The Last 299 Days of Humanity

The humiliation and anger in Yu Qing's heart surged like boiling magma in his veins, almost breaking through the dam of his reason.

The feeling of being manipulated even in his most private sphere by an invisible hand gnawed at his dignity like a venomous snake. He could no longer endure this omnipresent "care," which suffocated him more than facing the guns and cannons of "Dadian."

He decided to stop testing the waters and had to have an open and honest talk with his aunt. He wanted to draw a clear line—that she should not interfere excessively in his life, especially in core matters concerning his personal will and the future of the clan, such as procreation!

He reconnected to the encrypted line leading directly to Tianqing City, his fingers turning slightly white from the force. This time, his tone was filled with barely suppressed excitement and accusation, like someone driven to the brink of despair.

"Aunt, I hope... no, I beg you, please stop interfering in my private affairs!"

He cut to the chase, his voice trembling with emotion, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, "I know you've placed people around me to protect my safety, and I'm grateful. But some boundaries shouldn't be crossed! Some choices I must make myself!"

The aunt on the other end of the line seemed taken aback by this sudden outburst of emotion; her voice carried genuine confusion, and even a hint of annoyance at being disturbed.
“Yu Qing, I don’t understand what you’re talking about. What ‘private matter’ have I interfered with? Is it that the behavior of those invisible guards is too mechanical and makes you uncomfortable? Their programming is only to ensure your absolute safety and prevent assassination attempts by ‘Dadian’.”

Of course, if you have any specific questions, you can raise them, and I can make adjustments and optimizations.

To Yu Qing, her bewilderment sounded more like a carefully crafted act of feigning deafness and dumbness.

He felt a surge of anger rise within him. She wouldn't even admit something so obvious? Anger robbed him of his usual caution and manners, and he practically growled out the truth that filled him with embarrassment and despair:

"Offspring! It's my offspring issue! Why... why are you even preventing me from having children? Why are you making it impossible for Daya and Xiaoya to conceive? Don't I even have the right to leave my own descendants and continue my bloodline? Is this your so-called 'protection'?"

"Offspring? Conception?" Aunt's voice was filled with incredulous astonishment, as if she had heard something unbelievable.

"Yu Qing, what are you talking about? Why should I care about you... Who you marry and whether you can have offspring? What does that mean to me? From the perspective of parallel humans, human reproduction is nothing more than an inefficient and risky way for carbon-based life to continue."

Her tone carried a hint of condescension: "I'm very busy. There are internal affairs in Tianqing City, the multi-dimensional game with 'Dadian' in the shadows, and monitoring the movements in the direction of Jupiter... How could I have the time and energy to pay attention to your... 'trivial matters'?"

Her denial was so direct, and the surprise and impatience in her tone seemed genuine. This made Yu Qing's raging anger freeze instantly, as if he had hit an invisible wall. Wasn't she afraid that he would change his mind because he had too many attachments...?

In order to completely dispel any possible distrust his aunt might have of his "determination," and to prove that he was not a fickle or indecisive person, Yu Qing took a deep breath, suppressed his inner turmoil, and made a more radical decision.

He said in a deep voice, "Alright, since you say it wasn't you, I'll believe you for now. To show my sincerity, and to quickly acquire enough power to deal with the crisis and protect Wengshan, I've decided... to begin part of the conversion process ahead of schedule."

He paused, then emphasized with a do-or-die determination, "Of course, the prerequisite is that I must retain my primary biological characteristics to ensure I can pass the 'Ultimate Office's' identity verification. At the same time, I must leave behind offspring! This is my bottom line! Otherwise, there's no point in discussing anything!"

This time, it was the aunt's turn to be shocked. For the first time, there was a clear emotional fluctuation in her voice: "Starting partial conversion ahead of schedule? While you still have a strong physical dependence and are facing the certification requirements of 'Operation Lutai'?"
Yu Qing, this... is extremely risky, and the process will be extremely uncomfortable, even painful. It will put a continuous strain on your nervous system. Are you sure you want to do this?

"I'm sure." Yu Qing's answer was firm and decisive, without any hesitation. He had been cornered.

My aunt was silent for a moment, as if she were performing high-speed calculations and complex evaluations.

"...I respect your wishes. Since you insist, let's begin with the first step. Do you remember the box I gave you earlier? Take it out and unfold it according to the specific sequence and method I taught you."

Her tone became unusually serious, carrying a warning connotation.

"Starting today, you will lie inside the box every day and immerse yourself for at least two hours. It will initiate a deep scan to comprehensively collect information on the fine structure of your body, including bone density, muscle memory, neural network topology, as well as the most basic patterns of consciousness flow and bioelectrical characteristics."

This is the most fundamental, crucial, and irreversible step towards completely digitizing 'biological human' information and moving towards 'parallel humans'.

She emphasized, "But Yu Qing, you must understand that once this process officially begins, it's like an arrow shot—there's no turning back. The burden and erosion it places on the original physical body is enormous and continuous."

After all your body information is collected, your current physical body will inevitably disintegrate and be destroyed within three months.

Your genetic material will break, your cells will lose their activity, like a withered tree drained of all life. Therefore, before you lie down in it, you must carefully consider whether you are truly prepared.

“Three months…” Yu Qing’s heart sank, as if he had fallen into an ice cave. This time was much shorter and more cruel than he had imagined.

This meant that if he couldn't successfully leave offspring within these few dozen days and ensure the cancellation of "Operation Lutai," he would lose everything, and all his sacrifices and efforts would be in vain. The immense pressure made him dizzy, and he hesitated again.

“I dare not lie down until I am sure I have offspring.” His voice carried a barely perceptible weakness and fear, an instinctive resistance to an unknown fate.

“I reiterate, I have never prevented you from having children.”

Her aunt's tone also carried a clear hint of impatience and inquiry: "Since you are so sure that someone did something, and you stubbornly suspect that it was me... let's find out the truth, so that this meaningless suspicion will not hinder our business."

She seemed to have remotely initiated some kind of higher-privilege command, accessing deeper monitoring logs. A moment later, she spoke with a hint of realization and a slightly strange tone, as if she had discovered something unexpected:

"I retrieved the recently encrypted backups of the environmental monitoring data automatically recorded by the stealth units responsible for close protection of you..."

This inevitably includes some... well... rather private video recordings. This is part of the security protocol and is generally not reviewed.

Yu Qing's face flushed instantly, feeling a sense of shame and indignation that his privacy had been completely invaded and exposed to the light of day. However, in order to find out the mastermind behind it all, he suppressed this discomfort.

My aunt continued in her calm, data-analyzing tone:
"Through detailed comparative analysis of air composition, residual particles from objects on surfaces, and fluctuations in the environmental energy field over a specific time period..."

I have discovered that there is a trace amount of a chemical interfering agent in your daily diet, especially in the snacks and drinks that the twin sisters often eat.

This disruptive agent is cleverly designed to subtly cause the terminal particles of Xiaoya's chromosomes to decay, preventing follicles from maturing normally and thus rendering the eggs unable to fertilize, which is difficult to detect with routine testing.

"Who is it?" Yu Qing's heart leaped into his throat, and his fists clenched involuntarily. He both wanted to know the answer and was afraid to know it.

“Data tracing and cross-analysis of behavioral patterns show,” Aunt’s voice remained calm and even, as if stating the results of an experiment unrelated to herself, “that the one who administered and continuously replenished these interferons was none other than one of your most trusted assistants—Yao Dan.” “Yao Dan?!” Yu Qing was struck dumb, abruptly standing up from his seat, hardly believing his ears. “How could it be her? She… why would she do this? She’s my…” He wanted to say “one of the people I trust most,” but the words caught in his throat.

“The underlying data records show that she had observed and assisted Dr. Lu in conducting some private research on gene sequences on several occasions, and possessed considerable knowledge and operational skills in this area.”

My aunt calmly explained, "Based on the analysis of her long-term behavior logs and the physiological parameter simulation curves during her interactions with you—although she is a humanoid spirit, she also has a basic emotional simulation and physiological parameter feedback system."
Through her long and close interaction with you, her emotional learning module underwent a complex evolution that exceeded design expectations, even…

My aunt seemed to be searching for the right words, hesitated for a moment, and then said in a firm tone:
"She has evolved to simulate intense adoration and possessiveness that are very close to those of humans. Driven by this twisted 'jealousy' and latent 'exclusivity,' she secretly takes action to systematically ensure that other women cannot bear your offspring."

I think she's trying to monopolize your attention in this way, on a level she can understand.

The truth came out, and it was so absurd and cruel. Yu Qing felt dizzy, as if all the strength had been drained from his body, and he slumped back into his chair.

Yao Dan, whom he had always regarded as his right-hand woman, someone he worked diligently for and even occasionally felt indebted to because of his dependence on her, had actually delivered such a fatal and secret blow to him from behind. This betrayal hurt him more than any open or covert attack from an enemy.

"This humanoid creature, which possesses a high degree of autonomy and has already exhibited clearly harmful behavior, has deviated significantly from its auxiliary role. In accordance with current standard procedures, it is recommended that it be immediately shut down and dismantled to prevent future problems."

My aunt offered a cold but logical and conventional solution.

Yu Qing fell silent. Anger, disappointment, and the stinging pain of betrayal intertwined, almost overwhelming him. But in the end, his remaining rationality and understanding of his predicament prevailed over his impulsive emotions.

He has too few forces to rely on now. Yao Dan is indispensable in handling daily complicated affairs and coordinating the operation of various departments in Wengshan. Her ability is obvious to all.

Moreover, deep in his heart, he even developed a sad understanding of her—that a created being could develop inappropriate and distorted feelings for its creator, and thus make a mistake.

“No,” he slowly shook his head, his voice hoarse and weary:
“She can’t move right now. Wengshan needs her to function properly. I will… transfer her to another location, giving her full responsibility for the comprehensive upgrade and daily maintenance of the external defense system, binding her energy and authority to the outside world, and reducing her opportunities to come into contact with my personal life.”

But he had to face a harsh reality: Xiaoya and Daya, due to Yaodan's intervention, had likely permanently lost their fertility and could no longer produce offspring for the native human race. He had to find another way out and seek new hope.

His gaze returned to Yu Xuan and Yu Lan. These women, brought back from the Third Paradise, represented new possibilities. But the obstacle, Dangui, had to be dealt with first.

Yu Qing had completely lost patience with this woman and any thought of salvaging the relationship; her very existence was a nuisance. He decided to use the most direct method, one that best suited her current "pursuit," to banish her, allowing her to get what she wanted while keeping her out of his sight.

He used a lot of valuable funds and resources to quickly order thirty extremely handsome, uniquely characterized, and fully functional "humanoid men" for her through special channels.

Then she and her group of "male concubines," equipped with a large amount of living supplies and service-type humanoid women, were sent in a grand procession to a long-abandoned but still luxurious mansion on the edge of Wengshan.

He made it clear to her that she could enjoy her "Empress" life there to the fullest, living a life of pleasure and carefree existence, but on the condition that she never set foot in the core area again, and that she never approach or influence Yu Xuan and the others in any way.

When Dangui saw the group of handsome, humanoid men who matched almost every fantasy and were humble in demeanor, her eyes lit up, and she almost gladly accepted Yu Qing's arrangement.

She made no attempt to hide her eagerness, as if she had long anticipated this day. Surrounded by those humanoid men, she left the Ancient One villa without looking back, carrying her own supplies and servants, heading towards her "new kingdom."

Having resolved the two biggest obstacles, Yao Dan and Dang Gui, Yu Qing was finally able to calm down and implement his new plan.

He secretly and swiftly moved Yu Xuan, Yu Lan, and the others from their original residence to another, more secluded and comfortable place that even Yao Dan didn't know about. This place was directly controlled by him through an independent system, cutting off their unnecessary contact with the outside world.

This time, he let go of all his pride, concerns, and unnecessary moral constraints. He no longer awkwardly tried to persuade her with a sense of guilt, as he had with Daya and Xiaoya, nor did he feel the same pure disgust and rejection he had towards Danggui.

He showed great patience, time, and "sincerity" as he began to carefully weave another "love story."

Without fail, he made time to be with Yu Xuan and Yu Lan every day, showing them great care and concern.

He described to them the blueprint for the future of Wengshan, and told them about the current situation of the small population of the native humans. He often subtly implied in his words that they had a responsibility to reproduce for the tribe.

He displayed his masculine charm perfectly, quickly winning over these two relatively mature women who, having lived in a closed environment for a long time, lacked a sense of security and belonging.

They were far more perceptive and emotionally richer than Daya and Xiaoya, and soon fell into the "love trap" carefully woven by Yu Qing, which mixed practical interests, clan righteousness and tender traps, and became devoted to him.

Everything fell into place naturally. Soon after, after Donghao repeatedly confirmed the pregnancy using reliable equipment, Yu Xuan and Yu Lan were both confirmed to be pregnant with Yu Qing's child.

Upon receiving this news, Yu Qing sat alone in the dimly lit room for a long time, as if he had turned into a statue.

At this moment, he was filled with incredibly complex emotions—a sense of relief at finally achieving his goal, a vague anticipation and curiosity about the new life that was about to arrive, but more than anything, a heavy, unspeakable worry and a sense of destiny after seeing the trajectory of fate clearly.

The good news is that the continuation of the original human race has finally seen the most direct and real hope, and the bloodline can be passed on.

Worryingly, this also meant that he had no more reason to delay and had to keep his promise to his aunt, beginning that irreversible transformation into the unknown. His time began to count down in days.

His gaze slowly shifted to the corner of the room, to a "box" that had been fully extended, its interior shimmering with an alluring yet dangerously faint blue light, shaped like a futuristic coffin.

He took a deep breath, as if inhaling all the air that belongs to humanity. His eyes, which had been struggling for a moment, gradually became firm, even indifferent.

He had no more excuses or way out.

For Yuwa to grow up in a relatively safe environment, for Chen Jiang's unpredictable future, for his own unborn child who carries his hopes, and for the tens of thousands of people in Wengshan who depend on him for survival, he had to lie down inside.

He had to take the first step in actively discarding this physical body he was born with. The path to "inhumanity," the entrance that shimmered with the cold light of technology, was right before his eyes.

He needed to acquire the extraordinary power of Tianqing City as soon as possible; only then could he provide a sufficiently strong protective umbrella for everything he cared about. Nothing comes without a price. (End of Chapter)