The Law Of Virtual Body Energy And Its Medical Application: A New Paradigm For Diagnosis And Treatment Based On Virtual Reality Mapping Chapter 8

Clinical Application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

The dehydration efficiency is low because this rotor is aging.

Shen Molin, the top student, took on the heavy responsibility of repairs. After a good beating from Shen Molin, the washing machine that had been broken for nearly six months finally started working again.

It is fixed! Qi Ruiqing, come take a look.

Qi Ruiqing happened to be gathering the clothes Shen Molin had finally changed out of after wearing them for a month.

For some reason, the modified lab coat had been dyed ink-black, while the shirt underneath was the same one Shen Molin had been wearing when they met before the experiment.

The colors will bleed, Shen Molin reminded him.

Oh… then should I just throw it away?

Shen Molin did not seem to mind; he appeared to quite like the casual clothes he was wearing now.

You still owe me a T-shirt. Do you know how much I liked the one you are wearing? I cannot hear you.

Shen Molin sat astride a chair, opening his mouth to eat imaginary dumplings. In his own words, the energy from last night’s meal was enough to last him two days.

Do you want to go back to that buffet from yesterday? That was quite expensive, is it okay? It is fine.

Qi Ruiqing opened his phone as he walked toward the sofa. He froze for a moment, then collapsed into the cushions, covering his face in a mix of laughter and tears.

What is it? Shen Molin, how much did you eat yesterday?

Shen Molin scratched his head and shrugged.

We have been blacklisted.

I did not even eat that much, did I? Shen Molin muttered. So what do we do now?

We will just go somewhere else. What if I make it so you can never eat at a buffet again for the rest of your life?

Then things would be bad, but it is not like you haven’t caused trouble for me before.

Forget it, Qi Ruiqing. I do not necessarily need to be restricted to human food anyway. Shen Molin proposed a new idea. We could try gasoline.

Qi Ruiqing felt very fortunate that he had not bought a car.

Batteries, gasoline, diesel, coal gas, natural gas, combustible ice… Stop right there, I cannot get my hands on those last few.

But his suggestion was not just wild imagination. It was merely pica; a problem of this degree was still acceptable.

Wait, electrical energy—is that not something every household has?

Oh, true. But I…

The electric meter was right by the door. Shen Molin opened the cover, leaned in to take a look, and coughed.

Back up to the balcony. He waved Qi Ruiqing away.

Why? I, I am not entirely sure about this.

Despite his uncertainty, Shen Molin grabbed a power strip. He said he wanted to give it a try.

If you are not sure, then do not try it! But Shen Molin certainly would not listen to that. Qi Ruiqing could only hide on the balcony, staring at him nervously.

You probably won’t be electrocuted to death, right…

Before Qi Ruiqing could finish his sentence, he saw Shen Molin decisively squeeze the power strip in his hand.

A flash of electricity sparked, and the lights in the living room began to flicker. Qi Ruiqing heard several appliances emit warning sounds simultaneously, a cacophony as terrifying as the fire alarm that day.

As the sparks flew, Shen Molin’s body jerked. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, his expression twisting in pain.

Then came the pitiful groan of the circuit breaker. Snap. The power tripped.

The lights went out, the appliances fell silent, and Shen Molin collapsed to the floor like a fallen weight.

Shen Molin! Terrified, Qi Ruiqing pushed open the balcony door and rushed inside.

Shen Molin was lying face down on the floor, his body stiff, still clutching the power strip, which now had scorched black sockets. Qi Ruiqing forced him over and found his eyes tightly shut, his consciousness blurred.

He reached out to check his breath… No breath?!

Shen Molin, Shen Molin, do not scare me!

Ah… Under the intense shaking, Shen Molin finally took a sharp breath and woke up.

Shen Molin! Wow… that was so numbing…

He exhaled, and Qi Ruiqing saw a puff of blue smoke rise from his mouth.

Ah… Qi Ruiqing… why did it get dark? The power tripped, you idiot.

Look at what you have done.

Sigh… this does not work very well. Shen Molin sat up with his hands on his knees, his face slightly pale. It seems shock therapy has no effect on treating a mutation.

Fine… at least you proved the futility of electrotherapy.

The irony was that Shen Molin ended up being the one to help replace the blown fuse.

The rice in the pot had been reheated due to the power outage and eventually turned into a thick, sticky congeal. Shen Molin did not find it unappetizing and helped Qi Ruiqing clear the plate.

It looks like we still have to go out to eat. Qing, we could just order takeout.

But Qi Ruiqing wanted to try other therapies while they were at it.

…

The common physical therapies in psychiatry were nothing more than repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation or biofeedback. The principles were largely the same—using external stimuli to change local electrical activity—but they all required professional equipment.

Furthermore, these treatments yielded half the result for twice the effort when facing a new condition like a distortion mutation.

Qi Ruiqing decided to try some psychological approaches.

But psychological healing is nothing more than behavioral therapy, suggestion therapy, psychoanalysis, and so on. Shen Molin leaned casually against a park bench with his hands in his pockets, tilting his head to look at the sky. Besides, my current state is entirely due to uncontrollable physical phenomena, not a physiological disease. This is not something you can just cure because you want to.

This was the difference between a scientist and a doctor; the divergence after professional specialization was very apparent at this moment.

Qi Ruiqing, I do not need a psychiatrist. I will say it again: you need one more than I do.

I have already considered that. Qi Ruiqing looked down. You are right.

His attitude changed so quickly that even Shen Molin was caught off guard. Shen Molin turned around and stared at him intently.

Uh… Qi Ruiqing realized this guy really liked staring at people for no reason. After all, I was at the primary scene of the explosion. I am bound to be affected to some extent.

Correct. The most dangerous part of an explosion is the shockwave. The scorching air currents expand rapidly…

The daily science lecture was suddenly cut short. Shen Molin looked at himself blankly, then lowered his hand with a sense of loss.

Was I always this boring before?

No. Then why did we break up?

…Because of family.

Because you had your parents, and I had my responsibilities.

Or rather:

Actually, there was no specific reason. In this world, what thing is not a case of a fine beginning leading to a bitter end?

Perhaps family really was not the reason they separated. After all, they had not even had a real argument; they had simply drifted apart like dandelions in the wind.

After learning certain things later on, Qi Ruiqing had tried over the years to find an opportunity to speak up and make amends for their imperfect ending, but God never seemed willing to favor their relationship. He had slowly begun to realize that he and Shen Molin might never cross paths again.

That was why, when he saw him in the laboratory that time, it was an absolute, even fearful, joy…

You are always so secretive about the past, Shen Molin keenly sensed his difficulty, yet he reserved a tolerance for him that he did not show others. Are you afraid that bringing up the past will destroy our current relationship?

Yes. A terrible thing that could make both of us, who were once so confident in our future, feel completely hopeless… Could it not destroy us now in the same way?

Not to mention we had already gone our separate ways…

I… need some time to prepare… I understand…

Qi Ruiqing looked at the shadow Shen Molin cast as he stood up. He was terrified that Shen Molin would turn around, his face cold, and say: I remember, I know, I have guessed it…

…I will not ask anymore. Shen Molin looked back at him. Tell me whenever you are ready.

He did not state a reason, but both he and Qi Ruiqing knew: it was impossible for Shen Molin not to be full of curiosity about himself.

He was clearly such a person who pursued efficiency and excellence…

…Alright, I promise you. Qi Ruiqing could only thank him this way.

Speaking of which… Shen Molin changed the subject. I have been noticing that tree for a long time.

Oh, of course. After all, quite a few people were gathered around it. The candlelight beneath the tree, the silk ribbons on the branches, and the somber atmosphere of the onlookers made it hard not to notice.

Yes… Qi Ruiqing looked sadly at the fluttering strips of cloth. It is a spontaneous memorial activity by the citizens.

A major disaster, countless casualties, widespread mutations, and voices of grief everywhere. Innocent people had met with sudden calamity on a normal afternoon, and a campus that should have been full of vitality and joy had turned into today’s battlefield…

Experts point out that people cannot remain calm at all times when facing sudden events. Venting appropriately, facing and accepting emotions, and viewing them as normal phenomena will prevent distortion from occurring.

Scientific. Shen Molin agreed with this view. After all, the continuous accumulation of energy is the direct cause of distortion.

Then Shen Molin, Qi Ruiqing took a mask out of his pocket and handed it to him. Put this on, tuck in your wings, and come with me to take a look.

Pain, like a dark cloud, had poisoned people’s voices and blinded their eyes. When that energy, which felt rich enough to drip oil, was delivered to his mouth, Shen Molin still could not help but frown and swallow his saliva.

Hmm? Qi Ruiqing reached out and hooked his fingers.

It is nothing. I will control myself.

They squeezed through the grieving sobs and finally came before the black-and-white photographs.

Shen Molin seemed to see himself.

Yes… you see it.

Plucking a white flower, Qi Ruiqing leaned down and silently placed his tribute.

Shen Molin was silent for a moment, then asked in a low voice:

The truth of the matter has not been fully investigated yet, has it? As the person in charge of the experiment, perhaps it is not appropriate for me to be here.

Comrade Qi Ruiqing, Qi Ruiqing did not speak; he remembered the police officers’ persistent questioning by his hospital bed. Please try to recall the sequence of events carefully.

Shen Molin did not do anything outside the scope of the experiment. He followed the safety protocols perfectly.

Qi Ruiqing was not trying to exonerate Shen Molin.

The experiment had already ended at that time, and Shen Molin had not restarted the equipment. I received a call about an emergency regarding my mother, so I stepped out…

Officer, everything I am saying is true! There must have been someone else in the lab at that time. Shen Molin must have pressed the fire alarm to evacuate the crowd!

Fortunately, he had done so. That alarm had indeed allowed many people to run out and survive.

Shen Molin is not a criminal. This disaster has nothing to do with him.

Qi Ruiqing wanted to say this to everyone.

I cannot watch him die… and then be framed as a murderer…

He is just one of these hundreds of victims.

He was just a victim.

I remember now. The lights in the lab were turned off or destroyed, which is why I could only see the red glow of the numbers on the screen. But the power switches for the patient’s cubicle and your observation control room are not in the same place, and the two rooms are not connected. You did not leave the room, so you could not have destroyed the light source. Therefore, there must have been another person—the real culprit—who turned off the lights.

Beneath the brim of his hat, Shen Molin lowered his eyes, listening to him speak quietly and patiently.

Although I cannot explain why you were unwilling to leave the lab to escape the danger… if you hadn’t turned back to shout at me to run… Qi Ruiqing looked down, smiling with a mix of bitterness and relief. I would have been crushed to death down there with you.

The candlelight blurred into shadows in his eyes. Shen Molin put his arm around Qi Ruiqing. He leaned his head in, lightly brushing his cheek against Qi Ruiqing’s.

No need to thank me.

His breath brushed against Qi Ruiqing’s skin, reminding him that Shen Molin was not dead.

He was by his side, every moment.

Let us go, Qi Ruiqing led him to turn around. Let us go home.

Okay.

Shen Molin followed him for a few steps, then looked back.

That black-and-white photo labeled as the deceased Shen Molin was displayed right there before him.

It was not that he had not seen photos in Qi Ruiqing’s phone; there were photos of the past Shen Molin there too.

But for some reason, a strange sensation, like the lingering itch of an insect bite, hovered and refused to dissipate.

Hmm…

Shen Molin, what is it?

After all, attending one’s own memorial service was not a common occurrence. Anyone would find it strange.

You are right, I just find it a bit odd… Shen Molin turned back to catch up with him. It is nothing. Let us go.

Yes, let us go.