In the laboratory, the code on the screen flickered constantly, displaying countless data and symbols. The air was heavy, almost tangible with the cold emitted by the electronic equipment. Two staff members sat at the control panel, their eyes fixed on the screen, their voices low and hushed.
"Should we let them interact?" The young voice carried a hint of hesitation. "Won't this trigger uncontrollable changes?"
"Without interaction, they will just linger in the framework they've been set in," the older voice remained calm. "There have already been subjects who experienced mental breakdowns. Perhaps… deeper interaction will provoke a reaction."
"But this will make the data more chaotic."
The elder remained silent for a moment, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk. "Exactly the chaos we need."
On the screen, Lu Yunfei's name remained clearly visible, the data bouncing without pause. The two watched in silence, seemingly waiting for a sign.
"Let them start talking," the elder finally spoke. "If it fails, we'll see more traces."
The young man nodded silently, no further words spoken.
"Welcome to the system," the man said, pulling a card from his pocket and handing it to Lu Yunfei. "This is your access card. You can use it to enter more spaces. You can go out and explore now." After speaking, he turned and left, the door clicking shut behind him.
Lu Yunfei stood still for a moment, staring at the access card in his hand. It had no symbols, just a string of simple letters and numbers. After hesitating, he walked over to the door and gently slid the card through the sensor.
The door slowly creaked open, and he stepped outside.
The hallway outside was dimmer than the room, the air damp, with only a few dim lights on the walls casting faint glows. There was no sign of anyone else. The empty corridor felt suffocating. Lu Yunfei's unease grew, and he couldn't help but shout, "Is anyone there?"
But the only response was the echo of his own voice in the vast emptiness. A wave of loneliness swept over him, and his mind filled with increasing questions: How did I end up here? Why am I in this place?
He slowly walked toward the end of the hallway, his eyes fixed on the door ahead. Suddenly, an inexplicable feeling of fear surged through him, and he stopped in his tracks. The floor beneath his feet felt unusually hard, and the air seemed thick with tension.
Lu Yunfei took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He knew he had to figure out what was happening and why he was in this unfamiliar place.
Just then, he heard a faint sound, like someone walking distantly. Lu Yunfei spun around, trying to locate the source of the sound, but there was nothing there.
He furrowed his brow, feeling uneasy. Once again, he shouted, "Is anyone there?"
This time, his voice did not echo back as emptily as before. It seemed as though someone was responding.
Lu Yunfei moved to the end of the hallway, the surroundings still shrouded in darkness. The air was stifling, and his footsteps echoed loudly in the empty space, pressing down on his chest.
He muttered to himself, "What is going on here?" As he continued walking, his heartbeat grew faster, filled with doubt and fear.
"Is it you?" Suddenly, a voice broke the silence, low and somewhat anxious.
Lu Yunfei stopped dead in his tracks, focusing on the direction the voice had come from. "Who are you?"
"I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm here," the person continued, urgency in their tone. "Is it you? Lu Yunfei?"
"Who… what's your name?" Lu Yunfei asked, his voice uncertain.
"Li Yecheng," the person replied, a touch of helplessness in their voice. "You're the one who heard me earlier, right?"
"Yes," Lu Yunfei managed to say, his anxiety growing. This name was unfamiliar, yet it felt strangely real and significant at that moment.
"Can you help me get out of here?" Li Yecheng's voice came again, tinged with urgency.
"Where are you?" Lu Yunfei looked around, still unable to find any clue.
"I'm in a room," Li Yecheng explained. "Try knocking on the walls or making some noise. Maybe that will help you find me."
Lu Yunfei nodded, still filled with questions, but instinctively he moved forward. His footsteps grew louder until he finally found the door.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed it open.
Inside the room, Li Yecheng stood in the corner, his expression not one of surprise, but a deep weariness.
"Are you okay?" Lu Yunfei asked, eyeing the man in front of him, who seemed just as confused.
"I'm fine," Li Yecheng replied simply, his voice low. "But this place… it's just unsettling."
Lu Yunfei didn't answer immediately, just nodded slightly. His gaze swept the room—it was empty, oppressive, yet filled with an ominous aura.
"Do you know where this place is?" Lu Yunfei finally couldn't hold back his question.
Li Yecheng shook his head. "I don't know. I should've been injured, but how I ended up here… I have no clue."