Chapter 1114: Stimulation
On the enormous square where the towering display screen stood, a fierce wind was raging, kicking up dust and sand.
Doctor Zhao turned his head to look at Yan Zhichun, his expression panicked as he said, "This kind of scene… I really can't handle this kind of scene. I didn't even mentally prepare for it… You're being way too demanding."
Yan Zhichun frowned upon hearing this, then looked up at the display screen. Her gaze pierced through the airborne dust, and she roughly scanned the nearly indistinguishable mass of text. Soon, her brow furrowed even deeper.
It seemed she didn't see the word "Separation" on the screen.
Perhaps the sudden, overwhelming scale of the spectacle had shattered Doctor Zhao's conviction. If so, should she have told him the gravity of the mission last night?
But Yan Zhichun didn't really know Doctor Zhao, after all. Perhaps if she had disclosed the true nature of the mission, he would have fled even sooner.
"You're already standing here," Yan Zhichun said. "Right now, everyone sees us as a 'rebel army.' Even if you tried to run, you'd probably die. Instead of clinging to unrealistic fantasies, focus on what's in front of you."
After hearing this, Doctor Zhao scanned the distance through the wind and dust. Because the square where the giant bell and display screen were placed was open on all sides, people had begun to block off every road leading in.
He knew that even if he tried to flee now, he would encounter law enforcers hunting down rebels on every path. He might even be the first target to be eliminated.
"You people are too much…" Doctor Zhao said. "Do you really have to force me into such a hopeless situation?"
Yan Zhichun reached out and pressed her hands on Doctor Zhao's shoulders, then said slowly and emphatically, "It's not just you. Everyone is in a hopeless situation."
"What…?"
"Every single person standing beside you is facing an incredibly severe trial in their hearts," Yan Zhichun said. "Including the White Tiger standing at the front to stop us—his inner conflict is greater than anyone's."
Doctor Zhao paused after hearing that. He had thought Yan Zhichun was not good with words, but he never realized she could be so eloquent.
"So I should have sorted out your thoughts and calmed your emotions, but there's no time for that now. After all, no one here is better off than you are," Yan Zhichun continued. "If you think you can do it, I'll shift my focus to you. If not, figure out how to save yourself."
Yan Zhichun gave Doctor Zhao a very disjointed feeling. He was thirty-six years old, having struggled through society for many years, yet the girl before him was at most just over twenty. The age gap between them was vast, and logically, his life experience should surpass hers.
But Yan Zhichun's methods and words made him feel as if he were being overpowered.
"Little girl… it's not a question of whether I can do it or not," Doctor Zhao said. "In this kind of situation… I can't find that feeling anymore, you know? I'm terrified right now. I don't dare promise you—I'm afraid that 'Separation' is already gone."
Yan Zhichun frowned and was about to speak when a figure appeared behind Doctor Zhao.
"I can help you."
Yan Zhichun focused her gaze and saw that it was Lin Qin who had spoken. She hesitated for a moment.
"You…?" Doctor Zhao turned to look at Lin Qin. "How can you help me?"
Lin Qin reached out and gently took hold of Doctor Zhao's arm, saying softly, "Everything will be fine."
Doctor Zhao paused at the touch of Lin Qin's soft hand, then asked, "What do you mean…?"
"I am 'Stimulation,'" Lin Qin said. "After I touch you, it will be easier for you to obtain 'Recurrence.'"
Hearing this, Yan Zhichun's brows remained tightly knit. She had always been suspicious of Lin Qin's identity, and she felt that something like "Stimulation" was equally unreliable.
This explanation was somewhat abstract. For instance, whether a "Recurrence" succeeded depended on whether the person themselves believed. But if someone told you they were "Stimulation" and that touching you would enhance your "Recurrence," it would subconsciously increase your belief in your own "Recurrence."
In other words… regardless of whether the person touching you was actually "Stimulation" or not, as long as you believed what they said, the effect of "Stimulation" was already achieved.
From that perspective, anyone could be "Stimulation," and anyone could achieve the effect of "Stimulation." There was also no way for anyone to verify whether "Stimulation" had truly played a role.
Yan Zhichun turned her head subtly to look at the screen. Unlike before, she quickly spotted the word "Stimulation" in a corner.
It seemed that "Stimulation" was indeed a genuine "Recurrence," but its function left Yan Zhichun baffled.
A "Senior Extremist" she had never heard of, plus an "Recurrence" that seemed optional—this made Yan Zhichun even more suspicious of Lin Qin's identity than before.
The fact that Lin Qin could receive "Demonic Sound Descending" naturally meant that she sincerely believed herself to be an "Extremist," which satisfied the judgment of "Cause and Effect."
But Yan Zhichun still felt there were too many doubts about her.
"Just by touching… it works?" Doctor Zhao paused and asked Lin Qin.
"That's right. Just let things take their course from here, and your 'Recurrence' will appear soon." Lin Qin nodded to Doctor Zhao. "Let's finish this mission first, no matter what."
Yan Zhichun knew that even if Lin Qin was suspicious, she was still on their side for now.
"Yan, Yan Zhichun…" Doctor Zhao said. "The giant bell and the display screen are just too enormous. Even if I truly 'Recur,' I would need to fulfill certain prerequisites to destroy them…"
"Tell me," Yan Zhichun said. "Even if it costs me my life, I'll do it."
"No… it's not that extreme…" Doctor Zhao looked up at the colossal equipment standing before him, then said, "I need to touch it. Its size is too massive—I can't perform 'Separation' from here."
"Touch…" Yan Zhichun stared grimly at the path leading to the giant bell and display screen. The road was completely unobstructed, but at the end of it stood an old man in white robes.
At that moment, he was single-handedly wielding a raging wind to fight against a crowd of "Extremists."
To touch the giant bell… right under the White Tiger's nose?
"Not only that…" Doctor Zhao's expression turned a bit awkward. "To be safe, it would be best if a girl could go with me. Even if she ends up dead by the time we get there, it doesn't matter…"
"A girl?" Yan Zhichun didn't understand at first. "It's fine to have someone escort you there, but does the gender have to be specified?"
"Well…" Doctor Zhao's eyes flickered. "It's not about 'escorting.' It's that after I touch a woman, I can guarantee one hundred percent that 'Separation' will activate properly."
Yan Zhichun frowned upon hearing this, then said in a low voice, "You'd better not be lying to me."
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