Xie Han sighed deeply. "Actually, when I was young, trains were already obsolete. Technology back then was developing at an unprecedented pace, and compared to trains, people chose more efficient and faster means of transportation. Of course, faster also meant higher energy consumption. So, when resources became scarce, humans reverted to this old-fashioned mode of transportation and modified it to be more energy-efficient."
Xie Han had never mentioned these things to Zhang Chenyin before. Perhaps she felt it wasn't necessary. Human history changes so rapidly that major events alone are enough for Zhang Chenyin and his generation to study for years, let alone these details.
Xie Han walked quietly along the train tracks, lost in thought, but her expression was one of happiness.
Seeing this, Zhang Chenyin couldn't help but appreciate 0810's excellent suggestion.
As he watched his mother in deep thought, he didn't disturb her but discreetly went to buy train tickets.
The train wasn't actually going anywhere; it was just a ride. Hence, the ticket price was relatively low, about the same as a cup of coffee in the digital world.
When Zhang Chenyin led Xie Han onto the train, she seemed a bit nervous. As the train started, she seemed to regain a sense of familiarity.
"He took me on a train ride once, for a trip. It was during his hard-earned vacation. I wanted to suggest a faster means of transport, but he insisted on taking the train to enjoy the scenery. At the time, I didn't quite understand his insistence and agreed out of laziness to argue. We took a long train ride and saw a lot of scenery. Looking back, I'm grateful for his decision. It was the right choice."
Zhang Chenyin knew she was referring to his father. Hearing his parents' past stories felt strange and fascinating.
Being able to see many beautiful sceneries with a loved one is indeed something to be grateful for.
The train, being just an amusement ride, soon arrived at its destination. Helping Xie Han off the train, Zhang Chenyin asked, "Have you ever been to a place called Kanbula?"
Xie Han looked puzzled, seemingly not hearing clearly.
Finding the name odd, Zhang Chenyin didn't repeat it. Instead, he showed her pictures of Kanbula on his device. "Would you like to visit this place? The scenery looks amazing."
Seeing the pictures and the label "China, Qinghai," Xie Han's expression turned to one of delight.
"Can we really go there?" she asked.
Zhang Chenyin nodded, having checked the location. It wasn't too far, and using the city's teleportation tools, it would take less than a minute.
"Of course," he confirmed.
"That's the place we went to by train. The journey was tough. We switched to other means of transport after the train, and it took a long time. But the scenery was beautiful, making the long journey worthwhile," Xie Han reminisced with a smile.
Hearing this, Zhang Chenyin felt grateful to 0810 again.
"Do we have enough time to visit today?" Xie Han asked, uncertain.
"Absolutely," Zhang Chenyin reassured. "The teleportation might be a bit uncomfortable, though."
"No problem, I can handle a bit of discomfort," Xie Han said, clearly eager to visit.
Zhang Chenyin input the commands, and they were soon teleported to Kanbula.
Xie Han recovered quickly from the brief dizziness. "Just a moment of dizziness, not too bad," she commented.
"Technology has improved a lot, making the experience much better," Zhang Chenyin smiled, leading Xie Han to the ticket office.
Perhaps due to the lack of visitors, the AI robots at the ticket office seemed sluggish and outdated.
After buying tickets, they entered the scenic area, and within a few steps, Zhang Chenyin was deeply impressed by the majestic mountains, the vigorous trees, and the vast sky—a spectacular, grand, and somewhat desolate beauty.
"I like this place," Zhang Chenyin exclaimed.
Xie Han smiled. "I felt the same when I first saw it. I love this place; it feels like home."
"Was the old world really this beautiful?" Zhang Chenyin asked.
Due to his work, Zhang Chenyin was mostly exposed to cutting-edge technology, creative innovations, and artificial products.
People's appreciation for natural landscapes had diminished. His colleagues often said, "What's the point of looking at those things? Flowers and trees don't talk. If you want, you can have beautiful AIs dance or sing for you, bringing whatever you imagine to life."
Zhang Chenyin had once thought the same, but at this moment, he completely disagreed—only by seeing true beauty can one design things that approach real beauty.
"Can I come here often?" Xie Han asked.
In all these years, she had rarely expressed such interest or made any requests.
So, Zhang Chenyin readily agreed, adding, "But I don't want you to come here to feel sad."
"What's there to be sad about? Your father has been gone for so many years. I've moved past that. Besides, I have you. I just like this place."
"Alright, once I set up the pod at home and teach you how to use it, you can come here anytime you're bored," Zhang Chenyin replied.
Xie Han smiled. "Do you think I get bored that easily? Don't forget, I still have a job."
"Right, I almost forgot you have a job," Zhang Chenyin laughed.
Xie Han's job was unique. While most people's jobs involved both the physical and digital worlds, hers was solely in the physical world. Apart from weekly meetings, she mostly worked from home for a short period.
Her job was to compile human history, something Zhang Chenyin never quite understood the importance of.
They spent the rest of the day taking a boat ride and a bus tour through the mountains. They saw many beautiful sights, and Xie Han shared many memories.
After leaving the scenic area, they even enjoyed some local snacks.
Though the digital world's food didn't provide actual nourishment, seeing Xie Han's joy made the expenses worth it.
"Time seems to fly here," Xie Han remarked.
This wasn't just a literary sentiment but a common feeling in the digital world. Though the time flow matched the physical world, people often felt more efficient in the digital world, making time seem to pass faster.
"By the way, when are we going to that city you wanted to show me? It shouldn't take long from here, right?" With her first experience of teleportation, Xie Han seemed more familiar and trusting of the process.
City R had always been the place Zhang Chenyin wanted to show Xie Han. He had been hesitant, but hearing her bring it up, he gladly agreed.
Just as they were about to leave, Xie Han suddenly grabbed Zhang Chenyin. "Are those two people twins or performing a mirror act? Something feels off…"
It wasn't surprising she was shocked. Zhang Chenyin also froze when he looked over.
Avatar designs couldn't possibly be entirely unique for millions of users. Many chose the same templates due to cost, and companies provided uniform templates for lower-tier employees.
However, those two not only had identical avatars but also mirrored each other's every move, as if looking in a mirror.
Intentional mimicry was easy, but perfect synchronization was not.
In the digital world, everyone's ID was displayed, though many chose to partially conceal it for privacy unless required for work. Those two had completely hidden their IDs, raising Zhang Chenyin's suspicion.
He approached them, showing his credentials and requesting their IDs.
They immediately became defensive, refusing Zhang Chenyin's request and mocking, "You're not the arbiter of this city. You have no right to demand our IDs."
Expecting this, Zhang Chenyin calmly said, "Then I can call the arbiter responsible for City A to investigate."
Due to his job, Zhang Chenyin was well-acquainted with arbiters of all lettered cities. Working in the digital world didn't involve travel time like in the physical world.
Summoning the City A arbiter would take only minutes.
Seeing Zhang Chenyin ready to report, they chose to log out immediately, disappearing from his view.
Something abnormal was definitely going on. Zhang Chenyin immediately informed the City A arbiter and 0810, requesting an investigation and ID tracking.
Xie Han, realizing the urgency, offered to go home and wait for another visit to City R when Zhang Chenyin was free.
Feeling guilty for their disrupted first visit to the digital world, Zhang Chenyin nonetheless prioritized the urgent matter and sent Xie Han back.
When he returned, 0810 and the City A arbiter, Kroll, were already there.
"I investigated and found only one ID here. Are you sure you saw two people?" Kroll asked.
Clearly, he wasn't aware of the duplicate ID issue.
"I'm sure," Zhang Chenyin affirmed.
"What's going on?" Kroll's expression turned serious. "What strange experiments are you up to in City R? That place always spawns eccentric 'scientists' with bizarre ideas."
City R's reputation among the lettered city arbiters was notorious.
Hearing this, Zhang Chenyin didn't bother to argue.
Then, exchanging a look with 0810, they decided she would explain the situation to Kroll.
"Duplicate IDs? Are you crazy? Do you know the implications?" Kroll was furious.
"I've said it countless times, it wasn't me! Stop blaming everything on City R! Even though it's a creative hub, all research and creations there are within legal bounds," Zhang Chenyin retorted.
"Let me clarify. Since this issue has appeared in City A, we can't be certain City R is the source. It might have spread from City A," 0810 added.
Kroll was livid. "Two against one, bullying me?"
"We're just stating the facts," Zhang Chenyin said.
After calming down, Kroll asked, "How do we handle this? Continue investigating privately? What if it spreads to more cities?"
Faced with Kroll's questions, Zhang Chenyin and 0810 were also troubled.
Finally, 0810 looked at Zhang Chenyin and solemnly said, "As an arbiter, I must report this. It's my duty."
Zhang Chenyin understood she had made up her mind.
He knew this was the only right course of action, but thinking about the consequences…