Episode 5 Psychology

  "It's time to reward myself, I've worked so hard to finish writing." Li Ming lay in bed, hugging his five notebooks, too excited to fall asleep. It was already 2 am. When an author finishes a work, it's like a pregnant woman giving birth to a new baby - the excitement that keeps you awake is indescribable. Li Ming got out of bed, put on his clothes, stuffed the notebooks into his backpack, and headed out into the deserted streets at 2 am.

  Episode 5: Psychology

  "For now, I'll go to the internet cafe and play all night, relax a bit. In two days, I have to start looking for a publisher." Li Ming thought to himself. On this deep winter's night, the streets were empty, not a single person in sight. Occasionally, a mouse could be seen scurrying by, its mouth carrying something that reeked of rot. The scene was far from beautiful, but Li Ming's mood was exceptionally pleasant, and he almost didn't feel the cold."

  Pushing open the door, Li Ming entered the internet cafe filled with thick smoke, and as usual, he found a computer in the corner to sit down. His joyful mood blinded his eyes, and he still didn't know that the brighter side was only matched by an even darker side lurking behind.

  New York · Manhattan ——

  "What would you like to drink? Coffee or tea?" the police chief asked, looking at Russ who was sitting on the couch. "No...no need, I'm not thirsty..." It was his first time visiting his ex-girlfriend's home and meeting her father, so it was inevitable that he felt a bit awkward. Russ couldn't have imagined that when his ex-girlfriend invited him out, she would bring him directly to her house without saying anything; even more unexpected was that her father was also at home. The police chief sat down on the couch across from Russ, staring intently at his face, while his ex-girlfriend sat beside him with an unhappy expression. The three of them remained silent for a long time. The atmosphere was so serious it seemed like they were discussing something very important. This kind of uncomfortable situation was one that Russ had never encountered before; he couldn't stop rubbing his hands together to try and alleviate the tension.

  "Is your name Rus?" The police chief's question broke the silence. "Yes...yes." Rus replied timidly. "You go inside first, I have something to discuss with Rus alone," the police chief said to his daughter, turning his head sideways. "Dad, what are you going to do? You've already said he's not my boyfriend anymore, what's there to talk about?" The daughter, who had been keeping a straight face, finally couldn't help but shout at her father in anger. This sentence pierced Rus's ears like millions of needles stabbing his heart. He had thought that today would be a bright day since his girlfriend had initiated the meeting. But it seemed things weren't as beautiful as he thought. The pain of their breakup and the long-suppressed pain all burst out with his girlfriend's words. "This has nothing to do with whether or not he's your boyfriend, go inside now. What I want to talk to him about is official business!" The police chief didn't shout back at his daughter but spoke in a calm tone. "Official business?" The daughter was confused - her father was a policeman, and he had specifically called Rus to their home, what kind of official business could they have? "Hurry up and go! Today's matter hasn't been settled with you yet!" The police chief gave his daughter a stern look. "You're crazy! Fine, fine, say whatever you want, I'm out of here!" The daughter stood up, turned around, and walked out the door, slamming it shut behind her.

  Here is the translation:

  "Sorry, she's just like that. It's all my fault for not teaching her well." The police chief said with a frown, "Actually, breaking up with her was a wise decision. You should be happy about it. Her personality is really hard to tolerate."

  "Ah...it's okay, Chief. No need to comfort me. Just say what you want to say." Rus stopped rubbing his hands and put them on his knees, pretending to be relaxed.

  "You know I'm the chief?" "Yes, your daughter mentioned it to me before." "I see. Well, let's not talk about her anymore. I can tell you're not in a good mood."

  The police chief walked into the kitchen, brought out a cup of coffee, and handed it to Rus. "Here, have some coffee. I think we'll be talking for a while, and you don't want to get thirsty." "Thanks..." Rus took the coffee but didn't drink it right away.

  "Ha! You're just like a psychologist!" The police chief said with a nod. "What did you say?" Rus was taken aback by the chief's words.

  "I once saw a test," the chief explained, "that can tell what kind of person someone is based on how they drink their coffee. If they drink it quickly, it means they're anxious or stressed about something. If they drink it slowly, it means they're calm. If they blow on it before drinking, it means they're trying to appear calm but aren't really. If they put it down and don't drink it, it means they're feeling down. And if they hold the coffee in their hand but don't drink it, it means they're very perceptive and good at hiding their true feelings." Rus was exactly that kind of person.

  "Ah, no...I just react slowly, that's all." Rus quickly brought the coffee to his lips and took a big sip. "Haha, no need to say more. I've heard from my daughter that you're interested in criminal psychology. And this test shows that even if you're not a psychologist, you have the potential to be one."

  "Uh...I just like reading books about criminal psychology, but I don't know much about it. That coffee test doesn't mean anything." Rus scratched his head. "If only I were a real psychologist, that would be great. But I still haven't found a job..."

  The police chief pulled out three photos from his pocket and put them on the table. "You know about these cases, right?" The three photos showed gruesome murders: one woman's abdomen was cut open with her intestines missing; another woman's body was cut open with no ribcage; and the third woman had her chest cavity cut open with her heart missing.

  "The New York Ripper," Rus said calmly, looking at the bloody photos. "You know about these cases?" The police chief asked. "What do you think? I want to hear your opinion as a 'psychologist'."

  Rus looked carefully at the three photos and suddenly raised his head to look directly at the police chief. "Chief, did you invite me here just to ask about this case?"

  "Ah...yes..." The police chief was taken aback by Rus's question.

  "Why not ask the experts in the police department? Why ask a layman like me?" "To be honest," the chief explained, "I want to solve this case on my own without relying on the FBI. I'm close to retirement, and I want to leave with a sense of accomplishment."

  Rus nodded thoughtfully. "So you're looking for someone who can help you without seeking fame or fortune?"

  The police chief smiled wryly. "That's right. And if your opinion is helpful, I'll make sure to recommend you to the police department's criminal psychology research team. You're having trouble finding a job, aren't you?"

  Actually, Russ had never done in-depth research on criminal psychology; he just happened to be reading "Exploring Criminal Psychology" recently. Getting to the bottom of things was always Russ's style, and if he didn't figure out why the police chief needed help so badly, he would be very uneasy. On the other hand, Russ asked the police chief so many questions also to show off a bit, to make himself look very professional, and to give the police chief the feeling that it was a pity his daughter had broken up with such a great guy. Russ was always looking for opportunities to show off, and now someone was seeking his help, he was thrilled and wouldn't refuse.

  In fact, Rush's opinion, who has some knowledge of psychology, is unlikely to be of any help in solving the case.

  China · Wuhan ——

  Li Ming walked out of the internet cafe, rubbing his sleepy eyes. It was already 12 o'clock at noon, and he had spent a whole night and morning inside. He leaned against the wall and stumbled in the direction of home. The distance between the internet cafe and his home was only about five minutes, so he arrived quickly. "I really need to get some sleep, or I'll die..." Li Ming muttered to himself as he went upstairs, reaching into his pocket for his keys. When he got to the door, he found that it was open, and the lock had been broken. Suddenly, all his sleepiness vanished, and Li Ming's eyes snapped open - someone had broken into his house last night! He quickly walked inside and saw that almost all the cabinets and drawers were open, and both rooms were in disarray. The TV was gone, his phone was gone, and even the box containing his ID card and other documents was missing. The whole room was a mess. "No way... did I make a mistake?" Li Ming's first reaction was to rush to the bookshelf, pull out a dictionary, and flip it open. Fortunately, the few hundred yuan he had hidden in the dictionary were still there. He quickly put the money in his pocket and took out one of his two phones to call 110 to report the crime. It wasn't until then that Li Ming suddenly realized something more important than the money - he turned around and glanced at the sofa. In an instant, everything went black, and Li Ming fainted onto the floor. The sofa was empty; his backpack was gone, along with the five books inside...

  Everything is gone.