The room's atmosphere was suffocating, illuminated only by the cold, bluish-white glow of the terminal reflecting onto Yu Yong-An's face. His fingers hovered, trembling slightly above the virtual keyboard.
Li An-Qing—deceased, February 19, 2025.
The stark, impersonal record lay quietly on the screen, slicing silently through his consciousness like a sharpened blade.
Even though this world wasn't his own familiar reality, the name carried an undeniable impact. He instinctively searched for more details but found all records of her death encrypted or erased. Only the date and location were visible; no cause of death, no publicly available records—her death seemed deliberately concealed.
Closing his eyes briefly, a deep unease stirred within him.
What had this world's Zhang Yi-An experienced?
Taking a deep breath, he swiftly scanned through the contact list, eliminating irrelevant entries until a particular name drew his attention:
Bai Zi-Ming.
Bai Zi-Ming in the Alternate World
Bai Zi-Ming—a familiar name from Yu Yong-An's own reality, a former acquaintance and a prominent figure in information security. Yet here, his identity was listed as:
"Independent technical expert, black-market informant, long-term associate of Zhang Yi-An."
"Last contact: December 20, 2026."
Yu stared at the date, pulse quickening.
—Just seven days ago.
Rapidly accessing Bai's recent activity, he noted the final location marked as "LUOYEH"—a hidden physical site outside AI surveillance, a hub for clandestine information exchanges and illegal transactions.
"He's alive…and he must know what happened to this world's Zhang Yi-An."
Yu closed the terminal and looked up at the man across the room.
"I need to find someone," he said calmly, eyes resolute.
"You know what this means?" The man's voice carried subtle scrutiny.
"I do," Yu replied firmly, rising to his feet. "If I don't go, I'll never understand why I ended up here."
After a brief pause, the man tossed him a small chip. "Limited pass, valid for 72 hours. Beyond that, the world's surveillance AI will flag you as an anomaly."
Yu accepted the chip wordlessly. He had no retreat now. LUOYEH was his first step toward uncovering this world's secrets.
LUOYEH Base · December 27, 2026 · 21:43
Night cloaked the city, distant skyscrapers flickering coldly against the darkness. Yet, this district was oddly silent, seemingly disconnected from the advanced technological surroundings.
LUOYEH hid within a building appearing abandoned from the outside, entrance concealed deep within a narrow alley. Approaching cautiously, Yu examined the worn metal door. Under faint light, what appeared to be random scratches revealed themselves as subtly etched numeric code:
—LUOYEH
A place immune to AI monitoring—a black market hub for trading erased truths.
If Zhang Yi-An had contacted Bai Zi-Ming here, this was Yu's sole chance at answers.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward.
Inside LUOYEH
Security at the entrance appeared minimal, but hidden scanners swept his body subtly, verifying identification.
"Passcode," came a flat synthetic voice.
Without hesitation, Yu raised his wrist, letting the chip interface with the scanner. Moments later, "Access Granted" flashed briefly.
The electronic door opened slightly, revealing a corridor tinged with the faint odor of metal and coolant.
Entering, Yu faced a dimly lit metallic hallway, walls bathed in complex projected data streams like neural networks.
LUOYEH differed drastically from his expectations—not a bustling black-market club, but a silent, data-driven nexus where individuals communicated wordlessly through their terminals.
Scanning the room, his gaze settled upon a man seated at the bar:
Bai Zi-Ming.
Bai Zi-Ming of the Alternate World
Bai Zi-Ming sat absorbed in his terminal, fingers rapidly decoding information. His dark coat and slightly disheveled hair accompanied a vigilant, calculating gaze reminiscent of the man Yu once knew.
Approaching, Yu gently tapped the counter: "We need to talk."
Bai Zi-Ming paused, lifting his eyes coldly, assessing Yu with detached suspicion. "Who are you?"
"If you still remember Zhang Yi-An, then we have something in common," Yu replied quietly.
Bai Zi-Ming's expression sharpened instantly. "Where did you hear that name?" he asked cautiously, clearly probing Yu's intentions.
Rather than respond verbally, Yu activated his terminal, swiftly inputting code. Moments later, the screen displayed encrypted data from Zhang Yi-An's alternate records alongside a notation:
"Decoder: Bai Zi-Ming."
Bai Zi-Ming's eyes widened momentarily, confusion deepening. "Who…are you?" he finally demanded.
"I told you—we need to talk," Yu reaffirmed steadily.
Bai's pupils narrowed slightly. Evaluating risks, he finally said, "Follow me."
LUOYEH Inner Chamber · Confidential Room
Minutes later, they stood inside a specially insulated room designed for private discussions, shielded from AI surveillance.
Closing the door, Bai Zi-Ming stared at Yu intently. "Who exactly are you?"
"First, tell me where Zhang Yi-An is," Yu countered firmly.
After a tense silence, Bai finally spoke, his tone restrained:
"He disappeared."
"Disappeared?" Yu frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Exactly that," Bai replied tersely. "He vanished months ago without a trace."
"Yet you're here," Yu pressed. "You must know something."
Bai didn't deny it, his gaze heavy. "If you truly want answers, you'll have to answer me first."
"Who—are you?"
It was raining again.
Yang An-Ting stood before the bathroom mirror, the glass fogged with steam. She didn't wipe it away—just stared at the blurred reflection, which looked less and less like herself.
"You thought of him again, didn't you?"
Li An-Qing's voice returned—not a whisper this time, but a calm, gentle presence, as if seated beside her consciousness.
She said nothing. But her palm grew warm. Her phone lit up once on the nightstand, then dimmed, pulsing like something waiting to be remembered.
She stepped quietly into the room. Her laptop, left idle, flickered suddenly. A string of unfamiliar text scrolled across the screen:
Zhang Yi-AnLast accessed: Dec. 20, 2026Decoder: Bai Zi-Ming
She froze.
She hadn't typed that.And yet—she remembered it.
"He found Bai Zi-Ming," Li An-Qing said softly. "He's opening the door."
"But he doesn't remember you."
Yang An-Ting gently placed her hand over the screen. It went dark at her touch.
"I know," she whispered. "But I still remember him."
The tension was palpable, a silent confrontation between two wary individuals, both knowing this exchange could unravel the mystery of their intersecting timelines.