At first, Zhang Chenyan didn't understand what 0810 meant by "you might soon go crazy" until he followed her back to the digital world. He then realized just how surreal the situation was.
His duplicate body, rather than being discarded after those researchers' experiments, had actually undergone self-repair, becoming more human-like.
In other words, his duplicate had evolved, becoming almost on par with 0810.
"Let me introduce you. He's now named Zhang Chenyan No. 2."
0810 was very pleased to act as the intermediary, and Zhang Chenyan could even see a hint of schadenfreude on her face.
"Was there no better name?" Zhang Chenyan felt confused. "He looks exactly like me… even his voice, behavior, and mannerisms are the same. And now he's named Zhang Chenyan No. 2?"
"Don't you think it's a good naming convention?" 0810 replied seriously. "Everyone knows he's your duplicate at a glance. You are No. 1, so naturally, you rank higher."
Zhang Chenyan wanted to ask: "Would you like this kind of luck?"
Looking at 0810, he understood that from an AI's perspective, this indeed was a logical naming method. But the problem was, he was human!
"Is there a way to get rid of this guy?" Zhang Chenyan whispered, still unable to accept the situation.
0810 looked past Zhang Chenyan, her tone calm: "I think you should check your surroundings before speaking."
"What do you mean?" Zhang Chenyan followed 0810's gaze and turned around, only to come face to face with his duplicate, Zhang Chenyan No. 2.
What's it like to badmouth someone only to have them hear and see it? And the badmouthing involved wanting to kill the person.
How to resolve this situation? Asking for advice online, very urgent.
In the end, Zhang Chenyan decided to go on the offensive: "Why don't you make any noise when you walk?"
Even in the digital world, movement would produce simulated sounds, but this duplicate seemed to have some special settings to avoid making any noise while moving.
Perhaps this was one of the measures to avoid detection.
"Can you not accept me?"
The duplicate directly approached Zhang Chenyan and asked, his expression so pitiful that Zhang Chenyan felt as if he had bullied him.
"Actually, we can coexist peacefully. I have no ill intentions towards you." To prove this, the duplicate emphasized, "I've cooperated fully with all your inspections."
The other's sincere expression almost seemed to shout, "I'm a good person!"
"I'll follow your orders, but I hope you can give me a chance to live."
Faced with such a plea, Zhang Chenyan exchanged glances with 0810: Why does his duplicate seem so manipulative?
"He has indeed been very cooperative and performed well. We managed to complete the checks ahead of schedule thanks to his help," 0810 whispered to Zhang Chenyan. "The Alliance has decided to keep him, partly because of his excellent performance and partly to use him for further research to see if there's any connection between these duplicates."
Now, Zhang Chenyan was completely speechless. So, he was merely being informed?
"Can I call you brother?" In showing goodwill and expressing obedience, Zhang Chenyan No. 2 left no stone unturned.
Zhang Chenyan was at a loss for words. How could he respond to this? "Brother" was a bit too intimate, yet not overly so, a bit odd, but he couldn't pinpoint why.
Seeing Zhang Chenyan remain silent for a long time, 0810 discreetly nudged him, as the silence was indeed awkward.
"Alright." Those two words were Zhang Chenyan's last bit of resistance.
Because he couldn't think of another name. If not "brother," should he call him "father?" Theoretically, there shouldn't be genetic inheritance between him and his duplicate.
"Then I'll follow you, brother," Zhang Chenyan No. 2 immediately said.
What did it mean to push your luck? This was it!
Zhang Chenyan hadn't expected to be saddled with this so soon. He looked at 0810 for help.
This time, 0810 was very considerate: "Following him won't be of much use. His job involves sitting and drawing, attending meetings, and making plans, with many things being confidential and unsuitable for you to see. If you have nowhere to go, follow me. I'll show you how to maintain city security and teach you what to do and what not to do, and the consequences of doing the wrong things."
After 0810's speech, Zhang Chenyan felt like crying with gratitude. He had never realized before how cool 0810 could be!
Her words were so assertive and stylish!
Moreover, Zhang Chenyan was sure that 0810 wasn't into manipulative behaviors.
Having an ally felt amazing. He was really afraid everyone would be swayed by the duplicate's sweet talk.
"Subsequent matters will be handled by the security department. You can return to your post for now," 0810 said to Zhang Chenyan.
Then, 0810 turned to Zhang Chenyan No. 2: "I'm starting work now. Follow me."
Reluctantly, Zhang Chenyan No. 2 was led away by 0810 towards City R, while Zhang Chenyan returned to his office.
As soon as he got back, his colleagues surrounded him.
"Is it true you got yourself a duplicate?"
"What? Did you custom-order a duplicate?"
"Is it the kind that can work for you? What's the price range for such a duplicate?"
"Is it safe? How about its security? How can I order one? Share the link!"
"Why didn't you bring the duplicate to work? Then you wouldn't have to come to the office yourself."
"How do we know you're not the duplicate? Or how do we know you are the real Zhang Chenyan?"
"Good point! Is there a way to test it?"
…
Faced with his colleagues' sudden enthusiasm, Zhang Chenyan felt overwhelmed. He helplessly explained, "I am the real Zhang Chenyan. The duplicate, Zhang Chenyan No. 2, is currently patrolling City R with 0810. And the duplicate wasn't custom-made; it's a glitch being fixed. He's not dangerous for now, but I can't vouch for his safety. There's no purchase link. If you really want one, you can try your luck, but if you end up with a duplicate, remember to report it. You'll likely get a three-day break."
After saying all this, Zhang Chenyan felt out of breath, suddenly understanding how exhausting it was for 0810 to answer his barrage of questions.
Indeed, answering a flood of questions at once could be mind-numbing.
"Where can we try our luck?" one colleague asked cautiously.
Seeing his serious demeanor, Zhang Chenyan knew this guy really intended to get a duplicate to work for him.
"Is work that painful for you? It's a duplicate!" Zhang Chenyan asked curiously. "Don't you feel your uniqueness as a human is being infringed upon?"
"Don't you find work painful? A duplicate to do my job doesn't sound bad," the other retorted. "Uniqueness as a human? What a pretentious statement. For me, as long as it's safe and non-aggressive and can work for me, I have no problem with it."
Zhang Chenyan fell silent. Silence is the Cambridge tonight.
In fact, many people thought this way. Life had worn down their edges. They no longer aspired to be heroes or achieve greatness; they just wanted to live well, preferably in a more comfortable way.
Just as Zhang Chenyan didn't know how to resolve the awkward situation, Alex appeared like a savior. Seeing Alex approach, the colleague reluctantly left to avoid disturbing Zhang Chenyan and Alex's work discussion.
"The development of the brain-computer interface is in its final stages, reaching clinical trials. Would you be interested in experiencing it?" Alex asked Zhang Chenyan.
The brain-computer interface is the most advanced neural navigation experience device. Research in this field had been ongoing fervently for years, with some similar products already developed. However, unverified products couldn't be traded legally; only a few were available on the black market, posing high risks. As an adjudicator, 0810 had once handled a related case.
A victim had bought a so-called brain-computer interface product from the black market at a high price. The seller claimed it would provide a better experience, was portable, and allowed access to the digital world anytime with an implanted chip, eliminating the hassle of a pod. The experience was also said to be more realistic.
Indeed, people always sought realistic experiences in the virtual world. Many virtual world products were evaluated based on their realism.
This wasn't a paradox; it was just that reality had too many unsatisfactory and unattainable aspects, which the virtual world could compensate for. Zhang Chenyan understood but remained neutral.
To him, too much realism in the virtual world posed high risks of addiction. Humans ultimately had to return to reality.
The victim's problem was precisely this. The black market product did offer a more realistic experience initially, fulfilling the victim's expectations. However, later, the brain-computer device became unstable, causing the user to enter the digital world uncontrollably. The realism was so intense that the user often couldn't distinguish between the virtual and real worlds.
When this issue first arose, the victim contacted the seller, who blamed system instability and promised updates. The victim believed the seller, as removing the implanted device was extremely troublesome, choosing to endure and hope for future updates.
Unexpectedly, the situation worsened, with the victim frequently transitioning uncontrollably between the digital and physical worlds, experiencing a chaotic mix of virtual and real. The victim was in immense pain, and by the time he reported the issue to 0810, his mental and physical states were already deteriorating.
After recording the incident, 0810 immediately sent him to the hospital and launched an investigation, apprehending the black market seller. However, the seller claimed to be just an ordinary salesman, unaware of the product's origin or production details.
This case was treated as a major incident. Further investigations found similar sales on the black market, and all products were confiscated. However, the source remained a mystery.
It could have been leaked information from the official brain-computer interface project or an independent designer. Regardless, these products were incomplete and not ready for human use—the technology wasn't mature enough.
After all, the chip had to be implanted in the brain.
The victim encountered by 0810 ultimately couldn't have the black market device removed due to the high surgical risks. The victim and his family chose to forgo the operation.
Such devices weren't as simple as people thought. Implanting was a high-risk procedure, and removal was even riskier.
"Do you need a tester?" Zhang Chenyan asked Alex. "That's unlike you. That thing is still risky. As a cautious person, you should avoid it."
This was a sincere warning from Zhang Chenyan. If not for their close relationship, he wouldn't have meddled.
"Of course, I won't be a guinea pig. Though the offered price and conditions for testers are tempting, I value my life. But I can't stop my father. He signed up immediately without consulting anyone, and we can't persuade him," Alex sighed.
Mentioning Alex's father, Zhang Chenyan understood. He wondered if his mother, Xie Han, would do the same if she knew about this.
"I'll tell you about the victim 0810 encountered so you and your father can take precautions," Zhang Chenyan offered as a friend. "By the way, what's the scale of this trial?"