East District players might develop mental illnesses after evolving to a certain degree. It was said that, after they evolved as a group, certain parts of their brains had mutated. They might not even realize it themselves, but Mutated Plants could be affected. Carrying them around made the condition easier to control.
That explanation was plausible enough. After all, evolution could take all kinds of strange directions, and someone else might have believed it. But this was connected to Dr. Zhang, and East District players happened to be suffering from mental problems, so Xu Huo found it hard to believe this was simply a genetic mutation in Yuquan City.
When he asked about how often the players had episodes and what other traits they displayed, the man revealed some information that wasn't on the Jixin Terminal. Judging by the most basic figures—the time and the numbers—the players had begun showing symptoms about six or seven years ago. That was also when episodes were at their peak; the rate had gradually declined afterward. Supposedly, this was because psychological treatment had been introduced. Overall, the healthier someone's mental state, the lower their risk of developing symptoms.
"Which Agor therapists specializing in psychology started working six or seven years ago and often treated players?" Xu Huo asked.
"Zheng Yuci," the East District player answered woodenly.
"Zheng Yuci? Is that the only one?" Xu Huo raised an eyebrow.
"Every player I know has met Zheng Yuci. Some of us had face-to-face sessions; others spoke through a Communicator. The reports from our checkups have his signature," the man replied.
The name Zheng Yuci had come up several times already. Xu Huo had first seen it on academic papers about psychological research on the Jixin Terminal. The second time was on a wanted poster in the