Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 380 Academic Storm, In the Name of Ignorance
"True knowledge lies not in titles and wealth, but in wisdom itself."

—Excerpt from "The Philosophy of Lies: Knowledge and Power"

The Kunwu University Centre for Psychiatry is located in the quietest corner of the campus.

Sunlight streams through the glass curtain wall, illuminating the pure white exterior and making the entire building appear exceptionally bright and airy.

The automatic doors opened, and Si Ming followed Lynn into the hall. On the wall, the words "Cognition and Extradimensional Pathology Research Laboratory" were prominently displayed.

"This place looks pretty high-end," Si Ming said, looking around with a subtle smile.

“Of course,” Lynn smiled and turned her head. “The school spent a lot of money on this project.”

Si Ming nodded slightly, his gaze quickly drawn to a figure not far away.

Beneath the white lab coat, that slender figure appeared capable and familiar.

"Lin Wanqing," Si Ming murmured, his expression slightly complicated.

As if sensing something, Lin Wanqing turned around and a delighted smile immediately bloomed on her face when she saw Si Ming.

"Siming! You've finally arrived! I was worried you wouldn't receive the book I sent you!"

The others in the lab glanced at him, their eyes filled with knowing gossip. Lynn grinned mischievously and took a step back, gesturing for the two to make themselves at home.

“How could I dare to neglect such an important gift?” Si Ming smiled faintly, then changed the subject slightly, “However, the letters you’ve sent recently are a bit unusual.”

"Special?" Lin Wanqing was taken aback for a moment, then shook her head and smiled, "Never mind that. I've been running into some trouble lately, it's great that you could come!"

Si Ming nodded, his gaze falling on the thick stack of lab reports on the table, and couldn't help but ask, "What have you been researching lately?"

Lin Wanqing's expression turned serious: "There have been frequent cases of students going missing recently due to the phenomenon of other dimensions. The police have already intervened, but we still haven't figured out the reason."

"Another dimension..." Siming repeated, his expression becoming subtle, "Have you found any clues?"

Lin Wanqing sighed softly, led Si Ming to the side, turned on the electronic screen, and several blurry and eerie photos appeared on it.

"We speculate that it may be a form of psychological manipulation or spatial cognitive distortion. But there are currently no clues, and the situation is getting worse."

Si Ming stared at the screen, remained silent for a moment, and then smiled and said, "Don't worry, now that I'm here, there will surely be some clues."

Lin Wanqing felt relieved and smiled with satisfaction.

Just then, a loud and jarring sound of footsteps came from outside the door. Lin Wanqing frowned slightly, her expression gradually turning cold.

A blond man strode in with an air of superiority, followed by his assistant carrying documents.

"Wanqing, quite a few guests," the man said with a hint of disdain. "Aren't you going to introduce them?"

Lin Wanqing sighed and looked at Si Ming, her gaze seemingly implying, "Trouble is coming."

Si Ming raised an eyebrow indifferently, a playful smile appearing on his face.

The man glanced around the laboratory, his tone deliberately flippant: "Wanqing, it's rare to see you so free, with time to entertain outsiders."

Lin Wanqing looked slightly embarrassed, but still remained polite: "Alan Wilson, the project sponsor representative and deputy team leader. This is Si Ming, my friend, a freelancer."

She emphasized the words "freelancer," but Allen ignored her and looked Siming up and down with a mocking gaze.

"A freelancer?" Allen raised an eyebrow. "It seems your understanding of cutting-edge science is still stuck in the realm of fantasy."

Everyone in the lab lowered their heads, and the atmosphere became extremely awkward.

Lin Wanqing couldn't help but remind him, "Siming is here to help, Allen, please show some respect."

"Help?" Allen scoffed, his tone even more exaggerated. "I'm afraid Mr. Siming's only help to us is his rich imagination, isn't it?"

Si Ming remained calm throughout, and said indifferently, "I am merely assisting in the investigation of the disappearance. As for my professional competence, you need not worry about it."

These words were calm yet powerful, drawing curious and astonished glances from those around them.

Lin Wanqing secretly breathed a sigh of relief, her expression softening considerably.

Allen, however, spoke with increasing disdain: "Investigating an incident? I'm afraid you need to brush up on your knowledge. I can recommend a few basic popular science books, so you don't make a fool of yourself."

Upon hearing this, the assistant behind him chuckled softly, and the atmosphere in the laboratory instantly plummeted to freezing point.

But Si Ming remained unaffected, his gaze becoming even calmer: "I don't need the popular science book. If you need a 'face-slapping' guide, I'd be happy to give you one for free."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this, but Allen's face instantly turned ashen.

Si Ming smiled gently, but his gaze was sharp and piercing: "By the way, I like to investigate inexplicable phenomena the most, such as... the psychological distortion of some people who seem normal but are inexplicably hostile."

Allen's expression froze, and the smirk on his lips vanished instantly.

The laboratory was deathly silent, the atmosphere eerily frozen.

Si Ming remained standing there calmly, his gaze as still as a deep pool, yet a playful smile played on his lips.

Everyone vaguely realized that what followed was probably just the beginning of a spectacular confrontation.

Just as Lin Wanqing was about to explain, Si Ming raised his hand to stop her.

A slight smile played on his lips as he spoke calmly, "Mr. Allen, you're right, I'm indeed not a professional, but..."

"But what?" Allen raised an eyebrow, his expression playful, as if anticipating Si Ming's struggle.

Si Ming looked calm and smiled, "Sometimes, amateurs can break down the prejudices of professionals, can't they?"

Allen was taken aback, then burst into laughter, his eyes full of disdain: "Hilarious! You think you can help us? Do you think psychology is just about guesswork?"

"Perhaps." Si Ming shrugged, a more amused smile playing on his lips.
"But as far as I know, your research has come full circle so far. Could it be that your 'specialty' is limiting your imagination?"

Allen's smile froze instantly, and anger flashed in his eyes.

He barely suppressed his emotions and gave a haughty sneer: "Anyone can be quick-witted, but an 'outsider' like you will soon understand the cruelty of reality."

After saying that, Allen deliberately glanced at Lin Wanqing, his gaze full of implications, as if warning her not to make a mistake.

Si Ming simply smiled and remained silent, his expression calm and composed.

The atmosphere in the laboratory immediately became awkward.

Lin Wanqing sighed helplessly, secretly glancing at Si Ming, feeling both worried and curious.

It seems this situation is going to get out of hand...

Allen was clearly unwilling to be ignored by Si Ming. He deliberately raised his voice, his tone arrogant:

"Speaking of our project, we have recently made a major breakthrough, and the results have been recognized by top international journals. This is not something that some laymen can easily question."

He fiddled with the documents in his hands, his voice filled with a deliberate, smug pride:
"For example, the latest 'cognitive dissonance theory,' you probably haven't heard of it, right? It's a top-level psychological theory proposed by Professor Johnson in 1998, and some people probably can't even remember the name."

The researchers immediately showed some doubt and surprise, and secretly glanced at Si Ming.

Si Ming suddenly chuckled softly, the sound not loud, but it clearly echoed in the silent laboratory.

All eyes immediately turned to Si Ming.

"What are you laughing at?" Allen's expression changed, and he looked slightly embarrassed.

Si Ming coughed lightly and said slowly, "Excuse me, Mr. Allen, your so-called 'cognitive dissonance theory' may be completely wrong, right?"

Allen's face immediately turned ashen, and he angrily demanded, "What do you mean?"

Si Ming smiled slightly, his tone as calm as still water: "'Cognitive dissonance theory' was not proposed in 1998 at all, much less by Professor Johnson as you claim."

Si Ming paused briefly, his expression calm, a hint of mockery in his eyes:
"This theory was proposed by Festinger in 1957 and mainly studies the psychological discomfort caused by the inconsistency between cognition and behavior."

As for the 'Professor Johnson' you mentioned, he probably never existed in the history of psychology.

The laboratory fell into a deathly silence.

All the researchers stared at Allen in astonishment, while Allen's face was as white as if it had been painted, completely stiff.

Lin Wanqing smiled unconsciously, her eyes revealing a hint of admiration and appreciation.

Lynn covered her mouth and chuckled secretly, her expression clearly gloating.

Allen felt the strange looks from those around him, his expression shifting between light and dark, as if he had been slapped in the face without anyone noticing.

“Si Ming…” Allen said through gritted teeth, “You—who exactly are you?”

Si Ming's smile remained unchanged, but a hint of coldness and sharpness appeared in his eyes.

He said softly, "I'm just an amateur. But even so, I respect the truth better than some 'professionals'."

After he finished speaking, he calmly looked at Allen, as if admiring the other's embarrassed and distorted expression.

Everyone realized that this invisible war seemed to have only just begun.

Allen's face instantly turned extremely pale, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.

He clearly didn't expect that this seemingly ordinary "freelancer" would casually expose his boasting.

"You...you're talking nonsense!" Allen roared angrily, but his voice trembled, lacking confidence, just like the classic "stubborn" scene on the internet.

Si Ming remained calm and composed, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery: "I've only happened to have read a few books. If you disagree, you're welcome to verify it anytime."

He paused, then added, "After all, academia is supported by knowledge, not by money and titles."

A few suppressed laughs echoed in the laboratory.

Allen froze, his face turning pale and then red. He opened his mouth several times to try to refute, but couldn't utter a single word.

His pride was easily shattered by Si Ming.

The surrounding researchers began to whisper among themselves, their gazes toward Si Ming filled with obvious admiration and curiosity.

Lin Wanqing secretly breathed a sigh of relief, a faint smile appearing on her lips as she looked at Si Ming with a sense of satisfaction and gratitude.

Allen gritted his teeth and finally managed to squeeze out a feeble defense: "What...why do you question my expertise?"

Si Ming smiled, her words carrying a sharp edge: "As a 'freelancer,' isn't it enough that I can easily point out your mistakes?"

His tone was calm, but every word he said was cutting: "Knowledge has nothing to do with titles, and it's certainly not something you can build up with your father's sponsorship."

These words struck Allen like a thunderbolt, hitting him right where it hurt.

Allen's face turned completely black, his fists clenched, his anger almost uncontrollable, yet unable to erupt.

Finally, he glared at Si Ming fiercely, then turned and fled the laboratory in a disheveled state.

The assistant awkwardly jogged after Allen, repeatedly apologizing, "I'm so sorry, I disturbed you, I disturbed you..."

The atmosphere in the lab immediately relaxed, and the researchers could finally gossip without any restraint.

"Wow, Si Ming, that was an amazing face-slapping move of yours!"

Lynn leaned close to Siming's ear and secretly gave him a thumbs-up, "I almost couldn't help but applaud you."

Lin Wanqing walked over with a smile, teasingly saying in a gentle voice, "Siming, you're as surprising as ever."

Si Ming shrugged and replied calmly, "Some people are so used to wearing masks that they've forgotten the essence of knowledge."

The group exchanged glances, the atmosphere as harmonious as if they had just finished a wonderful performance.

But Lin Wanqing quickly shattered this relaxed mood. She suppressed her smile and said in a low voice, "The real trouble may have only just begun."

She pulled a slightly damaged cell phone from her pocket and handed it to Si Ming with a serious expression: "This is what the police found at the scene of the missing student's disappearance. The text messages inside... are very strange."

Si Ming took the phone; a distress text message, never sent, was clearly displayed on the screen:

"Help! We're trapped in a yellow maze with no way out!"

Siming's gaze instantly turned serious, as if an invisible kite string had gently tugged at the strings of his heart.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Wanqing, his tone low yet firm:

"It seems that the real strange events are only just beginning."

"The real fear is not death, but the fear of never realizing you are in it."

—Excerpt from "The Realm of Nothingness: Deeper Cognition"

The atmosphere in the police meeting room was so oppressive that it felt like a scene of imminent social death was about to unfold.

On the long table, two stark white fluorescent lights illuminated everyone's faces, making them appear bloodless.

The second hand of the wall clock slowly turned, each tick like a tap on everyone's nerves.

Si Ming glanced sideways at Lin Wanqing beside him. Her face was slightly pale, and her fingers were nervously twisting together, clearly indicating that she was not at peace.

The officer cleared his throat, picked up the damaged phone from the table, and said in a serious tone:

"This phone was found this morning at an abandoned hospital in the suburbs. It has been confirmed that it belongs to the missing student, Cheng Hai, and the videos on it contain..."

He paused for a moment, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes, before plugging in the projector.

The curtain slowly descended, making the room even darker, with a sliver of light casting a soft glow on the screen.

The video footage appeared shakily, showing a dimly lit hospital corridor.

The lights flickered on and off, as if they were about to go out at any moment.

In the video, a voice trembling with tears can be heard: "Where am we? We seem to be going in circles!"

The officer clicked the mouse, pausing the video on the backs of several young people: "Does anyone know them?"

Si Ming frowned and turned to look at Lin Wanqing, only to find that her face had become even paler, and her eyes were filled with fear and unease.

Lin Wanqing stared intently at the screen, her voice trembling slightly: "The girl holding the phone, the birthmark on the back of her hand, my sister Lin Yuxi also has it."

The police officer and everyone present gasped in shock.

Si Ming frowned deeply, his heart sinking. The thing he least wanted had indeed happened.

The police officer silently continued playing the video.

In the video, the group of people are running in a panic, but they keep lingering in the same corridor.

Their screams and cries blended together, sending a chill down one's spine.

The screen started shaking again, as if the person filming had suddenly started running.

Rapid breathing and hurried footsteps intertwined, creating an eerie melody.

The four young people in the video are clearly gripped by deep fear.

The corridor seemed to stretch endlessly forward, the cold light of the fluorescent lamps seemed to repeat endlessly, each corner was like the last, so familiar it was maddening, yet so strange it was terrifying.

"Wait, are we back here again?" a girl asked in a trembling voice, her tone filled with despair and confusion.

"This is where we just walked...this is where we just walked!"

The camera paused for a moment, the girl's face was illuminated by the blurry light, her eyes were empty and terrified, as if she was slowly losing her mind.

"No, it's impossible..." A boy's voice was low and weak, but he was clearly trying to comfort himself. "We've been moving forward, how could we possibly go back to where we started?"

But everyone fell silent, as if they all understood something, but no one dared to say it aloud.

The sound of running footsteps paused temporarily, and the rapid, intense breathing and faint sobbing of several people could be heard in the video.

"I told you, we shouldn't have come in! But you wouldn't listen, now what are we going to do!" A boy's voice trembled with anger and fear.

"What's the point of saying all this now! I wasn't the one who made the suggestion in the first place!"

Another girl's voice was sharp and choked with sobs, "It's all Cheng Hai's fault! If he hadn't said it was fun, how could we have..."

"Stop arguing, Zhao Xue and Xiao Jie are both missing, we can't get separated anymore."

Off-screen, another boy's voice can be heard trying to remain calm but unable to hide his anxiety: "Keep going, the exit is just ahead, hang in there!"

"Exit? Didn't you see we've been going in circles?" The girl who complained first was on the verge of a breakdown, her voice trembling with tears.

"The places we just walked through are clearly repeating themselves!"

"Shut up!" the girl holding the phone suddenly hissed in a panic, "You...did you hear that? It sounds like something is following us."

The shout silenced everyone instantly, a terrifying silence descending upon them, and the image on the screen began to shake violently as their fingers trembled...

The image was shaking violently, and the person in the shot seemed to have lost the strength to continue running.

The rapid, labored breathing echoed in the suffocating silence, sounding particularly jarring.

A few seconds later, the light in the camera began to stabilize, but the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

"Did you hear that?" The boy in the dark hoodie lowered his voice, his tone filled with barely concealed fear and confusion.

The people around were silent for a moment, as if trying to catch some kind of sound in the air.

After a few seconds of silence, the girl's extremely suppressed sobs suddenly broke the silence; her voice was barely a whisper:

"It...it seems to have been following us..."

At this moment, the camera slowly turned to the back, following their gaze. The end of the corridor seemed to fall into deeper darkness, and the hum of the fluorescent lights echoed incessantly like a nightmare.

Although no specific objects or people could be seen, everyone could clearly sense that...

Something seemed to be watching them from the end of that darkness, waiting quietly and patiently.

"Where...where am we?" another boy's voice was on the verge of collapse. "Are we going in circles? Why can't we see an exit?"

The camera trembled slightly, as if the photographer's hand was shaking, followed by the sound of light footsteps gradually approaching from the darkness in the distance.

The sound was so faint, almost imperceptible, yet it struck each person's heart with precision.

Suddenly, the camera captured a faint point of light in the shadows around a corner.

Upon closer inspection, they discovered that it was actually a pair of slightly flickering eyes, eerily watching them from the darkness.

His gaze was cold and gloomy, like a predatory beast, piercing straight through the screen and into the depths of the viewer's heart.

"No...we can't stay any longer!" a girl finally cried out sharply, her voice shrill and trembling, "It's getting closer and closer...!"

At that moment, the video camera suddenly started shaking violently, as if it were being shaken by an invisible hand.

The chaotic footsteps and frantic breathing intertwined to create an eerie melody, frantically pounding on everyone's nerves.

"No! It's right behind us!" the girl screamed desperately, her voice piercingly sharp. "Don't turn around!"

The next second, the scene suddenly shifted, and a low roar suddenly rose from the depths of darkness, frantic and hungry, like a wild beast out of control.

The light flickered, and the world in the corridor seemed to be caught in a strange loop.

What exactly is that thing?
Suddenly, a muffled thud was heard in the video. A boy fell heavily to the ground, struggling to crawl in terror.

The voice was filled with despair and pleading: "Save me! Don't leave me!"

The camera pans around chaotically, and in the dim light, a dark figure rapidly approaches, ruthlessly engulfing the boy completely.

The camera abruptly shifts, revealing only a broken pair of glasses, a cell phone rolling silently to the ground, and faint dark marks on the floor.

The blood-stained afterimage completely shattered the viewer's psychological defenses.

"Where's the export? When will we finally reach the export?"

The survivors had completely broken down, their cries filled with despair and a hint of hysterical madness.

The image became fragmented, as if even the phone couldn't withstand the distorted horror, flickering violently a few times before plunging into darkness.

The video abruptly ended, and the conference room fell into a deathly silence.

Lin Wanqing's face was already deathly pale; she pointed tremblingly at the dark screen.
Her voice was weak and choked with sobs: "The one who just collapsed... was Cheng Hai... and the one holding the phone was my sister, Lin Yuxi."

Lynn patted her shoulder with a serious expression, trying to comfort her, but found that his fingers were also trembling.

“Officer,” Si Ming slightly raised his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable, intimidating pressure.

How did you obtain the video?

The officer hesitated for a moment, then opened the laptop in his hand.

A bizarre website page suddenly appeared on the screen, with the name of the page written in glaring scarlet font—'Backroom.com'.

"This name is quite meaningful; it's a top-tier name in the horror website world."

Selene couldn't help but mutter under her breath, trying to ease the tension that was about to freeze in the air.

However, no one was in the mood to respond. It was as if an invisible chill was constantly emanating from behind the screen, sending shivers down everyone's spines.

Si Ming stared at the text on the screen, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips: "So this is trouble coming knocking on our door?"

The webpage background was as black as an abyss, with a few lines of blood-red text slowly emerging:
Welcome to the endless maze.

We've always been here... waiting for you.

A simple sentence instantly shattered the last shred of rationality that remained in everyone's minds.

Lin Wanqing involuntarily tightened her grip on Si Ming's arm, her voice trembling slightly: "Si Ming, do you think this... is just a legend?"

"The line between legend and reality is often very thin," Si Ming said calmly.
His tone was deep and philosophical, as if he were about to pull out a mysterious card and turn the tide of battle at any moment.

But deep down, he knew better than anyone what unspeakable darkness lay hidden between those lines.

The air fell silent again, and everyone's heart seemed to be tightly bound by an invisible kite string, pulling them into the unknown depths.

“Mr. Si Ming,” the police officer broke the silence, his voice low and serious, “the police have no leads yet. Could this ‘back room’ be some kind of unusual mental phenomenon?”

Si Ming shook his head, a meaningful smile playing on his lips: "Perhaps, but the real question has never been whether it exists or not, but rather—whether it will let us go."

Hearing Si Ming's meaningful words, everyone felt a chill run down their spines, and a hint of horror unconsciously surfaced in their eyes.

The mysteries hidden in the video are as chilling as the smile of the person in the mirror; the real fear may have only just begun...

"The real terror lies not in what we see, but in the fact that we never know what lies hidden in the depths of darkness."

—Excerpt from "Fear of the Unknown: A Study of the Human Psychology"

(End of this chapter)