Rui Xiaodan's suicide left a profound impact, raising numerous questions about her actions and the decisions leading up to that moment. While many could argue alternative strategies to avoid the danger she faced, or reasons why she shouldn't have taken her own life, the reality of the situation was stark and undeniable.
Since Rui Xiaodan was on a mission for the Provincial Public Security Department's Criminal Investigation Division, not directly connected to the Ancient City's Public Security Bureau, Team Leader Zeng Hua reported the situation to their direct superior, Director Xu of the Criminal Investigation Division. Director Xu then informed the Ancient City Public Security Bureau. The official report received by the Ancient City Public Security Bureau stated:
Rui Xiaodan, after escorting the family members of Captain Wang from the Qin Gu Criminal Police team back home, encountered wanted criminals on her return journey. Before the shootout, she made two phone calls. The first was to her boyfriend Ding Yuan Ying in the Ancient City, contents unknown. The second call was to Team Leader Zeng Hua, requesting reinforcements and explaining the situation.
During the shootout, Rui Xiaodan killed a local accomplice of the wanted criminals and wounded the primary suspect, Huang Fuhai, in both legs. Wu Jianjun died in a suicide bombing. Rui Xiaodan lost both feet, suffered severe burns to her right hand and face, with significant iron shrapnel embedded, resulting in disfigurement. She shot herself in the heart as reinforcements arrived.
The police captured Huang Fuhai and Liu Dongchang, seizing 311,400 yuan in cash, a Beijing Cherokee jeep, four banned firearms, 52 bullets, and two mobile phones.
Rui Xiaodan's personal belongings included: a mobile phone, 528 yuan in cash, a contact book, a handbag, and a keychain. The contact book contained the phone numbers of her parents, Rui Weifeng and Zhang Huimin.
Rui Xiaodan's suicide posed numerous challenges for the Ancient City Public Security Bureau's aftermath handling. A teleconference between the Provincial Public Security Department's Criminal Investigation Division and the Ancient City Public Security Bureau led to the following decisions:
The aftermath work would be managed by the Ancient City Public Security Bureau.
Given Rui Xiaodan's suicide, adhering to the principle of not promoting, encouraging, or condoning police suicides, it was decided she would not be awarded martyr status, receive no public honors, no pension, and no official memorial service.
Immediately investigate the phone call Rui Xiaodan made to Ding Yuan Ying and gather evidence related to the case. Inform her family of the case details alongside the notification of her death to provide them time to process and understand the decisions, avoiding unnecessary misunderstandings and ensuring smooth aftermath handling.
Announce the "five no" decisions regarding Rui Xiaodan in the formal meeting with her family.
Provincial Public Security Department Criminal Investigation Division and Ancient City Public Security Bureau leaders would travel overnight to Qin Gu County to offer condolences to Rui Xiaodan's family in an official capacity and attend the farewell ceremony in a personal capacity.
After the teleconference, the Provincial Public Security Department's political commissar led a team to Qin Gu County, departing from Mingchuan at 9 PM. The deputy director and the head of the Criminal Police team from the Ancient City Public Security Bureau, along with two criminal police officers, also departed for Qin Gu at 9:30 PM. Considering the 900-kilometer journey through Shanxi's Taiyuan into Shaanxi, they estimated arriving by the next day's afternoon, making it the quickest route.
Rui Xiaodan had been seconded multiple times by the Provincial Public Security Department's Criminal Investigation Division for major cases over her six-year career, always completing her tasks excellently. She was one of the few women in the Ancient City Public Security Bureau's Criminal Police team who worked on the front lines of criminal investigations, earning high praise from her superiors and colleagues for her work and interpersonal relationships. Consequently, her suicide garnered significant attention from provincial and municipal public security authorities.
Rui Xiaodan's suicide created an emotional dilemma for her colleagues and superiors. While her actions prevented any further complications—no heroic tales, no hospital visits, no condolences—she ensured her death would not burden anyone, not even eliciting a drop of praise.
People speculated about her final moments: Was it despair and cowardice that drove her to shoot herself in the heart, or was it a continuation of her heroic dream, etched in tragedy?