Then, the young man saw the guest before him blink his eyes, as if awakening from a dream, revealing a subtle expression.
"What's the matter, sir? Is there a problem?" Soma Yukihira asked curiously. Could it be that he's waiting for me to give change?
But he had given the exact amount, not a cent more, so where would the change come from?
"No, I just... um, was thinking about something else just now, so I got distracted."
Gu Mo snapped back to reality and explained, then glanced at his wallet, seemingly hesitating as he slowly turned away, step by step.
He wasn't stopped until he walked out of the store, which surprised him greatly. Did he really pay just like that?
Looking back inside, he found Soma and his father already tidying up again. Returning now to ask would seem pretty awkward.
So, after glancing around, he walked towards the street, and after bypassing Soma's diner, he used the lamplight on the roadside to open his wallet and check. He found that he indeed had exactly 65 less yuan, which matched the situation perfectly.
Gu Mo's expression turned somewhat serious immediately. He hesitated for a moment, then began muttering to himself—
"System?"
"Deep Blue?"
"Come out! I want to add points!"
For the next several minutes, he tried to summon his cheat code to prove he wasn't losing his mind... Of course, nothing happened, only the passing pedestrians subconsciously quickened their pace, while a circle of people gathered around to point at him like they were looking at a lunatic.
Gu Mo sighed in frustration, abandoning his fervent delusion. He looked at the people pointing at him and realized, after all, happiness belongs to everyone else; he was left with nothing.
Forcing himself to calm down and view the earlier phenomenon rationally, Gu Mo considered that there might be a more reasonable explanation—if everything was his imagination and mental embellishment, perhaps he simply and honestly paid the money, but perceived it differently in his imagination.
Much like certain mental disorders, he once saw a case of someone deeply trapped in delusion, insisting that they were a martial arts master carrying a Dragon Treasure Blade, believing completely that they were a supreme master.
To outsiders, such behavior may seem ridiculous and absurd, but the terrifying part is... the person involved truly believes it, thinking their own logic and view of the world is correct.
Doesn't this seem somewhat similar? In everyone else's eyes, the mentally ill person holds a knife. The mentally ill person also knows they're holding a knife, but believes it's the Dragon Blade... So in Gu Mo's situation? He might have just paid, but felt like it was done through some "system transfer" method.
So, what makes me different from that person with the mental disorder? They believed they were a martial arts expert, and I just started wondering if I had some kind of cheat code...
Hmm, it seems everything makes sense now.
After such a profound self-analysis, Gu Mo gradually came to understand everything. Is this the world of someone with a mental issue? He used to be very puzzled, but now he finally understands that the world of a mentally ill person is indeed completely different from what normal people see.
If a person's seen, heard, and felt world always differs from that of others, and their understanding is inconsistent with that of normal people, then being out of place would be normal, wouldn't it...
Looking at the people around him pointing and whispering, Gu Mo rubbed his cheeks and hurriedly walked away.
He recalled that a doctor once suggested he see the psychiatry department, but he didn't follow the advice at the time. Maybe it was because of all the negative news he'd read about mental hospitals, which made him worry that if his condition were found to be too serious, he'd be sent there...
High walls and electric fencing, locked wards, forced sedation, abuse and scolding...
Things like that, though not all situations may be so bleak, and today's management isn't as chaotic as before, but whether it's bias or stubbornness, since he's already formed that impression from past information, naturally, he rejects the idea strongly.
No, I can't continue like this; I must save myself...
Gu Mo resolved silently; perhaps it was the positive emotions evoked by the meal he just had that filled him with determination and energy. He decided he must do something... continuing with the doctor might not help much, and he's staying well away from psychiatry.
So...
"First, I should regularize my daily schedule, ensure good health, and see if there's any improvement over time. Meanwhile, I must continue to act like a normal person to avoid detection and ultimately being sent to a mental institution."
He quickly made a decision, establishing his future action strategy.
"After all, my situation hasn't reached the point where I'm completely convinced of it myself, and I haven't gotten to the stage where, like that person, I believe I'm a grand martial arts master. The gap between my perception and actions isn't too great, so there's still a chance to correct it..."