Viper Gang Headquarters.
In a dimly lit hall, Sam sat in his wheelchair. Behind him was a massive, imposing wall, its surface adorned with intricate patterns of dark gold.
Upon closer inspection, the "dark gold patterns" revealed themselves to be a network of intertwined ouroboros—serpents biting their own tails—forming an array of mysterious symbols.
Before him stood a crowd of men, numbering no less than a hundred. They were all dressed in black suits with ties, their muscular necks marked with the signature black viper tattoos.
Around the hall, candles were arranged strategically, their soft flames flickering. A faint jasmine scent filled the air, as though the candles were some kind of aromatic incense.
"Chief!"
The chorus of voices rang out as the hundred black-suited men shouted in unison. Their fierce, rugged faces were alight with fanaticism, their gazes upon Sam reverent, almost worshipful, as if he were a god.
Sam gave a calm nod in response. He was about to begin today's session of hypnosis and indoctrination.
This was one of his daily rituals—using hypnosis to drain his overflowing mental energy.
Sam had taught himself hypnosis, devouring every book on the subject he could get his hands on. The techniques described in these books, however, were often ineffective and excessively complicated. Even a person with the slightest hint of vigilance could easily resist them.
But that was only true for ordinary people. Sam was different. With his immensely powerful mental energy, hypnosis in his hands transformed from a simple technique into an almost divine art.
The Viper Gang was the largest criminal organisation in District 13 of Star City. With over a hundred core members and more than a thousand subordinates at their disposal, they were infamous for their ruthlessness and unscrupulous methods. Each member was a scoundrel in their own right, making the gang a name feared throughout the district.
Yet, in front of Sam, this brutal gang behaved like docile lambs.
Months ago, Sam had started dismantling the Viper Gang from within using hypnosis. He began by targeting a lone gang member, overpowering him with mental energy and hypnotising him. He then instructed the hypnotised member to bring in his closest associates. Those associates, in turn, brought their own companions. Day by day, this process repeated until Sam had hypnotised every core member of the gang.
No matter how ruthless the Viper Gang might have been, they were, after all, just ordinary people—completely powerless against Sam's supernatural abilities.
To Sam, a man who had played the roles of the Heavenly Emperor in the Immortal Realm, the Supreme Lord of the Demon World, and the Divine Ruler of the Celestial Realm, taking control of a gang like the Viper Gang was trivial. He didn't see it as an achievement. Instead, the gang served merely as a tool for him to drain his excess mental power.
Hypnosis wasn't permanent, much like brainwashing. If not reinforced regularly, it could fade over time, and the subjects might regain their free will.
Under the watchful eyes of the Viper Gang members, Sam reached into his pocket and pulled out a dark gold, intricately patterned pocket watch. The design on the watch mirrored the patterns on the wall behind him—an endless weave of ouroboros, serpents biting their tails and entwined into mystical symbols.
This was a hypnotic symbol Sam had personally designed. According to The Practical Guide to Clinical Hypnosis, a hypnotic anchor—a unique and distinct visual trigger—was essential for effective hypnosis. The symbol needed to be rare and mysterious, something that could instantly captivate attention and draw the subject into a trance.
For this purpose, Sam had chosen the ouroboros as his hypnotic symbol—a serpent devouring its own tail. The ouroboros is an ancient emblem passed down through history, typically depicted as a circular ring, though occasionally twisted into a figure-eight.
It symbolises the cycle of death and rebirth, eternity and unity, as well as infinity, perpetual motion, and immortality.
Sam released the pocket watch, letting it slip gently from his hand. It dangled midair, suspended by a delicate gold chain, swinging back and forth like a pendulum.
"Everyone, focus on the watch."
His deep, resonant voice filled the hall, carrying a magnetic quality that seeped into the ears of the Viper Gang members like a steady stream of water.
In an instant, every pair of eyes locked onto the mysterious pocket watch, following its rhythmic sway.
Around them, the jasmine-scented candles continued to release their fragrance, heightening the trance-inducing atmosphere. The ouroboros-adorned wall behind Sam seemed to glow faintly, blending seamlessly with the mystique he exuded.
Abruptly, Sam lowered the amber-tinted glasses on his face, revealing his piercing, profound eyes. Enhanced by his immense mental power, his gaze sparkled like starlight in the depths of the night, pulling his audience deeper into his spell.
Buzz!
An invisible wave of mental energy surged forth from Sam's eyes, radiating outward like hundreds of intangible serpents. These mental tendrils snaked their way into the minds of the gang members, infiltrating their consciousness.
In that moment, the fervent expressions on the faces of the Viper Gang members seemed to ignite. As if overtaken by an uncontrollable compulsion, they dropped to their knees, bowing in unison as though worshipping their deity.
"Long live the Chief!"
"Long live the Chief!!"
The chants of "Long live the Chief!" echoed through the hall, resonating for a long time before finally fading away.
This was the essence of Sam's hypnosis. The principle was deceptively simple: guide the subject's attention outward, then exploit the opening to infiltrate their subconscious. By making them focus on the pocket watch, Sam directed their attention to an external object. Once their focus was entirely on the watch, their guard against their inner world weakened, leaving their minds vulnerable to suggestion.
This was also why the watch bore the ouroboros design. A plain pocket watch might have been dismissed after a single glance. But with a mysterious, intricate pattern, the watch could hold their gaze for much longer.
As for the choice of a pocket watch—well, that was equally deliberate. In an era where wristwatches and smartphones dominate, a pocket watch is an anomaly, immediately drawing attention.
Beyond the pocket watch, the surrounding candles were specially crafted as well. They emitted a subtle fragrance with mild calming properties. While harmless to the body, the scent helped relax the mind, further softening resistance to hypnosis.
The ouroboros-patterned wall behind Sam served as a reinforcement for psychological suggestion, acting as a backdrop to deepen the hypnotic atmosphere.
Then there were the amber-tinted glasses. Their purpose was to obscure Sam's eyes, preventing direct eye contact.
Humans possess a peculiar psychological quirk—the more they are denied a view of something, the more they yearn to see it.
For instance, consider a woman in a bikini. Despite how much skin is visible, people's gazes are often drawn to the areas that remain covered.
Similarly, the tinted glasses blurred Sam's eyes, causing those around him to instinctively fixate on the glasses, curious to see what lay behind them.
Thus, when Sam removed the glasses, it created an immediate and powerful focus, drawing all eyes to his own.
Each of these elements served a single purpose: to direct the attention of his subjects and create a moment of vulnerability, allowing Sam to infiltrate their minds effortlessly.
This type of hypnosis technique was fairly common and, truth be told, not particularly effective. Ordinary hypnotists, lacking Sam's extraordinary mental power, could only guide their subject's attention and rely on spoken suggestions to implant subtle mental cues. Sam, however, wielded his mental energy to invade directly, seizing control of his subject's inner world.
The difference between the two approaches was night and day—a fundamental disparity in essence.
"Phew." Sam exhaled softly, feeling an immense relief. The heavy depletion of his mental energy left a hollow sensation that was strangely pleasurable, as if a weight had been lifted from his body. He even felt light enough to stand unaided.
Rising from the wheelchair, Sam raised his hand lightly, and the deafening chorus of devotion abruptly ceased. All eyes were fixed on him, filled with a fanatic intensity, as though awaiting divine proclamation.
"That one stays. The rest of you, leave."
At his command, the crowd dispersed immediately, leaving behind a single figure—a bald, hulking man with a scar across his face and sharp, triangular eyes. His massive frame strained the seams of his black suit, which, though designed to be loose, clung tightly to his bulging muscles.
This man was Ryan Cole, a name as convoluted as it was ill-fitting for his brutish appearance. Because of this, Sam never addressed him by name, instead referring to him simply as "that one."
Ryan was the Viper Gang's Red Pole Enforcer, responsible for handling the gang's violent operations. After the "unexpected" deaths of the gang's top brass, he had taken over the day-to-day management of the organisation. In effect, he was now the gang's second-in-command.
"Chief!" Ryan said respectfully.
"That one, is there any news about the task I assigned you?"
"Reporting to the Chief, the two men I sent to keep tabs on Ethan Reed have both gone missing. Yesterday, we found their bodies at a landfill near Ethan's home."
"Oh?" Sam's eyes narrowed slightly, a glimmer of interest flickering in his gaze. "Cause of death?"