The night before the promotion

Chapter 9 Becoming an Immortal
Xiang Ji sat in front of the computer, looking at the news he had searched for with a serious face.

Ever since Luo Yong's incident, the image of Zhou Si as a somewhat neurotic mad doctor has been lingering in Xiang Ji's mind. He has too much curiosity about this underground legend in Yanyan City that has yet to be satisfied.

According to Song Qiliang, Xiang Ji carefully filled in Zhou Si's name in the search bar, and all of a sudden, countless entries popped up, densely packed.

The web pages are filled with junk terms such as "Zhou Si Sanatorium", "Zhou Si Food", "Crazy Thursday", "Is it Zhou Si or Thursday" and so on.

Based on his work experience, Xiang Ji immediately figured out that someone had deliberately used this cumbersome junk information to pollute the search database and hide the information that was actually related to Zhou Si.

What surprised Xiang Ji even more was that among the many entries, a recurring word caught Xiang Ji's attention.

"Ascension to Immortality?"

Xiang Ji looked at the word with confusion. He knew very well what "ascend to the heaven" meant. It was the ascension to heaven that the ancients sought, the absolute spiritual or material transcendence, which mostly appeared in local religious beliefs and some literary and artistic creations.

Of course, ascending to heaven does not exist.

In this era of rapid technological development, the outdated and unscientific term "ascension to heaven" seems particularly abrupt and discordant.

When I clicked on the link, the page I was redirected to was blank and had no information.

Just like the word "ascension to immortality" itself, all entries related to ascension to immortality that are searched on the Internet will point to a blank page that is illusory and has no meaning.

"What are you looking at?"

Li Weiyu's voice suddenly sounded from behind Xiang Ji. Xiang Ji turned his head nervously, only to see Li Weiyu bending down and looking at what was displayed on the screen.

"I'm looking for information about Dr. Zhou," Xiang Ji confessed. "Yesterday Song Qiliang told me something about him. He said I could find more detailed information online."

Xiang Ji felt a little embarrassed. His behavior seemed like he was questioning Li Weiyu's trust in Zhou Si.

"It's normal. Almost every newcomer who comes into contact with Dr. Zhou has a similar reaction."

Li Weiyun did not blame Xiang Ji, but took the initiative to introduce, "You have just been transferred from Qingyuan City, it is normal that you don't understand these things. These companies are entrenched in various cities, like local emperors, and often control their own information."

Xiang Ji echoed, "And this requires our Supervision Bureau to control the companies."

Li Weiyun smiled and said, "That's right."

Anyan City is the base camp of Shenwei Technology. It can be said that Shenwei Technology has driven the development of the entire city entirely by its own strength.

Shenwei's technological power has permeated every aspect of this city. Shenwei transportation, Shenwei department store, Shenwei housekeeping, and even Shenwei e-sports are booming in Anyan City.

In order to restrict and supervise such a large and invincible entity as Shenwei Technology, the Supervisory Bureau came into being, like a suspended sword hanging over the heads of these behemoths.

Xiang Ji comes from Qingyuan City. There is no Shenwei Technology in that city, but there is another giant, Shouheng Life, which is now at the forefront of the biomedical field.

"If you want to look up Zhou Si's information, it's best to use the Supervisory Bureau's intranet. I think the search Song Qiliang is referring to should also be an intranet search."

Li Weiyun explained, "Zhou Si caused quite a bit of trouble at the beginning. Although it was properly handled in the end, in order to avoid unnecessary trouble, Shenwei Technology and the Supervision Bureau both implemented information control."

Xiang Ji nodded gently. He had already vaguely sensed the heaviness and complexity of the past from Li Weiyu's words.

"Is it okay?" Xiang Ji asked doubtfully, "Is it okay for me to visit directly like this?"

"No problem. Zhou Si's affairs are not a secret within our Supervisory Bureau. It would be more convenient for you to carry out your subsequent work after knowing this."

Li Weiyu sat down aside as he spoke, so that Xiang Ji could ask him directly if he had any questions.

Xiang Ji turned his gaze back to the screen. He logged into the Supervisory Bureau's intranet and began searching for information related to Zhou Si.

Soon, detailed information about a project called Dengxian appeared in front of Xiang Ji.

The information shows: "After making significant progress in promoting mind recognition technology, Chen Wen Ge, co-founder of Shenwei Technology, quietly launched a new research and immortality project.

The core goal of this project is to explore the complete transmission of human consciousness to the Internet and realize the upgrading of consciousness. At that time, human beings will be like immortals, free from the constraints of matter, become digital life, and gain the immortality of consciousness.

Chen Wen-Ge gave this technology a meaningful name, the Feathering Technology.”

As shocking and unimaginable information appeared before Xiang Ji's eyes one by one, he couldn't help but feel his heart beating faster and his throat dry. Despite this, he couldn't help but continue to look through the documents.

"In 2038, an accident occurred in the Ascension Project. Chen Wen Ge rashly conducted an upgrade test, which led to an experimental accident that swept the project. The overloaded current caused the equipment to explode, and several people involved in the research and testing died on the spot.

Shenwei Technology tried to cover up this fact, but the Supervisory Bureau intervened strongly and forcibly shut down the project on the grounds that it had not passed the review of the Ethics Committee. "

Xiang Ji closed the webpage. Due to his lack of authority, the information he saw was limited, but this little information alone was enough.

"We call this accident the Immortal Falling Accident, which led to the closure of the secret project 'Ascension to Immortality' and the cessation of research and development of the Feathering Technology.

Chen Wen Ge was suppressed within Shenwei Technology because of this incident, and most of his power was taken away from him, and he disappeared without a trace. "

Li Weiyu's voice became lighter, as if he was talking about a distant past, "However, the most important thing is Doctor Zhou. He is the protagonist of this Xianyu accident."

"What happened to him?" Xiang Ji was very curious. "I can't see any specific information about him."

The Supervisory Bureau deliberately concealed the detailed information of Zhou Si's involvement in the Xianyue accident. Xiang Ji could only combine what he knew to barely guess Zhou Si's life trajectory.

After the Xianyun accident four years ago, Zhou Si left Shenwei Technology and opened a clinic to treat Lishi disease, which he has continued to run until now.

"In the Immortal Falls incident, the person who was chosen by Chen Wen Ge to upgrade his consciousness was named... Zhou Si."

Xiang Ji's thoughts froze for a moment. He turned his head and looked at Li Weiyu in disbelief.

"It was after that that Dr. Zhou developed the disease of dissociation, and then miraculously recovered on his own."

Li Weiyun continued, "I cooperated with Dr. Zhou. On the one hand, I was indeed persuaded by Dr. Zhou. On the other hand, the Supervisory Bureau really needed him when necessary."

Li Weiyu then asked, "Xiang Ji, you should know why you were transferred to Anyan City, right?" Xiang Ji was silent for a while, and then nodded. Not only Xiang Ji was transferred here, but many inspectors also gathered in Anyan City from various cities, and all this happened in recent months.

It seemed as if a storm was about to blow in the city of Anyan.

"Shenwei Technology has developed too rapidly, like an overgrown monster. The Supervisory Bureau, as shackles, has found it difficult to restrain it. The Supervisory Bureau hopes to regain its dominant position."

Xiang Ji whispered, "Draft 524."

Li Weiyun liked this smart newcomer and gave him a smile of approval.

……

Inside the clinic, the midday sun poured in, illuminating the interior with a golden glow. In this golden scene, Zhou Si tugged at his collar uncomfortably, feeling the air was a little stuffy and making it hard to breathe.

"Ascension to the Immortal Realm?" Zhou Si muttered to himself, "Since the Immortal Fall, everything has been shut down. Even Chen Wen Ge himself can't resume research."

"I know it's impossible, but when the body is in this predicament, it's like trying to grasp at straws, I can't help but think about these things.

After all...we were so close to success."

Pei Dong's tone was full of helplessness. When she participated in the Ascension Project, she did not have much passion for scientific research, but more of a contractual spirit of doing things for money. But now, trapped in physical pain, Pei Dong misses that time instead.

She had imagined more than once, what if Chen Wen-Ge's research was successful? Would all human beings be free from the shackles of material things?
"Come to think of it, Zhou Si, don't you have any idea about ascending to heaven?"

Pei Dong asked curiously, "Back then, you were the one closest to becoming an immortal."

"No, not at all," he said, his voice hard and weak. "You have no idea what it has done to me."

Pei Dong's apologetic voice came from under the cold incarnation of nursing.

"Sorry, Zhou Si, I shouldn't..."

"It's nothing. Extreme thoughts and a desire for all means of coping are also normal reactions to the Lishi disease," Zhou Si still maintained a rational attitude. "To be precise, this is a normal reaction of the self-consciousness in order to survive."

"So what should I do, Zhou Si?"

The topic eventually turned to Pei Dong's condition. Zhou Si was more optimistic about it. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Based on my experience, you are only experiencing the early symptoms."

"Pei Dong, your condition is not serious enough to confuse yourself and make you unable to understand the difference between steel and flesh."

As Zhou Si spoke, he opened the refrigerator beside him and searched for the prepared medicines. The sound of bottles and jars colliding and pills rustling could be heard.

Pei Dong waited quietly on the side, the camera staring at Zhou Si's cheek.

In the slightly peaceful calm, Pei Dong spoke again, "Zhou Si, why do people suffer from the disease of separation?"

Zhou Si stopped the work at hand, closed the refrigerator, and sat back in his chair, facing Pei Dong.

Pei Dong muttered in a low voice, thinking about the unsolved mystery, "Back when we were in the Ascension Project, many qualified test subjects suffered from the Ignorance Disease under the high-intensity consciousness connection. They fell into madness one after another. Even Chen Wen Ge's personal research could not come up with a result..."

Zhou Si looked at the camera, as if he was staring into Pei Dong's eyes, and said confidently, "Chen Wen Ge can't find the result. It's Chen Wen Ge's business. I have my own answer. Do you want to hear it?"

"please continue."

"First of all, as a materialist, we need to make one thing clear," Zhou Si pointed out.

“Matter determines consciousness.”

"Under this premise, the occurrence of consciousness disorder is easy to understand, that is, the material that carries our consciousness has become different and ambiguous."

Zhou Si opened the drawer and searched for something inside.

“Matter determines consciousness, and the body, as part of the material world, naturally has a profound impact on consciousness.

When human consciousness is fully immersed in the mechanized incarnation body, controlling the body with biological characteristics that do not originally belong to itself, such as multiple robotic arms, super visual abilities, complex sensory systems, etc., human thinking will be distorted to a certain extent in this new material environment.

Not to mention, the incarnation body will also bring about information overload. Just like the visual ability that exceeds that of humans, the amount of information provided by the incarnation body far exceeds that of the real world. Long-term exposure to this information overload environment will also accelerate the occurrence of distortion.

After the distortion occurs, the brain will try to adapt to the new environment of this incarnated body. However, when the consciousness returns to the original flesh and blood body, the distortion will become prominent again.

The brain needs to spend extra time and energy to adapt to different information input modes until the brain becomes tired and the processing efficiency becomes lower and lower, which leads to errors, that is, cognitive dissociation. "

Zhou Si took out a pink piece of plasticine in the shape of a human brain. The left and right brain were clearly divided, even the grooves on the cerebral cortex were the same.

"To put it simply, this plasticine is our human brain, and now we load it into the avatar body."

Zhou Si picked up another transparent mold, stuffed the pink brain clay into it, and squeezed it hard.

In an instant, the pink brain clay began to deform and twist under the pressure. When Zhou Si opened the transparent mold and took out the clay symbolizing the brain, it had been deformed into a chaotic and distorted shape, like countless entangled snakes, or intertwined thorns.

"See, that's it." Zhou Si fiddled with the plasticine casually.

“At first, the distortion was not noticeable.

Due to technological limitations, human consciousness can clearly distinguish what is real and what is fake, but with the development of mind recognition technology and avatar bodies, virtual senses become more and more real, even beyond the original limits of human senses, and everything becomes blurred and confused. "

Pei Dong realized it later and said, "Imbalance of senses?"

"Yes, this also explains why the incarnation body has been developed for so many years, but the disease of separation has only begun to break out in recent years," Zhou Si said simply, "It's just that the technology was not enough back then."

Zhou Si kneaded the plasticine deftly and quickly reshaped it into the shape of a brain, placing it quietly in front of Pei Dong.

“So, when the unity of matter is broken, which part of matter can truly determine our consciousness?”

(End of this chapter)