The whole situation was now clear, leaving everyone both amused and exasperated.
Only Old Man Tao remained fiercely indignant, stubbornly insisting that Xiao He was suspicious. When he stared at Xiao He, his eyes burned with raging fury. Even though Tao Weiguo patiently explained that Xiao He was just an actor, not a criminal, the old man refused to yield, blocking the doorway with his body to prevent Xiao He from escaping.
After his initial amusement faded, Xiao He looked at the elderly man and felt a pang of complicated emotions.
Alzheimer's Disease was truly a terrifying illness. As a patient, the world he perceived and the things he heard might have undergone drastic changes, as if he had fallen into some horrifying nightmare from which he could never escape. For the family members, they could only watch helplessly as the disease devoured the person's soul, turning their loved one into a soulless shell, like a walking corpse.
Xiao He had once come across a video where an elderly man woke up having forgotten his children and his spouse, only remembering that he was originally an eighteen-year-old youth who had just joined the army. But when he looked in the mirror, he saw someone with silver hair and a face full of wrinkles.
While the daughter off-camera repeatedly explained her identity, introduced her mother, and described the old man's current situation, the elderly man's eyes held the innocent confusion and clarity of a young child, gazing bewildered at this world that was completely different from what he remembered.
—For him, it was probably like waking up to find himself suddenly transformed from a youth into an old man.
At that moment, even though the background music in the video was quite cheerful, Xiao He still felt heartache through the screen.
The cruelty of Alzheimer's Disease lies in the separation of cognition and personality, leading to the dual death of both soul and body. This process is currently almost unsolvable and irreversible within modern treatment systems.
"Dad, you've really misunderstood! This is Xiao He! You've even watched his Thief Catcher series!"
Tao Weiguo was still patiently explaining, but Old Man Tao glared at him with disappointment: "Have you been bribed by the enemy? Why are you taking their side? Get away from me! You're not my son! I don't have such an unfilial child like you!"
Tao Weiguo: "He's an actor! When he played Shen Jue before, didn't you praise his martial arts skills?"
However, Tao Weiguo's words triggered another memory in the old man, who immediately excitedly pulled the police officer beside him and said: "That's right! I also remember now, he and an accomplice killed many people before! Oh heavens, the scene was littered with corpses! You absolutely must not let him go! You have to get information about his accomplice's whereabouts from him!"
The police officer who was pulled:...
The biological son Tao Weiguo:...
While the Tao father and son were debating "national righteousness" and "blood-soaked vengeance," the police officer in charge of investigating the matter took the initiative to approach Xiao He and Liu Rulan, saying: "We've really troubled you with this incident. Let's exchange contact information. If what just happened causes any negative impact on you, you can contact us or the airport management at any time. We'll definitely help clarify the situation."
"Okay, you've worked hard too."
Liu Rulan skillfully exchanged contact information with the police officer, then said: "Then Xiao Chen and I will take our leave now."
"Of course, feel free to go."
Although this incident hadn't been pleasant, everyone could see Old Man Tao's condition. The old man's intentions were good, but his mind wasn't clear anymore. Xiao He couldn't possibly pursue any responsibility either, so after confirming everything was settled, Liu Rulan immediately prepared to leave with her team.
However, before leaving, Xiao He said something to Liu Rulan and took the initiative to approach Old Man Tao.
"I'm really not a bad person."
Xiao He stared into Old Man Tao's eyes, using his Psychological Suggestion ability on a stranger for the first time.
Or rather, he was attempting to call back a lost soul.
"The country is now prosperous and strong. You've completed your mission, it's time to rest."
Old Man Tao's originally angry emotions miraculously began to calm down after hearing Xiao He's calm voice, though his gaze when looking at Xiao He still held suspicion and wariness.
"Your child loves you very much and worries about you too. Go with him, enjoy your life now."
After speaking, Xiao He raised his hand and gently patted the back of Old Man Tao's hand, planting a seed of positive psychological suggestion in his heart.
This suggestion probably wouldn't last long, since it couldn't directly cure the brain's pathological changes, but it could briefly relieve the old man's anxiety and suffering.
Sure enough, Old Man Tao blinked, his eyes gradually becoming clearer.
Tao Weiguo, seeing his father miraculously calm down, looked very surprised but also somewhat worried. He stepped forward and tightly grasped Old Man Tao's hand, calling out in a trembling voice: "Dad?"
Old Man Tao finally stopped staring at Xiao He and turned his gaze to his son. Blinking his dry eyes, his tone held less stubbornness and more apology: "Weiguo, I'm sorry, it seems I've caused trouble for everyone."
Tao Weiguo, meeting his father's apologetic and self-blaming eyes, felt his nose sting and shook his head: "No, not at all. I'm glad I could come out with you this time."
Xiao He took one last look at the father and son, then turned and walked toward Liu Rulan and Xiao Chen.
"What just happened?"
Liu Rulan, seeing the suddenly harmonious scene between the father and son, asked Xiao He in surprise.
Xiao He: "It's nothing, just the father and son catching up. It has nothing to do with us. We should hurry and leave to avoid causing unnecessary misunderstandings and trouble here."
"That's true."
While directing Xiao Chen to push their belongings along, Liu Rulan took out her phone: "But today's incident is actually quite good as a promotional opportunity. I'll have Xiao Zhou and the others keep an eye on the online situation. We might even get an unexpected benefit from this."
Xiao He glanced at the time on his phone and said sheepishly: "How about we wait until morning? It's the middle of the night now, they're all still sleeping. Even if someone posts about this online now, public opinion won't spread that quickly."
Mainly, he'd feel guilty making the studio's operations team get up at this hour.
Liu Rulan thought for a moment, then put away her phone: "Alright, we'll call them around six in the morning, and we'll catch the public opinion hotspot between seven and nine today."
This time period is when many office workers or students are waking up. Many people like to use these fragmented moments to check online situations and see if any scandals broke out last night or in the early morning.
So targeting this time for public opinion guidance and promotion is the best choice.
Regarding these matters, Xiao He always deferred to Sister Liu, since she was the professional: "Okay."