Wang Ren had put too much pressure on Duan Shan. After a moment of thought, Duan Shan's expression gradually relaxed. He asked, "Who are you and Zhang Si?"
"That's none of your business."
"It was Zhang Si who told my son to turn himself in, wasn't it? He's afraid of me!"
Wang Ren remained silent, her right index finger sliding back and forth across her left knuckles as she thought.
"Did you hypnotize yourself?"
Duan Shan's gaze fell on the antique pocket watch around Wang Ren's neck. His chubby face broke into a smile. "With your abilities, you should have understood the truth after meeting those two. I think your time is running out."
"It's enough to deal with you."
"Not enough!" Duan Shan stated calmly. He then pointed to his head. "Everyone has two selves, one responsible for logic and one for emotion. People with strong logic are cold-blooded, while those with abundant emotion are often burdened by it and aren't very smart. However, the human brain is the most complex structure in the world. These two selves are like light and shadow, fighting each other while also cooperating."
Wang Ren frowned. She had never heard such a theory.
"You and Zhang Si are insignificant. Zhang Si's mind is in chaos, he's split personality. That person suppressed Zhang Si's true heart beneath his Five Elements Mountain. As for you, you're the opposite of Zhang Si. This person has found a balance point and brought out your true heart."
...
Wang Ren, who had hypnotized herself, was already a schemer capable of handling things independently. However, she hadn't understood Duan Shan's words and looked puzzled.
"The ancestors said that what the heart desires will come true, but people today define thinking as being in the head. They believe thinking belongs to the brain, not the heart. My son's psychology mentor, a Nobel laureate, believed human intelligence comes from the left and right brain, one for logic and cognition, the other for creativity. He wasn't wrong, but he missed one point: humans also have a heart."
"What's the use of a heart?"
"I don't know much more than you. Do you know why I opened a pet hospital? It's not because pet hospitals are profitable, nor because it's a business with future prospects. It's because by having this pet hospital, I can legally use small animals for experiments."
"You're doing that kind of thing?"
"Yes. Did you know that a heart can survive independently? When medical technology advances, humans might be able to replace their hearts. But the brain can't. Any living creature dies if its head is replaced. I conducted an experiment. There was a fierce Mastiff with several cases of attacking people. I replaced its heart with that of a Golden Retriever. It lived for two months. Do you know what happened? The Mastiff with the new heart became extremely docile. Its individual identity didn't change, its brain didn't change, but because its heart changed, its soul seemed to have changed as well."
"You tampered with the hearts of those people?"
"Physical interference. I originally thought that was the only way. But after seeing you, I realized that there are always people better than you, and heavens beyond heavens."
Wang Ren felt her heart racing. She shook her head, denying, "I don't understand what you're saying."
"It's impossible that you don't understand, you just don't want to admit it. You, who have undergone reverse hypnosis, must be able to recall something. Don't limit yourself, dig out that deepest memory, and remember the truly excellent you, not this imposter."
Wang Ren felt her heart was about to leap out of her chest. Memories that seemed non-existent began to appear in her mind. She saw her master's face, which she had never seen so serious.
Don't think about it, don't think about it~
Wang Ren took out her pocket watch and stared at it. The rotating second hand was about to stop.
But at this moment, Duan Shan suddenly said, "The years secretly change, how can time be counted meticulously."
The second hand, which was about to stop, suddenly started to turn backward. Wang Ren's expression gradually became indifferent, and then colder. Duan Shan smiled, but at this moment, Wang Zeyi suddenly grabbed Wang Ren's hair, just as Wang Ren had treated the fat woman, and slammed her head fiercely onto the tabletop with a bang!
...
Wang Ren didn't know how long she had been unconscious. When she woke up, she found herself lying on the bed in the duty room. Wang Zeyi was dozing on a wooden stool beside her.
"Pour me a glass of water."
"Big sister, you're awake! You scared us to death. That old witch almost made you lose your senses."
Wang Zeyi poured Wang Ren water while speaking. Wang Ren rubbed her aching head and opened her pocket watch. Seeing the motionless second hand, she felt much more at ease.
"Thank you!"
"Those twelve murderers have all been sent to the hospital. We have a new direction in our investigation: these people are all mentally ill."
"What about Duan Shan?"
"My captain cursed Duan Shan's entire ancestral lineage, but what of it? We can't prove that just a few words from Duan Shan could control people to kill, can we? Isn't that preposterous?"
...
Wang Ren was indeed helpless against Duan Shan and returned to Wende Xiaoyuan dejectedly.
The weather was warm. Cao Shi was playing chess with Old Mr. Wende at a large table in the courtyard. Seeing Cao Shi's move, Old Mr. Wende smiled knowingly and reached for a piece. Unexpectedly, Cao Shi extended his hand to stop his master, with a fawning smile on his face, "I'll take one step back, just one step back."
"A true man's move is without regret."
"I'm not a true man, I'm not a true man."
Old Mr. Wende listened, a look of disdain on his face. He put down the chess piece and calmly looked at Cao Shi, "Then take your step back."
...
Wang Ren waited quietly beside them, wanting to tell her master everything that had happened today. However, after taking only a few steps, Cao Shi resorted to his old trick, blocking Old Mr. Wende, "One more step back, just one more step."
"Didn't you say just one step? How can a person break their word?"
"I'm not a person, I'm not a person. I'm a pig, I'm a pig!"
Wang Ren also showed a look of disdain, but Old Mr. Wende smiled.
After a few more moves, Cao Shi blocked Old Mr. Wende, clasping his hands together. "This is the last time, just this once."
Old Mr. Wende couldn't be bothered to argue with Cao Shi and said to the waiting Wang Ren, "Go check on Old Jiu, tell him to make dinner. He's been quiet for half a day."
...
Wang Ren had no choice but to enter the south gatehouse. Li Jiu was cooking, and Gao Xiaojuan sat by the dining table, her chin propped on her interlaced fingers, gazing at Li Jiu like a love-struck girl.
Li Jiu's eyes were like an eagle's. He muttered, "Salt, 5 grams..." After adding the salt, he frowned, "MSG, a little, how much is a little?" Wang Ren sighed helplessly, "Old Jiu, let me do it."
Li Jiu didn't refuse and gave up his position to Wang Ren, sitting back at the table.
Gao Xiaojuan: "You look so handsome when you cook." Li Jiu remained silent, not answering, and stared intently at Wang Ren. Although Wang Ren wasn't as skilled as the eldest brother, cooking a meal wasn't difficult for her.
Just then, a wolf howl suddenly came from outside, filled with extreme joy: "I won, I won!"
...
Li Jiu's expression changed upon hearing this, and he strode out. Wang Ren came to her senses, put down what she was holding, and also ran out. Old Mr. Wende's face turned ashen, while Cao Shi jumped for joy.
Every disciple of Old Mr. Wende could play chess, but none had ever defeated Old Mr. Wende. Wang Ren had never even seen Old Mr. Wende lose.
"This doesn't count."
"Why doesn't it count? Old man, don't try to cheat." Cao Shi's demeanor was arrogant, and he no longer called him master.
"How many steps did you take back?"
Cao Shi took out a brocade pouch from his pocket. On it was written: "Chess match, defeat me and you win."
"Old man, I ask you, which sentence states that taking steps back is not allowed?"
"Chess match, moves made are without regret, this is the rule." Li Jiu spoke up for his master. Cao Shi's attitude became even more arrogant, "Who set this rule? Am I Confucius? Let them come out and confront me!"
Li Jiu's expression turned displeased, and he prepared to argue. Old Mr. Wende reached out and stopped Li Jiu, then asked Cao Shi, "Since that's the case, can I take one step back?"
"No."
At this point, even Wang Ren couldn't stand it. "Why can you do it and master can't?"
"He agreed to my step back, but I don't agree to master's step back."
"Do you think this is fair?"
"I just want to win. I don't care about fairness or unfairness!"
Old Mr. Wende didn't say another word this time and turned to enter the study in the main house. Wang Ren quickly took out some money and stuffed it into Cao Shi's hand, "Go buy some good food. Master is angry."
"Alright!"
Gao Xiaojuan tugged at the silent Li Jiu and whispered, "Is that silly fat guy really the winner?"
Li Jiu didn't speak and turned to go inside. Gao Xiaojuan followed. Li Jiu roared, "Don't follow me, let me be alone."
...
Wang Ren cautiously entered the study, expecting her master to be furious. In her nearly ten years of knowing him, her master had never lost at chess. But when she walked in, she found her master wasn't angry. Instead, he was quietly looking at a piece of calligraphy written by the eldest brother: "The Dao follows nature!"
"I was wrong. All of this karma is because of me."
Wang Ren was a little flustered and said softly, "Master, what are you saying?"
"You guys were born with innate talent, so when I educated you, I said 'the Dao follows nature,' 'the Dao comes before the method,' but I never taught you the Dao, only the method."
"Master, I don't understand. Didn't you only teach these profound philosophies to the eldest brother?"
"Yes, I taught him, but he didn't understand. So, after your second brother arrived, I taught him according to his aptitude, teaching him the art of conversation and the art of striking up conversations. With you, I taught you psychological insight. Old Jiu is diligent and has a high foundation, so I taught him Western logic and game theory. As for Cao Shi, he reminded me of my past self, so I hadn't figured out what to teach him. But look, he defeated me today."
Wang Ren smiled ingratiatingly, "He just got lucky, and he cheated."
Old Mr. Wende didn't speak. Instead, his gaze fell on the antique pocket watch around Wang Ren's neck. "Did you win?"
"No, Master. I did my best. That Duan Shan is more formidable than I imagined."
After speaking, Wang Ren knelt before Old Mr. Wende. "Master, it doesn't matter if I fail the assessment. Please, no matter what, rescue the eldest brother."