Chapter 81: Shadows of the Hypnotic Mind

Chapter 81: Terrifying Hypnosis

Time had passed, though he couldn’t tell how long.

Amid He Yu’s words—nurturing like a mother, affectionate like a lover, tender like a daughter, supportive like a friend—

Xiao Yu slowly closed his eyes.

His face softened into the calm expression of deep sleep.

The paper cup stopped spinning. A strange smile appeared on He Yu’s face as she softly said, “Now, I’m your friend, aren’t I?”

“You are my… friend!”

Xiao Yu, his eyes still shut as if in a deep slumber, replied in a quiet, measured tone.

Watching the scene unfold, Wang Dong stood rooted in terror, every hair on his body standing on end.

National Security had once handled a particularly bizarre case involving hypnosis.

A seven-year-old girl, who knew nothing about the art, had inadvertently used a hypnotic suggestion.

The result was a devastating tragedy…

……

The case took place eight years ago.

When the girl was five, she loved playing simple games with her mother and older sister.

She once told her mother, “Your ‘Nine One Three’ is a cat.”

Her mother replied, “I am a cat.”

Mimicking a feline, her mother playfully teased her.

Then the girl told her sister, “You’re a little bird.”

Her sister responded, “I am a little bird.”

Her sister would flit about like a bird to entertain her.

It was just an ordinary game.

But after two years of playing it,

things began to go terribly wrong.

Her mother’s behavior grew increasingly cat-like—developing a taste for fish, raw meat, and then…

Her sister’s antics turned bizarre, as she sometimes flapped her arms like a bird, chirped, and even stood on the balcony staring at the sky.

Until one day, their mother snapped.

She declared herself a cat—eating only cat food, fish, raw meat, and even… her own daughter.

Because, in her twisted mind, her daughter was nothing more than a bird!

Shocked into insanity by her mother’s words, her sister also lost her grip on reality.

In a frantic escape from their deranged mother, the sister dashed onto the balcony, arms spread as if to take flight!

The mother, convinced she was a cat, chased after her in a manic frenzy.

She lunged at her sister, attempting to catch the ‘bird’ in her eyes as she soared through the air…

Both mother and daughter eventually fell from the balcony, meeting their tragic end!

And all of this was caused by a seven-year-old girl.

A clueless child about hypnosis who, within just two years,

had hypnotized her mother into acting like a cat,

and her sister into behaving like a bird.

A real-life case!

……

Few ordinary people are aware of this.

The ones closest to you, the ones you trust the most, are often the ones where you let your guard down.

Their psychological influence can be overwhelmingly powerful.

Such individuals can subtly shape your mind at every turn,

much like parents molding their children.

In every child, the shadow of their parents lingers.

Take an intimate couple, for instance.

They often mimic each other’s behaviors naturally.

Sometimes even their appearances begin to resemble one another.

Certain psychological suggestions can be terrifyingly profound.

Very few people grasp just how fearsome true hypnosis can be!

For instance…

“Open your eyes!” commanded He Yu.

Xiao Yu’s eyes snapped open—hollow, empty, as though his soul had been sucked away.

“My friend, stand up,” He Yu continued.

Like a puppet with its strings pulled, Xiao Yu obediently rose to his feet.

“Ha ha!”

He Yu laughed, her smile twisting into something sinister. Turning to the horrified Wang Dong, she whispered, “My friend, this man has done so many terrible things to me. He assaulted me, imprisoned me, and tormented me. You can’t imagine—he’s vile, filthy, and has killed countless people… He must be killed! Save me, someone stop him from killing me… kill him!”

Hypnosis cannot override a hypnotized person’s psyche.

It’s impossible to force someone to commit murder directly under hypnosis.

However…

one can induce a hypnotized person to believe that a certain individual is irrevocably evil—a murderer without redemption.

By crafting an image of a would-be killer,

and removing any psychological barriers or guilt,

what could the hypnotized person possibly do?

Even as Wang Dong looked on in horror, Xiao Yu stepped forward.

“Damn!”

Wang Dong recoiled, terror etched on his face.

Why was he so petrified?

Because he knew Xiao Yu all too well.

And he understood just how terrifying Xiao Yu could be.

The most compelling evidence was an archived report.

It detailed how Xiao Yu once faced eight burly, muscle-bound men alone.

Seven of them were instantly knocked down without even a chance to resist.

The eighth muscleman had his arms brutally shattered…

Can you imagine the level of fighting mastery required to pull that off?

If you were in a small room with such a person, and he came after you to kill you,

what would you think?

A suffocating terror filled the interrogation room, thick and palpable…

Suddenly, Xiao Yu halted and lowered his head.

“No, this kind of hypnosis simply can’t compel someone to self-harm.”

“From my deductions, even the most ruthless subjects—with fragile psyches untested by severe trials—cannot be driven to self-destruction. Killing is as far as their programming goes!”

“So, it wasn’t her!”

Murmuring to himself, the words slipped out of Xiao Yu’s lips.

Wang Dong: ……

What was happening?

He Yu’s expression shifted abruptly as she stared in horror at Xiao Yu’s bowed head. “You…”

“Strange, how did I snap out of the hypnosis?”

Xiao Yu slowly lifted his head, his gaze icy as he fixed it on He Yu. “When it comes to psychology and hypnosis, I’m not here to make light of you. In my eyes, you’re nothing but trash!”

He Yu was stunned, her eyes wide with disbelief. Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine and she trembled, gasping, “Psychology Master?!”

“Psychology Master?”

Xiao Yu’s expression twisted oddly. “I’m not!”

Indeed, he was not some mythical ‘Psychology Master’.

The system-assigned ‘Psychological Expert’ is far more formidable and terrifying than any so-called master of psychology…

“Damn!”

Wang Dong couldn’t hold back any longer. Cursing, he glared at Xiao Yu, “You crazy bastard, you nearly scared me to death!”

“My apologies, it was just an experiment,” Xiao Yu replied lightly.

He grinned, “Without this experiment, I couldn’t have determined that her hypnosis ability is only at a level of 2.4. Unfortunately, her skills only marginally surpass those of a typical hypnotist—not enough to be deemed a Psychological Expert. She simply cannot control someone to the point of self-harm, to the level of devouring themselves…”

Hypnotists are ranked by tiers.

There are hypnotists, Hypnosis Experts, and Hypnosis Masters—all collectively known as Psychological Therapists.

The title reflects only a rough estimate of their capabilities, not their true power.

For example, hypnotists require many auxiliary tools to induce hypnosis.

Hypnosis Experts can achieve it with just words and gestures.

Only Hypnosis Masters can perform instantaneous hypnosis.

Remember, hypnosis isn’t some mystical art or magic.

Although a successful session can be terrifying,

without establishing familiarity, empathy, and trust to break down one’s psychological defenses,

it simply cannot be achieved!