Author: 长洱 / Chang’er
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 38
“Mr. Lin, I will ask you some questions below. Please answer truthfully.”
“Nn.”
“Is your name Lin Chen?”
“Yes.”
“Are you from Fengchun?”
“Yes.”
“Regarding this polygraph survey, are you willing to answer my question truthfully?”
“Willing.”
Lin Chen was sitting in an interrogation room with several clips on his index and ring fingers. A blood pressure monitor was wrapped around his arm, and some wires were connected to his chest to the screen on the laptop.
His heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, skin electricity, and other parameters were gathered into complex lines on the screen and were slowly advancing forward.
Opposite him was a staff member of the Inspector’s Office, but of course it wasn’t Inspector Huang himself.
Since the “Candy Bandit” case, for some unknown reason, Lin Chen had never seen Huang Ze again, and for some unknown reason, Huang Ze actually sent someone to go through the approval procedures for him to become
a police consultant. Of course, before that, he still had to explain some unexplained things clearly.
Passing a lie detector test was naturally part of the procedure.
Across from him, a polygrapher looked away from the data monitoring screen. The person’s gaze was slightly condensed. After the non-threatening neutral question was over, it was time to move on to the main point.
“In the course of handling the case, have you ever used your authority to help criminals?”
“No.”
“In the process of assisting the police in handling the September 10th serial murder case, did you intend to help the suspect Feng Peilin jump into the river and escape?”
“No.”
The data cable on the screen began to fluctuate, and the polygrapher quickly scanned the screen, and then moved back to gazing at Lin Chen with a hint of disappointment. “What happened after you and Feng Peilin fell into the river together? Is Feng Peilin alive or dead?”
“After falling into the river with Feng Peilin, we were washed away by the river. I don’t know if he is still alive.” Lin Chen held a glass cup with hot tea. A thin layer of tea leaves floated on the water. He stared at the rotating leaves as he gave his reply.
“According to you, since you were fine, why didn’t you go back to the police and report on your situation, but instead tried to sneak away?”
Hearing this question, Lin Chen raised his eyes slightly, as if he was looking at the polygrapher’s face, but he was seemingly looking at the one-way glass behind him.
“Since Feng Peilin’s goal has always been me, I was afraid that my reappearing would cause unnecessary trouble for the police.” He paused before he continued, “And some very powerful people are always looking to cause trouble for me. I wanted to cheat death to avoid these troubles.” His breath was very steady, and his voice was very calm, despite sounding extraordinarily frank.
Even without looking at the complicated lines, just from the tone and attitude of his speech, anyone who heard this would feel that there was nothing wrong with such a reason.
Xing Conglian stood on the other side of the one-way glass. He had his hands in his pockets and was wearing a standard police uniform. Unlike Inspector Huang, who was always meticulously dressed, the corners of his clothes were a little wrinkled and the top button wasn’t fastened, giving him a casual look. But perhaps it was because his eyes were so deep and the color green, as he stared into the interrogation room, he gave off a quiet and stern feeling that didn’t match the casual image.
However, that kind of tranquility and profound look only lasted for a short time. After hearing a very reasonable answer, the corners of his mouth, which he had originally wanted to keep serious, were gently raised and ripples appeared in his dark green eyes. He then smiled and looked at the polygraph on the table.
All the indicators were very stable, so his smile deepened.
The polygrapher turned a page and suddenly asked, “Have you ever been in a relationship?”
Lin Chen was taken a bit aback by such a question. “Huh?”
“Answer the question,” The polygrapher cleared his throat and said solemnly.
“No.”
“Have you ever liked anyone?” As if he thought this answer was too strange, the polygrapher added another question.
“No.”
At this moment, the various data on the monitoring screen finally fluctuated. The person who answered the question quickly realized that he had lied about the answer.
Lin Chen frowned slightly. As if he hadn’t expected that he would have a problem with this answer.
But in the end, what went wrong?
Although the person had begun to struggle, the polygrapher quickly turned to a new page. After all, who didn’t want to have some privacy?
The polygrapher continued back to the main topic. “From the file of the Candy Bandit case, it was pure accident that you appeared on the bus that was hijacked by her, right?”
“Yes.”
“Where were you going?”
“On a trip.”
“What a coincidence…”
At this moment, Lin Chen finally couldn’t help but let go of the hand holding the teacup and said, “Sorry, please allow me to interrupt you.”
“What’s the matter?”
“I just listened to the questions you asked. I think this polygraph test you’re using should be the CQT method*. “
*Control question test. It’s a technique used in criminal investigation where irrelevant questions are asked to establish a baseline. Relevant questions to the crime and past behaviors are also included too, with the aim being to elicit a strong physiological reaction from the examinee.
The polygrapher turned to the first page of the document and looked at it with a little embarrassment.
“The standard polygraph method is divided into four parts. Neutral questions, standard questions, related questions, and off-topic questions. For example, asking for name and age are all neutral questions. The role of the neutral question is to establish a normal response level. Therefore, during the questioning process, please try to let the subject answer a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question. Otherwise, there will be problems with the baseline.”
The polygrapher closed the file and listened helplessly.
“At the same time, when you ask questions about the case, please try to write the questions you ask in a way that the subject can answer yes or no. The two questions you asked at the beginning are good, but then it became an interrogation. After all, there’s a difference between interrogating and lie detecting.”
The polygrapher opened his mouth and found himself speechless.
However, Lin Chen’s was obviously not finished. He continued, “In fact, in a set of CQT polygraph questions, it’s best to only involve one aspect of one question, and through repeated inquiries, determine whether the subject has lied or not, so the case of the Candy Bandit is another matter. You’d better put it in the next set of questions and ask me again.”
Lin Chen’s counterattack was quick and merciless.
Xing Conglian almost laughed out loud. The way some people became angry because they answered the wrong question was too cute.
“Mr. Lin, I understand.” The polygrapher sighed and stood up. He took off of the wires stuck to Lin Chen’s body. “If you lie sincerely, even the instrument can’t detect it.”
“……”
“This is just a routine procedure. Just answer a few more questions and we’ll call it a day.”
“Go ahead.”
“I read the file on the ‘Candy Bandit’. As a temporary negotiator, you’ve done a great job in persuading Fang Aizi, but at the same time, you are also one of the last people in contact with Yang Dianfeng. After that, Yang Dianfeng was escorted away in a police car and it blew up. Under such circumstances, do you think Yang Dianfeng had time to give criminals the information about his arrest?”
“It’s impossible. He didn’t have an opportunity to use any communication device like a phone at that time. Yang Dianfeng knew very well that once he was arrested, seeking police asylum was the only way out.”
“Because the criminals reacted very quickly at that time, since it wasn’t Yang Dianfeng that notified them, I can only make an inference that among all the personnel at the scene, someone passed the information directly to them, which led them to be able to react quickly and silence him.”
“I don’t rule out that possibility, but it could also be that Yang Dianfeng himself was closely monitored by the criminal organization. Once there was an issue, they decided to finish him quickly.”
“Please answer my question directly and whether I can make this inference.” The polygrapher suddenly interrupted Lin Chen solemnly.
“Okay.” Lin Chen was silent for a moment before replying.
“Continuing with the question just now, you’re an expert who has received the most professional and systematic psychological training. At the scene of the crime, did you notice anything strange at that time, and among all of them, who do you suspect is most likely to pass this information on to the criminals?”
Hearing this question, Lin Chen suddenly raised his head.
The two questions in this sentence were truly the style of the Inspector’s Office. It was full of intrigue and traps, and it was even very likely that these questions themselves were drafted by Inspector Huang himself.
Originally, the Inspector’s Office existed to supervise whether the police exercised their powers correctly and appropriately in the process of handing cases. Of course, since the Inspector’s Office suspected that someone inside the police had leaked secrets, it was necessary to start an investigation, but the inference based on the possibility required a certainty. As a result, it was a bit cruel to use such blatant questions to encourage whistle-blowing.
“I do have professional psychological training, but I’m not a professional facial recognition expert. Even the most professional facial recognition expert still needs to observe and talk carefully to find abnormal problems. You’re asking me that during the time I was facing Fang Aizi, when all the police officers were hidden in the reeds, if I could find anyone suspicious at the scene, then I can only answer you that I don’t have such abilities.”
——
The vetting process was always long and tedious.
When Lin Chen walked out the door of the police station, it was already dark. The wind was soft as the stars blotted the sky on an early spring night.
Xing Conglian was leaning against a stone pillar at the entrance, smoking a cigarette. Seeing Lin Chen, he slowly stood up straight. “Did it go well?”
Lin Chen shook his head and handed over the results he had just obtained.
Xing Conglian’s expression sank. He bit his cigarette butt and quickly opened the report. His gaze fell on the last line.
The word “Approved” was clearly written.
Xing Conglian couldn’t help but put his hand on Lin Chen’s head and ruffle his hair. “Hey, isn’t this passing? Why are you still shaking your head?”
“Didn’t you ask me if it went well?”
“And you passed. Was it not smooth?”
“I just think it’s weird that Huang Ze would suddenly let go and really let me pass this vetting process.”
Looking at Lin Chen’s slightly worried face.
“What if he discovered a conscience?” He took out another cigarette as he asked with a meaningful smile.
Kinky Thoughts:
In fact, polygraph tests are not accurate and can be passed even if you’re lying. This is why they’re not admissible in court. For someone like Lin Chen, he could easily lie and pass the test.
Interesting that he passed the question that asked if he’s been in a relationship. Perhaps Huang Ze isn’t his ex after all.
To celebrate my 1-year anniversary of danmei translation I have decided to release the entire 3rd arc of Criminal Psychology. Happy reading.
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Kinky Translations 
So many updates at one!! So happy
Thanks for the chapters
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