Chapter 88

A research team in the United States, which won the Nobel Prize in Medicine, is tackling the major issue of PTSD, which affects millions of U.S. military patients. This team is considered the leading research center in this field globally, and Buck naturally studied their medical literature in detail.

The symptoms of stress disorders vary widely, and Buck's condition likely falls under extreme violence or delayed personality splitting. The most famous treatment case of that research team is the so-called emotional neutralization method. The Nobel laureate in medicine proposed a method where a male rat is subjected to simulated harm through electric shocks, and then placed with a female rat. When the brain waves show that the male rat is relatively happy, the hippocampus area of the male rat's brain is stimulated again to trigger the stress disorder. When the pleasant emotions and harmful stimuli frequently occur simultaneously, the symptoms gradually disappear.

At least, Buck felt that since Zhou Xiaoli entered his life, he could accept fragmented memories about his hobbies, such as home renovation, and could try to be more open in communicating with girls. If he could further develop a romantic relationship, could it really cure him?

This is how the former battlefield medic diagnosed himself and formulated a treatment plan.

However, the path of real-life romance is not so straightforward. At least, the black girl keenly noticed the slightly longer hair, which gave Buck, who thought he could easily win her love, a sudden blow!

The girl must have noticed it when she was holding the two helmets, no wonder her mood was so changeable.

Moreover, she didn't give Buck time to explain. After dinner, she shooed him away: "Remember to go hiking this weekend, and don't let some long-haired teacher from the art academy seduce you again. I'm not that generous!"

Buck could only raise his eyebrows. Perhaps it was because the girl liked him that she cared so much? He shrugged and went downstairs to ride his motorcycle home.

Bada Cheng had been working hard these days and could already practice driving slowly. When Buck returned home to take the old man out for a drive, his father still refused: "Automatic and manual are different. I'll start getting familiar with this car after I pass the driving test." His tone was as serious as the decades he spent working in the machine repair shop.

But he agreed to go out for a drive with his son. Buck could explain the practical application of traffic rules to him: "Look around more at intersections, don't follow behind large buses, and be careful when passing them, as someone might suddenly appear..."

Bada Cheng immediately took out a small notebook to take notes, much like Buck's habit. His son laughed carelessly, while his father lowered his head: "Xiaoli is a good girl; it's a blessing for our family to have her as a daughter-in-law."

Buck agreed with this view: "I'll work hard."

He had to work hard. Buck, who was diligently learning his craft, felt more motivated.

The young teacher named He Qing seemed to have found his groove. This week, he was fully focused on teaching perspective and basic drawing techniques: "No matter which aspect of interior design you pursue in the future, being able to draw is essential. At least, it will make explaining your design ideas much simpler."

He Qing himself seemed to know nothing about interior design, but his drawing skills were excellent. As he spoke, he could quickly sketch an indoor scene on the blackboard, depicting a student dormitory with double-decker beds on both sides and a few tables in the middle. The drawing was very skilled and full of life, making even the few young students who liked to chatter fall silent. At least, if they wanted to criticize, they would have to draw something better.

So, this week, besides learning various perspective relationships with the other students and understanding the perspective terms that He Qing dismissed, Buck spent most of his time drawing various scenes in his sketchbook, from the simplest classroom furniture to the relationships between the warehouses outside. He Qing said this was all about honing one's skills. Around the art academy, teahouses, game centers, and markets were filled with art students from all majors, practicing by capturing the everyday life of the city.

One student hesitantly mentioned that in the age of smartphones, where everyone has a camera and self-portraits are the norm, such drawing skills no longer have a market. He Qing looked disdainful: "Photos are always just photos. The canvas is a world you control; that's your work. Can you make everyone in the market pose according to your requirements?"

Buck heard someone mutter, "Can't you just use Photoshop?"

He Qing sneered: "Art, the art of aesthetics, is always a human visual instinct, and it can't be replaced by a computer!"

Buck didn't think either side was absolutely right. He listened as an impartial observer, always drawing with his hand. He liked drawing, just as He Qing said, the world can't revolve around your requirements, but at least on the sketchbook, the world is shaped by your pen, and you can completely control every detail. He liked this feeling.

Sometimes, he would add something to his drawings based on his preferences, like a light switch by the door or curtains on the window. When he encountered materials like fabric that he didn't know how to express, he would ask the teacher.

He Qing was surprised and delighted, and very seriously demonstrated various techniques for single-line sketching of fabric on the blackboard: "Actually, such sketching and perspective techniques are imports, rules set by foreigners. Not only did the missionary painters of the Ming and Qing dynasties bring them in, but also the overseas students like Xu Beihong who returned before the liberation. Our ancestors also had many treasures. Look at this method of drawing curtains; it's based on traditional Chinese line drawing."

In twenty minutes, He Qing showed Buck dozens of different ways to draw an imaginary curtain, from lines with light and shadow to simple overlapping lines, and even just a couple of lines that could convey the folds and corners of the fabric. Some were vivid, while others were more subtle. He Qing wasn't proud: "These are basic skills. Any college student with decent grades is familiar with these techniques."

Buck nodded: "Can I take pictures with my phone?"

He Qing smiled: "Sure, it's not expensive, and phones are indeed convenient for taking pictures."

At this moment, Buck realized that his old flip phone wasn't very effective and planned to buy a new one. But he wondered if buying a better one would upset Zhou Xiaoli again.

He smiled helplessly at his subconscious reaction, a somewhat happy one.

A voice from the side said: "It's still valuable. This big brother paid over 8,000 for tuition, so he gets special treatment."

When He Qing was explaining art, he was eloquent, but in this situation, he was a bit hesitant: "He asks a lot of questions..."

Buck calmly turned off his old phone and turned around, looking at the three or four young students with a sour tone: "Learning is about asking questions. If you don't ask, get out of my sight, and stop whining in my ear!"

His tone was harsh, showing his annoyance at being disturbed. But as soon as he raised his hand, the young men patted their butts and ran away. Even a blind person could tell he might start a fight at any moment!

It seems Buck's treatment can't be stopped yet.

PS: I just want to ask everyone to keep voting and bear with the reduced word count. After all, my regular readers know my writing style and persistence. In September, please be patient. Thank you for your understanding.