Chapter 111 Tumi 02

Today, during the trial of the Hongye Nursing Home case, Luo Siwei's confusion finally had an answer.

It turns out that Qi Moxue was also affected.

Now that I think about it, Qi Moxue and Meng Lanshan have many similarities.

Middle-aged, female, business backbone, highly educated, they had lived a law-abiding life before, but later they all did cruel things.

Everything was like an impenetrable, interlocking web, enveloping the entire city of Donglan. They had long ago come into contact with those guided by the Potential Workshop. These things had already begun to grow in the corners of the city.

In the interrogation room of the detention center, Luo Siwei asked Qi Moxue about the situation in detail.

Qi Moxue and Meng Lanshan said roughly the same thing. She was registered for the competition by the company as a reward for being an outstanding employee in the previous year.

After the training started, she and other people she knew were assigned to different classes.

Qi Moxue took a similar course as Meng Lanshan, which lasted for one week and was also taught by a male teacher.

She was also encouraged by her instructor to play games with others.

In the game, she reached a reconciliation with her "father".

It was from that moment on that she resolved to keep the Red Leaf Nursing Home afloat. She began expanding the facility and imposing more control over the lives of the elderly. She also began killing people...

The subsequent story happened.

Qi Moxue said, "I thought the course was quite good. My instructor was a male, and a lot of what he said made sense and got me thinking."

Luo Siwei has also come into contact with some people who have been deeply brainwashed in his previous work.

Those people may have been exposed to pyramid schemes, defrauded, or experienced pig-killing scams. Their personalities have changed and they have become very paranoid.

These people also have something in common: they are unaware of their own eccentricities and are firm believers in what they believe in.

Sometimes, even several police officers couldn't persuade them, and they ignored their family's attempts to stop them. Even if there was a bottomless abyss in front of them, they would jump without hesitation.

They were so certain of the outcome that their entire bodies and minds were completely absorbed in it. No matter what others said, they couldn't change their mindset or think in the same way as normal people.

Meng Lanshan and Qi Moxue seemed to be trapped in this strange state.

Moreover, their descriptions of the male teacher were very similar. Luo Siwei suspected that the person teaching them might be the same person.

It’s a pity that it has been so long that they can’t describe the teacher’s specific appearance.

Luo Siwei believes that this type of course is not just PUA, but brainwashing and mind control. This type of course is even more harmful than PUA.

People are locked in a closed space, cut off from communication, and subjected to various games and inducements through destruction and redemption. Throughout, there are traces of psychological suggestion that directly attack the most vulnerable part of the human mind.

This trick of destruction and reconstruction is equivalent to erasing the past self, opening the heart and starting over, which causes great invisible psychological harm.

Even a normal person might become abnormal after such torture.

The mentor also asked them to open the shackles of their hearts, which actually destroyed their moral concepts and legal awareness, and taught them to use any means to achieve their goals.

The scars on the body can be seen, but the trauma on the soul is real but not easy to detect.

Luo Siwei could feel that this was the cause of their paranoid personality.

Those people, through psychological induction, magnified certain aspects of their personalities, allowing them to release emotions that they previously dared not think about or do. This behavior is like deliberately damaging the car's insurance measures and brakes while inspecting a car.

Meng Lanshan's professionalism and high moral standards, Qi Moxue's virginal desire for control, these parts already exist in their personalities, so they do not feel that they have been changed, nor do they feel rejected or uncomfortable with this release. Instead, they feel comfortable and free.

Luo Siwei thought of the man in the boiled fish shop again. Maybe the man was not PUAing the woman. He might really be that kind of person. Those were his true thoughts. The man finished the training class and tore off his disguise.

So, this is not PUA, but it is more terrifying than PUA.

On the way back, the two got into the police car and Luo Siwei drove.

Ni Xiang asked her, "Captain Luo, there must be something wrong with that course, right?"

Luo Siwei asked back: "What do you think?"

Ni Xiang thought carefully. "Those involved are often confused. I think it's impossible for someone to not be psychologically affected after taking such a closed-door course." Then she said, "Qi Moxue and Meng Lanshan are no longer normal. They're stuck in a quagmire without even realizing it. But I still can't understand why those who run the course haven't scammed people or taken any follow-up actions. What are they trying to achieve?"

Luo Siwei said, "I'm not sure if Qi Moxue was instructed to do that. After talking to her, I don't think they've brainwashed her very deeply. Perhaps she's just a failure or an accessory. The thread in Meng Lanshan's case is much clearer. In this case, those people's intention was to have Meng Lanshan commit the carjacking and murder."

Ni Xiang lowered her head and thought for a moment: "So what you're saying is that everything Meng Lanshan did was planned by someone?"

Luo Siwei nodded. "The training class she attended is similar to the game settings on the Whispering app. Those people used the principles of psychology to set up the course step by step."

While driving, she was thinking about how to explain it to Ni Xiang.

Luo Siwei used an analogy: "You know the reflex arc, right? When you train a dog, you ring the bell and feed the dog. Over time, the dog will associate these two things together."

"The other party demonized all evil deeds in Meng Lanshan's mind. This heightened her sense of morality and made her more stubborn. She felt she had power over others and the ability to execute others. Furthermore, her profession as a teacher naturally gave her a certain authority over her students. If one day a student did something that didn't meet her expectations and crossed her boundaries, she would overreact."

Then she thought about how to explain the matter more clearly to Ni Xiang: "Have you read the novel "The Three-Body Problem"?"

Ni Xiang: “I’ve seen it.”

Luo Siwei said: "To put it simply, someone implanted a 'thought stamp' in her mind."

After hearing this analogy, Ni Xiang understood it immediately: "You can't see it normally, but once those issues are touched upon, they will react."

Luo Siwei added: "And I think the people who offer psychology courses and the people who created the Whisper app are most likely the same group of people. Otherwise, how could there be such a coincidence in the world that students use the app and teachers receive anonymous emails."

She waited for a red light and continued, "Also, did you notice a detail? Meng Lanshan talked about her past experiences in the study class. Those people probably knew about Shao Xiayue's existence a long time ago."

"I checked Shao Xiayue's medical records. Her heart disease was already very serious before that. The students played a game and killed Meng Lanshan, who was like a family member to her. When Meng Lanshan knew the truth, she would definitely do something. The people behind the scenes are fanning the flames and controlling the development of the situation."

Ni Xiang was stunned. Even though she felt there was something wrong with the course, she had never thought that she might be in the same group as those who spread malicious intent.

She tried to keep up with Luo Siwei's thoughts: "So, this thing is tailor-made? How can they be sure that things will develop as they expected?"

Luo Siwei didn't answer her directly, but instead asked, "Why do people quarrel on the Internet?"

Ni Xiang thought for a moment: "Because of different opinions?"

Luo Siwei said, "People with high moral standards may have one view of the same thing, while people with low moral standards may have another. Everyone has different standpoints and speaks from different perspectives. Online arguments are always won or lost based on the number of people involved, and there are many of these two types of people. Therefore, radical elements in online arguments are irreconcilable and fight to the death. The same is true in real life."

Ni Xiang was thoughtful: "I think I understand now. Meng Lanshan and the others are white, while Zhou Bingcheng, Zhong Ziling and the others are black. Those people are creating opportunities to make the black and white collide violently."

After analyzing this, Ni Xiang shuddered, finally realizing the seriousness of the problem. She turned and asked Luo Siwei, "Can we investigate that potential workshop?"

Luo Siwei shook his head: "We can't investigate openly. There is insufficient evidence."

Ni Xiang was surprised: "Why? Meng Lanshan and Qi Moxue's confessions are not enough?"

Luo Siwei explained: "On the surface, the entire institution is legal and compliant, and there are no major problems with the courses. The problems may just be the guidance of some teachers."

"Furthermore, their confessions only show that they attended classes at the Potential Workshop. They can't even explain what actual impact these classes had on them."

"Someone who attended a class a few years ago then committed murder and arson, and now wants to blame it all on the class?" Luo Siwei shook her head slightly. "A lot of our analysis is just our inferences, not empirical evidence. People who don't understand the case will think it's a fantasy. Not to mention that this can't be brought to court and before a judge, even if it's just an investigation, the chain of evidence is incomplete."

Ni Xiang's face wrinkled: "What should I do then?"

Luo Siwei said, "Such a large company is located there. If we can't investigate openly, we can investigate secretly. This is already a major breakthrough. Now that we have this clue, we can follow it to find the real culprit."

Ni Xiang suddenly realized and said seriously, "Okay, I'll work overtime tonight to sort out the relevant information about this organization."

"It would be best if we could compile a list of mentors and students." Luo Siwei drove the car to the entrance of the First Affiliated Hospital, parked the car, and said, "I'm going to visit Captain Chi now. You should go back first."

Luo Siwei was worried about Chi Li, and she was also a little eager to tell him about her discoveries today.

Ni Xiang sighed, and Luo Siwei asked her, "Can you drive? I can just take a taxi back."

"Yes." Ni Xiang responded crisply, and quickly changed her position and sat in the driver's seat. Then she reported to Luo Siwei, "Captain Luo, I signed up for the weekend swimming class."

Luo Siwei got out of the car and gave her a thumbs up.

Ni Xiangren is smart and hardworking. Once she finds her shortcomings, she will work hard to overcome them. With time, she will grow into a good police officer.

Luo Siwei walked to the hospital entrance and realized that she had come empty-handed. She wanted to buy something. Chi Li might not be able to eat the fruit now, so she saw a flower shop nearby and went in to buy a bouquet of flowers.

The rose was red velvet and in full bloom. The person holding it was a tall and beautiful woman, attracting the attention of passers-by.

Counting the days, when this bouquet of flowers is almost in bloom, Chi Li will be discharged from the hospital.

When they arrived at the door of the ward, Luo Siwei had not yet knocked before the door was opened from the inside.

She saw Ye Ling standing at the door, looking at her with a smile, and Luo Siwei hurriedly greeted him.

After entering the room, Luo Siwei saw Chi Li. His complexion and condition were much better than in the morning, except that the retention needle on the back of his hand was still there and he was receiving an IV.

Ye Ling looked at Chi Li, then at Luo Siwei, and joked with them, "My son's ears are really better than a police dog's. He asked me to open the door before you even came over."

Ye Ling arrived a few hours earlier than her. The two hadn't seen each other for a long time, but they often sent messages to each other before, and they made several voice calls yesterday, so they didn't feel unfamiliar at all.

Luo Siwei placed the roses on the bedside and lowered her head to arrange them.

Chi Li looked sideways and suddenly said, "It's really beautiful."

Luo Siwei said: "Yeah, I picked Corolla."

Chi Li looked at her and said softly, "I'm talking about people."

Luo Siwei is fair-skinned and never gets tanned despite going out on business. Her skin looks even whiter than snow against the backdrop of the flowers.

Luo Siwei looked up and smiled at him, and with a curve of her brows, all the snow melted.

She still remembered the important matter and turned around and said, "By the way, I have made a major discovery about that case."

Chi Li said, "We also have some new discoveries." He pointed to a corner of the ward.

Only then did Luo Siwei discover that there was a large whiteboard in the ward with various photocopied files on it, and a large map of Donglan City hanging in the upper right corner.

The elegant handwriting on it should be left by Ye Ling, and it was written densely. Luo Siwei calculated that Ye Ling had probably been busy with these since he arrived in the afternoon.

It seems that the old man and the young man came to the ward to work overtime and were not idle at all.

Luo Siwei was observant and asked curiously, "Where did this whiteboard come from?"

It would be difficult to push such a large whiteboard.

Chi Li pointed at Ye Ling and said, "My mom snatched it from the doctor's office."

Ye Ling snorted and lectured his son, "Why do you have to use the word 'grab'? Even the shelf was pushed over here by the attending doctor. This is called police-civilian cooperation, temporary requisition."

The author has something to say:

Thought Stamp: Quoted from "The Three-Body Problem"