Chapter 54: The Most Important Lesson

Hearing Gecko’s words, Lu Xin immediately grew serious.

From his very first meeting with Chen Jing, Lu Xin knew preventing loss of control was crucial.

Those who haven’t lost control are Mentally Altered Persons.

Those who have lost control become Pollution Sources!

So, he took this final step Gecko was about to teach him very seriously and quickly followed him out.

Outside, the two once again climbed into the Jeep.

After giving a random location, the Jeep carried them straight towards the Satellite City center.

Lu Xin had grown up in this Satellite City but was unfamiliar with the city center, which was relatively prosperous compared to the surrounding areas. Gecko, however, possessed a familiarity that stunned him. Perhaps he’d prepared in advance for this most important lesson.

“Preventing loss of control is a profound subject!”

Inside the car, Gecko lectured Lu Xin seriously, “What do you think loss of control is?”

Still showing the reverence of a newcomer towards a senior, Lu Xin answered carefully and earnestly, “A Pollution Source?”

“That’s the manifestation *after* losing control.”

Gecko explained, “The act of losing control itself can actually be summed up in one phrase!”

“Being captured by emotion!”

…

“Captured by emotion?”

Lu Xin slowly repeated Gecko’s words, lost in thought.

“Yes!”

Gecko said sternly, “Everyone has emotions and desires—happiness and sadness, likes and dislikes. It seems like we control them ourselves, and many people talk about staying happy and optimistic, but that’s not actually the case. Human perception is built from these emotions and desires. You only feel happy when your emotions are happy; when they’re low, you feel low…”

“If one day, an emotion overwhelms you, like sadness taking over, then you won’t feel happy no matter what you do… Thinking you’ll be happy if you get something or do something is actually an illusion!”

“The reality is, when you’re unhappy, you fundamentally won’t have the desire to do or get anything. Even if you force yourself, you won’t feel happy; you might even feel disgust and aversion…”

“Happiness and unhappiness are decided by your emotions, not by you!”

…

Listening to this, Lu Xin couldn’t help but become serious too.

He was still a newcomer when it came to things like Mental Alteration and Pollution.

Now, listening to Gecko’s explanation, he inexplicably felt it made a lot of sense.

“And loss of control often happens when emotions become so strong they overwhelm your reason, or rather, drown you!”

“For ordinary people, being drowned turns them into patients. But when someone also possesses Strong Mental Power, this creates a Pollution Source. It doesn’t just affect themselves; it can even influence and Assimilate others—and that is Mental Pollution!”

“And we are people with this Strong Mental Power. That’s why the danger is so high if we lose control!”

…

Lu Xin finally understood and looked at Gecko with gratitude. “So that’s why we have to prevent ourselves from losing control?”

“Yes!”

Gecko nodded. “Whether for ourselves or for others, we must ensure we don’t lose control!”

A kind of holy light appeared on his face. “And this highlights the necessity of the most important lesson I’m about to teach you!”

Lu Xin felt a surge of respect and nodded seriously. “I’ll learn it well!”

“Good!”

Gecko nodded with satisfaction.

Just then, the Jeep arrived at the city center and stopped in front of a large building.

The Jeep’s driver glanced strangely at Gecko and Lu Xin in the rearview mirror, then drove off immediately after they got out.

The place they stopped was called ‘Blue Ocean’. Its neon lights were visible from miles away.

After entering the building, Gecko expertly led Lu Xin through a guarded, low narrow alley, seemingly heading underground. At the end, with solemn and majestic steps, he pulled aside the thick curtain.

…

…

Then Lu Xin’s eyes instantly widened.

What greeted him were dazzling lights unlike any he’d ever seen, a noisy and wild crowd, sequined miniskirts short enough to reveal the thigh roots, young women painted with makeup that obscured their original features but looked alluring and striking, various fresh and tempting fruits and snacks rarely seen on the market, and dancers twisting as if distorted by pollution…

“See this?”

Gecko looked at Lu Xin seriously. “This is the cure for preventing loss of control, including but not limited to mental consolation…”

Lu Xin was completely stunned. “So this is…”

“Right!”

Gecko shouted seriously, “This is the most important lesson I’m teaching you!”

“To maintain a good mental state, you must satisfy your desires…”

“Desire represents humanity; it’s the capital we possess for being human…”

“When a person lacks desires, or forcefully suppresses them, they gradually become controlled by emotions…”

“From this, we can draw a conclusion…”

His serious face slowly morphed into a wicked grin, his gaze drifting towards the young bodies on the dance floor…

“If you don’t want to become a madman, you have to go crazy a few times while you’re still sane…”

“Hahaha…”

…

Lu Xin watched, eyes wide, as Gecko dramatically flipped open his trench coat and strode towards the center of the crowd. Seeing his exaggerated movements, style, and the large sunglasses still perched on his face under the flickering lights, many people immediately shot him scrutinizing and slightly disdainful glances. But Gecko didn’t flinch, plunging both hands directly under his trench coat…

…When he pulled them out, they were full of cash, which he promptly tossed into the air.

“Wow…”

Cheers erupted all around as people scrambled to pick up the money. Gecko laughed heartily, throwing an arm around two girls and heading towards a sofa.

Alcohol, women, noise, bodies dancing wildly on the neon stage in fifteen-centimeter heels.

In just a few short minutes, Lu Xin witnessed colors and skirts shorter—and perhaps also taller in a way—than he could have ever imagined.

In this environment, Lu Xin couldn’t help but feel his ears burn and his heart race.

Is this the way to fight loss of control?

Indulgence?

He had to admit, this felt completely different from his life in the dilapidated apartment building, sticking to his routine, secretly giving his earnings to the orphanage. Back then, there was indeed a constant pressure weighing on his heart, making him unable to feel any emotional fluctuations for a long time. Deep down, it seemed he really had wanted to let loose like this just once…

…Besides, according to Gecko, isn’t this also part of the job?

Faintly, it seemed a new door was opening…

Then, just as this door was halfway open, Lu Xin suddenly remembered something and grabbed Gecko, who was drinking freely.

He asked Gecko earnestly, nervously, “Does Headquarters reimburse this?”

Gecko nearly spat out his mouthful of alcohol.

…

…

A minute later, away from the deafening noise, feeling the cold wind on his face, Lu Xin finally felt a bit better.

Calling it part of the job when it’s not reimbursed?

Heh!