Decayed Vulgarian chapter 14
What If
Before this, Shen Xun had never truly taken to heart the connection between him and Meng Yuan Cen, as mentioned during their first meeting.
It seemed like he had made a hasty judgment, presuming that a university teacher and a forensic expert from the public security department wouldn’t have much in common, believing that they belonged to two entirely different worlds.
On one side, there was the respected and diligent teacher, standing tall at the three-foot podium, with countless students expressing their gratitude. On the other side was the forensic expert navigating the shadows, where, at times, the human heart could be more terrifying than decaying flesh. Only justice remembered that the scalpel was their weapon.
But what if that teacher was a professor of criminal law?
Criminal Procedure Law granted investigatory powers to the public security organs, prosecutorial powers to the People’s Procuratorate, and adjudicatory powers to the People’s Courts. Every criminal case went through the three stages of investigation, prosecution, and adjudication. Forensic experts assisted investigators in solving cases, while lawyers acted as defense attorneys or legal representatives in the trial process.
Shen Xun and Meng Yuan Cen had joined two entirely different phases, but they were connected throughout the entire case, from discovering the truth to punishing the criminals.
The feeling Shen Xun had when he first entered the forensic science major in college, the sense of companionship, had unexpectedly resurfaced at this moment. Shen Xun lowered his gaze, speaking softly, “I remember back in college, I took elective courses across different disciplines, and I chose criminal law.”
“Really?” Meng Yuan Cen asked.
Shen Xun continued, “The book I lent you was purchased on the recommendation of our criminal law professor, although I understood only a fraction of it later on.”
His fingertips trembled slightly, and his gaze lowered. “Back then, I knew nothing. During our criminal law classes, the professor had a humorous and witty style. Whenever I attended class, I treated the criminal law cases as stories. It wasn’t until I delved deeper into it later on that I realized the blood and tears behind those cases.”
Meng Yuan Cen listened in silence for a few seconds and then jokingly said, “Where did you understand only a fraction? You can ask me; maybe I can provide some explanations?”
Shen Xun was briefly surprised, then smiled without a word, silently agreeing to let go of the original topic and instead continued along with Meng Yuan Cen’s words. “I don’t remember much about my college days now. Since finishing the final exams, everything I learned about criminal law has faded from my memory. I often understood only a fraction of it before the exams, and after the exams, I would forget everything.”
Meng Yuan Cen joined in the laughter.
They continued to chat tacitly about lighter topics, exchanging words back and forth. By the time the call ended, forty minutes had passed.
Meng Yuan Cen usually lived in the Huada teacher’s apartment. However, this weekend, due to an accident involving Meng Yuan Ning on the road, he made a trip to the Meng family.
As he turned to walk out onto the balcony, he looked up and saw Meng Yuan Ning, holding a toothbrush in the direction of the bathroom, teasing with foam in her mouth, “You’ve been on the phone for so long? Boiling a love porridge with your secret crush?”
“Go brush your teeth,” Meng Yuan Cen retorted.
His older brother’s response appeared to be right on the mark, and Meng Yuan Ning was quite pleased.
After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she playfully ran up to Meng Yuan Cen, elongated her tone, shook her head, and asked, “When Mom comes back from the supermarket with soy sauce later, and she asks me about Shen Xun and me, what should I say?”
“Just tell her you don’t like him,” Meng Yuan Cen raised an eyebrow, “Do you really need to ask me that?”
“Oh, I’ve thought about it again. This Mr. Shen is indeed quite eligible, and I’ve suddenly taken a liking to him. It’s not like I intentionally want to sabotage this blind date, but I can’t stop you from having love at first sight, can I?”
Meng Yuan Cen chuckled, “You’re twenty-seven now. Can you please not be so naive, Miss Meng? If you really want to tell Mom directly, then don’t blame me for playing matchmaker and introducing you to a blind date.”
Meng Yuan Ning made a zipping motion at her lips, “I won’t say anything.”
Then, she couldn’t help but mutter softly, “Oh, forget your family when you see a handsome guy.”
The siblings teasing each other was already a regular occurrence, and they both knew it was all in good fun and didn’t take offense.
Meng Yuan Cen suddenly remembered something, “By the way, there’s something I want to ask you. How did you manage to cure your insomnia before?”
Meng Yuan Ning rolled her eyes, “What’s up? you been having trouble sleeping recently?”
Meng Yuan Cen replied, “No, I’m asking for someone else.”
Meng Yuan Ning recollected for a moment, “I had trouble sleeping during that period because I was just starting my career, it was an adjustment period, and I was under a lot of stress. As I gradually adapted and my job became more comfortable, I stopped having insomnia. I think it was mainly because my mood improved during that time.”
“If insomnia is due to psychological reasons, I recommend seeking help from a psychologist. If the insomnia is severe and affects your regular sleep schedule, you can consider melatonin. However, using melatonin to aid sleep can lead to dependency, and prolonged or excessive use can have side effects.”
Meng Yuan Cen seemed to ponder this, “Alright, I understand.”
He returned to his bedroom, opened a search engine, and entered the keywords for insomnia.
On Monday morning, Shen Xun went to the Yuhai Sub-bureau for work.
In the office, all six forensic experts were present, and old Zhang was intently working on preparing a forensic report.
“How’s the progress of the case?” Shen Xun inquired upon seeing the situation.
“The criminal suspect was arrested at around four o’clock this morning,” old Zhang said, speaking in his usual lighthearted manner. “I understand the thinking of our colleagues in the Criminal Investigation Division. It’s in the middle of the night, the best time to catch criminals.”
As he spoke, drowsiness overcame him. Old Zhang rubbed his eyes and let out a yawn, “At a little past six this morning, before the sun had even risen, the Criminal Investigation Division called me to collect biological evidence from the criminal suspect. I went there with Xiao Ruan.”
Shen Xun nodded.
Once old Zhang got started, he couldn’t stop, “I’ve gathered some information. The criminal suspect is a ride-sharing driver with a technical school education, he likes gambling, and he’s quite lustful.”
He sighed, “Ah, this isn’t the first ride-sharing case. Some platforms don’t scrutinize enough, which lowers the bar for this profession, and the quality of drivers varies.”
“The course of the case is roughly like this: at around 8 p.m. on Friday, the girl got into this driver’s ride-sharing car. The driver developed an interest, and he threatened the girl not to report it while forcing her to agree. They had sexual intercourse in the backseat, and after it was over, the girl took advantage of the driver’s momentary lapse of attention and pushed the car door open, fleeing. The driver suddenly realized that the girl would definitely report it, so he had the intent to kill, caught up to her, strangled her, dumped the body in Blue Lake Park, and then fled the scene.”
Shen Xun sighed upon hearing this.
Old Zhang shook his head, “Sometimes, I wonder if things would have turned out differently if the girl hadn’t tried to escape.”
Shen Xun said, “If the girl hadn’t taken that ride, the outcome would definitely have been different.”
Old Zhang sighed heavily.
Old Zhang often followed up on these criminal cases that were sent to the procuratorate, as well as the subsequent court trial results. He had an interest in the legal aspect, and at this moment, Shen Xun thought of the mother who had suggested making the killer pay with his life in desperation and asked, “old Zhang, based on the facts you’ve currently ascertained, irresponsibly speculate a bit. What do you think the court’s final sentencing will be?”
Old Zhang said, “My intuition tells me it will be either a suspended death sentence or life imprisonment.”
Shen Xun asked further, “Is it possible they will get the death penalty?”
Old Zhang replied, “Because the criminal suspect has been cooperative and it wasn’t a premeditated crime, I think the likelihood is very low, unless… he continues to maintain a bad attitude even in court and harbors a desire for revenge against society or something. But since he has been cooperative, I don’t think he’s beyond redemption. But I’m not entirely sure; I’m just guessing. Feel free to ignore my speculations.”
In the afternoon, old Zhang, Xiao Ruan, and Shen Xun jointly completed the forensic identification report. Shen Xun reviewed it and, once he confirmed its accuracy, signed it alongside old Zhang and Xiao Ruan. They took it to have the official unit seal affixed.
Throughout the day at the sub-bureau, Shen Xun kept an eye on developments related to the case. When he returned home after work, he organized the known facts, typed a lengthy text, and sent it to Meng Yuan Cen.
Media reports were coming out one after another, and the family of the deceased was constantly following the progress of the case. Shen Xun guessed that Meng Yuan Cen might have known the information he sent, but he chose to send it to him nonetheless. If there was anything that Meng Yuan Cen didn’t know, perhaps it would be of some help.
Two minutes later, he received a “Thank you” message from Meng Yuan Cen.
In the following days, they never discussed case-related topics again.
Meng Yuan Cen occasionally shared some interesting stories from his daily life, most of them related to campus life.
For example, he spontaneously took attendance one day and managed to catch several students who were skipping class, allowing him to legitimately deduct their participation points.
After their midterm exams, everyone in their group chat was posting messages like “Teacher, oh teacher, please show us mercy!”
During the grading of papers, he spotted a classmate “crafting” legal clauses.
Shen Xun found these stories amusing every time and looked forward to Meng Yuan Cen’s messages, as they gradually transformed into welcome little surprises in his otherwise routine life. He responded promptly to each message, except when he was genuinely busy.
He was scheduled to work the next Saturday, and he remembered he owed Meng Yuan Cen a meal. He had been contemplating whether to invite him for dinner on Sunday night, but his chronic indecisiveness acted up. He spent a long time choosing a restaurant and eventually made a decision. He was about to send the invitation when he received a message from Liang Yan.
Liang Yan: “I’ll be arriving at Hua Feng Yu Hai International Airport in Huafeng City tomorrow afternoon. Let’s set a time for a nice meal, we haven’t seen each other in a while!”
Although Liang Yan had transferred to a different school in the ninth grade and wasn’t in the same high school as Shen Xun, they both ended up enrolling in colleges in Huafeng City. Liang Yan claimed he was “returning to contribute to his hometown,” a form of talent recruitment for the area. He went to Hua Yi Medical University, which was just a few subway stops away from Shen Xun’s college. During their university years, they often hung out together.
Afterward, Liang Yan pursued a master’s degree in software engineering abroad, and he was planning to develop his career in mainland China upon graduation.
Shen Xun had heard about Liang Yan’s impending return to China about two weeks ago, but he didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.
Shen Xun: “What time does your flight arrive? I can pick you up.”
Liang Yan: 12:35 PM.
Shen Xun: “Have you already arranged where to stay?”
Liang Yan’s parents didn’t live in Huafeng City.
Liang Yan: “I asked a friend who works in real estate to help me find a place about a month ago. Right now, I plan to stay at a hotel for a few days. I’ve already rented a place, so I should be able to move in soon.”
Shen Xun: “If you don’t like the hotel, you can stay at my place. I don’t mind hosting you for a few days if you’re willing to endure my little shabby apartment.”
Liang Yan: Haha, no need. It’s not that I mind, but I don’t want to trouble you for so many days.
They planned to meet at the airport in the afternoon, drop off Liang Yan’s luggage at the hotel, have dinner together, and maybe take a walk in the vicinity to reminisce about their college days. The chances of squeezing in another meal were slim.
Fortunately, Liang Yan’s timely message made Shen Xun decide to postpone the dinner invitation to Meng Yuan Cen.