Chapter 218: A Doctor Cannot Heal Himself; No One Can Save Another

"What conditions?"

Hearing Yu Dazhang's words, Li Jun's eyes lit up instantly.

If there really was a way to bring Liu Qi back to normal, he was willing to pay a price.

After all, Liu Qi was the principal offender in this case.

If she were sent to a psychiatric hospital, the case would be left hanging.

By then, in the eyes of outsiders, people would probably think the criminal had successfully evaded legal punishment.

The branch bureau had rarely cracked a cold case, so Li Jun naturally hoped the case could have a perfect ending.

"It'll cost extra."

Yu Dazhang thought of Ye Zhiyu's mercenary expression and smiled even more deeply:

"Zeng Lisi's hypnosis was broken by him. I've already promised him a reward—currently three thousand yuan."

The price was quite reasonable… Li Jun hesitated for a moment, then asked:

"The person you mentioned—can he guarantee it?"

Ye Zhiyu had completed two missions in a row successfully, so Yu Dazhang now had great confidence in him.

"Let's put it this way." Yu Dazhang said with a serious face:

"If he fails, you won't need to look for anyone else. At least in the field of psychology, I don't think anyone is stronger than him."

Such a high evaluation?

It was the first time Li Jun had seen Yu Dazhang praise someone like this.

In his eyes, although this Fatty was affable with people, he did have a proud streak.

To be evaluated so highly by him, that person must have something extraordinary.

Li Jun thought it over, then finally gritted his teeth:

"As long as he can bring Liu Qi back to normal, the reward isn't an issue. Go talk to him."

That same afternoon.

Yu Dazhang brought Ye Zhiyu to the hospital.

"I've been seriously sleep-deprived lately." While going upstairs, Ye Zhiyu complained:

"If this keeps up, my body won't be able to take it."

Through their previous interactions, Yu Dazhang was fairly familiar with him by now.

So hearing his complaint, he immediately guessed what he was after.

"Once this mission is done, I'll bump your reward up to five thousand." Yu Dazhang said bluntly.

Ye Zhiyu instantly perked up:

"Really?!"

"The premise is you have to pull her back to reality." Yu Dazhang reminded him:

"You've met this person before—it's the woman you de-hypnotized at Zhengyang Group last time."

Hearing this, Ye Zhiyu thought for a moment:

"That woman?"

"Right." Yu Dazhang nodded:

"This time her condition is even more serious…"

Then he described Liu Qi's specific situation in detail.

At the hospital room door.

Yu Dazhang greeted the officer stationed there, then said to Ye Zhiyu:

"If you need any help, just say so. We'll cooperate with you as much as we can."

Ye Zhiyu nodded with a solemn expression:

"Let me take a look first."

Entering the hospital room.

He first looked at Liu Qi lying on the bed.

After approaching, he waved his hand in front of her eyes.

Liu Qi showed no reaction; her eyes still stared at the ceiling, only occasionally blinking instinctively.

"This is a bit of trouble…"

After a moment of silence, Ye Zhiyu spoke again:

"I need a bell, and during the hypnosis no one can be present nearby. I don't want any interference."

Hearing him say he needed a bell, an odd phrase suddenly popped into Yu Dazhang's head.

The finest ingredients often need only the simplest cooking method.

Auxiliary props like pocket watches and bells, which seem ordinary, are actually the most commonly used by hypnotists.

The reason is that they're simple to operate and remarkably effective.

The demands weren't high, so Yu Dazhang readily agreed.

Ten-odd minutes later, an officer handed a small bell to Ye Zhiyu.

Following the requirements Ye Zhiyu had stated earlier, Yu Dazhang took two other officers and withdrew from the room, standing guard at the door.

Just as Ye Zhiyu had said, Liu Qi's condition this time was indeed very troublesome.

Yu Dazhang waited at the door for a full hour. Apart from the occasional sound of the bell from inside the room, there was no other movement.

No wonder Ye Zhiyu had demanded no observers.

No one could guarantee they wouldn't make a single sound over the course of a full hour. He waited another half hour or more.

Just as Yu Dazhang thought this attempt was going to fail, a cry suddenly rang out from inside the hospital room.

He recognized at once that the crying came from Liu Qi.

Success!

Listening to the cry, Yu Dazhang was struck by an inexplicable feeling that Liu Qi had been reborn.

After waiting a while longer, Ye Zhiyu walked out of the hospital room.

His face was weary, his eyes shot through with red, and he looked utterly haggard.

"Did you bring cigarettes?" he asked, looking at Yu Dazhang.

Yu Dazhang immediately pulled an unopened pack of Huazi from his bag and shoved it straight into his hand:

"Take it and smoke."

Five days later.

The case of Liu Zhengyang's sudden death officially entered its closing stage.

No errors, no missing content — read it all here!

Closing a case does not mean the case is over.

It usually means the police have finished their investigation, evidence collection, and other work, and have made a corresponding handling decision.

After the case is closed, the next step will be to transfer it to the procuratorate for review and prosecution.

Li Jun kept his word and submitted Ye Zhiyu's reward application right away.

That afternoon.

A residential building in the suburbs.

Yu Dazhang stood in front of a residence, raised his hand, and knocked on the door.

Just as he had guessed, Ye Zhiyu was indeed sleeping.

The moment he opened the door and saw Yu Dazhang, he fought down the fury in his heart and said in a low voice:

"You'd better have a good reason."

A few days apart and his nerve has grown… Yu Dazhang pulled five thousand in cash from his bag and waved it in front of him.

"What did you just say? I didn't catch it."

The drowsiness vanished from Ye Zhiyu's face without a trace, replaced by a beaming smile.

"Quick, quick, quick, please come inside."

He immediately stepped aside, bent at the waist, and made an inviting gesture:

"Haven't seen you in days, I've missed you to death — I was even dreaming about you just now."

That last line gave Yu Dazhang goosebumps all over.

Walking into the room, he said in an exasperated tone:

"Such a greasy line — how could you even bring yourself to say it? You're supposed to be an expert in the field of psychology, after all."

"Not important, not important." Ye Zhiyu said the words, but his eyes were locked onto the red bills in Yu Dazhang's hand.

After entering the room, Yu Dazhang sat down and set the money on the table.

"Your reward. Count it."

Ye Zhiyu hurriedly waved his hands:

"No need, no need — between us, there's still that little bit of trust."

His mouth said no need, but the moment he picked up the money, his hand went straight for the portrait on it.

He's checking whether it's real… Yu Dazhang was so angry he nearly slammed the table.

A reward issued by the police — could it be counterfeit? He had no idea what this guy was thinking.

That wasn't all — Ye Zhiyu then quickly riffled through the bills in his hand.

His counting motion was extremely professional.

So professional that even Yu Dazhang was stunned.

Finally, under his watchful gaze, Ye Zhiyu tucked the money into his pocket.

"Is money really that important to you?" Yu Dazhang asked curiously.

Unexpectedly, hearing this, Ye Zhiyu's face immediately darkened, as if he had been deeply insulted:

"Saying that is just showing off after getting a bargain. You're a member of the system, so naturally you don't have to care about money."

"But can I afford not to? My mom's health is poor — she has to be hospitalized at least once a year."

"And I can't even afford the most basic insurance for myself."

"If it hadn't been for the lack of money back then, I wouldn't have ended up…"

Toward the end, his voice grew quieter, as if he were struggling hard to keep his emotions in check.

And this guy calls himself a psychology expert… Yu Dazhang shook his head helplessly.

That probably sums it up: a doctor cannot heal himself; a man cannot save himself.

This guy has his own psychological issues.

"I have a feeling you're going to take it out on society sooner or later."

Seeing Ye Zhiyu glare at him, Yu Dazhang quickly changed the subject:

"There's one more thing I came for today — I've found you a job related to psychology."

(End of chapter)