In his sleep, Lam found himself surrounded by a gray fog. Something seemed to be moving within it. He tried to get closer to see more clearly, but no matter how far he walked, the fog moved with him, always maintaining a certain distance.

Determined, he started running towards the fog, hoping to catch up. After some time, Lam noticed several indistinct gray figures surrounding the fog. Their faces were unclear. Some stood with their hands folded as if praying, while others knelt and bowed, their bodies pressed to the ground.

As the prayers grew clearer, a path suddenly appeared beneath Lam's feet, leading straight through the fog. Though hesitant, curiosity drove him to step onto the path.

When he reached the fog, the murmured prayers became more distinct, almost compelling him to clear the fog. Lam pushed through it with his hand, revealing a massive eye. The eye glowed with a blue light, its red lines becoming more pronounced. The gray figures, still faceless, turned in unison to face Lam, creating an inexplicable fear, akin to staring at oneself in the mirror late at night.

The giant eye also noticed Lam. A hint of ecstasy and excitement appeared in it. Suddenly, ripples formed around the eye, creating a vortex that pulled Lam towards it. Desperately resisting, Lam fell backward, trying to break free from the suction.

The vortex's pull grew stronger, and the gray figures rushed to drag him towards the eye. Unable to resist any longer, Lam was drawn closer. Just as he was about to be sucked into the eye, he shouted and suddenly opened his eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Lam found himself staring at a white ceiling. He was lying in a hospital ward, feeling pain in his feet and shoulders. His ankles were bandaged, but he was otherwise alright. He sighed in relief.

Hearing movement in the ward, Wei entered. "Lam, how are you feeling? The doctor said you twisted your ankle and bruised your shoulder, but nothing serious. What happened? How did you end up like this?"

Lam sighed and spread his hands. "I don't know. After getting in the car, I felt something was wrong and managed to escape. I don't know who I offended."

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Wei then recounted what happened after Lam's call. After hanging up, he called the police and rushed to the embassy. The embassy contacted the Longland police station and sent someone to accompany Wei to Lam's location.

Wei expected a difficult search, but they found the area cordoned off by police. After confirming Lam was in the building, Wei called Lam's phone floor by floor.

During the search, they encountered the group chasing Lam. The attackers fired at the police, resulting in a shootout. Some fled, while a wounded one muttered a few words before committing suicide.

"Lam, do you think it's strange what those people said before they died?" Wei asked.

"What?" Lam asked, curious.

"They said, 'Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more. Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.'"

"What do these words mean?" Wei tried to recall, puzzled.

"It sounds like they were praising some entity and referencing a promise made by it. More like a prayer," Lam said, thoughtful and uneasy.

Lam, an AI researcher with no ties to religion, was baffled by the chase. "Were they trying to install a mechanical brain for the entity they worshipped?" he wondered.

"Also, Lam," Wei continued, "it's said that the two people who fell down the stairs melted into a pool of water, which eventually formed a blue eye."

"What? An eye?" Lam's heart skipped a beat, recalling the eye from his dream. "What color was it?" he asked urgently.

"I didn't see it myself, but someone said it looked blue," Wei replied.

Lam fell silent, realizing that the eye from his dream and the attackers' worship might be connected. He had many questions but no answers. He would have to investigate further after recovering.

"Hey, Lam, what are you thinking?" Wei waved his hand in front of Lam, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Lam considered sharing his dream with Wei but decided against it for now. He replied casually, "Nothing, just thinking."

"You should head back to China once you're healed. The embassy and the police will want to talk to you. Just tell them the truth and call me if you need anything," Wei said, gently closing the door behind him.

Later, police officers came to take a statement from Lam. They assured him that they would investigate further and that he should contact them with any new information.

Afterwards, a young woman from the embassy named Mathilda visited. She was professional and efficient, and Lam thanked her and the embassy for their help.

Mathilda gave Lam her contact information and left. Watching her leave, Lam had no idea that their paths would cross again in the future, intertwining their fates in unexpected ways. But that was another story.