A Core Ship From The Start
/ A Core Ship From The Start Chapter 1226
Chapter 1226: Chapter 831: Looking for Trouble, Huh? Chapter 1226: Chapter 831: Looking for Trouble, Huh? Time flew by, and before long, performance day arrived.
There wasn't much to say about the performance itself. Duanmu Ai simply followed Kujikawa Rise around, offered assistance, changed clothes, and then waited to go on stage.
“Nothing happened at all.”
Standing backstage, Duanmu Ai stared at Manager Inoue, dissatisfied, while he responded with a wry smile.
“Please don't look at me like that. I can assure you that everything I've said before is true. We are but a small talent agency, not daring enough to deceive Demon Summoners.”
“I know, but the lack of abnormalities makes it very difficult to determine if there really are any supernatural issues at hand, which is troublesome.”
“At first, I thought they might plan to make big news during the live broadcast, but it doesn't seem to be the case now.”
As Duanmu Ai spoke, she glanced at her watch. The performance had ended, the actors had taken their bows, and the variety show was coming to its conclusion.
“So, what actually happened before was…”
“Maybe she was just unlucky those few days?”
Duanmu Ai hadn't found any clues, and from her perspective, it seemed that the incidents Kujikawa Rise encountered over the past days were simply accidents. She remembered similar astrology practices on the Faelun Continent, akin to fortune-tellers who claim you have a fiery fate, suggesting you would be unlucky during the time of the Wood-overcoming-Star… Maybe it was the same for Kujikawa Rise.
“Maybe, at least she does seem much more relaxed during this period.”
Manager Inoue couldn't provide a reasonable explanation either, the only assumption being that Kujikawa Rise had been simply unlucky those days.
“Ah, Miss Duanmu, Mr. Inoue!”
At that moment, Kujikawa Rise, now changed, reappeared in front of them with a smile and scurried over.
“The performance was great, Li Shi!”
Manager Inoue also smiled.
“The director and audience gave high praise for your debut performance. With this achievement, expanding your stage shouldn't be a problem. You'll find it easier to get work in film and television from now on!”
“I will work even harder!”
Hearing Manager Inoue's remarks, Kujikawa Rise clenched her fists and nodded vigorously, while Duanmu Ai silently stood by and watched. Li Shi then turned her head to look at Duanmu Ai.
“By the way, Miss Duanmu, the director also highly praised your performance. Many people want to know who played Lord Angel…”
“That's not my ambition.”
Duanmu Ai shook her head and glanced at her watch again.
“According to the contract, my role as an assistant ends today.”
“Ah…”
Upon hearing Duanmu Ai's words, Kujikawa Rise's expression stiffened significantly, and her smile faded.
“You're planning to leave?”
“After all, I still have my own work to do.”
Duanmu Ai looked at the tense-faced Kujikawa Rise, who then took a deep breath, and soon regained her usual demeanor, looking at Duanmu Ai.
“So, are we friends?”
“Of course. Next time you come to me, I'll give you a friendly discount.”
“It's a deal!”
Kujikawa Rise's face brightened again at Duanmu Ai's response.
“Can I come visit your office to hang out?”
“As long as you have the time.”
“No problem!”
Afterward, Duanmu Ai escorted Kujikawa Rise home. Standing at the doorstep, this was her final task – once she saw Li Shi safely home, her contract with the agency would be complete.
“Then… are you not coming in?”
“I need to get back. I haven't checked in on the office in quite a few days; trouble might have brewed.”
“I see…”
Kujikawa Rise wore a complex expression but nodded vigorously and gave Duanmu Ai a bright smile.
“Then, until next time, I'll come and hang out.”
“Goodbye.”
Duanmu Ai knew that Kujikawa Rise was probably just saying it. As Manager Inoue had mentioned, today's performance might make Li Shi even busier than before, but unfortunately, that was someone else's life to live and not hers to meddle with – so agreeing to it didn't really matter, it could just be a nice thought.
Watching the closing of the front door, Duanmu Ai paused briefly before turning to leave.
She then returned to the office.
“You're back, Great Judge.”
The office was well-ordered, as always, thanks to Lumiaire.
“I am back. Have we made any discoveries?”
“We do have some, and by the way, Great Judge, your performance was excellent.”
“Let's not talk about that. I don't wish to perform a second time.”
Duanmu Ai knew what Lumiaire was getting at and directly skipped over the subject.
“What discoveries?”
“Yes, based on the information we had, I conducted an investigation and found out that after Reconstruction Day, a scholar named Maruki Takeru accidentally stumbled upon cognitive research and believed that it could affect mental healing in Humans.”
“Maruki Takeru… Have I heard this name somewhere before?”
“Of course, he's currently working as a psychologist at Shoujin.”
“Oh…”
Hearing this, Duanmu Ai clapped her hands together.
“Right, now I remember, that was indeed the case.”
She remembered that after the bullying incident, the fat-head principal, in order to stabilize student emotions, had hired a psychological therapy teacher, so it was him.
Hmm?
“Isn't he the one who was researching that so-called cognitive koh studies?”
“I had previously reported to you that the research was terminated…”
“Oh, right, you told me the research was ostensibly terminated but was actually moved to the government department. Does that mean that the research was originally led by Maruki Takeru, but after it was discovered by the officials at the top, they used an excuse to kick him out and took over the research themselves?”
“That's more or less what happened.”
“Maybe I should check out his paper sometime… Forget it, I probably wouldn't understand it. You've already read it, haven't you? Can you give me a summary?”
“Sure, according to Maruki Takeru's theory, cognitive spaces can be used to treat a person's psyche. Simply put, he hopes to heal human psychological wounds by adjusting the mental projections within Subspace.”
“The domain of psychology, huh…”
“Pretty much. He believes that if he could continue researching cognitive koh studies, it would be possible to adjust others' cognition on a mental level, just like performing surgery, such that people would no longer suffer from psychological traumas and could lead happy lives.”
“Utterly foolish.”
Hearing this, Duanmu Ai couldn't help but sneer.
“He might as well wipe out all of humanity then, and everyone could be happy.”
Lumiaire did not respond to Duanmu Ai's assessment, but she clearly agreed with her.
Although it's labeled surgery, adjusting someone else's psyche to make them happy is nothing but a delusion.
It's not making them happy, but making them “feel” happy.
The psyche is different from the body.
With physical surgery, there are clear standards for success, which can be determined by healing conditions, blood tests, and various other data.
But it's different with the psyche. How can you determine what constitutes happiness for someone else?
Put another way, I could also adjust it so that people feel that working every day of the year without holidays is happiness, that taking a day off is as grievous as losing a family member, feeling unneeded by the company, worthless, and only by dedicating their finite lives to infinite work can they find happiness–what's the difference between this and brainwashing?
In fact, isn't this brainwashing? It's just like the actions of the Gang of Thieves–could this guy be connected with the Gang of Thieves?
When I get back to school, I should investigate this properly.
“It seems I need to have a talk with him. If it comes to it, I might have to take care of him at some point.”
From the Tribunal's perspective, this guy is clearly a Heretic, and now that he knows about Subspace, he should have been executed a long time ago.
Such heretical ideas are nothing but trouble.
“From tomorrow on, we'll continue the investigation here, focusing on the issue of Subspace, which is the most important matter at present.”
“Yes.”
While Duanmu Ai thought so, unfortunately… things often don't go as planned.
The next morning, just as Duanmu Ai was about to go back to school, the phone rang. Picking it up, she heard Mr. Inoue's anxious voice on the other end.
“Hello, is this Miss Duanmu? This is Inoue, has Li Shi come to you?”
“No.”
“You took her home last night, didn't you?”
“Of course, what's wrong?”
“She's gone!”
“…… What?”
“When we went to pick her up this morning, no one answered her phone. Then I went to her room, and it was empty! I thought maybe she had gone to your place… She didn't?”
“After I dropped her home, I went back to the office. We haven't met since. So based on what you're telling me, she's disappeared?”
Duanmu Ai was also frowning deeply, while Inoue's voice was very anxious and restless.
“Sorry, could I trouble you to help? We know it's a lot to ask but…”
“No problem, I'll be right there. Where are you right now?”
“At Li Shi's apartment.”
“Good, wait for me.”
After saying that, Duanmu Ai hung up the phone and walked to the front door. Lumiaire, seeing Duanmu Ai's demeanor, looked at her quizzically and asked.
“Great Judge? What happened?”
“Kujikawa Rise has disappeared… Damn it, if I find out who did this, I'll skin them alive!”
Saying this, Duanmu Ai stormed out the door.
Great, no sooner had I left, someone snatched a person right after me, picking a fight, huh? It's clear they are picking a fight, isn't it!
Can I tolerate this?
I'll be the death of you!
Chapter end
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