251: Field work

The small talk in the Police Station came to an end. Lu Jianchuan was just about to help organize the statements when he saw Senior Old Li holding a folder and a coat, looking like he was about to head out.

"Brother Li, are you heading out on fieldwork?" Lu Jianchuan asked casually.

Old Li, an experienced and honest-looking veteran officer, waved the folder in his hand and sighed.

"Yeah, it's an alert forwarded from the Cyber Police. They flagged a resident whose browsing and search history is a bit unusual, mainly focused on finding treatments for eye diseases, especially professional medical information like optic nerve damage and Innate blindness, with high frequency.

"The key is that the linked payment records show several significant sums sent to irregular overseas accounts recently. It's a classic case of 'desperation leading to irrational choices.' It's very likely they've encountered a precise telecommunications scam under the guise of 'high-tech treatment' or 'overseas experts.'

"I need to hurry over to warn them and do some counseling."

Hearing this, Lu Jianchuan said, "That kind of persuasion requires some skill. I'll go with you; it's easier to talk with an extra person."

Old Li was just feeling that going alone might be a bit overwhelming, so he nodded at the suggestion. "Alright, let's hurry then. The address isn't far."

The two of them drove quickly to the address provided in the alert.

After knocking on the door, the person standing inside was none other than The Blind Man Lu Jianchuan had seen in the park over an hour ago.

He was still wearing those dark sunglasses and holding a guide dog harness. Hearing that the police were visiting, a hint of surprise and confusion appeared on his face.

"Hello, we are officers from the Police Station. We need to discuss something with you." Old Li showed his ID, keeping his tone as gentle as possible.

After inviting them into the simple and tidy living room, Old Li didn't waste time on pleasantries and got straight to the point, his tone earnest. "Sir, we received a System alert and are mainly concerned that you might have encountered a telecommunications scam.

"We noticed that your internet records show you've been very focused on information regarding eye disease treatments recently, and there have been transfers to several overseas accounts.

"Looking at all this information together, the risk is very high. Many of those so-called 'cutting-edge therapies' and 'confidential channels' are scams designed specifically for people desperate to regain their health."

The Blind Man listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously stroking the handle of the guide dog harness. After Old Li finished, he remained silent for a few seconds before speaking.

"Thank you for the warning, officers. I... I understand. I'll be careful." His voice was calm, perhaps even a bit too calm and polite, carrying a distinct, polite detachment.

Lu Jianchuan observed from the side. He could see that this Senior blind man didn't fail to understand the officer's words, nor did he fail to appreciate the kindness of the home visit.

But hidden beneath that calm tone was a near-numb acceptance with almost no expectation, and a faint obsession belonging to the patient himself—one that was hard for outsiders to talk him out of—clinging to a "one-in-a-million possibility."

He said he "understood" and "would be careful," but his expression and tone clearly conveyed a sense of "I understand everything you're saying, but you aren't me," and a complex state of mind that said, "Even if it might be a scam, I want to try that one-in-ten-thousand chance."

Old Li was experienced and naturally saw through the other's perfunctory response and the fact that he hadn't truly taken it to heart. He painstakingly added some common scam cases and identification methods. The Blind Man responded to each with "Mhm" or "Okay," maintaining a good attitude but never engaging in further conversation or asking questions.

Faced with this situation, the experienced Old Li also knew that when the "straw" in a person's heart hasn't sunk yet, outside persuasion is often powerless. He could only go through the motions of advising a few more times, telling the man to contact the Police Station anytime if he encountered anything suspicious, and then helplessly closed his notebook.

The subsequent processing would simply involve putting the resident on a priority watch list, coordinating with relevant departments to monitor abnormal fund flows, and even applying for temporary protective account measures if evidence was solid or risk was extremely high. As grassroots officers, this was all they could do—they couldn't forcibly change a person's hope; they could only set up guardrails on the periphery to prevent the worst outcome.

While Old Li was organizing the documents, Lu Jianchuan's attention was drawn to the quiet Labrador.

It lay obediently at its owner's feet. Seeming to sense the heavy atmosphere, it lifted its head, its wet black nose sniffing in Lu Jianchuan's direction, and its tail wagged slightly. Lu Jianchuan squatted down, reached out to stroke its broad, soft head, and whispered:

"What a good dog."

The guide dog squinted its eyes in enjoyment, but that was all.

Ultimately, it was just a strictly trained animal loyally accompanying its owner. It couldn't understand the complex human hopes and scams; it only provided its owner with basic support through its unconditional trust and quiet presence.

The two stood up to leave. The Blind Man politely saw them to the door and thanked them again, his tone still calm and detached. The door closed gently behind them.

Walking down the stairs and returning to the police car, Old Li sighed. As he started the car, he said to Lu Jianchuan, "Sigh, I'll report the situation when we get back and put him on the list. We need to keep a close eye on him."

He shook his head, his tone filled with deep helplessness and a hint of pity. "I can't talk him out of it... At a time like this, people are like they're grasping at the last straw, even if that straw is an illusion.

"We... we really don't have the right to stand from the perspective of a healthy person and easily judge that kind of feeling."

He gripped the steering wheel, his voice lowering as if speaking to Lu Jianchuan, yet also as if reaffirming his professional creed to himself:

"What we can do, in the end, is protect everyone as much as possible. We can't just think 'it's none of my business' because we gave advice and they didn't listen. That's impossible.

"If we see it and know about it, we have to see it through to the end, using whatever methods we have, until we can't do anything more."

The next day, Lu Jianchuan still couldn't stop thinking about The Blind Man, so he invited Wei Ziqing to go with him. When they arrived, they happened to run into Old Li, who was also there with one of the man's relatives, painstakingly trying to persuade him.

The fatigue and irritability on The Blind Man's face grew stronger. Facing the repeated concern and warnings from his family and the police, he finally couldn't help but raise his voice: "Enough! I know what I'm doing! Leave me alone!"

With that, he suddenly grabbed the guide dog harness nearby, pulled the loyal Labrador dog, and turned to walk quickly out the door with a look of determination.

"Hey! Don't get upset!" Old Li and the relative hurriedly tried to stop him.

Seeing this, Lu Jianchuan quickly stepped forward. "Brother Li, Sister, don't worry, I'll go check on him." He gave Wei Ziqing a look. "Come on, let's follow him and make sure nothing happens."

The two immediately chased after him. The Blind Man walked very fast, guided professionally by the dog. They crossed several streets and finally arrived at a pedestrian bridge spanning the city's inner river.

He didn't continue forward. Instead, he felt his way to the edge of the bridge and slowly sat on the edge of the sidewalk, his feet dangling in the air. Below him was the flowing, quite deep river.

In this position, if he were even slightly careless or leaned back in a moment of agitation, he would very likely fall into the river.

The Labrador circled him anxiously, nudging his hand with its nose and letting out worried whimpers from its throat, its paws pacing restlessly on the ground.

Lu Jianchuan and Wei Ziqing arrived panting. Seeing this scene, their hearts leaped into their throats.

"Sir! It's dangerous! Please come down!" Lu Jianchuan tried to keep his voice steady as he slowly approached.

The Blind Man seemed to recognize his voice. He didn't turn around, only saying flatly, "It's fine, I'm not worried. I just... want to 'see' this river. Listening to the sound of the water calms my heart."

He tilted his head slightly. "Are you... the other police officer from yesterday?"

"It's me, Lu Jianchuan." Lu Jianchuan answered cautiously, while signaling Wei Ziqing not to act rashly.

Wei Ziqing couldn't help but advise, "Sir, this is really dangerous. Please come down first, okay? We can talk about whatever is on your mind."

The Blind Man was silent for a moment, then seemed to sigh. Finally, leaning on the bridge railing and with Dou Dou's assistance, he slowly backed onto the safe sidewalk. "Alright, my... young-sounding friend."

Seeing him come down, both of them breathed a sigh of relief. Lu Jianchuan's tone was sincere: "We were really worried about you. Your family and we were all afraid something would happen to you."

"I was just tired of being asked," The Blind Man whispered, his fingers unconsciously grooming the fur on Dou Dou's neck.

Wei Ziqing couldn't help but speak, his tone carrying the directness and concern typical of a young person:

"Sir, I heard about the scam. I understand your desire to grasp onto hope, I really do!

"But if there were truly reliable treatment methods, your family would definitely do everything they could to take you to a regular major hospital to try them, rather than through these... unknown channels. You have to trust the people who truly care about you; don't believe those scammers!"

Hearing this, a bitter smile appeared on The Blind Man's face.

"Mhm, I know. The logic you're using, Officer Li and my sister have repeated it many times. 'Giving it a try'... maybe I'm just lying to myself. I know you all mean well, but..."

He paused, his voice becoming even softer. "You don't live in eternal darkness. You haven't felt the void where even colors and the faces of loved ones can only be pieced together from memory... You might not be able to fully understand what even a one-in-a-billion glimmer of hope means to me. It's not just the possibility of sight; it's... a reason to continue 'existing,' even if it's an illusion."

Wei Ziqing felt a pang in his heart and wanted to say more, but Lu Jianchuan lightly touched him and even raised a hand to slightly cover his mouth, whispering quickly and softly:

"Don't say that... You can't use lines like 'your family has sacrificed so much for you' to add pressure. To him, that might be another kind of burden, or even... moral kidnapping. It won't work and might even make things better."

Wei Ziqing was startled and closed his mouth, realizing he might have indeed oversimplified things.

Lu Jianchuan turned to The Blind Man, his voice steady and full of patience, like a conversation between friends:

"I understand. It's too cruel to completely extinguish that small flame of hope.

"We aren't trying to take it away. We just hope that while you keep that hope, you can be more careful in distinguishing truth from lies, listen more to official and regular medical institutions, and give yourself another layer of protection.

"Maybe there really will be a new Breakthrough in the future? When a truly reliable day comes, you need to make sure you're doing well so you have the chance to welcome it, right?"

The Blind Man quietly "looked" in the direction of Lu Jianchuan's voice. After a long time, he finally spoke, saying something that shook both Lu Jianchuan and Wei Ziqing:

"Officer Lu, you're right... Perhaps deep down, I also know that my eyes probably can't be cured."

He took a deep breath, as if shedding some kind of disguise, his voice revealing a heartbreaking calmness and fatigue.

"Sometimes, I feel that living is a burden to my family... I've had those thoughts. But I'm afraid to die. Truly, I'm very afraid to die, so I don't dare to commit suicide."

He gently patted the quiet guide dog beside him. "Sitting here and listening to the water does indeed calm me. But maybe... it's not just for the calm.

"I'm afraid to take my own life, but sometimes I think... if some 'accident' could take me away, maybe... that wouldn't be bad. I won't commit suicide, but I constantly long for an accident to take my life."