Thousands of years ago, ancient people discovered a plant called the fly agaric.
The fly agaric belongs to fungi, and fungi are what everyone familiarly knows as mushrooms.
Unlike ordinary mushrooms, poisonous mushrooms like the fly agaric cause hallucinations shortly after being consumed by humans.
The depth and severity of the hallucinations depend entirely on the dosage consumed.
Minor hallucinatory symptoms might resolve after a good night's sleep.
Severe symptoms have a chance of leading to an eternal sleep.
According to statistics from relevant departments, there are at least over a hundred types of plants that can induce hallucinatory dangers on Earth today, besides the fly agaric!
And some hallucinogenic plants are even more potent than the fly agaric!
Just a small amount can cause a person to experience numerous hallucinations, trapping them in an inescapable state.
After scientists analyzed and extracted chemical components from these related hallucinogenic plants, hallucinogens were developed.
Initially, hallucinogens were used for medical research and development, but every advantage has a disadvantage.
In modern times, for some unknown reason, hallucinogens took a crooked path.
You probably don't need me to elaborate further; everyone likely knows what kind of crooked path it is.
The miraculous and disorienting hallucinations induced by hallucinogens are described in medicine as pseudo-hallucinations.
What are pseudo-hallucinations?
They are experiences where the affected person can personally perceive and feel distorted sensations.
At this point, if someone nearby were to further influence them with their expression or words, the affected person would completely fall into the hallucination!
...
When I uttered the word "hallucinogen," Jin Yan froze instantly.
Her eyes, devoid of spirit, stared blankly at me. After a long while, she recovered and asked, "How did you determine that the cigarette in my hand was a hallucinogen?"
Upon hearing this, I smiled calmly and replied, "From the moment you first appeared, we were both observing and sizing each other up in secret!"
"You won't deny that, will you?"
Jin Yan remained silent and simply nodded.
Seeing this, I continued, "Actually, from that moment on, you had already noticed my hands and deduced my identity from them."
"It was precisely for this reason that you later used the excuse of me breaking your rules to guide me in a way you thought I wouldn't notice, leading me to follow your rhythm."
"At that time, I did have suspicions about your motive for wanting me to show off my skills."
"But unfortunately, I couldn't see through you, nor could I see through your identity, so I could only temporarily set aside my suspicions."
"It can be said that at that time, you were actually infinitely close to succeeding!"
"Because some women are born actresses! Like... you!"
"After deducing my identity, you deliberately crafted an image of a formidable woman in front of me that I would greatly fear! But..."
After a slight pause, I changed the subject and continued, "You didn't have a bodyguard accompany you into the room, which gave me a hint of something unusual."
"For a first meeting, even if you were a female boss, you shouldn't have left me alone with you in a room, should you?"
"Following this thread of unusualness, I began to observe you closely in secret."
"One action deepened my suspicion of you."
Hearing this, Jin Yan instinctively pressed, "What action?"
I didn't answer immediately. Instead, I took out a cigarette from my pocket, lit it, took two deep puffs, and then replied, "Smoking!"
Before the confused Jin Yan could ask further, I quickly said, "A woman who is truly addicted to smoking would never perform the act of smoking like you!"
"Not inhaling into your nose or lungs, and not exhaling smoke rings is already quite outrageous, but what's even more outrageous is..."
"You never inhale forcefully, and as soon as you put it in your mouth, you want to spit it out immediately!"
"From the moment we sat down face-to-face and you lit the cigarette, you performed this meaningless smoking action no less than three times!"
"And each time you exhaled, the amount of smoke was more, deeper, and heavier than the previous time!"
"What does this indicate? It indicates that you don't know how to smoke at all and cannot control the amount you inhale!"
"It was precisely your superfluous and clumsy smoking actions that allowed me to successfully connect all the previous suspicious doubts!"
"Finally arriving at a conclusion: Hallucinogen!"
"To complement your hallucinogen, I memorized the shift in your expression and aura when you first appeared, imagined you as a master of the Thousand Doors, and played along with you in performing the most crucial scene!"
"How was it? Is my acting any good?"
"During that period, my inner monologue was quite rich. Would you like to hear it?"
After I revealed the entire process of uncovering the hallucinogen, Jin Yan froze again, completely still.
Meanwhile, I let out a dismissive laugh.
They say experience is the best teacher. Since my debut, what kind of turbulent, treacherous, and cunning situations haven't I encountered?
Now, whenever I go to a new place and meet a group of entirely new strangers, I calm my mind and meticulously observe their every word, action, and movement, never overlooking any suspicious detail.
To me now, hallucinogens are truly insignificant trivialities.
A side note, everyone!
When you're out and about, never casually accept cigarettes or any other edible items offered by strangers.
A significant reason why many women are drugged in bars is due to hallucinogens.
If the scene were to shift to a card table, you would need to be even more vigilant.
Once the dosage of a hallucinogen is right, the consequences are unpredictable and unimaginable.
Being drugged in a bar might just lead to losing your virtue, but if you fall victim at a card table... beware of losing your entire fortune!
...
After regaining her composure, Jin Yan let out a cold laugh and said, "So what? I blew the hallucinogen towards you, and you inhaled it, didn't you?"
"Although it's not yet time for the hallucinogen to take effect, but..."
Before Jin Yan could finish her sentence, I immediately pulled out my right leg from under the table.
A cut was visible on the pants at the root of my right thigh, revealing tender white flesh that was bleeding continuously.
Wiping away the cold sweat from my forehead, I looked at Jin Yan with deep eyes and said, "The pain receptors, when activated, will limit the effect of the hallucinogen to the greatest extent."
"Do you have any other tricks?"
Upon hearing this, Jin Yan, who was high and mighty just a moment ago, now looked like a defeated hen, lowering her head directly.
With a dazed expression and a pale face, Jin Yan murmured, "You win!"
I did not revel in the joy of victory. Instead, I stared intently at Jin Yan and asked, "Tell me, what was your purpose in forcing me to show my skills?"