Chapter 1097: Father and Son (Part 26) (Patreon)

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Howard fell into silence, and after waiting for several tens of seconds, Schiller spoke up, asking, "Is this all the conclusions you have come to?"

Howard pondered carefully and then replied, "I am not someone who pays much attention to my own emotions, so I apologize for not being able to provide more reference factors."

Schiller didn't mind and said, "The majority of people don't have the ability to analyze each of their emotions in detail and understand the resulting consequences."

"Most people, when feeling uncomfortable, often find it inexplicable. Perhaps they know some rough reasons, such as being annoyed by something or disliking someone, but they can't analyze the cause and effect in detail or predict the consequences of their emotions."

"If everyone could meticulously analyze their emotions, there wouldn't be so many people with psychological disorders in the world. The majority of psychological disorders are actually the result of unnoticed or unresolved emotions accumulating in one's mind."

"So, if at a certain time, you suddenly feel a flood of negative emotions filling your heart without being able to pinpoint their source, it is actually quite normal."

Schiller didn't look at Howard but instead picked up his glass and looked at the water inside, saying:

"Many people view the human psyche as something magical or mystical. Whenever they are suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of sadness, they often suspect that some mysterious factor is influencing them."

"But in reality, emotional logic is a relatively rigorous logic within the field of logic. It's like a intricately constructed transmission system, where the motion of each individual component drives the others."

Schiller then explained this matter to Howard in the way he would understand best, continuing:

"However, the composition of each person's emotional logic transmission system is different."

"Some people have only five components in their entire system. When the first component moves, the fifth component immediately follows. At this point, when they direct their attention to the last moving component, it is easy to analyze why it moved."

"Originally, with only five components, even if they exhaustively examined each one, they could still roughly guess the reason."

"But for some people, their transmission system may have fifty thousand components, divided into several sections nested together. Besides physical engagement and collision, there may also be remote signal control."

"In such cases, when one component moves, the final result it produces may only occur six months later in another component."

"And when the last component moves, they turn around to search for the reason behind its motion, only to be met with confusion."

"Because even the most brilliant individuals, without professional training, cannot deduce the reasons behind tens of thousands of components based solely on their outcomes."

"And the cause of many psychological disorders is actually sensitive individuals with tens of thousands of components suddenly finding themselves with a pile of negative emotional components that start working incessantly, yet they can't find anything by following the trail of these negative emotional components."

"On one hand, they suffer due to the negative emotions, and on the other hand, they feel lost because they can't find the cause of these negative emotions."

Howard always listened attentively, staring into Schiller's eyes. For him, the examples Schiller provided were straightforward and simple, making them easy to understand.

Schiller finally averted his gaze from the wine glass and looked directly into Howard's eyes. He spoke, his tone serious, "Do you believe that the negative emotions you experienced that night were solely a result of the information you received during the daytime? It is highly likely that there are other factors at play."

Howard's eyebrows furrowed as he listened to Schiller's words. The atmosphere in the room began to tense, indicating that their disagreement had transformed their doctor-patient relationship into that of adversaries.

Howard believed that his sadness that night stemmed from the sudden rebirth and the guilt it brought. However, Schiller pointed out that his negative emotions might not have originated from the events of the daytime, but rather from something much earlier.

"I believe you have your own understanding of logic," Schiller said, maintaining his calm demeanor. He acknowledged Howard's level of knowledge before continuing, "In that case, please allow me to present my reasoning. If at any point you find any logical inconsistencies, feel free to interrupt and challenge me. I won't take offense."

Howard blinked and replied, "So, psychologists can accept questioning from their patients? I thought I had to remain silent until you finished your diagnosis."

"Mr. Howard, I believe you may be overestimating the quality of patients I have encountered. In reality, finding a patient who can patiently listen to me without interruption is quite rare," Schiller said with a hint of frustration. He continued, "Among the patients I have worked with, you rank among the most intelligent, patient, and emotionally stable."

Howard nodded, recognizing that Schiller had many stories to share. However, he was more concerned with his own situation, so he urged, "Please, go ahead, doctor. I will listen attentively."

With a nod, Schiller began his reasoning.

"Let's start with the outcome. First, you believe that the source of your emotions is guilt toward your family and children. Therefore, to analyze these emotions, we must naturally consider your family and children's circumstances."

"The Stark family situation is not overly complex. Your parents passed away, leaving behind an only child. These few words can roughly summarize your situation."

"You believe that because of your premature deaths, you missed witnessing certain stages of Tony Stark's life, which led him to suffer in pain and despair. Now, you have returned unharmed, and you feel that this is unfair to Tony."

Howard nodded, acknowledging that this line of reasoning was correct and essentially captured the logic behind his negative emotions.

"Next, please answer my question. You can speak truthfully or conceal certain details, but please respond based on your initial reaction," Schiller said, taking out his medical record to document their conversation.

"The first question: Before your death, there was a considerable period when you struggled with severe alcohol addiction. If I'm not mistaken, during that time, although you were alive, you were unable to provide any support or companionship to Tony Stark. Did you experience similar negative emotions during that period?"

Howard squinted his eyes as he tried to recollect, but after a moment, he shook his head and said, "Alcohol clouded my judgment and left me with fragmented memories. So, I honestly can't recall whether I had similar negative emotions during that time."

To his surprise, Schiller didn't ask further about that period but instead posed another question, "Going back in the timeline, before you started drinking excessively, did you experience similar negative emotions?"

Howard glanced to the side, recalling the memories. He said, "I don't think so."

Schiller nodded again, and Howard felt that if this logic was applied, then his inference was correct. When he was with Tony, he didn't have this feeling of negativity. Wasn't it because he felt guilty for missing out on their time together?

However, Schiller didn't confirm his meaning in the slightest and continued to ask, "So, when you were with Tony, did you have any other negative emotions?"

Howard's expression suddenly stiffened for a moment, but then he shook his head and said, "No, hardly any negative emotions. It was a beautiful memory."

"Hardly any, so there were some?" Schiller asked again.

"I am a person, and I can't have just one emotion, even when I'm with my son. I'm sure I had various worries," Howard explained, spreading his hands.

"Such as?"

"Such as troublesome business rivals, the pressure of scientific research innovation, and disagreements with Maria over small matters," Howard listed some examples, all of which were quite ordinary.

"Then tell me, when you were completely absorbed in doing something with your son, how long did you have a moment free from these worries?" Schiller asked again.

This time, Howard found it difficult to recall. It was evident that he seemed to have thought of some answers but didn't know whether or not to say it. After a while, he gritted his teeth and said, "Just a few minutes."

"Alright, let's push the timeline further back to when Stark Industries was flourishing, and Tony was very young. How much time did you dedicate to playing with him then?" Schiller inquired.

This time, Howard remained silent for a long, long time, about five or six minutes. His expression gradually turned serious, clearly realizing that the answer was different from what he had imagined.

It wasn't until Schiller lightly tapped the table that Howard snapped out of his thoughts. He looked into Schiller's eyes and said, "When Tony was very young and didn't know much, I could even spend five or six hours playing with him, forgetting all my worries and troubles. That was the happiest time of my life."

Schiller nodded again and said, "Now, compare the number of worries you faced when Tony was young to when he grew up. Did the quantity of your concerns increase?"

Howard fell into another long silence, a few more minutes passed, before he finally spoke, "No, quite the opposite."

"When Tony was still young, Stark Industries was just starting out, and back then, I faced immense pressure, not even knowing where the future would lead..."

"But before I got entangled with the military, during that time, Stark Industries was at its political peak. I was full of confidence, and at that point, I hardly had any rivals, and even my workload wasn't as busy."

As Howard spoke, his expression grew more serious, even turning solemn. He hesitantly asked, "...Why?"

"Why, when Tony was so young, did I love him so much? The time spent playing with him became my solace to endure a painful day. But as he grew up, every time we started a conversation, within five or six minutes, I would be reminded of those bothersome tasks again."

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 1098: Father and Son (Part 27)