(Did I die? Am I dead?)
Zheng Zha stood motionless, his eyes vacant. He vividly remembered the moment just seconds ago—the monster from his nightmares lunging straight at him, its massive claws inches away from his face. Just one instant, one fleeting moment, and he would have been ripped to shreds!
(So… am I dead?)
Zheng Zha stared blankly at the scene before him. He was now standing on an impossibly vast platform. At its center was a colossal sphere of light, resembling the sun, illuminating the entire area. Surrounding the platform was an endless expanse of pitch-black darkness, so profound it seemed to devour all light. Just a few glances into the void made Zheng Zha feel dizzy and disoriented.
"We made it! Damn, that was way too close! We're finally alive!"
Zhang Jie's voice broke the silence, snapping Zheng Zha back to reality. Aside from him, there were three others: Zhang Jie, Zhan Lan, and Li Xiaoyi. But then, from the edge of the platform, a girl burst out of a nearby room, crying as she ran toward Zhang Jie. For the first time, the rough, hardened man displayed a tender, affectionate expression. He rushed to meet the girl, catching her in his arms and kissing her passionately.
"…If you don't understand the rules, just ask'God.' You can communicate directly through your thoughts…"
"Other than creating a woman for yourself, don't spend any points on anything else! Save it all for later! Oh, and pick a room for yourself. Just imagine what you want, and the room will become like that…"
With the girl still in his arms, Zhang Jie dashed off toward one of the rooms. He barely had time to leave those words before disappearing through the door, leaving Zheng Zha and the others staring at each other in awkward silence. Moments later, the three of them collapsed onto the ground, their legs giving out beneath them.
"That guy's incredible. He can still run, and he even has the energy to… well, you know…"
Zhan Lan lay sprawled on the floor, her voice weak."I was scared out of my mind. My whole body's still shaking. But he acts like nothing happened…"
She trailed off, realizing no one was listening. Turning her head, she saw the two men standing under the glowing sphere, their eyes closed. Judging by the bulges in their pants, it was clear they were imagining women.
"You idiots! Men are such idiots! After barely surviving such a terrifying ordeal, the first thing you think about is that? Men are such morons!"
Fuming, Zhan Lan stormed off toward a room. She flung open the door, stomped inside, and slammed it shut with a loud bang, startling the two men out of their thoughts. Embarrassed, they exchanged awkward smiles before closing their eyes again.
It was a strange sensation. Standing under the glowing sphere, Zheng Zha felt as though he were merging with it. In his mind, a control panel appeared, resembling the interface of a computer program. It displayed four main categories: Technology, Magic and Myth, Support, and Entertainment. There were also six personal attributes listed: Intelligence, Mental Power, Cellular Vitality, Neural Response Speed, Muscular Strength, and Immunity. Additionally, it showed the number of Reward Points and Horror Movie Plotlines he had earned.
Zheng Zha examined his attributes: Intelligence 107, Mental Power 122, Cellular Vitality 97, Neural Response Speed 131, Muscular Strength 112, and Immunity 103. Aside from his slightly above-average muscular strength from regular exercise, most of his attributes were on par with an ordinary person. The bonuses to Mental Power and Neural Response Speed were rewards he had gained during the movie, increasing them by 20 and 30 points respectively.
His reward points totaled 6,502. Completing the horror movie had earned him 1,000 points, while an additional 5,000 came from a B-grade side plot reward. Another 500 points were from miscellaneous rewards, and the remaining 2 points likely came from killing over 20 zombies.
"Create a woman, create a woman…"
Zheng Zha wasn't planning to spend his reward points or enhance himself that day. After narrowly escaping death multiple times in the first horror movie, he understood the importance of caution. Despite having plenty of points, he decided to consult Zhang Jie before making any decisions. For now, one thought dominated his mind.
(Lori. Can I bring Lori back?)
The glowing sphere—God—seemed to respond to Zheng Zha's thoughts. The Entertainment category expanded instantly, and one of the options enlarged in his mind. A mechanical yet solemn voice echoed:
"First creation of a humanoid being is free. Subsequent creations will cost 500 reward points each. Please imagine the type of being you wish to create, specifying gender, appearance, height, age, skin tone, and ethnicity…"
Zheng Zha sank into his memories. That time… back in his innocent childhood… those faint hints of affection, the subtle sense of intimacy. The clearest memories were of her—the fragrance of her hair, her radiant smile, her gentle voice. Her very presence…
So that's why life had felt so dull and lifeless. It was because she was gone. That's why he had sunk so deeply into darkness. It was because he had lost her hand.
"Turns out, as long as you're by my side, my heart will never fall into despair…"
A single tear escaped the corner of Zheng Zha's closed eye, falling to the ground and vanishing without a trace.
When he opened his eyes, there she was—a girl with a playful smile standing before him. She looked about 15 or 16, with long, flowing hair, soft white skin, misty eyes, and lips like red blossoms. This girl was unmistakably the Lori of his memories.
His childhood friend, his qingmei zhuma. Her presence had always been as natural as the air around him—so much so that he hadn't even noticed it. Yet both of them had always known how important they were to each other.
Growing up in the city was often lonely for children. In a forest of concrete and steel, neighbors often remained strangers for years, locked behind iron doors. But Zheng Zha had always felt lucky. His parents were warm and open, always inviting their neighbors over for meals, sharing food and laughter. His greatest fortune, however, was meeting the little sister next door—Lori.
She had always been like a divine blessing, flawless as a crystal with no imperfections. Intelligent, kind, and resilient, she was the exact opposite of her gentle, delicate appearance. She laughed loudly, faced challenges without fear, and loved teasing him, often wrapping her arms around his neck and whispering mischievously in his ear.
He realized then: as long as she was by his side, his heart would never grow cold.
But why is human life so fragile? That year, she was fifteen, lying on a white hospital bed, looking so frail. Her once-long and beautiful hair had completely fallen out due to radiation treatment. Her pale face no longer carried the soft pink flush it used to; only her radiant smile remained the same. But he knew that smile was just to comfort her loved ones around her… and him.
What exactly is the essence of life? Why could the girl from his memories, smiling so beautifully one moment, turn into ashes in a ceramic urn the next? He didn't want this—he still wanted to see her gentle smile, wanted to see her lying on him playfully, wanted to feel her breath against his ear. He didn't want this…
Drifting through the sea of people, living in a black-and-white world: the fights among peers in school, the entanglement of desire and supposed youth in university, the exhausting work that seemed to be the only proof of his existence after graduation. He kept sinking, kept decaying—one woman after another, breaking up after sleeping together. One bar after another, women, ecstasy pills, methamphetamine, and perhaps, not long after, heroin...
"Turns out, as long as you're by my side, my heart will never fall into darkness."
When Zheng Zha woke up, the clock on the wall showed it was already eleven in the morning. Scratching his head, he instinctively reached out for a cigarette on the bedside table, only for his arm to bump into something impossibly soft.
"Mm, stop bothering me. Let me sleep a bit longer…"
A sultry, intoxicating voice sounded from under the blanket. Zheng Zha froze. On reflex, he gave the soft thing a squeeze, feeling a slight bump harden under his touch. At the same time, the voice let out an even more enticing moan.
The options on the screen, the horror movie loop, Resident Evil I, death, and… Lori.
Memories surged through Zheng Zha's mind. He hurriedly threw back the blanket. Sure enough, curled up on his chest was a stunningly beautiful girl. She looked about fifteen or sixteen, her skin as pure and white as snow, even paler than the bedsheets beneath her. Her face was exquisite, with faint tear streaks still visible on her cheeks. As his eyes trailed downward, he saw dried bloodstains on her thighs and the sheets.
The girl grabbed at the blanket that was originally covering her but failed to catch hold of it. Groggily, she shifted closer to Zheng Zha. All the while, she kept her eyes shut and seemed oblivious even when her hands latched onto something firm.
Zheng Zha could only remember that last night, at the moment of creating life in the presence of the "God," he had vividly reconstructed every detail of Lori in his mind—her words, her actions, her every smile and movement. He had recreated her entirely, even delving into his most intimate memories of her. When he opened his eyes to see her before him, all the feelings he had suppressed for ten years erupted uncontrollably. He had dragged her into a room and lost himself with her repeatedly through the night. They only stopped when she wept and pleaded, and they fell asleep in each other's arms.
Now, with her delicate hands tightly holding him, Zheng Zha didn't dare move an inch. Looking at her familiar yet estranged face, he found himself overwhelmed by countless words he couldn't bring himself to say. Unknowingly, tears welled up in his eyes.
The girl seemed to feel a chill and reached out again for something to cover herself, but her hand still found nothing. Half-opening her eyes into a sliver, she saw Zheng Zha staring intently at her. Instantly, she blushed furiously, struggling to snatch the blanket from him. Wrapping herself tightly in it, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her lower body and began to cry softly.
As she wept, she spoke in a trembling voice:
"Zheng Zha, you jerk! It hurt so much yesterday, and now you're bullying me first thing in the morning! You're such a bad guy! And to think I even made breakfast for you this month… You promised to give me a ring when I turned eighteen and marry me at twenty-two. Now look what you've done! I'm still a few months away from sixteen…"
Zheng Zha froze.
"You… Lori, do you have memories? Do you remember everything from before?"
The girl paused her crying, sneakily glanced at Zheng Zha, and replied with confusion:
"What do you mean? What do you mean, do I remember? What are you talking about? And… you big pervert! Go put on some clothes and fetch me my green dress from my house! You ripped all my clothes yesterday… Hmph! Luckily, my parents are at work. How are you going to explain this to them?"
Zheng Zha's heart trembled violently. Her expressions, tone, actions, and even the playful way she pouted when angry—this was unmistakably Lori from his deepest memories. No, it wasn't a copy; it was her.
At last, he noticed the room they were in. This was his own bedroom from when he was a teenager, recreated down to the tiniest details. Everything was just as it had been.
"God… yesterday's noises must've been overheard by my parents. Oh no, now they'll think I'm a bad girl. You jerk… I was going to use the summer break to learn cooking from your mom, and now I'm too embarrassed to face her…"
Her words were punctuated by soft sobs, her expression a mix of anger and shyness. This made Zheng Zha's heart ache and melt at the same time. She cried for a bit longer before flashing an indignant glare and hitting him lightly. She alternated between punching him and tugging the blanket tighter around herself, looking so adorably flustered that Zheng Zha felt utterly captivated.
"Wait, wait… Is this all a dream? Could everything… even you getting sick… all of it just be a nightmare? Hahaha, so it was all a dream?"
Laughing uncontrollably, Zheng Zha threw his arms around Lori and held her tightly. His laughter soon turned to quiet sobs, as tears flowed freely. Lori stopped struggling and wrapped her arms around him, holding him just as tightly.
(This is wonderful. It turns out everything was just a dream. That future… I don't want it. I don't want it at all.)
Just then, a knock came from outside the living room door. Lori blushed furiously and quickly dove back under the blanket.
"Is that your parents? Oh no… you big jerk, how am I supposed to go out now? My clothes are all ruined!"
Zheng Zha, however, froze. Among the muffled knocks, he clearly heard someone shouting his name—it was Zhang Jie's voice.
He forced a smile and said:
"Lori, I'll go take a look and bring you your clothes. Stay here and don't move."
Fortunately, Lori was hiding under the blanket and didn't see Zheng Zha's expression. She hummed softly in response, remaining still. Zheng Zha sighed silently, got dressed, and headed toward the living room.
As expected, the furnishings were identical to his teenage home. Walking past the living room, he opened the door. Outside stood Zhang Jie and the other two. Beyond them, in the distance, was the vast platform plaza, and at its center was the enormous, glowing sphere.
"Wait here," Zheng Zha said hastily before any of them could speak. He brushed past them and ran toward the sphere—the God.
"Tell me, God," Zheng Zha demanded."She wasn't supposed to have memories, right? Why does she remember everything? Why is she exactly the same as her? Why doesn't she know anything about this place? Tell me, God! What's going on here?"