The walls of the ancient city's detention center were tall and fortified, with guard towers and armed guards at the gate, creating a realm that confined evil. Two police cars from the Criminal Investigation Team were parked at the entrance, and Captain Lei Jianfeng and members of the "Ma Wang criminal gang" special task force had arrived to interrogate Wang Mingyang again. Following Ding Yuanying's advice, Rui Xiaodan had spent three days meticulously preparing an interrogation plan and would be leading the interrogation today.
Wang Mingyang was brought into the interrogation room by the guards and seated in a special chair. His indifferent expression and calm demeanor were unchanged from three days earlier. He paid no attention to the female officer in front of him, his gaze aimlessly fixed somewhere as if his thoughts had long drifted beyond the confines of the interrogation room.
Rui Xiaodan calmly asked, "Wang Mingyang, you've had three days to think it over. Have you decided?"
Wang Mingyang remained silent, sticking to his usual routine.
With a faint smile, Rui Xiaodan said, "We weren't afraid when we had guns pointed at each other's heads. Why are you afraid now?"
Wang Mingyang finally shifted his gaze to Rui Xiaodan's eyes and, in the same calm tone, said, "Correction: it's not fear, it's redundancy."
"What's redundant? Can you explain?" she asked.
Wang Mingyang leisurely replied, "Whether I speak or not, it's the same outcome—death. One execution or ten makes no difference. But I can gain a sense of moral superiority by not betraying others in the face of your helplessness."
"Very good," Rui Xiaodan said. "This shows you still need self-identity, which is a human trait. If you didn't even have this basic need, I would question your humanity."
"Provocation, not very clever," Wang Mingyang retorted coldly.
"Correction," Rui Xiaodan said steadily. "It's not provocation; it means you're still worth talking to. One execution or ten is indeed the same, but similarly, the law doesn't need multiple death sentences. So, the power to satisfy or disappoint you isn't in your hands."
Wang Mingyang scoffed.
Rui Xiaodan continued, "I don't deny that your testimony could be useful for solving this case, but the legal process doesn't rely on testimony alone. Especially in this case, your testimony won't significantly impact the sentencing or the investigation."
Wang Mingyang asked, "Then why are you here?"
"Law requires extreme rigor in both procedure and substance, but multiple death sentences are ignored," Rui Xiaodan replied solemnly. "I'm here because of legal and humanitarian obligations. One, to quantify the extremes, and two, to find a clean place for your soul, so your spirit can stand tall."
With a hint of contempt, Wang Mingyang said, "Lady, don't be so arrogant. Law enforcement is your job, but discussing philosophy with me, Wang Mingyang, is beyond your qualification. Don't elevate your profession to make yourself look better; it only invites disdain."
Rui Xiaodan replied calmly, "This isn't a contest. We're not here to outsmart or outlearn each other; we're here to reason."
"Whose reasoning?" Wang Mingyang asked indifferently.
"Yours, the logic of a thief," she said. "If you can't even articulate the logic of a thief, then the law's rigor towards you is already maximized."
"Thief's logic: direct acquisition, risk, excitement," Wang Mingyang said.
"That might make you seem like a hero," Rui Xiaodan countered. "But I believe a thief's essence is breaking the rules for gain. Breaking the rules and direct acquisition are different. You lack the confidence to compete fairly with the strong, which only proves you're a weakling. Weak cultures seek the highest value in breaking the rules. So, the thief's logic is the most cowardly survival philosophy. Hence, you're no hero."
Wang Mingyang was startled but maintained his expression. He looked at the young, attractive officer, recognizing her sharp intellect and deep knowledge. He had to nod, saying, "Agreed. So, where is this clean place for my soul? Show me."
Rui Xiaodan felt relieved and said, "I'm insignificant, but since you mentioned the Bible, let's start there. Your attitude shows you haven't understood the Bible, so you can't evaluate it."
Wang Mingyang, shedding his initial disdain, recognized the officer as a worthy intellectual opponent. "The Bible's premise is: through faith, you're saved and go to heaven; through disbelief, you're condemned and go to hell. Such tactics may serve Christianity but cater to people's fear of death and greed. This causality denies people the chance for self-awareness and pursuit of nobility. Without the chance to pursue nobility, how can one be noble?"
Rui Xiaodan thought: if this man's knowledge and qualities weren't used for crime, he could have achieved great things. She said, "Indeed, as you said, if God manages human history, then hunger, disaster, and evil are part of His plan. So, people have reason to question whether God wants to save or torment us. If God didn't want to be an anonymous savior, He could use His omnipotence to change human nature's sinfulness to goodness, and humanity would be saved. But God doesn't do this because He doesn't want to be an unknown savior; He needs gratitude."
In the monitoring room, Captain Lei Jianfeng and others watched intently. Zhao Guoqiang, staring at the screen, muttered, "She's got something. Didn't know Xiaodan had this in her."
In the interrogation room, the discussion continued.
Wang Mingyang said, "What is God? God is created based on human needs."
"That's the theological problem in the Bible," Rui Xiaodan said. "If the Bible's teachings can't withstand logical scrutiny, they might face practical obstacles. If they do, it means God's thinking is human thinking, negating divinity. If divinity is added to human expectations, it's diminished. But if divinity loses human expectations, do people still need God?"
Wang Mingyang smiled, "Since we agree, where did your qualification come from?"
"The Bible's theology is about human spirit, purification, and elevation," she said. "Blindly attacking or defending God's existence is ignorance. The former misunderstands Christianity's historical and social value; the latter misunderstands Christianity's true realm."
Wang Mingyang said, "Human history must traverse the religious tunnel, understood. But in contemporary conditions, what's the social value of Biblical theology?"
"Christianity's promises aren't exchanged for material benefits or social distribution, adapting to different spaces," she said. "Its moral demands on followers undoubtedly have social value."
"Using methods to scare and appease children?" he asked disdainfully.
"Christianity believes the highest moral platform requires high education, deep awareness, and a complex refining process, a narrow gate hard to enter by human nature," she said. "So, there's a covenant with God, promises of heaven and hell, eternal life and death, so ordinary people guard the covenant out of fear of death and desire for heaven. It's the magic of wisdom and goodness, incomprehensible to those who don't understand. But the Bible tells people to enter the narrow gate."
He pressed, "What is the narrow gate?"
"An extremely high life realm not motivated by heaven or hell," she said. "Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for humanity is the hell of flesh and heaven of spirit. Christians are saved by God's covenant and promises. Not entering the narrow gate is also due to the covenant and promises. The narrow gate is the highest moral ideal in Christian doctrine."
Wang Mingyang was speechless, silently admiring her.
"In the narrow gate, God immediately tells you: I don't exist. God is you," she said. "But realizing this isn't the ultimate. What is God? God is Tao, natural law, the essence."
After a long pause, he said, "I'm ashamed."
"'Luke' says: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do," she said. "But now, there's one thing you know: your life needs an ending your human nature can accept."
"I've already atoned with my life," he said weakly.
"For multiple death sentences, how do you atone?" she asked. "For the dead and suffering, how do you atone? For polluting society and corrupting morals, how do you atone?"
"If I confess, I'd be betraying others, comforting my soul at the cost of betrayal. I'd despise myself," he said.
"Betrayal and selling out are different," she said. "Betraying evil, even God would crown it. If your leader can't understand a dying man's need for a clean soul, he's not worth commenting on. You must choose between disregarding loyalty and human dignity. Propping up your soul with a straw, you disrespect your knowledge and intelligence."
Wang Mingyang thought silently.
"Restore humanity's purity, uphold social justice, and your soul is saved," she said.
"What does saving a dying man mean?" he asked.
"Every hour, every minute matters," she said. "Even a minute gives dignity to humanity. Heaven will grant you a pure heart in your soul's kingdom."
"If I disregard all this and remain silent?" he asked slyly.
"To a person beyond human definition, civilization is powerless," she said calmly. "Besides contempt and shock, I'd have no other reaction. A dark heart can never support a radiant face. This isn't moralism; it's human nature."
"Where is heaven?" he asked, bewildered.
"Heaven is within you," she said solemnly.
The scene in the interrogation room was unusual, almost feeling like a heartfelt conversation. Neither Wang Mingyang nor Rui Xiaodan showed signs of confrontation.
Wang Mingyang, feeling a sense of relief, said sincerely, "Thank God that bullet was a dud. Thank you for giving me a clean place."
"Want a cigarette? I heard you smoke Three Fives," she said.
He smiled awkwardly, "I know my limits, never mind."
She took out a pack of Three Fives and a lighter, offered him a cigarette, and lit it for him before returning to her seat.
"Thank you," he said.
"Don't mention it," she said. "It's my gesture to a repentant soul."
Wang Mingyang took a deep drag and calmly began his confession. In the monitoring room, no one spoke, only the recording devices worked.
Captain Lei Jianfeng, seeing the satisfactory outcome, leaned back relaxedly, "I can't believe she became this sharp overnight."
The interrogation lasted eight hours. Rui Xiaodan and Wang Mingyang hadn't eaten lunch, and it was already past 4 PM when she left the interrogation room.