Reality.
It was the weekend. Tang Xiao opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling of his dorm room.
He had planned to head to the lab today, but when he woke up, it was already noon.
Recently, his energy had been drained. Typically, people played games to relax, but for Tang Xiao, it was the opposite. In the game, he barely had any time to rest. Only when he returned to reality could he occasionally escape that suffocating environment and truly rest.
So, he accidentally overslept this weekend.
Tang Xiao sat up, pressing a hand to his forehead. A faint throbbing pain pulsed in his temples—a sensation he was all too familiar with. It was the kind of headache that came from staying up too late gaming.
Just then, his phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, Tang Xiao closed his eyes and answered, “Hello.”
“Hmm? A meeting at the lab?”
By the time Tang Xiao arrived, everyone else was already there. To his surprise, Xiao Bai was present as well, sitting in the lead position. When he saw Tang Xiao, he nodded. “Take a seat.”
Tang Xiao chose a spot near Xiao Bai and asked curiously, “What’s going on today?”
Xiao Bai gave him a strange look. “Didn’t you check your email?”
“Uh... I didn’t really pay attention,” Tang Xiao admitted sheepishly. He’d been so busy with matters in the game recently that he only occasionally showed up at the lab to help Xiao Bai with tasks others had left undone.
Fortunately, Xiao Bai didn’t press the issue. Instead, he directed his gaze toward the projector screen. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
The screen lit up, displaying a remote video conference icon. Although the screen remained black, voices came through from the other side.
“Dr. Xiao, can you hear us?”
“Loud and clear. Everyone’s here; you can start.”
“Alright.”
The others in the room began murmuring among themselves. They had been summoned suddenly and had no idea what was going on.
Tang Xiao, however, had some guesses. His eyes flickered with surprise—was there already progress?
The screen came to life, showing a video feed of men and women in white lab coats. Judging by the background, they appeared to be medical professionals.
“Dr. Xiao, we’d like to express our gratitude again for your achievements,” the lead of the medical team said with a smile. “The first phase of clinical trials has concluded, and the results are promising. Next, let’s review the condition of the patients together.”
“That’s fine by me,” Xiao Bai replied with a faint smile. The purpose of the meeting became clear, and everyone in the room finally understood why they’d been called. Their jaws dropped in astonishment.
Xiao Bai adjusted the camera so it captured everyone in the room. Soon, a new video feed appeared. On the screen was a pale woman lying in a hospital bed.
She was smiling faintly, her face gaunt and her cheeks slightly sunken. A feeding tube was inserted in her nose, but her eyes shone brightly.
“Dr. Xiao? Is that you, Dr. Xiao?”
“Hello.” Xiao Bai’s typically cold expression softened slightly as he asked, “How are you feeling?”
“Good... very good.” The woman’s voice was choked with emotion. “Thanks to you, I... I thought there was no hope left. I’m so, so grateful. Thank you.”
Xiao Bai shook his head and stepped slightly out of the frame so the camera could capture the team behind him. “It wasn’t just me. It’s thanks to their hard work and dedication in the lab, and the efforts of the medical team, that we were able to achieve success so quickly.”
The woman’s eyes lingered on the young faces on the screen. She looked at them with a mixture of wonder and gratitude, her voice softening. “Thank you, all of you.”
“Oh, no need to thank us!”
“We were just doing our job.”
“Wow, you’re all about the same age as my younger siblings, and yet you’ve achieved so much. It’s incredible!”
“Not at all, not at all.”
“Most of the credit goes to Dr. Xiao and Tang Xiao.”
Yun Lifei and Yu Nan, who had been lost in thought, finally snapped back to reality. Blushing, they hurriedly added their words of gratitude.
To be honest, until today, Yun Lifei and the others had felt little connection to their work. Day after day in the lab, they carried out experiments more to build their resumes, ensure graduation, or secure research placements. Each had their own plans, and the significance of the experiment itself—saving lives—had always seemed too distant.
Yun Lifei and the others were struck by a realization while watching the patient on the hospital bed. The patient expressed gratitude and had a frail yet hopeful expression.
Ah, so their efforts thus far had already saved a life.
And in the future, many more lives would be saved because of their work.
Except for Xiao Bai, everyone present was young and had never stepped out of the ivory tower. The thought of their work making such a profound impact filled them with a surge of energy. Exhaustion seemed to vanish, and they couldn’t wait to rush back to the lab to produce more results that could save lives or change the world.
In short, their blood was boiling with passion.
Tang Xiao felt the same way. The heavy despair that had shadowed him in the game was momentarily cast aside.
The news of the successful application of gene-editing technology was more invigorating than any stimulant.
It proved that their direction was right, and that gene editing was not a mistake.
A smile finally broke out on Tang Xiao’s face as he joined Xiao Bai in conversing with the patient, listening attentively to the medical team’s feedback and descriptions of the patient’s current condition. This was invaluable firsthand data. Even on a global scale, they were leading in gene therapy, with a clear view of its advantages and disadvantages.
“Be sure to follow the doctors' advice, alright? You're still in the phase of monitoring for side effects. Pay attention to your diet—eat more vegetables, fruits, and mushrooms, and drink plenty of water,” Xiao Bai instructed the patient carefully.
His meticulous concern surprised everyone in the lab. They had never seen Xiao Bai show such gentleness.
But Tang Xiao understood. Xiao Bai was deeply familiar with this disease.
And he knew who Xiao Bai’s words were truly meant for.
Even those icy eyes seemed to melt, brimming with hope like thawing glacial water.
“Dr. Tang, take a look at this data,” a voice said.
Two faces overlapped in Tang Xiao’s mind. In the game, Xiao Bai had dark circles under his eyes, his gaze heavy as he handed Tang Xiao a document.
“After analyzing multiple experimental samples, we’ve identified a few critical cell groups within the mutated genes of the infected: zombie ant AK38 cells, AS2 cells, and K08 cells, all of which share a fusion gene, KOU2. This fusion gene upregulates KOU expression, activating the OI signaling pathway, which promotes drug resistance, apoptosis inhibition, and evolution in human cells, ultimately leading to mushroom infection.”
“We tried inhibiting the OI signaling pathway, but it didn’t work. When the pathway was suppressed, the zombie mushroom immediately mutated in a different direction, creating new signaling cells.”
Tang Xiao snapped back to focus and quickly immersed himself in the research. “So, the mushrooms parasitizing humans possess a certain degree of consciousness. Could we try paralyzing the mushrooms within the body?”
“Deceiving it or inducing dormancy?” Xiao Bai mused. “It’s worth a shot, but we’d need to carefully control the dosage of the dormancy agent. Too much could harm the host.”
“I’ll leave that project to you, Dr. Xiao.”
“Understood.”
Xiao Bai nodded and prepared to return to work. But just as he was leaving, Tang Xiao said, “Teacher, please take care of yourself.”
Xiao Bai turned back, only to see Tang Xiao pointing seriously at the dark circles under his eyes. “You wouldn’t want to collapse midway through your research, would you? We still have a long way to go.”
“I could say the same to you,” Xiao Bai chuckled softly. “How many hours did you sleep today?”
Tang Xiao scratched his head awkwardly. “I’m used to short sleep. Don’t worry, I won’t collapse.”
In truth, he’d been returning to reality to rest, though no one else knew that. Besides, with his in-game system panel, he wouldn’t let anyone collapse during the research.
Xiao Bai didn’t argue. He simply said, “The leader’s attitude often affects the rest of the team.”
With that, he left. Tang Xiao stayed behind, pondering whether Xiao Bai was implying that his own hectic and anxious demeanor was influencing the others to push themselves too hard.
Tang Xiao smiled bitterly. What choice did they have? They had less than six months left.
Even if he spent nearly 24 hours in the lab and only rested in reality, time still wasn’t enough. The urgency was inescapable.
“He's right, Dr. Tang,” a familiar voice sounded from behind him. Tang Xiao turned around, startled to see the man who had suddenly appeared. “Tang Chen?”
He instinctively moved closer but then remembered what his big brother had said in reality—that the Tang Chen in the game wasn't the same person. He stopped himself, forcing composure as he stood in place. “What are you doing here?”
“Don't be nervous,” Tang Chen said, noticing the guarded expression on Tang Xiao's face that lacked the warmth of before. He raised his hands to show he meant no harm. “I’ve been sent to protect you.”
“You—” Tang Xiao frowned, recalling their earlier misunderstanding and feeling a little awkward.
Previously, he had mistaken Tang Chen for his big brother, so when 428 mentioned there was something suspicious about Tang Chen, he didn't take it seriously, assuming it was just a special department from the real world.
But now that he knew the Tang Chen in the game and the one, in reality, wasn't the same person, it could be a situation similar to Xiao Bai’s counterparts across two worlds.
Then why had Tang Chen acted the way he did back then?
Tang Xiao realized belatedly that, without the filter of seeing him as his brother, some of Tang Chen's behavior that day seemed... off.
So, it was actually a honey trap? I treated you like my brother, but you treated me as a mission target to seduce?
Tang Xiao’s mood plummeted. He even glared at this world’s Tang Chen with a dark expression. “Where’s security? How could they let such a suspicious person wander around?”
“My apologies, Dr. Tang,” Tang Chen said, assuming Tang Xiao had already learned of his identity from Leon. He wore an apologetic expression. “Please don’t misunderstand. I’m with the Alliance, but under the current circumstances, the Alliance has reached a cooperative agreement with Third Eye. So, I’m here to fulfill my mission as usual.”
“What mission? Poaching talent?”
“No, no, just to protect you,” Tang Chen said quickly. “Right now, all researchers are humanity's hope. There are no factions, no divisions. Before being Alliance or Third Eye, we are all human. In this situation, I have to do my part. Besides, my abilities are versatile, especially suited for protection.”
Tang Xiao's heightened emotions gradually subsided, though his gaze toward Tang Chen remained complicated. When his eyes met Tang Chen's face, he instinctively turned his head to avoid softening toward someone who looked so much like his big brother. “So, you're with the Alliance?”
“Yes,” Tang Chen said with a bitter smile. “Once again, I apologize for my previous actions.”
“Forget it. You didn’t really do anything,” Tang Xiao said, trying to calm himself.
Since Tang Chen wasn’t the same as his big brother in reality, Tang Xiao resolved to view them separately.
“By the way, since you're with the Alliance, you must still be in contact with them. What’s the situation over there now?”
Recently, even news from the Alliance had been inaccessible to the researchers.
It was said that there were issues with the communication towers, which had interrupted the cafeteria's news broadcasts. Most researchers were now completely cut off from the outside world. Third Eye had deliberately refrained from putting too much pressure on them to avoid causing chaos, especially since some researchers still had family and friends within the Alliance.
As a project lead, Tang Xiao knew a bit more, but his knowledge was limited. He spent most of his time in the lab, and the updates he received were usually grim statistics, like the number of bases that had fallen. He had little insight into the Alliance’s current strategies or situation.
Now that he had run into someone with special connections to the Alliance, he wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip.
“About that…” Tang Chen hesitated.
He was well aware of the immense pressure the scientists in the Hope Project were under.
The biggest challenge humanity currently faced was the zombie mushroom. The infection had always been highly contagious, and once infected, there was no cure—only death.
Initially, humans had managed to hold their ground because the infected were like mindless zombies from movies, devoid of reason, attacking people at random. They were treated as walking corpses, and over time, people had adapted to the idea of fighting zombies. It was the only choice they had to survive.
But now things were different. The infected had regained their rationality. This revelation hit humanity like a hammer blow, silently reminding them that the zombies they had been slaughtering were still living, breathing humans. They were still alive, still capable of feeling, still conscious—just in a different form.
How many people can unhesitatingly harm their own kind? It was one thing when they thought of them as mindless zombies, but now no one can deceive themselves anymore. Warriors who had once personally killed their own family and friends were breaking down on the spot.
Most importantly, this gave humanity a second option.
Being infected wasn’t such a big deal anymore—after all, one could regain consciousness. From then on, they would no longer fear beast tides or mushroom infections and might even reunite with family and friends.
As for humanity's pride and free will, who could cling to such ideals in the face of the harsh reality of survival?
Cracking the zombie mushroom, developing vaccines, or finding effective treatments became critically important—perhaps humanity’s only hope. This unprecedented level of importance meant scientists were being protected more thoroughly than ever before, which was why Tang Chen had been assigned to protect Tang Xiao personally.
“The Alliance is holding up,” Tang Chen said, looking at Tang Xiao’s haggard face. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to share the bad news.
“Dr. Feng’s invention has been very effective. Most bases now have it installed at entry points, which have helped identify many potential carriers early.”
The patrols and inspections within the bases had become more frequent, but because the infected had regained their intelligence, they were harder to detect than before. Once people realized they were infected, they would try everything to hide or flee into the wild. Some even formed settlements for the infected.
“The Alliance also revealed the truth about the mushroom controlling humans, successfully managing public opinion and gaining understanding from most people.”
Among the mercenaries, some defected immediately upon learning the infected could regain consciousness. Even members of the enforcement teams weren’t immune to betrayal. Humanity had essentially split into two factions.
“The Alliance acted quickly against the Huigui Sect, preventing any major unrest.”
The Huigui Sect opposed human governments and advocated for coexistence between humans and the fungus.
Within the Alliance, the sect had grown stronger than ever. Initially, they had been merely a group protesting for religious reasons, but now they had become fanatical. Even when arrested by enforcement teams, they refused to change their behavior. They wouldn’t wear masks, and some even spat at officers, taunting, “Come on, guess if I’m infected. You’ll join us soon enough.”
The protest groups received some kind of unknown support—money and supplies were distributed daily, and some members disguised themselves as infected to confuse the public and stage suicide attacks.
“In the face of disaster, humanity has united and is working hard to overcome this crisis.”
Within the government, politicians and capitalists had begun eyeing the sect. Their specialty was betting on both sides, and they were already contemplating how many benefits they could seize if they switched allegiances to the infected—especially if the infected eventually formed their own fully functioning society.
Tang Chen tried to patch together the negative news as best as he could, afraid that Tang Xiao would lose faith in humanity. “In short, we still have time. Don’t worry. Humanity will make it through this disaster.”
Tang Xiao showed no reaction after hearing this. Instead, he smiled faintly. “I know.”
Tang Chen’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t help but analyze Tang Xiao’s expression. As the top agent, he was usually adept at reading people, but this time, he couldn’t tell whether Tang Xiao’s ‘I know’ meant an agreement that humanity would prevail or that he had seen through the lies.
Tang Xiao didn’t ask further questions and continued walking down the corridor toward another laboratory. Tang Chen followed closely. Along the way, they saw several researchers pacing anxiously outside an administrative office, seemingly pleading for something. When someone noticed Tang Xiao, they pointed in his direction and murmured, “That’s Dr. Tang.” The group quickly turned and ran toward him.
“Stop.” Tang Chen stepped in front of Tang Xiao, raising an arm to block the researchers. He donned the mask characteristic of the superpower unit, making his identity immediately clear.
The researchers stopped a few meters away, not daring to come closer.
“Dr. Tang, I’m Jonah Brom. Do you remember me?” A tall, thin young man pointed at himself nervously.
“I—I’m Bob. We used to be in the same lab,” another said anxiously.
Tang Xiao didn’t remember their names, but their faces sparked a vague memory. “Newcomers from the Bader’s Lab?”
Right—these were the ones who had once sided with Babbitt in isolating him.
“Y-Yes.” The two who had been in the same cohort looked embarrassed when Tang Xiao remembered their names.
They hadn’t been on good terms with Tang Xiao back then, even siding with Babbitt to ostracize him. Now, Tang Xiao was a top scientist with Third Eye and a major project leader, while they were still struggling as Level 2 scientists, unable even to secure permission to bring their families into the base.
It felt shameless to ask for help now, but thinking of their families, Jonah bit his lip and humbled himself. “We’re really sorry for before. Babbitt told us to ignore you, and we didn’t dare defy him. Please forgive us.”
Tang Xiao had long since stopped caring about such things. Instead, he was curious about what they were doing earlier. “What were you all gathered here for?”
“Well...” Jonah hesitated. Bob, more impatient, pushed forward. “We want to bring our families into the base. Spring is coming, and it’s too dangerous outside. Dr. Tang, can you help us?”
“Spring? You’re worried about the zombie mushroom?” Tang Xiao asked. “You don’t need to worry. Leon has implemented thorough protective measures.”
During the chaos within the Alliance, the Third Eye base remained entirely undisturbed, with most researchers continuing their routines as if nothing had changed.
This stability highlighted Leon's skillful leadership. Furthermore, the Third Eye’s structure was far less complicated than the Alliance, making it easier to manage.
“No,” Bob said anxiously, “we’re not worried about that. What we’re concerned about is the beast tides.”
These sharp-minded individuals had already detected the apocalyptic crisis brewing from the Hope Project and the mutation of the zombie mushroom. If even the zombie mushroom could evolve, how could the beast tides, second only to the pandemic in terms of devastation, remain unchanged?
Every spring, the beasts were manipulated by the mushroom to attack human settlements—this was considered common knowledge. Tang Xiao himself had previously encountered a smaller-scale beast tide, and the Third Eye treated the incident with great seriousness. After all, such disasters could easily annihilate an entire base.
Tang Xiao realized the gravity of the situation. Each year, multiple Alliance bases fell victim to beast tides.
Especially now, amidst such tense circumstances.
Could this be the final straw that breaks humanity's back?
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