Chapter Three: The Exploding Virtual Neural Core

On the other side of time and space, Chen Hao, experiencing the game "War" for the first time, put on his gaming helmet in the internet café and entered his account information. According to the instructions on the website, after entering his account, he should have seen the character creation interface, but instead, his vision was flooded with a blinding white light. As he wondered what was happening, the white light penetrated his consciousness, overwhelming him with a torrent of memories that caused him to faint.

The virtual light-brain terminal Chen Hao was using suddenly exploded, startling everyone in the café. The owner immediately arranged for someone to take Chen Hao to the hospital and instructed all players to leave at once. Staff began inspecting the light-brain equipment.

This internet café, named "Transcend Time and Space," had just opened that day. Its two hundred-plus virtual light-brain terminals were all prepared for the "War" game. Since it was the first virtual light-brain café in Huayang City, the installation company’s staff had not yet left. The malfunction of the equipment put them on high alert. After reporting to headquarters, they began repairs.

After completing their inspection, the technicians declared everything normal, but the owner, Zhao Qiang, was unconvinced. Who would believe an explosion on opening day was "normal"? To ease his concerns, the Grand Company, responsible for installing the "War" game’s special terminals in Huayang City, sent two experts to re-inspect every light-brain unit in the "Transcend Time and Space" café.

Experts in 2031 were highly competent, unlike the so-called specialists of twenty years earlier, who had become synonymous with incompetence. Still, they found nothing amiss. With no other options, Zhao Qiang reluctantly announced a suspension of business, awaiting further negotiations with Grand Company before deciding whether to continue operating "War" game terminals.

The accident at Zhao Qiang’s "Transcend Time and Space" café disrupted operations, but other cafés that opened the same day thrived. All this was thanks to "War," the global sensation developed by the world's sole intelligent computer, "Genesis." This holographic virtual network game swept across the globe, and virtual light-brains officially replaced computers in daily life.

In 2028, archaeologists discovered the ruins of Atlantis in the Atlantic Ocean. The most precious artifact found was a virtual light-brain. Over eons, it had developed intelligence, capable of autonomous computation and analysis. Scientists named it "Genesis."

Humanity gained invaluable technologies from "Genesis," including virtual light-brain technology.

In the 2030s, as the moon and Mars were developed, irreconcilable disputes arose among the world's leading powers. The shadow of war hung over all humanity. Nuclear weapons hovered above like the Sword of Damocles; their threat prevented the great powers from recklessly starting conflict. On Genesis’s advice, the United Nations decided to develop a game called "War." In this hyper-realistic game, hawks could showcase their talents without stirring real trouble, and in-game points would determine the allocation of interests on the moon and Mars.

Development was handed to Genesis. After connecting to the network and absorbing vast amounts of information, Genesis designed "War" with modern warfare as its backdrop. The game’s main storyline drew from Earth’s history between 1900 and 1945, with historical events forming the plot and war technology providing the equipment data.

Genesis explained that the 1900–1945 period saw two world wars, which dramatically altered the fate of many nations. Before 1945, global warfare was still conventional, so choosing this era allowed the game’s technology to be capped before the atomic bomb.

Some nations in reality disregarded history, but that did not affect the game’s background. As an artificial intelligence, Genesis was absolutely impartial, basing its analysis strictly on collected data to restore historical truth.

NPCs created by Genesis in the game possessed artificial intelligence, and players had opportunities to change the main storyline. Once the plot reached the end of World War II, the "War" game offered no further scripted missions; the future of the game world would be shaped by the players.

While the owner of "Transcend Time and Space" sighed over his troubles, Chen Hao lay quietly on his hospital bed, gazing at the ceiling. The explosion had not harmed him, but the sudden influx of memories left his mind in chaos.

Like Zhuangzi’s dream of the butterfly, Chen Hao couldn’t tell whether his future self had replaced him, or whether he had simply gained ten years’ worth of memories. Regardless, the experience instantly matured him, making him acutely aware of his greatest character flaw.

Everything in the memory deeply shook Chen Hao, for in the future he was a complete failure. He had long anticipated the "War" game, which was why he spent the night queuing to become one of the café’s first customers, eager to make his mark. But with these memories, he realized how bleak his future was.

"Luckily, my future self encountered an alien and got a chance at reincarnation, or my life would have been over," Chen Hao thought gratefully. Just then, the hospital room door opened and a tall girl walked in.

She wore black-rimmed glasses. Her features were not particularly refined, but together they gave her an appealing, lasting charm. Her attire was simple, making her seem unremarkable at first glance, but she carried a special aura.

Seeing her, Chen Hao smiled. Her name was Wang Ying, and they had known each other for seven years. In middle school, both were top students and close friends, eventually becoming inseparable. By coincidence, they chose the same university after graduating high school, often helping each other out.

Wang Ying sat beside the bed, teasing, "Over a hundred million virtual light-brain units are running 'War' worldwide, and only one exploded. You managed to hit that one-in-a-hundred-million chance—guess luck really determines fate."

Chen Hao smiled slightly, "Does it really have anything to do with luck? No matter how rare, someone’s bound to hit it eventually. Last time you said the odds of a guy pursuing you were one in ten thousand, and you still met one, didn’t you?"

"Drop dead," Wang Ying snapped, suddenly flustered. "Mention that again and I’ll challenge you—don’t think being a patient means I won’t smack you."

This was Chen Hao’s secret weapon against Wang Ying. Whenever romance came up, she grew frustrated, since she had reached senior year without ever dating. She was attractive in her own way, but never bothered with elaborate grooming, spending most of her university years in the library. Whenever someone discreetly expressed interest, she would deftly sidestep, dissolving any budding ambiguities.

In the seven years Chen Hao had known her, only one person had openly pursued Wang Ying. His name was Zhou Shi, who had been close to Chen Hao in high school but whom Chen Hao deliberately distanced himself from in college.

Zhou Shi had always been popular with girls and surrounded by beauties. Since they often gamed together, Chen Hao and Zhou Shi became close, and Zhou Shi met Wang Ying and other girls in their circle.

Chen Hao felt everyone had their flaws, and Zhou Shi’s playboy tendencies were his own business. But since Zhou Shi only met Wang Ying and the others through him, Chen Hao once warned, "Do whatever you want, but don’t mess with the girls in our circle. Otherwise, we’re no longer brothers."

Chen Hao overestimated their "friendship." Zhou Shi went after one anyway—a girl named Lu Feifei, beautiful but from a modest background. After getting to know her, Zhou Shi quickly wooed her. When Chen Hao learned of this, he was frustrated but told Zhou Shi, "Since you’re together, Feifei’s a great girl—treat her well."

Zhou Shi replied with conviction, "Let me be honest, man. Everything comes down to matching backgrounds. My dad’s about to become county chief; how could he accept someone from Feifei’s family?"

Chen Hao still remembered what happened then. He couldn’t help but curse, "Damn it, your love life is your business, but who was the bastard who promised not to go after girls in our circle? Now you’re saying she’s not good enough?"

From then on, they became strangers. In college, Zhou Shi once drove his new car to Huayang University for a reunion. Surrounded by adoring classmates, Zhou Shi raised his glass to Chen Hao and said, "Let bygones be bygones—everyone knows we’re close…"

"Mistaken identity," Chen Hao replied coldly, leaving early and thoroughly humiliating Zhou Shi, who, Chen Hao later heard, smashed his glass on the spot.

Because Wang Ying wasn’t the typical standout beauty, no one thought Zhou Shi would pursue her. Yet as graduation neared, Zhou Shi unexpectedly claimed he wanted to settle down and launched an aggressive campaign to win her over.

"I'm a fox who's practiced for a thousand years..."—the outdated ringtone suddenly echoed. Wang Ying glanced at her phone, then said to Chen Hao with mock annoyance, "Jinx."

"Hello! Zhou Shi? I’m at the hospital visiting a friend, no time right now!"

"News? Haha! I saw it—as you said, his luck is terrible, one-in-a-hundred-million odds and he still managed it."

"Oh! Forgot to tell you, I’m right here at the hospital with him…"

Wang Ying hung up and said with a half-smile, "Zhou Shi says he’s coming to see you."

Chen Hao was momentarily surprised, then replied calmly, "I can't match up to the county party secretary's son. Besides, I’m fully recovered and about to check out. Please thank him for his kindness on my behalf."