Fan Jialuo was clearly was just a frail young master, while Zhuang Zhen was a special soldier who had experienced countless battles. Their combat effectiveness was fundamentally not on the same level at all.

From a logical perspective, Fan Jialuo shouldn't have been able to assert any control over Zhuang Zhen. But strangely, from the moment his hand covered Zhuang Zhen's hand, it was as if the latter was tightly wrapped in an invisible magnetic field, which cut off all his connections to the outside world, and which he was completely unable to resist.

It was also at this instant that Zhuang Zhen finally realized how horrific Fan Jialuo's ability was. If this person wanted to control someone, there was no need for him to use force or to even waste his breath on speaking, all it would take was just a simple touch. In fact, occasionally, even a touch would be unnecessary, simply pointing his finger from a distance at his intended target would suffice.

Just what kind of power is this? Can it even be explained by science?

Zhuang Zhen tried to concentrate and dispel the thick cocoon-like magnetic field that suffocated him; he tried to prevent the emotions bubbling inside him from being released-but it was all for naught. His body was no longer his body, and his mind was no longer his mind-he was merely a stroma that Fan Jialuo held within his hand.

It was in this stifled state that Zhuang Zhen thought back to Fan Jialuo's previous words- everything in the world is my medium!

It turns out that it wasn't a lie!

As Zhuang Zhen struggled in horror, Fan Jialuo looked at Song Rui and asked slowly, "Have you heard of the delayed choice experiment which investigates the consequences of the double-slit experiment? Do you know about the wave-particle duality of photons?"

Song Rui stared back at him expressionlessly, unwilling to be drawn into his questions.

Liao Fang shook her head in disbelief, wondering why Fan Jialuo had suddenly started talking about scientific experiments.

"First, a machine is set up to monitor the movement of light particles from a position right beside the point light source, and in front of it, at a certain distance, a baffle with two slits that restricts the outflow of light is placed. The point light source is controlled in such a way that it emits only a single light particle, which then passes through one of the two slits, which it chooses of its own 'will', until it reaches the black screen behind the baffle.

"When the monitoring machine is turned on, the light particle passes through only one of the slits, thus forming two parallel stripes of light against the black screen. However, when the monitoring machine is turned off, the light particle passes through both slits at the same time unhindered, and forms numerous parallel light and dark stripes which alternate on the black screen. What does this mean?"

Song Rui remained silent, but Liao Fang had been attracted by the topic and repeated in a somewhat foolish manner, " Why is that so?"

Fan Jialuo chuckled. "How can a particle of light pass through two slits at the same time? Think about it, it's like seeing two footballs passing simultaneously through two goals. Next, why is it a 'particle' when the monitoring machine is turned on and a 'wave' when the machine is turned off? What influences this change in the form of light?"

Liao Fang's curiosity became more and more profound as she exclaimed, "Yes, why does it change?"

Fan Jialuo clenched Zhuang Zhen's hand tighter, sighed and then said, "Don't you understand? When we do not observe light, it is a particle. When we observe it, it becomes a ripple, or a wave. Our consciousness determines the form that light takes. In other words, our thoughts and consciousness can change the world.

"What we see, what we hear and what we touch may not all be true; but what we think, what stays in our mind and what we feel is likely to be 'true', we 'learn' and 'accept' it as the origin and foundation of our world.

"Emotion and consciousness are the most powerful forces human beings possess. It is just like when we are angry, the water molecules around us become chaotic and loose, and when we are happy, they revert to a compact and beautiful state again, as firm as ever."

After pausing for a moment, Fan Jialuo enunciated, word by word, "Our emotions and consciousness can penetrate and affect all tangible and intangible things. In other words, so long as we desire, we have the ability to change the world."

Liao Fang was stunned.

Is this science or theology? Why is it becoming more and more mysterious?

Fan Jialuo once again turned to look at Song Rui, and this time, the smirk at the corner of his mouth showed a hint of ridicule. "Dr. Song, do you think you are invincible because no emotion can affect you, and no one's consciousness can shake you? But let me tell you, in my opinion, it's just the opposite. Since you don't even possess the ability to change yourself, how can you influence or change the world?

"The moment you abandon others, you are already being abandoned by the world. The power displayed on one's exterior is not strong, but the power contained inside one's heart is a truly insurmountable strength. This kind of power is formed from numerous experiences and emotions, which include love, hate, sorrow and bitterness. You have nothing of that sort. Remember, no matter how hard and thick an ice wall is, breaking it doesn't take much effort. You just need to expose it to the sun and it will melt on its own."

"Dr. Song," continued Fan Jialuo as he chuckled lightly, having finally released Zhuang Zhen's hand. "Do you dare to open and bare your heart in daylight?"

Song Rui's facial muscles were tense-they looked like they would crack in the very next second. His silence heightened the sudden eerie atmosphere in the interrogation room.

Zhuang Zhen was trying his best to calm his frantic heartbeat. The feeling of being controlled and of having his emotions and consciousness extracted was too intense and disturbing. Perhaps he would never forget this interrogation within this lifetime.

Liao Fang looked towards her left and right, with questions clearly flitting across her face-Who am I? Where am I? What happened just now? Fan Jialuo had said so much, yet she didn't understand a single word!

Conversely, Liu Tao and Xiao Li, who were in the observation room, were acutely aware of the meaning behind these words.

"Is he implying that Dr. Song has some kind of a psychological issue? Does such a person, one without love and hate or sorrow, exist in the world?"

"Yes, and there are quite a few." Liu Tao nodded solemnly, but what he didn't say was that-this kind of person, who had no emotions and lacked empathy, had been classified as a natural-born criminal by the Italian criminologist Lombroso. Such people were extremely dangerous and no one could predict if or when they would commit crimes.

Xiao Li shook his head in disbelief. "Isn't Fan Jialuo just spitting out more nonsense? Dr. Song has such a good temper and he really treats people sincerely. How could he have no emotions? I don't believe it!"

Liu Tao didn't reply. He fought against criminals on the front line all year round, so he also understood the truth better than anyone-one might know a person for a long time, but would still fail to understand their true nature.

As for what kind of person Dr. Song Rui is? Who could know such a thing but the man himself?

The two adjacent rooms lapsed into silence. It was only after a while that Zhuang Zhen managed to recover from the feeling of being controlled, after which he spoke in a cold voice, "We are interrogating you right now, Fan Jialuo. What are you trying to do to Dr. Song?"

Hearing this, Liao Fang woke up from her dreamy state and quickly picked up the notes.

After glancing at Song Rui, who was sitting there with a stiff expression, Fan Jialuo chuckled, "I'm just proving my confession. I'm a psychic, not your supposed murderer. Officer Zhuang, you can open the thermos to verify whether what I previously said is true or false."

"What does your confession have to do with the thermos? Don't play tricks on me and answer the previous questions honestly!" Zhuang Zhen's tone was very harsh, he refused to be led by the nose any longer. Unfortunately, he had a pig teammate. Before he could act in response, Liao Fang had opened the lid of the thermos cup and had taken a sip of the plain water that was in it.

"Poof!" In the next second, water sprayed across the table and Liao Fang shrieked, "Captain, did you add Coptis chinensis to the water? Why is it so bitter?"

"Bitter?" Zhuang Zhen snatched the thermos cup and tasted it, upon which his face changed abruptly. He knew better than anyone else that this thermos had been filled with ordinary hot water, without any flavorings or additions, because he had drunk from it only a few minutes ago. But it was also true that now, the water in the cup was very bitter, and the bitterness was so strong that it almost numbed his tongue.

Did Fan Jialuo tamper with the water without his knowledge? Was it poisoned? These thoughts were shot down by Zhuang Zhen himself as soon as they formed. The thermos cup was made of steel, and the cover had been screwed shut tight throughout the interrogation. When Fan Jialuo had held his hands against the thermos cup, for that entire duration, it was his hands that had touched the thermos cup directly, not Fan Jialuo's. Moreover, it would be impossible for him to have changed the quality of the water through the barrier of solid steel.

So how did the water become bitter? Was its change really affected by his emotions and consciousness? Zhuang Zhen's mind had become so blank that he didn't know how to even begin explaining this.

Liao Fang took a few more sips of the water for fear that it was a perception error on her part, but ended up spitting it out again.

By this point, Liu Tao and Xiao Li couldn't sit still. They rushed into the interrogation room, tasted the water from the cup, and then stuck their tongues out in reaction.

Song Rui sat rigidly in his original position, without displaying any expression or taking any action. This was the first time he had been forced into such a state. It was as if he had been stripped of his clothes and skinned bare, then displayed naked and bloody in front of everyone. A tingling sensation was closely transmitted to the top of his heart, which pulled at his nerves-it was a feeling which seemed to be called panic.

It took him a long time to break away from this strange emotion, and he eventually spoke in a hoarse voice, "Stop drinking and send the thermos cup to the Forensic Department for examination. The water won't change for no reason."

"Yes, yes, send the water to the Forensic Department! If it's toxic, it's not good!" Liu Tao slapped his smooth forehead hard.

Zhuang Zhen gazed deeply at Fan Jialuo, before he gathered together the scattered materials on the table, which prompted Liao Fang and others to also exit the interrogation room in a hurry. Song Rui readjusted the glasses that sat on the bridge of his nose and pushed open the door to leave. He didn't dare to even look at Fan Jialuo's face, let alone into the eyes of the other party, because he was afraid of experiencing the sensation of his soul being penetrated once again.

Fan Jialuo was left alone in the interrogation room, with the lamp still shining on his pale face, which made him appear almost transparent, but his dark and bright eyes showed that his existence could not be ignored. He reclined on the back of the chair, with his long legs folded lazily, his hands clasped together and laid flat against the table.

Then, he tilted his head and looked at himself in the mirror, but his pupils were devoid of everything; he then looked down at his hands, and then tapped at the tiger's mouths of both his clasped hands with his left and right thumbs. His movements were rhythmic.

In contrast to the quiet and leisurely Fan Jialuo, the current task force was in a state of chaos. Liu Tao, holding the thermos cup, rushed to the Forensic Department and urged the technicians to immediately test the water quality.

Zhuang Zhen and Song Rui headed to an office to reformulate the interrogation plan.

Liao Fang vividly described Fan Jialuo's miracles to the several other young police women.

Xiao Li saved the interrogation video onto the computer and watched it repeatedly in an attempt to detect any of Fan Jialuo's flaws. Behind him, staring colleagues had formed a circle, all of whom stood with their mouths wide open, as they issued sounds of incredible exclamation.

Yang Shengfei hid in a stairwell and smoked cigarettes one by one, intense anger burning in his heart.

Amongst all this, Fan Jialuo, the main suspect of the crime, was particularly relaxed. With only a few words, he had managed to fully reverse the situation, and had dug out all of the interrogation team's weaknesses-the ones which had been buried deep-and had exposed them to the light. He had become the true leader of this interrogation, and at this point, the task force had still not yet noticed this.

...