"Hm?"
"I don't see that Su Mo did anything special, just said a few words."
"Is there a problem with that?"
Yang Guoming looked over at Cui Jianwen in surprise.
Li Yongnian and the others also wore puzzled expressions.
From their perspective, Su Mo's actions hadn't been unusual at all.
"You guys haven't studied psychology, so you don't understand the tricks behind this,"
Cui Jianwen said, eyes shining as he looked at Su Mo:
"In fact, ever since Su Mo stepped into this room, every move he made was subtly sending psychological signals to these thieves."
"For example, when Su Mo took off his hat, it was to reduce his threat level, causing the thieves to subconsciously relax their guard."
"His constant smile did the same—it made people feel more at ease."
"But the most impressive part was how Su Mo managed to calm the thieves down!"
Cui Jianwen's face showed admiration as he said:
"When the thieves first saw Su Mo, their aggression was at its peak."
"But Su Mo didn't say a word, just stood there quietly smiling. This has two advantages."
"First, it lets the thieves vent their anger, which helps soothe their mood."
"Second, force is mutual—when the thieves' words go unanswered, they subconsciously grow curious about what Su Mo will say next."
"And everything from taking off his hat to staying silent was setting the stage for his first sentence!"
As Cui Jianwen spoke, a look of respect appeared on his face:
"Su Mo's first sentence was about perspective—he put himself in the thieves' shoes."
"That instantly narrowed the distance between them and lowered their vigilance."
"Then he joked a little and complimented the thieves, which made them subconsciously warm to him."
"Maybe these thieves haven't realized yet."
"The anger they felt at Su Mo at first was dissolved in just a few words, replaced with a bit of goodwill."
By the end, Cui Jianwen's eyes were full of reverence:
"Don't underestimate those few minutes. Even a professional psychologist might not pull that off."
"Whoa!"
Hearing Cui Jianwen's explanation, Yang Guoming and the others looked at Su Mo, shocked and gasping.
Wow.
When you can't see through something, you don't think much of it.
But after this explanation, they were stunned!
In just a few minutes, Su Mo had done so much!
And every step—even the cop's habitual act of taking off his hat—was deliberate.
Terrifying!
To dispel the thieves' anger with a few words, and even make them like him?
"I can brainwash… no, I mean, give speeches…"
At this moment, Yang Guoming and the others recalled what Su Mo had said earlier.
At first, they thought Su Mo was joking.
But now it seemed he really was brainwashing them!
"Yang Guoming, if we can find the fence's location, this might actually work!"
Li Yongnian whispered, looking toward Su Mo.
"Yeah… I think so too."
Yang Guoming replied absentmindedly.
Actually, what intrigued him more wasn't where the fence was.
It was whether Su Mo was really a graduate from the police academy.
..
At the front of the room.
Su Mo ignored Yang Guoming and the others standing aside.
Right now, he was going full throttle; all kinds of rhetoric and body language techniques flashed through his mind.
At this moment, his eyes saw nothing else but the forty-plus thieves before him!
"Hmph! Even if you say it nicely, we don't know the fence's location!"
Wang Ping, who should have been the Thief King, still looked resentful.
The other thieves nodded in agreement.
The damage Su Mo had caused them during the day was too great.
"Hehe, actually, you don't need to hold such hostility toward me."
Su Mo smiled and stepped down from the stage, looking closely at everyone.
"Essentially, we're the same kind of people."
Those words stunned everyone present.
"You're a cop, and we're thieves. How can that be the same kind of people?"
A thief shouted loudly.
"That's right, you're the police. You're up high, how could we compare?"
"Yeah, the police are so noble, perfect in every way."
"..."
After hearing Su Mo's words, the thieves reacted strongly.
It was the first time they'd heard thieves and cops described as having something in common.
Their words carried hidden envy, a humility others wouldn't notice.
And a bit of longing even they didn't realize themselves.
Just a single sentence from Su Mo stirred their emotions.
"I forgot to tell you, I used to be the Thief King."
Su Mo winked at the thieves, his smile broad.
Upon hearing this, anger flashed in their eyes again.
It was precisely because of that damn Thief King they were all caught!
"Don't be so quick to get angry. At least we share the same essence—that skill of thievery."
"You don't deny that, right?"
Su Mo stood in front, raising both hands and sighing:
"Being a cop isn't easy, but who knows, being a thief has its own barriers too."
"A good craft requires lots of time to master."
"Digging hands into scorching hot sand in summer, washing them with freezing water in winter."
"Getting sliced by sharp blades till covered in wounds is a common thing."
Su Mo paused and looked at the many thieves, feeling moved:
"Compared to studying knowledge in safe classrooms, mastering thievery skills is truly grueling."
Hearing this, the forty-plus thieves fell silent.
Each resonated deeply.
Thinking about the hardships endured to learn a craft, a strange sadness filled their hearts.
"Feeling a bit heartbroken?"
"Touched by your own past efforts?"
Su Mo's tone turned mocking and disdainful:
"But I tell you, your hardships and struggles are worth nothing!"
The forty-plus thieves all raised their heads, glaring angrily at Su Mo.
Their skills were painstakingly learned, not to be mocked!
"Angry?"
Su Mo smiled carelessly.
"Anger is justified, because right now, that's all you can do."
"You're just society's scum. What else can you do but steal?"
The more than forty faces flushed red, veins bulging on their necks.
They were angry, wanting to argue back, but didn't know where to start.
"You have no right to be angry, because you chose this path yourself."
Su Mo pointed at the crowd, voice stern:
"I've been through hardships too, even ten times worse than you!"
"But my choice wasn't to be a thief—it was to become a cop!"
"Because I don't want to be a rat everyone kicks and curses!"
Su Mo shouted sternly:
"Tell me, do you see being a thief as an honor?"
"No!"
By now, the more than forty thieves had been stirred up emotionally by Su Mo's words.
One by one, they clenched their fists and shouted fiercely.
No one is born willing to be a thief!
"Then tell me, do you want your family, friends, loved ones to know your identity as a thief?"
"No!"
"Finally, tell me, have you ever had a moment when you wanted to reform?"
"Yes!"
The forty-plus thieves' angry shouts filled the room like thunder.
It was a scream from their deepest hearts, spoken out loud for the first time.
Maybe they didn't even realize it themselves.
From the very first step Su Mo took into this room,
the entire situation here had been completely under his control.
Their emotions—bitterness, anger—all stirred by Su Mo's words.
The thieves were caught in the moment, unaware of this.
But Yang Guoming and the others standing aside were already staring with mouths agape!
They watched Su Mo passionately speaking from the stage.
His words made the thieves cry, made them laugh.
Made them shout out their deepest secrets, without reservation.
That kind of mind manipulation… was godlike!
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。