White.
Nothing but white.
It wasn't light—it was suspension.A blank void where sound vanished and time refused to exist.
Lin Wei tried to breathe.
Tried to move.
But the world felt thin, like he was floating inside a memory that wasn't his.
Then—A ripple cut through the whiteness.
A silhouette.Human-shaped.Tall.Familiar.
When it spoke, the voice cracked like a distant echo:
"Wei… can you hear me?"
Lin Wei's breath caught.
He knew that voice.
"Father?"
The silhouette sharpened.
Not entirely solid—not entirely human—but undeniably Lin Cheng.
His father's outline flickered like a projection struggling to hold.
"Wei… listen to me. There's no time."
Lin Wei stepped toward the echo.
"Father—what is this? What did you leave behind? Why am I seeing—"
Lin Cheng raised a hand.
The whiteness responded, vibrating softly.
"You activated the sphere. That means you found the stabilizer… and you opened the chamber."
His voice dropped, heavy with sorrow.
"I prayed you'd never have to."
The Truth Behind Project ZH-0
Lin Wei clenched his jaw.
"What is the sphere?"
Lin Cheng's projection shimmered.
"It wasn't meant to be built. Zhao forced the project. He wanted… he wanted to create something impossible. A device that reads patterns—not just physical, but cognitive. Behavioral."
Lin Wei frowned.
"Thoughts?"
"No," Lin Cheng said softly."Destiny."
Lin Wei froze.
Lin Cheng continued:
"The sphere maps probabilities. Human paths. The results of decisions. But the more it scans… the more it consumes."
"Consumes what?"
The echo of his father's voice cracked.
"Human intention. The mind's potential. The… the soul, if you want to call it that."
A chill ripped down Lin Wei's spine.
"You mean this thing kills people."
"No."Lin Cheng's eyes were full of an exhausted grief."It changes them."
The whiteness flickered—and suddenly, brief half-memories flashed before Lin Wei's eyes:
—Zhao staring at a glowing sphere while a man trembled violently——the sphere humming louder and louder——guards dragging a limp body away—
Lin Cheng's voice returned:
"Zhao saw it as a way to predict the future. To control outcomes. To remove uncertainty from society."
Lin Wei whispered:
"He wanted to remove freedom."
His father's silhouette gave a bitter nod.
"I sabotaged the prototype. Hid it. Built the stabilizer to keep it dormant. And I locked the designs away so it could never be built again."
Lin Wei swallowed.
"And now I've opened it."
Why Zhao Needed Lin Wei
Lin Cheng looked directly at him.
"You didn't open it. Zhao guided you here."
Lin Wei's breath hitched.
"He wants the sphere active again."
"Yes."
"But why me?"
Lin Cheng's silhouette softened.
"Because only you can complete the sequence."
Lin Wei stared.
"Me? But why—"
"Because the machine was keyed to your genetics. Your mother's line. A failsafe to ensure only someone I trusted could ever activate or destroy it."
Lin Wei staggered.
"My mother? But she—"
Lin Cheng's voice cracked.
"She knew. She helped me hide the project. We made choices to protect you. But Zhao… Zhao watched everything."
Lin Wei felt his chest tighten.
"Father… what does Zhao want me to do?"
The silhouette flickered violently—the whiteness shuddering like it was collapsing.
"I don't have time—listen carefully—"
The echo raised a glowing hand.A symbol appeared in the air: a geometric spiral, rotating slowly.
"This symbol—memorize it. It is the master override pattern. With it, you can shut down the sphere."
Lin Wei reached out—
"Father, wait—why show me this now? Why reveal the truth only after—"
Lin Cheng's voice rose, desperate:
"Because you're not alone in the chamber."
Lin Wei froze.
"What do you mean?"
"The sphere connected to you because it sensed danger. Someone else triggered the activation."
Lin Wei's heartbeat hammered.
"Who?!"
Lin Cheng whispered:
"Zhao. He's closer than you think."
The whiteness shattered—cracks of darkness slicing through it.
The silhouette of his father blurred into static.
"Wei! Listen! When you wake up—"
"Father!"
"—DON'T TRUST—"
The voice cut out.
The world collapsed.
Back in the Chamber
Lin Wei inhaled sharply as reality slammed back into existence.
He stumbled forward—nearly falling—caught by Liu Fang's hands.
"Wei! Wei—oh heavens, you're back—what happened? You stopped breathing!"
Master Yu held him steady.Old Zhang hovered anxiously.Director Li looked ready to run.
The sphere floated in the center of the chamber—still glowing, but dimmer now.Stabilizing.
Lin Wei wiped cold sweat from his brow.
His voice was hoarse:
"Where is Zhao?"
Everyone froze.
Master Yu frowned.
"What do you mean where is he? He's not here."
Lin Wei shook his head violently.
"He triggered the activation. He's nearby."
Director Li paled.
"The surveillance sensor—he could see everything!"
Lin Wei's system chimed sharply:
Alert:Unidentified Signal DetectedDistance: 22 meters Direction: Behind the Chamber Wall
Behind—
Liu Fang whispered:
"…Wei… someone is in the warehouse with us."
The sphere pulsed once—as if responding to the danger.
A shadow moved in the darkness behind them.
Footsteps.
Slow.Deliberate.Unhurried.
A voice drifted through the chamber.
Calm.Polite.Terrifyingly familiar.
"Lin Wei.You've done well."
Everyone spun around.
Zhao Ruitian stepped out of the shadows—smiling.