Chapter 76: I Am a Normal Person

The clues had indeed not been severed. Now, they understood the method the criminal used to hypnotize victims–through live streaming.

Is it possible to conduct hypnosis via a live stream? The answer is yes. Hypnosis often involves the use of verbal cues, gestures, and objects to guide the subject’s mind. A live broadcast can certainly facilitate this.

At this moment, Xiao Yu was examining a music box that had come into their possession through National Security’s interaction with the young child mentioned by Lu Jinyan.

The tune inside? Sleeping Elves.

The child, only five, had been old enough to remember who had given it to him. It was an older brother, a youth by his description, seemingly in his twenties.

Xiao Yu was stunned. The first thought that struck him was sheer disbelief.

Could the suspect really be so young?

The case had begun five years prior. How old would that make him at the start. Barely fifteen? To think a teenager could orchestrate crimes that baffled even National Security was far-fetched, yet not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

Was he a criminal prodigy?

Such individuals were rare, not mere common occurrences.

Or was there an accomplice involved?

“The suspect has strong counter-surveillance capabilities,” Wang Dong said gravely. “When he handed the music box to the child, it was precisely in a surveillance blind spot of the complex. Despite scrutinizing the community’s CCTV footage, we haven’t spotted anyone matching the young man the child described. We also checked the external Sky Eye surveillance cameras without any success in identifying the suspect. Relying on the child’s description to create a portrait is not feasible.”

Xiao Yu nodded, unsurprised.

Able to orchestrate such a case, perpetrating crimes consecutively over five years without leaving a trace or getting caught by the National Security, clearly indicated the intellectual caliber of this individual.

Catching someone so easily would indeed be suspicious.

Can’t find him? No.

“He’s still in this city,” Xiao Yu asserted coldly.

“Why?”

Wang Dong turned into a walking “Why Encyclopedia.” He even felt frustrated at times, like he was just a plot device in a novel, existing solely to enhance the main character’s dramatic flair.

This, however, was merely an illusion born from different levels of intellectual understanding.

When a person trusts someone else who possesses high intelligence, strong leadership, and exceptional control abilities, a natural human inclination to lean on stronger individuals emerges. One starts to habitually think that the other person’s advice is superior to your own. This phenomenon is known as charismatic leadership.

“Because his plan didn’t succeed this time,” Xiao Yu scoffed. “For instance, imagine a man and woman deeply in love, at the point of discussing marriage. Just as the man joyfully prepares to get the marriage certificate with the woman, she suddenly breaks up with him and hastily marries another man. What would the man feel?”

“Angry?” Wang Dong’s eyes lit up with intensity, “Or rather, enraged.”

“Exactly,” Xiao Yu nodded. “The more intelligent a person is, the more confident they become. Excess confidence can easily give rise to other emotions like pride or arrogance. This is a nearly irreversible psychological phenomenon. Very few can manage these inherent feelings without letting them manifest. The smarter and more confident they are, the less likely they are to endure the frustration when their seemingly perfect plans are thwarted. They’d be driven by anger, and curiosity too. They’d want to understand why their plan failed and how it was disrupted. They might even go to great lengths to ensure their plans succeed, so that they don’t admit defeat.”

Listening to Xiao Yu’s analysis, Wang Dong’s expression suddenly shifted, his concern palpable.

“Doesn’t that mean Lu Jinyan in the hospital is now in great danger?”

“Yes,” Xiao Yu responded, his tone nonchalant. “If the perpetrator is indeed one of those extreme cases, Lu Jinyan’s situation is certainly dangerous. However, the more intelligent the person, the more they calculate and strategize. They require time to perfect their plans and won’t act hastily without ensuring absolute safety.”

Wang Dong paused, reflecting on the depth of Xiao Yu’s deductions.

“Do you ever get arrogant?” he asked, half in jest and half in genuine curiosity.

“Of course, I’m only human,” Xiao Yu admitted with a nod. “But it’s those who can keep their arrogance in check and harness their intelligence who are truly frightening. They’re not just influential figures. They’re either titans or monsters.”

In his previous life, he was the monster he described. In this life, he aspired simply to be a normal person. Nothing more.

---

After two sleepless days and nights, Xiao Yu’s limits were tested, his body succumbing to exhaustion.

When Mu Qingwu came to pick him up, he had already dozed off in the car. Waking up hours later, he found himself comfortably tucked into bed, cradled in his wife’s arms.

Xiao Yu, nestled in Mu Qingwu’s embrace, pondered his situation with a childlike comfort.

“Sister, did you carry me from the car?”

Mu Qingwu, whose physical strength belied her delicate appearance, nodded gently.

Her figure was toned from her commitment to fitness, displaying a sleek vest line and well-defined muscles that could easily put her at par with some men. In his dazed state, Xiao Yu couldn’t help but draw parallels between her and Tifa, a character idolized in his past life for similar reasons.

“Mmm,” she replied, her voice as tender as her gaze. “Hungry? I can make us something to eat.”

Xiao Yu hesitated, his mind briefly recalling his wife’s culinary adventures that often mirrored the chaotic, albeit enthusiastic, attempts of game-loving girls more focused on their screens than the stove.

It was an endearing trait, nonetheless.

“I’ll cook,” he quickly offered.

Finally, he realized, finally registering the oddity of his current position.

Climbing out from her hold, he reassured himself of his masculinity. “I’m a man, not meant to be cradled like a child, no matter how much I enjoy it.”

His cheeks warmed at the thought, a mix of embarrassment and affection coloring his expression as he moved to take charge of the kitchen.

Finally realizing that his posture was inappropriate, Xiao Yu moved away from Mu Qingwu’s embrace.

‘I’m a man, a man. How can I be held like a child in a girl’s arms? But, I really like it!’

He got up and prepared breakfast, two dishes and a soup.

“Does it taste good?” Xiao Yu asked as he watched Mu Qingwu eat quietly.

“Mhm.” Mu Qingwu looked up, her eyes enchanting and luminous, reminiscent of a flawless jade sculpture.

“Sister, do you know what I felt when I first saw you?” Xiao Yu playfully asked while eating.

“What was it?” Mu Qingwu’s smile bloomed beautifully.

“The moment I walked into the private room and saw you, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh.'”
Xiao Yu exaggerated, “I, Xiao Yu, have always been upright and honest. Why did I have to meet such a bewitching beauty? It’s truly vexing!”

“Haha!” Mu Qingwu laughed heartily, delighted by her brother’s dramatics.

“What spell did you cast on me that makes me think of you every moment of the day?” Xiao Yu clutched his chest, “Sister, you’ve completely captivated my heart.”

“How annoying,” Mu Qingwu playfully scolded, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

She knew they were just cheesy lines and that her brother was simply teasing her. Yet, she couldn’t help but feel a sweetness spreading through her, almost instinctively responding, “Brother.”

“What?” Xiao Yu asked with a smile.

“My period’s gone.”

Mu Qingwu lowered her head, her exquisitely beautiful face flushing with a rosy glow. She looked more demurely charming, less aloof and regal than usual. The jade beauty came to life.

Xiao Yu leaped up instantly, rushing toward his bashful and alluring wife.

But then…

The phone rang!