The Fruit Of Progress.

"Now that you are my pupil, I have two rules that you have to keep in mind. I wouldn't tolerate your behavior if you chose to break those rules."

His tone was stern.

Alex nodded.

"Rule number one. everything I teach you is going to be about mental fortitude and confidence. No physical training. No matter how much mental pressure you feel from my tests, you are not allowed to give up."

"I will try."

Qiao smiled.

"It's nice that you speak as if you aren't overconfident. But I can sense your determination. Just the right amount of confidence and self-belief."

His smile was confident. His tests were going to rebuild his fortitude from the the ground up.

"Rule number two. Your life experiences, your opinion about a certain topic, your views on your current profession, and your goal. All those things matter. But while I teach you, all those things are a weakness that I can exploit. You have to open your mind and learn. Ask questions out of curiosity. Don't question my motives, and don't leave yourself open to be exploited."

Hao Qiao couldn't be bothered to teach a person that questions his methods. Moreover, he was with Alex on borrowed time. He couldn't afford to butt heads with the kid.

"And what if I don't agree with your methods?"

Alex asked.

"You are a smart kid. If you don't agree with my methods, don't use them. Figure out a new way to pass through my tests. If it helps you achieve success, then stick to it. My methods are my suggestions. Keep them in mind, execute them if you want to. If you feel that they don't work, find out another way. And once again, don't question what my motives are. If you succeed in all of my tests, I will tell you everything that you want to know."

He was tired from all the talking. After a pause, he continued.

"These are the two rules."

Alex didn't have any problems. He was very descriptive.

Hao Qiao was eager to start, so he said,

"Let's start with the first lesson. Close your eyes."

His pupil closed his eyes.

"Now imagine what is the most humiliating thing a person can do to you."

His mind went straight back to his previous world.

"What is it?"

"Play me like a pawn."

The weakest piece in chess. Pawns are usually the easiest to sacrifice.

"Does a particular moment play a huge part in that analogy?"

A bullet to his head. He was reliving his death once again.

"Did you try to resist?"

He frowned.

"I couldn't."

"Was it fate?"

"I don't know."

"If it happened again, do you think you could change the outcome this time?"

He started to sweat.

"No."

The scene started to play in a loop. From the moment John pointed his gun towards him, to the impact of the bullet.

Hao was busy pressing his pressure points. Alex couldn't feel a thing, but his hands were moving at a frightening pace.

"Does that moment instill fear in your mind?"

He wanted to move. He wanted to run. He wanted to do something to alter the outcome. But his body was frozen. He didn't have a choice. This was destiny.

"I want to..."

Another death.

"You want to?"

Alex was trying. He was trying really hard to answer. To break out of this.

But he couldn't. John wasn't the problem. Mark wasn't the problem.

His fear of fate once again playing a game with his life was.

"Bang!"

One last shot. The same result.

Out of exhaustion, Alex fainted.

Hao Qiao was panting out of exhaustion.

"This body has become so weak."

His hand was trembling, and his fingers were swollen.

It was going to take him at least 10 minutes to recover.

"The Trauma seems to be deep. Unlike me however, he is trying to escape its clutches."

Hao Qiao didn't know what was haunting Alex. But he did know how to take it out.

"I'll wake him up after recovering."

-------------------------------------

Alex opened his eyes.

"The system space?"

He looked around the white void.

"You passed out."

System's voice echoed around him.

He slowly touched his forehead.

"So weak."

He smirked at his pitiful state.

"He is waiting for you. Do you want to leave?"

"Was he doing something to me while I was in trapped in that dream?"

"He was using some technique to press some of your pressure points in a pattern."

"Have you mapped all the patterns?"

"I have. But this will take some time, even for you."

Alex shrugged.

"What else can I do?"

He opened his eyes.

"You are up?"

His fingers hadn't recovered yet. He was expecting Alex to be out for a longer time.

"Yes."

He sat up, and remained expressionless.

"A big problem, right?"

"Yes."

"Then prepare yourself. You have to get out of that trance by your own willpower. The longer you take, the harmful it gets."

"Hmm."

Alex didn't respond.

Hao Qiao asked,

"What happened?"

"Don't you want to know what my problem is?"

At this point, he couldn't fathom how Qiao wasn't asking for the reason for his trauma. If he did ask, Alex wouldn't hesitate to tell him.

"Like I care. This is the first hurdle, and you have to cross it by yourself. I know what the solution to your problem is. As for the reason and the problem itself, It would be a waste of time for me to indulge into it. I don't enjoy sharing pain."

The small seed of doubt that he had planted into his mind was starting to bear the fruit of progress. He wanted to open up to someone. But this wasn't the last stop. Now, Alex had to realize that he had two choices. He could either eat this fruit, or throw it away.

As for what is the correct choice, you will have to see it for yourself.

;)