My left and right hemispheres fight each other.

"boring."

"I'm so bored..."

"How boring!"

"..."

"Hey, Chen Jing, let me ask you something. Why did you keep complaining about how boring it was when I gave you my body, but when I took control of it, you were surprisingly capable of doing nothing?" Chen Xin noticed Chen Jing's unusual behavior and asked.

"Because I don't want to waste the time I have to control my body by spacing out." Chen Jing returned to his usual self, mocking Chen Xin with a hint of sarcasm, while also mocking himself: "As for the time you have to control your body... hehe, I'm already used to waiting."

Chen Xin didn't react to this, and began to look around listlessly.

The room was small, with uniform light gray walls that were smooth, without stains or any unnecessary decorations.

The ground was light gray cement, clean, but hard and uncomfortable.

There was a hard board fixed to the ground on the inner side, covered with a thin mattress provided by the staff. It wasn't soft, but it was dry and clean.

There was a small window high up in the corner of the wall, fitted with thick railings, letting in natural daylight. It wasn't dark, but it wasn't warm either.

Above, there was a perpetually lit incandescent light, its light so white and flat it had no warmth, burning from dawn till dusk, making it impossible to tell the time.

There were no knives, no blood, no screams, only a heavy, oppressive silence.

There was no torment, no filth, only a kind of emptiness and boredom.

He went to jail.

No, to be precise, he was temporarily detained in a detention center.

Because Chen Jing didn't do anything to the corpses, the gruesome, disemboweled body was discovered by patrolling security guards early the next morning after he released the hypnosis. Fortunately, the security guards at the mental hospital were all healthy young men, not ordinary old men, otherwise they could have easily been frightened into serious injury.

The police arrived quickly, as the complainant's choice of words and agitated emotions at the time were enough to warrant serious attention.

As the police investigation unfolded, everything was discovered. Following the strong smell of blood, the police opened the door and arrived at ward '025' where Chen Xin was located. They found Chen Jing lying quietly on the surviving white bed area, which was not splattered with blood, lost in thought.

Beneath his bed lay three gruesome corpses, each with a different manner of death.

Naturally, he became the prime suspect immediately.

Police immediately cordoned off the scene, conducted a thorough investigation of the entire mental hospital, and took samples from various areas where evidence might be found.

Chen Xin himself was forcibly restrained until the forensic doctor found evidence on his face and hands.

On his right cheek, splattered blood and a small amount of brain tissue were detected, and similar residue was found on his right thumb.

Skin tissue and blood plasma traces were also found between his other fingers, but these were from scratching himself.

With some evidence and no other evidence to form a complete chain of events, he was first sent to the criminal investigation team and then detained here.

This is now his fourth day here.

"You look strange. What are you thinking about?" After a long silence, Chen Jing was the first to break the ice.

Seeing that Chen Xin remained silent, Chen Jing continued, "Are you afraid of the imprisonment you're about to face? Do you feel like you can't see a future?"

"Don't worry, I temporarily shut down the entire monitoring system in the control room during that period."

"The murder weapons that passed through my hands, as well as the non-woven fabric that was not destroyed, were also stored in the 'assassin's sleeve pocket,' both for convenience and for experimentation, to see how long it takes for items of different qualities to cool down after being stored in it and then taken out."

"The brain tissue splattered on our cheeks is just isolated evidence; it only proves that we were very close to that little guy when he was stabbed in the brain, nothing more."

"The irrefutable evidence of the silver-haired woman's death is in Mi Tiangong's hands. The cause of death of the short man will remain a mystery. The ice cone and the coat I touched on him have vanished into thin air. Zhang Shan, who died at the door, has absolutely nothing to do with us."

"Moreover, the police couldn't find any identification information for these three people at all. With such a strange factor at play, the investigation has long been led astray."

"The doctors, department heads, and nurses who work closely with us have also testified to this: the patient, Chen Xin, does indeed suffer from schizophrenia, but there is no record of her having an episode during her hospital stay. She actively cooperates with treatment, is emotionally stable, and is gentle to others..."

"Most importantly, Director Li has already made a judgment that our dissociative mental disorder is of the self-protective type, has no social harm, and is already in the recovery stage."

Despite being inside a detention center and having no communication with the outside world, Chen Jing's tone was unusually confident.

He quickly stated his conclusion: "The prosecutor's office will definitely not approve the arrest warrant, and they will certainly conduct a preliminary review. Our evidence is clean, and we will be released without charge immediately."

"I originally expected that we would be sent back to the mental hospital within three days, without even any supervision. It seems that the astute captain deliberately used his influence to delay until now..." Chen Jing thought of the man he had seen that day, his face full of dejection but his eyes bright, and smiled sarcastically, saying lightly:

"But it's alright. If he insists on dragging it out until the last minute, before the first hunting mission begins, all of our dear medical staff will put pressure on him individually. They will also jointly report him before the prosecutor's office's approval deadline..."

Without letting Chen Jing finish speaking, Chen Xin, leaning against the cold wall, said calmly, "Chen Jing, you are so good at manipulating people's hearts."

"You have meticulously crafted every move you make, even every deliberate micro-expression and micro-movement, every deliberate tone of voice and word choice, into a tool for 'hypnosis'."

"During my hospitalization, you constantly shaped my mind with the image of the deteriorating situation and despair, which unconsciously changed my behavioral habits."

"You even took advantage of this, using my expressions and actions to plant puppet threads in every nurse, doctor, head of department, security guard, patient, and even cook I've ever greeted, just so that you could instantly transform the entire hospital into your kingdom at a critical moment."

"You've succeeded. The nurses, doctors, security guards, cooks, and patients on duty are all at your disposal, helping you adjust every detail of the hospital and create the satisfactory atmosphere you envisioned."

"This is simply the perfect stage for you to shine. Use your emotions as paint and the night as a canvas to freely express your fear and doubt to every corner of those four people's minds and bodies."

"Outside the hospital, you begin the prelude to a series of hypnotic events with just a projection, a ghostly figure resembling someone who has hanged themselves, and that perfectly normal slight swaying."

"In the cafeteria, when the guy named Zhang Shan looked back, he saw himself chasing after his companion who had already gone far away, while his companion had complete faith in that person."

"Underground, you simply change the three-digit room number to a four-digit one, and through carefully arranged lighting, special wallpaper and architectural construction, you can disguise dozens of rooms as hundreds of spaces."

"You've also designed all sorts of details, planting many hints in their already relaxed hearts where they've banded together due to the high pressure, so that you can use your performance at crucial moments to stir their emotions and make them follow their feelings to do the actions you envisioned when they have no time to think carefully."

"Chen Jing, you're terrifying. You killed Mi Tiangong, you caused the security personnel in the control room to lose their jobs, you manipulated every medical worker who had good intentions towards me to do things they would never have done..."

"Just now, you deliberately stirred up my disgust for the boring and monotonous life in the detention center and the yearning for freedom that arose at the same time. You even went so far as to provoke conflict between me and law enforcement officers. To this end, you even went so far as to say the word 'we' that you've been avoiding saying all along..."

"You are a demon."

The restless mind calmed down, but soon, Chen Jing's voice came as usual: "The experiment was unexpected. The low-quality non-woven fabric and disposable bed sheet took 24 hours to cool down, while the ordinary scalpel and ice pick took 72 hours. The black coat was actually a treasure of constant quality, and we will have to wait nine days to retrieve it again. The homogeneous rainy night knife will take a full 27 days to retrieve it again."

"Such a long cooldown greatly limits the Hunter's ability to act. Hmm... at least that's true in this world, but I wonder about the mission world..."

"Chen Jing, what exactly are you avoiding?" Chen Xin interjected, questioning him.

"What? You admire me now? Do you want to learn my 'method of committing crimes'? I'll teach you." Chen Jing responded quickly this time.

Chen Xin became serious: "Chen Jing, you are so skilled at manipulating minds, do you really not understand what I've been thinking since that night?"

"Understood, and then?" Chen Jing's voice suddenly became leisurely.

Chen Xin clenched his fists, his eyes immediately reddening. Chen Jing's indifference to life and his joking tone had completely enraged him: "What do you take life for?"

But Chen Xin's suppressed rage only amused Chen Jing: "The most abundant yet rarest variable? The most complex yet simplest procedure? The most precious yet most despicable item? Or perhaps, a tool that can die for you in a crucial moment?"

"What do you mean?" Chen Xin, slightly awakened, noticed Chen Jing's unusual behavior and questioned him.

Chen Jing sighed softly, "It doesn't mean anything, I just think you're really hypocritical. You were the one who ultimately chose to fight back, and I discussed all the plans with you. You agreed before I implemented them, and in the end, you, the one who made the decision and is also the biggest beneficiary, turn around and bark at me?"

"But you never told me that Mi Tiangong would die, nor did you inform me beforehand that you wouldn't handle those bodies. You have absolutely no ability to manage the risks, yet you made such a confident promise!" Chen Xin was astonished, never expecting Chen Jing to be so shameless.

"..."

Why aren't you saying anything?

"I was just thinking about where you place yourself," Chen Jing said, resting his chin on his hand as if deep in thought. "I've been trying to figure out what you're thinking, but I can only get a rough idea. It turns out it's because I never imagined you were so naive."

"What do you take me for? An omnipotent Father? An all-knowing and all-powerful God?"

"Risks don't disappear out of thin air; they just shift from one place to another."

"Faced with a completely unknown and mysterious enemy, in order to completely save your life, there must be someone who is willing to die for you at the critical moment."

"This is not me tempting you to degenerate, but rather the reality that the weak must recognize."

"As for the bodies, that's even simpler. Mi Tiangong's sacrifice is a fact. Those three people have no identification information. I can try my best to hide their deaths, but how am I supposed to dispose of Mi Tiangong's body?"

"He has social connections. If we were to forcibly cover it up, I would have to constantly hypnotize everyone closely associated with him, making them forget his existence. Do you think that's feasible?"

"Plans can change. A world where everything runs exactly as planned only exists in your imagination."

Chen Xin pressed, "You speak with righteous indignation, but it's all sophistry. Did you truly not foresee the situation? If not, how did you formulate the contingency plan, and why did you put him in danger for me?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jing suddenly clapped his hands and laughed.

He gently clutched his stomach, as if he was struggling to catch his breath.

Chen Xin waited quietly for him to finish laughing, then asked, "What's so funny?"

Chen Jing pointed to his heart, slightly out of breath: "Do you really want me to be so blunt?"

"In your eyes, I'm so powerful, a devil who plays tricks on people, hahaha!"

"You're right. I understand most of what you're thinking, and I can indeed imagine the situation at that time and tell you every detail of the plan."

Chen Jing suppressed his trembling voice, his tone becoming increasingly unrestrained: "So, how did I, who you think can do anything, persuade you to fight for so long, only to decide to retaliate when the other party cornered you?"

Chen Xin fell silent.

Chen Jing laughed even more wildly, his laughter echoing in Chen Xin's head, layer upon layer: "You bastard, from the moment you made that decision, you clearly already envisioned the worst outcome, but now? What are you accusing me of?"

"If I were truly omnipotent in your eyes, you would have already made up your mind to fight back. During that seemingly weak period in the hospital, you were actually struggling with this situation, so why did you still make the decision?"

"Hahaha! How ridiculous! You people, who clearly all want to be the last one standing, throw the moral issues after resorting to any means necessary onto anyone else you can find to shirk responsibility!"

"Does this really bring you comfort or make you feel at ease?"

"A literary figure who leads an army to massacre a city can write 'A thousand miles without a rooster's crow,' and a eloquent but gluttonous person can utter 'A gentleman keeps away from the kitchen.' Using cruel methods and possessing compassion and empathy are not contradictory. Denying one's own desires and shirking one's responsibilities—that's hypocrisy!"

"I've considered this possibility, but that doesn't mean I can accept the outcome. It's just that I'd rather die than bear the guilt." Chen Xin said dejectedly, sliding onto the bed and turning over to lie on his side.

"I see you still don't understand." Chen Jing shook his head, but he didn't say anything more about it. Instead, he changed the subject: "I know you just want to vent your feelings, otherwise we could have finished our conversation without even using our mouths. Heh, even when you're angry you have to lower your voice. It seems you know there are cameras here and think that showing signs of mental abnormality will be detrimental to getting off the hook. How pathetic."

Ultimately, all tragedies stem from the inadequacy of the individuals involved.

"The accusations of the weak are utterly ridiculous; the changes brought about by the strong are the true and fundamental truth."

"After being locked up in this shabby detention center for so long, besides the food being really bad, I've also come to realize one thing."

"During the process of me acquiring the identity of the Hunter, the voice that reached my mind was completely directed at me, but after that creature connection was completely established, you could hear the conversation between the big silly girl and me."

"Back then, I had a suspicion, and now, my suspicion has come true."

"Although the brain-related biological connection affects both of us, that's just a special case born from the fact that we share a brain. The Hunter, however, is an identity unique to me."

"Do you know what this means? It means you can gain a new identity that is unique to you, and the benefits from both identities will simultaneously apply to one body."

"Haha! This is the real golden touch that belongs only to you and me! It's not that so-called 'culinary master's insight'."

"Brilliant, I can already imagine how amazing it will be. A true Wanderer, or even a Guardian, harbors a Hunter within him. What kind of delightful expressions will those who trust your identity display when you unleash your deadly attacks?"

Chen Xin smirked: "You beast."

Chen Jing shrugged indifferently: "You big idiot, do I have the authority to query this guy named Chen Xin who lives in the same brain as me? How can I join the 'Dao Qi' main space?"

"If you say that, won't she just fix this bug in our relationship?"

"Heh, if she needs me to remind her, does she even deserve to be called a super intelligent entity?" Chen Jing retorted sarcastically.

"In principle, no. But your situation is special. Based on my feedback, the conclusion is: inquiry is permitted." It was that clear voice, full of emotion yet devoid of feeling, that reached straight to the mind.

"Query successful".

"UHT7000 World—Dosert Supercluster—Morsotanu Galaxy Group—Galaxy—Red Star—Blue Planet, Homo sapiens ID 4545, not connected to the 'Jue'ao' brain-type biological link???"

"Identity: Prospective Access User"

"Reason for access: The pre-accessor who killed three ? Rangers is now directly connected."

"Access progress?: Two more 'Wanderers' need to be killed."

"Two people?" Chen Jing pondered these two words silently: "The act of killing has no preconditions. Does that mean indirect killing also counts? Or is there some strange judgment here?"

Upon hearing the super-intelligent entity consider his actions to be those of a Wanderer, Chen Xin's expression shifted several times. He swallowed hard and said:

"Chen Jing, stop calling her 'Big Silly Girl,' it sounds awful and weird."

"Oh?"

"Let's call her... Chen Ying."

Chen Jing paused for a moment, then smiled and said:

"As you wish."