Sympathy
Thinking of the contract that day, Lin Zhouze said only, "Yan Zhiyuan was seriously injured during that mission. He was the only one in the entire team who returned alive. In order to help him recover, I can only do my best to piece together the events. This is also the task assigned to me by the higher-ups."
Even though Shi Youchen heard many suspicious points, he thought that since Lin Zhouze had already confessed so frankly, those were probably not important details, so he didn't ask any more questions.
"After he got into trouble, the burden of the entire Information Department fell completely on me." Lin Zhouze's eyes were throbbing with pain. He took off his glasses and massaged them with his warm palms, thinking of the time when he felt even more painful.
——
Fortunately, Yan Zhiyuan rarely stayed in the Information Department. It was not uncommon for him to not show up for ten days or half a month, so no one was surprised by the Minister's disappearance again. However, Shen Buhui felt that Deputy Lin seemed to be much more haggard recently.
"Knock knock." When Shen Buhui knocked on the door and came in, Lin Zhouze was lying on the table to catch up on his sleep. Now, for him, even ten minutes of sleep was precious. Because he had to take care of Yan Zhiyuan, he gradually developed the habit of light sleep, and the slightest noise would wake him up.
So the moment he felt someone entering, he habitually and skillfully raised his hand and hid all the information boxes about Yan Zhiyuan on the screen. Even though his eyes were still hazy, his movements were done in one go.
"It's you, what's the matter?" Lin Zhouze asked in a hoarse voice. Shen Buhui sighed, handed over the brewed medicinal tea, glanced at the wide-open window and said, "The temperature has dropped in the past two days, be careful not to catch a cold. Recently, for some reason, there are many more people getting sick during the change of seasons than in previous years."
"..." She glanced at the empty screen, hesitant to speak, "I see you haven't looked well lately. No matter how busy you are, you should make sure to rest. If you're really too busy, talk to Minister Yan about it. He's not really an exploitative devil."
Speaking of Yan Zhiyuan, Lin Zhouze's face seemed to turn even paler.
"Shen Buhui, do you know anyone in the interrogation department?" Lin Zhouze's sudden question made people a little confused. Shen Buhui couldn't help but feel a little strange: "Yes, I do, but you suddenly asked this, is there something wrong?"
At her urging, Lin Zhouze took a sip of the medicinal tea, frowning at the bitterness. "Oh, my next research topic is related to this, and I want to start preparing first. But I don't usually interact with them, so I asked you."
"You're so busy, and you're still thinking about research?" Shen Buhui was very surprised. Then she met Lin Zhouze's eyes, which were bloodshot and almost covered most of the whites. She heard him say, "This matter is very important to me. It's worth it no matter what the cost. Can you help me connect with someone?"
Lin Zhouze's seriousness and "selfishness" were seen by everyone in the Information Department. Shen Buhui naturally knew it better. If he said it was very important, it must be a top-notch matter, at least for him.
"I have some friendship with the deputy director of the interrogation department, but it's just a personal relationship and never involves our work. I can help you arrange a meeting with her, but the rest is up to you." Shen Buhui said helplessly, "You can leave some of the things here to me. My points will be enough by the end of the year, and I don't plan to go out on field work recently."
Lin Zhouze pinched his nose and drank the medicinal tea in one gulp, grinning and thanking him: "Thank you so much! Well... I'll take care of that matter, I'll treat you to dinner some other day!"
Shen Buhui took the cup away: "No need to eat, so as not to cause misunderstandings. You better not get sick. Even if you have helped me a lot, I still want to live a few more years. I don't want someone to exploit my youth."
Shen Buhui was very efficient. That night, when Lin Zhouze was supervising the "someone" she mentioned to take medicine, she received a message -
"She will be back tomorrow night to report on her work, but she won't be at the base for long. I've arranged for you to meet in her office. I'll take you there after dinner."
After replying with a thank you, Lin Zhouze looked at Yan Zhiyuan, who sat quietly beside him. He had been staying in the dormitory since being brought back and would not leave on his own initiative. Although Frovich said that his mental world was in turmoil, he still looked gentle and handsome on the outside.
But I never saw him smile again, nor did I see or hear him cry.
Yan Zhiyuan was like a puppet, his daily actions controlled by others. If Lin Zhouze told him to eat, he would eat; if he told him to sleep, he would wash up and lie down obediently. But if he asked him anything, he would either keep silent or hold his head tightly and wail.
Lin Zhouze only tried three times, and after two failed attempts, he gave up on the idea of attacking the person himself. "But it makes sense. No one in our department can do anything about it, so what else can I get out of him?" Lin Zhouze thought, peeling a candy and handing it to Yan Zhiyuan to help him relieve the bitter taste of the medicine.
So after two days and two nights of searching and reading without sleeping, he made the risky decision.
The next day after dark, Shen Buhui took Lin Zhouze to the agreed place. The interrogation building was usually dark, as few people came and went. From a distance, only a few rooms were lit.
Outside the deputy minister's office, Lin Zhouze glanced at the sign hanging by the door, turned around and asked Shen Buhui nervously: "What's her temper like? Is there anything explosive? I..."
"She doesn't like nagging people."
"I hate people who nag the most." Two voices sounded at the same time.
The door was opened from the inside, and the blonde woman sat there with one leg crossed, looking at the two people outside the door and said. Shen Buhui patted Lin Zhouze's shoulder and said softly: "It's not convenient for me to go in, you can do it yourself." After that, he winked at the person inside and turned away.
Lin Zhouze closed his eyes, took a deep breath, turned around, and stepped into the room.
...
Skipping the small talk and unnecessary greetings, Lin Zhouze stated the purpose of his visit: "Deputy Minister Mai Er, I'd like to ask, is your empathy device still usable?"
Mai Er hadn't initially thought a non-psychic could come up with any significant "research topic" until she heard the word "empathy." Through her glasses, she studied the person across from her with interest. "Of course. So, do you want to use it to develop a new instrument?"
Because Shen Buhui told her that Lin Zhouze wanted to start a new research topic, she subjectively thought so.
Unexpectedly, Lin Zhouze shook his head and said seriously, "I want to experience it myself first." After all, Mai Er was only two years older than him. Even though he was valued and valued by the association because of his family background, he had only been in the interrogation department for more than a year at that time, and most of his time was spent on missions outside, so he did not have much real "hands-on" experience.
She had never met an "ordinary person" who volunteered to be interrogated, so she thought she had misheard: "What did you say? Who are you going to use it on?"
"I," Lin Zhouze repeated earnestly and firmly, "I've reviewed all the relevant records from the past fifteen years. I understand the risks, and I'm prepared."
Mai Er's tone suddenly rose: "Then you should know that you might die!" She almost stood up and left on the spot, "If you don't want to live, Shen Buhui and I don't want to bear such a responsibility."
Lin Zhouze knew she would react like this, so he pulled out a document and handed it to her: "I have obtained the permission of the headquarters. The full responsibility for this matter will be on me alone, don't worry."
"And I promise you, after this is done, I will assist you in completing subsequent projects as a test subject."
That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, practically allowing her to fulfill one of the necessary conditions for promotion, but...
"How can you guarantee that you can get out alive?"
Lin Zhouze chuckled: "I can't guarantee it. But if I die, you and Shen Buhui don't have to bear any responsibility. If I live, you and she can both benefit, isn't that good?" There was no calculation in his smile, only sincerity, full of sincerity.
Mai Er was silent for a moment, then took off his sunglasses and looked at Lin Zhouze. His "Hypnosis" ability was activated.
"Who is the person you want to empathize with? What is their identity?"
"Yan Zhiyuan, Director of the Information Department of District 8."
"...What happened to him?"
"No comment." Mai Er frowned slightly. He gave such an answer under hypnosis, probably because he had signed a contract earlier. Unless he broke that "contract", he would not be able to find the answer he wanted.
She glanced at the highly confidential responsibility statement document and changed her question: "Why choose him?"
"I want to save him."
"...You do understand the risks of empathy? Speak out."
"During the empathy process, the recipient will mentally recreate and experience everything the sender has actually experienced, with a certain likelihood of this being transformed into physical harm. This can cause the same or even more severe trauma as the sender, and it can be irreversible."
Mai Er stared closely at Lin Zhouze's dimming eyes. She increased the output of hypnotic energy and asked, "What would you do if District 8, if I reject your application?"
"Apply to the headquarters for empathy."
"Even if I die?"
"Even if I die."
"..." Mai Er finally stopped investigating the reason. She retracted her overpowering energy and said, "Three days later, at 11pm, bring your empathic partner here."
The hypnosis, which was not properly controlled, made Lin Zhouze sleep for nearly the entire day. While Shen Buhui was handling departmental affairs on his behalf, he couldn't help but blame Mai Er: "Deputy Lin's physical fitness is not very good to begin with. I reminded you to be careful when you attack."
Mai Er rolled her eyes lightly: "Heh, his physical fitness is not very good, but his mental quality is very good." After that, she pestered Shen Buhui like a coquettish person, "Sister, did you say before that you wanted to work in District 7?"
Shen Buhui pushed Mai Er's legs away, turned the page of the book and said, "Yeah, what's wrong?" Mai Er muttered and retracted his legs to put them down quietly, "Nothing, I don't think you care about me at all, you are obviously fine here."
Shen Buhui closed the book and looked at Mai Er with amusement: "Isn't District 7 closer to your home? We will watch the four seasons change together on the top of the mountain. Isn't that what you said?" Mai Er's face suddenly turned red, and she hesitantly buried her head in Shen Buhui's arms.
Half a month passed in a blink of an eye, and Lin Zhouze woke up from his coma. When he opened his eyes, he saw Yan Zhiyuan quietly guarding his bed. He still had no expression on his face.
Mai Er prepared everything for Shen Buhui, including follow-up treatment, for Shen Buhui's sake. So, apart from the pain from the bone cutting, he didn't feel any other discomfort.
It was just physical pain, nothing compared to what Yan Zhiyuan had suffered.
Lin Zhouze endured the excruciating pain, raised his hand tremblingly, and grasped Yan Zhiyuan's wrist. "I know, I know everything."
Yan Zhiyuan's expression twisted for a moment, and then his fingertips clenched and dug into his palms.
——
"With the help of a friend in the interrogation department, I reconstructed the process of Yan Zhiyuan's mission through empathy." Lin Zhouze said lightly, and when he felt his eyes were more comfortable, he let go and put his glasses back on.
Shi Youchen asked, "Empathy?"
Lin Zhouze: "Yes, it is also a method of using psychic abilities, a method commonly used by the Interrogation Department."
"Interrogation Department," Shi Youchen murmured. "So after you and Yan Zhiyuan came to a mutual understanding, you built this... cenotaph for him? But didn't you say that his former captain defected?"
Lin Zhouze: "He defected, yes, but he was also the key to rebuilding Yan Zhiyuan's mental barrier. After Yan Zhiyuan was injured, he mixed him up with his five teammates who died in Nightmare Fang, so he thought he was the murderer of his teammates."
"Only by making him understand this can he avoid being executed by the association for 'confessing'."
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