Twenty

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Laboratory 8 was an independent, sealed office. No one was inside, and outsiders were strictly forbidden to enter. Usually, the only time anyone went in was during scheduled cleaning. The office was extremely minimalist—one could even call it shabby. There wasn’t a single chair, nor was there a need for a desk lamp since no one worked there. Only a single table stood in the room, bearing a computer—an object of considerable importance. This machine was not just a computer; it housed the consciousness of a person. But very few people knew this secret—Horlen was one of the only ones.

At this moment, the computer screen suddenly lit up. At first, a string of text appeared, then several more, and soon the screen was filled with a jumble of letters, symbols, and characters—lines that seemed to be nothing but gibberish. No one could decipher the meaning, as if it were all random code. The screen kept flickering, lines of text streaming by as though the machine was being remotely controlled—yet it wasn’t. The computer’s automatic program had been activated. It was something like artificial intelligence, but not quite that simple. It was, in fact, controlled by Aiwen’s consciousness—his true self resided within this computer, not in the withered, pitiful body lying on a sickbed.

The text on the screen was actually Aiwen’s personal statement about why he was activating the automatic program; it was simply untranslated code that ordinary people couldn’t read, the information content unrecognizable. If it were translated, the message would be as follows:

I am Aiwen. Today is October 25, 2020, 9:30 a.m. My computer will soon receive an email from Jason. This email will open automatically, and the attachment contains the consciousness catalysis code I developed. At that moment, I will awaken within the dream, entering the stage of consciousness catalysis, no longer trapped by Horlen’s consciousness replacement program. I will also catalyze the awakening of Xian Xiaoya’s true consciousness. She should not be a sacrificial victim for the consciousness replacement; none of us have the right to deprive her of her life. As for her continued entrapment in a pleasant dream, my catalysis program will stimulate her subconscious, using her guilt and conscience to rouse her, preventing her from indulging in illusions any longer.

Only one of us can survive—her or me. Of course, it should be her. Why? My view is different from Horlen’s. I believe that if survival means killing another to save myself, clinging to life in such a way, I could never live with that—my conscience would never be at peace. Therefore, I must stop Horlen’s plan. I must help Xian Xiaoya awaken and face her true self.

There are thirty-five minutes left until the dream ends—enough time for the consciousness catalysis system to enter a critical state. Now, both she and I, still asleep, have begun to receive the catalysis—

All the clues are contained within the pendant—

Suddenly, a hand shook her arm vigorously. Xian Xiaoya, who had fainted to the ground, was abruptly awakened by someone shaking her.

She heard a voice by her ear: “Xiaoya, wake up! It’s me!”

She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. Where was she? Recalling what had just happened, she thought it had all been a nightmare. She was terrified, still reeling as she gradually came to her senses.

Through the haze, Xian Xiaoya saw a stranger’s face. Who was this? The voice was familiar. Was this Xiao Ai? The bandages on her head had been removed, revealing a clear, unblemished face. Xiaoya, in her panic, didn’t think further—she only knew she felt helpless and clung tightly to the person before her.

“Don’t be afraid. Everything here is an illusion,” the woman told her.

Xian Xiaoya looked up at the woman in confusion, unable to understand. Why was everything fake?

“Are you Xiao Ai?” she asked.

Xiao Ai nodded. Carefully, she explained, “I’ve already transferred you from the dream into code space.”

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What dream? What code space? Only now did Xian Xiaoya notice her surroundings and realize she was nowhere near her own home. “Where is this place?”

“We’re inside a dream. Our meeting was a dream from the very beginning.”

Xian Xiaoya fell silent, unable to accept this. She wanted to speak, but was afraid to know the truth.

Xiao Ai said to her, “You have to leave this place. This isn’t real.”

“What isn’t real? My life can’t possibly be fake! You’re lying to me!”

“No, listen to me. You have to live. You can’t stay here—otherwise, we will both die.”

Xian Xiaoya: “What do you mean?”

“Horlen wants to replace your consciousness with mine. When I wake up, I’ll become you, and you’ll become me. I can’t bear to see you turned into me. I don’t want our consciousnesses to be swapped. Do you understand? The only reason I met you is because Horlen chose you from the beginning, planning to give your body to me.”

“I don’t understand a word you’re saying! Do you remember who you are?” Xian Xiaoya asked, alarmed at last.

“My name is Aiwen. I remember everything.” She held out the pendant in her hand. “The letters on this pendant are the initials of my name. It’s a clue I left behind in the dream. I found it because I’d preemptively activated the consciousness catalysis code.”

“The more you talk, the more confused I get. I don’t know what nonsense you’re spouting.”

“It’s Horlen—the person you saw at the clinic. You said you couldn’t make out his face at the time, because he tampered with our dream. That’s why you couldn’t see him. He wanted to link our consciousness banks, so we met in the dream. His purpose was to swap our consciousnesses while we were dreaming.” Aiwen’s explanations were met with near-total rejection by Xian Xiaoya.

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“Nonsense, I don’t believe you…!” She shook her head, unable to accept any of it. “You’re just lying to me…”

Aiwen grew anxious. “I’m not lying, but this place is another code program I created. You’re no longer in the dream—you’re in a world of code now.”

Xian Xiaoya: “I don’t understand a word you’re saying…I just want to go back to my normal life!”

Aiwen: “Normal life? This isn’t it! You have to face the truth!” She fixed her with a steady gaze.

Xian Xiaoya: “I think you’re the one who isn’t real! I treated you so well—why are you trying to ruin my life?” She pushed Aiwen away. “No matter what, I want to go back!”

Aiwen: “Go back? To the dream? Look carefully—” She pointed to a sudden burst of light. “Your real self is over there!” Grabbing Xian Xiaoya, she turned her toward the source of the glow, where a three-dimensional scene unfolded like a projection. It was a memory—Xian Xiaoya’s real memory from her life.

A rapid succession of images appeared before Xian Xiaoya’s eyes…

Time shifted: September 18, 2020.

Near the Financial Center, a restaurant, morning—

A woman in a waitress’s uniform emerged from the kitchen, carrying a plate with the restaurant’s signature breakfast. She walked through the dining area and placed the breakfast in front of an elderly regular customer. Her gaze moved from the meal to his face—he looked exactly like Director Li Dongshi. But clearly, he was not Li Dongshi; he was just a frequent patron, a retired professor, also surnamed Li. The view shifted back to the waitress: before, only her back was visible, but now she lifted her head—and it was Xian Xiaoya.