Chapter 2: Cannibal Banquet-Survivors
Maze of the Mind: Unveiling the Dark Side of a Criminal’s Psyche by CriminalInvestigationAtlas
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These types of patients usually have experienced or witnessed extremely horrifying events, or have suffered serious trauma. As a result, they might display symptoms like emotional numbness and sluggish reactions. They often remain in a state of prolonged terror, uncontrollably recalling traumatic scenes and memories. In severe cases, they might become depressed, or even develop suicidal tendencies.

Ding Qian suddenly became curious about what terrible things this woman had gone through to end up like this.

'Is she the second victim?' Ding Qian asked.

Guo Rongrong hadn't elaborated on this survivor, only driving Ding Qian straight to the hospital.

'Yes.'

'And her face?'

'You can probably guess. You'll see for yourself when the nurse changes her dressings.'

The woman with the bobblehead-like appearance, due to the excessive bandaging, looked at them with her dazed eyes, seemingly unaware they were talking about her.

What terrible things had happened to this woman?

Ding Qian, filled with questions, stayed in the ward with Guo Rongrong. Before entering the ward, Guo Rongrong had taken a handbag from the car, the contents of which were unknown.

She now emptied the bag onto the bed, revealing an assortment of snacks - dried tofu, chicken neck, duck neck, all in small packages, along with a gossip magazine featuring Lee Min-ho on the cover.

The woman's eyes immediately lit up at the sight.

She struggled to eat due to the thick bandages around her head but eagerly took a piece of duck neck from Guo Rongrong.

Ding Qian inwardly remarked that women really are all the same; even in the face of the apocalypse, with these treats, they could happily get through the day.

The door to the ward opened, and two nurses entered with a cart to change the patient’s dressings. Seeing the scene, they almost freaked out. One of the nurses, quite sternly, exclaimed, 'Who are you to give the patient such junk food?!'

The woman, who had been sucking on a chicken neck, froze, the bone hanging half in and half out of her mouth.

Guo Rongrong hurriedly explained, and the nurses calmed down.

Due to the excessive bandaging on the woman’s head, it took two nurses to manage the task. They carefully peeled off the layers of gauze from her face with tweezers, occasionally having to hold her hands to prevent her from scratching her face.

When the gauze was completely removed from her face, Ding Qian and Guo Rongrong held their breath.

Was this even a human face?

Aside from the eyes and a small part of the face that was visible earlier, the rest of the face was unrecognizable - just red, raw flesh clinging to the bone, crusted with blood and medication. As the gauze was pulled away, fresh wounds bled anew, and the other bits of flesh twitched violently, as if alive, clearly indicating the woman's pain.

She made a 'heh heh' sound from her throat, the only way she could express herself now.

" How did she get the injuries on her face?" Ding Qian asked.

"Same as the first victim, bitten by teeth," Guo Rongrong replied.

"..."

"Our forensic examination confirms it, there's no mistake. From the bite marks, it's clear they're human teeth. And she only has this one injury from head to toe. Now, with two cases of face-biting, both happening here, do you still think it's a coincidence?"

"..." Ding Qian fell silent.

It indeed caught him off guard. He had never encountered such a case before. No wonder the police suspected zombie attacks. Now even Ding Qian himself was a bit puzzled.

"She and the first victim are both single women, attacked on the face. The two cases occurred about three months apart..."

"Do you suspect it's the work of the same attacker?"

"Yes. It looks like a serial attack, but we can't determine the identity of the culprit or the motive. Although similar face-biting cases have occurred in the United States, we don't have details of that case. You mentioned the culprit might have gone mad due to consuming a large amount of drugs, but we're not sure if that's the case. As a psychologist, are you familiar with this type of drug?"

"Somewhat. I've treated three patients who became mentally disturbed due to taking these drugs."

"I see," Guo Rongrong said, slightly surprised.

"Bath salts, also known as 'zombie bath salts', can indeed cause some people to go mad. But, as I said, there's no clinical evidence to show that taking these drugs will definitely lead to symptoms of biting others' faces. Of the three patients I've encountered, the first one attempted to jump off a building while holding onto his girlfriend when he had an episode. The second not only bit people but also attacked those around him with whatever he could grab. The third one is most similar to what you described as a face-biting monster. When he went mad, he only used his teeth to bite people, but not on the face, more like a rabid dog."

"Are you suggesting that you suspect the attacker went mad from using bath salts?"

"Yes, but I can't think of any other way that could turn someone into this."

"As a psychologist, you must know a lot about psychiatric drugs. Is there any drug that could turn someone into a zombie? For example, psychological repression, extreme repression leading to perversion?"

Ding Qian shook his head.

"Or maybe, is there a zombie mental illness? People who get this disease become intellectually impaired, full of aggression, just like zombies?"

"You're really something!"

"Did I guess right?!"

"You write horror novels, you're better suited for that than being a cop."

"You..."

"Now I finally understand why you brought me here. Forgive me for being frank, but I've treated all sorts of people with psychological issues and seen all kinds of mental patients, including those with dissociative identity disorder, those who have killed... But, I've never seen anything like what you described."

"Since there might not be any other possibility, there's only one possibility left. The culprit is a unique kind of zombie."

"..." Ding Qian was left speechless.

"I know what you want to say. You want to refute me, say that there are no zombies in this world, how can a cop like me believe in such nonsense... But you have to find reasons to convince me, can you find any?" The little girl stared at him with round eyes, hands on hips, boldly asking.

"..." Ding Qian was really at a loss for words.

He turned to look at the injured woman on the hospital bed and asked Guo Rongrong, "She should have seen the attacker, right? What did she say?"

"She didn't get a clear look at the attacker's appearance."

"She must have some impression of the attacker's physical features, right?"

Without waiting for Guo Rongrong's response, a deep, slightly hoarse male voice came from behind them, "She was severely traumatized and can't remember what the assailant looked like..."

Ding Qian turned around and saw a stern-faced man in his thirties standing at the doorway.

The man had sharp eyes, with a hint of stubble on his temples and chin, indicating a resilient character.

Ding Qian was slightly stunned, feeling like he had seen this face somewhere before, but couldn't recall where.

At this moment, Guo Rongrong said, "Team leader, you're here," and Ding Qian realized that this person was the head of the special investigation team.

"This is Professor Ding," Guo Rongrong introduced to the team leader.

"I know. You're Ding Qian," the man nodded, extending his hand to Ding Qian, "I'm the team leader of the special investigation team, Du Zhixun."

"Oh, hello," Ding Qian also shook his hand.

However, he noticed that although the man was polite, his eyes were icy, his facial muscles showed no movement, and the handshake was merely a symbolic touch before he let go, a clear sign of rejection. It seemed he had no fondness for Ding Qian. But Ding Qian didn't even know this person, so where could this dislike be coming from? It puzzled Ding Qian.

"I'm just a psychology teacher. I'm not adept at solving cases. If you're consulting me about whether zombies exist, I've already told Officer Guo," Ding Qian said to Du Zhixun.

"We don't need you to solve the case. We brought you here mainly for another reason."

"What reason?"

"You're not just a university psychology teacher, you're also a psychologist, right? It's said that you're one of the top hypnotists in the country, is that true?"

"..." Ding Qian looked at Du Zhixun's sharp gaze. His eyes didn't seem affirmative; rather, they seemed to be questioning.

So, this officer didn't believe in Ding Qian's abilities.

But Du Zhixun was a person with a deep and sensitive mind. When he noticed Ding Qian observing him, his expression changed slightly, instantly returning to calmness.

Ding Qian thought to himself that this was a difficult guy to deal with. Fortunately, he wasn't his patient.

Suddenly, the woman on the hospital bed let out a painful scream, apparently being hurt when the nurse applied medicine to her face.

She waved her bone-like arms to keep the nurse away from her, making a hissing warning sound from her mouth.

The two nurses were at a loss, sweating profusely from anxiety.

"What's wrong with her? Did her head also get injured and malfunction?" Guo Rongrong asked anxiously.

Ding Qian didn't say anything, walking towards the bed. The injured woman became even more nervous when she saw him, desperately shrinking towards the foot of the bed and emitting a piercing scream towards Ding Qian.

The sound was almost piercing one's eardrums.

The two nurses were so scared that they hid by the window, tightly covering their ears.

Guo Rongrong covered her ears and shouted at Ding Qian, "Can't you see she's afraid of you? Stop provoking her."

Du Zhixun remained motionless, casting a cold gaze at Ding Qian.

Ignoring the woman's screams, Ding Qian reached into his pocket and rummaged around. Everyone watched him in confusion, especially Guo Rongrong. She had always been curious and skeptical about this so-called psychologist, wondering if he was just a charlatan peddling snake oil remedies.

Then, Ding Qian cautiously pulled out a transparent plastic bag from his pocket. Inside were some dark, somewhat round-shaped pills, but from a distance, no one could tell exactly what they were.

Ding Qian opened the plastic bag and, in front of the woman, took out one pill. With a smile, he looked at her as if savoring something delicious, then slowly placed the pill into his mouth. He then placed the bag on the bed and took a few steps back.

The woman's attention was completely drawn to the bag of pills. Watching Ding Qian enjoy the pill, she also reached out and took the bag in her hand. Following his lead, she took out a pill and put it in her mouth.

Instantly, her face twisted up, and the half-eaten face that had been bitten followed suit, looking both terrifying and ridiculous.

But she didn't spit out the pill. Unexpectedly, she calmed down, and her expression lost its previous hostility.

"What did you give her? It's so effective?" Guo Rongrong couldn't help but ask, full of curiosity.

"It's nothing, just preserved plum. I have another pack in my pocket, do you want to try some?"

"What?" Guo Rongrong's already wide eyes widened even further.

At this point, Du Zhixun spoke up, "It's nothing. Preserved plum itself has the effect of quenching thirst. It stimulates the taste buds to produce a large amount of saliva, and swallowing saliva itself has a calming effect. Am I right, Dr. Ding?"

"Indeed," Ding Qian replied calmly.

"So, that's how it is." Guo Rongrong, who had found it miraculous before, no longer found Du's explanation extraordinary.

"But can a pack of snacks really make her completely calm down? It's too incredible. Could there be something wrong with her brain?" Guo Rongrong was now a bit worried.

"Whether her brain is injured or not can be confirmed with a brain CT scan. I can't be sure right now," Ding Qian said, "However, her current behavior is not due to intelligence but psychological issues. From her various clinical manifestations, she has experienced severe trauma, as you speculated. But what you may not know is that the human body has an innate psychological defense mechanism to prevent further harm to the mind from external sources. She is currently under the influence of the 'regression mechanism,' completely closing herself off. She currently sees herself as a completely ignorant child, only willing to look at comic books. She can only respond to us in simple, limited ways."

"Will she stay like this forever?"

"As long as her brain hasn't suffered actual damage, she will gradually recover. The duration depends on how strong her willpower is. It could be as short as a few days, or as long as one or two years."

"So long, isn't that bad?" Guo Rongrong was very anxious.

"What exactly do you want me to help with?"

"It's not convenient to talk here, Dr. Ding. Let's go somewhere else," Du Zhixun said, turning and leaving the ward.

Ding Qian followed him out of the ward into the corridor. Du Zhixun stopped in front of a row of large floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out into the distance. With a deep voice, he recounted the terrifying scene that had occurred three days ago...

It was around six in the evening. The sky had just darkened.

In the North City Youth Park, a dozen or so elderly men and women were dancing square dances. At that moment, a disheveled woman burst into the crowd as if she had gone mad. Her clothes were disheveled, and she staggered, not looking at anyone, and bumped into one of the elderly women.

The elderly woman thought she had run into a drunk and gave her a shove. The woman fell backwards, motionless.

A few old men and women were initially very angry. When they saw the person lying motionless on the ground, fearing they might have hurt her, they hurriedly helped her up. However, as soon as they touched the woman's body, everyone was startled.

They felt as if they were grabbing onto bare bones, with no flesh at all. This woman was like a living skeleton.

At this moment, the woman struggled to lift her head and stared at the elderly woman who had pushed her down.

In the eyes of the elderly woman, there suddenly appeared a mashed-up face, with something sticky and red oozing down from her face.

The elderly woman was so frightened that she almost fainted.

Then, the woman opened her mouth and weakly said, "Save me... save me..."

The elderly men and women hurriedly called the police. Both 110 and 120 arrived together.

The woman was taken to the First People's Hospital. At that time, she was extremely weak, with all her vital signs very low. After some emergency treatment, she was out of danger. However, doctors were astonished to find that there was no food in her stomach. She had been starved into her current state.

How could a living person be starved into a skin-and-bones state, and have her appearance destroyed?

The police officers from 110 at the scene felt the situation was serious, beyond what they could handle. They immediately reported to the Municipal Criminal Investigation Brigade, and officers were dispatched. When they questioned the injured woman, they discovered an even more challenging situation.

This woman had amnesia.

She didn't even know who she was or where she lived.

She could only vaguely recall her experiences but couldn't describe the assailant's features or the specifics of the crime. With such meager clues, the detectives were at a loss.

In this situation, the Special Case Unit was called in.

This department was directly managed by the Provincial Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Bureau, specializing in handling reported unsolved cases and suspicious cases from various places. Sometimes, they also conducted joint operations with other provinces and cities.

It can be said that the detectives in this department were elite personnel selected by the higher authorities from the grassroots level.

But this time, faced with an amnesiac victim, even the elites encountered unprecedented challenges.

A series of difficult problems lay before them:

Why did the female victim appear in the Youth Park?

Where exactly did she encounter the assailant?

Did she escape or was she released by the assailant?

Why did she suffer from amnesia?

What exactly did the assailant do to her?

...

In the two days since the Special Case Unit received the task, they visited and investigated dozens of people, and reviewed surveillance footage from more than ten intersections, hoping to find out where the female victim came from. However, the results were minimal.

From some disjointed surveillance footage, it was discovered that the woman probably came from the direction of the 101 National Highway in the suburbs. The Youth Park was on the outskirts of the city, only half an hour away from the highway toll station. However, surveillance near the toll station on Highway 101 did not capture the woman's figure. After analysis, the Special Case Unit believed that the female victim might have come from the roads near Highway 101, a road that connects the urban and suburban areas, passing through many villages along the way.

In this way, the search area became too large.

There was another crucial question: this case inevitably reminded people of the zombie face-biting incident three months ago, and to this day, the peculiar perpetrator remained elusive.

For these reasons, the Special Case Unit decided to seek out a highly capable psychologist to find out why the female victim lost her memory and whether there was a way to help her recover her memories.

After listening to Du Zhixun's account, Ding Qian pondered for a moment and asked, "Is Chief Du asking me to hypnotize her?"

Du Zhixun nodded slightly. "That's right, we do have that intention. If you can do it, it's worth a try."

"Trying is no problem. I just find something strange."

"What's strange?"

"Since Chief Du doesn't believe in me at all, why did you still look for me? If I'm not mistaken, you might think, in your heart, that your public security system has many criminal psychology experts, and there's no need to look for me, an amateur."

Du Zhixun's expression changed slightly.

He was completely unprepared; the other party could actually guess his thoughts.

He re-evaluated the gentle and somewhat fragile man in front of him.

"I didn't think that way, Dr. Ding. Please don't casually suspect others based on your professional habits." Du Zhixun's mouth curved into a faint cold smile.

"Unfortunately, Chief Du, not only can I do hypnosis, but I also know a bit about lie detection. Right now, your pupils are contracting, your eyebrows are raised, and the corners of your mouth are twisting. Yet you're trying to make a smiling expression. These are characteristics of faking body language, indicating insincerity."

Du Zhixun felt extremely embarrassed, and a tinge of anger rose on his bronzed face.

He was about to explode when he heard someone say, "Xiao Ding, don't joke around. It was me who recommended you to Du Zhixun."

As he spoke, a man in his fifties, with extraordinary bearing and already graying hair, approached the two.

Ding Qian saw him, showing a hint of surprise.

Du Zhixun immediately greeted the man respectfully, "Director Song, you're here."

"Director Song?!" Ding Qian was slightly stunned, then he suddenly realized and joked, "Old Song, you've made it big now, being a bureau chief."

"I told you before, follow me and work, and sooner or later, I'll get you a position. You didn't believe me."

Guo Rongrong was very surprised and couldn't help but ask, "Director Song, was this person a policeman in the past?"

"It's not made up. Although he's not officially a policeman, he worked with me on several cases, so he's considered half a cop. If he had been willing, I would have pulled him in long ago."

"If he wasn't willing to be a policeman, why did he still help with solving cases? Does Professor Ding like something bizarre?"

"Don't talk nonsense. Actually..."

Song Yulin moved his mouth to speak, but seeing Ding Qian glaring at him fiercely, he quickly swallowed the rest of his words.

This subtle movement did not escape Du Zhixun's eyes; he coldly watched, without comment.

Song Yulin said to Du Zhixun and Guo Rongrong, "Don't underestimate Dr. Ding just because he's young; he's a master of his craft."

"Director Song, do you really believe that his hypnosis can make this woman remember everything?" Guo Rongrong was anxious. Based on her interactions with Ding Qian, besides finding him a bit boastful, she hadn't discovered anything extraordinary about him. She was skeptical of his abilities.

"If he can't do it, I'm afraid no one else can either."

Song Yulin turned eagerly to Ding Qian. "When do you plan to start, Xiao Ding?"

"I haven't agreed yet," Ding Qian replied coldly. "I've said before, I don't want to get involved in your cases anymore."

"I know, I know, I don't want to pressure you either, but the situation this time is special. We must help that woman remember, otherwise it will be too late."

 
 
 
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