The night before the promotion

Chapter 15 Golden Dreamland
Li Weiyun glanced at the sky. The sun had already set completely, with only a little afterglow lingering on the edge of the sky. Soon, the sky would be completely dark, the world would fall asleep, and the nightlife in Anyan City would just begin.

He touched the bulletproof vest he wore under his coat and called out to the others in the car.

"Check the equipment. Although we are testing the other party, this is the Golden Dreamland, where good and bad people mix together. Who knows what might happen."

Needless to say, Xiang Ji, who was full of professionalism and sense of mission, had already sorted out everything before departure. Li Weiyu liked this newcomer. Except for being a little taciturn, he was simply a perfect team member.

However, Song Qiliang, the nominal old man, still looked nonchalant and nervously pressed the buttons. Li Weiyu criticized Song Qiliang several times, but Song Qiliang said that this was the relaxation and calmness he should have as a veteran.

Li Weiyun comforted himself that it was indeed not Song Qiliang's fault. He was not a field worker. According to the positioning in the Supervisory Bureau, he was the operator of the armed avatar.

When a conflict occurs, while Li Weiyu and others are fighting the enemy to the death on the spot, Song Qiliang will lie in the air-conditioned room, comfortably controlling the armed avatar and killing as many people as he can.

Safe, comfortable and enviable.

But unfortunately, the armed avatar can only be deployed a few times a year, resulting in Song Qiliang's presence in this regard being extremely weak. On days when the armed avatar is not needed, he is like a logistics staff, supporting the actions of Li Weiyu and others.

His eyes jumped from one face to another, and Li Weiyu looked to the deepest part of the carriage, where Zhou Si had been resting with his eyes closed.

Just as Li Weiyun was about to speak, Zhou Si responded, "I'm ready too, fully armed."

As he spoke, Zhou Si knocked on his chest, and a dull knocking sound was heard.

In addition to the standard bulletproof vest, Zhou Si also brought his medical kit, picked out a handy axe from it, and hid it under his loose white coat.

"Aren't you going to change your clothes?" Xiang Ji asked, "Your white coat is too conspicuous."

Zhou Si said with a bit of narcissism, "What I want is to be conspicuous."

Xiang Ji asked simply, "To maintain the professional attire of a doctor?"

Although Xiang Ji had only known Zhou Si for a few days, every time they met recently, Zhou Si wore a standard white coat. Sometimes when Xiang Ji saw a conspicuous white on the street, he would hallucinate it as Zhou Si.

Xiang Ji totally didn't understand Zhou Si's obsession with the white coat. It seemed like a kind of morbid stubbornness, or part of his narcissistic, histrionic personality.

Zhou Si answered mysteriously, "Just like a name corresponds to a person's identity information, don't you think a conspicuous and unique outfit can also represent me, Zhou Si, as an individual?"

"To attract other people's attention?" Song Qiliang asked curiously, "I didn't expect you to have such a side."

"No," Zhou Si emphasized again, "I wear this for myself."

Zhou Si did not want to explain too much, but looked towards the side window. His face was vaguely visible on the glass, making it difficult to distinguish. However, his white clothes were clearly visible, like an indelible mark engraved in Zhou Si's bones.

"Okay, we should go."

Li Weiyun opened the car door and shook his clothes. "Doctor Zhou, come with me. You two wait here for orders. If anything unexpected happens, it's up to you two."

Xiang Ji and Song Qiliang said in unison, "Okay."

The cool evening breeze gently caressed Zhou Si's cheek. He took a deep breath and seemed to be able to catch a hint of the faint fragrance of the ocean.

This city built by the sea, when night falls, the sea breeze blowing from the nearby harbor can always gently blow away the summer heat and bring a touch of coolness to the citizens.

If one ignores the staggeringly high housing prices in Yanyan City, Zhou Si sincerely feels that this is an ideal place to live.

He looked up and saw a skyscraper across the street that looked like a giant bamboo emerging from the ground. Together with the surrounding high-rise buildings, it formed a steel forest. The dense treetops almost blocked out the vast night sky.

Zhou Si's sight passed through the gap in the forest and fell on the night sky that leaked out from the cracks between the buildings.

The night sky is no longer pure inky black, but has a faint dark red hue.

The city’s light pollution has long drowned out the real starry sky. The stars in the sky have become dim, and have been replaced by swarms of drones flying along precise trajectories. They draw bright tracks in the air, like the Milky Way flowing in the night sky.

An array of drones formed the logo of Shenwei Technology and flew around the city, as if declaring the company's absolute dominance over the city.

"Look, that's the Skyline Building," Li Weiyun pointed to the building across the street and said, "Golden Dreamland is on its top floor."

Decades ago, the Skyline Tower was the landmark building of Anyan City and the tallest building in the city. Later, the rise of the Shenwei Tower broke its record, becoming not only a new landmark of Anyan City, but also an architectural miracle in the entire Asian region.

At the top of the Skyline Building, there are many large holographic projectors installed. Colorful holographic images rotate around the top floor, surrounded by clouds and mist, like a fairyland.

In the flickering holographic image, a charming woman walked out and extended an inviting hand to the people on the ground. Then, her voice gradually dissipated, replaced by a dazzling golden light, turning into a golden dreamland.

The Skyline Building has a total of ninety-seven floors, and the Golden Dreamland occupies the top three floors. There is no elevator directly to the top of the building. The two need to take the elevator to the fiftieth floor and then transfer to another elevator to reach the Golden Dreamland.

While waiting for the elevator to continue upward, Li Weiyun asked to kill time, "Do you know about the sex doll service in Golden Dreamland? They are almost turning it into a specialty industry."

He went on to say, "The Supervision Bureau has always wanted to crack down on this kind of sex doll service, but there are gaps in the existing legal system in this regard, just like the 524 draft that is being promoted. We can only find breakthroughs in other aspects and create some trouble for them."

Zhou Si understands his frustration, “According to them, this industry should be classified as a spiritual companionship service, just like the nursing avatar industry.

Those service providers are nothing more than cold, embodied shells. In the entire transaction process, the only people who can be regarded as real persons are the customers who pay the money. "

"It's just like the silicone doll sex experience center that was popular for a while decades ago," Zhou Si added, "but they stuffed a soul that can respond into the silicone doll. This behavior is not even the most basic sexual service."

A crisp bell rang and the elevator arrived.

Perhaps they had arrived too early, and it was not yet the climax of the nightlife, so there were only the two of them in the elevator, along with the annoying elevator advertisement.

The voices of men and women kept ringing in my ears, repeating the story in a seductive tone.

"Golden Dreamland, customize your beautiful dream."

Zhou Si was indifferent to these temptations, but Li Weiyu took a few more glances at them, his emotion full of emotion.

"I can understand those people," Li Weiyun said in a complicated tone, "As long as you spend some money, you can customize a perfect image of your inner self, and this image is not limited to fantasy, but can also be based on reality."

Zhou Si remained silent. Similar sex doll services are available all over the world. Some people customize their dream lovers, while others try to customize the image of their avatars to look like popular stars. As a result, lawsuits over portrait rights are common.

Li Weiyun suddenly said a name, "Shi Tong she..."

Zhou Si glanced at Li Weiyu in surprise. Since they met, Li Weiyu seldom mentioned the name Shi Tong, just like he seldom mentioned his past, as if everyone had a past that was too painful to look back on.

Shi Tong is Li Weiyun's fiancée, but they may never get married again. This sad fact makes Li Weiyun devote all his energy to work. From this point of view, the two of them are like-minded.

"Three years ago, Shi Tong was admitted to a nursing home. I was in pain for a long time. There were a few times when I thought about seeking sex doll services."

Li Weiyun asked as if seeking judgment, "Are you surprised?"

"Not surprising," Zhou Si expressed his understanding. "When people are in pain, they often resort to any means to survive and find relief. All the behaviors that arise from this are, to some extent, understandable."

As he spoke, Zhou Si's thoughts drifted to Pei Dong, who kept muttering about becoming an immortal.

Understanding is one part, but whether it involves legitimacy is another.

"Is it really so?" Li Weiyun's eyes looked a little dim, "She and I have been friends since college, and our growth process has been recorded one by one on social media.

With this information, I could have accurately recreated her, whether in appearance, voice or personality, and even recreated her charm in her youth." "What happened next?" Zhou Si asked curiously.

"I chose to give up." Li Weiyu's voice was calm, as if he had walked out of that pain, or had become numb.

"Just when my desire reached its peak, I suddenly woke up, and then there was a sense of nothingness."

Li Weiyun looked at Zhou Si again, "Doctor Zhou, what do you think?"

"illusory."

Zhou Si answered directly, "Just like the slogan of Golden Dreamland, no matter how tempting it is, it is just a dream after all."

He then said with a hint of sarcasm, "The happiness and beauty you pursue are nothing but illusions built on money. You are lusting after a pile of lifeless metal and silicone, and you don't even know whether the person hidden inside this perfect body is a man or a woman."

Li Weiyun whispered, "We all had almost perfect lives until an accident messed it all up."

Zhou Si remembered this sentence. This was what he said to Li Weiyu after Shi Tong got into trouble three years ago.

The elevator bell rang again, and the two arrived at the floor where the Golden Dreamland was located.

"Don't think about it, Captain Li. You are like a gloomy widower, but Shi Tong is not dead yet."

Zhou Si said sternly like a drill instructor, "It's time to work."

The moment the elevator door opened, before the two of them could see clearly what was happening outside, an intoxicating fragrance wafted towards them, accompanied by waves of pleasant singing.

Zhou Si narrowed his eyes. Many dazzling lights were flashing in the reception hall. Outside the transparent glass, the huge holographic projection kept changing. The rolling sea of ​​clouds seemed to turn from virtual to real, almost rushing towards him.

"Team Leader Li, Doctor Zhou."

A sturdy man came forward, wearing black sunglasses, at least two meters tall, and wearing a tight suit. His muscles bulged under the fabric, and at a close distance, he looked like a human wall.

When he heard the man's voice, Zhou Si noticed that several security guards had already surrounded the elevator entrance, as if they had been waiting for the two of them for a long time.

Li Weiyu couldn't help but become nervous. Both himself and Zhou Si were already on the list of people in the Golden Dreamland. They probably noticed the arrival of the two when they got on the elevator.

"It's really troublesome."

Li Weiyu complained in his heart. He had thought that this visit would encounter many obstacles, but he never expected that he would be stopped outside before he even entered the door of the Golden Dreamland.

Just when the atmosphere was becoming a little suffocating and everyone's nerves were on edge, the sturdy man suddenly laughed and welcomed everyone.

"It's really unexpected that you two can come here at the same time."

"Team Leader Li didn't bring any team members this time. I guess he didn't want us to rest for the day. It's really not easy." He first glanced at Li Weiyu, then looked at Zhou Si, "Oh, it's been a long time since I last saw Doctor Zhou. Who are you here to arrest this time?"

Li Weiyun was a little confused.

"He's not here to discipline you, and I'm not here to arrest you," Zhou Si said, "We are all human beings, with emotions and desires. What's wrong with enjoying ourselves? Are you not welcome?"

"How could this be? We welcome all guests," the sturdy man made way and made an invitation. His voice suddenly became serious. "But since you are guests, I hope you two will abide by the rules."

Zhou Si ignored him and glanced at Li Weiyu, "See, it's not that difficult."

The two of them walked past the security guards and into the illusory sea of ​​clouds. The singing gradually became louder and the laughter of a man and a woman could be heard faintly.

Li Weiyun found that Zhou Si was more powerful than he thought. "How did you do it?"

"Just a heads-up."

Zhou Si took out his phone and displayed his after-sales group. "Rong Bin was originally just a street thug, but he was very good at boxing and was well-known in the hidden alleys. In a conflict in the hidden alleys three years ago, he was beaten half to death."

"I was practicing medicine in Hidden Alley at the time, and I happened to pass by and saved him. Later, he actually climbed up again step by step, and now he has become the security captain of Golden Dreamland."

Zhou Si said with some pride, "Don't underestimate the doctor's connections."

Li Weiyun looked at Zhou Si with a complicated expression, and couldn't help but admire him, "You really are... a kind-hearted doctor."

"I can't help it. I practice medicine more often and meet all kinds of people."

The soft light shone on Zhou Si's face, and the woman's singing became clearer. Several service staff came forward and wanted to ask the two what they needed, but Zhou Si raised his hand to stop them.

In the dance floor in front, many figures were swaying in it, and on the sofas on the periphery were sitting blurry figures. Cold bodies and flesh-and-blood creatures were entangled together, and they kissed and caressed each other.

In a trance-like moment, the world in Zhou Si's eyes became weird and terrifying. The demons lurking in the deep darkness seemed to be sucking the souls of the living.

The fragrance in the air became stronger, while the song that had been lingering in my ears gradually faded away.

Shadowy figures hurried past Zhou Si, but he could not see their faces clearly. He only felt the breeze blowing gently, as if invisible ghosts were wandering.

Suddenly, a cold hand touched Zhou Si's body. The touch was so cold that people could not tell whether it was a cold corpse or a metal arm.

Zhou Si stared at the hands in disgust, but they quickly disappeared in the darkness, leaving no trace.

"Is he a doctor?"

"What's a doctor doing here?"

"He didn't seem to care."

The sound of whispering came from the turbid darkness. The light above his head followed Zhou Si's figure like a spotlight, making his face look extremely pale and making his white clothes even more dazzling in the darkness.

In this chaotic darkness, Zhou Si seemed to have become a pure and uncontaminated light.

At this moment, someone suddenly grabbed Zhou Si.

He turned around suddenly, with a depressed and ferocious expression on his face, but it was Li Weiyun's face that appeared in the darkness.

Li Weiyun asked anxiously, "Where are you going?"

Zhou Si's anger solidified in an instant. After realizing that he was about to lose control, Zhou Si's expression gradually relaxed. He quickly took out the medicine bottle from his pocket and swallowed a few pills skillfully.

Li Weiyun felt that something was wrong with Zhou Si, "Are you... okay?"

"It's okay," Zhou Si endured the foreign body sensation in his throat and forced the pill down, "I just don't like this place very much."

The effect of the drug took effect quickly, and Zhou Si clearly found that his vision became clearer, and the whispers lingering in his ears were quickly fading away.

"Don't waste time here," Zhou Si said with a gloomy face, "Let's go directly to see Shan Jun."

Across the crowded dance floor, the song of sirens came from the depths of dreams.

(End of this chapter)