Chapter 21
Chapter 21
A clear ringing sound interrupts your memories.
You press the button to answer; it’s your landlady calling. “It’s time to pay the rent.”
A young girl’s voice chimes in from beside her. “Big brother! It’s the last of the watermelon season. We saved the sweetest one for you!”
You keep your head down, stroking the vibrant flowers. “Ma’am, I won’t be renewing the lease next month. You can just throw those things away.”
That night, you return to Hengxing.
At the bottom of the termination plan, you sign your name.
Headquarters sends an email inquiring about the situation. You reply with a single sentence: “Survivor No. 26 will enter hibernation. I will personally oversee the calibration. Until safety is guaranteed, the Hengxing Project is suspended indefinitely.”
You send a text message to Yang Yihe: “Is there anything you want to say to Zhang Wenjie and Yimei?”
She replies almost instantly: “Nothing more. Thank you, Professor Chen.”
She is unexpectedly transparent.
Just as she said, one must always look forward.
“Professor Chen, do we need to send someone to follow Yang Yihe? I’m worried about the project being leaked…”
You decline your assistant’s suggestion.
Yang Yihe was eliminated within the Illusion Realm, and her account has been deleted. In the near future, her memories regarding that part of her life will slowly fade away.
A person who wholeheartedly yearns for reality will not be a threat.
Someone knocks on the door. “Professor, everything is ready.”
You nod and walk toward the door.
Before you enter the hibernation pod, your assistant calls out to you. Seeing you look back at her, she says, “Professor Chen, AI can never replace reality.”
You stare at her, watching her seriously for a long moment, before saying, “I know.”
“You’ll come back, right? Headquarters won’t give up on this project.”
You remain noncommittal, merely offering a smile as you step into the hibernation pod.
Darkness sweeps over you.
[Ding-Welcome to the Moon Party. Login ID: Survivor No. 26.]
[Your data has been uploaded.]
[Duration: Permanent.]
[Closing external transmission channels…]
[Ding-System has been permanently locked.]
[Retrieving friends…]
[Found 3 friends. Teleportation mode will activate in 3 seconds.]
[Dear Survivor: We wish you a happy life.]
(The End)