Shen Ge remembered his “experiences” from his previous Dream World journeys very clearly. The last time he looked out through the observation window and met one of those gazes, he felt like he couldn’t breathe, as if a hand was choking his neck. His body went weak, almost collapsing.
Then his consciousness blurred. In a daze, he heard someone open the door, followed by a group in white coats pushing a gurney in, strapping him onto it.
He was then wheeled into a sealed operating room. While his mind was hazy, they asked him some bizarre questions—like having him repeat the process of seeing his father turn into a monster and bite off his mother’s head—or injected him with various drugs and performed all sorts of tests.
This situation lasted for several months. His consciousness remained in a semi-lucid state, every day either locked in a pitch-black ward or wheeled into an operating room for various experiments: blood draws, tissue extraction, injections of different drugs.
But this time, meeting the gazes of those white-coated figures outside the door didn’t trigger terrifying hallucinations, and they didn’t inject him with any drugs.
Was this a deviation in this dream fragment? Or was it because he had been cooperative since entering the hospital, so they didn’t resort to extreme measures?
Shen Ge calmly averted his gaze, pretending to sit dazed on the bed while carefully listening to the conversation outside.
However, they only spoke about trivial matters: “The subject is relatively calm,” “Situation normal,” “Proceed as planned,” etc. They didn’t discuss anything related to the experiments.
The night passed uneventfully. Early the next morning, Shen Ge heard the door open and sat up from the bed. Several fully-masked, “fully-armed” figures in white coats entered, pushing a gurney.
“Shen Ge, we’re taking you for a check-up,” the lead white coat said.
Shen Ge got up from the bed and put on his shoes. “I’m fairly healthy; I can walk myself. No need to trouble you with pushing.”
Shen Ge’s strategy was full compliance. If these white coats wanted, he could even let them lie on the gurney and push it himself.
The two white coats in front exchanged a glance, thinking this child seemed quite different from the “difficult” one described by others. He had been obedient since yesterday.
“Lie down on the gurney,” the white coat said in a commanding tone.
Shen Ge said nothing, obediently lying down on the push-bed. There were restraint straps at the four corners of the bed, but this time the white coats not only didn’t bind him, they didn’t even inject him with a sedative.
Thus, Shen Ge, fully conscious, was wheeled out of the ward, through the corridor, and into an elevator. Strangely, the lights in the corridor and elevator, though energy-saving bulbs, were of normal brightness—not the “dim” or pitch-black, eerie conditions of last time.
Finally, Shen Ge was taken into an operating room. The white coats had him sit on the edge of the bed and began attaching various sensor pads with adhesive tapes all over his body. “You can call me Dr. Chen. I’ll be responsible for your treatment from now on. You’re Shen Ge, right? Ten years old?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve read your statement. You said while your family of three was driving back from the seaside, your father turned into a monster on the way and… ate your mother?”
“Yes.”
“Can you describe the situation in detail?” Dr. Chen asked.
Shen Ge recounted the accident from his “memory” at age ten, describing everything that happened during the journey exactly as he remembered, withholding nothing.
At this point, a shorter white coat behind Dr. Chen whispered to the person beside him, “This kid is only ten, yet he’s acting so calm? Is he one of those born without emotions? Or was he scared stupid by that incident?”
“According to his physical indicators, there don’t seem to be major issues. But a ten-year-old being this calm is indeed strange,” the other person agreed.
Dr. Chen ignored the two behind him, only asking Shen Ge a few more questions about his account, helping him “recall” more details of that accident.
“We suspect your father was infected with some kind of virus that causes mutation. Therefore, we need to extract your blood and skin tissue for testing. We will also inject you with several viral antibodies. If you experience any physical discomfort, report it to us immediately,” Dr. Chen explained.
Shen Ge nodded calmly. “I understand.”
“You’re only ten, quite composed,” Dr. Chen remarked lightly while instructing his assistants to draw Shen Ge’s blood.
“I’ve thought it over these past few days. My dad must have been in some condition back then. Me being worried, scared, and heartbroken won’t change anything. If you can help me find the truth, I’m willing to cooperate with any experiments,” Shen Ge said, lying on the bed letting the white coats draw blood and extract tissue. He occasionally showed a pained expression but had no major reactions.
“Find the truth? And then what?” Dr. Chen asked.
Shen Ge said, “I don’t know. But it’s better than knowing nothing. Maybe I can find who made my dad turn into a monster… and have a chance for revenge.”
“Quite the killer instinct for one so young,” Dr. Chen remarked.
Given Shen Ge’s “cooperation,” Dr. Chen’s testing proceeded smoothly. The “experiments” that had lasted several months last time were completed in just half a month this time.
Whether hoping for Shen Ge’s further cooperation or having other ideas, Dr. Chen even explained some of the less crucial experimental processes and drugs to him.
Dr. Chen was also very straightforward, stating that Shen Ge’s cooperation had saved them a lot of trouble. If he hadn’t cooperated, they would have had only two options:
One, forcibly proceed with the experiments, but drastic emotional fluctuations in a short time can cause hormonal imbalances and even affect the accuracy of the experiments to some degree.
The other, control Shen Ge’s emotions using psychoactive drugs like sedatives. While this would also affect his body to some extent, it would likely be less impactful than him resisting while conscious.
It was then Shen Ge understood the fundamental reason for the significant difference in his last Dream World experience: he had been injected with psychoactive drugs for several months straight.
Another half-month passed. Although Shen Ge wasn’t entirely clear on what experiments Dr. Chen was conducting on him, his cooperation evidently made progress smooth. This was evident from Dr. Chen willingly removing his mask in front of him, revealing his face, and even proactively suggesting Shen Ge move to a different ward.
Dr. Chen appeared to be in his thirties, tall and thin with a lean face, wearing very thick metal-framed glasses—the very image of a “seasoned” professional.
Although usually “kind and gentle,” Dr. Chen held a high position in the hospital. From the personnel Shen Ge had encountered so far, no one dared defy him.
Strangely, Shen Ge had been at Rongshan Psychiatric Hospital for over a month now but hadn’t seen the “Director” or the “Overseer” who left such a deep impression during his last Dream World visit. It seemed that apart from Dr. Chen’s group, others were prohibited from entering his floor.
Dr. Chen suggested more than once that Shen Ge move to a better ward, but Shen Ge consistently declined. The main reason was the “hole” under the bed.
On his first day in this ward, while arranging his shoes, he had checked under the bed and confirmed the hole that “San Zai” had taken him through before existed.
What puzzled Shen Ge was that this “hole” wasn’t some inconspicuous mouse hole; it was large enough for a ten-year-old child to crawl through.
More importantly, besides his room, this “hole” was interconnected, leading to virtually every ward on this floor.
Something this obvious—would the hospital not know about it?
If they knew, would they allow “San Zai” to run around the hospital?
Shen Ge couldn’t figure it out, but he also couldn’t crawl through these holes to actively search for “San Zai,” since he didn’t even know if “San Zai” was on this floor.
Another month passed. One day, while receiving drug treatment on his bed, Shen Ge faintly heard doctors at the door mention something about “experiment entering phase two”…
While puzzled, Dr. Chen approached his bedside holding a syringe about a thumb’s length long. “Shen Ge, we’ve detected something similar to a ‘virus’ in your body, and the ‘virus’ shows signs of mutation. To ensure your safety, we will inject you with the latest developed serum…”
Dr. Chen explained in great detail, but Shen Ge automatically translated “virus” into Primordial Anomaly components or Anomaly Energy, and “serum” was likely the earliest “Anomaly Energy Antibody” recorded in the Haiya Research Institute files.
“Does this mean I was already part of the ‘Freak Project’ at age ten?” Though Shen Ge’s facial expression didn’t change much, he was utterly astonished inside.
He even began to suspect whether the so-called “System” was a product that ultimately emerged from undergoing “experiments” at Rongshan Psychiatric Hospital?
“Understood?” Dr. Chen asked.
Shen Ge nodded. “I understand. Carefully observe whether any physical or mental abnormalities appear, record the changes, and report them.”
“Good.” Dr. Chen nodded and inserted the syringe containing an unknown red liquid into Shen Ge’s arm, injecting it.
After the injection of this bizarre red liquid, Shen Ge immediately felt his consciousness grow hazy, even experiencing weakness and drowsiness.
“Shen Ge, how do you feel?” Dr. Chen asked.
Shen Ge felt his consciousness gradually fading but forced himself to stay awake despite the overwhelming sleepiness. “I’m… very sleepy… very tired. Like I did intense… exercise. Body, sore, weak, no strength…”
As he spoke, Shen Ge’s voice grew fainter until he simply fell asleep.
Shen Ge didn’t know how long he slept. As his consciousness began to recover, the first thing he felt was an emptiness-like weakness, as if his body had been drained. He was so tired he didn’t want to move a finger.
After lying still for a long time, Shen Ge slowly opened his eyes. A desk lamp was lit on the corner desk in the ward. Perhaps it was an illusion, but he felt the lamp’s light flickered a few times.
Then, as Shen Ge shifted his gaze toward the door, through the observation window, he saw horrifying pale faces outside, peering in through the glass, their eyes meeting his.
Thump!
“Found you.”
Seeing this familiar scene and hearing this familiar voice, the exhausted Shen Ge suddenly perked up. This was the familiar taste of the Dream World!
The past few months in the Dream World had been too “normal”; he even had moments struggling to distinguish reality from dream. With this eerie feeling appearing, the familiar Dream World was back!
Upon hearing that strange voice, which seemed to echo right beside his ear, fear shot through Shen Ge’s body like an electric current, making his hair stand on end.
Then, Shen Ge turned his head toward the direction of the sound. At the foot of the bed, crouching, was the child he had been waiting for—”San Zai,” who had finally appeared!
San Zai looked about his age, around ten years old. His upper body was leaning on the bed, lower body kneeling on the floor. His face was deathly pale, wearing a sinister smile as he stared at Shen Ge, as if looking at a delicate toy. This eerie sense of horror instantly made Shen Ge much more alert.
“Who are you?” Shen Ge asked deliberately.
San Zai chuckled eerily. “I forgot my name. They call me Number Three. People who like me call me ‘San Zai.'”
Shen Ge tried asking a few more questions. The answers he received were identical to his memory of conversing with San Zai, once again confirming his hypothesis. It wasn’t that this Dream World fragment was different; rather, some of his choices had caused deviations in the course of events.
But it seemed that no matter how large the “deviation,” the “plot” would eventually return to its original track… Could this be because the Dream World is composed of “fragment endings” from Earth 2, so no matter how Shen Ge altered the process, he couldn’t change the outcome?
Shen Ge couldn’t figure it out, but San Zai’s appearance at least meant he could use the upcoming “plot” to verify many conjectures and search for answers.
“Did you need something from me?” Shen Ge asked.
San Zai crouched by the bed, pointing underneath. “You must be bored here, right? I dug lots of holes. Come on, I’ll take you out to play.”
Shen Ge thought for a moment. “But there are many doctors and nurses guarding outside. Won’t we be discovered if we go out like this?”
San Zai moved the spittoon from the corner to the door, flipped it over, stood on it to peer out the window, and whispered, “At this hour, they’ve all gone to rest. No one pays attention here. Oh, right, you were injected with that liquid, right? After getting that injection, you start seeing weird things. Don’t worry, they’re all fake, no need to be scared. Come on, I’ll take you out to play. Even though there are many guards outside and we can’t escape, nobody really manages this building.”
Shen Ge nodded and followed San Zai through the hole under the bed, crawling through various wards. As they crawled, they eventually emerged from the wards into a dimly lit corridor.
Standing at the ward door, Shen Ge observed carefully the corridor. Apart from the eerily changed lighting, the layout was no different from the corridor he passed through on his way to the operating room over the past months.
“Shh.” San Zai made a silencing gesture, pulling Shen Ge behind a large potted money tree to wait quietly.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Then, the sound of heels tapping on the floor echoed in the corridor. Immediately after, a tall, slender figure walked past the corner up ahead.
