Chapter 19: As You Command
Tang Yu’an was initially resistant to hypnosis, as it carried the risk of losing control.
He wasn’t comfortable with placing his mind in someone else’s hands, but Wei Langxing assured him it was a common procedure, and the therapist was experienced, urging him to reconsider.
Tang Yu’an still couldn’t decide, so he decided to ask Zuo Tinghan.
He had experience with mental issues.
Opening their chat, he saw that Zuo Tinghan had sent him several messages, saying he had improved his control over his mental energy. Although the underlying issue wasn’t resolved, he was much more stable.
It seemed the treatment center was effective.
Having not checked his phone earlier, Tang Yu’an hadn’t replied. Zuo Tinghan seemed anxious, sending messages every half hour, the last one ten minutes ago, asking if he was too busy with work.
Had no one told him?
It made sense; he himself hadn’t fully recovered yet, there was no need to involve him.
Since no one else had mentioned it, Tang Yu’an didn’t either, simply asking if he had tried hypnosis.
Zuo Tinghan replied quickly, saying that although he hadn’t tried it himself, he knew it was commonly used internally, mostly for treating mental instability and insomnia.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
Before Tang Yu’an could finish typing, a call came in.
Zuo Tinghan’s speech was faster than usual: “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”
“No, just… my memories are starting to return… What are you doing? Why are you panting?”
Zuo Tinghan said casually: “Nothing, just working out.”
He grabbed the man trying to sneak up on him from behind, slamming his head against the wall.
His treatment had actually ended a while ago, as they had done all they could. The binding couldn’t be completely eradicated.
The organization’s attitude towards him was ambiguous; he knew they were testing his obedience.
Not wanting to be reassigned or transferred, he volunteered for a solo mission to prove his abilities.
He had succeeded this time. He should be able to return to the Strategic Processing Center soon.
Of course, there was no need to tell Tang Yu’an about this. He just needed to know he would be back soon.
Gunshots rang out in the background. Tang Yu’an sensed something was wrong: “What’s that sound?”
Zuo Tinghan raised a mental energy barrier to block the air bullets, finding cover to avoid the fire.
In such a tense situation, anyone else would be on high alert, but Zuo Tinghan could still multitask, chatting in a normal tone.
“I’m at the training grounds. Someone’s practicing their shooting next to me.”
Except the target was him.
Tang Yu’an responded with an “oh,” impressed by his dedication to training despite his already impressive abilities. He felt a pang of shame in comparison.
He suddenly remembered the videos on the Bureau’s intranet, of officers getting injured during sparring matches due to their competitive spirit.
“Be careful, don’t push yourself too hard. Don’t get hurt.”
He didn’t want the protagonist to get injured during such a mundane activity.
Zuo Tinghan glanced at his bleeding leg. Such a minor injury was nothing to him.
“Impossible.”
Tang Yu’an also felt his concern was unnecessary. It was Zuo Tinghan’s opponent who should be worried.
Zuo Tinghan remembered the self-proclaimed “Love Guru” officer telling him not to appear too indifferent when someone showed concern, as it would push them away. He should show equal concern in return.
He threw a grenade, feeling the shockwave, and after confirming the hostiles at the entrance were eliminated, he used a universal key to open the door while considering his words.
Equal concern… wasn’t that just repeating what the other person said?
“You too, don’t push yourself too hard during training, don’t get hurt.”
Tang Yu’an’s first thought was that he was being sarcastic. His basic training wouldn’t injure him unless he suddenly decided to run into a wall.
But real danger was always unexpected. He glanced at his bandaged arm, replying with the same words: “Impossible.”
Since Zuo Tinghan was far away, there was no need to worry him with his own problems.
To his relief, he felt Zuo Tinghan’s communication skills had improved. He wasn’t just uttering single words anymore.
Being able to communicate properly was a good thing, it would save trouble in the future, but… why did the background noise sound increasingly alarming?
“Is… someone screaming over there?”
It sounded quite horrific. Was training that intense now?
It was quite frightening. He was glad their department was independent; otherwise, he might suffer the same fate.
Zuo Tinghan walked over and knocked out the mercenary clutching his broken leg and screaming.
“There, someone didn’t know how to use the equipment properly, so I helped him.”
Tang Yu’an was delighted. The protagonist was becoming more and more compassionate. Perhaps his icy demeanor would thaw eventually!
He had to seize this opportunity, encouraging this positive behavior.
“That’s wonderful. Acts of kindness will fill this world with love.”
Zuo Tinghan wiped his bloodied boots on the floor: “I think so too.”
Tang Yu’an was satisfied: “Since you’re busy, I won’t disturb you any longer…”
Zuo Tinghan raised his gun, an air bullet hitting the leg of a mercenary who appeared around the corner: “No, you’re not disturbing me.”
Tang Yu’an’s hearing was slightly muffled: “Is there another person who doesn’t know how to use the equipment? Go help them!”
Quickly establish a positive feedback loop, strive to be an outstanding young man of the new era, that was how a protagonist should act!
Usually, Zuo Tinghan’s face remained impassive during missions. He was a weapon, focused solely on his target.
But this time, a faint smile appeared on his lips, making the blood-soaked killer look slightly unhinged.
He adjusted his earpiece: “As you command.”
————
Ending the call, Tang Yu’an marveled at the protagonist’s physical prowess, being able to chat while training.
Putting down his phone, he hesitated for a moment, then sent a message to Therapist Zheng, saying he was ready to try hypnosis.
Therapist Zheng was pleased, scheduling the session for three days later, telling him to rest in the meantime.
She reminded him not to worry about other things; his health was the priority.
But Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but be concerned. There was no progress on the Yi Xin Pharmaceuticals case. Although Yu Liao was currently under protection, the perpetrator was still at large, and this situation couldn’t continue indefinitely.
And although Wei Langxing hadn’t told him directly, after some pressing, he learned that Yu Liao didn’t want to stay at headquarters, expressing his strong desire to return home.
Tang Yu’an initially couldn’t understand. Headquarters was the safest place; he had already been attacked once, why would he want to go back?
But when Wei Langxing told him that Yu Liao’s tumor was caused by a chemical leak while transporting hazardous materials, he understood.
Perhaps Yu Liao… didn’t want to stay in the place that had nearly cost him his life and brought him so much misfortune.
His initial medical examination had been normal, but he discovered the abnormality two months later. He hadn’t reported it to the Bureau to claim medical expenses and compensation, perhaps knowing it was incurable, accepting Yi Xin’s offer as a last resort.
The Bureau couldn’t force him to stay, so they sent him home, assigning personnel to protect him and setting up multiple monitoring points around his apartment, ready to act at any sign of trouble.
With these precautions, the attacker wouldn’t dare to strike again easily, but it also made capturing them more difficult.
Seeing Tang Yu’an’s worried expression, Wei Langxing felt a pang of sympathy, repeatedly assuring him that he was investigating and they would find a lead soon.
“Don’t worry, I have special channels.”
Tang Yu’an noticed Wei Langxing’s exhaustion, offering to help.
“You can,” Wei Langxing’s eyes lit up, placing a meal before him: “If you finish this nutrient meal, you’ll be doing me a huge favor.”
He even started to explain logically: “Look, if you don’t eat, you won’t get enough nutrients. Without enough nutrients, you won’t recover. If you don’t recover, I won’t be able to focus on the investigation. So, if you don’t eat, this case won’t be solved.”
He spoke so earnestly, as if eating a meal was a monumental task.
He wasn’t anorexic or suicidal; he simply had no appetite.
“…I can just drink nutrient paste.”
“The therapist said real food is better, and you always frown when you drink nutrient paste, which means you don’t like it.”
Tang Yu’an tried to refuse again: “My hand is fine. I can eat by myself.”
“But moving around will hurt your arm.” Wei Langxing brought a spoonful of porridge to his lips.
Tang Yu’an felt annoyed, feeling the protagonist was neglecting his duties, fussing over him, a tool-man, instead of focusing on the hidden enemy.
So, he bit the spoon, hoping his uncooperativeness would drive Wei Langxing away.
But Wei Langxing pulled out a box of gummy bears, assorted flavors.
“Be good, you can have candy after you finish your meal.”
Damn it, how did the protagonist know he couldn’t resist anything bear-related?!
Tang Yu’an glared at Wei Langxing, accusing him of using underhanded tactics.
Wei Langxing’s hand trembled, almost spilling the porridge.
He stammered: “We’re eating, don’t… don’t give me that look. You’re still sick, it’s not good…”
His voice trailed off. Tang Yu’an didn’t hear him clearly: “What did you say?”
“Nothing, I…”
Just then, the door opened, and Xie Cun strode in, carrying a bag of nutritional supplements.
He looked at the food Wei Langxing brought with disdain: “You’re feeding him this?”
Being questioned like this for the second time, Wei Langxing was annoyed by this third wheel who barged in without knocking: “He needs to eat light meals right now. If you have nothing else to do, don’t disturb him.”
Xie Cun pulled up a chair and sat down uninvited: “Captain, things are busy outside. I’m sure you have a lot on your plate. Leave the patient care to me.”
He reached for the spoon in Wei Langxing’s hand.
Seriously? Why did he think he could monopolize all the good deeds?
Seeing them about to argue again, Tang Yu’an coughed to remind them of his presence.
Wei Langxing reacted first: “Yu’an, who do you want to stay?”
Xie Cun also turned to him: “He’s so boring, unlike me. I can keep you entertained. It’s me, right?”
Tang Yu’an looked from one to the other, feeling they were both too talkative, always bickering. It would be best to have someone to mediate.
The words slipped out: “If only Zuo Tinghan were here.”
Wei Langxing: “…”
He shouldn’t have asked.
Xie Cun: “…”
Who was this Zuo Tinghan character who appeared out of nowhere?
