I Never thought simulating life could screw me up this badly!!

"Fei Fei, do you know her?" Chen asked, noticing her younger brother's strange behavior upon seeing the woman.

Wang Fei flinched at the question, then turned back with an awkward smile.

"Uh... I just felt like she looked familiar, like someone I used to know. But I guess I was mistaken," Wang Fei replied, avoiding eye contact. But just then, a loud voice cut through the air and startled him.

"No! You're not mistaken, Mr. Wang Fei! This woman's name is indeed Margaret! She's an employee of Rhodes Island, our organization!" said the bunny-eared girl named Amiya. She then walked over, grabbed the woman's hand, and brought her in front of Wang Fei—completely ignoring the officers' attempts to stop her.

"Miss Margaret, please say something!" Amiya said to the woman. The woman only stared quietly at Amiya before slowly lifting her gaze to look at Wang Fei.

That allowed him to see her clearly. He happily took in the sight of the woman in front of him, who was nearly his height.

'It really is Margaret.'

"Your name is Margaret, right?" Wang Fei asked, feigning surprise. By now, he was almost certain that the woman standing before him was Margaret—his younger sister. It brought him relief, knowing that people in the simulated world were actually alive in the real one.

"..." The woman didn't say a word. She just gave a small nod, as if uncertain about something.

Wang Fei understood her hesitation. She was probably feeling awkward talking to a stranger. He had known Margaret since they were kids—of course he knew what she might be thinking. But from finally meeting her in person, he noticed that her personality differed slightly from her simulated self. How could a girl so righteous look this sorrowful?

"So you do know Margaret, Mr. Wang Fei!"

For some reason, Amiya seemed more excited than anyone else. She looked at him with hopeful eyes, making Wang Fei feel a bit conflicted.

"Heh... Sorry for the misunderstanding, Miss Amiya. But this isn't the Margaret I know. The one I knew was much younger," Wang Fei said. As soon as he finished, he avoided looking directly at Margaret, guilty for lying.

Amiya seemed a bit disappointed.

"...I see."

The reason he said that, even if the woman really was Margaret, was because there was no way she could remember him. What happened between them was just a simulated memory. To her, he was just a strange man saying weird things.

Chen, overhearing this, became interested.

"Huh... So when did you meet this 'Margaret'? If I remember correctly, you don't have any Kuranta friends with blonde hair."

"Yeah! Fei Fei! How do you even know her?!"

Under their intense stares, Wang Fei answered half-jokingly, "I met her in a dream."

"..."

"..."

Everyone around them went silent. Only Chen's sigh broke the stillness.

"Haa... Let's pretend I didn't hear about your imaginary friend. For now, let's head upstairs before the others get tired of waiting," Chen said. She turned, intending to apologize to the blonde woman for her brother's behavior—but she was already gone.

What none of them knew was that Margaret had silently left the building. Her hands, hidden behind her back, were clenched tightly. She had wanted to say something to him—but the voice in her earpiece had stopped her.

"Operator Nearl, please remain calm. We understand how you feel."

"Remain calm? Didn't you tell me he wouldn't remember me?! Then what the hell was that?!" Nearl's voice was shaky with restrained fury. The one on the other end clearly sensed her inner turmoil.

"I received a report from Dr. Kal'tsit that he recently suffered a traumatic brain injury. That may have triggered fragments of his past memories. But if you push him too far, you might awaken even more of his suppressed memories."

"Believe me, Operator Nearl... You don't want to see the worst version of him emerge. As someone who has known him the longest, I know exactly what that looks like—and I don't want anyone else to witness it either."

"The only one who can currently confirm his status... is Dr. Kal'tsit. So please wait for orders. At the very least, until he meets with her. Try to avoid speaking with or approaching him as much as possible."

"...Fine. But if Dr. Kal'tsit—or anyone else—is lying to me, they'll regret it." Nearl's eyes turned ice-cold, more chilling than her usual stoic demeanor.

"...We understand, Operator Nearl."

Back to Wang Fei—

Only a few were allowed to join him in the elevator. Among them were Amiya, a large man with sunglasses of indiscernible nationality named Ace, and a Sakaz race man named Scout. Everyone else, including Exusiai, had to wait downstairs.

Although Wang Fei was a bit disappointed he couldn't talk to Margaret longer, he still fulfilled his duty—welcoming the guests and keeping the mood light. Inside the elevator, he struck up a conversation with Amiya, asking about their purpose here and what kind of organization Rhodes Island was. Her answer surprised him.

"Rhodes Island is just a regular pharmaceutical company. We came here today to negotiate with Lungmen to establish a local branch and seek some assistance."

"A regular pharmaceutical company? I wasn't aware regular companies needed this many skilled soldiers around them. Or do your researchers just like dressing up as military personnel?" Chen remarked sarcastically, eyeing Amiya's escorts.

With her combat experience, it only took a glance for her to see they were no ordinary security—they were seasoned fighters. Especially the blonde woman earlier and the two tall men in the elevator. Chen could tell they were likely on par with her.

"Sis..." Wang Fei nudged her, trying to signal her to stop. You told me not to be rude to guests, and now you're doing it yourself?

Amiya remained calm despite the sarcasm and replied with confidence.

"Our goal at Rhodes Island is to find a cure for Oripathy and help all Infected across Terra. We're also one of the leading forces in protecting and advocating for their rights. But because of increasing violence and discrimination against the Infected, we need Operators for field missions to confront hostile threats."

Chen narrowed her eyes, staring at Amiya as if trying to read something deeper.

"I get what you're saying. So let's say you really are a voice for the Infected, fighting for them against societal hate. But if Lungmen one day declares the Infected unwelcome and starts killing them, would you wage war to protect them?"

Amiya didn't answer immediately. Instead, she met Chen's gaze and said firmly:

"All we want is a world where the Infected and uninfected can live together peacefully. Since we ourselves are Infected, we desire that world more than anyone. If Lungmen truly doesn't welcome the Infected, we'd leave peacefully. But if violence breaks out, we'll avoid conflict as much as possible—and respond through dialogue and negotiation."

"...That's not an answer I'd expect from a pharmaceutical company."

Chen, who followed Terra's news closely, knew that Rhodes Island had emerged only a few years ago and grown suspiciously fast. Their success in developing treatments for Oripathy earned them fame, especially among the Infected. But many organizations that claimed to "fight for the Infected" often exploited them for personal gain—like Reunion, which recently caused an uproar in Chernobog by occupying the city under the same pretense. So it wasn't strange that Chen was wary of Rhodes Island. Still, seeing the organization led by an actual Infected made her think maybe they weren't all bad.

"A world where the Infected and the uninfected can coexist? Why do we even need a world like that?" Wang Fei asked Amiya with confusion. His words caused everyone in the elevator to react—Chen even shot him a sharp look.

"Fei Fei, this isn't the time for tasteless jokes."

Wang Fei quickly explained himself.

"Ah—Sis, you misunderstood! It's not that I disagree with Miss Amiya. I just think that kind of world is too much of a dream. Most Infected probably don't want something like that. What they really need is food, shelter—a place to survive each day. Dreams of coexistence? Those are ideals people make up for themselves."

"If you asked regular people to choose between living a peaceful normal life and working themselves to death to become rich, they'd choose the former, right? And most Infected would do the same without hesitation. What I mean is—not everyone wants that kind of world."

"They don't need a world that accepts them. They just want someone close who understands and accepts them. Isn't that enough?" Wang Fei smiled.

He, who retained the memories of being Ray Near, understood well what it meant to live among the Infected. He even enjoyed visiting the slums and had grown close with the Infected living there during his visits to play at Yuxia's house. Though most of the Infected in the slums were considered aggressive and prone to theft, all of it stemmed from desperation and the hunger they had to endure in their daily lives.

"You really seem to understand the Infected, Mr. Wang Fei," Amiya, who was initially startled, now smiled as if his strange attitude no longer surprised her.

"That's because I'm one of them," Wang Fei laughed. His answer left both Amiya and Ch'en utterly shocked.

"You idiot! Why would you tell them that?!" Ch'en, furious, immediately grabbed her younger brother by the collar. But Wang Fei quickly responded.

"B-Because they're good at treating the Infected, right? I have to get a check-up anyway. Or would you rather let your little brother die from Oripathy?"

To be honest, Wang Fei didn't want to die either. That's why he was genuinely interested in the company renowned for its expertise in treating Oripathy. He hoped that he might be cured and live on with his sister.

"Even so, how can you trust others so easily, you fool?! Didn't you see the latest news—" Ch'en suddenly stopped, realizing her brother still didn't know about what happened in Chernobog. The news had only broken a week ago, right around the time he was hospitalized.

"...From now on, think before you speak. We can't trust them until we know their true intentions," Ch'en whispered to him quietly before looking at the elevator doors that had just opened. She then dragged Wang Fei along with her.

Amiya, who stood behind them, slowly followed. At the same time, she tapped the communicator in her ear and whispered softly:

"Doctor Kal'tsit... Mr. Wang Fei has become Infected."

There was no reply, but Amiya knew the person on the other end had likely received the message.

Not long after, Wang Fei and the others arrived at the door to the main office of the building. Ch'en opened the door for them. As Wang Fei stepped in first, he saw two people already inside. One was Old Wei, seated comfortably behind a desk like a corporate chairman, leisurely smoking a pipe.

It really made Wang Fei want to report this to Shirayuki so she could inform Mother Fumizuki.

Wang Fei turned to look at the other woman in the room and was slightly surprised when he saw her pale green hair, cat-like ears, and an emotionless face that gave him a strange sense of familiarity.

'Feels like I've seen her somewhere before...'

Wang Fei ended up staring at her for too long, causing the woman to notice. She turned to look at him, and they made eye contact. Her usually expressionless face shifted slightly—an odd change, because most people being stared at would react with suspicion or unease. But this woman looked annoyed, as if to say, "You again?"

"Fei, greet Doctor Kal'tsit. She's one of Rhodes Island's representatives here for today's negotiations," Old Wei said cheerfully as he puffed on his pipe.

Wang Fei quickly nodded and stepped forward to introduce himself, extending his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Doctor Kal'tsit! I'm Chen Wang Fei."

"Likewise, Mr. Chen," Kal'tsit replied politely and shook his hand.

After a moment of thought, Wang Fei couldn't help but ask, "Um... this might be a bit rude, but have we met somewhere before?"

Though the question might've sounded like a cheesy pickup line, Kal'tsit's reaction was far from what he expected.

Her brow twitched a few times. She let go of his hand and responded coldly:

"Too many times—so many that I never want to see you again in this life, Mr. Chen."

'W-Whoa... why did she have to be so harsh about it?'

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Now : (ZAW)System Acting Zhongli in arknights World? (Now Chapter 50)

Now : (INSL) I Never thought simulating life could screw me up this badly!! (Now Chapter 41)

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Coming soon : Texas Character Relationship Content (4 Chapter)

Coming soon : Exusia Character Relationship Content (4 Chapter)

Coming soon : Lapland Character Relationship Content (4 Chapter)