Luke and his partner were quite familiar with this hospital as they had often come here to take statements.

Suspect Benson Bolt had been assigned to Room 407.

Two policemen stood guard outside, and Luke and his colleague showed their badges and signed in before entering the room.

Luke pushed the door open and greeted with a smile, "Hey, Benson, did you sleep well last night?"

Benson shook his handcuffed left hand attached to the hospital bed, "Want to try it out?"

Josie said, "Kid, you'll soon miss life here, I'm telling you."

Benson glared at Josie, "I don't want to talk to you, nigger."

Josie's face turned ugly, "Asshole, that's an easy way to get yourself punched."

Benson said nonchalantly, "Left cheek or right, you choose. If you don't hit me, you're just a nigger."

"Fuck!"

Josie flipped him off and asked Luke, who was standing aside, "He was caught by you, so why does he have a bigger grudge against me?"

Luke chuckled, "I'm better-looking than you."

Josie, "..."

Generally, Luke was tough on criminals, but he adapted his approach depending on the situation. With someone like Benson, who was likely facing the death penalty, there was no need to clash with him. It was a lost cause.

That's why he dared to confront Josie.

Arguing with such people wasn't worth it; it was better to cooperate where interests aligned.

Luke sat next to the bed, speaking earnestly, "Benson, everyone comes into this world with a mission. We are police, and our mission is to catch criminals. It's not about singling anyone out, and I hope you don't harbor too much hostility.

Things have already progressed to this point; we should look forward, don't you think?"

Benson scoffed, "Are you the new therapist?"

Luke said, "A therapist can't help you get a lighter sentence, but I can. If you're willing to cooperate with the police investigation, we can help you secure a favorable plea deal."

Benson hesitated, "What plea deal?"

"If you confess to killing Josie Alisa, FBI agent Fannie Zaris, Kyle Torres, and shooting Herman, we can drop the charges for shooting Barbara Danbur. Think about it."

Benson shook his head, "That's not enough; I could still be sentenced to death."

Luke handed over a plea agreement, "Based on my knowledge of the prosecution, this is the biggest concession they are willing to make. While it cannot guarantee that you won't receive the death penalty, it's still good news.

If your parents are willing to spend money on a good legal team, there might still be a chance..."

Benson fell silent, eyes closed as if to ponder.

After a long while, "How did you know I would shoot Herman again yesterday?"

"I've studied criminal behavior profiling—through understanding the case, analyzing the scene, and organizing new leads, I deduced you might take this opportunity to tamper with the surveillance to strike again.

Of course, it was just speculation, not very certain.

As it turns out, you really do hate Herman."

Josie's eyes widened, "What? Criminal behavior profiling?"

This guy is learning new things behind my back again?

God, the pressure is huge.

Benson picked up a coffee cup beside the table, took a sip of coffee, "Though I know you're baiting me, I still want to say, he deserved it."

"I'm curious, how did he wrong you?"

"If I tell you now, would the plea agreement still hold?"

"Of course, I have no reason to deceive you."

Benson paused to organize his thoughts, "After I was accepted into high school, my parents set a goal for me: to get into the University of California, Los Angeles. We made a four-year plan, and I gave a lot, which wasn't easy.

But it was worth it.

Recently, I received an admission letter from UCLA, and I was thrilled, as were my parents. The four years of effort had paid off; I had succeeded.

This was going to be a real starting point in my life, promising a bright future.

However, half a month ago, UCLA withdrew their admission offer. I was dumbfounded at the time.

Why?

Why would they do that?

Their response was that I had posted some racist and disrespectful comments about women online."

Benson sighed deeply, seeming still troubled by the memory, "My first reaction was that it was impossible. To get the UCLA offer, I was very careful with my words, aligning with what is deemed 'correct.' My parents also demanded this from me.

Even though I personally disdain such hypocrisy, society likes this approach.

Such statements could even bolster a university application; I thought they had made a mistake and wanted to appeal.

But at that point, they clearly told me:

An appeal would not be successful.

Someone had reported me for posting anonymously online. The school confirmed this, stating my comments were indeed problematic and could negatively impact society,

not aligning with UCLA's educational philosophy, thus they withdrew the offer.

I was heartbroken but also knew I couldn't change the outcome because I did indeed have an anonymous accountーnot just me, many people do.

In this hypocritical society, who doesn't need a real outlet?

I just never thought it would have such a big impact, nor did I expect to be reported.

I couldn't guess who reported me.

Until I saw a comment under my anonymous account, 'Heard your university offer was withdrawn, how does that feel?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.