Chapter 182, Seventy-Third Cycle (12)

Seeing a psychologist is no small matter for Rei Furuya.

The first problem is that I can't disguise myself, otherwise why would I need to see a psychologist?

However, if it is not tolerated, and is not handled properly, it will cause trouble for both the public security and the organization.

Secondly, the competence of the psychologists.

After all, regular psychologists are really ineffective for Rei Furuya. He himself wasn't confident that he could perfectly cooperate with the doctor's tests. He said he was just trying, but he didn't really have any hope.

Finally, Rei Furuya chose a world-class psychologist with a slightly eccentric personality but no connection to any power, whose surname was Taka.

Dr. Gao has little interest in the complex interpersonal relationships of the real world. He runs his own clinic to conduct his research, and he is the only doctor there, along with two assistants and an intern.

Rei Furuya arrived after dark, fully armed, only taking off his hat and mask upon entering the consultation room.

"Hello, Dr. Gao." He sat down in the chair and smiled at the expressionless doctor wearing silver-rimmed glasses. "I'm Amuro Tooru, who had an appointment with you before..."

Disguised, Morofushi Kagemitsu waited outside, his phone ringing with three other people.

Noah's Ark whispered into the earpiece, "I checked it out, and it seems pretty proper here. There's no eavesdropping or filming, and no strange people outside."

He also sent a text version in the group.

Morofushi Kagemitsu, not one to speak openly, also typed on his phone: "The information I've gathered says that Dr. Gao has a bad reputation, a strange personality, and is more inclined towards research and experimentation than being a gentle, patient psychologist."

[But he definitely has the ability, right? I don't understand those data, but Zero said he's very capable.] Matsuda Jinpei typed along, his fingers moving faster than his words. [If he had a good personality and was a "normal person," he wouldn't be doing research alone in such a remote place. He studied psychology, you know; he couldn't possibly not know how to best interact with people, could he?]

They talked for a long time, until they finished discussing everything, but Furuya Rei still hadn't come out.

Ida Kou was a little worried: "How long has he been inside? Almost an hour and a half, right? A typical psychological counseling session only lasts an hour, right?"

Kenji Hagiwara also said, "It is a bit strange, but it's a small ripple effect, so it's not that strange. Let's wait and see."

Hiroki Sawada and Noah's Ark said in unison, "We haven't received any contact yet. Let's wait another half hour."

Morofushi Kagemitsu stared at the tightly closed consultation room door, which was completely silent.

They could wait another hour at most, no later than 9:30. It would take them three hours to get back, and they weren't sure what would happen after midnight.

An intern brought him a glass of warm water, and Morobushi Kagemitsu said thank you but didn't drink it.

Twenty minutes later, the door finally opened, and Rei Furuya was the first to walk out.

But his expression was a little subtle, while the doctor, who was said to be very cold and strange, followed him out with great enthusiasm and excitement, even grabbing his hand and not wanting him to leave.

As they got closer, they could hear the doctor repeatedly using complex technical terms like quantum mechanics and four-dimensional insects. He was extremely agitated. Eventually, his assistant and intern couldn't bear to watch and pulled him back. Another assistant kept bowing and apologizing to Rei Furuya.

Furuya Rei waved his hand awkwardly but politely, saying it was nothing, and walked over.

Zhu Fujingguang stood up: "How was it?"

Rei Furuya gestured for them to leave first, and explained in a low voice, "Don't worry, I'm fine. Dr. Gao also thinks my mental state is normal, and even agrees with what I said. He believes that those things are not impossible, but they may involve areas that humans cannot yet touch, and he wants to continue talking to me. He can sense that I'm hiding a lot of things."

Morofushi Kagemitsu understood, and felt somewhat helpless.

Noah's Ark in the earpiece sighed, "But unfortunately, we can't tell him the whole truth."

Only after Zhu Fujingguang left did he continue to ask, "What are the Four-Dimensional Insects?"

They know about quantum mechanics and the parallel universe theory, and they even understand the convergence of world lines, but what is a four-dimensional worm? It feels like a different concept altogether.

"It's a hypothesis proposed in a recently published book—a higher-level, four-dimensional being that can disregard the causal order of three dimensions and the normal timeline, and freely travel and control all of time throughout history." Furuya Rei's tone was astonished. "This idea was initially proposed by a mental patient, and Dr. Gao has always been very interested in it. He's been researching the relationship between quantum mechanics and human consciousness lately."

Morofushi Kagemitsu and the four people on the other end of the call were slightly taken aback, their eyes widening, and even Noah's Ark raised its voice.

"The system?!" they exclaimed in unison.

Rei Furuya chuckled, a mix of excitement and guilt in his voice: "Probably, it's kind of like that. Maybe the system really is a four-dimensional worm parasitizing our world, so I couldn't help but chat with him a bit more."

The five people: "..."

And then the psychiatrist went crazy?

Can you drive a psychologist crazy just by seeing one?

Rei Furuya felt even more guilty and raised his hand to cover his mouth with a fist: "Ahem, so, I plan to use my disguise to meet the mental patient who made this claim and ask him about the four-dimensional worm."

Others agreed, and after calming down, they were also a bit excited.

If they can truly confirm that the system is a four-dimensional worm, and understand what a four-dimensional worm actually is, then they might actually be able to catch the system by the tail.

*

Because he was so excited, after confirming that nothing serious had happened, Furuya immediately went to see the mental patient who had mentioned the four-dimensional worm.

He was a 17-year-old boy, not very dangerous, and he loved to communicate with people and had a strong thirst for knowledge.

However, because his knowledge is so broad and deep, especially in quantum physics, even professional professors may not be able to fully understand his thinking. This means that although he wants to chat with people, almost no one can understand him.

Those who can understand it generally wouldn't come to a mental hospital to have a serious conversation with a mental patient.

According to the book's author, he even spent a long time learning the relevant knowledge himself and asked a famous physics professor for help before he could barely keep up with the boy's pace.

Rei Furuya and Hiromitsu Morofushi disguised themselves and went in together. Rei sat in front of the boy and talked to him, while Hiromitsu Morofushi sat behind him taking notes. Only Noah's Ark was listening on his phone.

Date Wataru, Matsuda Jinpei, and Hagiwara Kenji have to go to work, and Sawada Hiroki has to attend classes, so Morofushi Hiromitsu will post the notes in the group chat and wait for them to discuss them when they have time.

They can still understand most of what they hear.

The four dimensions of physics are length, quantity, temperature, and time.

We are also four-dimensional beings, but only our consciousness is four-dimensional; our bodies remain in three dimensions. Most human consciousness is confined to three dimensions by the body. However, four-dimensional insects are "absolute four-dimensional beings," non-material, intangible and invisible, only perceptible, and capable of communication within the mind.

He said that's not right. The real meaning is that from the perspective of an absolute four-dimensional being that transcends time and causality, we are no different from wriggling worms. Our life is like a long worm, and the absolute four-dimensional being can appear at will and control any stage of our lives, from birth to death.

After the meeting, the Sakura group was filled with heated discussion, while Furuya Rei and Morofushi Hiromitsu were somewhat silent after leaving the mental hospital.

The boy was re-entered into a mental hospital.

"Is he a genius or a madman?" Morifushi Kagemitsu murmured.

Rei Furuya shook his head: "I don't know. A physics professor gave him a test, but he did very poorly and couldn't get into school to study the current regular courses. His thinking is different from everyone else's, and all his ideas are without evidence."

More importantly, the boy's family felt that there was something wrong with him, that he was abnormal.

Rei Furuya put his hand on Hiromitsu Morofushi's shoulder and smiled at the black-haired youth who looked up: "After this year's events are over, after we figure out the truth about this world, after he turns 18, let's come back to see him and see if we can take him out."

Morofushi Kagemitsu paused for a moment, then smiled.

“Okay,” he said. “Then I will study psychology even harder.”

After thinking for a moment, he revealed his pained expression again: "And then there's quantum mechanics."

Rei Furuya couldn't help but laugh.

*

Rei Furuya opened the book: *The Genius on the Left, the Madman on the Right*.

There is only a fine line between genius and madness. Until the final proof, who can tell whether a person is a forward-thinking genius or an arrogant madman?

Ryougu Zero opened the table of contents.

Before the "four-dimensional insect," there is also the "realism of dreams."

Although the patients' dreams described in the book were different from his, the reality of dreams... the dream chair... the nightmare experiment... a fleeting dream...

Long, slender fingers with dark skin gently tapped the pages before finally closing the book.

Rei Furuya got up and went out.

He planned to meet the patient alone, without telling anyone else.

The patient has been discharged from the hospital. The hospital said she has recovered and no longer confuses dreams with reality.

She was a socially anxious single woman, so visiting her would be a little troublesome, but not a big problem for Rei Furuya.

Unfortunately, Rei Furuya didn't discover anything unusual during his conversation with the woman, as she was very wary.

However, judging from her performance, it should have nothing to do with the organization or system.

The only problem is probably the two books that were hastily hidden underneath the notebook.

How to Prove You're Not a Zombie

How to prove you are not mentally ill

*

Rei Furuya decided to see a second psychologist for double assessment.

The second psychologist was also a world-class expert, and he was affiliated with the police, so he was very professional and reliable.

Rei Furuya was conducting the internal test under his own name; no one else was allowed to participate, and his affairs were classified as top secret.

His intermittent amnesia and inability to remember dates are something that should definitely be discussed with higher-ups in the public security system. Future assignments should take his condition into account, otherwise problems could easily arise.

As for whether the higher-ups will doubt his abilities or decide whether to let him continue his undercover work because of this flaw... it's highly unlikely. Furuya Rei will prove with his strength that there's nothing to worry about, and it's impossible to let Bourbon, who has almost climbed to the second-in-command position, leave the core of the undercover mission now.

However, there is a time limit, which is one year.

This was proposed by Rei Furuya himself. A year is enough to destroy the organization. After a year, he would end his undercover work, go back to undergo a full examination, and then get some rest.

A year later, if he can successfully achieve the happy ending in the game and resolve the system issues, Rei Furuya will no longer be entangled in this chaotic timeline.

The police psychologist's name is Watanabe. Dr. Watanabe is 45 years old, has a wealth of experience, and looks gentle and kind. Everyone likes and trusts him.

After Furuya Rei finished his consultation and reconnected with the group, the members of the Sakura group immediately began to anxiously inquire about his situation.

Matsuda Jinpei joked: "How about it? You didn't drive another psychologist crazy, did you?"

Rei Furuya paused for a moment, then silently typed: [No, I was careful this time, and Dr. Watanabe doesn't know much about those things, so this was just a normal, ordinary psychological consultation.]

[Zero: I'm fine, but the doctor had a problem, so I treated the psychiatrist.]

Five people: [?]

Five people: [???]

Rei Furuya awkwardly cracked his knuckles and continued explaining: "As you know, mental contact is mutual, and there's a saying—'When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.'"

[Zero: Moreover, doctors often can't heal themselves, so the hardest thing for a psychologist to heal is themselves. This time, I wasn't found to have any problems, but I discovered that Dr. Watanabe was harboring deep-seated anxieties that had accumulated to a dangerous level. How could a police psychologist have problems? So I tried to work in reverse and heal Dr. Watanabe's psychological issues.]

Five people: [...]

Five people: [As expected of you, Rei Furuya.]

What else could they say? As expected, the psychologist had no effect on Furuya Rei; he, on the other hand, could either drive the psychologist crazy or cure him.

I guess the police and doctors are still clueless.

Furuya Rei coughed awkwardly and guiltily, then got into his car to go home.

Now that the matter concerning the psychologist has been completely resolved and the police have been informed, the focus now shifts to the organization and the plot.

"Noah's Ark, has Conan encountered any cases today?" he asked as he drove.

“Yes,” Noah’s Ark replied. “Shortly after you went to see the psychiatrist, the Mori Detective Agency received a letter, a crime warning letter from a man named Keiji Aso.”

"Wait a minute." Furuya Rei frowned slightly and asked, "Asou Keiji?"

"Yes." Noah's Ark asked curiously, "What's wrong? Do you know Mr. Furuya?"

Rei Furuya stopped at the red light, tapping his fingers lightly on the steering wheel, and said, "I don't know him, but I just heard of him. Dr. Watanabe is a professor at the medical university. He met a student he cared about a lot at the university, named Asagi Minami, who disappeared a long time after graduation."

His tone grew increasingly serious: "Keiji Aso was Aso Narumi's father, and he is already dead. His death is Aso Narumi's greatest heartache. Dr. Watanabe was unable to resolve this issue and suspected that he had a tendency to seek revenge."

Noah's Ark quickly realized: "You mean, this crime warning letter was sent to the Mori Detective Agency by Asagi Minami, who has been missing for a long time?"

The light has turned green.

Rei Furuya didn't say anything, but slowly pressed the accelerator.

The white Mazda roared to life, tracing a white arc across the dark road before disappearing around the corner.