Ice skates forward, regardless of east or west.

1

Prison cell.

Five o'clock in the morning.

Ling Wuwen leaned against the wall. The wound on his wrist had congealed, and the scabs formed dark red lines on his skin.

Her evening gown was crumpled, and the hem was covered in dust. She was barefoot; her shoes had been kicked off when Gu Xidong pried open the handcuffs.

The emergency lights overhead emitted a stark white glow. The red light on the security camera in the corner flashed like an eye that never blinked.

The door opened.

It's not that iron gate.

It was another door in the wall. One she hadn't noticed before. Hidden in the stone wall, it made almost no sound when pushed open.

Volkov slid in in his wheelchair.

He had no bodyguards behind him. He was all alone.

The wheelchair was parked three meters away.

He looked at her.

three seconds.

He's gone.

Ling Wuwen remained silent.

Volkov took a stack of documents from the side pocket of his wheelchair.

Place it on your lap.

"Do you know what this is?"

She looked at the stack of papers.

White. A4. Neat edges. The top page was printed in Russian, and there was a photograph—she recognized it.

It was her own brain CT scan.

"Chimera technology." Volkov turned to the first page. "Initiated in 2013. Secret laboratories of the US, Russia, China, and Japan participated. Total investment: $1.7 billion. Subjects: 437. Survivors: 39."

He paused.

"You are one of the thirty-nine."

She looked into his eyes.

It was grayish-blue and had no temperature.

"What are you trying to say?"

Volkov smiled.

"I'm saying, you're not a medical miracle. You're an arms dealer."

2

He turned to the second page.

The photo shows a man in military uniform. He is in his fifties, with general's stars on his shoulders and a cold, hard gaze.

"The Russian Federal Security Service. In 2016, they wanted to train agents using chimera technology, transplanting the memories of veteran agents into the minds of new recruits. Combat skills, language abilities, assassination experience."

Turn to the third page.

An Asian man wearing a white coat.

"Japan. 2017. They wanted political doubles. To transplant the memories of the leader into the double's brain. To attend public events. To give speeches. To sign documents."

Turn to page four.

An American flag.

"The CIA. 2018. They wanted to use this technology to create the 'perfect undercover agent.' They transplanted the memories of native speakers into the minds of Arab agents. Accents. Culture. Behavioral patterns. Nobody could recognize them."

He closed the file.

Look at her.

"Guess how many countries are willing to pay exorbitant prices for this technology?"

She didn't say anything.

Women's eyesight.

"You are proof that you are alive. Proof that memories can be transplanted. Proof that one person can become another. Proof—"

He paused.

"Proof that the soul can be replicated."

3

She stood up.

Walk up to the glass.

I looked at him through that transparent barrier.

"You're just like my brother."

He raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"They thought they were fighting against the system."

She pointed to the stack of documents.

"You think you're in control. You control politicians with scandals. You manipulate referees with money. You blackmail power with secrets."

She paused.

"But you've become an even bigger monster."

He looked at her.

three seconds.

I smiled.

It's very light.

"Your brother said the exact same thing."

Her heart tightened.

"That's what he said when he rejected my offer to collaborate in 2017," Volkov leaned back in his wheelchair. "He said, 'Mr. Volkov, you and I are both victims of the system. But you are becoming the system.'"

He paused.

He's right.

4

She looked at him.

Something was moving in those grey-blue eyes.

It's very light.

Like water flowing beneath the surface of ice.

"And what about you?"

He spoke.

The voice was very low.

"What are you?"

She didn't say anything.

He stood up.

Stand up from the wheelchair.

With his left leg dragging behind him, he used his right leg for support as he walked step by step to the glass.

Ten centimeters apart.

Women's eyesight.

"Human? Ghost? Or a medical miracle?"

She looked into his eyes.

Three seconds. Five seconds. Ten seconds.

"I am……"

She paused.

"An ordinary person who wants to live."

5

He didn't speak.

Look at her.

long time.

Outside the window, dawn was approaching. A faint, but present, wisp of gray-white light seeped through the basement ventilation opening.

He turned around.

He walked back to his wheelchair.

sit down.

Take another item out of the wheelchair's side pocket.

A remote control.

He pressed the button.

A screen on the wall lit up.

The scene shows another room. An operating room. A shadowless lamp. A doctor in surgical scrubs. A person lying on the operating table.

Ling Wufeng.

She recognized the profile.

It looks exactly like me in the mirror.

The time is in the bottom right corner: 2017.11.9 14:23:17

Volkov's voice came from behind.

"This is his last surgery. Do you want to see it?"

She didn't say anything.

Looking at the screen.

The surgery has begun.

What is the doctor operating? The green line on the cardiac monitor is beating steadily. The anesthesiologist stands beside him, watching the instruments.

Then the green line started to fluctuate.

Accelerate. Disrupt. Level off.

"Time of cardiac arrest: November 9, 2017, 3:47 PM."

She closed her eyes.

three seconds.

Open your eyes.

The screen has gone black.

6

Volkov was in a wheelchair.

Look at her.

Why are you showing me this?

He was silent.

"Because you're about to die."

She took a step back from the glass.

"What?"

"You have two months left. Maybe three. The immunosuppressants will have worn off. That's what Director Wang said."

She looked at him.

How did you know?

He pointed to the screen on the wall.

"Behind that video is your own medical record. It's updated daily. Your white blood cell count. Your EEG. Your memory fusion index."

He paused.

"This was sent by Ye Shen before he died."

She stood still.

Clench your fists tightly.

The fingernails dug into the palm.

"so what?"

Volkov looked at her.

"So I want to ask you a question."

"What's the problem?"

He was silent.

three seconds.

"Would you like to live another ten years?"

7

She didn't say anything.

Look at him.

He waited for three seconds.

"There is a way. A new experiment. In the US. Completely replace the immune system. Rebuild it with gene-edited stem cells. The success rate is less than 10%. But if it succeeds, you can live another ten years."

She spoke.

"condition?"

He nodded.

"condition."

He pointed to the stack of documents.

"Release this report. Tell the world that chimera technology has been successful. Tell the buyers that they can come and purchase it now."

She looked at him.

"You want me to be a live GG?"

He nodded.

"You want me to become a monster?"

He shook his head.

"I need you to make a choice."

8

She stood still.

long time.

The light outside the window grew brighter and brighter.

Morning has arrived.

She spoke.

Where were you when my brother died?

He was silent.

"In Moscow. In a meeting."

Did you answer the phone?

"Received."

"What did you say?"

Women's eyesight.

I said, "I understand."

She smiled.

It's very light.

"Just as I guessed."

She turned around.

I walked back to the bedside.

sit down.

She had her back to him.

"You can leave now."

He didn't move.

She didn't turn around.

"I'm not going to be your work partner. I'm not going to be your guinea pig. I'm going to use the remaining two months to do something else."

He spoke.

"What are you doing?"

She looked at the wall.

"Wait for him to come back."

9

He wheeled himself to the door.

Stop.

He didn't turn around.

"Gu Xidong is still alive. He obtained the key. He obtained the chip. The list has been made public."

She didn't move.

"You saved him," he said, "with yourself."

She didn't say anything.

He watched her retreating figure.

long time.

"Ling Wuwen".

She didn't turn around.

"Do you want to hear your brother's last words before he died?"

She turned around.

Look at him.

He remained silent for three seconds.

He said, "Tell my sister not to hate the world."

She stood still.

Her eyes welled up with tears.

Volkov slid out the door.

The door closed.

She was the only one left in the cell.

She looked at the door.

long time.

Tears streamed down my face.

10

Nine o'clock in the morning.

The door opened again.

It wasn't Volkov.

It was a man in a white coat. He was in his forties, wore glasses, and was carrying a tray. On the tray were syringes and medicine bottles.

"Ms. Ling, routine check-up."

She didn't move.

He approached.

Place the tray on the small table beside the bed.

She looked at the syringes.

"Did Volkov send you?"

He nodded.

She smiled.

"He's still negotiating."

The doctor didn't say anything.

She reached out her hand.

Roll up your sleeves.

The IV catheter was still in place. He replaced it with a new vial. The medication flowed into the vein through the tube. It was cold.

She looked at the ceiling.

The doctor tidied up the tray.

Ready to leave.

She spoke.

"Do you know what kind of medicine this is?"

He stopped.

He didn't turn around.

"Immunosuppressant. The last one."

The door closed.

She closed her eyes.

11

3 PM.

She woke up again.

The light outside the window changed direction. The afternoon sun slanted in through the vent, cutting a narrow golden strip on the floor.

She looked at the light.

I recalled what Gu Xidong had said.

"The lights on the ice rink are cold. The light reflected from the ice and hitting your face is cold."

She reached out her hand.

Let that light shine on your hands.

It's warm.

It's not cold.

She smiled.

It's very light.

The door opened again.

This time it's Volkov.

He slid in.

He was holding a tablet.

Hand it to her.

A news article is displayed on the screen.

Latest developments in the International Skating Union corruption case: List of over 300 people involved released.

She looked at the line of text.

Scroll down.

List.

Politicians, referees, officials, athletes.

More than three hundred names.

She closed the tablet.

Give it back to him.

"He did it."

Volkov nodded.

"He did it."

He looked at her.

three seconds.

"Now it's your turn."

She didn't say anything.

He put the tablet away.

Slide to the doorway.

Stop.

"Ling Wuwen".

She looked at him.

"You have two months. In these two months, you can do anything. Read. Listen to music. Reminisce. Wait for someone."

He paused.

I won't bother you anymore.

The door closed.

She leaned against the wall.

The light outside the window is still there. Slowly, I move from the bedside to the corner, from the corner to the doorway.

She watched it move.

long time.

Until it disappears.