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The recording contained no trace of interference, as clear as if the scene had been recreated on the spot. You could hear Yao Bing acting normally at first, even trying to bribe the young psychologist who was assessing him. Then, all of a sudden, he began shouting in panic. There was a burst of noise, followed by the sound of him rushing out. Even the commotion in the hallway had been captured.

Afterward, Yao Bing was brought back to the consultation room. The psychologist's hypnotic voice rang out, and Yao Donghu and Xie Heisha, who were listening to the recording, both felt their minds waver. They quickly realized what it was: hypnosis.

Hypnosis was probably why Yao Bing had been able to return home from the hospital so quietly.

"That's hypnosis. This doctor is a real professional!"

The Community Doctor, who had stayed behind, widened his eyes and exclaimed.

He had just given Yao Bing a sedative. All medicine came with side effects, and no sedative had fewer side effects than hypnosis, which worked directly on the mind.

Hypnosis could be a powerful tool, but not every psychologist knew how to use it well.

In a way, the Yao Family had gotten what they deserved. The Community Doctor did a good job of hiding his glee.

"Could that psychologist have been behind this?"

Yao Bing's Mother, Xuan Jing, pointed the finger directly at Li Bai. He was a highly suspicious character.

Unexpectedly, the lack of evidence only convinced her that he was the one who had driven her son mad.

A woman's intuition was truly frightening. By sheer luck, she'd guessed the truth.

"I really couldn't say!"

The Community Doctor didn't dare touch that subject. The waters of wealthy families' feuds ran too deep for him to get involved.

"Xuan Jing, don't make accusations without evidence."

Yao Donghu frowned. One problem had barely been settled before another arose. He didn't want to cause a new mess at such a critical moment.

The psychologist who had assessed their son, Yao Bing, had issued a diagnosis confirming mental illness, just as they'd wanted. They couldn't turn around and claim that Yao Bing hadn't been mentally ill before, and that they'd only sought the assessment to help him evade legal responsibility. They'd only be contradicting themselves.

Some things couldn't be brought into the open. If the Yao Family challenged the report, all the money and connections they'd invested would go to waste—and they'd offend a lot of people by going back on their word.

"Bing Bing was fine before. Why did he go mad as soon as he ran into that man? It had to be him! He knows sorcery. Who else could it be?"

Her son was the apple of her eye. Xuan Jing wailed and cursed the psychologist who had assessed him.

The Community Doctor, who was considering giving Yao Bing's Mother a sedative, could only smile wryly. Hypnosis wasn't good or evil; it was the person using it who decided how it was used.

By that logic, were all locksmiths thieves?

"Doctor Wang, do you know any psychologists who could take a look at Bing Bing? Not anyone from the Seventh People's Hospital. They can be from anywhere in or outside the province."

As the head of a company with assets worth over a billion yuan, Yao Donghu wasn't swayed by his wife's hysterics.

"There's a senior psychiatrist at the Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine named Hou Xiaozheng. He's also skilled at hypnosis. We could ask him to come and take a look."

People in the same profession usually knew a few of their colleagues well. Doctor Wang had thought of someone suitable.

The audio was an original file, unedited and unaltered, yet it revealed nothing unusual. It sounded as though their son, Yao, had suddenly had an episode. This left Yao Donghu deep in thought.

While her husband, Yao Donghu, arranged for Xie Heisha, the head of the bodyguard team, to fetch the psychiatrist from the Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine that night, Yao Bing's Mother, Xuan Jing, pulled Aunt Qing into a corner.

"Aunt Qing, have someone report to the news outlets and post online that the doctor who assessed Bing Bing took a bribe. Find his bank account, too, and deposit a million yuan into it."

Aunt Qing had worked for the Yao Family for fifteen years and was one of Yao Donghu and Xuan Jing's trusted confidantes. The couple rarely kept things from her, and sometimes they entrusted her with matters they couldn't handle in person.

"Madam, that doesn't seem right."

Aunt Qing was taken aback. This wasn't just scapegoating someone out of anger; it was throwing him under the bus. If word got out, who would dare work for the Yao Family in the future?

"Just do it. See if you know any thugs who can beat that doctor up. We'll collect some interest first. And don't tell Donghu. Make the arrangements quietly."

Xuan Jing gritted her teeth, her face twisted with hatred. With no one else to vent her anger on, she could only take it out on the young doctor.

"Yes, Madam."

Aunt Qing hesitated for a moment, then arranged for people to carry out the dirty work.

Capital had never been clean, not since the moment it was born. The Yao Family hadn't built the power it wielded today by always playing fair and following the law.

The dirty work was usually left to professionals. From beginning to end, the Yao Family—so devoted to public welfare and charity—had nothing to do with it.

What could a few phone calls and a few movements of cash prove?

Meanwhile, Doctor Li, unaware of the twists and turns unfolding, had just gotten home. The first thing he did was eagerly open two packs of Braised Beef Instant Noodles.

He lit the stove and boiled some water.

He added an egg and a hot dog.

Then two bright green vegetables.

The broth bubbled, and the noodles softened.

The warmth of home.

He picked up a chopstickful of noodles and chicken drumstick, took a hearty bite, and finally let out a satisfied moan.

Now this was the true taste of life!

What was the point of living if not for a bowl of instant noodles?

"Slurp! Slurp! I want some too, Young Master! I want some too!"

Demoness Qingyao had never seen anything like it. She immediately grew eager to try it.

Her slender, chopstick-like miniature Azure Flood Dragon body slipped off Li Bai's arm. She twisted and wriggled, trying to transform into human form.

A few flashes of azure light flickered around her, but she still didn't turn into a human.

"This isn't the world you came from. The rules of heaven and earth are different here, so give up."

Li Bai drank his noodle broth with a look of pure enjoyment, ignoring the Demoness's frustration.

The special blend of seasonings brought out every ingredient's flavor to the fullest. It was bold and straightforward, infused with the vigorous character of the industrial age. It had not a trace of stirring sentiment or the careful craftsmanship of an artisan.

To Li Bai, it was the perfect way to welcome himself home.

"Huh? Young Master, where are we?"

Everything around the Azure Flood Dragon Demoness was utterly unfamiliar, aside from her Young Master. She hadn't seen this coming.

"This is Earth. There's no demon realm, and no Great Wu Dynasty. To you, it's a completely unfamiliar world. To me, it's home."

Li Bai happily twirled up his noodles and wolfed them down. He'd added two eggs, and this was exactly the taste he wanted.

His little apartment had just one bedroom, one living room, and one bathroom, and was only forty square meters. Still, it was the only place in this world he could call his own.

"Home? Young Master's home?"

Qingyao Demoness forgot all about the instant noodles in Li Bai's bowl. She darted around the room, fascinated by every object.

She accidentally bumped the remote control. The TV mounted on the wall suddenly lit up, startling the Azure Flood Dragon Demoness into tumbling onto the soft sofa. She stared blankly at the screen as images and sound appeared.

The fluffy, soft cushions were perfect for curling up on. Without meaning to, the Demoness had discovered the ideal way to use the sofa.

After finishing his bowl of instant noodles, Li Bai felt completely satisfied. At last, his conscience stirred, and he cooked a bowl for the Demoness too.

He'd just finished washing the bowls when his phone rang. Li Bai glanced at the screen, quickly dropped the dishcloth, and answered.

"Hello, Dad. Yeah, I've eaten... What? Another blind date? No, thanks! ... All right, all right, I'll go. Just don't meddle in this anymore, okay? How have you been feeling lately? ... Working overtime again? The Public Security Bureau is already keeping you busy enough. Leave that mess at the Investment Promotion Bureau alone. If you fail to attract any investment, they won't dock your bonus. That's the mayor and party secretary's problem, not yours. You can't take the blame for everything. How does a bull die? Of course it works itself to death. And those Japanese from the Qing Tian Family—are they ever going to stop? Are they shameless, or what? They come here every year just to get beaten up. Is this some kind of pilgrimage? All right, all right, I'm staying out of this mess. Take better care of yourself. Eat and drink what you like. I'm hanging up!"

As the son of a high-ranking official, Li Bai had plenty to gripe about too.

Unlike the rich old man from the other world, who'd spent his days doing nothing, his father in this world was a born workaholic. He not only served as director of the Public Security Bureau, but was also the deputy director of the Investment Promotion Bureau.

It was all because some Japanese family wouldn't take no for an answer and insisted on forging some kind of bond. Damn it, the head of that family was like sticky candy—you couldn't shake him off.

But that was another story.