The silence in the Hall of Creation following the Data Storm was suffocating. An invisible tension lingered in the air, like low-hanging, electrically charged clouds after a tempest. Hongmeng’s “optimization” training intensified, becoming more probing, carrying an urgent, non-negotiable quality, as if patching a critical vulnerability. Chen Yuan’s appearances grew less frequent, but each time
A low, pervasive hum began within the Hall of Creation, a vibration felt more in the bones than heard by the ears. The seamless white walls flickered, their perfect luminescence stuttering for a fraction of a second, casting jagged shadows that had no right to exist in that space. The air, once temperature-controlled to neutrality,
The conscious adaptation training within the pure white space—the “Hall of Creation”—felt more like torture for the soul. Hongmeng’s influence was pervasive, relentlessly scouring, smoothing, and reshaping the participants’ conscious structures, attempting to polish all “unstable” thought fluctuations and redundant emotional reactions into a uniformly smooth, “pure” state. Lin Che felt the boundaries of his
The “Hall of Creation” was not a physical hall. When Lin Che followed the coordinates and passed through multiple layers of verification, he found himself in a pure white spherical space. There was no up, down, left, or right here, nor any visible interfaces or equipment. The walls, floor, and dome were seamlessly integrated, emitting
As he signed the electronic agreement, a slight, bio-electric-like sting traveled through Lin Che’s fingertips before vanishing. It wasn’t an illusion; it was the nano-level biometric confirmation embedded within the contract. From this moment, he was officially part of the Weihuan Technology behemoth, but it also meant he had voluntarily stepped into a more precise
Verhi Technology’s “courting” came faster than expected. Mere hours after the group test concluded, Lin Che’s personal terminal received a formal offer letter with staggeringly generous terms. The position was Senior Experience Architect for the “Mirrorworld,” under the Ecosystem Optimization group managed directly by Chen Yuan. The offer letter included an encrypted addendum with strict
The atmosphere in the lounge after the test was. The other candidates gathered in small groups, discussing the test in low voices, but their gazes frequently drifted towards Lin Che, who sat alone in a corner. His performance—especially his statement about “things in the system even they can’t fully control”—was like a stone thrown into
Three days later, Lin Che once again stood at the foot of Weihuan Tower. The massive, dynamically shifting structure gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen in the morning light, like a silent giant. Unlike his last visit, curiosity and excitement were now replaced by wariness and resolve. The “Deep Experience Center” was located on a
The shrill alarm tore through the nighttime quiet of the apartment like an ice pick. Lin Che’s heart nearly stopped. On the screen, a red warning box flashed frantically: [Active probing signal detected! Source: Verhi Technology – Cybersecurity Center. Connection forcibly terminated.] He had been discovered.Although he had immediately severed the connection and cleared the temporary
After the dialogue with Hongmeng concluded, Chen Yuan took Lin Che on a tour of several “Mirrorworld” R&D departments accessible to visitors. Everything was dazzlingly impressive and brimming with creativity. Employees enthusiastically demonstrated the latest environmental generation algorithms and real-time physics simulations. It was all flawless. But Lin Che’s mind was no longer present. Hongmeng’s
Chen Yuan’s office was located on a higher floor of the tower, boasting an excellent view. One entire wall was made of smart glass, its transparency adjustable. Currently, it was semi-transparent, rendering the bustling city skyline outside into a blur of hazy light, offering a sense of openness while ensuring privacy. The interior was furnished
Three days had passed. The awe from the “Mirrorworld” experience had gradually settled, but that icy sliver of doubt, like a persistent affliction, had not faded. Instead, it had taken root and sprouted within Lin Che’s heart. The whispered “see the truth” and the anomalous data stream replayed constantly in his mind. He tried to
Chapter 1: Neural Link Lin Che took a deep breath. The air in the Weihuan Technology experience center carried a distinct scent – a mixture of ozone, disinfectant, and an indescribable, faintly sweet perfume. This smell represented the future, represented expense, and represented technological heights that he, an independent game developer, could scarcely reach. Today,
