Chapter 230: What Does It Matter if You Can’t See?

People have said before that the human brain’s memory functions like a computer hard drive. Sometimes, people forget certain memories, much like data being deleted from a hard drive. 

They actually have something in common—some forgotten memories can still be recalled because they are hidden deep within the brain, just like how deleted data on a hard drive can sometimes be recovered using the right techniques.

A police car pulled up at a certain location. This was the spot where suspect Peng Junlong had gotten into a car with Second Brother and Third Brother all those years ago. 

The road and direction had been confirmed.

“Right now, you need to completely relax. Don’t have any mental defenses against me,” Xiao Yu said, locking eyes with Peng Junlong as they stood by the roadside. “This is a necessary part of hypnosis. If you have any resistance or refuse to cooperate mentally, the hypnosis will fail. And I’ll know you’re still hiding something from the police. You know what the consequences will be, don’t you?”

Peng Junlong, “…”

He knew all too well what those consequences could be.

“If you don’t want to end up facing a firing squad, this is your last chance,” Xiao Yu continued, speaking clearly and deliberately. “Fully cooperate with me during the hypnosis, and we’ll recover the memories from that time. I need those memories to find their hideout.”

“I-I understand!” Peng Junlong stammered.

A deep fear of hypnosis gnawed at him. But he nodded quickly. He knew very well that if he didn’t get himself out of Second Brother and Third Brother’s crimes, he’d be shot a dozen times over.

“Now, start to relax your mind and body.”

A coin appeared in Xiao Yu’s hand. 

“Focus on it.”

The coin shimmered under the streetlight, reflecting a soft silver glow, almost like a butterfly made of light fluttering with the subtle movement of Xiao Yu’s fingers. It twirled, danced, and flipped effortlessly in his palm.

Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, Peng Junlong’s gaze fixed on the coin as his body and mind gradually relaxed.

“Next, let’s think about something pleasant,” Xiao Yu’s voice was soothing, almost hypnotic, carrying an inexplicable warmth. “Like… your favorite things to do when you were a kid.”

A distant expression washed over Peng Junlong’s face as he began to recall happy memories from his childhood. A faint smile appeared on his otherwise relaxed face, almost involuntarily.

The relationship between a hypnotist and the one being hypnotized is unique. The first step is to establish trust and relaxation, using words to create a sense of emotional connection.

Of course, this is the standard method of hypnosis.

There was also a more forceful method—Xiao Yu had used it once before. That involved leveraging his system’s abilities to completely overpower someone in the psychological realm. 

But this situation didn’t call for such drastic measures.

Since Peng Junlong was fully cooperating. Trust and rapport were quickly established. 

Through careful guidance, Xiao Yu’s words coaxed him deeper into a state of submission and openness.

In just twenty minutes, Peng Junlong’s consciousness had slipped into a suggestive, trance-like state. In this state, he was entirely under Xiao Yu’s direction, with no room for resistance.

Deep hypnosis.

The coin came to a rest in Xiao Yu’s palm as he studied Peng Junlong’s face. The man’s expression was somewhere between dreamlike and dazed, almost as if he were drunk and lost in a haze.

Once Xiao Yu was certain Peng Junlong was under, he asked, “Who are you?”

“Peng Junlong.” 

His voice had changed—slow, drawn out, and relaxed.

“And what is Peng Junlong?” Xiao Yu continued.

“I am… what am I?” A confused expression crossed Peng Junlong’s face as he tried to think. “I am… human.”

“You’ve forgotten,” Xiao Yu’s voice softened, guiding him, “you’re actually a bird. A bird that can fly.”

“I’m… a bird?” Peng Junlong’s expression shifted from confusion to realization, and he slowly nodded. “Yes, I’m a bird. A bird that can fly.”

As he spoke, he tried lifting his handcuffed arms but found himself restrained, unable to move.

After observing for a moment, Xiao Yu spoke again, “Oh, my mistake. You’re not a bird. You’re human. A perfectly normal human. And we’re good friends, right? The kind that tells each other everything.”

“I’m not a bird? I’m human? Friends?” Peng Junlong, eyes still closed and lost in a daze, nodded again and smiled. “Yes, we’re good friends. I’m human, not a bird.”

“That’ll do,” Xiao Yu turned his head to look at Wang Dong, standing nearby.

Unexpectedly, Wang Dong had taken a couple of steps back, his face tense and wary as he asked seriously, “Can you hypnotize me even if I don’t want you to?”

“Are you crazy?” Xiao Yu rolled his eyes, clearly irritated by his partner’s ridiculous question. Ignoring him, Xiao Yu focused back on Peng Junlong, “Now, let’s go back and remember when you first met Second Brother and Third Brother all those years ago.”

“Second Brother? Third Brother?”  

Peng Junlong’s face showed signs of deep thought, but soon, his expression changed again. His complexion paled. His eyelids fluttered rapidly as if he was about to open his eyes at any moment. 

He gasped in alarm, “They…!”

“Don’t focus on the bad stuff.”

Noticing the signs that Peng Junlong was about to snap out of the hypnosis, Xiao Yu quickly spoke up. 

“Don’t think about it, you don’t need to. Just try to remember when they said they’d take you to another city for some fun. Yes, think about that. Try to recall the first time they brought you to C City. There’s no rush. We’ll take it slow, little by little.”

“Fun? Yes, Second Brother and Third Brother said they’d take me out to have fun. We took the bus and arrived in C City, and then…” Peng Junlong’s tense expression began to relax as he mumbled, “We arrived at an intersection, we got off the bus, and Third Brother told me to put on a blindfold.”

“Exactly. You’re standing at that intersection now, and you’ve already put on the blindfold. You can’t see anything,” Xiao Yu said, glancing at Wang Dong.  

Wang Dong walked over to the police car and opened the door.

“I’ve arrived. Yes, I’m here. I’ve got the blindfold on now,” Peng Junlong murmured. “And then, someone grabbed my arm.”

Xiao Yu reached out and lightly held Peng Junlong’s arm. 

“What happened next?”

“And then… we got in the car.”  

Standing in front of the police car, Peng Junlong mumbled, “It was Third Brother. He reminded me to lift my leg so I wouldn’t trip.”

“That’s right, lift your leg, don’t trip,” Xiao Yu echoed, guiding him. 

With his help, Peng Junlong climbed into the back seat of the police car.

“And then, the car started.”  

Now seated in the back, Peng Junlong continued narrating.

Xiao Yu gave Wang Dong a signal, and the police car slowly began to move.

Surrounded by other police vehicles and traffic officers directing the flow, they eased into traffic.

What was Xiao Yu trying to do?  

He was using Peng Junlong’s memories to find the criminal hideout.

But how? Peng Junlong had been blindfolded back then, so how could they possibly find the place?

The answer: yes, they could.  

Even though he couldn’t see, there were still ways to figure it out—through the car’s speed, the time they spent driving, and any little events that might’ve happened along the way. All these clues could help them find the hideout.