Late at night, while most people were already asleep, a flood of completely different comments unexpectedly appeared under what had previously been buried account activity.
[Are you guys insane? You’re actually attacking Dr. Tang?]
[Unbelievable that anyone would question Dr. Tang’s credibility... He has more than one top-tier paper. Even though I don’t know much about academia, I still recognize this rising star.]
[Yeah, have you never seen a genius before? Is it really so hard to understand? Many scientists have attended his conferences—if he were a fraud, he would’ve been exposed on the spot. But he wasn’t. Doesn’t that say something?]
[(In English) I also attended his conference with my professor, and my professor had nothing but praise for him. I don’t understand why Tang is facing this controversy, especially when he saved us.]
[Do you people have no heart? Is Dr. Tang someone you should be attacking? If it weren’t for him, we might not even be alive right now!]
[Without Dr. Tang’s research, how would we have been saved? What’s wrong with you all?]
[Dr. Tang Xiao is humanity’s savior!]
[...Am I half-asleep, or are you guys? What the hell is going on?]
[At first, I thought this was just some joke, but then I realized these people were dead serious.]
[Huh? What are you all even talking about?]
At first, these comments appeared in the middle of the night, catching the attention of only a few night owls, who assumed it was sarcasm or some new meme. But soon, they realized these people weren’t joking. The moment anyone spoke negatively about Tang Xiao, they would pounce like rabid dogs, flooding the discussion with incomprehensible arguments.
As the sun rose and more people came online, the internet gradually heated up. At the same time, many noticed that the previously fixed narrative was suddenly shifting.
[Wait, what’s going on with these people? Bots? A new PR strategy?]
[Zombie mushroom? Savior? What are they even talking about?]
[? This is getting really confusing.]
[I can’t even tell if you guys are serious or what.]
[Damn, so many scientists are suddenly speaking up for Tang Xiao on Twitter and Weibo. This is huge.]
[Sharing link jpg.]
Before long, people realized that scientists from both domestic and international institutions were rallying behind Tang Xiao, as if coordinated.
Feng Shuyun: Tang Xiao is a scientist with solid academic foundations and innovative thinking. His age and background should not be reasons to dismiss his work. Those who doubt him should provide evidence first.
Xiao Bai: I’ve said from the beginning—without Tang Xiao, this research wouldn’t exist. His contributions to the project were significant enough to warrant acknowledgment in the paper, if not even more. No matter how many times I’m asked, my answer remains the same.
Alfonso Giles: The rising star of academia @Tang Xiao.
David Levy: Interested in becoming a professor at our university? I can handle the green card for you.
Yang Qingquan: Dr. Tang Xiao’s research is impressive. A scientist like him should not be slandered.
Aberk: Waaaaah, Dr. Tang, waaaaah, do you still remember me? qwdq.
Countless professors and scholars—some well-known internationally, others not so much—were speaking up for Tang Xiao. Many had no prior connection to him, and some weren’t even in the field of biology. When Tang Xiao was under attack before, none of them had come forward, yet now, they were all speaking in unison.
At first, netizens speculated whether this was an attempt by the academic community to cover for one of their own, or perhaps some sort of unspoken agreement among elites. But those doubts quickly faded as more scientists from around the world joined in.
After all, if it were just domestic scientists, one could argue they were protecting their own interests. But when so many foreign academics also spoke out, the story changed. No academic elite, no matter how powerful, could extend their influence that far.
And it wasn’t just biologists—chemists, physicists, and scientists from other fields were also voicing their support. If Tang Xiao really had such far-reaching connections, they might as well just hand him the Nobel Prize already.
As more scientists took a stand, the general public began to reconsider the situation. But soon, an even bigger piece of news overshadowed this entire debate.
#Is there really another world?#
As more and more people started experiencing dreams and memory overlaps, even the most skeptical individuals couldn’t ignore the signs anymore. If only one or two people reported the same dream, it could be dismissed as coincidence. But when tens of thousands of people recalled memories from a parallel world—including memories of their alternate selves—it became impossible to write off as mere chance.
The internet exploded with discussions on parallel worlds, flooding all media platforms with trending topics:
#My parallel world self#
#The war between humanity and mushroom#
#Savior Dr. Tang Xiao#
#Is our world being eroded?#
At the same time, official attempts to suppress information about the mysterious fog-covered areas collapsed completely.
[Something is seriously wrong with our world. Does anyone remember the fog that covered XX University? I heard a lot of people went missing.]
[I remember! The military sealed off that area. I still have no idea what happened, but suddenly, the school announced a temporary shutdown.]
[My neighbor’s kid goes to that university too. It’s real—she’s been missing all this time. Her mother cries near the campus every day, but no matter how much we ask, she won’t say what happened.]
[This might sound unbelievable, but... I think I saw a creature that doesn’t belong to Earth. My friends said I must’ve been mistaken, but...]
[I wasn’t wrong! I saw it in my dreams! It was an otherworldly beast! That thing definitely didn’t come from our world!]
[I dreamed about it too... There really is another world, one eerily similar to ours, but the situation for humans there is far, far worse.]
[We—no, they—just survived a catastrophe. A war. Oh my god, I finally understand why those people were so fanatical. Dr. Tang really is humanity’s savior.]
[Wait... speaking of which, does anyone else remember that brief livestream of Tang Xiao? The one where he was fighting an otherworldly beast in a fog-covered background? It got taken down almost immediately, and the platform explained it away as an AI-generated video.]
[I knew it! There’s no way our world was ever that simple! Hahaha, my turn to save the world!]
Discussions exploded across the internet, both in China and abroad. At first, the authorities managed to suppress the trending topics, but as more and more voices joined the conversation, it became clear that the truth could no longer be concealed. Eventually, they abandoned their efforts entirely, and soon, the internet was on fire.
Meanwhile, Tang Xiao was still fast asleep in his bedroom, completely unaware of the world-shaking changes happening outside.
It wasn’t until his phone started ringing that he was finally woken up. Tang Xiao groggily opened his eyes, only to find that Jun Tesi had somehow slipped into his bed at some point. His strikingly handsome face was right in front of him.
Suddenly, the man’s silver-white eyelashes fluttered lightly as he opened his golden eyes. Upon seeing Tang Xiao, he gave a gentle smile. “Xiaoxiao, good morning.”
“How did you even get in here...? Ah, forget it.”
Last night, Jun Tesi had a great conversation with Tang Xiao’s parents and even managed to secure a guest room in their house. Tang Xiao couldn’t be bothered to question when he had slipped into his room.
Reaching for his phone on the nightstand, he glanced at the caller ID—it was Dr. Xiao.
As soon as he answered, before he could even say a word, an excited voice burst through the speaker.
“Tang Xiao!”
There was too much emotion packed into that one call of his name. Tang Xiao was briefly confused. “What’s wrong, Dr. Xiao?”
Xiao Bai’s breathing was rapid, and for a few seconds, he couldn’t find the words to speak.
Only after a brief pause did he finally calm down enough to say, “Have you checked the internet yet?”
“No, didn’t you tell me not to?”
“Well, now you can. Something big has happened.”
Tang Xiao, still puzzled, climbed out of bed and turned on his computer. He kept his phone on the call as he did. But the moment his browser opened, a trending topic immediately popped up on the homepage.
#Memories of a Parallel World#
What the hell?
Tang Xiao clicked in and read for a few seconds. His expression shifted from confusion to shock. He quickly turned back to his phone. “Dr. Xiao, don’t tell me—”
“Yes.” Xiao Bai’s voice was quiet. “I’ve dreamed it too. I remember that world.”
“I finally understand why you approached me back then.”
Tang Xiao ran a hand through his hair, momentarily at a loss for words. But before he could figure out what to say, Xiao Bai added, “Let’s talk more when we have time. I won’t keep you any longer—someone’s already been spamming me with messages, getting impatient.”
The call ended. But almost instantly, a new call came in—this time from an unknown number. Tang Xiao answered, and a familiar voice spoke.
“Tang Xiao?”
“Dr. Feng?” Tang Xiao was surprised. He had never interacted with Feng Shuyun in real life. The fact that she was calling now could only mean one thing...
“Oh my, it really is you.” Feng Shuyun’s voice was warm and gentle, though it carried a slight rasp of age. Still, it couldn’t hide the affection within. “Good child, are you doing well? I saw all the arguments online. Don’t take them to heart.”
“I’m fine.” At that moment, a memory from those three years flashed through Tang Xiao’s mind—Feng Shuyun in her final moments.
No matter how exhausted she was, she never stopped working. Even when her body gave out, she refused to rest. Every time she recovered, she immediately threw herself back into research.
It was only then that Tang Xiao learned about her heart condition. Now, unable to suppress his concern, he asked, “How’s your health, Dr. Feng?”
“I’m doing well, resting properly.” Feng Shuyun chuckled. “Actually, I really want to see you in person, to see if you look the same as in my memories. Child, those three years were so hard on you. But unfortunately, my health doesn’t allow me to travel much these days.” How does she know? The question flickered through Tang Xiao’s mind, but he didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he focused on what she had said.
“Which hospital are you staying at? I’ll come visit.”
“No rush. We’ll have our chance.”
They continued chatting for a bit, mostly with Feng Shuyun asking about the other world. It was only then that Tang Xiao realized that some people’s memories had merged, but not all at once. Some only recalled fragments, while others remembered everything—though those who did seemed to suffer from personality shifts due to the overwhelming influx of memories.
Interestingly, scientists and researchers seemed to retain the most and clearest memories, though the reason for this was unknown.
Feng Shuyun sighed, “Alright, I won’t take up too much of your time. We’ll talk again when we have the chance. I imagine there are quite a few people who have urgent matters to discuss with you.”
“Urgent matters?”
“Don't rush, you'll know soon enough.”
With that, Dr. Feng hung up. Only then did Tang Xiao begin to process the sudden changes. He glanced at his phone and noticed that Lodge had sent him several messages.
[Are you okay? Don’t mind what people are saying online.]
[I will always support you.]
[Are you looking at your phone?]
Then, at a specific timestamp, Lodge sent another message:
[I… can I be your friend?]
Tang Xiao lowered his gaze and replied: [Of course.]
Seeing Tang Xiao get out of bed and immediately start handling things—taking calls, checking the news—Jun Tesi didn’t interrupt. He simply leaned against the bed, smiling as he watched Tang Xiao’s back.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Tang Xiao didn’t need to guess who it was. He turned to glance at Jun Tesi, who pouted and, reluctantly, dissolved into mist, disappearing from the bed.
Tang Xiao opened the door, and as expected, his parents were already up. They hadn’t even changed out of their pajamas, clearly having just woken up and rushed over after seeing the news online.
Father Tang looked excited. “Xiaoxiao, what’s going on with the internet?”
Mother Tang frowned. “Why has public opinion suddenly flipped? And what do they mean when they say you’re the savior? What exactly happened?”
“Well… honestly, I’m not too sure myself.” Tang Xiao smiled bitterly. “I just woke up.”
Father Tang took a deep breath, calming himself before pinpointing the key issue. “They must be talking about the other world, right? When did you become a savior? And I saw people online saying you died before the war ended. What’s that about? You didn’t mention that last night!”
Tang Xiao: …
Mother Tang’s eyes widened as she processed the information. “Yeah! You never told us you did something that huge! And what’s this about you dying?”
Crap! How was he supposed to explain this?!
Tang Xiao felt a headache coming on, but thankfully, his phone rang again. He quickly said, “I’ll explain later—I need to take this call.”
The third call was also from an unknown number. Before his parents could protest, Tang Xiao answered. “Hello?”
“Dr. Tang, hope I’m not disturbing you?” A voice that was both unfamiliar yet somewhat recognizable came through the phone. Tang Xiao thought for a moment. “Mr. Li?”
“Oh? You still remember me? What an honor,” Li Xiaoyi said cheerfully.
“You left quite an impression.” Tang Xiao had expected the special department to contact him, just not this quickly. He glanced at his parents and stepped slightly away, mouthing the words, ‘Official business.’
Father and Mother Tang stood their ground, clearly unwilling to let the matter go so easily.
Tang Xiao’s headache worsened. He should’ve just let Jun Tesi stay!
Sighing, he returned to the call. “Are you calling because of the situation online?”
“Talking to smart people is always easy.”
“But to be honest, even if you ask me, I don’t have much to say. I only found out about all this two minutes ago. I’m just as confused.” Tang Xiao sighed.
“Haha, I get it. This is like a natural disaster—impossible to predict. We were mentally prepared for something like this, but we didn’t expect the fusion to happen so quickly…”
“So, it is world fusion?”
“Exactly. The magnetic field fluctuations last night were extremely unusual. And that energy… well, I don’t understand the technical terms. But memory fusion has happened before—just never on this scale. We can be fairly certain that fusion has now entered the second stage.”
“Second stage?”
“The first stage was the fog phenomenon in certain areas. The second stage—what’s happening now—is memory fusion in people who have counterparts in the parallel world.”
“What about those who don’t have counterparts?” Tang Xiao asked. After all, the population gap between the two worlds was massive. Reality had around 8 billion people, while the game world had only about 100 million.
Even after the war, population growth would take time.
“So far, nothing has happened to them,” Li Xiaoyi said seriously. “But that may change. Honestly, no one knows what the consequences will be—how people with counterparts will be affected, how those without will be affected, or what changes our world will undergo. Everything is uncertain. But based on the current data…”
“It’s not looking good?”
“It’s a possibility,” Li Xiaoyi admitted. “You’re the expert on the academic side—I can’t say for sure.”
Tang Xiao thought about the game mission and the data reports he’d seen in the other world. He let out a slow breath.
“Then, I assume your call isn’t just to update me on this situation?”
Li Xiaoyi chuckled. “That’s right. The sudden exposure of the parallel world caught us off guard, too. You’ve probably seen how chaotic the internet is. To be honest, this is likely just the beginning.”
Tang Xiao understood what he meant. The revelation of a parallel world would undoubtedly bring social upheaval. The existence of mutant beasts and the fog couldn’t be kept secret from those paying close attention. If news of world fusion spread, it wouldn’t be any less catastrophic than an actual apocalypse.
Even the previously peaceful order could be instantly disrupted—at any moment, no one would know whether they’d die or fuse. In such circumstances, there’s no telling what humans might do.
“At this point, hiding the truth is nearly impossible, so we’d like to formally invite you to join the United Research Institute and hold a press conference. As the honorary academician jointly appointed by both worlds, you would explain and clarify the current situation.”
“Me? Me?” Tang Xiao was stunned. “Wait, you mean both worlds? And what honorary academician?”
Father and Mother Tang silently perked up their ears.
“Oh, did I not mention that?” Li Xiaoyi said. “World fusion concerns both worlds. Memory blending isn’t happening only in ours—it’s occurring in the other world as well.”
“The public over there is in an uproar. Honestly, if the military wasn’t keeping them in check, everyone who knows the truth would probably be storming into the fog area right now to find you.”
Tang Xiao: …
It couldn't be that serious… right?
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