Chapter 96 Breaking the Wall Aristotle 2_1

By now, Keiko Yamasuki was hardly able to hold on, Lin Sen had truly seen through to her heart! She was only sustaining herself with what little conviction she had left. She really was scared now, she was about to collapse.

Lin Sen knew Keiko Yamasuki's defenses were about to break and delivered the finishing blow.

"Humans cannot suppress their own madness through their own strength. Are you an advocate of this belief?"

"...Oh, it turns out not.

"Then, is it Timothy Leary's 'excitement, introspection, dropping out of the system'?"

"...I see. Using technological means to change human thought, I must say, although you and your husband aim for completely different goals, the process in which you pursue them is identical."

"It's really quite marvelous, isn't it? Engaged in the same research, the same cause, but for entirely opposite ends.

"Is this why you don't love Mr. Hines, or even hate him, but can connect with him on a spiritual level?"

Lin Sen's words hit Mr. Hines like a sledgehammer. His eyes were wide open in disbelief, and he turned to look at his wife, stunned. If he didn't understand now, he truly was a fool. His wife was with ETO; he couldn't accept it. He hoped his wife would give him a negative answer, but Keiko Yamasuki remained silent, not even looking at Mr. Hines.

Mr. Hines finally understood. It was a great irony. Two people with completely different, even diametrically opposed, goals were engaged in the same cause and elevated it to love. The Wallfacer's wife was actually with ETO, the Wallfacer's biggest enemy. The irony was too much.

Though Keiko Yamasuki said nothing, she knew she had been exposed. The shock and panic in her eyes could no longer be hidden. She gazed at Lin Sen with a look that was both hollow and honest, as if she were looking at the devil. She knew it was over for her; her greatest secret had been seen through.

"Let me guess your identity. Through the Netting Operation, we've captured many peripheral ETO members. We learned that among ETO's high echelon are King Wen of Zhou, Newton, Aristotle, Einstein... Oh, you are Aristotle.

"You are Mr. Hines' wife, which means, Mr. Hines, your Wallbreaker is you..."

As his words ended, the axe fell. Keiko Yamasuki collapsed to the floor, unable to hold up any longer, stunned. Her body became limp, completely devoid of strength, as if all her bones had been hollowed out.

She had thought the same as Mozi, it was just their first meeting.

She had revealed everything with just one sentence from beginning to end. How did Lin Sen see through someone's heart like that? He was the devil. Keiko Yamasuki felt suffocated, unable to breathe or think, plunging into endless darkness.

Several security officers rushed in just in time and immediately took control of Keiko Yamasuki. The recent conversation confirmed her identity, and they reported to PDC, which ordered immediate control of the situation.

It was unbelievable, with just one encounter, Lin Sen had caught another high-ranking ETO official, and a key Wallbreaker at that. According to reports, the Trisolarans had only arranged for three Wallbreakers, Von Neumann and Mozi were already in custody, and today, the last Wallbreaker, Aristotle, had been caught. ETO could declare complete collapse today.

"Do not be rude to Ms. Keiko Yamasuki; this is Mr. Hines' place, and everything here is for Mr. Hines to decide," Lin Sen said to the security officers.

Mr. Hines, his head hanging low, felt as if the world had collapsed, unable to bear the immense pain and disappointment, he trembled, "My heart feels like it has fallen into an abyss, I am temporarily unable to deal with this, may I have some time to rest, can we not take her away for now?"

Lin Sen: "Yes, for the time being she can stay with you. As for PDC, I will speak to them."

Lin Sen then turned to Keiko Yamasuki, who was slumped on the ground, and said in a tone of victory, "Do you know why I could see through you at a glance?"

Keiko Yamasuki's gaze regained a trace of clarity, but still appeared defeated as she asked, "How... possible... how could you possibly see through me at a glance?"

Lin Sen said, "Do you think you're well hidden, that you're calm and composed at all times, without showing a single flaw? Your husband hasn't noticed anything unusual about you in decades, does that give you the thrill of breaking free from the system?

"Let me tell you a simple fact, the deeper one's schemes, the less devious they appear; those who seem profound on the surface are often the most artless.

"You think you're well disguised, but to the discerning, you're fraught with flaws. You're used to watching others from the shadows, but you can't bear to be watched in the light.

"When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. That's what you are, insects of the night; I can smell your stench from afar.

"You think you're invincible with Sophon, but shrouded in darkness, you'll never step into the sunlight. You know nothing about hiding; what you think are seamless deceits are in fact riddled with flaws.

"You consider your husband weak for often caving in to problems, but in truth, he is the most resolute of all. Ignorance has deceived your eyes, and that is why you are so easily seen through.

"Lastly, let me ask you this, I can see that Hines loves you, but you've never cherished this affection. Do you feel any remorse?"

Keiko Yamasuki said with a snicker, "Ha... I am an insect of the night. How could you, bathed in sunlight, comprehend the depths of the night's darkness? I've lived a fulfilling life; that's enough for me. I don't care about the rest."

Lin Sen: "You're beyond help. Ignorance has blinded you. Where does your superiority come from? The higher the sun, the more it illuminates the darkness of the deep."

Keiko Yamasuki: "Do you always look down on us with such contempt?"

Lin Sen: "You're mistaken, I only despise you, you're far inferior to Mozi. Just as the Trisolarans do to us, to truly value something is to destroy it. You're not even worth utilizing."

Keiko Yamasuki laughed softly...

Lin Sen turned to Hines and said, "She feels remorse toward you. In their initial contact with the Trisolarans (through semiotics), they overly amplified their own detestation for humanity, causing their emotions to go astray. She is beyond redemption now."

Hines: "I know, thank you."

Lin Sen: "Given that your wife was fully involved in the development of the Thoughtcontrol device, I need to conduct a thorough investigation. For now, it can be handed over to me."

As he spoke, Lin Sen indicated the Thoughtcontrol machine in front of them.

At this moment, Hines had completely lost his composure and simply wished for Lin Sen to leave first. He answered, "I understand, this Thoughtcontrol machine can temporarily be handed over to you."

Lin Sen: "Mr. Hines, why do you say 'this one'? Are you hiding something? How many Thoughtcontrol machines have you made?"

Hines fell silent, realizing he had misspoken, possibly his only slip in decades: first, it was a verbal trap set deliberately by Lin Sen, and second, his deep feelings for his wife had played a part.

But Hines, true to his name, remained composed, his expression unaltered as he casually replied, "Just this one."

PS: Timothy Leary's philosophy of 'stimulating enthusiasm, introspective exploration, detachment from the system' essentially advocates stimulating passion, emphasizing the importance of individual introspection and self-discovery, freeing oneself from outside interference and expectations to find one's own path. It's about breaking free from societal systems to pursue personal freedom and independence. Simply put, we can be wildly free without the bounds of government or society, chasing after what we want.