After the gunshot rang out, Zhao Meiyou could hardly remember what happened next.
Police sirens wailed as massive searchlights swept across the glass windows. Killing machines hovered like swarming hummingbirds. A cold rain drifted through the sky, lead-gray—the color of bullets was lead-gray, yet it turned blood-red inside a skull.
He didn't know what kind of gun Diao Chan had used, but it had blown his head clean off. Zhao Meiyou was splattered from head to toe in blood. Did a replicant’s blood have a metallic tang too? That stench of blood felt like a blade thrust down his throat, making him gag. Footsteps echoed in the distance, sprinting down the reverberating corridors. Someone seemed to have smashed through the glass; he saw the rain.
This wasn't the first time he had seen rain.
In his chaotic, kaleidoscopic memories, a similar scene appeared. He had encountered a heavily made-up android in the Mercury Building. The figure had charged at him like the beat of a drum, like the clash of golden spears. Together, they had shattered the glass and tumbled into the air. The moonlight felt like caustic salt, while shattered glass and diamonds flowing from broken ribs poured down like a deluge.
It hadn't seemed to be raining that day, so what was the liquid falling on his face?
It was salty. Could it be tears?
In the final second before losing consciousness, the thought that struck Zhao Meiyou was: *So, even androids have tears.*
***
When he woke again, Zhao Meiyou saw goldfish.
He’d had too many similar experiences lately—dying and reviving, living and fainting. Every time he regained consciousness, it felt like waking from a fever dream. He almost didn't want to open his eyes; God only knew what bizarre predicament awaited him this time.
But this time seemed different. Zhao Meiyou stared at the brilliantly colored tropical fish before him, the volcanic rock and red-leafed trees of the aquascape, and the pipes delivering fresh water and oxygen—so, if he wasn't mistaken...
He was in a goddamn fish tank.
Faint music drifted through the water. Zhao Meiyou found it familiar. He listened intently for a moment and realized it was *Fly Me to the Moon*.
As the melody grew clearer, so did his surroundings.
An antique jukebox stood before oak paneling, emitting a lemon-yellow glow. There weren't many lights on in the room; he could only vaguely make out the booths by the window. The curtains were drawn—velvet drapes, green shutters—and there were glazed mosaic coffee cups.
A *crick-crack* sound echoed. A woman stood behind the counter, carving a block of old ice.
Zhao Meiyou knew where he was.
Unless this was some kind of holographic trickery—this was the 330th floor, Lao’s Tavern.
Zhao Meiyou tried to call out to the woman: "...Lao-lao?"
The proprietress paused and turned around. "You're awake."
Zhao Meiyou had a thousand questions. Why was he here? Where was Diao Chan? But the woman cut him off. "Would you like a drink?"
It was always rude for a guest to refuse the owner's invitation, especially at Lao’s Tavern. Zhao Meiyou didn't know what she was playing at, so he simply said, "I'll have one, then."
The proprietress didn't ask what he wanted. She washed her hands, chilled a glass, took out vodka and Cointreau, and added lime and cranberry juice. The rhythmic *shaka-shaka* of the shaker filled the air before she finally strained the liquid into a coupe glass.
Once the drink was ready, she slid it across the counter. As she moved, her attire transformed into a shimmering silver dance dress. Wearing bright red lipstick, she flashed a flirtatious, enchanting smile. "A 'Metropolis' cocktail. Please enjoy, Director."
It was indeed a fitting drink; its color easily brought to mind urban scandals and pink ladies. Zhao Meiyou was about to say thanks when he suddenly realized what she had just called him. "What did you call me?"
The woman didn't answer. She took out a bottle of rye whiskey, added dry vermouth and Campari, stirred it with ice, and finally twisted an orange peel to release a mist of zest into the air.
She raised the newly mixed drink and clinked it against the "Metropolis." The glasses met with a crisp chime.
Zhao Meiyou knew this drink. It was called an "Old Friend."
"It's been a long time, Director." The woman downed the drink in one go and wiped her mouth. The gesture looked both glamorous and bold on her. Zhao Meiyou couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?"
The woman reached out as if wiping away a layer of mist in front of him. The encoded, synthesized image vanished, and Zhao Meiyou saw the true face of the owner of Lao’s Tavern for the first time.
The person was somewhere between a boy and a young man, but definitely not a woman. He wore a long white coat. Zhao Meiyou found it inexplicably familiar, and after a moment, he remembered—this was the uniform of the old Ancient Capital Research Institute.
Zhao Meiyou saw that he was wearing a transparent muzzle. This feature was like a key, unlocking dusty memories. Yes, it had indeed been a long time. No wonder he hadn't recognized him.
He had never even had the chance to see what this child would look like grown up.
"You're... Xiao Yao?"
The other man laughed. "It's me, Director."
A moment later.
"I know you must have a lot to ask. Let's take them one by one." Xiao Yao pulled over a barstool and sat down. "I think we should start with the Fusion Experiment?"
"...So this is what you look like grown up," Zhao Meiyou murmured.
Xiao Yao blinked, his eyes crinkling into a smile that held traces of his childhood self. "Yep. What do you think?"
Zhao Meiyou: "How old are you now? Did you switch to an android body? Do you have a partner? What kind of person are they? Do your dad and the others know?"
Before Xiao Yao could respond, Zhao Meiyou added: "Is Lao’s Tavern your business? How's the income? Do you make enough to spend? Any plans for marriage? Do you have a smoking habit?"
Xiao Yao: "..."
Despite the surrounding mysteries, encountering the boy from his memories—even if he wasn't a child anymore—Zhao Meiyou's first instinct was to act like an elder.
Even though he himself was just a penniless wretch currently in a Schrödinger-like state of forced divorce or widowhood, a chain-smoking alcoholic with no parents and no property. His credit as an elder was likely in the negatives.
"Right, you probably don't lack for suitors." Zhao Meiyou suddenly remembered the various rumors about "Lao-lao" on the 330th floor and the many jokes he had received. "Not bad, kid. You spent every day teasing me and Diao Chan. Does your dad know you're this cheeky?"
"Director, Director, one thing at a time," Xiao Yao said with a wry smile. "Let's talk business first."
"What do kids know?" Zhao Meiyou said righteously. "What I'm asking *is* the business."
The scene was thick with déjà vu. Xiao Yao suddenly remembered that back in the Ancient Capital, Zhao Meiyou was exactly like this—one man capable of derailing an entire seminar, usually ending with him being forcibly thrown out of the conference room.
How did his father deal with the Director back then?
Right. If it were Liu Qijue, he would simply ignore the nonsense. Once the main topic started, this man would naturally follow along.
Thinking of this, Xiao Yao cleared his throat and got straight to the point. "Director, do you know the dangers of the Fusion Experiment?"
Hitting the nail on the head, Zhao Meiyou finally shut up.
"This story starts many years ago." Xiao Yao thought for a moment, finding a starting point to trace back from the beginning of Zhao Meiyou's memories. "Back then, my father was transferred to Antarctica, only to be used as one of the first human samples for the Fusion Experiment. The experiment was just starting, and the mortality rate was extremely high. Fortunately, my father survived."
"Soon after, the Deputy Director also went to Antarctica on business. But Madam Diao used him to make some trades with the government. In the end, the Deputy Director was also controlled by the Antarctic faction. You should remember what happened next—he induced you to detonate the quantum bomb."
"Although the Deputy Director managed to reclaim a portion of his consciousness at the critical moment to try and stop you, the die was cast. The Antarctic faction eventually detonated the bomb."
"At that time, almost everyone in the Ancient Capital was affected by the magnetic radiation from the explosion, gaining the ability to traverse between reality and the Quantum Field Threshold, becoming what we now call 'Archaeologists'."
"You said 'almost' everyone," Zhao Meiyou asked. "What about you and the Little Mister?"
"You just asked how old I am. Although I've used some cosmetic technology, the difference between my actual age and my appearance isn't that large," Xiao Yao said. "When the explosion happened, my dad and I were conducting an experiment underground. You know very well what was beneath the Ancient Capital."
Zhao Meiyou remembered. They had once dug a massive cold storage facility underground.
"The underground lab sensed the explosion above. My dad reacted quickly; he pushed me directly into a stasis pod."
That explained it. The stasis pods beneath the Ancient Capital used cryogenic technology; once inside, a person would enter a state of hibernation. "So, you were only recently thawed?"
"I've been awake for a while now. Do you remember our first meeting at Lao’s Tavern?"
Zhao Meiyou remembered, but he wasn't sure how much of the past he truly recalled, nor did he know if the memories in his head were real. "What I can remember right now is when I was an ER doctor on the 33rd floor."
Strictly speaking, that should have been his penultimate life so far.
"You remember correctly." Xiao Yao smiled. "That was indeed the first time we met after I woke up."
A major reason for Zhao Meiyou's memory confusion was that before every life—or rather, every loop—he would undergo a "brain-dump." This involved stuffing a massive amount of virtual information into his mind so that the duration of each loop experiment could be drastically shortened. For instance, during his time as an unlicensed doctor in the 20th floor clinics, he might have only actually lived for a dozen days, but after the brain-dump, he would automatically fill in his previous life trajectory—that he was an orphan, raised by a brothel, with a sister he depended on.
"You said you've been awake for a while." Zhao Meiyou deduced from this. "Does that mean the loop where I was an ER doctor on the 33rd floor lasted a very long time?"
"Exactly. Based on the information I have, that was the longest experiment—it's said that the life you experienced in that experiment actually happened in real-time."
"This information is highly credible because from the time we first met at Lao’s Tavern until now, over a decade has passed in reality."
In that life where Zhao Meiyou was a 33rd-floor ER doctor, he had first entered Lao’s Tavern in his teens. If the subsequent experiences were real, then over a decade had indeed passed.
Speaking of which, Zhao Meiyou remembered something. "There's one thing that confuses me."
"Please, go ahead."
"If every loop happens within the Metropolis, shouldn't there be people who remember me? But my face has never changed. It seems the Metropolis government isn't worried about anyone recognizing me in subsequent loops. Are you telling me everyone is just an extra?" Wouldn't the cost be too high?
"That's what I was about to mention—the danger of the Fusion Experiment." Xiao Yao slowed his speech. "You surely remember the cultural construction project the government launched back in the Ancient Capital."
Of course Zhao Meiyou remembered. How could he forget? That project had continued to this day; the Upper Districts were still building god statues.
Wait. He suddenly realized. The construction of the god statues and the progress of the Fusion Experiment were almost perfectly synchronized.
"What do those god statues have to do with the Fusion Experiment?"
"You've already made the connection." Xiao Yao said, "The Fusion Experiment and the construction of the god statues actually share the same origin. They both come from a batch of core data recovered from within the Buddha."
"Namely, quantum technology."
"Those god statues sustain a very specific magnetic field within the Metropolis. Unlike the quantum bomb, it didn't turn the Metropolis into a Ruin directly. Instead, it turned the city into a 'Gate'."
"As you know, the entrances to all Quantum Field Thresholds are actually located within the Metropolis."
There was a solid gold trash can in the City Hall; sticking your head into the disposal slot allowed entry into Ruin A79. There was a well in the Middle Districts, officially claimed to contain nuclear wastewater, but it actually housed a special kind of human-faced fish; eating it raw allowed entry into Ruin S24. To enter Ruin A173, one had to jump from the 777th floor. The entrance to Ruin S86 was a tavern, and to enter Ruin S45, one had to play the piano in a museum.
"This city is gradually becoming a door, a medium, a bridge between the Quantum Field Thresholds and the physical dimension."
"The magnetic field of the god statues has many functions. For example, it can open new Ruins, and by adding specific radio waves, it can perform large-scale brain interference. You asked why your face hasn't changed—it's because the government isn't worried about anyone remembering you. As long as they activate the field during the intervals between loops, the memories of irrelevant personnel are erased."
Zhao Meiyou took a moment to digest Xiao Yao's words. "You just said the god statues' field can open new Ruins. What does that mean?"
"The number of Ruins isn't constant. On the contrary, they are increasing," Xiao Yao said. "Do you remember Ruin 000 that you explored before?"
Zhao Meiyou hummed in affirmation. "I saw the Ancient Capital inside."
"In fact, in many loop experiments, you entered Ruin 000. Sometimes the interior was Utopia, sometimes it was the Jupiter Restaurant, sometimes it was Madam Butterfly’s mansion..." Xiao Yao listed many examples. "You should have noticed—these are all Ruins that already have other designations."
He was right—Utopia was Ruin S45, Jupiter Restaurant was A99, and Madam Butterfly’s was S86.
Zhao Meiyou: "Why do the designations change?"
"Because 'Ruin 000' is just a placeholder. If the Metropolis is the door, then you and Excellency Qian are the keys. The way to open the door is to take the elevator from the bottom of the Metropolis to the 990th floor."
"Every time you and Excellency Qian repeat the process of exploring Ruin 000, you are actually opening a new Ruin through the Gate."
"And in the next loop experiment, that Ruin will be given a different alphanumeric designation."
Even for Zhao Meiyou, facing such a complex volume of information required time to think. Xiao Yao's words answered many of his questions, and the fragmented logical chain was gradually connecting, but a crucial link was still missing. "Xiao Yao, how did you get this intel? Is the source reliable? Are you an Archaeologist?"
"I'm not an Archaeologist. I was frozen in time, so I wasn't affected by the quantum bomb's magnetic field," Xiao Yao answered his questions in order. "As for the source of the intel, you can probably guess—it comes from my dad and my father."
"Back then, they both became live samples for the Fusion Experiment and later entered the Archaeologist ranks. They gathered a lot of information over the long cycles of experiments. Finally, they decided to thaw me out over a decade ago—because the Fusion Experiment was about to succeed."
At this point, Xiao Yao shifted the topic. "Have you ever wondered why the experiment took so long during that life when you were a 33rd-floor ER doctor?"
Zhao Meiyou: "Why?"
"Because Excellency Qian’s personality completion was almost full," Xiao Yao said. "But the closer it gets to perfection, the harder it is to progress. So, it required absolute, real-time duration to fill the gap."
Zhao Meiyou was speechless for a moment.
"You should already know what the Fusion Experiment truly signifies. On one hand, it attempts to fuse the human body with quantum magnetic fields to create Archaeologists to explore the Thresholds. On the other hand, it hopes to achieve a brainwave fusion between you and Excellency Qian, so that he can eventually use your brain."
"After thousands of experimental loops, Excellency Qian’s personality completion has reached over 99%. My father judged that it would only take one or two more experiments at most for his personality to be fully perfected. At that point, he would seize your brain."
"The current Excellency Qian is actually composed of two parts: one is the original Qian Duoduo you created, and the other is the Buddha, which has gradually fused with him as his personality neared completion. If he were to fully merge with the Buddha and then take your brain, no one can predict what kind of existence he would become."
"During the loops, my father tried many ways, but he couldn't stop the Fusion Experiment from continuing. Excellency Qian’s highest authority is held by the government, and with the tight security above the 900th floor, it was almost impossible to break through. Finally, he made a plan: if they wanted to terminate this madness, they could only strike during the final few loops."
"So my dad and father decided to thaw me out. They needed my assistance."
"Wait a second." Zhao Meiyou couldn't help but interject. Xiao Yao's explanation only brought up more confusion, but he had one most critical question to ask. "Qian Duoduo's personality fusion has already reached 100%. Did you know that?"
"I know." Xiao Yao actually nodded. "Didn't you just exchange vows with Excellency Qian on the 900th floor? The Deputy Director was there too."
"...You know all that? Then where is Diao Chan? How did I get from the 900th floor to Lao’s Tavern?" Zhao Meiyou fired off a barrage of questions. "Also, if Qian Duoduo's personality completion is at 100%, shouldn't my brain be inside him right now?"
Facing Zhao Meiyou's questions, Xiao Yao pushed the "Metropolis" cocktail toward him. "Director, you haven't drunk the cocktail I mixed for you yet."
Zhao Meiyou wanted to ask if there were any cigarettes. He looked at the glass and instinctively reached out.
And grasped at thin air.
Only then did Zhao Meiyou realize that he had been so distracted by the massive influx of information that he hadn't noticed—he had no hands.
He didn't even have a body.
A tropical fish swam past his eyes. Zhao Meiyou "looked" around. Volcanic rocks and aquatic plants were piled nearby, and a faint silhouette was reflected on the glass wall.
He was currently inside the fish tank.
To be precise, it wasn't the person "Zhao Meiyou" inside the tank, because he had no body. From the reflection on the glass, he was actually a brain.
At this moment, Zhao Meiyou was nothing but a brain.
Long cables were attached to his brainstem, connecting to a massive array of screens that could import camera feeds and produce sound. His voice was actually coming from a speaker.
Even Zhao Meiyou was stunned by the reality before him. It took a long time to find his voice: "...What the fuck is going on?"
Xiao Yao was clearly relishing this moment. His expression right now was a perfect goddamn blend of Liu Qijue and Diao Chan. "Do you remember the first Ruin you entered during the loop before last?"
It took Zhao Meiyou a long time to remember—he had obtained a disc player made in 1999 and had accidentally entered a Quantum Field Threshold. But the events inside had been so absurd that he had quickly pushed them to the back of his mind—
Wait.
"It seems you remember." Xiao Yao looked at the brainwave index on the screen. "In the loop before last, your ability as an Archaeologist was 'Shapeshifting,' but besides that, you had an extremely unique constitution."
"Even if your brain was damaged within a Ruin, you wouldn't die."
"Ruin Law Article 2: The brain must not be harmed. Throughout countless loop experiments, this law always held true—until you broke it in the loop before last. The 900th floor still hasn't found the reason, but the truth is simple: the law was never broken."
"Director, in that loop, your brain was injured many times in the Ruin, yet you survived unscathed—because that wasn't your real brain."
Zhao Meiyou had once obtained a 1999 disc player and accidentally entered a certain Quantum Field Threshold. In that Ruin, he had been kidnapped by several masked men—who had swapped out his brain.
"When the Deputy Director went to rescue you, my father's plan had already begun. The Deputy Director put on a show under government surveillance, making it look as though your brain being injured in the Ruin had no effect."
"The truth is, during that kidnapping, we swapped out your real brain, Director."
After a long silence, Zhao Meiyou's voice finally came through the speaker: "...Then the 'me' after that... whose brain was I using?"
"The brain we gave you was also your own brain."
"What does that mean?"
Xiao Yao smiled. "Have you forgotten my father's ability?"
Liu Qijue’s ability as an Archaeologist.
Creation.
***
### Glossary
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