"Dong," a sound echoed as Nan Zhuren, who was napping on his office desk, was suddenly jolted awake by a violent shake.
Nan Zhuren lifted his head in a start and saw the sparse-haired consultant, Bald Yang, apologetically smiling at him.
"Sorry about that, Xiao Nan, for interrupting your rest," Bald Yang said with apology, "But it's almost work time, and today is your first day on the job. It's better to prepare early. Although Xiao Jia said she could help you out, colleagues being polite is one thing, but we shouldn't truly inconvenience others like that, right?"
He wore a fitting smile, with stubborn strands on his head, leisurely leaving while sipping a bourgeois cup of coffee.
Yang Xudao's professional expression management allowed no one to find fault with him, and his sincere tone was enough to soothe the heart.
But Nan Zhuren was dumbfounded because the "apologetic" smile from Bald Yang just stayed in his mind.
It was firmly imprinted on Nan Zhuren's retina, like a photograph in his brain.
That smile.
And the lips that formed the smile, the squinting eyes, the contracted cheeks, the flaring nostrils.
All of it rushed into Nan Zhuren's mind, starting to be analyzed by him.
[This Bald Yang is indeed smiling, but this kind of smile is too normal...]
[An apologetic smile shouldn't be this "normal"!]
[If I'm not mistaken, his eyes just squinted—that indicates he indeed derived pleasure from 'interrupting me'.]
[That wasn't a socially-forced smile to express apology but a genuinely joyful smile, an ordinary smile!]
[Or rather, he used an 'apologetic' smile to cover his heartfelt joy...]
[...Wait! Why can I observe so precisely?]
Nan Zhuren snapped out of his analytical state.
Then, a glimmer of joy slowly crept up his face.
It wasn't that Nan Zhuren was surprised by uncovering Bald Yang's malicious intent; such shallow things are evident to anyone.
What concerned Nan Zhuren was the ability he just demonstrated.
"Is this... the effect of [Micro-expression Analysis·Basic]?" he found it hard to believe.
...
Micro-expression Analysis is a technique under the [Behavioral Sect] in psychology, aiming to judge a person's psyche through observing fleeting micro expressions.
This short sentence is easy to say, and ordinary people might think merely memorizing each micro expression's meaning and applying it in practice would suffice.
But that's not how it works.
There are two problems here:
First, micro expressions often only appear for a fraction of a second, even 0.0-some seconds, which the naked eye of an ordinary person cannot catch;
Second, a human face won't display just one expression like a textbook. On the same face, at the same time, there could be dozens of micro expressions appearing, complicating the information substantially.
Many psychological experts resort to recordings, examining frame by frame the changes in target expressions to decipher the observed individual's current psyche.
They must discard all false information the observed individual uses to mask their inner self, capture the genuine changes in expressions sharply, and find the correct target among many potential corresponding emotions for each expression.
The workload is substantial and often requires the number of a whole team, with professional electronic equipment, working around the clock.
"But just in that instant, I subconsciously analyzed it, as naturally as eating or drinking," Nan Zhuren swallowed and said, "Did I really master [Micro-expression Analysis]?"
"Moreover, this is only the so-called [Beginner] effect?"
Nan Zhuren quickly recalled his dreamscape; within the [Monthly Goal] and [Life Development], there was potential for further enhancement.
All of these could assist him in mastering more techniques for psychological consultation!
"But there's a problem now, to achieve the [Monthly Goal] and even [Life Development], I must perform consultations to accumulate consulting hours."
"And presently, I am merely a counseling assistant, without the qualification to conduct psychological consultations independently."
"In fact, due to some trouble left by the original self, consulting under supervision in the short term doesn't seem viable either..."
What should he do?
At this moment, Nan Zhuren's attention was suddenly drawn to Bald Yang not far away.
...
Bald Yang finished his coffee in small sips, another person gathering near him.
"Teacher Yang, you're early today, is it because of Teacher Xiao Jia?"
The one speaking was Bald Yang's consulting assistant, about the same age as Nan Zhuren, with a thick and beautiful head of black hair.
Bald Yang and his assistant had been working together for a long time, with an understanding rapport, and flirtatious teasing was routine.
Upon hearing the assistant's teasing, Bald Yang waved his hand: "Xiao Jia is one reason, but didn't you forget to organize my schedule? Today's first client is mine."
Familiarizing oneself with the consultant's schedule is part of the assistant's duty, and the assistant with thick hair quickly explained: "Of course I know, but this client doesn't require you to come in so early, right? Her appointment is supposed to be an hour later?"
Bald Yang shook his head: "That client certainly isn't worth it; I'm here to intercept our supervisor or the boss first."
At this point, Bald Yang paused, then continued: "I want to discuss with them about transferring this client elsewhere; if possible, I wouldn't even want to do today's consultation..."
Nan Zhuren's ears perked up from afar.
The assistant with thick hair cooperatively followed up, adopting an inquiring posture: "Does this client have some issue then?"
They saw Bald Yang with a beleaguered expression, speaking in a tone full of distress: "This is a newly enrolled university student, transferred from the boss's friend, a troublesome case other consultants couldn't handle and had to pass on."
"The important point is, reviewing the profile, this client has been to the psych ward, diagnosed with [depression]!"
Upon mentioning "depression," the assistant with thick hair's eyebrows furrowed as well: "Diagnosed?"
This is no minor issue.
Bald Yang had a grave expression: "Diagnosed, at the City Hospital. Since it's only mild, the client doesn't want medication for now, opting for consultation interventions."
The assistant with thick hair immediately showed a knowing look.