"Pspsps, Harley, come here."
Li Jie stood in his office, beckoning to Harleen Quinzel as she walked past.
Harleen poked her head in, puzzled. "Sheriff, what are you being so sneaky about?"
"I have a professional question for you. Something about psychology."
"Oh? Hold on!"
Harleen immediately perked up. She sat primly in the chair across from Li Jie, took out her gold-rimmed glasses, and put them on. "Go ahead."
"Ahem..."
Li Jie cleared his throat. "If... I mean, hypothetically... a criminal claimed that any sane person only needed one very bad day to become a madman, or... to attain a kind of absolute freedom, what would you think of that view?"
"That's not unusual. The human body has built-in protective mechanisms, such as losing consciousness, to keep the brain from overloading when subjected to a severe shock," Harleen answered solemnly. "But when the shock is too great for the brain to process or accept, a person can descend into madness. As for absolute freedom...
"Relative freedom and order are the result of mutual compromises under authority. Of course you can pursue absolute freedom, provided you can bear the consequences, or possess absolute power. You..."
She gave Li Jie a strange look, her eyes full of suspicion. "Why would you ask something like that?"
"It's nothing. Just..." Li Jie turned toward the window. "Just a random question. Maybe I'll have a use for those arguments someday."
"That doesn't add up." Harleen frowned. "You unconsciously cleared your throat before asking, which means this question matters a great deal to you. You also chose your words as carefully as possible. It has something significant to do with either you or me."
She got up, walked over, and sat sideways on the desk in front of Li Jie, staring into his eyes. "What