248: Chapter 46 The Second Recurrence of Echo Erosion 248: Chapter 46 The Second Recurrence of Echo Erosion Having the truth doesn’t necessarily persuade people.
Because not everyone prioritizes seeking the truth.
To them, dignity or money might be more important than the truth.
Of course, it might also be about responsibility.
In Gao Shan’s mind, the responsibility he took on was of paramount importance; he could completely set aside his prejudices against Wang Yunxiao when his job required it.
In the past, many emperors wished to have such a subject by their side—someone useful when needed, but despised when not.
It’s like a chamber pot.
“There’s an old saying, ‘Once bitten by a snake, one is scared of well ropes for ten years.’ Surely you’ve heard of this before?”
“I have heard of it.”
“That’s good enough, I’ll use it as an example for you.
Why are people who have been bitten by snakes afraid of ropes?
Because the light in the well is dim, and the rope floating on the water looks like a snake, triggering the fear of snakes hidden in their minds for many years.”
Faced with Captain Gao, whose cultural level was several grades lower than his, Wang Yunxiao had to dial his own intelligence down to a primary school level in order to communicate with him properly.
“Many of human memories aren’t stored in the brain, but are engraved in our bones and blood.
Like how the smell of rotten food nauseates us, signaling it’s inedible, or how we instinctively fear snakes and insects, knowing they are poisonous—these are memories left to us by our ancestors.”
“The situation you’re facing now, I think the doctors in the hospital have analyzed it quite accurately, but not thoroughly enough.
It’s not just that the insects are poisonous inside and cause symptoms when eaten.
Rather, it’s the fluids and smells secreted by those insects, lingering on those people’s hands and at the scene.
You might not smell it, but the buried memories in your body have been activated, causing hallucinations.”
“Actually, this should be considered a self-defense mechanism of the body.”
Gao Shan thought for a moment and nodded, “I think your explanation makes a lot of sense, and I can fully accept it.
So, what is the true reality?”
Wang Yunxiao laughed, “I think Director Qin’s real intention in having you assign more personnel to investigate this case isn’t to solve it, but rather to expose as many people as possible to this erosion phenomenon, in order to train your resistance to it.”
“What does erosion mean?”
“It’s what you’re currently facing.”
It’s not that Wang Yunxiao didn’t want to explain to him what Echo Erosion was, but with his level of education, he truly wouldn’t understand.
And yet Gao Shan was already considered one of the best prospects in the police force.
The average person’s resistance to Echo Erosion is virtually zero, or it might even be negative.
“I don’t believe it!
I don’t believe it!
You all are lying to me!
I told you there are bugs crawling in my brain, why don’t you listen!
It’s still biting me!”
At this moment, the patients in the hospital were in an even worse state.
Having come with Gao Shan, what Wang Yunxiao saw were these madmen who had lost their sanity, tied to the beds and struggling furiously.
Apart from the family of seven affected by food poisoning, many neighbors and even some of Gao Shan’s officers had started showing similar symptoms, all brought to the same hospital nearby the incident for treatment; the place was overwhelmed.
“Why should I believe you?”
“Why don’t you believe me?”
“There really are bugs!”
“It hurts so much!”
The shrill, hoarse screams and wails rose and fell, numbing one’s scalp.
Wang Yunxiao felt like there were insects crawling inside his brain and immediately realized that the severity of the situation might escalate further.
“Captain Gao, immediately isolate this hospital and forbid anyone from entering or exiting!
You go and report the situation to Director Qin, and get Sister Veronica to bring weapons over.
I’ll go find the hospital’s dean.”
The normal Echo Erosion phenomenon wouldn’t be this exaggerated.
Although an echo spreads, it would also weaken as it does so.
Wang Yunxiao also had no experience in this area and only understood the problem when he observed the scene.
Although Echo Erosion weakens over time, if all the victims are gathered together without restraint, it could form a new echo.
The logic is actually quite simple—
It’s like when you’re slacking off at work, scrolling on your cellphone, and suddenly someone in the work chat says a bunch of hooligans burst in downstairs and started hacking at people.
Your first reaction would definitely be to believe it and start panicking, which is the effect of Echo Erosion.
Then you step outside, hear nothing unusual, and no one in the chat is posting screenshots, videos, or updating the information.
Ten minutes go by without incident, and you start to think you may have been fooled.
This is the erosion weakening.
Then someone else in the chat says, “I saw the hooligans hacking people.”
You demand pictures or you call their bluff; they remain silent, and you scoff at them.
Then a third person, and a fourth, start spreading the same message in the chat.
Even though there are still no pictures and no commotion downstairs, you are starting to panic.
Then more and more people in the chat speak up, some even exclaim, “They’re coming up with knives!
Covered in blood!”
At this point, even though you have no solid evidence, a feeling of despair and panic takes root in your mind.
Your brain simply cannot stay calm to consider the rationality of the situation, and all your brain cells are frantically searching for a way to escape.
The second instance of Echo Erosion thus emerges.
This thing can’t be kept together?
I didn’t know that!
But fortunately, as long as the principle of Echo Erosion is understood, solving the current problem isn’t very difficult.
When Wang Yunxiao met with the hospital dean, he directly showed his badge: “The situation is urgent, please cooperate with my work.
All patients experiencing hallucinations need to be injected with tranquilizers immediately, and then we need to isolate the patients who are most seriously hallucinating.”
The dean adjusted his glasses and spoke calmly, “Young man, I don’t know where your badge is from, but you certainly don’t understand modern medicine.
Each person’s constitution is different, we have to prescribe the appropriate medicine based on the specific condition, we can’t just…”
Wang Yunxiao pulled out a gun and aimed it at the dean’s forehead: “Whether I understand modern medicine isn’t important.
If you keep wasting my time with this nonsense, do you believe I’ll shoot you?”
Unexpectedly, the dean remained calm and shook his head, “Young man, even if you really are a police officer, you can’t possibly shoot and kill a citizen.
Such behavior already constitutes a crime, and if a police officer cannot abide by the law…”
Bang—!
The bullet grazed over his scalp, and the dean collapsed onto the desk with a yelp.
“I may not know much, but don’t you think you know a little too much?”
Wang Yunxiao pressed the hot muzzle to the forehead of the terrified dean and said in a low voice, “Mr.
Dean, let’s find a good place later, and have a thorough discussion about the law.”