Eternal World

Five "elites"

In the Free City, a virtual world of eternal life, Li Han and Zhang Yunxi sat in a café at 68 Spirit Avenue, staring in disbelief at the dozens of people gathered on the second floor, eagerly questioning a recently "deceased" female celebrity.

"Miss You, what does it feel like after you died? Are there any differences between here and the real world?" a journalist squeezed to the front of the crowd asked.

"Miss You, you'll always be my goddess! I'll use my dad's data plan every day to listen to your albums, support your new film releases, and boost your rankings! Miss You, I love you so much, I'm sorry, I'm a bit overwhelmed...!" a fifteen or sixteen-year-old teenage fan, shedding tears, shouted without paying attention to the astonished gazes of others.

In the eternal world, three types of individuals coexist: intelligent AI NPCs, living beings from the real world, and "Memory Persons" who have already died in the real world.

The charming actress, Miss You, had recently passed away due to a terminal illness. However, after her diagnosis, she applied to the Spirit Realm Corporation for memory downloading and uploading services, thus gaining the opportunity for "eternal life" in this realm.

The eternal world utilizes a brain-computer interface technology that allows for the interaction of electrical currents, computers, and brain cells. To fully immerse oneself in the virtual world, small electrode chips are implanted in the human brain, enabling the resonance of electrical currents and the transmission of thoughts, including memory downloads.

In this way, individuals in the real world can transfer their memories to the terminals of the eternal realm when they are on the verge of death, awaiting resurrection in the virtual world. However, these "Memory Persons" lack perceptual consciousness due to the complete death of their brains, resulting in subtle differences in their experiences compared to those of individuals in the real world within the virtual realm.

In fact, this concept and technology were proposed as early as 2016, when the world's wealthiest person, Elon Musk, established a company called "Neuralink." By around 2021, corresponding technical documentation had been produced, and an application was made to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to commence human trials as soon as possible. Musk also stated that this technology would enable many paralyzed individuals to control smartphones and other devices with their brains, and further progress would be made, including influencing signals between neurons to address various human problems.

In recent years, the Spirit Realm Corporation has finally pushed the development of this technology to its peak and successfully implemented it in the eternal world, thereby forever altering the way of life for humanity.

Of course, this "eternal" service comes at a high cost. You need to have sufficient data to pay for "community management fees." You can store the data yourself before nearing death, or your family can store it in the real world. However, if the subscription is not renewed within a certain period, consciousness will be sealed, and if there is still no data activation after some time, it will be permanently erased.

This service sparked widespread discussion in human society after its launch. Some people believe that humans should adhere to the laws of nature and accept death. They question the value of preserving only their data in the virtual world, seeing it as a waste of human resources. Why contend with life and death?

These two different voices have been debated continuously and have never ceased.

First-floor lobby.

Zhang Yunxi looked at the female celebrity, Miss You, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Because my parents were still young and free from serious illnesses, and they were also skeptical of this technology, they didn't store any memories before their passing. Sigh... If they hadn't been so stubborn, maybe I could still see them here."

"My condolences." Li Han softly replied.

"Miss You, can you look at me for a moment?! I've been waiting for you to enter the eternal realm for a week now. I've been drinking so much coffee that my heart feels like it's about to give out. Can you give me a loving glance, please?" A man in his thirties shouted with a strained voice.

Zhang Yunxi rolled his eyes and reached for the private chat button on the table, instantly blocking the clamor from outside and ensuring that his conversation with Li Han wouldn't be heard outside. "Let's get started," he said.

"OK!" Li Han nodded slowly and interjected, "Can you show me your overall values and information in the eternal realm?"

"Is there any necessary connection between that and my enrollment?" Zhang Yunxi's expression showed astonishment, and he asked with some resistance in his heart, "I'm just here to attend school, not for some job interview!"

"Well, these values are very important. They are one of the criteria to assess your eligibility for enrollment," Li Han paused and replied, "If you agree, we can proceed to the next step."

In reality, Zhang Yunxi didn't want to agree because it involved his personal privacy. However, due to his numerous doubts and the necessity of his enrollment, he hesitated for a moment and ended up transmitting his information face to face to the other party.

Li Han used the method of consciousness information integration to browse through Zhang Yunxi's personal information. Then, he asked in astonishment, "...you are a private healthcare doctor in the eternal realm?"

"Yes, there are many wealthy individuals here, and it's a fast way to earn money," Zhang Yunxi replied somewhat awkwardly.

"I looked at your work profile, and it seems you primarily provide healthcare services in that area," Li Han asked curiously.

Zhang Yunxi's face turned red, and after hesitating for a while, he responded, "Yes, I studied biology, and I have some knowledge of medications, so... I have achieved some minor accomplishments in that field. As you know, many wealthy individuals in the real world struggle with those issues... so they seek medical consultations and treatments here... it's less awkward."

"Cough, cough!"

Li Han coughed twice, paused briefly, and couldn't resist asking, "I wanted to ask, are you still a virgin?"

"...Yes," Zhang Yunxi scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Then why are you teaching others?!" Li Han questioned.

"...Mr. Li, you're asking such detailed questions. Are you looking for medical advice?" Zhang Yunxi playfully retorted.

"Well... I'm fine, no need for medical advice. Just asking casually," Li Han continued browsing through the information for a while and then glanced at Zhang Yunxi with a sideways look, asking, "Hey, do you have any video lecture materials on that subject?"

"Yes, but they're censored," Zhang Yunxi replied.

"Send me a copy later," Li Han quickly said before resuming his review of Zhang Yunxi's profile.

After approximately ten minutes, Li Han regained a normal expression and said, "I've finished reading. Besides your outstanding academic performance in biology, you hardly have any other special talents, right?"

"Yes," Zhang Yunxi nodded honestly.

"Let me formally introduce you to Qingshan Theological Academy," Li Han looked at Zhang Yunxi with a serious expression. "You might have noticed that our internal environment is completely different from what is publicly disclosed. In simple terms, we are a third-party talent institution primarily funded by the Lingjing Group. The purpose of our school is to cultivate elite talents for the eternal realm and the future establishment of a specialized judicial department."

Zhang Yunxi looked extremely surprised and said, "So that's how it is. Everything makes sense now."

"Yes, just as you understand it, Qingshan Theological Academy is not a conventional institution, and our admission process is very rigorous. We don't solely look at your academic performance but rather focus on your special abilities and aim to maximize them during the four years of study," Li Han continued. "Therefore, if you want to enroll, you'll need to sign a confidentiality agreement with us and, upon graduation, be required to sign a mandatory service contract. The specific job responsibilities will be assigned by the institution."

"Isn't that like signing an indentured contract?" Zhang Yunxi remarked.

"To be precise, many people want to enter Qingshan Theological Academy but can't find a way. We offer a highly advanced quality of education here. For example, in the field of genetic biology that you're studying, it would be challenging for you to have real clinical trials before the age of thirty-five in other institutions," Li Han furrowed his brow. "This place is a haven for elites."

Zhang Yunxi was a perceptive individual. Instead of being persuaded by Li Han's words, he pondered for a moment and asked, "I would like to inquire about the general job responsibilities in the future. Will it be working as a clerk in the judicial department?"

"Not entirely. Explaining the exact nature of the work is quite complex, but to simplify, the general job responsibilities involve maintaining the stability of the eternal realm and addressing virtual technology issues present in the real world," Li Han offered an easily understandable example. "Let's take the Li Yun case that happened in your home, for instance. In the future, matters related to the management, investigation, and even capturing of AI individuals might be handled by us, at least in the Huazhou region."

"I understand what you mean," Zhang Yunxi had already connected many dots in his mind.

"Do you want to sign, then?" Li Han asked. "Or do you need more time to think?"

Zhang Yunxi paused for two seconds and asked himself two questions in his mind: 1) Should he investigate his father's death and the doubts left by the Li Yun case? 2) If he chose to proceed, would Mingzhu University still accept him?

After contemplating these two questions, Zhang Yunxi responded without hesitation, "Alright, I'll sign."

"Excellent!" Li Han nodded with a smile. "I'll provide you with the contract using the Consciousness Information Sharing Chain."

Five minutes later, Zhang Yunxi completed signing all the overbearing terms for admission. Li Han stood up and said, "Congratulations on joining Qingshan Theological Academy! Let's return to reality. I'll take you to meet your mentor, who also knew your father."

"Dr. Liang An, right?" Zhang Yunxi asked.

"That's correct," Li Han nodded. "Let's sever the connection now."

...

In the real world, Li Han removed the brain-machine connector and softly invited, "Let's go to Dr. Liang An's office. Four other new students will be joining us."

Zhang Yunxi immediately smiled and asked, "Are they all elites?"

Li Han smiled and shook his head, "Please excuse my directness, but they, like you, have the lowest comprehensive scores in big data synthesis."

"???" Zhang Yunxi looked puzzled. "I... I'm the lowest?!"

"Yes, you only have relatively good performance in genetic biology, so... your comprehensive score is lower," Li Han reassured him. "But it's okay. Now that you're here, everyone starts at the same point. Besides, our best mentors are assigned to the lowest-performing students in each cohort."

"Damn!" Zhang Yunxi said with some defiance. "After swimming in the ocean of knowledge for so many years, it's the first time someone has called me an underachiever."

As they walked and talked, they soon left the office area. In the lobby of the new student reception area, Zhang Yunxi saw the four newly admitted classmates who would also become his fellow peers.

Three men and one woman were among them, and one of them turned out to be the greasy man he had encountered at the station!

Damn it, Li Han didn't actually lie to him. This greasy man had extremely poor manners and looked like an underachiever at first glance!

The other three individuals were also of peculiar and unconventional appearances. There was a chubby guy weighing over two hundred pounds, a frail and somewhat sickly-looking young man with a cold expression, and a girl with blue ponytails and a punk-like non-mainstream style. To put it plainly, she was somewhat hard to look at.

After holding it in for a while, Zhang Yunxi thought to himself that his three fellow disciples, solely judging by their appearances, were already considered remarkable.

"Let's go, five classmates. We'll go together to meet Dr. Liang An," Li Han invited.

...

Inside Dr. Liang An's office, he stored all the information of Zhang Yunxi and Zhang Yunzhao in his private mailbox, but he still felt uneasy. Suddenly, he slapped his forehead, "Terminal!"

At the same time...

Outside the dormitory area of Qingshan Theological College, a young man carried simple luggage and murmured into his wristwatch phone, saying, "Zhang Yunxi, right? Don't worry, I will provide you with an accurate answer within a week."