In the Free City of the Eternal Virtual World, Li Han and Zhang Yunxi sat in a coffee shop at No. 68 Lingjing Avenue, staring dumbfounded at the dozens of people gathered on the second floor, chattering away at a female celebrity who had recently "passed away."

  "Miss Ayo, what does it feel like after you die? How is this place different from the real world?" a reporter squeezed to the front of the crowd and asked.

  "Sister Youyou, you'll always be my goddess! From now on, I'll use my dad's data account every day to come in and listen to your albums, attend your new movie tours, and boost your rankings! Sister Youyou, I love you so much! Sorry, I'm just so excited…!" A teenage fan, around fifteen or sixteen, cried out, completely ignoring the strange looks from others.

  In the Eternal World, there were three types of people: NPCs powered by AI, living humans from the real world, and "Memory Beings"—those who had died in the real world.

  The glamorous celebrity Miss Ayo had recently succumbed to a terminal illness. But after her diagnosis, she had applied for Lingjing Group's memory download and upload service, securing her chance for "eternal life" here.

  The Eternal World utilized brain-computer interface technology that allowed electrical currents, computers, and brain cells to "interact." To fully immerse oneself in the virtual world, tiny electrode chips had to be implanted in the brain to resonate with electrical currents, transmitting human thoughts—including memories—to the central computer system.

  This way, people in the real world could transfer their memories to the Eternal World's terminals when nearing death, awaiting revival in the virtual world. However, these "Memory Beings," whose brains had completely ceased functioning, lacked true perception. Thus, their experiences in the virtual world differed slightly from those of living humans.

  In fact, this concept and technology had been proposed as early as 2016. The world's richest man at the time, Elon Musk, founded a company called "Neuralink" for this purpose. By around 2021, they had developed relevant technical materials and applied to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin human trials as soon as possible. Musk claimed this technology would allow paralyzed individuals to control smartphones and other devices with their minds, among other advancements, such as influencing signals between neurons to solve various human problems.

  It wasn't until recent years that Lingjing Group perfected this technology and successfully applied it to the Eternal World, revolutionizing human lifestyles.

  Of course, this "eternal life" service came at a steep price. One needed sufficient data credits to pay the "community management fees." These credits could be saved up before death or deposited by family members in the real world. However, if the fees weren't renewed within a certain timeframe, the consciousness would be suspended. If no credits were added to reactivate it after a while, the consciousness would be permanently erased.

  This service sparked widespread debate in human society after its launch. Some believed people should accept death as a natural law, while others argued that since their physical bodies were gone and only data remained in the virtual world, they weren't wasting any human resources. Why fight against life itself?

  These two opposing viewpoints had been debated endlessly ever since.

  First floor, lobby.

  Zhang Yunxi gazed at the celebrity Ayo and couldn't help but sigh. "My parents were still young and didn't suffer from serious illnesses. Plus, they were resistant to this technology, so they didn't store any memories before they died. Sigh… If they hadn't been so stubborn, maybe I could still see them here."

  "My condolences," Li Han replied softly.

  "Sister Ayo, can you look at me?! I've been waiting for you to enter the Eternal World for a whole week! I've drunk so much coffee my heart's about to give out. Can you give me a loving glance?" A man in his thirties bellowed with a raspy voice.

  Zhang Yunxi rolled his eyes and pressed the private chat button on the table, instantly muting the noisy surroundings while ensuring their conversation wouldn't leak out. "Let's get started."

  "OK!" Li Han nodded slowly and clasped his hands. "Can you show me your comprehensive stats and information in the Eternal World?"

  "How is that relevant to my enrollment?" Zhang Yunxi looked startled and resisted slightly. "I'm just here to study, not for some job interview!"

  "Here's the thing—these stats are crucial. They're one of the criteria for determining whether you can enroll," Li Han paused before continuing. "Only if you agree can we proceed to the next step."

  Zhang Yunxi was reluctant, as this involved his personal privacy. But given the mysteries weighing on his mind, he had to enroll. After hesitating, he transmitted his data to Li Han face-to-face.

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  Using a mind-link interface, Li Han skimmed through Zhang Yunxi's profile and asked in surprise, "...You work as a private healthcare practitioner in the Eternal World?"

  "Yeah. There are a lot of wealthy people here, so it's a quick way to earn credits," Zhang Yunxi replied somewhat awkwardly.

  "Looking at your work records, your main service is providing... 'that kind' of healthcare?" Li Han asked curiously.

  Zhang Yunxi's face turned red. After a long pause, he admitted, "Yes. I studied biology and have some expertise in pharmaceuticals, so... I've achieved minor success in this field. You know how it is—many wealthy people in the real world suffer from... those issues. Coming here for treatment is... less embarrassing."

  "Ahem!"

  Li Han coughed twice, paused, then couldn't resist asking, "Can I ask... are you a virgin?"

  "...Yes," Zhang Yunxi scratched his head awkwardly.

  "And you're teaching others?!"

  "...Professor Li, are you asking for a consultation?" Zhang Yunxi shot back cheekily.

  "I'm... fine. No need for a consultation. Just curious." Li Han continued browsing the profile. After a while, he glanced sideways at Zhang Yunxi and asked, "Hey, do you have any instructional videos on this?"

  "Yes. Censored ones."

  "Send me a copy later." Li Han quickly moved on, continuing to review Zhang Yunxi's information.

  About ten minutes later, Li Han finally returned to a neutral expression. "I've finished reviewing. Aside from your outstanding grades in biology, you don't seem to have any other special talents, right?"

  "Right," Zhang Yunxi admitted frankly.

  "Let me formally introduce you to Qing Shan Theological Academy." Li Han looked at Zhang Yunxi seriously. "You've probably noticed that our internal environment is completely different from what's publicly known. Simply put, we're a third-party talent institution primarily funded by Lingjing Group. Our school's mission is to cultivate elite talent for the Eternal World and the future special judicial department."

  Zhang Yunxi looked astonished. "So that's how it is. That explains everything."

  "Exactly. As you've guessed, Qing Shan Theological Academy isn't a conventional institution. Our enrollment process is extremely rigorous. We don't care about your academic grades—we focus on your unique abilities and maximize them during your four years here." Li Han continued, "So, if you want to enroll, you'll need to sign a confidentiality agreement with us. After graduation, you'll also be required to sign a mandatory employment contract. Your future assignments will be determined by the academy."

  "Isn't that basically indentured servitude?"

  "To be blunt, many people would kill to get into Qing Shan Theological Academy but can't even find the door. The education we provide here is cutting-edge. Take your field, bio-genetics—in other schools, you'd be lucky to get near real clinical trials before you're 35." Li Han frowned. "This place is a paradise for elites."

  Zhang Yunxi was meticulous. Instead of buying into Li Han's pitch, he pondered and asked, "What would my general responsibilities be in the future? Working as a clerk in the judicial department?"

  "Not exactly. It's complicated to explain, but simplified, your job would involve maintaining the stability of the Eternal World and addressing virtual tech issues in the real world." Li Han gave an example: "Take the Li Yun case that happened in your family. In the future, matters like AI management, investigation, and even arrests might fall under our jurisdiction—at least in the Chinese region."

  "I see what you mean." Zhang Yunxi's mind was already racing with implications.

  "So, will you sign?" Li Han asked. "Or do you need more time to think?"

  Zhang Yunxi paused for two seconds, asking himself two questions:

  Do I still want to investigate my father's death and the mysteries left by the Li Yun case?

  If I leave now, would Pearl University even take me back?

  After considering, Zhang Yunxi answered without hesitation, "Alright, I'll sign."

  "Excellent!" Li Han smiled and nodded. "I'll send you the agreement via mind-link."

  Five minutes later, Zhang Yunxi had signed all the enrollment terms. Li Han stood up and said, "Congratulations on joining Qing Shan Theological Academy! Let's return to the real world—I'll take you to meet your mentor. He actually knew your father."

  "Dr. Liang An, right?"

  "Right." Li Han nodded. "Let's disconnect."

  ......

  Real world.

  Li Han removed his neural headset and softly invited, "Let's head to Dr. Liang An's office. There are four other new students joining you."

  Zhang Yunxi grinned and asked, "All elites, I assume?"

  Li Han shook his head with a smile. "Forgive my bluntness, but like you, they're all at the bottom of the big data rankings."

  "???" Zhang Yunxi was stunned. "I... I'm at the bottom?!"

  "Yes. Your bio-genetics grades are good, but... your overall score is low." Li Han consoled him. "But don't worry—once you're here, everyone starts fresh. And the worst students in each class always get the best mentors."

  "...Damn." Zhang Yunxi muttered indignantly, "After swimming in the ocean of knowledge for so many years, this is the first time someone's called me a slacker."

  As they walked and talked, they soon left the office area.

  In the reception hall for new students, Zhang Yunxi saw his four future classmates—three men and one woman. One of them was the greasy guy he'd run into at the train station!

  Holy crap, Li Han wasn't kidding. This guy had terrible vibes—clearly a slacker at first glance!

  The other three were equally eccentric: a guy weighing over 200 pounds, a frail and sickly-looking young man with a cold demeanor, and a girl with a blue ponytail dressed like a punk nonconformist. At first glance, she was hard to look at.

  Zhang Yunxi suppressed his thoughts for a long time, silently concluding that his three new peers were, visually speaking, truly... one-of-a-kind specimens.

  "Let's go, all five of you. We'll meet Dr. Liang An together," Li Han invited.

  ......

  In Dr. Liang An's office, he stored all of Zhang Yunxi and Zhang Yunzhao's files in his private email. Still uneasy, he compressed them into an encrypted file. After a long pause, he suddenly slapped his forehead. "The terminal!"

  Meanwhile.

  Outside the dormitory area of Qing Shan Theological Academy, a young man carrying a simple bag murmured into his wrist communicator, "Zhang Yunxi, right? Don't worry—I'll have an answer for you within a week."