I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

The rain continued to fall, its patter pounding against the iron roof of the abandoned factory, creating a monotonous, harsh sound. Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei stood in the center of the hall, facing the device flashing with an eerie light and the mysterious figure standing at the doorway, whose figure gradually became clearer.

His face looked particularly eerie in the light, his eyes revealing a mad determination. He slowly walked forward, a strange smile on his lips, as if admiring his prey.

"You're finally here." His voice was low and hoarse, with a chilling calmness. "I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Zhang Wanqing gripped the flashlight tightly, her fingers trembling slightly. She tried to remain calm, her voice steady as she asked, "Who are you? Why did you kidnap those people?"

The figure stopped, a hint of sarcasm flashing in his eyes. "Who am I? That's a good question. I used to be a scientist, a scientist dedicated to studying the human mind. Unfortunately, an experiment went wrong, and I became what I am now."

His words carried a deep sense of helplessness and pain, as if he were recalling a past he couldn't bear to look back on. Zhang Wanqing keenly sensed his change in mood, and a glimmer of hope flashed through her mind: "The experiment failed? What do you mean?"

He was silent for a moment, a look of confusion in his eyes, as if he were recollecting every detail of the past. Finally, he spoke slowly, his voice trembling slightly, "My name is Wang Kedong, and I was once the city's top psychologist. My research focuses on the control of the human mind. Through scientific means, I seek to free humans from the constraints of emotion and make them more rational beings."

His voice grew lower and lower, as if he were telling a distant story. Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan exchanged a glance, both understanding that behind this man's madness lay a hidden past.

"But the experiment failed." Wang Kedong's voice suddenly became sharp, and there was a hint of madness in his eyes. "My assistants died one by one, my laboratory was blown up, and I lost my dearest ones. All this is because I was too persistent and believed too much in the power of science."

There was a deep despair in his voice, as if he was accusing fate of being unfair. Zhang Wanqing's heart was shaken, and she suddenly realized that behind this man's madness, there was a deep sorrow hidden.

"Then why do you continue this experiment?" Fu Siyuan asked loudly, with a hint of anger in his voice, "Don't you know that your actions have hurt countless innocent people?"

Wang Kedong suddenly laughed, his laughter echoing in the empty hall with a creepy madness. "I know, I know my actions are wrong. But I have gone too far and cannot turn back. I must complete this experiment, even at the cost of sacrificing more people."

His eyes revealed a steadfast determination, as if he had fallen into the crazy world he had woven, unable to extricate himself. Zhang Wanqing's heart sank, she knew that this man's madness could no longer be explained by common sense.

His voice grew louder and more agitated. Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan exchanged glances, both realizing that this man had completely collapsed. Li Wei stared at him intently, a hint of vigilance in his eyes, as if he were ready to respond to any emergency.

"So, what about those missing people?" Fu Siyuan asked loudly, trying to bring the topic back to the key issue. "What did you do with them?"

The figure suddenly fell silent, his eyes hollow and lost, as if lost in deep recollection. After a long moment, he slowly spoke, "They... they were my experimental subjects. Through them, I was trying to complete my unfinished experiment."

"You lunatic!" Fu Siyuan shouted angrily and took a step forward, but was grabbed by Li Wei.

"Calm down." Li Wei whispered, his eyes showing a hint of calmness and determination, "We can't be impulsive, otherwise we will fall into greater danger."

Zhang Wanqing nodded as well. She tried to remain calm and continued, "So, what exactly does this device do? Why are you conducting experiments here?"

The figure suddenly laughed, his laughter echoing in the empty hall, carrying a creepy madness: "This device can control the human mind. I tried to use it to make humans into emotionless tools. However, the experiment failed. I lost control, and it controlled me instead."

His voice was filled with a deep despair and pain, as if he was expressing his helplessness. Zhang Wanqing's heart was shaken, and she suddenly realized that behind this man's madness, there was a deep sorrow hidden.

"So, what are you going to do?" Zhang Wanqing asked softly, with a hint of sympathy in her voice.

The figure suddenly laughed, his laughter echoing in the empty hall, with a creepy madness: "I intend to complete my experiment. I want to make this device successful, and I want to make humans my tools."

Raindrops, like needles, fell densely on the tin roof of the abandoned factory, making a crackling sound. Inside the hall, the dim lights flickered, stretching Wang Kedong's figure out into a long shadow. He stood before the device, his eyes empty and frantic, as if drawn by some invisible force.

Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei stood not far away, all three maintaining a vigilant posture, ready to respond to any emergency. Zhang Wanqing took a deep breath and tried to sound calmer: "Wang Kedong, why are you so obsessed with this experiment? How important is it to you?"

Wang Kedong turned slowly, his eyes filled with deep pain, as if he were recalling a painful past. He whispered, "You won't understand. No one will understand."

His voice grew lower and lower, as if lost in deep recollection. Zhang Wanqing keenly sensed his change in mood, and a glimmer of hope flashed through her heart. She continued softly, "So, what makes you so persistent?"

"Only if I succeed can I be worthy of those who died for the experiment. When the human mind is controlled and no longer becomes a tool of emotion, people will not be sad because of emotions. More people will no longer suffer from depression and schizophrenia because of emotions, no longer consume their emotions, and can live more rationally and create more wealth. Human beings will also evolve into a better species." Wang Kedong said.

Zhang Wanqing froze in thought upon hearing this. I wonder what she was thinking about… Perhaps, deep down, I agree with what Wang Kedong said. Indeed, Zhang Wanqing had also experienced sadness and internal conflict over her relationship. Perhaps Wang Kedong's experiment could actually help some people?