met free Chapter 936: It's not a case, it's someone else's life
Chapter 936: It's not a case, it's someone else's life
Chapter 936: It's not a case, it's someone else's life
"Don't bother, we'll just find out the situation and leave."
White sugar is a rare commodity these days, so Qin Hao quickly called the woman in the house: "It's good that you're here, I want to ask you for some information."
The middle-aged woman was obviously a little embarrassed. The couple sat down opposite Qin Hao, their faces full of worry.
"Was your Xiaowu at home last night?"
Seeing the couple hesitate, Qin Hao said sternly, "Uncle, aunt, you must answer whatever I ask. You must tell the truth, otherwise it is illegal to give false testimony."
When they heard that it was illegal, the couple was shocked, especially the middle-aged woman, who turned pale and sobbed: "I knew Xiaowu must have been in trouble. I told him a long time ago not to hang out with Ermaozi and his gang."
Wang Xin was somewhat at a loss about what to do in this situation, so Qin Hao comforted him, "Uncle, aunt, don't worry, this matter is not as serious as you think."
After hearing what Qin Hao said, the couple looked visibly better.
"Comrade police officer, our Xiaowu went out with Ermaozi and the others at around 8 o'clock last night and came back very late. I didn't pay attention to the exact time, but it was in the second half of the night. This morning he was still at home and slept until almost noon."
While recording in a small notebook, Wang Xin asked, "When he came back, was there anything different from usual?"
"That's not the case. But when I was washing his clothes this morning, I saw several pieces of paint on his clothes. It took me a lot of effort to wash them off." The middle-aged woman recalled carefully.
Qin Hao and Wang Xin looked at each other and basically confirmed Xiao Wu's suspicion.
"Do you know where Xiaowu is now?"
"He should be at Ermaozi's house. Ermaozi is getting married soon, and Xiaowu has been going to his house quite often these days."
"Then would it be convenient for you to take us to Ermaozi's house?"
"Okay, I'll take you there right away." The dark-faced man said, then hesitantly asked, "Comrade police officer, the crime committed by our Xiaowu is not serious, right?"
"It's not too serious, but it depends on his attitude."
"Don't worry, police comrade. If he has a bad attitude, I will beat him to death."
Qin Hao smiled bitterly when he heard this. Children of this generation basically grew up under the beatings of their parents. Sometimes, the beatings of their parents were more effective than the police's handcuffs.
The dark-faced man put on his coat and walked out while handing cigarettes to Qin Hao and Wang Xin. Wang Xin directly said that he didn't smoke, and Qin Hao took the cigarette and put it behind his ear to reassure the other party.
Ermaozi's house is in a large courtyard nearby. A wedding character has been posted on the door, and there are many people busy working inside.
When they saw the dark-faced man and two policemen come in, Ermaozi's house suddenly became quiet, and everyone's eyes fell on Qin Hao and Wang Xin.
"Dad, why are you here?" A young man with a simple and honest look, who looked only sixteen or seventeen years old, walked over.
The dark-faced man was immediately furious, raised his hand and slapped the young man on the head: "I'll teach you a lesson."
The young man screamed in pain, and the door was blocked, so he could only run around the house. The scene was inexplicably funny.
In the end, it was Qin Hao who separated the two.
"Are you Xiaowu?"
Xiaowu was beaten for no reason, so he was naturally in a bad mood and kept silent. The dark-faced man saw this and became even more furious, and slapped him hard on the head again.
"The police officer is asking you a question. Answer it right away. If you tell me a lie, I'll break your legs."
Xiao Wu nodded depressedly: "Yeah."
"What did you do last night?" Qin Hao asked.
Xiaowu's face changed, and Qin Hao also noticed that several young people in the room looked terrified.
"I didn't do anything."
Qin Hao frowned and said in a serious tone: "I'll give you one last chance. Tell the truth, otherwise we can only go to the police station to talk."
Nowadays, in the minds of many ordinary people, those who go to the police station are not good people. Even if they are finally released, they will definitely be gossiped about. Especially in today's acquaintance society, if they are not careful, they will not be able to raise their heads for the rest of their lives.
The dark-faced man immediately became anxious upon hearing this, and slapped Xiaowu hard on the head: "You little bastard, why don't you tell the truth quickly?"
Xiao Wu subconsciously looked up at the young people, then lowered his head and said in a muffled voice: "I went to the railway compound last night."
"What did you do at the railway yard?"
"Moved a dresser."
"Where's the dresser?"
"It's in the back room."
Wang Xin immediately rushed to the inner room and saw the dressing table made by Qin Hao.
The dark-faced man collapsed to the ground when he saw the dressing table, covering his face with his hands and said angrily, "Are you moving? You're stealing! We in the Lu family have always been honest and upright, how could a bastard like you appear?"
Xiao Wu defended himself: "We really didn't steal it. We just borrowed it for a while. We will return it after Ermaozi gets married. If you don't believe me, ask Ermaozi and his family."
Wang Xin had already taken out the handcuffs and was about to handcuff Xiao Wu, but Qin Hao stopped him and whispered, "Look, he's just a child. If he goes to jail for this, his life will be ruined."
"But he did steal something. Aren't we police officers supposed to catch thieves?" Wang Xin asked puzzledly.
Qin Hao shook his head gently: "Have you ever thought about this, if this kid goes in and is sentenced to a few years, can he still live a normal life? Will society still accept him?"
"If he can't find a job, he will have no choice but to take risks, which could lead to a tragedy."
"The police's duty is not only to catch thieves, but also to maintain social order. Some things are not black and white, and the law is nothing more than human feelings."
"What we are dealing with now is not a case, but someone else's life."
Wang Xin stared at Qin Hao blankly, his heart unable to calm down for a long time. In the police academy, he was taught to strictly enforce the law, and anyone who broke the law would be his enemy. However, Qin Hao's words made him unable to refute.
He looked at Xiaowu, who had a silly look on his face, and the black-faced man who lowered his head in shame. It was obvious that Xiaowu was not a vicious criminal. If he was locked up, what would he look like when he was released?
Wang Xin unconsciously took back the handcuffs. Qin Hao patted him on the shoulder and then helped the dark-faced man up.
"Uncle, this matter is not as serious as you think. It was indeed your Xiaowu who took the things, but he was just trying to help his friend save face. After all, it's a wedding, and the girl needs to save face."
The Ermaozi and his men were obviously relieved when they heard this and echoed him.
"Comrade police, you are absolutely right. We really didn't intend to steal it. We just borrowed it for a few days and will return it after the wedding."
Qin Hao glared at Ermaozi and said sternly, "Even if you want to borrow something, you should ask the owner's opinion. How can you act on your own like this?"
Ermaozi's parents also rushed forward and said, "The police comrade is right. You are really reckless."
"Comrade police officer, how about we return the dresser to its owner, apologize to him, and ask for his forgiveness? Is that okay?"
As he spoke, he handed Qin Hao a cigarette and stuffed him with wedding candy.
Qin Hao pushed aside the cigarettes and wedding candies and said sternly, "Let's send the dresser back first. If the owner doesn't want to pursue the matter, we can deal with him leniently. If the owner doesn't want to, then we can only handle the matter impartially."
When the dark-faced man heard this, he immediately pulled his son to kowtow to Qin Hao. Qin Hao quickly stopped him: "Uncle, don't do that. If you have anything to say, get up and tell me."
"Comrade police officer, you are the benefactor of our family. If there is any need for me, Zhao Tiezhu, in the future, I will never frown, even if it means going through hardships." The dark-faced man said and slapped his son on the head again.
"Remember this, this is our family's benefactor. He gave you half your life. If you dare to do something illegal again, you don't need the police to punish you. I will kill you first to prevent you from harming society."
"Remember?"
"Remember." Xiaowu nodded.
Soon, Ermaozi and Zhao Tiezhu's family brought gifts to Aunt Cai's house to apologize. Aunt Cai was originally very angry, but after hearing about the situation, not only did she not hold Xiaowu and the others responsible, she also generously said that she could lend the dressing table to Ermaozi's family for a few days and return it after he finished his wedding.
Wang Xin was watching this happy scene, but his heart was in turmoil. According to the police rules and regulations, it was definitely wrong to handle the case this way. But if they really followed the rules and regulations, Xiaowu and the others would all be sentenced, and then several families would be broken. This was especially true for Ermaozi. It was supposed to be a happy wedding, but he ended up in jail. His wife would most likely run away, and after she gets out, she would be labeled a labor camp prisoner.
"Officer Qin, Officer Wang, you must come to my son's wedding. We have agreed that we won't hold the banquet if you don't show up." Ermaozi's parents thanked Qin Hao profusely and held Qin Hao's hand tightly, unwilling to let go.
Train driver Cai Danian stepped forward and patted Wang Xin on the shoulder, giving him a thumbs up: "Xiao Wang, you did a good job on this case. You are worthy of being a top student who graduated from the police academy. You have a good level of ability."
Wang Xin opened his mouth and was about to explain, but Cai Xiaonian on the side also said admiringly: "Of course you should say it. If you arrest those kids for this, their lives will be ruined. Wang Xin, you have done a great thing to accumulate merit."
Facing everyone's praise, Wang Xin felt uncomfortable. On the one hand, it was Qin Hao who advocated handling this case, and he disagreed in principle, but he could not find any rebuttal arguments at the moment, so he retained his attitude. On the other hand, this case overturned many things he had learned in the police academy, and he did not know whether it was right or wrong.
From the perspective of the result, this is a good thing to do, but from the perspective of procedure, it is incorrect. Which one should be correct in the result or just in the procedure? Wang Xin is caught in a dilemma.
Unconsciously, Wang Xin walked to the door of Ma Kui's house and happened to meet Ma Yan. The two were classmates in junior high school, but later Wang Xin was admitted to the police academy, while Ma Yan took over her mother's job early because of her mother's poor health and went to work as a salesperson in a state-owned store.
"What's wrong? You're like an eggplant hit by frost. Did you lose the fight?"
Wang Xin's mouth twitched, and he pointed at his police uniform: "Look at me dressed like this, is there anyone who dares to fight with me?"
"That's true. Then why do you look so absent-minded?" Ma Yan asked curiously.
"." Wang Xin said irritably: "You wouldn't understand even if I told you."
"You didn't tell me how I would understand. Why don't you tell me?"
Ma Kui saw the two of them talking at the door. Fearing that his cabbages would be eaten by the pigs, Ma Kui immediately called his daughter back.
Unfortunately, Ma Yan was not impressed by his words and still dragged Wang Xin to get to the bottom of it.
Ma Kui had no choice but to walk out and stare at Wang Xin. If it were in the past, Wang Xin would definitely compete with Ma Kui, but he didn't have the heart to do so at this moment.
"Old Ma, let me ask you a question."
Before he could finish his words, Ma Kui raised his hand to interrupt him: "Don't ask, I don't want to answer."
"No, I haven't said anything yet."
"When you were in the police academy, did you ask questions to your teacher in the same way? You called him Lao Ma all the time. Was that also what you called him?"
These words left Wang Xin speechless. Under normal circumstances, Wang Xin would have just walked away, but today's case caused a great shock to Wang Xin's worldview.
"Uncle Ma, I was wrong. I will never call you Old Ma again."
Ma Yan tugged at Ma Kui's arm and said, "Dad, they've already apologized to you."
"Hmph, so what if I apologize? Do I have to answer his questions just because I apologize?" Ma Kui said this, but when he saw Wang Xin looked distracted, he softened his heart.
"What a big deal! You're so confused, but you still act like a man, like a policeman, right? Tell me."
Wang Xin didn't bother with the thorny tone in Ma Kui's words and just told him about today's case.
Ma Yan immediately expressed her opinion: "Isn't this good? I think this case was handled well."
Ma Kui didn't say anything, but looked at Wang Xin with surprise, as if he had a completely new understanding of him.
"Uncle Ma, you said this is how we should handle this case, right?"
This time Ma Kui did not cause trouble for Wang Xin. Instead, he said in a serious tone: "You can think of this problem, you are a policeman."
"I can't say whether this case was handled right or wrong, but I think Xiao Qin is right about one thing."
"Our police duties are not only to catch thieves, but also to maintain social order. You can't be a good police officer simply by following the legal provisions in the book. You will encounter many similar cases in the future. Sometimes your choice may affect someone's life. It's up to you to decide what to do at this time."
Wang Xin murmured to himself: "Look at myself?"
"That's right. It depends on whether you just want to solve the case or be a good policeman." There was an indescribable feeling in Ma Kui's tone.
"Of course I want to be a good policeman." Wang Xin almost blurted out.
"Then you have a lot to learn." Ma Kui said, and then changed back to his previous tone of disdain for Wang Xin: "Boy, you are still far behind Xiao Qin."