"What? Not a crime?"

Xu Ping widened his eyes after listening to Shen Dao's explanation, an incredulous expression on his face. "How can this possibly not be a crime? My son was harmed so badly he ended up in the hospital!"

"Officer, you must investigate thoroughly! I heard that if an injury is classified as minor, it's already a crime punishable by imprisonment. My son is seriously injured!!" he insisted, staring at Shen Dao.

Shen Dao's analysis just now... He'd actually understood it all but simply couldn't accept it. His son was still unconscious, yet Qin Mu had only lost a horror box worth a few dozen yuan. Who the victim was, was clear at a glance!

"Your son actively stole someone else's package, which is a serious violation of the law, and he's suspected of a crime," Shen Dao looked at Xu Ping and explained seriously. "Fainting from fright while stealing a package was a consequence of his criminal actions. The law clearly states that if individuals injure themselves while committing an illegal act, they are not considered victims of infringement and must bear full responsibility."

This situation was already quite clear. Injuries self-inflicted during such an act do not constitute a violation of personal or property rights, and the individual must bear the consequences. For instance, imagine a thief steals a sack left by a farmer at his courtyard gate, unaware that it contains a venomous snake. If the thief is bitten and dies, this also wouldn't be considered an infringement, and the farmer would bear no responsibility.

Of course, this is the determination during the law enforcement process. If the case goes to court, the decision will depend on the specific circumstances. Most of the time, courts consider the "principles of fairness and justice." They often lean towards the weaker party if they've suffered greater damages, potentially ordering the other party to provide civil compensation. However, regardless of civil outcomes, the other party would not bear any criminal responsibility!

"This... this this... He hasn't committed a crime? So my son was injured for nothing?" Xu Ping clenched his teeth, pointing at Qin Mu, his face a mask of confusion and indignation.

"The issue right now isn't whether *he* committed a crime, but rather your son's actions," Shen Dao took a deep breath. Staring at Xu Ping, he said gravely, "Your son committed theft and is now suspected of that crime. Can we go to your home to take a look now?"

Qin Mu definitely hadn't committed a crime, Shen Dao thought. Xu Ping's son, however... was now a prime suspect for theft. Although, for now, they could only definitively link his son to Qin Mu's stolen package, the delivery point had suffered multiple thefts previously, with those cases still unsolved. This might be an opportunity to crack those previous package theft cases as well! Shen Dao considered.

A single theft, involving items worth only a few dozen yuan, is merely a violation of the law, not a crime. Criminal law stipulates that for theft to be a crime, the stolen property's value must exceed 1,000 yuan. However, it also specifies several special circumstances. For example, this monetary threshold doesn't apply to repeated thefts or burglaries. Furthermore, multiple thefts committed within a similar timeframe, even if each involves a small amount, also constitute the crime of theft and are punishable by up to three years in prison or criminal detention.

"Go to my house?" Xu Ping swallowed hard, a sudden sense of foreboding washing over him. He hurriedly said, "Officer, my son just stole something worth a few dozen yuan. I'll... I'll compensate him right now."

He immediately pulled out a hundred-yuan bill and handed it to Qin Mu, intending to settle the matter privately.

Qin Mu: "..."

"We suspect your son is connected to several recent package thefts in this residential complex. Please cooperate with our investigation," Shen Dao took another deep breath and repeated gravely.

Xu Ping, under Shen Dao's intense stare, found his gaze faltering. Clenching his teeth, he finally steeled himself and agreed. He didn't have the guts to refuse a police investigation. Besides, he figured his son had only stolen some useless packages. Even if an iPhone 13 was among them, the total value wouldn't be that high. He could just help with the compensation.

「Half an hour later.」

At Xu Ping's home, Shen Dao, leading a few other officers, found over a dozen opened packages. These packages still bore the names of various recipients; it was clear none of them were related to Xu Ping's family.

"Collect this physical evidence and take it back to the station," Shen Dao instructed his officers, who began to gather the items.

Considering the current situation, Xu Ping's son, Xu Leshan, was highly likely the perpetrator, Shen Dao mused. However, the specifics still needed confirmation by cross-referencing package tracking numbers and identifying the original owners.

"Tell us which hospital and room number your son is in," Shen Dao said to Xu Ping before leaving. "We'll notify you after we've verified everything."

Xu Ping, looking somewhat apprehensive, hurriedly said, "My son did steal these packages, but... I'm willing to pay! We can compensate for all of them..."

But Shen Dao shook his head. "As for compensation, you can discuss that with the owners of the stolen packages later. We are currently investigating a theft case and need to identify the criminal suspect."

"'A criminal... suspect?'" Xu Ping swallowed, unable to stop himself from asking, "Officer, my son... he won't actually have to go to prison, will he?"

"Qin Mu isn't going to prison, yet my son, who's seriously injured and unconscious, might have to? That's completely unreasonable, isn't it?"

Shen Dao looked at him calmly and slowly said, "We are currently gathering evidence and establishing the facts. If your son only stole Qin Mu's single package, then it doesn't constitute a crime."

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