The Last 299 Days of Humanity

The intense internal struggle between "evolution" and "humanity" that Yu Qing experienced inevitably influenced his attitude towards "consciousness uploading." The process, which he once saw as the only salvation and ultimate goal, is now shrouded in a heavy shadow of doubt.

He became passive and procrastinating, like a death row inmate nearing his sentence, instinctively grasping at any reason that might postpone that final moment.

He found many high-sounding excuses for himself, the biggest and most irrefutable of which was the potential crisis of "Operation Lutai".

He pondered repeatedly that the process of uploading consciousness was said to have an unpredictable adaptation period and stability risks. If he was in that uncertain state at a critical moment, or had just completed the migration and was not yet fully familiar with the new form, how could he effectively deal with the "Lutai" crisis that might break out in the "Ultimate Office" and be enough to affect the real world?
This concern was reasonable and of great importance; he was almost convinced of it himself. He carefully revealed this worry to his aunt, anticipating that she would urge him on, or even forcefully push the plan forward in an unquestionable tone.

However, to his surprise, his aunt didn't react at all. There was no agreement, no rebuttal, and he couldn't even sense the slightest emotional fluctuation from her.

She merely glanced at him indifferently, her gaze seemingly piercing through all his hesitation and fear, yet she was too lazy to point it out, simply saying casually:

"The timing is up to you, but preparations must not stop." This almost indifferent attitude made Yu Qing feel even more uneasy.

Actually, Aunt didn't mind because of two aspects that Yu Qing couldn't fully understand. First, there was a gap in their concept of time. For Aunt and the parallel humans she represented, their life scale had long since transcended the stage of counting days and months.

A few hours, a few days, or even a few months may seem as short as a few minutes to an ordinary person, almost negligible, to them.

For them, "there's plenty of time" is measured in years, or even longer. To them, Yu Qing's delay of a few months might just be like a child lingering a little longer at the doorstep—no big deal.

Secondly, and more importantly, lies in the unique nature of "consciousness uploading." This process is not a simple data copying, but rather a transfer and reconstruction of the essence of consciousness.

Yu Qing's intense inner conflict, fear of losing his humanity, and attachment to the old ways—these complex emotional fluctuations and mental states, if uploaded along with his emotions, could very well be carried into a new consciousness carrier like a virus, becoming an "innate defect" that affects his future emotional stability and cognitive patterns.

Rather than forcibly pushing forward an unstable product with "hidden psychological wounds," it is better to wait for it to figure things out on its own, or at least to reach some temporary compromise and balance in its heart.

A willing and compliant immigrant is always better than a resistant refugee who may have a rejection reaction.

This lack of pressure, rather than a sense of urgency, made Yu Qing even more cautious. Having experienced the infiltration of Wengshan, repeated threats to himself, and even confronted the incomprehensible terror of Haiyuan Dadian, Yu Qing had become like a frightened bird, always thinking things through and having a sense of crisis ingrained in his very being.

His gaze once again fell upon the security system of Wengshan. Although things were temporarily calm thanks to the deterrent power of Tianqing City, he knew that this security was essentially guaranteed by external forces, and the uncertainty was too high.

Aunt's attitude is unpredictable. Tianqing City's goals are grand and far-reaching. Once their strategic focus shifts, or they reach some kind of compromise with the remnants of Haiyuan, the ship of Wengshan could capsize at any moment.

At that time, the core personnel relying on Wengshan, including himself (if he has not yet completed the upload), as well as the people he cares about who represent the future possibilities of "original humans", will likely be wiped out in one fell swoop, leaving not a trace of bloodline and hope.

He couldn't put all his eggs in one basket—Wengshan. He had to have a backup plan, a backup, a place where a spark could be quietly ignited after disaster struck.

Then he thought of Yu Wa, who was far away in Dongbang. Under E Ying's care, she was quietly studying and growing up healthily in Dongbang.

Dongbang is far removed from the core power struggles of various factions, its political environment is relatively neutral, and the flow of information is complex yet orderly—making it an ideal place for "great hermits to live in the city." Yu Wa has no direct interests or grudges with any party, which is extremely beneficial for her safe growth.

However, Yu Qing was keenly aware that a single tree cannot make a forest. Relying solely on Yu Wa was insufficient, both in terms of biological genetic diversity and in terms of the knowledge transmission and emotional support for the continuation of civilization.

She needs a partner, a protector, and a companion who can support her and share the responsibilities of the future.

His gaze fell on Chen Jiang. This intelligent, resilient boy, who harbored complex feelings for him, was the perfect choice.

He has already acquired the basic ability to survive and adapt to the current environment. More importantly, there is a natural attraction between him and Yu Wa, making it easy for them to establish a connection.

Sending Chen Jiang to Yu Wa's side, allowing this "golden couple" to remain hidden among the people of Dongbang, is tantamount to adding another hidden safety net to the future of "original humans".

However, this task was far more difficult than imagined. It had to be done discreetly, without anyone noticing.

This not only requires deceiving potential external observers (such as the remnants of Haiyuan, Shengdi Company, and other unknown forces), but also those "insiders": Dong Hao, Yao Dan, Chang Sheng, and especially...

The most difficult part is keeping it a secret from the ten omnipresent, invisible guards, and their seemingly all-knowing aunt. If the plan is leaked, not only will all previous efforts be in vain, but it will also expose Yu Wa, who was originally well hidden. This must be a perfect "deception".

Thus, Yu Qing began his most mentally taxing scheme. Like a shrewd chess player, he deduced various possibilities in his mind, racking his brains for a way to send Chen Jiang, the key piece, to the distant East without anyone noticing.

To this end, he devised several plans. He first planned to pretend to go to Yadu to replace a new set of defense equipment components, and then hide Chen Jiang in a box. He would then use the excuse of going to Dongbang for a transfer, and secretly release Chen Jiang and send her to Yu Wa.

However, Chen Jiang was too young to complete such an operation on her own, and the task had to be carried out flawlessly, otherwise Chen Jiang might be trapped and die in the cargo. Therefore, she needed a reliable helper like Dong Hao, who knew Yu Wa's whereabouts.

But this is a bit of a cover-up. Why would someone as important as Dong Hao personally handle transporting a few spare parts? Even a fool would guess that what's being transported there isn't ordinary stuff! Once someone gets curious, everything will be exposed…

Besides, even if no one notices anything amiss for the time being, once someone discovers Chen Jiang is missing, they will inevitably connect it to the fact that Donghao's mysterious shipment of goods to Yadu is suspicious. Therefore, this method is not very reliable.

But Yu Qing also realized that if he wanted Chen Jiang to go to Dongbang without anyone noticing, he first had to fake his death and escape unnoticed. Otherwise, any plan would be discovered sooner or later. Therefore, it was necessary to first create a perfect "death" certificate for Chen Jiang, so that he would completely "disappear" from everyone's sight and memory. Then, he could be reborn in Dongbang with a completely new and unrelated identity.

This requires extremely advanced technical skills, such as forging corpses and medical records. Chen Jiang was ill some time ago, but it has not attracted much attention from various parties. At this time, her "death" would not arouse suspicion.

If successful, this would almost permanently hide Chen Jiang. But the question remains: can the "fake death" deceive everyone, and how can it be kept secret from the invisible guards with their extraordinary investigative abilities? Furthermore, dealing with the humanoid Shu involved in this scheme will be a major hurdle…

Haste makes waste. Yu Qing felt that this matter should be accomplished in several steps, and that they couldn't rush to deliver it all at once. Wengshan was a place that many people were eyeing, so they had to first find a way to get Chen Jiang to some place nearby, and then send her to the area near Dongbang in stages.

Once you reach the area near Dongbang, it will be much easier to enter Dongbang through a secret route and reunite with Yuwa.

So, Yu Qing came up with a way to cover his tracks. Hadn't Chen Jiang's father, Old Chen, previously disappeared? He could have Chen Jiang make a fuss about wanting to find his father, and then have Dong Hao take him to the Fourth Amusement Park to "find his dad." This would be perfectly logical, and no one would pay attention.

The plan was quietly launched. A few days later, "Chen Jiang" began to appear depressed in front of others, often staring blankly out the window, and occasionally asking the people taking care of him when his father, Old Chen, would be able to return.

This emotion gradually brewed, eventually culminating in an "outburst" in front of Yu Qing. "Chen Jiang" tearfully begged Yu Qing to let her go find her father. Yu Qing, going along with the situation, feigned helplessness and sympathy, and finally "reluctantly" agreed, assigning Dong Hao to accompany her personally for safety.

Thus began a seemingly sorrowful yet hopeful journey to find their relatives. Because it was a "search for relatives along the way," they would fly a certain distance and then land in cities to wander around, stopping and looking for people.

Chen Jiang was very lively at first, but later she always looked tired and expectant, hesitant to speak, and her walk was not as agile as before.

Donghao, with his usual programmed, gentle yet slightly worried expression, patted Chen Jiang's shoulder lightly: "If you get tired after a little longer, we'll take a break."

They walked through the ruins of an old town that was once bustling but is now somewhat dilapidated. Tenacious vines climbed the crumbling walls, and broken windows stared at the group of passersby like empty eyes.

Chen Jiang exaggeratedly sniffed the complex smell in the air, a mixture of rust, dust, and decaying plants, occasionally revealing "curiosity" and "fear" at the scene before him, and stayed close to Dong Hao.

Of course, all these details, including route selection, events encountered, and emotional reactions, were transmitted back to Wengshan intermittently through disguised and redirected signal transmitters, forming a seemingly realistic picture of a journey to find relatives, enough to deceive any potential surveillance.

After a journey that was not short and fully embodied the word "difficult," they finally arrived at the Fourth Paradise.

Following the pre-arranged script, they began "searching" for Old Chen's whereabouts from the edge of the amusement park. Naturally, Old Chen couldn't be here, so Chen Jiang's expression gradually shifted from anticipation to anxiety, and then to disappointment.

Finally, as they approached a riverbank that was dyed a dark green by strange algae and had a rapid current, an "accident" occurred.

As Chen Jiang was "trying to approach the riverbank to check for some suspicious traces," the soft riverbank beneath her feet suddenly collapsed, emitting a terrified scream that was in accordance with the script, and she fell into the murky and turbulent river, quickly being swept away into the depths.

Dong Hao panicked and shouted for help, directing his guards to go into the water to rescue her. But the current was too strong, and "Chen Jiang's" figure quickly disappeared underwater. After a fruitless search, they finally found only one of "Chen Jiang's" shoes.

Donghao knelt by the river, weeping bitterly, calling out "Chen Jiang's" name over and over again. After completing all the pre-set "sad reactions" and "failed search" procedures, she felt deeply guilty for not protecting Chen Jiang and "ashamed" to return to Wengshan to face Yu Qing.

So, she took a few guards and chose to "mysteriously disappear," vanishing into the bizarre and dazzling background of the Fourth Paradise.

The news reached Wengshan, causing widespread sorrow. Who could have imagined that a hopeful search for relatives would end in such a tragedy? A young life was lost in that eerie place, and even his remains could not be found.

Donghao has also disappeared, presumably feeling guilty and ashamed to return. Upon hearing the "bad news," Yu Qing remained silent for a long time. He even sighed, "Donghao has evolved; she has developed emotions like humans. This can't be blamed on her."

However, the truth often lies hidden behind the veil of tragedy.

Just as the river in the Fourth Paradise swallowed "Chen Jiang" and Dong Hao "disappeared," in Dongbang, far from that dangerous place, in a quiet, sunlit courtyard, the real Chen Jiang had just finished her day's lessons.

He put down his book, looked out the window at the unfamiliar yet orderly street, his heart filled with confusion about the future and a secret expectation.

In the study next to the courtyard, the real Donghao was talking quietly with Eying. On the table in front of them were maps of Dongbang and school materials. Donghao's face showed signs of travel fatigue, but her eyes were unusually bright and determined.

“Everything is arranged,” Donghao said softly to Eying. “From today onwards, Chen Jiang will live here as Yu Wa’s study companion, and live and study with Yu Wa.”

Eying nodded, her eyes filled with relief and responsibility: "Don't worry, I'll take good care of them. But... won't what happened over there arouse suspicion?"

Dong Hao gave a complicated smile: "Everything that happened in the Fourth Paradise was real enough, and tragic enough. No one would doubt a child who had 'drowned' and an assistant who had 'disappeared.' All the clues ended there."

It turns out that the heartbreaking journey to the Fourth Paradise to find her family was a carefully orchestrated drama from beginning to end.

The hardships, expectations, anxieties, and ultimately "death" and "disappearance" along the way were all perfectly performed by two highly realistic humanoid body doubles according to a pre-set program.

After escaping all possible observation, they initiated a self-dissolution process, vanishing without a trace, leaving no physical evidence. (End of Chapter)