Multiple Personalities

"Are you sure?"

Yang Haotian squinted his eyes.

"Of course I'm sure, aren't you? This is a bar after all."

Shen Jingqi surveyed the surroundings.

"Why is there no one here? Didn't you say this bar is very popular?"

"Look at the time."

"It's 9:36 PM."

"It's not even the official opening time for the bar yet, okay? People who come here to drink usually start after midnight. That's when it truly becomes a bar."

Yang Haotian raised an eyebrow.

He picked up his glass, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one go, letting out a breath.

"So you're saying, right now, it's not really a bar. So what? It has a sign that says 'bar,' its function is to be a bar."

"That's right, the bar is the current function of this place, but is it its mission?"

"If we're talking about the mission of the bar, this bar was created by you. Its nature is decided by you. Even if it has a mission, it is one that you've given it."

Shen Jingqi's brain suddenly heated up, and he took a big gulp of alcohol.

"I feel like I've realized something, but I can't articulate it."

"Pour me some more."

Shen Jingqi held up his glass.

"You'll understand. One day."

Yang Haotian looked at Shen Jingqi. He gently closed his eyes and then opened them again.

In a dazed moment, Shen Jingqi seemed to see a glimpse of the sky.

"I think I've had a bit too much to drink. What did I just see?"

Shen Jingqi murmured.

"You're not drunk. Trust me, you're very sober. You need to maintain your clarity."

Yang Haotian said firmly.

"You seem a bit serious. Have you been doing too much student work, forming this kind of professional pattern?"

Shen Jingqi joked.

"That's not the point."

Yang Haotian shook his head:

"Do you know why I chose to work in psychology at Shen University?"

"What impression do you have of Shen University?"

Yang Haotian asked back.

"Shen University is the best university in our country."

A sense of pride welled up in Shen Jingqi's heart.

"Yes, objectively, that's true. The best university naturally has the best students. My mission is to connect with this group of outstanding students. Because later on, they will become part of the elite of this world. And among them, some will carry a mission."

Mission, this was the second time tonight that Shen Jingqi had heard Yang Haotian mention this word.

What's with this guy, holding onto this word so tightly?

To Shen Jingqi, the word 'mission' seems somewhat illusory; it's not as tangible as the word 'task.'

Mission feels like a kind of destiny's arrangement, with a dialectical hue.

"The problem is that some of these people don't know their mission. They carry talent but might become pawns in the world, blinded by desires, becoming a pitiful part of a game."

"So, what I need to do is provide them a prompt from one perspective, when they have doubts, or look at their trajectory of actions from outside their environment. Through this, I participate in the rules and order of this world."

Yang Haotian's eyes shone brightly.

"Why did you make such a choice?"

"This is my mission."

"What exactly is a mission? Is it something you naturally know or something you find out later? Did someone arrange it for you?"

"A mission is more about personal awareness. I just know I need to do this; no one arranged it for me. I must do it, you understand?"

Shen Jingqi thought for a moment:

"Sometimes missions do relate to arrangements, right? Isn't it said 'the mission must be completed'? Could it be that no one arranged it for you? I'm a bit skeptical."

Yang Haotian poured another glass of wine.

"A mission is closer to a spiritual level—it can be a belief, determination, or protection. However, not everyone has a mission. It's similar to destiny and relates to collective matters, even humanity as a whole. In a sense, a mission is arranged, but it is more chosen."

"Alright, after saying so much, what does it have to do with us? A university psychology teacher and a hospital psychiatrist, at 9:56 PM, talking about metaphysical things in a bar, it's quite relaxing."

Shen Jingqi was drinking, starting to get a bit excited.

"Of course it relates. Connections are universal, contradictions are universal, things develop, the negation of negation might find the answer. If you encounter something incomprehensible, you should apply all of these."

Yang Haotian squinted his eyes again.

In Shen Jingqi's view, it seemed like something was flickering on Yang Haotian's forehead, reflecting the keywords flashing above his head:

[Psychology Ph.D., Deputy Director of University Psychological Center, Bar Owner, Well-developed Pineal Gland, Obsessed with Mental Purity].

What you said, everyone knows.

Shen Jingqi was certain that Yang Haotian's work at the psychological center had unconsciously formed a habit, repeatedly saying and using these, eventually becoming an automatic reflex.

Shen Jingqi nodded in agreement.

"Get some snacks, a fruit plate."

Yang Haotian called out to a server.

"They start their shift at ten, let's get some food while they're not busy."

The server quickly brought several plates.

There were some nuts, pastries, and fruits.

Yang Haotian swirled the half bottle of wine left, pouring for Shen Jingqi.

The glass wasn't big, mostly filled with ice cubes.

Shen Jingqi just took a small sip.

The cat was already fed, no need to worry too much.

But after all, he came with a purpose, not just for some heart-to-heart with Yang Haotian and idle talk.

However, Yang Haotian's sudden mystical talk was something Shen Jingqi couldn't help but contemplate.

Plus, the key point was that it was Yang Haotian who had called him, inviting him over.

Shen Jingqi fidgeted with a piece of cotton candy, thinking randomly.

Over the past few years, Shen Jingqi noticed that he had a particularly large number of thoughts, and they were quite erratic.

He had looked into professional materials, one hypothesis was that having too many neurons, without forming a comprehensive network, could lead to overthinking.

Ever since experiencing Sensory Paradise, Shen Jingqi found himself having more thoughts, but compared to before, they seemed less scattered.

Moreover, he could quickly become aware of his thoughts, pulling himself back to the present moment.

In addition, he discovered he could simultaneously engage in thematic thinking, as if having a conversation in two different time spaces.

Just like how he's conversing with Yang Haotian now, while his brain simultaneously thinks about Li Baiyu's illusion-related topics.

These two states coexisted.