Chapter 18

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Chapter 18: Shock Therapy

Ji Yongxing finally stepped into the mental health clinic with its unconventional name, achieving his long-awaited goal. As he entered, he was immediately struck by the clinic’s decor, which was dominated by pure white. From the ceiling to the floors and walls, the color scheme created a soothing and luminous atmosphere.

He nodded to himself; the style was quite fitting for a mental health clinic. It seemed the doctor had a solid professional foundation and wasn’t one of those charlatans who had only dabbled in the field for a couple of days.

But that was the extent of his approval.

Ji Yongxing’s optimism was quickly dashed by reality. Over the next half hour, he registered his details at the front desk and was ushered into the first examination room. There, he completed several psychological tests that seemed to have been inherited from a bygone era. And then… nothing.

After mentally solving all the Sudoku puzzles from a week’s worth of newspapers, Ji Yongxing could no longer tolerate the idle time. He lifted his head from the soft Examination Table and looked at the young doctor seated nearby, asking earnestly,

"When does our treatment begin? If you’re just after those two thousand information coins, I can leave now. Consider that money as payment for my stay here, and you can send me off in the morning."

Lin Qingliu lowered the questionnaire he had been using to shield his face and replied gently,

"Treatment has already started, Mr. Ji."

"What?"

Lin Qingliu waved the questionnaire in his hand in response to the question.

"You’re quite clever; you’ve managed to avoid all the correct answers just to prove you have an issue.

"Thanks to your questionnaire, I’ve seen a textbook case of depression.

"But this is pointless, Mr. Ji. Until you start talking about what’s really bothering you, I can’t offer any effective treatment beyond this ‘Sudoku therapy.’"

Ji Yongxing straightened up, surprised, and asked,

"Is Sudoku considered a treatment method?"

From now on, it is, Lin Qingliu thought to himself, keeping a straight face.

"Yes, especially for smart individuals like you who can’t stay still without something to think about."

Lin Qingliu noticed Ji Yongxing’s limited understanding of psychology and began to improvise based on his own superficial knowledge.

Lying on the Examination Table, Ji Yongxing seemed to be wrestling with himself, staring at the ceiling and gradually zoning out. A few minutes later, as if he had made a decision, his gaze sharpened, and he turned to look at Lin Qingliu, who was sitting idly by.

"I can tell you everything, but you must adhere to professional ethics and not disclose this to anyone else."

Lin Qingliu nodded casually and said,

"I’m always very discreet."

Ji Yongxing shook his head and pulled out a stamped document from his shoulder bag, complete with a unique serial number.

This was a blank document he had brought from the research institutes, originally intended to regulate soldiers. He hadn’t expected to use this spare copy in such a situation.

"Sign this confidentiality agreement, and I’ll tell you."

Lin Qingliu wasn’t fazed by the serious atmosphere; after all, how significant could the other person’s secret be compared to his own, being a divine candidate, a time traveler, and a dual-path superpowered individual?

He pretended to consider for a few moments before signing his name on the document.

After both parties had signed, Ji Yongxing’s expression noticeably relaxed. He looked at the psychologist, who seemed only a few years older than him, and after a brief hesitation, said earnestly,

"What I’m about to tell you, please don’t be alarmed."

Lin Qingliu clasped his hands and leaned forward slightly, saying,

"I’ve been professionally trained; I won’t be alarmed."

“……”

“……”

Half an hour later, after hearing the full story, Lin Qingliu fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

“So, you’re considering suicide just because your foolish model predicts humanity’s destruction in twenty years?”

“It’s not really suicide; I was just trying to scare you. But maybe there’s a grain of truth to it…”

“That’s why I’ve always believed teenagers should engage more with others. Look at how isolated you’ve become.”

Lin Qingliu couldn’t suppress a chuckle, which drew a slightly irritated glance from Ji Yongxing.

“You can glare at me all you want, but I’m not stopping.”

Lin Qingliu continued nonchalantly:

“If everyone thought like you, humanity would’ve gone extinct long ago, and Hope City wouldn’t even exist.”

He gestured toward the window and added:

“I can tell at a glance you’re from the inner city. How many times have you actually ventured out?”

“Three times.”

Ji Yongxing answered matter-of-factly.

“So, what do you think of the outer city?”

Ji Yongxing paused, then settled on the most fitting description:

“Boring.”

Not dirty, not chaotic, not impoverished—just utterly boring.

Lin Qingliu laughed at this and pressed further:

“And how would you describe the inner city?”

After a minute, Ji Yongxing responded again:

“Boring.”

Not rigidly controlled, not oppressive or overcrowded—just plain boring.

“Exactly. Whether it’s the inner city or the outer city, it’s all unbearably dull.”

Lin Qingliu shrugged and said:

“The valuable ones are chosen for the inner city, where they exhaust their worth in research institutes, factories, or the military. That’s all there is to it.

“Those who aren’t selected remain in the outer city, performing the majority of manual labor, some even resorting to brawls just to pass the time.

“The only difference between the inner and outer city is the type of work you’re assigned.”

Lin Qingliu turned to meet Ji Yongxing’s gaze and asked:

“Don’t you think I’m right?”

Ji Yongxing nodded silently.

“So, that’s the crux of it.”

Lin Qingliu settled back into his chair by the window, speaking in a measured tone:

“Millions in Hope City endure their daily struggles, clinging to the hope of one day returning to their original homes, even if they can’t see that day coming.

“As they say, it’s all about holding onto hope.

“Do you really want to unveil your research and risk collapsing Hope City in a single day?”

Ji Yongxing buried his face in his hands, unwilling to imagine the consequences.

“In the end, your model is just a cold, calculating machine, processing known data. It’s astonishing that a genius like you would be swayed by your own creation—a rare failure among ‘creators.’”

The young man lifted his head to argue, but Lin Qingliu had already risen from his seat by the window, looking down at him with authority.

“And your parameters are severely lacking. So many factors haven’t been accounted for.”

“…Like you?”

Ji Yongxing retorted with the biting sarcasm unique to a Young Man, but Lin Qingliu responded earnestly, unfazed:

“Like the one who created everything.”