Chapter 8: Mental Power Solution – It’s really too hard to choose.
After a night of tossing and turning, Yu Xia’s mental power was under heavy pressure. Coupled with the numerous cuts on his body, the sudden slap from Dr. Yu made him shudder and instantly perk up.
He looked at the visitor, then relaxed again, rubbing his eyes sluggishly: “Dr. Yu, good morning…”
Dr. Yu soothingly patted Yu Xia’s blanket, as if apologizing for the slap just now, though nothing could be felt through the covers. Dr. Yu asked, “Xiao Yu, were you conscious of the commotion last night?”
Yu Xia had absolutely no awareness of having experienced a mental power manifestation. He asked, “Last night? I went to sleep after drinking the soothing agent. Did something happen last night? Nothing, right?”
Dr. Yu sighed. While he recorded something on his optical computer, he said: “When I came to work this morning, I received a report from a colleague on the night shift. It said that last night—actually, early this morning—you experienced a mental power manifestation. It seems you have no memory of it at all?”
Yu Xia was dazed. “I have absolutely no memory. Is mental power manifestation very serious?”
Dr. Yu scratched his chin. “Not necessarily. As long as someone with higher mental power is present, they can guide the patient’s mental power—this is a mandatory course for doctors. The problem is, currently no one has higher mental power than you. In other words, no one can pacify you. If your mental power manifests, we can only do what we did last night—use a mental power pacifying agent to forcibly suppress your rampaging mental power. The price is how you feel now. Does your head hurt? That’s the side effect of mental power being forcibly suppressed. It can’t be helped.”
Yu Xia rubbed his head. “It does hurt quite a bit, but it’s bearable. Compared to the pain in my body right now, it’s nothing. I don’t know if it’s the side effect you mentioned, but I feel even more pain today than before.”
Dr. Yu looked at Yu Xia in silence for a long while before saying: “Isn’t that obvious? You had a mental power manifestation last night and cut yourself all over. Of course it hurts more than before!”
Yu Xia: “…”
Yu Xia silently lifted his thin blanket and saw his body wrapped in bandages.
Yu Xia: “.”
This was truly unexpected.
Dr. Yu operated his optical computer for a bit longer and told Yu Xia: “The side effects of the mental power pacifying agent are quite large. The physical checkup originally scheduled for today has to be postponed. However, I’ve booked a treatment capsule for you this afternoon. Although the wounds aren’t deep, you should still treat the cuts all over your body. Now, let’s talk about your mental power problem.”
Yu Xia sat up straight. “Please speak, Dr. Yu.”
Dr. Yu was very pleased with such an obedient patient and pulled over a chair.
After Yu Xia’s mental power manifestation last night, this chair had also suffered. Since the chair wasn’t reinforced with special materials, the scratches on its surface were quite deep. Dr. Yu felt a bit uncomfortable sitting on it, but he had to make do for now.
Dr. Yu projected a diagram from his optical computer for Yu Xia to see. “The main reason a person’s mental power manifests is that their constitution cannot contain it, causing it to leak out from the body. The reason mental power manifestation usually takes a rampaging form is that it should have been within the human body, engaged in a tug-of-war with it. This is unavoidable, but we can change a person’s mental power.”
Yu Xia blinked and shook his head, indicating he didn’t understand.
Dr. Yu snapped his fingers and changed the diagram on the light screen. “A person’s mental power can be temporarily consumed. Although it will slowly and automatically replenish after consumption, as long as we can consume it, we’re good. We can’t make the mental power stronger, but we can temporarily consume it. Although we haven’t tried this before, we can give it a shot.”
With that, Dr. Yu gave a profound smile. “I’ll have Old Xie prepare a holographic helmet for you later. Those things are a huge drain on mental power.”
“A holographic helmet? Is it the kind I’m thinking of?”
Dr. Yu nodded. “Exactly. Actually, nowadays most people with some money buy holographic cabins; not many use helmets anymore. After all, helmets are indeed very taxing on mental power. When holographic helmets first came out, they weren’t as common as they are now because the mental power requirement blocked out countless people. But isn’t our goal right now to have you consume mental power? It’s perfect. I’ll talk to Old Xie later and have him apply for a holographic helmet for you. He should agree.”
“As it happens, he should be applying for your entrance exam spot at Imperial Star Academy soon. Even if your situation is special and you’re considered a specialized talent, you can’t know nothing, right? You already showed quite a bit of talent in mechanics; you can take this time to catch up properly. Oh, and the exam also has general subjects. Although specialized talents have special privileges, you can’t truly know nothing at all. They are Imperial Star Academy, after all.”
Yu Xia: “.”
Another exam. This is so hard!
When Xie Qing received the message from Dr. Yu, there was someone else pestering him.
It was Ye Zhichen.
This young student from the Command Department was making people’s blood pressure soar today. Xie Qing even felt that if he had low blood pressure, this Ye kid would have cured it.
Xie Qing kept his hands behind his back and said coldly: “I told you long ago, I won’t agree to your request. I will definitely submit this report.”
Ye Zhichen was unwilling to give up. He knew he couldn’t act recklessly now. Provoking a Mental Power Disorder patient was indeed his fault, but Yu Xia hadn’t actually suffered anything—in fact, his mental power had even risen. He felt there was still room for negotiation. “Director Xie, I admit I was wrong to speak out of turn to Yu Xia, but he didn’t actually suffer any harm. If he really couldn’t wake up, then I’d accept the punishment willingly. But if Yu Xia is fine, I won’t accept this report.”
Xie Qing turned around and asked him: “Do you truly think Yu Xia is fine?”
Ye Zhichen couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “Does he have some kind of problem?”
Xie Qing was silent for a moment, then said: “I just received news from the hospital doctor. Last night, Yu Xia experienced a mental power manifestation. Do you understand what that means?”
“It means that at that moment, he was only one step away from never waking up again.” Xie Qing looked at him coldly and only spoke after a long while. “As someone who might enter the military in the future, you actually think you’re innocent? This is simply the joke of the century. Is the Command Department so easy to enter nowadays? How did you pass the ideological and political exam back when you joined?”
Ye Zhichen’s face turned even more unsightly. He understood Xie Qing’s implication.
If he continued to cause trouble, it might be more than just a single report. If Xie Qing had connections to Imperial Star Academy and spoke a few words to the official school leadership, even if they couldn’t force him to change majors, they could indeed force him to undergo re-evaluation.
The ideological and political exam was a prerequisite for military-related fields. He heard it had become increasingly difficult in recent years. If he had to retake it and failed, he might be forced to change majors.
Ye Zhichen gritted his teeth. This Xie Qing was far too ruthless.
But to just take the punishment like this, Ye Zhichen was truly unwilling. He gritted his teeth: “Even if Yu Xia has Mental Power Disorder, he shouldn’t frequently order Shaocheng to do those chores. Just because he’s sick, is he in the right because he’s weak?”
Xie Qing clicked his tongue. “Oh, so you’re just sticking up for Yun Shaocheng. Then did he tell you that the resource allocation at the orphanage is fixed? I didn’t deduct Yu Xia’s share. If he did Yu Xia’s work for him, then he got two shares. He could have chosen not to do it; no one forced him. In the orphanage, plenty of people are willing to do things for Yu Xia.”
“And as for Yu Xia ordering him around… give me a break. Yu Xia probably doesn’t even know him. With so many people coming and going from the orphanage, it’s lucky if he even remembers he exists. Besides, Yu Xia has had Mental Power Disorder for three years and hasn’t been in good spirits. Who remembers who Yun Shaocheng is!”
“Kids nowadays—as long as there’s more than one at home, they have to compete for favor. We have dozens here; as the Director, even I sometimes can’t remember everyone.”
Ye Zhichen was stunned. He truly hadn’t heard of these things; he only knew that Yu Xia frequently ordered Yun Shaocheng to do chores. He pursed his lips. “Then the fact that you favor Yu Xia is also true.”
Xie Qing admitted this quite frankly: “That is true. After all, Yu Xia has been cute since he was little and would call me ‘Brother,’ unlike the brats nowadays who call me ‘Grandpa’ the moment they see me. Besides, I retired from the military. Yu Xia’s parents died on the battlefield. Isn’t it only natural that I take better care of a comrade’s child?”
Ye Zhichen was suddenly speechless and was stunned for a long while before arguing: “Then do you not pay attention to the other children?”
Xie Qing tilted his head and glanced at him. “Why do you think I don’t pay attention to the other children? If I truly didn’t care about the other children in my orphanage, would I still be in this position? This is an Imperial orphanage. Every year when the Empire allocates funds, they also investigate the orphanage staff. Last year, I was even named an Outstanding Employee!”
Xie Qing looked at Ye Zhichen for a moment and waved his hand at him. “Go do what you’re supposed to do. Everything will be handled according to regulations. Don’t come here to pull strings. If the higher-ups truly think your actions were nothing, then my report won’t have much of an impact on you even if it’s submitted. Since you know this is bad, why didn’t you use your brain before you acted?”
Ye Zhichen pursed his lips and didn’t say a word.
Xie Qing turned away and continued to look for a holographic helmet for Yu Xia.
After all, this was an orphanage. No matter how good the Empire’s benefits were, a holographic helmet was a luxury item. Xie Qing planned to use his own private account to buy this one for Yu Xia.
It was just a bit hard to choose. It had to be one that consumed mental power, since Yu Xia’s main goal was to burn off his excess mental power. At the same time, it had to be safe. Yu Xia’s body couldn’t handle any more trouble. But the better the holographic helmet, the more it saved on mental power.
It was truly too hard to choose.
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