North American detective: From scoundrel to god among men

Chapter 6: There are no cowards in the dungeon, only strategists and ruthless warriors!

Hannibal had noticed the man in the shadows long ago.

But his interest in Starling far outweighed that in Titus, which is a major reason why Hannibal was willing to negotiate with Starling: Hannibal was reminded of his deceased sister.

Hannibal stared at the man he perceived as arrogant, his gaze sharp as a knife, as if he wanted to dissect Titus.

"Detective lurking in the shadows, are you from VCD (Violent Crime Unit)?"

Hannibal still did not answer the question, but instead used polite language to distinguish himself from the "rude" Titus.

"Yes," Titus replied, unsurprised that Hannibal had guessed his identity.

"Undoubtedly, VCDs sound impressive, right? Those guys who only run for the smell of blood; does the daily grind of organizing files and verifying addresses overload your brain, forcing you to work late into the night?"

"Why didn't you say anything earlier? You were observing from the shadows, thinking you'd discovered something. That's really something. You can't wait to tell me."

"That's a keen insight, but as far as I know, Starling's father wasn't a miner, and I've never worked overtime. I believe these things are not difficult to verify."

Instead of analyzing directly, Titus first denied the opponent's achievements in order to attract attention and arouse his competitive spirit.

"And what about you?" Titus asked quickly, giving Hannibal no chance to speak.

"You look so smart in your prison uniform, I would have thought I was visiting your home! There are paintings, books all over the table, letters with questions in them, and newspapers delivered by the prison guards."

"Are you so determined to distinguish yourself from Engels next door? Do you find him rude? Do you hate rudeness?"

Hannibal walked step by step toward the glass wall, a smile on his face, a "butcher's smile":

"That's insightful! Do you know what happened to the last person who tried to analyze me?"

Intimidation? Threat? Should the great Space Marines avoid a direct confrontation?

Titus understood that the first step to getting this psychologist to open his mouth was to break his defenses.

So he also stepped forward, the two staring at each other through the glass wall, exchanging silent blows.

"Let me tell you, you little brat, I'll take his liver..."

Titus suddenly raised his hand to interrupt him.

"Don't try to escape. I've seen your file. Your sister was dismembered and eaten by soldiers, and you yourself unknowingly drank the broth; it's truly a deeply traumatic experience of violence and chaos, isn't it?"

"As far as I know, you've never broken the rules in prison. You're very disciplined, aren't you? You strive to distinguish yourself from rudeness, using rules and elegance to combat your inner fears—that's truly admirable!"

"A murderer was forced to become a gentleman!"

Hannibal clenched his fist, his eyes fixed on Titus, his face flushed.

"Overly corrected military posture, steady gaze, methodical reasoning—do you think your reasoning is very successful? A raw recruit straight out of West Point?"

"I remember your last name is Gallagher, right? Beep, beep, beep..."

Hannibal looked at him with a mocking gaze, as if he were looking at a dog.

"It must have been incredibly tough for someone from the South End to get into West Point, right? Is your sister begging to empty the swill for that red-nosed bishop in the neighborhood? Are your parents still at home? Is there some damn baby in your house? Does the baby's crying often send chills down your spine?"

"You ungrateful wretch!"

Titus clenched his fists repeatedly, his face flushed.

"Seriously, Hannibal, why don't you just die?"

"I don't believe you fall under any of the mental illnesses covered by state law that would exempt you from the death penalty. You think you've cleverly exploited a loophole in the law with a mental illness defense, haven't you? The psychological evaluation shows you cannot be held responsible for your actions, so we're waiving the death penalty and placing you under observation in prison?"

"You see destroying evidence as a necessary step for artistic creation? How eloquent you are! To portray a massacre as artistic creation constitutes a cognitive error!"

"Then how can you explain that you never stopped learning, reading newspapers, and reading books after you went to prison? You are very clear about this, and you are constantly improving, right? You enjoy this kind of toying thrill, don't you?"

Titus looked at him coldly.

"I know what you're trying to say: one offense cannot be repeated, right? The same crime cannot be prosecuted again, you understand that, don't you?"

Hannibal then changed the subject:

"When did the FBI produce such a reckless brat like you?"

"You have the genes of a born warrior flowing through your veins. What are you after?"

Titus realized this was a good opportunity; Hannibal was willing to change the subject and did not choose to remain silent, which was a form of tacit submission.

Titus replied:

"You want to know? The principle of equivalent exchange, which is what I advocate."

Titus made a clever move, remembering that Hannibal himself in the movies of his previous life was very enthusiastic about the "principle of equivalent exchange".

As expected, Hannibal laughed when he heard the word, his lips twitching slightly to reveal his menacing white teeth. Considering his deeds, it was undeniably chilling.

Hannibal acquiesced, so Titus continued:

"What I strive for is strength; I want to become stronger."

What Titus really wanted to say was: I want to become the strongest, the god among men. This was indeed what he wanted, but he was too embarrassed to say it out loud. He only gave a vague concept of "strong".

Did you say 'strong' instead of 'power'?

Hannibal keenly observed that Titus used the word 'strong' to express power, which mostly referred to physical strength.

Titus nodded. He had no interest in climbing to the top of the FBI; he preferred to serve the Empire.

"Of course, I wouldn't mind having more power either."

"I understand. So what is it that makes you want to become stronger?"

"The principle of equivalent exchange, Dr. Lecter!"

"I think I've answered your question. It's your turn."

Hannibal hesitated for a moment, then replied:

"Go find Miss Hester Mofet; she was one of my former patients."

Titus understood that this was a word puzzle, which Hester Mofet could rearrange into the phrase "the rest of me," which refers to a warehouse of "youself," because the rest of me is stored in your own "youself," a Zen saying.

(In the original novel, Hannibal's clue is: "Go find Raspel's Valentine's Day gift." However, the film's word puzzle is more metaphorical, so the film version was chosen.)

Titus swore that he would never have guessed the damned riddle if he hadn't opened it.

At the same time, the sacred subtitles reappeared:

[Mission complete, reward issued. Please go to the secluded location to collect your reward.]

[Lieutenant, this trial has been a resounding success. Based on information from the heretics, you have obtained leads on the escaped Chaos Space Marines. Offer your loyalty to the Emperor once more!]

Mission: Hunt down Chaos Space Marine "Buffalo Bill"

[Reward: The fifth minor surgery – the Burareman organ, which produces Burareman cells that allow wounds to scab and heal within seconds, effectively preventing massive blood loss and wound infection. With it, you'll be as tough as an unkillable cockroach!]

After Titus and his companion left the "dungeon," the trial concluded. Lecter Hannibal, facing the empty darkness, whispered:

"Go find yourself."

"Lost little lambs~"