Three hours later, in front of First Research Hospital, S City.
As Yang Tian stepped out of the car, he stood still for a moment, reaching for his phone to contact Shen Xue—only to spot a familiar figure walking over from the parking lot.
Shen Xue wore a beige trench coat, her hair tied back in a simple ponytail. Even without makeup, her natural elegance and clarity of presence were undeniable.
"I thought you wouldn't get here so quickly," Yang Tian said with a helpless smile.
Inside the archive chamber.
As Bai Ningbing inserted his access card, the metal control console let out a soft beep and lit up with alternating bands of blue and white light. His fingers danced over the mechanical keyboard, lines of complex commands rolling across the screen.
With a brief moment of system verification, the main monitor suddenly flared to life.
Rows upon rows of document names flooded the screen like a tidal wave, each file labeled with a unique code and a human name—like a long-buried graveyard of memories.
Shen Xue gasped, covering her mouth in shock.
"These... all experimental files?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"It's the full database of Project M," Bai Ningbing nodded, his expression conflicted.
Yang Tian's eyes were sharp as blades, staring at the screen filled with both familiar and unfamiliar names.
Each document had a status: some marked as "inactive," others "active," and a rare few tagged as "in evolution."
He frowned deeply. "Bai Ningbing, can you explain what these names mean?"
Bai Ningbing lowered his head, hesitated, and then replied, "These people... they were participants in Project M—or more accurately, test subjects."
Shen Xue's eyes widened. "You mean... apart from Ji Xiaolan, there were others?"
"Yes," Bai Ningbing confirmed. "The total number of test subjects is unknown, but based on fragments of data I have, at least ten active ones exist within Longguo. Most of the failures disconnected from the system early on."
"Disconnected?" Yang Tian scoffed, anger flickering in his eyes. "What's their current condition?"
Bai Ningbing sighed. "They didn't die, but most experienced mental breakdowns—dementia, hallucinations, cognitive dissonance. Some can no longer distinguish reality from simulation."
Shen Xue shuddered. "That's... no different from being dead."
Bai Ningbing's expression grew grim. "The official explanation was 'acute neurological fatigue.' They're placed in special rehabilitation centers. Yes, the institute handles their care... but—"
"But they've been abandoned, haven't they?" Yang Tian interrupted coldly.
Bai Ningbing did not deny it. His eyes dimmed.
"Ji Xiaolan is the only subject with a successful deep-system binding," he continued. "His consciousness was optimized by the system, granting him emotional regulation privileges and multi-personality simulation—to manipulate emotional relationships and build psychological dependencies. Even... control the heroine."
"You mean—Liu Ruyan?"
Bai Ningbing nodded.
The air froze.
Yang Tian's fists clenched, knuckles pale. Shen Xue bit her lip, trembling slightly.
"He's still evolving?" Yang Tian asked.
Bai Ningbing pulled up a red document interface. In the center of the screen appeared:
File ID: M-010Name: Ji XiaolanStatus: Evolving (Irregular Fluctuations)Emotional Corruption Index: 89%Rational Control Index: 41%System Interaction Frequency: IrregularSystem Compatibility: 97% (High Risk)
"He's starting to break free from main system scheduling," Bai Ningbing explained. "Some modules are undergoing self-evolution. In other words, he's merging with the system—becoming a hybrid of virtual and real consciousness."
Shen Xue gasped. "Then... he can't return to being normal?"
"Or perhaps," Yang Tian said icily, "he no longer wants to return."
Other names appeared on the screen. One stood out:
M-006 – Liang Zhiruo (Terminated)
Shen Xue pointed at the name. "Liang Zhiruo—wasn't she at our school?"
Bai Ningbing's face darkened. "Yes. Her trial period was short. Two months in, she developed severe personality disorders and jumped off a building during a hallucinatory episode. She's now in Ward 2 of the Northwestern Research Base."
Just then, the screen flashed with a red warning box:
ALERT: External Access Attempt Detected — Tracing IP...
Bai Ningbing's face changed. He quickly severed the terminal's link.
"Someone's trying to breach the terminal!" he hissed.
"Who?" Yang Tian's face turned grim.
"It's traceable. Somewhere in S City," Bai Ningbing replied, cold sweat forming. "It means someone knows we're looking into Project M."
"The system has defense capabilities?" Shen Xue asked, shocked.
"More likely... Ji Xiaolan himself is using the system to listen in," Bai Ningbing said, gritting his teeth. "If he realizes we're making a move, he might eliminate Liu Ruyan—or someone else—first."
Yang Tian's eyes flashed with frost.
"Back up all the core data," he ordered. "I want a copy tonight."
He turned to Shen Xue. "We're leaving."
"Where to?" she asked instinctively.
"To see Ruyan," Yang Tian said firmly. "I need to confirm she's still safe."
At the hospital entrance.
Shen Xue teased, "What? Hoping I'd show up late so you could enjoy some peace and quiet?"
Yang Tian rolled his eyes. "Can't I even take a moment to relax?"
She laughed lightly. "We just finished our college entrance exams, and I thought we could finally rest. Guess not—we're still playing detective."
As they walked into the hospital lobby, Yang Tian instinctively reached for Shen Xue's arm, pulling her protectively to his side. Shen Xue paused, cheeks instantly flushing red.
He didn't notice, continuing toward the front desk.
"Hello, are you here for an appointment or visiting a patient?" the nurse asked politely, eyeing the pair.
Yang Tian handed over his business card calmly. "Yang Tian, Yang Group."
The nurse's professional smile faltered, and her hand trembled slightly.
At that moment, several administrative staff emerged. Among them, a young man in a white coat and glasses stepped forward.
As soon as he saw Yang Tian's face, he froze, then broke into a surprised smile.
"President Yang? Are you here for an inspection?"
Yang Tian narrowed his eyes. "You are...?"
The man removed his mask, revealing a familiar face. Before Yang Tian could recall the name, Shen Xue spoke up.
"Bai Ningbing? You work here now?"
He smiled awkwardly. "Miss Shen, long time no see."
"I thought you were in the Yang Group's R&D department?" she asked suspiciously.
"Uh… things are a bit more relaxed here. Company's decision," he said, clearly uneasy.
Yang Tian sensed something was off.
Shen Xue pressed, "Do you know what Project M is?"
At the mention of that name, Bai Ningbing's expression shifted dramatically.
"How do you know about that?"
"My mother's files," Yang Tian replied coolly. "The full archives are said to be in the B1 underground records room here."
Bai Ningbing gritted his teeth and glanced around. "President Yang, Miss Shen—this isn't the place. Follow me."
The elevator descended to Sublevel B3.
This level wasn't open to regular staff. Bai Ningbing swiped a silver keycard, and a thick steel door slowly opened.
The lighting was dim, the air thick with damp rust.
Shen Xue looked around. "This doesn't look like a normal archive."
"This was once the auxiliary data center of the old R&D division," Bai Ningbing whispered. "Project M started here."
"I want to know everything," Yang Tian said.
Bai Ningbing paused, then spoke bluntly:
"Project M—originally Mindroot—was an early AI-assisted emotional simulation project funded by Yang Group. The goal was to simulate and influence human emotional responses. But the partner company altered it for 'consciousness implantation.'"
"They created emotional data capture systems and used them to build simulated romantic game interfaces. The chosen host—Ji Xiaolan."
"The system pushed him to form emotional bonds with multiple girls to modify behavior and judgment, ultimately reconstructing their psychological profiles in real life."
Yang Tian: "So it was more than an experiment—it was real-world manipulation?"
Bai Ningbing nodded bitterly. "It started as tech play. But once power and capital got involved, it became a control mechanism."
"And you, President Yang—were part of the plan too. Your mother hid your identity as a bound subject, making you the variable."
"And me... I was left behind as the 'Cleaner.'"
Yang Tian's eyes sharpened. "Cleaner?"
Bai Ningbing looked conflicted.
"Your mother foresaw Project M losing control. She left me behind as insurance. If things went wrong, I was to help you shut it down..."
"But I was afraid."
He lowered his head. "Ji Xiaolan's system—it's no longer under server control."
Shen Xue frowned. "You mean... the system has its own consciousness?"
Bai Ningbing nodded solemnly. "It has evolved."
A heavy silence fell.
Yang Tian finally said, "I want a full backup of this archive. Now."
Without further hesitation, Bai Ningbing turned to the console and inserted his keycard.
As the data began to load, Yang Tian's eyes darkened.
"Starting today," he said, voice like steel, "we settle accounts."