Skin - Chapter 86

Chapter 86 – Public Opinion is Overturned

Note: Minor description of sexual abuse

　　During the few days he spent in Yancheng recovering from his injuries, Meng Zhao ate almost all the dishes with the word “blood” in them, such as duck blood vermicelli soup, fried blood tofu, scallion-fried lamb blood, and green vegetable blood soup…

　　Once, when Lu Shichen was ordering takeout on his mobile phone, Meng Zhao leaned over to take a look. Lu Shichen typed the word “blood” in the search box, slid down the screen to quickly browse through the options, and then decisively chose the most expensive one to place an order.

　　Meng Zhao: “…” He finally understood how these expensive and unpalatable takeouts managed to survive the fierce competition.

　　After realizing that “the only way to improve the food is to make it by one’s own efforts”, Meng Zhao took Lu Shichen downstairs to have a hotpot meal that night.

　　Meng Zhao found a hot pot restaurant with a nice environment. He watched the steaming soup bubbling in the pot and took a deep breath. Only then did he feel like he was alive again.

　　He prepared a bowl of condiments and handed it to Lu Shichen, then scooped out the yellow throat and tripe from the boiling pot and put them in the bowl opposite.

　　”Barbecue and hot pot are both representative of Chinese cuisine,” Meng Zhao said, “I treated you to barbecue last time, how about trying hot pot this time.”

　　Lu Shichen picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of tripe dipped in sauce and ate it.

　　Meng Zhao looked at him with interest: “Is it delicious?”

　　Lu Shichen swallowed and said “hmm”.

　　Meng Zhao joked, “How’s it compared to the water-cooked vegetables you used to eat?”

　　Lu Shichen looked at him and said nothing.

　　”Fairies also think that our mortal food is delicious,” Meng Zhao said with a smile, “It’s not easy.”

　　After coming out of the store, Meng Zhao bought a bottle of cold beer and drank it while walking along the street with Lu Shichen.

　　The prosperity of the city center of Yancheng is comparable to that of Mingtan. After walking for a distance, Meng Zhao stopped and stood on the curb, watching the vehicles speeding on the street.

　　”What are you thinking about?” Lu Shichen paused and turned his head to ask him.

　　”I’m wondering…when to return to Mingtan.”

　　”You want to go back?”

　　”Yeah,” Meng Zhao sighed, “If I continue like this, I’ll be done for. The bureau hasn’t notified me yet, and I don’t know how the investigation is going.”

　　”Since they haven’t notified you yet,” Lu Shichen said calmly, ” don’t think about the case for now.”

　　Meng Zhao shook his head slightly. “I used to think that I would work as a police officer until I was old and retired, but these days I started to think, if I lose my job, what else can I do?”

　　Lu Shichen said: “You are so good at fighting, you can come and be my personal bodyguard.”

　　Meng Zhao suddenly felt incredible: “…As a former deputy captain of the criminal investigation team, do you think I would fall to the point of being a bodyguard?”

　　”How much is your current monthly salary?” Lu Shichen asked.

　　After Meng Zhao said a number, Lu Shichen said, “I’ll give you ten times the salary.”

　　After a moment of silence, Meng Zhao angrily said, “Go away! Don’t try to use capitalist money to shake the position of our proletariat!”

　　Lu Shichen turned his head to look at him. Different from his usual expressionless face, the contours of his face and the look in his eyes seemed to become softer.

　　It seemed to convey a kind of… pleasure? Did Lu Shichen seem to be joking just now? Meng Zhao said “tsk” in his heart, thinking, who could joke without any expression?

　　After staring at Meng Zhao for a while, Lu Shichen said seriously, “There are many top-ranked detective agencies abroad. If you want to go, I can ask someone to introduce you to them.”

　　”Detective agency?” Meng Zhao laughed and shook his head. “Although the work content is similar, it is still different…”

　　As they were talking, Meng Zhao’s cell phone rang. He took it out and saw that it was Cheng Yun calling.

　　Is there something going on at the police station? Meng Zhao thought so and answered the phone. Before he could speak, Cheng Yun asked hurriedly on the phone: “Brother Zhao, are you home? Can you watch TV right now?”

　　”I’m outside, I’ll go back and check, what’s wrong?”

　　”The provincial TV station did a special interview about your incident and invited Professor Zhou Mingsheng. You must go back and take a look!”

　　”Okay.” Hearing Cheng Yun’s hurried tone on the phone, Meng Zhao didn’t ask any more questions and hung up the phone. He held Lu Shichen’s hand and pulled him back quickly, “Let’s go back to the hotel.”

　　”What’s wrong?” Lu Shichen asked.

　　”You still remember Professor Zhou Mingsheng, right? It was you who skipped class to ask him to help my uncle overturn the verdict.” Meng Zhao explained, “Cheng Yun said that the TV station invited him to talk about my incident, and asked me to go back and take a look.”

　　The two of them almost ran all the way back to the hotel, pushed the door open, Meng Zhao quickly walked to the coffee table, picked up the remote control, turned on the TV, and then sat on the sofa with Lu Shichen.

　　The host had finished his opening remarks, and Zhou Mingsheng dragged his sick body onto the stage. As he had not yet fully recovered from the stroke he had suffered not long ago, Zhou Mingsheng’s legs did not look very flexible, and he walked with a shaky gait.

　　The host quickly walked forward and supported Zhou Mingsheng, helping him sit down on the sofa.

　　The two sat down, and the female host greeted them first: “Hello, Professor Zhou. I am really grateful that you are able to participate in the program despite your physical inconvenience.”

　　Then she quickly got to the point: “The incident of Meng Zhao, the head of the Dark Cage Task Force, beating a suspect has caused a lot of controversy on the Internet. Everyone wants to know what you, as a leader in the legal field, think about this matter?”

　　Zhou Mingsheng has gray hair, a gaunt face, and wears a pair of reading glasses, looking like an old-fashioned scholar.

　　He spoke slowly, “Hello everyone, I’m Zhou Mingsheng. I’ve made many comments about others in my life. The longer I’ve lived and the more people I’ve met, the more I’ve discovered that people are actually very complex creatures. It’s hard for us to use simple, opposing words like right or wrong, yes or no to evaluate a person.”

　　He paused and continued, “When I was young, I was full of vigor and always thought I was right. But now that I am older and thinking about things that happened in the past, my ideas have slowly changed, and I may even subvert myself. Arrogance can easily make us lose ourselves, so for this matter, I wanted to hear what other people think from the beginning, and what those who have really come into contact with Meng Zhao think of him. So, today I brought two videos of my personal interviews, and I want to share them with you.”

　　Behind him, on the projection wall of the studio, a video began to play on the screen.

　　It was a scene in a hospital. The girl on the bed had her face blurred and a woman was sitting next to her – Shao Qi and her mother.

　　Shao Qi’s mother looked pale, with redness and swelling around her eyes. Compared with before, her mental state had improved, but it was still very bad: “When I was young, my health was not very good. When Qiqi was born, she was only 5.62 kg. The doctor said that the child was a little malnourished and it might affect her future development. When I held her in my arms, I said to Qiqi that I was sorry for not being able to give her a healthy body. I never asked for my daughter’s life to be good, as long as she can be healthy and safe…

　　”When Qiqi was six years old, her father was hit by fallen steel bars on a construction site and died of an accidental injury. The family had no income, so I had to send her to her grandmother and go out to work to earn money. This child has been very obedient since she was young. She knew that it was very hard for me to work outside. While going to school, she also tried to make money to help me share the family burden, doing odd jobs, setting up stalls… She was so young, but she had experienced all kinds of hardships.”

　　”Qiqi has loved dancing since she was a child. Her biggest dream is to dance. However, my family’s financial situation did not allow her to learn dancing. She never complained and had been learning by herself online. One day she told me that she wanted to be a live streamer and could make money for us by dancing. I had a quarrel with her at the time and told her to study hard and not do these things first…”

　　”I didn’t expect Qiqi to never come back after she left home. I quit my job and looked for her for more than a year. When I saw her again, she looked like she was tortured to death…” Shao Qi’s mother said, tears streaming down her cheeks, “When I look at her now, I think of her jumping around in the past, and I feel like my chest is stabbed by a knife… No one can understand my feelings as a mother. Every day I hope to see her return to her previous appearance, but every day she is still the same as the day before…”

　　In the video, Shao Qi’s mother wiped her tears with her hands, and finally choked up and became speechless. She covered her face with both hands and cried out in pain.

　　After watching this video, the audience sitting in the audience also showed moved expressions on their faces, and many of them shed tears along with Shao Qi’s mother.

　　Zhou Mingsheng didn’t say anything and continued to look at the screen. The picture on the screen jumped to the second video.

　　It was a girl with her back to the camera. She looked frail and immature. Her voice was processed with a voice changer: “I am 13 years old and have been in the dark cage for more than a year. After being tricked there, they asked me to shoot some videos and hired someone to rape me. I didn’t obey, so they whipped me, dripped wax down my v*gina, and sometimes even stepped on my head… But none of us dared to run away. The sisters who came earlier said that if we ran away, we would have no chance of survival. Just like that, little by little, I almost forgot that I was a ‘person’…”

　　”That day, Brother Chang and Brother Hua suddenly called us to a hidden room. I heard noises outside, and they both looked very scared. I knew someone was coming, and they might be our only hope to get out alive. But they didn’t let us talk, and said that if we dared to talk, they would beat us to death. But by that time, I already had the idea of committing suicide, so it didn’t matter whether I lived or not. So I shouted for help at that time. When Brother Chang heard it, he immediately pulled me out with force, picked up an iron rod and beat me crazily. I was beaten so hard that my consciousness was a little blurred, and I just wanted him to kill me quickly so that I wouldn’t have to live like this anymore…

　　“I don’t know how long it took. When I regained consciousness, the policeman helped me up and beat the man severely. He looked very angry… At that moment, I suddenly didn’t want to die anymore. It turned out that there were still people who could save us, there were still people who cared about us, and there were still people who treated us as human beings.

　　”In my opinion, he is clearly a hero. Why should a hero be punished for saving people? When Officer Meng saved us, what were those people doing who cursed him? I know my thoughts are a bit extreme, but I really hope those people can die, all of them!… Shouldn’t people who do that kind of thing be beaten? Shouldn’t they die?”

　　The girl’s emotions became increasingly out of control, and the video stopped here, with her questions not being answered.

　　There was silence at the scene. Everyone in the audience had heavy expressions. The entire studio was filled with a depressing and sad atmosphere.

　　After a moment, Zhou Mingsheng looked towards the audience and spoke:

　　“After watching these two videos, I believe everyone must feel very heavy. Many times, we think we are rational, and we are proud of our rationality, but we don’t realize that this is often a kind of arrogance.

　　”It’s impossible for us to completely stand in other people’s shoes and look at the problem. No one can really empathize with somebody unless they have actually experienced the same thing. Due to time constraints, I can only play two videos here, but before this show, I met all the victims of the dark cage and listened to everyone’s stories and confessions. Until now, my mood is still complicated, depressed, and repressed.”

　　Zhou Mingsheng paused for a few seconds and continued, “Actually, I am not here alone this time. In addition to bringing you these two videos, I also brought you a person. After watching the videos, please listen to what this person has to say.”

　　A few seconds after he finished speaking, a girl walked out from the back of the studio.

　　All the audience looked at the tall and thin girl at the same time. She was Meng Zhao’s sister, Meng Ruoshu.

　　Meng Ruoshu came over and greeted: “Hello, Professor Zhou, hello, host.”

　　Then she took the microphone handed over by the host and faced the audience: “Hello everyone, my name is Meng Ruoshu, and I am Meng Zhao’s sister.” Meng Ruoshu took a deep breath and continued: “I am also a victim of sexual assault.”

　　Some people in the audience looked surprised.

　　”If I were to talk about my experience in such a public place, many people might think I’m sick. But if I can use my experience to gain people’s understanding of the sexually assaulted community and my brother, I think it’s worth it.”

　　”Twelve years ago, when I was in primary school, I was sexually assaulted. I couldn’t bear the blow and suffered from stress aphasia. At the same time, my father was wrongly accused of killing the rapist and was arrested by the police. At that time, the whole world was dark for me and my family.”

　　”But there was one person who used his thin and tender shoulders to carry this despair for us. He helped us find teacher Zhou Mingsheng and lawyer Lu Chengze to redress my father’s innocence. He tried his best to make me happy and wanted me to speak. He also cried sometimes, but he would cover his face with a hat to prevent us from seeing his vulnerable side. He didn’t want me to know all this, but in fact I knew everything. At that time, he was just a teenager of sixteen or seventeen years old. He is my cousin, the policeman responsible for cracking the dark cage, Meng Zhao.”

　　Meng Ruoshu’s voice trembled slightly, and she tried her best not to cry out loud: “I have never thanked my brother in person. This time, I want to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to my brother. Thank you, brother.”

　　After a short pause, Meng Ruoshu calmed down her emotions and continued, “I think the reason why my brother showed that kind of anger at that time was not because he was irritable and he couldn’t control himself, but because he understood the desperate feeling of being a victim of sexual assault. He knew very well that this experience would bring harm to the victims and their families, so he couldn’t control his urge to beat the people. Here, I beg everyone, don’t blame my brother.”

　　As the audience listened to Meng Ruoshu’s experience, many of them had red eyes, and some even raised their hands to wipe away tears.

　　Zhou Mingsheng looked at the audience and slowly calmed down. After a moment, he spoke again: “After listening to their stories, I think everyone should have their own feelings and judgments in their hearts.”

　　Zhou Mingsheng said in a slow voice: “As a lawyer, the two most important things I face are procedures and humanity. I often wonder, which is more important, procedures or humanity? Although we all know that following procedures is to achieve justice and reflect humanity, it is undeniable that the contradiction between procedures and humanity can never be avoided.

　　“I know that following procedural justice is to protect the rights and fairness of the majority of people, but should we ignore that small number of people? Be it procedures or laws, in the final analysis, aren’t they all serving humanity? Only by moving closer to humanity and pursuing the glory of humanity can we embody the value of being human.

　　”I also know that violence cannot solve problems, and police violence can lead to very serious consequences. As a lawyer, I have come across countless cases of wrongful convictions caused by torture. But police officers are also human beings, they also have joys, anger, sorrows, and basic emotional expressions. If we ignore this point and look down on this police officer like God judging a sinner, and enjoy the pleasure of this so-called rational judgment, is it really right?

　　”Does Meng Zhao have any problems? Of course he does. Should he be held accountable? I personally think he should be. However, if we, as participants in this public opinion storm, want to add insult to injury to such a capable, just, and humane policeman, what will the future of our society be like? I think everyone should think about this question: if one day you also fall into the abyss, do you hope that someone will give you a ray of light?”

　　After Zhou Mingsheng finished speaking, there was silence in the studio, and everyone seemed to be lost in thought. After a moment, applause broke out.

　　On TV, the host talked to Professor Zhou Mingsheng for a few more words, and then the live interview ended.

　　After the show, commercials started to play. Meng Zhao came to his senses and his cell phone beside him vibrated a few times.

　　He took it and took a look. Cheng Yun sent him several screenshots: “Brother Zhao, look at the comments online. Almost everyone is supporting you now!”

　　Meng Zhao clicked on a screenshot and saw several popular comments at the top:

　　”Compared to those police officers who are indifferent to the victims, I would rather see police officers like Officer Meng who are brave and humane.”

　　”Procedures and laws are ultimately in the service of humanity. If a police officer loses his humanity, how can we talk about justice?”

　　”I just want to ask those who accuse Officer Meng, if you were one of the victims, would you want to meet a police officer like Meng Zhao?”

　　”That girl is the beauty blogger ‘Xiaoshu on the Cloud’. I like her so much. I didn’t expect that she is Officer Meng’s sister. I didn’t expect that such a beautiful girl would encounter such a thing. The rapist should die!”

　　”I heard that such a handsome and righteous policeman was suspended? Heartbroken!!!”

　　Cheng Yun then sent a few words:

　　”Many people have called the police station to inquire about your situation, and some have sent signed letters asking for your reinstatement.”

　　”I asked around. Because of public opinion, the attitude of the higher-ups has gradually become clearer. I think you will definitely be back soon.”

　　”Brother Zhao, when will you be back? Zhou Qiyang and I will pick you up at the airport, and we’ll also treat you to dinner with Consultant Lu!”

　　Meng Zhao thought about it and sent a voice message: “Let’s put the meal on hold. I have to visit someone after I get back.”

　　After sending the message, he turned to look at Lu Shichen: “I have to make a call to thank Mr. Zhou and treat him to a meal when I get back.”

　　Lu Shichen said “hmm”.

　　Meng Zhao found Zhou Mingsheng’s contact information in the address book and called him.

　　Zhou Mingsheng had already ended the show and the call was quickly connected.

　　”Teacher Zhou, I just finished watching the show and wanted to thank you.” Meng Zhao said on the phone, “I was too busy to visit you recently. I’ll treat you to a meal when I return to Mingtan.”

　　Zhou Mingsheng laughed heartily on the other end of the phone: “Xiao Meng, you shouldn’t just thank me for what happened today.”

　　Meng Zhao also smiled: “Xiao Shu, I will definitely not forget her either.”

　　”I’m not talking about Xiaoshu. Xiaoshu is your sister. I have no right to interfere with how you two siblings express your gratitude to each other.”

　　Meng Zhao was stunned: “Who are you talking about?”

　　”I’m talking about your two elders. As for who they are, I’ll keep it a secret for now.” Zhou Mingsheng said, “How about this, Xiao Meng, when you return to Mingtan, I’ll arrange a dinner for you, and you can thank them in person at the dinner.”

　　”Okay, I’ll be back tomorrow.” Meng Zhao agreed immediately, and glanced at Lu Shichen next to him, “By the way, Mr. Zhou, I have a friend you also know, I want to bring him to meet you.”

　　”Is it Xiao Lu? I haven’t seen that kid for a long time,” Zhou Mingsheng replied, “Okay, okay, you all come over here.”