Shadow 380,000 Level 17 Suspended Spirit Hurricane Arrives

Chapter 24

“Yes, and the towels not only have patterns, but also many raised dots, so it’s impossible to remember the exact shapes. Hmm, that’s interesting,” I said.

Chen Yuanze smiled slightly and said, "I invented the term for this. I think the key to telekinesis lies in thought-sensory locking."

"Thought lock?"

"Yes, I believe many abilities are related to a person's mental strength, and telekinesis is one of them. The mind is invisible and intangible, but it is indeed a kind of power. This power is not only metaphysical; sometimes it can manifest itself on a physical level. In fact, let's not talk about special abilities. I recently saw a news report in the newspaper about a cutting-edge medical team in the United States that has achieved the ability to allow paralyzed patients to control a robotic arm to perform relatively delicate movements, such as moving a mouse to browse the internet, simply by implanting a microchip in their brains. This is the most direct manifestation of thought becoming power, only the mental power linkage related to special abilities is more complex and profound."

Chen Yuanze's voice grew louder and louder as he spoke, indicating that these views were research findings that he was quite proud of.

"Retrieving objects from a distance must involve some kind of interaction between mental power and the object, which is currently unknown, causing the object to shift. The prerequisite for this interaction is that mental power must first lock onto the object of interaction. This is what I call mental locking. Therefore, non-special objects within sight are easy to lock onto; while objects with unique shapes require clear visibility to lock onto; even if you can't remember every detail of something you use every day, your mental sense can easily confirm 'this is what I want' through long-term and repeated use and contact, and thus lock onto it; but for something you've never seen before, even if you know it's a ping-pong ball, there are countless ping-pong balls in the world, and they all look the same. How can you know which ball you want to retrieve from a distance? You can't establish a connection and lock onto the target ping-pong ball through verbal description, so of course you can't retrieve it."

“That makes sense,” I said.

Chen Yuanze nodded to me and continued, "This is one of my achievements, or rather, just a hypothesis. In addition, we have repeatedly experimented with another problem, which is the displacement of living objects. We finally found that insects, which have no intelligence, are the easiest to move. The difficulty increases proportionally with the intelligence of the organism. Lin Wen once successfully moved a tadpole, but a few weeks later, when the tadpole grew into a small frog, it could no longer be moved. This proves that telekinesis is closely related to mental power."

At this point, Chen Yuanze paused and looked at me. He meant for me to follow this line of reasoning. This impromptu test was probably his way of seeing whether I, a reporter who, according to Liang Yingwu, had a rich and varied experience and had solved several mysteries, was simply lucky or did I truly possess some unusual insights.

I frowned as I thought about it, while Chen Yuanze just smiled and looked at me.

“Uncle Chen, you do this kind of research, and you must have spent a long time figuring out why. If my brother could figure it out right now, wouldn’t that be… hehe.” Kou Yun’s words were quite clever. This way, it would be normal for me not to be able to figure it out, and if I could, it would make Chen Yuanze seem rather incompetent.

"Heh, good, good." Chen Yuanze thought it made sense, so he stopped waiting and prepared to reveal the answer.

"Wait a minute." I interrupted him. I'm not afraid of being pressured; when I'm pressured, my mind works incredibly fast, and I actually came up with something.

"Oh..." Chen Yuanze's expression was a bit strange. After Kou Yun said that, if I could really hit the nail on the head, he would really lose face.

"You just mentioned that this ability is closely related to mental power, and you also mentioned thought locking. So, the question of the displacement of living beings must also be approached from this perspective."

At this point, I glanced at Chen Yuanze, who remained expressionless.

10. Thought Locking and Long Distance Experiments (4)

"The more developed a creature's brain, the higher its intelligence, the more active its thinking, and the stronger its mental abilities. Since creatures with slightly higher intelligence cannot be moved, it's easy for me to think that it might be related to the mental strength of the creature being moved. Creatures with high mental strength are probably harder to be locked onto by thought, because their own mental strength can interfere with the mental strength of the ability user, while inanimate objects do not have such interference, and lower-level creatures are less affected."

Chen Yuanze remained expressionless even after I finished speaking.

"These speculations are all based on the experimental conclusions you made, Professor Chen, and your concepts of thought-sensory locking and intelligence have also given me a lot of inspiration," I quickly added.

Chen Yuanze stared at me with a poker face for a while, then suddenly shook his head and laughed loudly, "You really are amazing, your deduction is exactly the same as mine."

If Liang Yingwu were praising my abilities, I would naturally raise my head high and say, "This is an objective fact that is beyond your control." Unfortunately, he would never let me feel so proud. Of course, I couldn't be so presumptuous in front of Chen Yuanze, so I could only respond with a few humble words.

"I've imagined what a bizarre and wonderful scene it would be if there were an instrument that could see the mental waves emitted by all living beings. I'm afraid that each living being's mental energy would form a sphere of influence around its body, and any other mental energy entering would be interfered with. Using the ease with which ability users can move to assess the intelligence of living beings is actually very accurate, far more accurate than those biologists who judge based on behavioral patterns or brain size. Unfortunately, this method has too many limitations, because there are too many living beings that cannot move, haha."

It would be fascinating if someone could move all living things, including giant whales, and create a ranking of Earth's creatures by intelligence, from highest to lowest.

"At that time, Lin Wen and I conducted three series of experiments. I just mentioned two series. The third one was about the distance limit of this bizarre movement method."

"Distance?" I stared wide-eyed.

Looks like the main event is about to begin!

"Yes, it was Lin Wen who first conducted the distance limit test. He found that the distance at which he could reliably retrieve the item was about 450 meters. Beyond 450 meters, he felt strained, and the success rate dropped significantly. Beyond 800 meters, he could no longer retrieve it."

Lin Wen's skills are far superior to Kou Yun's. I thought to myself.

"I had an idea: retrieving objects from a distance is done through mental power, but a person's mental power isn't constant; emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness can all affect their mental state. Another point is self-confidence. If someone finds retrieving objects from a distance very difficult, it weakens their ability. On a mental level, many things are either possible or impossible depending on your perception. So, if Lin Wen placed something 800 meters away, every step he took there and back would be nerve-wracking, telling himself, 'This time it's placed very far, it will be very difficult to get it successfully.' So later, I took over placing the target item to alleviate his psychological pressure, but the result puzzled me. After doing this, his success rate actually dropped significantly. Sometimes I would only place it a few dozen meters away, and he still couldn't get it. I had to explicitly tell him exactly where I placed it and how far away it was. Even so, the distance limit was still not broken."

"I suspect the problem lies in mind-locking. He remembers what the target object looks like, but if the location is uncertain, he still can't lock onto it. For example, when I show him a video, the object in the video is actually in the next room, but he can't get it just by looking at the picture without being told where it is. Then I tried using his everyday glasses case. He's used this case for several years and is quite familiar with it, so he can easily lock onto it without knowing where it is. This method was much more effective. Once, I had him stay in the house while I took the glasses case, went outside, rode my bicycle, and placed it almost a kilometer away. I was quick, and he assumed I wouldn't place the glasses case too far, so he wasn't under any pressure. As a result, he got it after only a few tries."

"So, if it's something you're familiar with and can naturally pinpoint, you can get it even from a distance. But if it's something you're not familiar with, you have to tell him its location. If you put it too far away, it will discourage him, and even if he can see what it looks like on the screen, he still won't be able to get it?" I asked.

“That’s right,” Chen Yuanze replied.

"What is the maximum distance for retrieving something familiar? Have you tried taking some of Lin Wen's personal belongings and then having him retrieve them a few days later? That way, he won't be able to judge whether the item is near or far from him based on the time it takes for you to come and go, completely eliminating the influence of his confidence on his abilities."

Chen Yuanze shook his head: "I had thought of this experimental method and was originally planning to do it, but the atmosphere in society suddenly... suddenly changed. I was greatly affected and became disheartened, and had no heart to continue the experiment."

His words left something unsaid, presumably referring to the state's complete denial of supernatural abilities in the early 1990s. Everything related to such abilities was denounced as pseudoscience and superstition. For a time, special abilities became universally condemned. Before being recruited by the X organization, Chen Yuanze, a researcher of special abilities, must have had a very difficult time.

"Lin Wen and I finished the experiment and corresponded for a while afterward, but then we gradually lost touch. He himself was very interested in researching his own abilities. I know that after I gave up the experiment, he didn't give up and even studied a lot of related knowledge, hoping to one day understand the secret of telekinesis. I don't know if he has made any progress now. After I joined the X Organization, my research direction changed, and I didn't come into contact with anyone else who possessed this ability, so this research has not continued since then."

Hearing him say this, I couldn't help but recall that when the Special Affairs Bureau searched Lin Wen's old residence, they found a large number of cutting-edge scientific books in his study, a significant portion of which were about classical physics, quantum physics, and psychology. If he had thoroughly mastered all of these books, his level of expertise would probably be no less than that of a PhD in the relevant field.

Chen Yuanze's theories could not explain how helium-3 could be extracted from the moon based solely on images on a screen. However, Lin Yuan, determined to unravel the mystery, was very likely to make groundbreaking progress in his subsequent independent research.

Liang Yingwu barely spoke during our conversation. He has always lacked curiosity about things that don't concern him. As the middleman, he was obligated to be present today, and he hurriedly jumped into a taxi and left as soon as he stepped outside. He never talks to me about his ongoing research projects; he is very strict about maintaining confidentiality.

“Didn’t you say that there’s a face towel back home that you can just grab as soon as you wake up in the morning? In Chen Yuanze’s theory, it’s something that’s naturally locked in. Try it now and see if you can get it.” I suddenly said to Kou Yun as we walked down the street.

"How is that possible? It's so far! Do you think I'm Superman?"

"Give it a try, give it a try."

Kou Yun had no choice but to close his eyes, but soon opened them again, shrugged, and said, "It won't work."

"Honestly, it's obvious they didn't put any effort into it," I said.

"Alright, alright, I'll think about it carefully again." Kou Yun said, leaning against a sycamore tree, closing his eyes, his face gradually calming down.

After a long time, she opened her eyes, her eyes slightly red.

"Brother, I miss home," she whispered to me.

11. Abnormal Events in Koujia Village (1)

Green hills, clear waters, and a bright sun.

"I said, we're almost there, right?" I followed Kou Yun, panting heavily, one foot high and one foot low.

"Brother, didn't you say you were good at walking mountain paths?" Kou Yun, who never respected the elderly or cared for the young, turned around and laughed at me with schadenfreude.

This is an unnamed mountain valley in Hunan Province. We left a village called Wangjiasha around 9 a.m., and now it's 4:10 p.m. Koujia Village is just ahead.

Once the little girl's homesickness took hold, it was impossible to stop her. She would whine and whimper all day long, and I couldn't bear it any longer, so I had to give in to her wishes and accompany her home to see her relatives and friends.

I asked her what my status was.

“You’re my brother,” she said, glaring at me.

Oh no, does that mean I have to pay respects to my parents? This... is a bit confusing.

Before we set off, she asked me, "It's going to be a long hike up the mountain, so you should be prepared."

I casually told her it was no problem. And I wasn't exaggerating; among city dwellers, my physical strength is exceptional. Adventure is also physically demanding. I remember once walking for several days in the primeval forests of Nepal, even when I was in extremely poor mental condition.

Unexpectedly, following Kou Yun on the mountain path was far more tiring than walking alone. She was eager to return home; ever since setting off from Wangjiasha and stepping into this land, her feet felt like they had springs in them. We were walking on incredibly wild trails; in fact, I could barely see any trace of a path. Most of the time, we followed the stream, its depths varying, and in some places we had to wade through the water. Kou Yun, however, seemed oblivious to these obstacles; she appeared as light as a large grasshopper.

If I were walking at my own pace, this mountain path wouldn't have made me so tired, but to keep up with Kou Yun, I had to put in twice the effort.

Another reason is that the bag I was carrying was much, much heavier than the one Kou Yun was carrying.

"Hey, why did you suddenly stop?" I was looking down at the road with my eyes full of stars when Kou Yun suddenly stopped, and I almost bumped into her.

"When I go back this time, I want to tell my parents about my brother Kou Feng. It's almost time, but I'm suddenly a little scared when I think about how to bring it up."

Kou Yun left a letter and ran away that night, partly out of longing for the outside world, but her most direct motivation was to find her brother, Kou Feng, who had overdue her return. She stated this in her letter home. Upon her return, while her family showered her with concern, they inevitably inquired about the incident.

They learned some news about Kou Feng, but along with this news came even more terrible news. No wonder the young girl felt apprehensive about returning home.

But what could I do about it? I could only tell her, "Then don't tell your family yet. Just say you haven't heard from your brother. That's normal. Besides, the case isn't closed yet, and things might change."

Kou Yun sighed in surprise and said, "Variables? What other variables could there be? Even if they do change, it won't be for the better. If we don't tell them this time, we'll have to tell them next time. Can we keep it from them forever?"

"But we don't know the whole story yet, there are too many gaps in the details. Your elders ask about many crucial points, and you don't know the answers, doesn't that make them even more worried?"

"Perhaps it won't be long before I see my brother. I want to ask Mom and Dad how I should face him when that time comes."

Despite Kou Yun's usual carefree and playful nature, she possesses a stubborn and resolute side. Her biological brother is now a brutal murderer who killed at least two people, and she keeps all the pressure hidden beneath her playful facade. Her sudden request to go home suggests she's made up her mind to tell her family about Kou Feng. In a family with such long-standing traditions, there are likely strict clan rules, and even if the law can't touch a scoundrel like Kou Feng, there are ways to deal with him.

After walking a short distance with Kou Yun, she pointed ahead and said to me, "See that big, protruding rock over there? Doesn't it look like a squatting toad? When I was little, my mom told me that it was a mythical beast sent down by heaven to protect the village. I asked her why she didn't send someone better-looking."

A few minutes later, we stood atop the toad's forehead. Looking down, a vast expanse stretched before us. It was a gently sloping valley, with a stream flowing past the toad's feet and into a small lake below. Dozens of wooden houses were scattered around the lake. The sun was already setting in the west, but the lake still shimmered with golden light. A breeze blew from behind us; it truly was a paradise on earth.

This kind of literary and artistic sentimental lament is actually the least practical. When I first went to Lijiang Old Town, I also sighed, wishing I could stay there forever. But if I actually stayed there for a while, I would find this inconvenient and that lacking, and I would miss the glitz and glamour of Shanghai. For a common person like me, if I stayed in Koujia Village for ten days or so, the refined atmosphere would completely dissipate, and my mundane needs for air conditioning and gas would resurface.

I was just rambling on about philosophical matters when Kou Yun exclaimed "Eh!" and slid down the rock on all fours, running towards the village down the gentle slope.

Seeing that something was wrong with her expression, I quickly followed her. I almost twisted my ankle when I stepped off the rock, and after hopping a few times, I ran and shouted, "Slow down, what's wrong?"

"There's no smoke! How can there be no smoke at this time!" Kou Yun's pace didn't slow down; instead, he ran even faster.

Smoke? I thought to myself as I ran. Then I saw Kou Yun's long shadow stretching in the sun ahead and suddenly realized.

It's cooking smoke.

It was almost five o'clock. In Koujia Village, where conditions were such that people always had to start cooking two hours in advance before dinner, and by now you should be able to see smoke rising from the chimneys.

As I ran down the slope, I looked towards Koujia Village once again.

There was no smoke from cooking fires, and no villagers were out outdoors. Just now I felt a sense of peace here, but now I feel only silence.

A silence that was somewhat unsettling.

Koujia Village is a small, isolated village. While Wangjiasha Village, the outpost to the outside world, isn't extremely far away, outsiders have no relatives, friends, acquaintances, or economic ties with Koujia Village, so no one would travel dozens of miles through the mountains to get here. Kou Yun told me that during the day, every household in Koujia Village leaves their doors open; they only close them at night to protect themselves from wild animals. But now, every wooden house in Koujia Village has its doors closed.

The door was closed from the outside and had an old-fashioned rectangular brass lock.

Kou Yun has already run around the small Koujia Village twice, visiting every single household. Now, there are only the two of us left in this village!

Kou Yun was covered in sweat, her T-shirt was soaked, and her face was deathly pale. She stood by the lake and shouted loudly, "Dad, Mom, Second Uncle..." Her voice echoed through the mountains and startled a few birds in the distant forest, but no one answered her.

I didn't go up to persuade her; I let her shout for a while to vent her emotions so she could gradually calm down.

After shouting a few times, several barks suddenly came from afar, and a yellow figure emerged from the woods and ran closer in a flash.

The stray dog ran up to Kou Yun and circled around his feet, whimpering softly.

"Ah-Dai, Ah-Dai," Kou Yun called the yellow dog's name, squatting down to gently stroke its back.

“This is my third uncle’s dog,” Kou Yun told me.

11. Abnormal Events in Koujia Village (2)

Most of the families living in the mountains keep dogs to guard their homes and protect them from wild animals. Before long, several more dogs appeared around us. It seemed that after the people of Koujia Village left, these dogs were left behind to forage for themselves in the mountains. However, their range was not far from their homeland, and they gathered together upon sensing the commotion.