novellhall Chapter 23 Sound Techniques Bewitch the Mind, Questioning the Root Cause
Chapter 23 Sound Techniques Bewitch the Mind, Questioning the Root Cause
During lunch break, Lin Zhuo's colleagues usually linger outside, whether they are taking a walk alone in the various public facilities of the building or sitting and chatting with friends, they can start a very pleasant afternoon.
Lin Zhuo wasn't one to spoil the fun; he would usually accept invitations to stroll around together. But today, he politely declined all invitations and went straight back to the library.
Walking towards the curator's office, after knocking and entering, Qiao Mingyang was writing a letter by hand with pen and paper. He quickly opened the drawer, hid the letter inside, and looked up at Lin Zhuo with a smile.
"These days, it's better to be careful than to make a big mistake. Email is convenient, but you can't even speak your mind. Please sit down, Comrade Lin, let's stick to the old rules."
Lin Zhu handed over the phone, and seeing the curator put it into the box for safekeeping, he didn't delay. He immediately took out the Meteor Chain Hammer from the player's backpack. The carbon fiber whip inside appeared at his waist, hidden by the hem of his clothes, while the iron bell appeared out of thin air and fell into his palm.
Qiao Mingyang had just raised his head and noticed the special tool in Lin Zhuo's hand. Just as he was about to ask a question, he suddenly heard a pleasant bell sound.
The profound true energy surged forth, and those who heard it were suddenly jolted, speechless, unable to utter a single word.
The continuous ringing of bells formed a melody, which was none other than the first piece of the "Nuwa's Great Banner" suite, "The Creation of Man and His Learning to Speak." The soothing and joyful tune flowed quietly, carrying the new life of the world and the gentle warmth and peace of a mother's protection.
During this period, the ancestors trusted and cared for each other, and were as close as brothers. This understanding and emotion of the music was also forcibly transmitted to Qiao Mingyang's heart through his true energy. His will was powerless to resist it, and all his wariness was like white foam on the waves, melting away in the blink of an eye.
His gaze toward Lin Zhuo was filled with the joy of caring for a close friend and relative. His previously worldly and mature smile melted away like cream, and the smile on his face became genuine.
Lin Zhuo's words were clear and distinct in the melody of "Seven Wonders of the Heart Bell": "Qiao Mingyang, I have something to ask you."
"Alright, since you want to know, I'll definitely tell you everything."
"Do you know any people from those alien embassies?" Lin Zhuo asked in a gentle tone, as if making a casual conversation, to avoid provoking any resistance.
"I know you. Hehe, I'm even planning to introduce you to everyone. When the time is right, we can leave Emerald Planet together and enjoy the benefits of working for a big company."
Qiao Mingyang started to speak with great enthusiasm, "Xiao Lin, don't be fooled by the fact that we, a highly educated group, suffer grievances and work hard our whole lives in a human rights community. But if we went to other political systems, we would all be elites, the cream of the crop!"
Lin Zhuo maintained his smile, his eyes slightly narrowed, and his tone became even gentler.
"Qiao Mingyang, the gravitational characteristics of our Emerald Land Star haven't been leaked. Logically, for foreign ships to find Emerald Land Star, it would be like finding a needle in a haystack; ordinary people simply couldn't smuggle themselves out. What solutions do you have?"
These words seemed to have scratched an itch, and the curator's eyebrows danced with delight. "Then you underestimate our current power. It's not just citizens like you and me with only Level 3 credit ratings who are feeling unappreciated. Team Leader Fang has already secretly recruited a high-ranking person who has access to top-secret planetary coordinates."
"If things go smoothly, it won't be long before this intelligence reaches Team Leader Fang. Once it's sent back to headquarters, they'll quickly dispatch a transport ship to pick us all up."
Lin Zhuozhen laughed, almost losing the ability to maintain the melody of "Seven Wonders of the Heart Bell".
"Such a thing actually happened? Mr. Qiao, which company are you referring to?"
The curator wasn't sure either, mentioning a few possible names: "For safety reasons, Team Leader Fang has never revealed any identifying marks, but he's definitely part of a super company with a powerful background. I guess I'm not trusted enough to know such secrets."
Lin Zhuo was already somewhat helpless. How could someone be willing to risk their life without even knowing the other party's identity?
"Could I meet this Team Leader Fang you mentioned?"
"It wasn't supposed to work originally, but, hehe..."
The curator instinctively wanted to keep it a secret, but influenced by the mysterious true energy, he couldn't help but confide in Lin Zhuo.
"Xiao Lin, you're really lucky. Even Team Leader Fang, whom I've never met before, is preparing to formally meet with us kindred spirits. Once he arrives, our good days won't be far off. I'll personally take you to the gathering then."
Have the location and time of the rally been confirmed?
"These are all last-minute decisions, depending on what the higher-ups say. It's hard to say right now, but I'm one of the contacts, so I'll definitely be the first to know. Don't worry, I definitely won't leave you out."
Lin Zhu chuckled twice, remaining noncommittal, then changed the subject, "The day before yesterday, I saw you in the mailroom stuffing something into the shipping container. Can you tell me?"
"Oh, that's a secret letter. I didn't read the contents, but someone will take it."
Who do you think took the envelope?
"I can't guess. Maybe it's someone else's contact, just like mine."
Lin Zhuo asked a few more questions and, after confirming that there was no more useful information, decided to stop there.
He shifted the melody, from the soothing "The Words of Creation" to the ethereal and lively "Soaring to the Heavens." This movement describes humanity's concerted efforts in pursuit of ideals, their willingness to sacrifice themselves for lofty ideals, a sentiment that is timeless and sincere, capable of moving people to the point of self-sacrifice.
Qiao Mingyang's originally warm and lazy smile suddenly turned into a tight purse, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, as if he had been wound up and was ready for battle.
Lin Zhuo said in a deep voice, "Once the bell stops ringing, pretend our previous conversation never happened. You must keep this secret. Unless I bring it up again, you must not reveal it at any time. Can you do that?"
"Of course! You can rest assured when I handle things."
"What did I just say?" Lin Zhuo asked in a low voice.
"Tell me not to make a fuss," Qiao Mingyang replied in a low voice.
Lin Zhu put the Meteor Chain Hammer into the player's backpack. The echoing bell music in the room stopped instantly, and the lingering sound slowly dissipated. The curator's enthusiastic and ardent expression turned into confusion and bewilderment in an instant.
"What did I just say, Mr. Qiao?" Lin Zhuo asked again softly.
"You didn't say anything. Didn't you just come in? Xiao Lin, haha, I've been waiting for you for ages." Qiao Mingyang was a little drowsy, but he quickly recovered and put on a mature and smooth smile.
He unconsciously frowned slightly, as if something was about to burst out, but his throat was held back tightly like a dam. As he talked with Lin Zhuo, the strange sense of déjà vu in his heart slowly dissipated, and his brows relaxed.
A moment later.
"Then I'll be going now, curator."
"Hey, okay, grab your phone. Haha, time really flies. Xiaolin, how about we continue chatting tomorrow?"
"Sure. I've learned a lot talking to you."
After exchanging pleasantries, Lin Zhuo walked out of the office.
He checked the integrated network notification panel and saw a new message.
[Combat action successfully assessed; [Seven Mysterious Heart Bell] basic cultivation progress +1%]
[Ingenuity factor × 1.5 (with a touch of cleverness)]
[Combat Results Statistics: (Subduing the enemy without fighting +1.5%; Bullying the weak -1%)]
[Final Calculation Result: [Seven Wonders Heart Bell] Practice Progress +2%]
This was the first practical application of the sonic wave technique, and the results were remarkable, completely achieving Lin Zhuo's expected goals and being almost identical to the description of the mind-controlling technique he had seen in the forum posts.
Practical experience significantly improves one's cultivation level, with a refinement factor of 1.5 times. It's worth the effort he put into learning some rhetoric techniques to complement the Bewitching Mind Technique.
However, the statistics show that the network does not encourage bullying the weak. Qiao Mingyang, an ordinary office worker, is no match for Lin Zhuo in terms of combat power, so it is normal for him to be mentally crushed.
The slight joy of his martial arts improvement was far from enough to wash away the gloom in his heart.
If the information revealed by Qiao Mingyang is true, it means that an unknown high-ranking person may have betrayed them. If the gravitational characteristics of Cuirang Star are indeed leaked, foreign spaceships will come running after them.
Those giant corporations and warlords certainly wouldn't dare to directly invade planets under the governance of the human community, but the space pirates they secretly fund would certainly proliferate like cockroaches in summer, occasionally coming over to plunder, causing some damage, and gradually weakening the planet's defenses.
The planet Cuirang has enjoyed peace for a long time. If it were to fall into such a chaotic and corrupt situation, countless people would perish, countless soldiers would shed their blood, and countless young people would have to have their tombstones erected.
Lin Zhuo returned to his workstation and sat down, pondering the possible future. He imagined the smug faces of those traitors and villains, realizing that these kinds of people lived under the same sky as him, enjoying all the benefits and privileges yet still not satisfied, greedily craving the power and taste of those superiors in the backward world, and were even willing to betray all their compatriots.
After a moment, he slightly adjusted his posture, straightened his leaning body, took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, which finally allowed his clenched teeth to loosen.
"Damn it," Lin Zhuo muttered to himself, his eyes half-closed.
At that moment, a guest walked over to the library looking embarrassed and asked the librarian for recommendations. He looked up, his cheerful smile returning, and began to explain with great enthusiasm, everything proceeding as calmly as ever.