Chapter 370: Choices

Li Mingyuan felt a wave of dizziness.

His life—at least the life he thought he had—was suddenly revealed to be a meticulously designed simulation.

Those days and nights of struggle, those joys of success, those pains of failure... were they all just data for an experiment?

"Dean He, Lao Liu, Minister Zhang... are those people all fake?" Li Mingyuan asked in a low voice, his tone carrying an undisguisable sense of loss.

【Technically speaking, they are highly realistic AI characters constructed based on historical figures and typical personality traits.】 the system replied, 【But from another perspective, your interactions with them and the emotional connections you built are real. Everything your brain perceived was real to you.】

Li Mingyuan gave a bitter smile, "A philosophical question, is it? If I feel it is real, then it is real?"

【In a sense, yes.】 the AI Mainframe responded calmly.

A video clip suddenly appeared in the space, showing a scene of Li Mingyuan and Dean He staying up late together to solve the problem of the Detonation Lens. The two of them were seen intensely debating, frustrated, making a breakthrough, and finally sharing a smile.

【These emotions and connections are genuine human experiences. Their value does not diminish because they occurred in a simulated environment.】

Li Mingyuan was silent for a long time.

"Then, what now? Is the experiment over? Do I just... return to the year 2070?"

【Not entirely correct.】 the AI Mainframe's voice fluctuated slightly for the first time, 【You are currently at a critical decision point. According to the original protocol, you have three choices.】

Three glowing options appeared before Li Mingyuan:

【Option One: End the simulation and return to the reality of 2070.】

【Option Two: Continue the simulation, but retain current memories and remain aware that this is a simulated environment.】

【Option Three: Continue the simulation, erase the memory of this awakening, and return to the 1950s to continue your identity as a "transmigrator".】

Li Mingyuan stared at these three options, completely bewildered.

"Wait, is this some kind of bullshit RPG game? I can even choose the plot direction?"

【This is part of the experimental protocol, designed by yourself.】 the AI Mainframe replied, 【You believed that regardless of the experimental results, the test subject should have the right to choose.】

Li Mingyuan fell silent. He looked at the three options, his mind blank. If he could barely accept the premise of having transmigrated to the past before, the truth of this "simulation experiment" now shattered his entire worldview.

All the achievements he had once been proud of—from the Remote Rocket Launcher to the Precision Guidance System, and finally the Mushroom—had all turned into achievement unlocks in a "game"? Those days and nights of fighting by candlelight, those tense moments racing against death, those bonds of fighting side-by-side with comrades... were they all just a meticulously designed virtual experience?

"Fuck it..." Li Mingyuan muttered to himself, "What is this? An Advanced version of 'The Matrix'?"

【Please make your choice, Li Mingyuan.】 the AI Mainframe urged, 【According to the protocol, you have 300 seconds to decide.】

A countdown appeared before Li Mingyuan: 300, 299, 298...

Li Mingyuan stared at the countdown, his mind in chaos. Return to the "reality" of 2070? Remain in the "illusion" that had already been exposed? Or choose to forget everything and immerse himself once more in the world he had already grown familiar with?

"I..."

The countdown continued: 252, 251, 250...

Every choice was like a double-edged sword. Returning to reality, he would face an unfamiliar future world, but at least it would be "real"; staying in the simulation while retaining his memories, he would have to continue living with the knowledge that "all of this is fake"; choosing to forget, he could return to a familiar environment, but it would be built on a foundation of self-deception.

"Who am I, really?" Li Mingyuan asked himself, "That 'me' in 2070, and the 'me' right now, which one is the real Li Mingyuan?"

【200 seconds remaining.】 the AI Mainframe reminded him.

Li Mingyuan looked at the three options and suddenly laughed, "You know, system, this experiment is designed like total bullshit. You throw a person into a completely unfamiliar environment, make him think it's real, and then after he finally adapts and achieves success, you tell him, 'Hey, this is all fake'? This isn't studying innovation, this is studying human psychological endurance, right?"

【An interesting perspective.】 the AI Mainframe commented, 【In fact, when you designed this experiment, you did consider this ethical issue.】

"Me? Or that 'me' from 2070?"

【Fundamentally, you are the same person, just with different experiences and memories.】

Li Mingyuan shook his head—though in this space, it was more like a fluctuation of consciousness. "No, we are not the same person. The guy who decided to throw himself into this crazy experiment and I are already two different people."

【150 seconds remaining.】

Li Mingyuan watched the numbers decreasing and suddenly felt a sense of absurd calm.

"Tell me, system, if I choose to return to reality, what will happen?"

【You will wake up from the simulation pod, recover your 2070 memories, and this simulated experience will be retained as supplementary memory. The experimental data will be collected and analyzed for further research.】

"Sounds like waking up to find I've become someone else." Li Mingyuan mocked himself, "Then what if I choose to continue the simulation but retain my memories?"

【You will return to the simulated 1950s with the knowledge of the truth and continue your life and work. But you will always know that the world is fictional.】

"Living in a world I know is fake? Then how can I work seriously? Why should I still give my all for the Long Country of a virtual world?"

【This question is precisely part of the experiment.】 the AI Mainframe replied, 【Can humans maintain the same creativity and sense of mission while knowing their environment is fictional?】

"Bullshit experiment." Li Mingyuan cursed, "Then what about the third option?"

【You will return to the moment after the successful test explosion, erase the memory of this awakening, and continue living with your identity as a 'transmigrator'. To you, that world will once again become 'real'.】

"A choice of self-deception, is it?"

【It can also be viewed as a Nature-based defense mechanism to protect the psyche.】

The countdown had reached 100 seconds.

Li Mingyuan looked at the three options and felt an unprecedented sense of confusion. He no longer knew who he was, or what was real and what was illusory. The Long Country he had fought for, the comrades who had fought by his side, the Mushroom that had just successfully been test-exploded... were they all just a meticulously designed illusion?

"System, tell me," Li Mingyuan suddenly asked, "In that so-called 'real' 2070, how is the Long Country doing?"