Transcription
The first time I felt that this world was strange was when the doctor said that human blood is blue. Only when it comes into contact with air does it gradually react until it turns red. At first, I thought he was joking, until I saw everyone nodding in serious agreement, and even taking notes. I couldn't help but raise my hand and say, "Doctor, haven't you misunderstood something? Blood has always been red, hasn't it?"
From then on, the lecturer, the doctor, and all my colleagues looked at me as if they had seen a monster. The lecturer frowned and opened the textbook, pointing to the words that clearly stated that blood is blue. I was so shocked that my mouth fell open. I quickly took out my phone to search, but found that all the results were exactly the same as what was written in the book. My colleague secretly pulled my arm and asked with concern, "Have you been too tired lately? You've even forgotten these basic things." I didn't know how to answer. Amidst the strange looks from my colleagues, I could only smile awkwardly and say, "I was just joking earlier."
When the training ended, I immediately rushed to the bathroom. Gritting my teeth, I took a brooch from my fingertip. Bright red blood gushed out. I let out a sigh of relief. My memory wasn't faulty. Even though I didn't know why, they must have conspired to play a big prank on me. As I was about to walk out, I heard two colleagues talking outside, "Today, Zhang, you're really funny. How could you say that blood is red?" "Yeah, it's perfect. My gums are bleeding. I really want to call them over to see." I peeked through the door and saw my colleagues grinning at the mirror and wiping bloodstains from their mouths with tissue. The blue blood was slowly turning red. This was probably the first time I had seen blue blood in a real person. I was so shocked that I covered my mouth with my hand instinctively, not daring to make a sound. They weren't wrong, and I wasn't wrong. So, what was wrong?
After they had been gone for a long time, I was sure no one was in the bathroom, so I dared to sneak out. As I walked through the company, I looked at everything familiar, but it all seemed strange and made my skin crawl. Because I was beginning to realize that I was not like them. I had probably become a monster.
Not long after, Manager Wang, my department head, called me into his office. "I heard you haven't been resting enough lately? Are you too stressed?" I knew what he meant, but I didn't dare to admit it to him. Because in my subconscious, I always felt that being an outsider was not a good thing. So, I could only make excuses again, pretending to say, "It was just a joke. I didn't expect everyone to take it so seriously." Fortunately, Manager Wang didn't suspect anything, just laughed along and told me to get plenty of rest.
That night, I closed the doors and windows tightly, drew the curtains, and went to bed early. I just hoped that all of this was just a dream, just my own delusion. I hoped that when I woke up, everything would go back to the way I remembered it. But I lay awake until 3:00 AM. I became even more convinced that there was nothing wrong with me. So, what exactly happened? I got out of bed and turned on the computer, trying to search for information about blood again. The results were no different from the daytime. No, not only were they not different, but I also discovered something even more shocking.
A major landmark in Beijing's Chaoyang district was completed in 2008, before the Beijing Olympics. But when I searched for pictures of the Bird's Nest, I found pictures of three strange buildings that I had never seen before, called the Three Main Towers. The Liangma River had become a river flowing through Tiananmen. I slammed the computer screen shut and took a deep breath, gasping for air. This was madness. And at the same time, I was sure that this was not the world I was familiar with. But I didn't make a fuss. Because when I posted a question about this online, two comments came in quickly. "The original poster should go see a doctor." "Original poster, where did you escape from?" The second comment immediately brought me back to my senses. I am not from this world. For me, this might not be just an ordinary surprise. Revealing myself carelessly could bring danger to me. So, I quickly deleted the post and started pretending to blend in.
After that, I tried my best to act like a normal person, while observing everything in this world. Fortunately, apart from some general knowledge that was different from my memory, I haven't encountered any problems that affect my life. This made me feel a little relieved. Perhaps my previous worries were just overthinking. But three days later, the first aid lecturer returned to our company. He handed out exams to everyone, forbidding them to copy answers and asking them to return them immediately, saying it was to evaluate the training. At first, I didn't think much of it, until an older colleague who had worked there for a long time muttered, "I've been trained for so many years, and this is the first time there's been an exam." I flinched. Was he trying to get me? So, I secretly glanced at my colleagues' exams. Cold sweat broke out all over my back. My colleagues' exams were all about first aid, but my first question was, "What color is human blood?" My second question was, "What color is a newborn baby's hair?" I quickly realized that I had been set up. Even though I didn't know what it meant, my intuition told me it was definitely not a good thing. I tried to control my trembling fingers and collected myself, writing down the words "blue" and "white." When I handed in the exam, the lecturer looked at me with a knowing gaze, but said nothing. I didn't know if this counted as passing, but what I did know was that from now on, I had to be more careful with every step.
At noon the next day, my colleagues and I went to eat at a newly opened restaurant near the company. The recent events had made me particularly sensitive to people and my surroundings. So, I quickly noticed the man behind us. The man in the gray jacket, sitting alone. In my memory, I seemed to have seen him on the subway this morning. In front of him was a single dish meal, but he hadn't eaten a single bite, just looking down at his phone. I picked up my phone and used the screen as a mirror to keep an eye on him. In less than a minute, he looked up three times, but each time his eyes flickered towards me. This guy is deliberately following me. I didn't make any sudden movements, pretending not to know anything, and finished eating with my colleagues. In the afternoon, when I returned to the company, I made excuses to go to the convenience store downstairs several times, and as expected, I happened to run into him every time.
When work ended, I stood in front of the office building, hesitating greatly. Should I hail a taxi and hide at home, or should I walk up and ask him directly what he wanted? To say I wasn't scared would be a lie, but deep down, I wanted to know the truth more. So, I decided to do something crazy. I changed my route home, not walking on the same main road, but turning into old alleys near where I used to rent. After passing a three-way intersection, I ducked into a convenience store, ordered a bowl of oden, and sat down to eat by the glass front of the store, as if nothing was wrong. The alley from the convenience store was a dead end. The only person who lived there was my friend. So, if he followed me into that alley, he wouldn't be able to make excuses about following me anymore. But what surprised me was that when I saw the man in the gray jacket walk into that alley, he didn't follow me. I quickly returned home, locked all the doors and windows, and chugged a whole bottle of ice-cold water. After forcing myself to calm down, I wrote down the problems on a piece of paper. 1. This world is not the original world I know. 2. Someone is watching me because I mentioned the abnormalities of this world. 3. These people, including their backers, must be extraordinary. What do they want? I gnawed on the end of my pen, analyzing the problem. They want to make sure I'm from this world, right? No, for them, there's no need to make things so complicated. My blood is red. With their abilities, knowing this is easier than peeling a banana. This reminded me of the lecturer's gaze when he collected the exams. That knowing gaze. I clenched my pen tightly and wrote again: They want to know if I've noticed the abnormalities of this world. Yes, their actions now depend on my reaction. It's a test and observation. If I act normally and accept the situation, they might not interfere too much in my life. But if I show obvious suspicion and resistance, I might be in danger. I took a deep breath and had to think about the next problem. What should I do? In fact, I've been thinking about it for days. Should I accept all of this and continue to live as a normal person in this world, or should I find the source of this strange matter and find a way back to my original world? Tonight, I have an answer in my heart. So, I registered an account on the country's largest Q&A website and asked, "I have a bad memory and often mix up important places. What should I do?" One day later, three comments were added, but none of them were what I wanted. So, I tried to explain further in the question, "I often remember incorrectly where things are. What should I do?" The next morning, I saw a private message notification from the forum on my phone. Someone named "Li" had left me a message. My heart almost stopped. I quickly clicked to view it, but the forum was empty. My post was deleted, and my account was inexplicably banned. I immediately realized that they had seen through my plan. Now, I felt both scared and excited. I didn't know what they would do next, but I knew that I was not alone in this world. After calming down for a few seconds, I decided to go to work as usual, as if nothing had happened.
The path to the subway station had to pass through a small alley. Just as I was about to step into it, someone suddenly bumped into me. He said, "Sorry," and quickly walked away. I was a little surprised because in that split second, I seemed to see a smile at the corner of his mouth. I turned back and continued forward. Suddenly, there was a loud noise from above, and an air conditioner compressor fell and hit the ground right in front of me. The debris that flew up almost grazed the tip of my nose. My mind went blank. Cold sweat ran down my body. My body trembled. This was the first time I had come so close to death. Soon, the police arrived to investigate. They concluded that it was old and dilapidated and had fallen on its own. People around comforted me, "Young man, you survived. You'll only encounter good things from now on." My face was as pale as paper, because I knew in my heart what had saved me. It was because someone had bumped into me. Therefore, I now understood what the smile at the corner of his mouth meant.
When I arrived at the company, I happened to see Manager Wang talking on the phone at the entrance. He saw my pale face, as if I had been frightened, and asked me what was wrong. I tried to force a smile and replied, "I almost had an accident on the way just now, so I'm still a bit shaken." "Are you okay? That's good. Zhang, should I give you a day off? You should get a check-up at the hospital." I smiled and replied, "I'm fine." Manager Wang didn't say anything else, just waved me in to continue working. All day, I could barely sit still. I was sure that after they knew my movements, they would definitely do something. This morning was a warning, and they were also close to me. That night, when I returned home, I found more abnormalities. Someone had entered my house. Although they were careful and put everything back in its original place, because I had lived alone for a long time, I was used to remembering small details accurately, so I could confidently say that the house had been entered. I lay awake in bed all night. As dawn approached, I made a decision. After sending a message to Manager Wang requesting leave, I booked the earliest flight and left home immediately.
In the early morning, when traffic was light, I called a taxi. The driver was a middle-aged man who had been silent the whole way. When the car entered the expressway to the airport, I started to feel tired and sleepy. I leaned against the window, trying to force myself not to fall asleep. How many times did I rest my head against the car window? I woke up with a jolt. This wasn't the way to the airport. Did the driver take the wrong turn? "The GPS told me to come this way. Maybe the road is being repaired, so they changed the route." I replied, "Oh." I glanced at his phone screen. It was completely dark, and the GPS wasn't even on. My heart sank to my stomach, but I had to try to act as normal as possible. I knew that if I told him to stop now, it would be impossible. I had to use my wits. I saw a coffee shop not far ahead, so I told him, "Wait a moment, I'll stop to buy some coffee." But the driver didn't reply, and even stepped on the accelerator. My heart sank. Are they going to play rough with me? The car's speed continued to increase. If this road went a little further, it would lead out of town. Not far ahead was a mountain road. I didn't dare to think any further. My hands gripped the grab handle tightly, my mind quickly searching for a solution. I was about to say where I would fight the driver to the death, but as I made up my mind, there seemed to be an accident ahead. The traffic jam was long, forcing us to slow down. There were even police officers there. So, I decided to ask for help, banging on the glass with all my might, as if I were crazy, and opening the car door to escape without caring about anything. Fortunately, a police officer on a motorcycle saw it, turned on his siren, and ordered the driver to pull over. As soon as the car stopped, I opened the door and rushed out. "I can't speak properly, officer. He's trying to kidnap me. Help me!" The driver remained silent until he was taken away, only glancing at me coldly. I followed the police to the police station. After explaining everything that had happened that morning in detail, the police officer who took the report comforted me, "Young man, you must have been too startled. We've contacted your relatives. They'll be here soon." I felt something was wrong immediately. Relatives? My mother is in another province. The door to the waiting room opened, and two people rushed in with a look of urgency. One was Manager Wang, and the other was Brother Liu from the HR department. "Zhang, are you okay? You scared us." Manager Wang. Brother Liu, you are your emergency contact at our company. Have you forgotten? You filled it out yourself when you first started working. I really don't remember, but I'm sure I didn't put their names as emergency contacts. At that moment, I realized that I had underestimated them. Their background was deeper than I could have imagined. The police advised me to go home. Manager Wang offered to drive me. On the way, he and Brother Liu kept comforting me. As we finally neared home, he tentatively asked, "You don't seem well lately. Have you considered seeing a doctor? I know a very good psychiatrist who might be able to help you quickly." I remembered that this was the second time he had mentioned seeing a doctor. "Dr. Li is very skilled. When the car stopped at the bottom of my building, Manager Wang turned and looked at me with a very sincere gaze. "Sometimes, what we see and believe may not always be true. Perhaps you're just too stressed, causing hallucinations. The doctor will help you distinguish between reality and imagination." His words were clearly veiled. The two accidents were not due to my good luck. Each time, I had narrowly escaped death. This was a warning from them. Would I have a third chance to survive? Facing the concerned gaze of Manager Wang and Brother Liu, after a moment of stunned silence, I nodded. "Okay, I'll try." Manager Wang handed me a business card. Brother Liu said, "Don't worry about taking time off. I'll arrange everything." I thanked them and got out of the car with my suitcase. After the car drove away, I took out the business card and looked at it. Dr. Li Wan, Center for Cognitive and Perceptual Disorders. I knew what this meant. They were giving me a last chance to see a doctor, accept treatment, and admit that it was all just my own hallucination. Only then could I return to being a normal person in this world. So, should I go? I sat at home, seriously analyzing the current situation. This morning's events proved that they not only knew my movements but could also control things I thought were impossible. There was no safe place in this world anymore. So, instead of letting them tear off their masks and deal with me by force, it was better to play along for now. Who knows, there might be a loophole for me to survive. Moreover, I felt that Dr. Li Wan might have the answers I was looking for. With that thought, I dialed the number on the business card and made an appointment with Li Wan for 3:00 PM at the hospital.
She led me into the examination room. Inside, a woman who looked no older than 30 smiled and extended her hand. "Hello, Mr. Zhang. I'm Li Wan." After a [cough], I sat down on a chair that looked like a sofa. The atmosphere was just like on TV. Manager Wang said, "You must have had some worries lately." "Yes, I've encountered a few things recently, so I've been a bit anxious." "Can you tell me a little more?" I briefly recounted the accident and being followed, even adding a few of my own speculations to make it seem like I was genuinely paranoid. "So, you're also experiencing paranoia? Anything else? For example, do you sometimes feel that things around you are not the same as in your memory, or are you so forgetful that you sometimes feel alienated? But then it returns to normal. Mostly, it's the symptoms I've described." I didn't dare to talk about the true abnormalities of this world, fearing that if they knew the truth, they might not even bother to pretend to be nice. "Yes, as I thought." Li Wan looked at me for a few seconds and then closed her notebook. "People these days have a lot of accumulated stress. Sometimes, the brain creates defense mechanisms to protect itself, such as distorting memories or creating non-existent threats to distract us from real-life stress." "So, my strange symptoms are something my brain created on its own?" "It's highly possible. In medicine, we call this cognitive impairment disorder." "And what do I need to do?" "You might need to start with a physical examination, such as a brain scan." "Then we'll finalize a treatment plan." My heart sank. Finally, they revealed their true intentions. It was clear that if I lay down on that scanner, I would be like a chick in their palm, ready to be slaughtered. So, I made an excuse, "I'm just here for a consultation today. I'll go back and prepare myself before returning for serious treatment." "It's okay, Mr. Zhang. Our equipment is very advanced. The examination will be done quickly and won't affect your daily life." The more Li Wan tried to explain, the more she confirmed what I had already thought. She not only forbade me from leaving but also showed signs of annoyance and impatience. Seeing that the atmosphere was not good, I had an idea. "I'd like to walk around and look first." Li Wan seemed relieved and quickly agreed. This would buy me time to explore and prepare more. I got up and followed Li Wan down the corridor. On both sides of the corridor were many examination rooms and offices. At the end of the corridor was a thick steel door with a sign that read "Understanding Room." Li Wan led me inside. It was a spacious hall filled with strange equipment. Some machines looked like those in a hospital, but others were more bizarre, as if they had come out of a sci-fi movie. "This is our main assessment zone." "Is Dr. Li going to start now? Should we sign any documents or contracts first?" "I'd like to consider the cost first. Also, I live alone and feel anxious. I wish my family could be here to keep me company for comfort." "Mr. Zhang, Manager Wang said the entire company will cover all expenses. As for family, I don't think it's necessary. But if you're really scared, I can have Manager Wang and Brother Liu stay with you." She mentioned Brother Liu. I noticed this and my mind seemed to recall something, but I couldn't grasp it immediately. That wasn't the most important thing right now. The most important thing now was to escape. I hid my emotions and nodded to Li Wan. "Okay, let them come. Can I wait for them in the waiting room?" Li Wan thought for a moment and nodded. As I walked out of the "Understanding Room," I kept observing my surroundings. From this corridor, back to Li Wan's examination room, I had to pass a junction leading to the counter. It was a short distance. If I acted first, the chance of escape would be quite high. So, I took a deep breath, took short steps, tensed every muscle, and prepared myself. But just one step before the junction, I saw a nurse from the counter. She was standing at the junction, as if she had been waiting for me for a long time. "Mr. Zhang," she nodded and smiled at me. Next to her stood a burly security guard. When she turned to look at Li Wan, she secretly smirked at the corner of her mouth. That feeling was exactly the same as the person who bumped into me in the alley earlier. Everything was in their hands. This was the signal they were sending me. At the same time, only a thin line remained between us, which was about to be torn. And this thin line was my last chance. Strangely, at this point, I became incredibly calm. In my head, there was only one thought: where should I use this last chance? When I returned to Li Wan's examination room, I pretended to be relaxed and sank into that armchair. Li Wan sat opposite me, and asked with a hint of pride, "Would you like some coffee?" Suddenly, the sound of a car horn echoed from outside the window. I had an idea. This examination room was only on the second floor, not too high. Outside was a main road, and it was in the city center with heavy traffic. So, I told her, "When I came in earlier, I saw a vending machine not far from the counter. I'd like to get a can of Coke." "I'll go buy it for you, Mr. Zhang. You just wait here." Li Wan pinned me to the chair, not giving me a chance to argue, and walked out of the examination room. I pressed my ear against the door, listening to her footsteps fade away, and then immediately locked the door. Then, I rushed to the window. Fortunately, the window could be opened wide. Below the window was a balcony for placing air conditioner compressors. Without hesitation, I quickly jumped onto the balcony. Within reach, there was some kind of pipe. I stepped on the pipe mount and put a little weight on it, and I was able to reach the edge of the first-floor window. Finally, with a light jump, I landed on the ground. I could hardly believe myself that it went so smoothly. I didn't even dare to look back, just ran straight to the roadside. Just then, a taxi drove by. I started to wonder if I had used up all my luck in this life at this moment. But a voice pulled me back to reality in an instant. "Mr. Zhang, it seems your illness is quite severe." I turned around abruptly. Li Wan was smiling and standing not far behind me. As I made a move to run, the taxi in front of me braked sharply. The person who got out of the car was Manager Wang and Brother Liu. "Zhang, doing this really disappoints us." As soon as Manager Wang finished speaking, people suddenly appeared from nowhere. They were all wearing white gowns. There was no miracle. I was quickly restrained and taken back. And the situation became even worse. They revealed their true intentions. I was tied to a bed in the "Understanding Room." A helmet full of wires was placed on my head. My mouth was gagged, and I couldn't scream or move. Li Wan stood beside me, holding a syringe. "Mr. Zhang, don't be afraid. You'll be back to normal soon." I shook my head desperately, but could only make muffled sounds in my throat. Despair consumed my entire body. I'm going to die, I told myself. Suddenly, the scene in front of me went dark in an instant. What happened? I only heard Li Wan curse, followed by her scream. Then, a hand yanked the helmet off my head and pulled away the gag. "Don't say anything. Follow me," a strange voice whispered in my ear. Then, the restraints on my arms and legs were removed. The sound of footsteps echoed outside, sounding chaotic. A hand grabbed me and quickly pulled me along the wall. In my heart, I was extremely excited, not daring to ask anything, just following the person as quickly as possible. In any case, no situation could be worse than this. He threw me a white gown, told me to put it on, and wear a mask, then lower my head. Not long after, the lights in the room turned on again. I saw people dressed similarly to us rushing in. On the floor lay someone in a white gown, unconscious. One of them was Li Wan. When they saw that I had disappeared, they were both shocked and furious, and began searching for me frantically. Just as the steel door was about to close, we quickly squeezed out of the room. The corridor was still chaotic, with people running everywhere. I never thought this clinic would be so crowded. Only then did I realize that Li Wan wasn't afraid of me escaping at all. I glanced at her. I just realized that the person who brought me was a woman. She was wearing a mask, so I couldn't see her face clearly, but I felt strangely familiar. In her hand, she held something that looked like an employee ID. Whenever someone approached, she would show them the card. Someone had escaped, blocking the entrances and exits. Soon, we managed to escape to the parking lot. She rushed into the driver's seat and started the car. After turning the car around, we drove away and disappeared into the traffic on the road. Finally, I let out a big sigh of relief and turned to thank the person next to me. But before I could ask who she was, she took off her mask. I was sure I had seen her at the company. "You're from the technical department. Jiang Weian. I've been watching you for a while." "And what about after this? There's no escape." "We can't destroy this world, so we'll be eliminated by this world." I couldn't accept his words immediately. I had just escaped death, why was there no escape? Jiang Weian drove and explained what he knew. It turned out that he had escaped into this world before me, but how long ago, he couldn't remember. People like us can only exist in this world in two ways: either disappear or be consumed and become like them. "So, what is this world?" "I don't know either. I just know that this world is messed up and incomplete." "What do you mean?" "Have you ever watched The Truman Show? This world seems to exist in the human world, but I can't even get out of this city. I even suspect that there is only one company in this entire world, including the parts we can touch in our daily lives. The rest are just backdrops that can be seen and heard, but never truly accessed." "So, what do you mean by destroying this world?" "It means escaping back to our world." "How do we escape?" "At first, I didn't know. Until I noticed that they were acting strangely towards you. Why do you think they gave you so many chances? Why didn't they just eliminate you directly?" I froze. I had never looked at the problem from this angle before. He continued, "They must be bound by some limitations, so they can't do anything to you. Even this world can't consume you. They are testing you, tricking you. Even if they finally catch you, they can't just eliminate you directly. The most likely scenario is that they will keep you confined in a corner forever, so you can never escape." Jiang Weian finished speaking in one breath and stared at me intently. "You might be a very special individual. There is something they fear in you. You are the key to leading us out." These words enlightened me. No wonder he risked revealing himself at the last minute to help me. At the same time, I was extremely excited. Not only did I find allies, but this was also the first time I saw hope of returning home. We started discussing what the key in me could be. It might be an object, an event, or a place. But I was 89% sure that it had something to do with how I entered this world. So, our direction changed to finding out how I entered this world. As Jiang Weian said, this world cannot consume me, and it seems to be true. My memories are all intact from childhood to adulthood. I remember everything. But his memories are gradually fading. This is a great advantage for me. From the time I clearly remember when the world was still normal, to the time I found out this world was distorted, the period between these two events is the timeframe when I entered this world. I racked my brain, and suddenly thought of something. "Jiang Weian, your company just had a health check-up, right?" Seeing his confused look, I knew I had guessed correctly. "I had my blood drawn last Monday. If I had entered this world then, they would have discovered it from the first second. So, I must have entered this world after last Monday." "The first aid training was held last Thursday. So, the time I entered this world was between last Monday and Thursday." Even Jiang Weian's eyes began to sparkle with excitement. He stared at me intently, waiting for me to recall what happened during that period. But I had both good and bad news. The bad news was that I found myself unable to recall what I did on Tuesday and Wednesday. The good news was that all the abnormalities pointed to the key being hidden in those two days. We sat and pondered for a long time, and decided to risk going back to the company to retrieve something. The work logbook. This was the ultimate absurdity of our company, forcing us to record every small detail of our schedule by the hour. I hated it to death, but who would have thought that it would now become the last straw that saved my life? Of course, we could guess that Manager Wang and the others were waiting for us to fall into their trap at the company. But for the last hope, we had to go all out.
At 1 AM, Jiang Weian and I entered the company silently. Surprisingly, everything went smoother than expected. There were only two security guards in the entire building. We went up the fire escape and easily avoided them. Then, Jiang Weian used his employee ID to bypass the server room and enter. Our work logs had to be submitted to the department every day, and the manager would collect them and send them to HR for filing. So, my logbook, if not in the document room, must be in Manager Wang's office. We went to the document room first. Turning on the flashlight, as soon as we walked in, I saw my work logbook with a cartoon sticker lying peacefully on a pile of blue-covered logbooks. That was my work logbook. Everything was so easy, so smooth that I couldn't believe there wouldn't be any traps waiting for us. But I had no choice. And as expected, when my fingertips touched the logbook, the lights in the room flickered on. "Finally, you're here." Manager Wang, Brother Liu, and two or three other colleagues walked into the room. Their faces were adorned with mocking smiles, and they slowly closed in on me. I clutched the logbook tightly in my hand. I had thought it through. Even if I had to die, I would die knowing the truth. A low growl rumbled in my ear. Before the entire row of filing cabinets could fall on Manager Wang and the others, I was pushed back forcefully, with the car keys thrust into my hand. "Go out the back door. Meet me at the usual place." Jiang Weian said, then lunged forward to intercept Manager Wang and the others who were rushing in. I had no time to hesitate, and rushed out through the back corridor. I heard roars chasing after me. I ran for I don't know how long until I realized I had shaken them off. The lights in the parking lot were on. I walked towards the car, thinking, where was that usual place? Suddenly, a voice stopped me. "Hey!" I turned around. On the other side of the car stood Jiang Weian, panting. "You escaped. Follow me. We don't need a car. It's nearby. I know where the exit is." "How do you know?" "There's a small house behind the company building. It used to be a warehouse, but it was abandoned later. Do you remember?" "Yes, I do. Earlier, I overheard Manager Wang ordering people to guard that place. So, I figured that's the exit." "You're not Jiang Weian, are you? What are you talking about?" He seemed to force a smile and reached out to pull me. "Be careful." I dodved away before he could repeat himself. "You're not Jiang Weian. Who are you? Why are you saying this?" "I didn't know how you escaped at first. But even if you succeeded, you only have two minutes with me. It doesn't make sense." "Second, we went through so much trouble to find the logbook, but now you're not even mentioning it. Because you already know it's empty, right?" I held up the logbook and opened it to show that the pages for last Tuesday and Wednesday were blank. "You're very smart. So, why didn't you think that Jiang Weian deliberately tricked you?" I had thought about this since he suggested going back to the company. I had already thought about it. When we got the logbook so easily and happened to run into Manager Wang, my suspicion reached its peak. But there was one thing I couldn't figure out: why would he go through all the trouble to help me escape, only to trick me back to the company? So, the moment he pushed me away, I cast all my suspicion aside. And while escaping, I opened the logbook and found that those two days were blank. This means I have nothing left to find. If that's the case, why are you so afraid of me? I stared intently at the person in front of me, even walking towards him. Because now I was 100% sure that they had no reason to harm me. So, the moment I knew you weren't Jiang Weian, it became clear. Your world isn't afraid of me at all. The person you're really looking for is Jiang Weian. After I finished speaking, the expression on the person in front of me changed. It was true that everything they did to me was to lure Jiang Weian out. They knew that Jiang Weian would be watching quietly, and that he would risk his life to save me. Unfortunately, even Jiang Weian didn't know this. He was still foolish, thinking I was the savior. "So, what is this world? Why are you looking for Jiang Weian? And who are you? Can you tell me now?" The person in front of me listened to my rant, then fell silent for a long time before finally sighing. "You're very capable, very capable indeed. Now I know why fate chose you. But let this end here. You should leave. This is the best way out for you and for us." He took a key card out of his shirt pocket and handed it to me. "You can call me 037. We didn't intend to harm you. The small house I mentioned earlier was not a lie. Use this card to open the door. They won't do anything to you. You only have 10 minutes left to escape, otherwise, you won't be able to leave this world again." The person named 037 didn't explain anything, but gave me a way out. My eyes flickered. I couldn't help but believe him. I believed he wasn't lying because there was no point in it. But what about Jiang Weian? Would he wait for me? What would happen to him if I left? But would I risk my life for someone I had just met? Risking death like this? Suddenly, my head throbbed as if it would explode. I clutched my head and squatted on the ground for a long time before getting up and extending my hand to 037 with a calm expression. "037 placed the card on my palm. "Very good. I admit that I have always been a coward. I'm just doing what 99% of people in this world would choose." I no longer hesitated, and ran towards the door of the small warehouse with the card. After that, I pushed the door open. A bright white light flashed. I felt my consciousness drift into the void. When I came to, I found myself lying on an examination chair. And the person in front of me was Jiang Weian. At that moment, I finally remembered everything. It turned out I was Zhang Dong, a psychiatrist and the owner of Jiang Weian's clinic. And Jiang Weian was suffering from a mental illness called multiple personality disorder. He had locked himself in a chaotic subconscious world, so that world was incomplete. Everything that could be perceived in that world was the last memory before Jiang Weian's condition worsened and he lost consciousness. To help Jiang Weian recover, there was only one way: to find his main personality and bring him out of there. So, I used a crazy and life-threatening method by sending my own subconscious into it to find Jiang Weian and wake him up. But due to technological limitations, I had to minimize the burden on his subconscious world. So, I could only bring my thoughts and ideas. I had to rely on my own awakening to recall all my memories. Unfortunately, I made a mistake. I never thought that other personalities of Jiang Weian in that world would cooperate to hunt down his main personality. Earlier, 037 said I had 10 minutes left. That probably meant the time left before that world erased Jiang Weian's main personality. Now, I saw my assistant looking at me with tears of joy. "Dr. Zhang, you're finally awake. Do you know how long you've been asleep? We tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't." "It's okay. This was quite an adventure. Maybe I'll write a novel about it someday." The assistant chuckled at my words. He looked at the wires connected to Jiang Weian's body, and his expression saddened. Her vital signs were deteriorating. I simply responded calmly and told the assistant to leave. That night, I stayed to watch over Jiang Weian myself. I knew all of this stemmed from selfish guilt, but she was just my patient. I couldn't risk my own life for her. I don't know how much time passed until dawn. Judging from the vital signs monitor, she wouldn't wake up again. I walked to the window, holding back all my emotions. The first light of morning shone in. I told myself, life must go on, right?