Chapter 371

Chapter 371: Correcting Errors

As night fell, Wencheng finally freed himself from the heavy workload and returned to his dwelling.

It was a room in the military command center. Though it was decently furnished, it couldn’t compare to the accommodations of the members of parliament.

Wencheng was unmarried, had no family, and essentially no friends; his life revolved around just two things: work and rest.

For him, this room was the only place that felt absolutely safe.

After locking the door, Wencheng found an old machine that was not connected to the internet. This type had been produced by the factories in Hope City several decades ago. The production line had long been dismantled, and aside from the black market, parts were no longer available.

Having skillfully installed the storage card and battery, Wencheng began to play the only video within.

He had prepared himself mentally for this moment.

“Zzzz~”

The signal connected, and a man adjusted the angle of the cameras before sitting back on a single chair, speaking into the camera.

It was his own face.

“Hello, Mr. Wencheng.

“Don’t be surprised by my appearance; I am you from the past, and you are me now.

“To get to the point, since you can see this video, it means that the unreliable Brando has ultimately kept our loose agreement.

“He will fake his death in an upcoming incident and become a true free man, as I promised him. And you, in due time, will remember that string of numbers, just like right now.”

The Wencheng on the screen appeared remarkably calm, but his slightly trembling hands and bloodshot eyes hinted at the worries within.

“I don’t know what form Brando will use to get this video to you, but you must have recalled that number, signaling that your locked memories are beginning to loosen.

“I cannot say how long this will take—perhaps ten years, maybe twenty, or even longer—but your life span is inherently far longer due to the modifications you underwent, so do not worry too much.

“To avoid a deep memory wipe, you must bury vital information deep in your mind.

“They are about to come looking for you, and what I am about to say is extremely important.”

Wencheng adjusted the camera again to focus directly on his face.

The youthful face before the camera began to reveal crucial information for the current Wencheng after a brief pause:

“Almost everyone in Hope City has had their memories tampered with. That machine is one of our trump cards; each time it is activated, it must be voted on by all current Permission Level holders, who will not be affected in any way.

“If you have no recollection of this at all, it indicates that your memory has been completely wiped. Remember, you were once a member of parliament, although I now consider that identity a disgrace.

“No matter who you are now, your memories are false, implanted by that machine. Do not believe a single bit.

“The you from back then, or rather, the me from not long ago, discovered the truth behind the rebellion. At that time, the situation was extremely urgent; I was blinded by one-sided information and got drawn into the rebellion, thinking it was a mission to quell the chaos…

“Vladimir has paid the price of his life to declare the failure of the resistance, but you still have a chance. Your mind is more valuable than brute strength.

“Perhaps long after this, you will remember everything again, but time has never been a reason for forgetting.

“I have no obligation to provide you with any advice; your intelligence can make the right choices. The only thing I need to tell you is this—

“Every error must be corrected, and all traitors must die.”

The video froze on the last frame, depicting a Wencheng whose blood-red eyes conveyed a fierce expression like a beast.

It was hard to imagine that he spoke these words while looking at a camera. Across the rivers of time and space, the current Wencheng could feel a deep sense of hatred.

At that moment, he realized he had been breathing heavily without realizing it, his cheeks slightly flushed, as if resonating with the self from what felt like ages ago.

They were the same person, and through that indescribable connection, Wencheng found himself believing part of what his former self had said.

That feeling, akin to wanting to grind his teeth to dust, was imbued with overwhelming hatred. Yet, even with such strong emotions tied to the past, the current self remembered not a single detail.

If what the past self said was true, then what was the current self?

Had he truly become just a puppet, or was he a synthetic being?

Wencheng had entered middle age; his once-burning passion had not lasted long. Calm thoughts rapidly took hold of his rational mind as he fell into deep contemplation.

Yet the fragments of his past memories were too disordered, making it impossible for Wencheng to clear his mind.

In fact, after watching the video of his past self, Wencheng’s thoughts had nearly reached the edge of collapse.

His past, those things he deemed false, became increasingly illusory the more he pondered them, as if they began to dissipate the moment they were exposed.

Still, he did not want those memories to disappear. His fabricated past was fading while his real past lay shattered.

Personality is forged by the summation of everything from the past. Whether real or false, he needed a past to ground him.

But now, it seemed that both sets of memories had abandoned him.

A sense of helplessness engulfed Wencheng, making him feel utterly incapable of resistance, as if he were about to fall into an abyss.

He felt a wave of weariness wash over him, a kind of terrifying drowsiness reminiscent of an ominous omen felt before death, one he did not want to immerse himself in.

Wencheng had a premonition; if he fell asleep now, the next morning he would no longer be himself.

With all memories shattered, he would be left with nothing but a humanoid body.

In the midst of great physical and mental agony, Wencheng moved to his private desk and sent a Text Message to a communicator number:

“I invite you to visit for a personal consultation.

“Wencheng.”