"It seems you still want to be human."
Adam laughed, "That's a good sign~"
Chandler's mouth twitched, left speechless.
"Adam, I always feel like your perspective is different from most people's."
Chandler thought for a moment and then complained, "Anyone else would at least tell me to make my own choice, even if they didn't support me, because it's my freedom. Who else would link freedom to being an animal like you do?"
"You think what I'm saying is wrong?"
Adam smiled, "Animals aren't bound by any human morals or laws. That level of freedom is the most absolute freedom, right? If you blindly pursue freedom, seeking the ultimate form of it without regard for human ethics and morality, aren't you just regressing into an animal? That's not evolution; it's degeneration!"
"That's not the same, though..."
Chandler struggled to find a way to argue back.
"Why isn't it the same?"
Adam retorted, "Many so-called advocates of freedom claim they're just liberating their natural instincts. Humans are animals too, driven by instincts. If you strip away all restraint and return to acting purely on impulse, how is that different from becoming a reckless animal?"
The so-called "universal values" often promoted in TV shows aren't truly universal; they're distorted. At first glance, they seem reasonable, but they fall apart under scrutiny.
In Adam's mind, the values he learned from his previous life in the East were the real universal values.
When people interact, value systems naturally clash. The closer the relationship, the more intense and frequent these clashes become.
Adam and Chandler's relationship was close enough that either Adam would change Chandler's worldview, or Chandler would change his. It was inevitable.
But as long as they could reason it out, when pseudo-universal values clashed with true universal values, the result was clear.
"So, what should I do?"
Chandler asked, feeling defeated.
"I thought I already gave you the answer."
Adam sighed, "Of course, brotherhood comes first. That so-called feeling of true love you're talking about? It's just an illusion, a powerful impulse. Once you get through it, you'll realize how foolish it was to hurt a real brotherhood over such a ridiculous illusion."
"But I feel like I can't get through it."
Chandler said in pain, "This feeling is too intense..."
"That's because you're lacking an outlet!"
Adam scoffed, "They say men go crazy before and find peace afterward—that's no joke. Here's the plan: tonight, I'll take you out for some fun."
"I'm not going to that kind of place!"
Chandler waved his hands frantically.
"What are you thinking?!"
Adam slapped him on the back. "Do I seem like that kind of guy?"
"Then where are you taking me?"
Chandler asked, confused.
"Relax, it's absolutely legit."
Adam said seriously, "We're going to show some care and support for underprivileged students who can't afford college—by making a donation to them."
"Oh."
Chandler nodded, then suddenly shouted, "But what does that have to do with Casey?"
"Heh."
Adam chuckled, "It's very much related. Just trust me, would you? Don't you believe me?"
"Alright."
Chandler sighed and reluctantly agreed.
He really hoped Adam was right because he absolutely didn't want to hurt Joey.
---
### In the Cabin in the Woods
"Amy, do you think the female lead in the book is terrifying?"
While performing a dissection, Juno casually asked.
Amazing Amy remained silent, overwhelmed by a wave of despair even more intense than before. She was so immersed in hopelessness that she was barely responsive to the outside world.
But Juno didn't need her to answer. She continued, "She set up her ex-boyfriend, slit the throat of a longtime admirer who helped her, and perished together with her husband. Such terrifying tactics are anything but normal.
But I understand her. Maybe she didn't want to be like this; she just couldn't help herself... because she's sick."
Hearing this, a glimmer of light appeared in Amazing Amy's vacant eyes as she turned her head to look at Juno.
"That's right, she's sick."
Juno smiled at Amazing Amy, "You can blame her parents for that. They made her go through an abnormal childhood and adolescence, constantly comparing her to a 'perfect sister' she could never live up to.
Her parents didn't care about her at all. They only cared about that fictional sister from the books. This continuous emotional trauma was the root of everything.
The admiration from outsiders clashed with her internal inferiority complex, creating a strong sense of dissonance that twisted her personality, giving her an intense need to control her relationships.
She couldn't control her parents or that fictional Amazing Amy, and she had no siblings, so she naturally tried to control her friends, especially her boyfriends!
So whenever a boyfriend defied her, she'd be extremely angry. If it went further, she'd feel a strong desire for revenge, no matter the cost.
Her ex-boyfriend who wanted to 'give her space' was a perfect example.
Then she met her husband.
On the surface, it seemed his charm and wit attracted her, but who's to say it wasn't her deliberate choice?
She knew her parents would never approve of a struggling writer.
Yet, she married him anyway, defying her parents. Later, she even moved away from the city, giving up her high-society lifestyle to live in a poor, remote place.
Wasn't that a silent form of rebellion?
But she didn't expect her husband to be no pushover either. After everything she sacrificed, he started to resist her control.
Those elaborate treasure hunts for their anniversary each year? She might not have cared about them at all. Maybe they were just an alarm system she set up from the beginning.
If a man is willing to go through all that trouble for you, year after year, it means he loves you.
But once he stops trying, or even stops pretending to care, it means he no longer loves you and is trying to break free.
And that is simply unacceptable!
Perhaps she began to truly harbor murderous thoughts about her husband a year before everything happened.
In the end, she risked returning because she saw his compromise on television. Whether genuine or not, it was a sign of submission.
And that's what she wanted!
She wanted him to see her true self and submit. That was a perfect signal for her, giving her the confidence to regain control over their relationship and write her own Amazing Amy legend.
She succeeded, exactly as she planned.
If given a choice to do it all over again, would she choose loving parents and a happy childhood, or would she still want to win everything like this?
Amy, what about you?"
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