Chapter 297: The Light of Texas Women, Finding Her Place!
"Dr. Hofstadter, how old is Sheldon Cooper now?"
The bald prosecutor ignored the grim expression on Harrison Powell's face and continued questioning Beverly.
"12 years old,"
Beverly replied.
"Where does he attend school currently?"
the bald prosecutor asked.
"He's a sophomore at Princeton University,"
Beverly said.
"Do you know how old Dr. Chuck Wolfe was when he started college?"
the bald prosecutor asked.
Beverly adjusted her glasses and looked at Chuck. "I was very interested in working with Dr. Wolfe, so I researched his background extensively. He entered college at 15."
"What about the other super-geniuses Dr. Wolfe mentioned?"
the bald prosecutor continued. "For instance, Paige Swanson, and Dr. Spencer Reid?"
Beverly answered them one by one.
"So these super-geniuses all displayed extraordinary talent at remarkably young ages."
The bald prosecutor raised his voice, addressing the jury. "Unhindered by age?"
"Absolutely!"
Beverly nodded emphatically. "The only limitation on super-geniuses is themselves, not age.
In fact, both Dr. Wolfe and Sheldon could have achieved even more at younger ages.
Unfortunately, their environments at the time weren't sufficient to support their development.
Take Sheldon, who currently resides with my family.
He started high school at nine, but high school curriculum posed no challenge whatsoever. He wasn't being taught by the teachers—he was teaching them.
Even so, he spent two years in high school. In fact, if I hadn't offered my assistance, his mother would have prevented him from leaving home for university because she felt he was too young to adapt to collegiate life.
From my research, other super-geniuses have had similar experiences."
"It seems we've identified another common trait among super-geniuses,"
the bald prosecutor smiled. "What makes super-geniuses truly exceptional is beyond typical comprehension—it's genuinely remarkable!
By the way, Dr. Hofstadter.
Defense counsel previously presented an argument: Patrick Cross, as a chess grandmaster, is universally recognized as a genius.
His client, the so-called malevolent alter personality, murdered him using the same method the genius Patrick Cross intended to use to murder his wife.
Therefore, defense counsel used this as evidence that the so-called alter personality possessed superior intelligence.
This would support Dr. Wolfe's logical deduction: that his client's supposedly innocent primary personality, completely unaware, only during extremely brief periods of amnesia when the primary personality experienced memory loss, used superior intelligence to rapidly learn explosive theory from scratch and, in an unfamiliar environment, acquire materials and practice, creating a sophisticated remotely-detonated device.
So, in your professional opinion, is this argument valid?"
"That's obviously incorrect!"
Beverly frowned. "A super-genius's strength lies in their intelligence, not physical prowess. To overpower a genius, you don't need intelligence at all—brute force suffices.
That's why many super-geniuses, including Sheldon, have been bullied by average individuals.
The two are completely unrelated."
"Thank you for that clarification, Dr. Hofstadter."
The bald prosecutor smiled at Beverly, then turned seriously to Judge Jackson and the jurors. "Your Honor, members of the jury, as you can see, the situation is now clear.
According to Dr. Wolfe's logic, unless the suspect is a super-genius, it would be impossible to accomplish all this while the so-called innocent personality, Esther, occupied virtually all available time.
And if the suspect is not a super-genius, then the so-called innocent personality must be lying!
As for why someone claiming innocence would lie in this situation, there's only one explanation:
there is no such thing as dual good and evil personalities—there has only been one person from the beginning.
Only this way could she, as an ordinary person, have sufficient time to master the specialized knowledge that requires extensive study—
explosive theory that she had no legitimate reason to learn.
And from Dr. Hofstadter's testimony, we've also identified common traits among super-geniuses.
These include extraordinary memory, capable of recalling virtually anything from their past whenever they choose.
Furthermore, even if these super-geniuses exhibit other so-called personas, their primary personality is not entirely unaware of them.
And without exception, their primary personality is benevolent.
This benevolent primary personality possesses superior intelligence.
Therefore, even without forcing out a so-called malevolent alter personality,
we can easily reach our conclusion by testing the IQ of the current supposedly benevolent primary personality, Esther.
If Esther has exceptional intelligence, then we can understand her psychological condition and her alter personality claim.
But if her intelligence is merely average, then her so-called mental disorder and alter personality are pure fabrication—an insult to our intelligence.
Perhaps she should pursue Broadway or Hollywood... Of course, that's assuming she survives to emerge from prison hundreds of years from now."
Chuckles rippled through the courtroom.
American criminal law has no upper sentencing limit—accumulated charges can easily result in hundreds or even thousands of years of imprisonment.
Until human lifespan undergoes dramatic advancement, such sentencing seems almost absurd.
Given the crimes Esther committed, in states with capital punishment, she would absolutely face execution without question. Even in New Jersey, which abolished the death penalty, she would undoubtedly serve life without parole.
"Your Honor, the prosecution formally requests that the defendant, Esther, undergo standardized IQ testing!"
the bald prosecutor solemnly stated his motion.
"Objection!"
Harrison Powell stood to object. "Every super-genius is unique. We cannot generalize about all super-geniuses based on a limited sample."
"Can you provide any contrary examples?"
The bald prosecutor retorted. "If not, then these should be considered common traits of super-geniuses. The fundamental commonality is superior intelligence, regardless of minor differences.
The same applies to criminal defendants—whether it's the supposedly benevolent primary personality, Esther, or the malevolent alter personality, Emma, they should both possess exceptional intelligence.
Because they share the same body and the same brain.
And these fundamental attributes can be readily determined through testing."
He then addressed Judge Jackson. "Your Honor?"
"Motion granted!"
Judge Jackson hesitated momentarily before nodding approval.
"Your Honor, even if we're proceeding with intelligence testing, I must emphasize that my client's current mental state is equivalent to a 9-year-old."
Seeing the judge had ruled, Harrison Powell could only solemnly remind him. "Therefore, the intelligence assessment should account for this."
From what he understood, IQ tests calculated mental age divided by chronological age.
If Esther's chronological age was 33, there was absolutely no hope. But if Esther was assessed as 9 years old, then the test result might still be acceptable.
After all, IQ test components—general knowledge, comprehension, mathematics, analogies, memory, vocabulary, pattern recognition, block design, sequencing, puzzles, etc.—could all be accumulated over time.
The bald prosecutor immediately looked at Chuck.
Before Chuck could respond, Beverly, who hadn't left the witness stand, spoke up. "That's not an issue. Modern IQ testing is highly sophisticated—such errors are impossible.
Especially for assessments evaluating super-genius level intelligence, there are specific protocols.
Because super-genius intelligence isn't limited by age, and actual IQ scores don't increase linearly with chronological age.
It's simply impossible for typical individuals to reach super-genius IQ levels merely through aging.
Otherwise, if Sheldon and his peers took standard IQ tests, the results would be inaccurate, because these tests simply cannot accurately measure the difference between them and ordinary geniuses.
It's important to understand that the cognitive difference between individuals can exceed the difference between humans and chimpanzees.
Therefore, we increased the weighting of mathematical reasoning in the scoring and removed chronological age as a denominator.
Only mathematical assessments can truly measure genuine intelligence level."
Chuck nodded in confirmation.
The bald prosecutor breathed a sigh of relief.
Harrison Powell, observing this, had a hint of resignation in his eyes.
This was a blind spot in his knowledge, and he could only proceed cautiously.
Moreover, he already had a sinking feeling.
Increasing the weight of mathematics was daunting.
Because mathematics truly doesn't care about age or accumulated life experience—you either understand it or you don't, and you might spend your entire life trying without ever grasping certain concepts.
"Court is adjourned! Trial will resume next Wednesday!"
Judge Jackson announced, ending the current session.
Esther, head bowed, was escorted from the courtroom by bailiffs and would be returned to detention to await the next hearing.
"Go remind those bailiffs and corrections officers,"
Chuck said to the elated Randy, "to be cautious—Esther may attack them and attempt escape."
"You think she'd actually try that?"
Randy was stunned.
"Do you think she can pass the IQ test?"
Chuck countered.
"Probably not."
Randy shook his head, then nodded at Chuck's look. "I will, but I'm afraid they might not take me seriously. You know, they're all big guys, while Esther is so small..."
He didn't finish the sentence. If he went to warn them, he'd likely not only fail to alert those imposing, self-assured bailiffs and corrections officers, but would also be mocked.
After all, the visual contrast was too stark.
Even knowing what had happened and that Esther was genuinely dangerous, people always have a tendency toward complacency and underestimation.
"You've done your duty by warning them,"
Chuck said calmly. "How they respond is their responsibility."
"I'll go now!"
Randy said, walking away.
Beverly approached at that moment. "Dr. Wolfe, it's been a pleasure working with you on this case."
"I'll leave the IQ assessment to you."
Chuck nodded. "You heard my conversation with Chief Tisher. When you're testing her, please ensure your safety."
"I will."
Beverly nodded.
"Dr. Wolfe, that was brilliant!"
The bald court stenographer, waiting in the corridor, watched Chuck with visible excitement.
Chuck looked at him, nodded, and continued walking.
He had given the necessary warnings.
He wouldn't repeat himself to strangers.
"Chuck!"
Linda and Beth Harmon, key witnesses in the case, were already waiting outside. Seeing Chuck approach, they quickly came over.
They were, naturally, witnesses as well.
However, because Harrison Powell, as defense counsel, chose an insanity defense, their testimony concluded quickly, and they then sat in the gallery, observing the entire trial.
"She won't pass the test, will she?"
Linda asked anxiously.
"Correct."
Chuck nodded.
"Thank God!"
Linda was immediately relieved to receive Chuck's confirmation.
Even though she now understood her own wealth, she still lacked the ruthless mentality of someone who'd built their fortune from nothing, and remained terrified of Esther, despite her arrest.
Even if Esther were sentenced to a psychiatric facility, she'd still worry.
Back in Russia, Esther had managed to escape from a psychiatric hospital where she'd been restrained with chains on her limbs and neck—imagine how much freer she'd be in America.
And now that she was so infamous, with so many obsessive followers, who knew if someone might try to break her out tonight?
How could she not be afraid!
Prison would be relatively safer.
After all, the prison system was now part of a massive corporate infrastructure that had to maintain some semblance of order and accountability.
Outside the Courthouse
Media from every outlet had gathered.
Harrison Powell was immediately besieged by cameras and microphones upon emerging, but he showed none of the grimness he'd displayed in court. Instead, he was all smiles and brimming with confidence, speaking eloquently about the case as if he held all the advantages.
Chuck, Linda, and Beth Harmon weren't spared either, and were intercepted by the crowd. Fortunately, Linda had hired security personnel who shielded them from the throng and escorted them to their vehicle.
In a Small Town Outside New York
A young woman who had just arrived from Texas, after settling into her new apartment, turned on the TV and saw this scene. Her eyes lit up as she focused on Chuck.
"Lisa, what are you watching?"
Her roommate walked over, flopped onto the sofa, and leaned against the young woman, laughing. "Oh, it's Detective Chuck! You're a fan too!"
"Of course!"
Lisa crossed her arms, her striking light blue eyes sparkling as she watched Chuck on screen. "Did you forget I'm from Texas? He's the pride of Texas!"
"Yes, yes!"
her roommate laughed. "You're both from Texas! Not only is he the pride of Texas, but you are too!"
"I don't know about that,"
Lisa shook her head, but a smile still played at her lips—she was clearly pleased that her roommate had compared her to Chuck.
"Of course you are!"
Her roommate chuckled. "Even I, a Yankee, know that you Texans love one thing in particular, and you've definitely got it—if you're not the pride of Texas, then who is?"
"What thing?"
Lisa asked instinctively, but the familiar sensation of being stared at since adolescence immediately made her glance down. Then, catching her roommate's gaze fixed on her chest, she immediately understood what her roommate meant.
(End of Chapter)
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