Liu Junnan also found that, interestingly, this “fish” seemed to have countless ties to the socialite circles of Jiangcheng.
Bai Ruochu, the Bai family's eldest daughter.
The Xu family, Xu Tianlin...
Liu Junnan picked up the case files again, his gaze slowly scanning the written records.
The Xu family’s youngest son had been taken away by the police from his villa half a month ago on charges of illegal detention, abuse, rape, and several other serious crimes.
According to witness descriptions, Xu Tianlin had opened all the cell doors himself, released the girls who had been imprisoned for years, filmed his own crimes with his phone, and then called the police.
Throughout the entire process, Xu Tianlin’s state was extremely bizarre.
His eyes were vacant and his movements stiff, like a controlled puppet.
The corners of Liu Junnan’s mouth slowly curled into an arc.
Like a controlled puppet.
How similar was this phrase to the state he had seen Bai Ruochu in at the detention center?
It was just that Bai Ruochu had been destroyed, while Xu Tianlin had been manipulated.
But the essence was the same; both were the handiwork of a Mental-type Ability User.
Moreover, these two cases involved the Bai family and the Xu family, both prominent and prestigious households in Jiangcheng.
Why would that mysterious person target people from these two families?
Was it a personal vendetta? Or was there another motive?
If it was a personal vendetta, then this person likely had intersections with both the Bai and Xu families.
By following this lead, it might not be impossible to drag that person out.
Liu Junnan put down the case files, picked up his phone, and dialed Fang Yingshan’s number.
“Make the arrangements. I want to see Xu Tianlin.”
On the other end of the line, Fang Yingshan hesitated for a moment.
“Young Master Liu, Xu Tianlin is currently held in the detention center, and the case is still in the investigation stage. According to regulations, no one except his defense lawyer is allowed to meet with him...”
“That’s the Xu family’s problem.” Liu Junnan’s voice was lazy, yet it carried an undeniable coldness. “Tell them that if they want to know the truth, they should do as I say.”
Fang Yingshan was silent for two seconds. “Understood. I will contact the Xu family immediately.”
The call ended.
Liu Junnan tossed his phone onto the desk and closed his eyes. The fluctuation he had sensed near the unfinished building surfaced in his mind.
Faint, yet exceptionally clear, like a single firefly in the darkness, gone in an instant.
To be able to sense his approach within a minute and run out of his perception range within a minute...
This person not only possessed mental-type abilities but also had incredibly powerful perception.
Liu Junnan opened his eyes, complex emotions churning in their depths.
There was anger from being provoked, excitement from meeting a worthy opponent, and a trace of wariness he was unwilling to admit even to himself.
From childhood to adulthood, he had always been a special existence within the organization.
But now, someone was hidden in Jiangcheng who could hand him two consecutive defeats.
This feeling was like being slapped hard across the face.
He sneered. “I’d like to see just how long you can stay hidden.”
Liu Junnan hadn't expected that the Xu family’s approach would be the same as the Bai family’s; he had once again become Xu Tianlin’s defense lawyer.
Due to the heinous nature of the Xu Tianlin case and its high level of social concern, he was being held alone in a special detention cell under twenty-four-hour surveillance, with no one allowed unauthorized contact.
Relying on his status as a defense lawyer, Liu Junnan successfully met with Xu Tianlin.
The meeting process was similar to the last time he had seen Bai Ruochu.
A space of about a dozen square meters was divided in half by a thick pane of glass.
On each side of the glass was a fixed metal chair. A surveillance camera hung on the wall, its red indicator light blinking silently.
The moment Xu Tianlin appeared, Liu Junnan’s pupils contracted imperceptibly.
The Xu Tianlin before him was a far cry from the portly, aggressive youngest son of the Xu family he had seen in the photos in the case files.
In just half a month, he had lost a significant amount of weight. His originally greasy and arrogant face now held nothing but a grey, deathly aura.
Most terrifying were his eyes.
Hollow, dilated, and devoid of any focus.
He was forced into the chair by a prison guard, offering no resistance—not even a reaction.
He just sat there blankly, his head slightly lowered, his gaze fixed on a point in the void, completely oblivious to everything in front of him.
That state was exactly the same as Bai Ruochu’s.
Liu Junnan’s heart skipped a beat.
Immediately, an indescribable surge of excitement rose from his heart.
As expected.
As expected, it was the same person!
He took a deep breath, suppressing the churning emotions. He picked up the telephone receiver on the desk and spoke to the person on the other side of the glass:
“Xu Tianlin, I am your defense lawyer, surnamed Liu. Can you hear me?”
No reaction.
Xu Tianlin continued to sit there blankly, his eyes vacant as if he hadn't heard a sound.
Liu Junnan repeated himself.
Still no reaction.
He stopped speaking. Instead, he closed his eyes and pushed his sensing ability to its limit, probing toward Xu Tianlin’s head through the thick glass.
His perception, like invisible tentacles, cautiously entered Xu Tianlin’s cerebral cortex.
Then, he saw a complete mess.
Just like Bai Ruochu, Xu Tianlin’s cerebral cortex had been violently tossed into disarray by someone.
The neural connections responsible for thought, memory, and consciousness were broken, tangled, and shattered.
But unlike Bai Ruochu, whose brain had been completely destroyed with neural connections damaged beyond repair...
Liu Junnan sensed carefully, his brow gradually furrowing.
Xu Tianlin’s brain seemed more like it had been forcibly “rewritten” by some kind of power.
The destroyed areas were concentrated on his memories of his crimes, his consciousness of resistance, and his emotions of fear.
It was as if someone had personally stripped away and erased certain things from his mind, piece by piece, and then stuffed in others—
Such as the thoughts of turning himself in, confessing, and repenting.
That was why Xu Tianlin had called the police himself, filmed the video himself, and confessed to his crimes without reservation.
He wasn't being controlled to do those things.
He wholeheartedly believed that he should do them.
This method...
Liu Junnan opened his eyes, a flash of solemnity appearing in his gaze.
This was no longer simple Mental Shock or consciousness control.
This was a higher level of Mental Rewriting, capable of delving deep into a person’s brain to precisely locate and modify without causing death or leaving any physical traces.
For someone to be able to do this...
Liu Junnan’s fingers tightened slightly, his grip on the receiver growing heavier.
He recalled the legends within the organization regarding Mental-type Ability Users—
It was said that mental-type abilities were divided into many levels.
The most basic was Mental Shock, which could make an opponent temporarily lose consciousness.
Above that was Mental Control, which could briefly manipulate an opponent’s actions.
Further up was Mental Invasion, which could read an opponent’s memories and thoughts.
And at the very top was Mental Rewriting.
It could delve into the depths of a person’s consciousness to modify their memories, emotions, cognitions, and even their personality.
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