Moreover, some of Mike Smith's views, which resonated with reality, easily struck a chord with these students whose values were not yet fully stable but who considered themselves enlightened. For example: "Humans all live in shackles; only by unleashing their primal nature can they truly possess freedom." In principle, this statement was not wrong. Most people did indeed live under shackles—such as morality, conscience, law, ethics, and others' opinions. These were all shackles, in effect. But these shackles, to a certain degree, protected them, because the primal nature of humans was essentially their animal instincts. If not for the restraints of propriety, integrity, shame, and emotional rationality, most people's lives would be far more miserable than they are now.
However, for those students with little worldly experience, Mike Smith's concepts were quite appealing. At their age, they liked things that were unique and independent, which laid a strong foundation for Mike Smith to spread his distorted ideas.
Furthermore, Mike Smith's teaching methods were also problematic. In the universities of this world's United States, honorary professors typically taught elective courses and also had the authority to opt out of teaching altogether. This meant students could choose whether or not to attend, a convenience that worked in Mike Smith's favor. His unconventional teaching style, while appearing bizarre, was in fact more like a process of 'refining' students—gradually breaking down their psychological defenses to filter out those who could be brainwashed.
This process is known in psychology as masochism, or sometimes as the 'sinking ship effect.' When, for some reason, your mental defenses regarding a particular matter are breached step by step until they reach a threshold, you then support that matter unconditionally and without limits to prove your own righteousness. This is similar in nature to emotional PUA, 'abuse for purification,' and the like.
Therefore, Dean suspected that Mike Smith, through layers of 'refinement,' ultimately selected suitable 'new blood' and 'baptized' them, administering the true 'teachings of agony.' And the most suitable candidates for this were undoubtedly Mike Smith's own graduate and doctoral students.
Regardless of whether this speculation was correct, Dean now had a living witness, which provided a backup plan for solving the case.
Harry and Robert, who had rushed over, were guarding the woman who had just undergone surgery. To prevent this sole survivor from committing suicide, the two had to carefully monitor the time, constantly administering sedatives to her while waiting for Dean to recuperate further. As for why they didn't take her back to the detective bureau, it was to prevent FBI agents from intercepting her.
He'd lost so much blood; he wouldn't allow anyone to snatch his Experience Points!
After enjoying the attentive cleaning administered by a young nurse, Dean idly watched television.
His injuries this time were neither minor nor severe. They weren't severe because no bones or tendons had been damaged. However, they weren't minor either, due to the extensive area of injury and excessive blood loss. This left him still somewhat weak, requiring several days of rest before he could be up and about again.
Due to his popularity, the nurses had brought him a lot of fruit. Not wanting to hurt their feelings, Dean accepted everything they offered. It was also through these nurses that he learned the identity of the female nurse who had desperately stabbed him with needles while he was unconscious!
She was an intern nurse named Anna, nineteen years old—an age when a woman is at her most beautiful and also most easily deceived.
As he was lost in his scattered thoughts, KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. A knock sounded on the ward door.
Dean immediately shifted his position, ensuring he could draw his gun at a moment's notice, then said weakly, "Please come in."
Led by the head nurse, a man and a woman walked into the room.