After listening to Wei's narration, Lam pondered for a moment before asking, "Because you didn't want to participate in their experiments anymore, the military sent people to kill you to keep it a secret, right?" If it was the military of the state, it might be a bit tricky to return to Hua country. He had to inform Mathilda to make arrangements quickly.
Wei shook his head and looked into Lam's eyes with rare seriousness, but after a while, he smiled bitterly and said, "It might not be that simple. The military's pursuit is just one aspect. There might be other parties involved, but I don't know exactly who they are."
Lam felt his head swell. Dealing with a military force alone was already challenging, and now there were other unclear participants involved. He wondered what Wei had gone through since they parted ways at the industry conference.
Lam suppressed his curiosity and let Wei continue his story, planning to ask more questions later.
Wei continued, recounting the events that occurred after he left that day. After leaving the center, he knew the military wouldn't give up easily. So, he went home and decided to return to the lab at midnight when no one was around to retrieve all the accumulated experimental data and records, and then find a chance to return to Hua country.
Wei waited in his dormitory all night. After confirming with Pelny over the phone that the lab was empty, he waited until midnight before sneaking into the lab.
Because there were so many soldier corpses piled up on the first day of the experiment, the military was busy dealing with them and hadn't yet taken control of the lab. As a result, Wei entered the lab smoothly.
Upon entering the lab, Wei found that although the AI system was shut down, it was still emitting a faint blue light. The large screen in front of the lab was still on, glowing brightly. In the light of the screen, Wei could vaguely see the uniforms and hats of the young soldiers who participated in the experiment, as well as several corpses that hadn't been moved.
Up close, he saw that the soldiers' bodies were half-carbonized, their limbs twisted, and their faces contorted in pain. It was evident they had suffered greatly before dying. Looking at these young faces, Wei felt a surge of anger but could only sigh deeply and silently apologize to them once more.
Suddenly, footsteps and voices came from outside the lab. It turned out the military didn't feel at ease, so after scolding the on-duty soldiers, they sent them back in the middle of the night to move the remaining corpses. Wei quickly hid under the experiment table before they entered. As soon as he hid, a team of soldiers came in, chatting and laughing as they moved the bodies, discussing the grim deaths of their comrades.
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
One soldier joked to another that they were lucky not to be part of the experiment, or else they would be the ones being moved and burned. Another soldier echoed the sentiment, saying how unfortunate the dead soldiers were. Then another voice urged them to hurry up so they could grab a drink afterward, and the group's laughter gradually faded away.
Wei felt silent, recalling the famous words at the Holocaust memorial in the U.S.: "First, they came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Catholic. Finally, they came for me, and there was no one left to speak up for me."
Although human suffering isn't universally shared, Wei didn't expect the soldiers to empathize. He just hoped they would be safe in the future. Deciding to ignore them, he focused on his own task. After ensuring no one else was coming, Wei quickly activated the AI system and copied all the stored data.
Busy with his work, Wei felt relieved when the data transfer was complete. He then looked for the experimental records, which were the most crucial. Under the screen's light, he easily found the records in a corner cabinet. After confirming their authenticity, he glanced at the screen unintentionally and was shocked.
A large blue eye with red veins was glaring at the lab, showing curiosity and excitement.
The eye seemed to enjoy the sight of humans killing each other, finding it strange yet amusing that these carbon-based creatures had not changed after all these years. The eye roamed around, then focused on Wei, showing a hint of surprise and amusement before occupying the entire screen. After watching him for a while, it lost interest and disappeared.
Wei was terrified. He didn't understand what this intelligent, emotional entity was doing in the AI system. It was beyond his comprehension that such a creature existed in his lab. This meant everyone in the lab lived under its watchful eye daily.
With only one thought, Wei grabbed the experimental records and data storage device and ran out of the lab. He hid behind a wall, gasping for air, and after ensuring no one was around, he quickly headed home. On the way, he debated whether to tell Pelny about the eye but decided against it, thinking it might be dismissed as a hallucination.
When Wei mentioned the eye, Lam shivered and interrupted him, asking if the eye was blue with red veins around it. After Wei confirmed, Lam, deep in thought, continued listening to his story.
Lam had always thought the eye was a figment of his imagination, influenced by his subconscious. But now, hearing Wei's real-life encounter, he realized it was real and had appeared in different locations.
Pondering the implications, Lam decided to report this to the National Bureau of Unknown and Advanced Research, hoping to uncover more secrets of the world. Lost in thought, he was brought back by Wei's voice, urging him to continue listening.