Chapter 1000 - 513: The Game Officially Begins! (Part 3)

He stepped forward immediately and inquired, "Did Li Tao’s mother come too?"

"Yes, she’s waiting at the front gate."

After a brief moment of thought, Jiang An suggested, "That’s perfect, let her come in. Perhaps we can take this opportunity to learn more about Li Tao’s family situation and his upbringing, which might be helpful for the subsequent investigation of the case."

Director Lu nodded after listening, then instructed over the phone, "Alright, please let her come in."

The officer on duty quickly brought the middle-aged woman from the entrance to the adjacent reception room upon receiving the directive.

The woman was holding a somewhat worn handbag and clutching a bottle of medicine tightly in her hand. As soon as she entered, she said urgently, "Officer, my son Li Tao’s heart isn’t very good, this is his medicine, he needs to take one pill every day. He was in a rush today and didn’t have time to take it, I’m worried about him..."

Director Lu gently gestured for her to sit down and responded, "Don’t worry, we are aware of the medicine, we will have a colleague bring it in for him to take shortly."

"Thank you, thank you so much..."

The woman expressed her gratitude repeatedly, her emotions calming a bit.

At this moment, Jiang An walked over, sat down on the chair opposite the woman, and spoke calmly, "Hello, ma’am."

"I’m Officer Jiang An, responsible for the related case."

"I have a few questions I’d like to ask you."

"Please go ahead."

"We would like to know about Li Tao’s usual behavior at home, as well as some aspects of his upbringing."

The woman let out a gentle sigh and said, "Tao Tao was actually quite obedient as a child, just wasn’t very good at his studies, his grades never improved."

"Later on, he became a bit mischievous. Our family conditions are average, seeing he wasn’t cut out for studying, we had him come home before finishing junior high."

"After I divorced his father early on, Li Tao has lived with me continuously."

"We rent a place in Wuhe City, I usually do some odd jobs, he... his work isn’t very stable, sometimes he goes out for a few days of work, finds it tiring or the pay too low, and doesn’t go again, mostly stays home."

Jiang An took notes while continuing to ask, "So does Li Tao’s father, Li Mountain, still have any contact with you all now?"

"Rarely, basically no contact. After the divorce, he went out of town, and we’ve met very few times over the years."

"What was the main reason for your divorce from Li Mountain at that time?" Jiang An asked cautiously.

Upon hearing this, the woman lowered her head, her hands tightly gripping her clothing’s edge, and after a good while of silence, she said in a low voice, "It’s all in the past... maybe it was still a lack of emotional compatibility, couldn’t get along, and eventually drifted apart."

Jiang An observed her and gently transitioned to another topic, "Ma’am, I’d also like to understand if Li Tao has ever experienced any significant emotional or mental fluctuations?"

"Or has he ever undergone any mental or psychological diagnoses or treatments?"

A barely perceptible panic flashed across the woman’s face, and her voice tightened slightly, "He’s just a bit quick-tempered, was hyperactive as a kid, played roughly with his classmates, the teacher said he might have a bit of ADHD, sometimes had trouble controlling his emotions, but nothing serious..."

Jiang An leaned forward slightly and continued to ask, "I’m referring to, for example, whether in terms of mental health, any more complex issues have arisen?"

"Such as extremely unstable emotions, significant behavioral contrasts, or has he ever been diagnosed with conditions like personality disorders or bipolar disorder?"

Upon hearing this, the woman suddenly raised her head and looked straight at Jiang An.....