a large proportion of victims would blame themselves after being treated inhumanely. They may be angry, but that anger came from shame, not from “Why don’t you sympathize with me”, like Mu Zhuo’s.

“So, Song Shengsheng’s rape case…”

“Although I don’t know what happened back then, I think it should be an injustice.” Thinking of the big star who was once wanton and unrestrained, he didn’t know what has become of Song Shengsheng in these past nine years.

“If Li Jingtian and Mu Zhuo jointly designed Song Shengsheng, why did Xu Ran’s letter say that Song Shengsheng took the blame for Li Jingtian’s crime? Have you ever thought about this question?”

“It’s been too long, so it’s hard to sort out the clues. Now we can only rely on Mr. Mu Zhuo to help us.” Lin Chen shook his head.

“Speaking of which, you lied hard to Mu Zhuo just now. You actually said you have confidence, meaning you have evidence?”

Lin Chen curled his lips. “This is a gamble. Although Li Jingtian cleaned up the evidence in Xu Ran’s case cleanly, letting us hit dead ends wherever we turn, for a rapist like him, it’s impossible he was this meticulous since birth. The earlier the time, the greater the possibility of him making mistakes.”

What he was betting on was that Mu Zhuo had a simple mind and would nervously call Li Jingtian and confirm something under blackmail.

Thinking of this, Lin Chen raised his head and asked Xing Conglian, “Did you install the bug?”

Xing Conglian gave him an OK gesture, but his tone was a little worried. “But the location isn’t good. If Mu Zhuo doesn’t choose to make the call in his dressing room, we won’t be able to monitor it.”

“Didn’t you notice something?”

“What?”

“Mu Zhuo is a very, lazy, person and simple-minded.” It was rare for Lin Chen to sneer. “As a lazy man, how can he leave a place that makes him feel safe and go to a strange place to make a very insecure call?”

“Consultant Lin…” Xing Conglian suddenly said.

“Hm?”

“I found that you’re quite good at calculating people.”

“As are you.”

……

Wang Chao had already set up the listening platform on the grass. The sun was shining brightly, and there was still laughter all around.

When they walked over, the teenager raised his head and said in a serious tone, “Captain, A’Chen, you guys should think carefully. This is unapproved surveillance. No matter what you hear next, it’s inadmissible to the courts as evidence. That is to say, even if you hear Mu Zhuo confide in Li Jingtian the truth about the events of that year, it will have no legal effects. You have to think clearly on this.”

The answer to Wang Chao’s warning was a rhetorical question from Xing Conglian, “What time is it?”

“9:40,” Wang Chao replied.

9:40, which meant their 6-hour time limit was getting closer.

“Then let’s get started.”

Xing Conglian sat down crossed legged and took one of the wireless headsets. Lin Chen sat next to him and picked up the other.

According to his prediction, a simple and impulsive person like Mu Zhuo, after learning that things might have been exposed back then, would certainly be eager to call those in the know to confirm things. Such an interval didn’t even exceed 10 minutes.

Through the monitoring, Lin Chen heard Mu Zhuo impatiently dealing with Lu Xu’s appeasement. He no longer had the previous humility and courtesy but exposed his irritable nature.

Mu Zhuo cursed at Lu Xu, then told the fat man to get out.

Xing Conglian’s bug worked well. He could even hear Lu Xu muttering “bitch” in a low voice after being reprimanded by Mu Zhuo.

In short, the dressing room had gone through a period of turmoil.

Afterwards, when Lu Xu slammed the door and went out, Mu Zhuo’s manager started cursing again.

Ms. Agent first called the upper management of the company to report the situation and said that she hoped the PR department would make a stink of it, but this wasn’t their goal. Although they couldn’t see the situation in the room, with the sound of a chair being thrown, Lin Chen probably guessed Mu Zhuo was venting his anger. After venting, fear would prevail, and Mu Zhuo would start to worry.

After the manager finished making her call, Mu Zhuo impatiently dropped something that sounded like a water bottle, which seemed to stop the manager.

“Get out and leave me alone!”

Mu Zhuo’s acting skills were really bad, to the point that he would use the most old-fashioned rhetoric to send people away.

When his manager wanted to say something more, Mu Zhuo yelled at the other party, “Get out!”

The sounds of footsteps and the door opening and closing followed, indicating the manager had left the room.

The background became quiet all of a sudden.

Mu Zhuo circled the room, seemingly waiting and thinking, and finally, he went to the dressing table, rifled through the messy pile of things, and picked something up.

The sound of buttons being pressed sounded.

Lin Chen felt Xing Conglian glancing at him, as if saying, “Here comes the main attraction.”

After a period of blankness, Mu Zhuo’s anxious voice sounded again. “Hey, don’t hang up. Listen to me!”

Since it wasn’t a phone bug, they didn’t know who the person on the other end of Mu Zhuo’s call was or what he was saying, but what they could infer was that the person on the other line wanted to hang up the moment the call was connected.

Mu Zhuo whispered. “The police just came to me just now and asked me about Song Shengsheng’s case. Didn’t you fucking say you cleaned it up? Why are the police coming to ask me this?”

The person on the other end seemed to say something that made Mu Zhuo choke. Suddenly, he raised his voice. “I’m stupid? It’s my fault? Who told you not to control your lower half and make such a thing happen, you stupid rapist? What kind of woman do you want? Why are you recruiting prostitutes, you fucking dick!”

Kinky Thoughts:

This is an extremely heavy subject, but to expand on the psychology aspect of this chapter, studies show that the most common effect of rape victims is self-blame, and with this comes shame and guilt.

There are two main types of self-blame: behavioral self-blame and characterological self-blame. Those who experience behavioral self-blame feel they should have done something differently, and therefore feel at fault. Those who experience characterological self-blame feel there’s something inherently wrong with them, which has caused them to deserve to be assaulted.

There are also many reasons why a rape victim doesn’t come forward, including sociological impact (negative views about them because of what happened to them), victim blaming, and not being believed or taken seriously, among myriad of other reasons.

The effects and aftermath of rape differ among victims, and many develop coping mechanisms that either benefit them, such as social support, or inhibit their recovery. It is best to seek support and professional resources (like counseling) to assist in recovery.