After walking another approximately 200 meters, we encountered a cave entrance surrounded by numerous thorny vines. The area inside was much more expansive than the narrow passage we had just navigated, giving us a feeling of entering a hidden world. However, to our dismay, we found Xiao Yuande and Liu Yuning bound by vines and suspended from the cave ceiling!
We both rushed forward. Behind the vines, we saw chains, clearly man-made. Aside from Liu Yuning and Xiao Yuande, several other police officers were present, two of whom were already dead.
They had bullet wounds. Ma Biao, who had arrived with us, exclaimed in shock upon seeing the scene, "Did they commit suicide?"
I ignored him and examined some dissolved paraffin placed on the victims' hands, but found no traces of gunpowder residue. I shook my head and said, "Someone else must have shot them and staged it as a suicide."
"Because there's no gunpowder residue on the victims' hands and sleeves?" Ma Biao asked, perplexed.
"Exactly," I replied, standing up. I then instructed the arriving police officers to cut the vines and chains, causing them to fall.
I gently shook Liu Yuning and called out to her a few times. She finally stirred from her daze, but as her eyes fluttered open, she shrieked in terror, "Don't come near! Don't look at me like that! Don't electrocute me!"
"What?" I was completely bewildered by Liu Yuning's reaction. Seeing her vacant stare, I realized she must have been severely traumatized. Given her current state, she would likely need a psychologist.
Xiao Yuande was slightly better, but his mind seemed clouded, lost in a haze. I had never seen him like this before. After asking a few questions, he merely told us to be quiet. When we woke the other police officers, they all exhibited varying degrees of reactions similar to Liu Yuning's. Most of them had clearly been terrified by something beforehand, and it must have been truly horrifying. After all, police officers generally possess strong psychological resilience. For them to be so frightened indicated that whatever it was, it was formidable.
We decided to escort everyone out of the cave for the time being. As we were leaving the cave, one of the specialists informed us, "These toxins contain trace amounts of LSD, along with some cathinone components."
"Cathinone?" The mention of this drug immediately brought to mind the Polaris organization. Perhaps this case was connected to them.
After we exited the cave with the rescued individuals, Lu Chusheng and his team arrived. Seeing that we had already freed everyone, Lu Chusheng looked at Liu Yuning with a puzzled expression. I simply shook my head at him and we continued forward.
However, finding our way out was proving to be a problem. If it were that easy, no one would have gotten lost in the first place.
He Xin took out a drone controller. Although we couldn't see a clear path in the dense forest, the drone's aerial guidance would make things much easier.
"Big Bean, I'm counting on you this time!" He Xin said, releasing the drone and gazing intently at the path ahead.
Xiahou, while helping an injured officer, curiously asked, "Big Bean?"
"Yes, it's an upgraded version of the Little Beans, so I changed the name."
"Uh, couldn't you have come up with a better name?"
"Is this one not good? Whatever, it's just a drone anyway."
After about half an hour, with the help of the specialists and He Xin, we finally emerged from the forest.
We first took the injured officers, Liu Yuning, and Xiao Yuande to the hospital. After a thorough examination, it was discovered that most people had sustained scratches from the thorns on the vines. Liu Yuning had a few as well, but no traces of hallucinogenic drugs were found in her system. This meant her current condition was likely due to fright, ruling out drug-induced causes.
While I was in Liu Yuning's hospital room, I saw that she had regressed into a childlike state, fearful of everyone, and seemed not to recognize me. This troubled me greatly, as Liu Yuning had never behaved this way before.
It seemed we would need a psychologist, but without He Qing, whom could I find? While I was pondering this, He Xin said to me, "Father, I actually have a university classmate named Li Zhiliang. He's a psychologist now. Although he doesn't have a clinic, he often makes house calls for treatments, and his results are excellent."
"Li Zhiliang? I think I've heard his name before. Then have him come over and try!"
"Understood!" He Xin picked up her phone and sent a message. After some time, she informed me, "It's all set. Li Zhiliang plans to come tonight. He's currently with another patient."
I agreed. Around 7 PM, after Liu Yuning was brought back to our courtyard house, Li Zhiliang arrived. He was a man with refined features, sharp eyebrows, a slender build, and a scholarly demeanor. He wore sunglasses, and a mole on his nose couldn't detract from his handsome, fair complexion.
"Hello, Detective He. I am Li Zhiliang. It's an honor to be here at your home for treatment today."
"The pleasure is mine. Let's not delay; please begin immediately!"
"Certainly!"
After a brief greeting, Li Zhiliang approached Liu Yuning. She didn't resist him, but her eyes were exceptionally vacant, as if she recognized no one. There was no spark of life in them.
"Mrs. Liu, I am Dr. Li, here to provide you with psychological treatment!"
Liu Yuning showed no reaction. Li Zhiliang continued, "Let's find a quiet place to talk!"
He led Liu Yuning to a spot near a banyan tree by a well not far from the courtyard house, sitting quietly on the edge beneath the tree.
"I will now attempt to hypnotize you. During this process, you might experience some discomfort, or recall certain past events. But rest assured, I will do my utmost to help you recover!"
As Li Zhiliang spoke, He Xin and I observed quietly from a distance, remaining as silent as ghosts.
He raised his hand, producing a pocket watch, and swung it a few times in front of Liu Yuning before continuing, "Mrs. Liu, you are now in a tranquil, verdant forest, far from your work environment. The sunlight here is warm, casting dappled patterns on your body. You feel very comfortable, and your nerves are completely relaxed."
Liu Yuning remained motionless, sitting there like a puppet, her face devoid of even the slightest muscle twitch.
My heart filled with anxiety, but Li Zhiliang seemed accustomed to this. "Mrs. Liu, I know you are relaxed, even if you're not showing it outwardly. But what can a mere shell represent? The soul is what matters most. I can see a flicker of hope in your deep eyes, indicating that your heart is stirring."
Liu Yuning still wore an expression of complete obliviousness, showing no reaction.
Li Zhiliang said again, "Mrs. Liu, now, gaze into my eyes. Do not look away. Speak to me!"
Li Zhiliang's eyes seemed to fixate on Liu Yuning's, their gazes nearly meeting. However, Liu Yuning's pupils remained like a dead sea, lifeless.
Li Zhiliang finally gave up. He sighed and stood up, approaching us. "Mrs. Liu's condition appears to be more severe than I anticipated. It's as if all her memories have been erased and replaced with strange directives. Perhaps another approach might elicit a response."
"Another approach??" I didn't quite understand what Li Zhiliang meant. He ignored my unspoken question and continued, "I will continue to try my best."
"Whatever it takes, thank you," I said gratefully.
"That will be all for today. I will go back and consult some books to see if there are other methods. If not, I'll consult with a few professors. I'm sure we'll find a better solution!"