Chapter 3: Hypnosis
In the dimly lit headquarters of the Viper Gang, Su Mu sat in a wheelchair, his back to an imposing wall etched with intricate golden patterns. A closer look revealed that these patterns were not mere decorations but a complex interweaving of ouroboros symbols, each forming mysterious motifs.
Before him stood over a hundred men, clad in black suits with matching ties. On their muscular necks, the signature black snake tattoos of the Viper Gang stood out.
Around the hall, candles emitted a faint jasmine aroma, adding an almost ritualistic air to the scene.
"Leader!"
The crowd chanted in unison, their fierce and resolute faces alight with fervor as they gazed at Su Mu, their expressions akin to worshiping a deity.
Su Mu nodded slightly, preparing to begin the day's hypnotic indoctrination—an exercise he performed daily to exhaust his overflowing mental energy.
His mastery of hypnosis was self-taught. After poring over every hypnosis book he could find, he refined the often cumbersome techniques described, overcoming the usual limitations of such methods with his extraordinary mental power. This enabled him to transform ordinary hypnosis into a nearly supernatural ability.
The Viper Gang, notorious throughout the Thirteen Districts of Star City for its ruthlessness and cunning, had over a hundred core members and thousands of affiliated lackeys. Yet, under Su Mu's control, even the most vicious of them behaved like docile lambs.
Months earlier, Su Mu had begun infiltrating the gang, starting with a single member. Using his mental abilities, he hypnotized the lone member, then instructed him to bring in his closest associates. This chain continued until the gang's leadership was entirely under his sway.
Despite their fearsome reputation, the gang was no match for Su Mu's extraordinary methods.
For Su Mu, however, controlling the Viper Gang was a trivial feat. To him, they were merely tools—a convenient outlet for his immense mental energy.
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With deliberate motions, Su Mu retrieved a pocket watch from his jacket. Its dark golden casing bore the same ouroboros motif as the wall behind him.
This symbol served as his hypnotic anchor, an essential element in his method. According to the *Psychological Hypnosis Manual*, an anchor must be unique and mysterious to effectively captivate the subject's attention. Su Mu had chosen the ouroboros—a snake devouring its own tail, symbolizing infinity, renewal, and the cycle of life and death.
He allowed the watch to dangle by its fine chain, swaying gently in the air like a pendulum.
"Focus on the watch," he intoned, his deep, resonant voice permeating the room like a tranquil stream.
As one, the men's eyes locked onto the swinging watch, their gazes following its rhythmic motion.
The ambient jasmine aroma from the candles further eased their tension, while the ouroboros-adorned wall behind Su Mu reinforced the hypnotic atmosphere.
Suddenly, Su Mu lowered his tea-colored glasses, revealing a pair of deep, luminous eyes. Charged with his mental energy, they sparkled like stars piercing the night.
A surge of invisible mental waves radiated from his gaze, akin to countless intangible serpents slithering into the men's minds. As these waves took hold, the men fell to their knees, exclaiming in rapture:
"Long live the leader!"
"Long live the leader!!"
Their reverent cries echoed through the hall, a testament to the overwhelming power of Su Mu's hypnosis.
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The mechanics of Su Mu's hypnosis were simple yet profound. By directing attention to an external object, such as the watch, he diverted focus away from the subjects' inner defenses. His use of the ouroboros design, coupled with other psychological cues, amplified this effect.
The combination of seemingly mundane elements—a pocket watch, aromatic candles, and subtle visual tricks—formed the perfect trap. The tea-colored glasses, for instance, obscured his eyes just enough to arouse curiosity, ensuring that when he finally revealed them, they became the focal point.
For an ordinary hypnotist, these methods might yield limited results. But Su Mu's immense mental energy enabled him to bypass all defenses, directly manipulating his subjects' minds.
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With his mental energy sufficiently expended, Su Mu exhaled in relief. The lightness in his body allowed him to stand from his wheelchair.
Raising his hand, he silenced the crowd with a single gesture.
"Leave, all except… him."
The crowd dispersed swiftly, leaving behind a towering, bald man with a scarred face and narrow eyes. His muscular frame strained against his tailored black suit.
This man, Zhao Chaoyao, was the gang's second-in-command, responsible for its daily operations after the mysterious deaths of the former leadership.
"Leader," Zhao said respectfully.
"Any updates on what I asked you to investigate?"
Zhao bowed slightly. "Leader, the two men I assigned to tail Yang Dongqing have both gone missing. Yesterday, we found their bodies in a nearby landfill."
"Oh?" Su Mu's interest piqued, and his eyes narrowed. "Cause of death?"