Volume One, Chapter 16: The World Has Changed

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Seeing Tang Hui’s sudden mental breakdown, Bai Chen promptly announced a suspension of the interrogation. Ran Yi was worried about Tang Hui’s physical condition, while also feeling confused about the content of the interrogation. “Tang Hui never experienced any of this; how could she possibly remember the details of the case?” Bai Chen smiled slightly. “As you’ve seen, Tang Hui’s memory is disordered. I believe this is very likely related to the Other Shore. First, there’s no need to doubt your own memory—I’ve already retrieved surveillance footage from all the streets. Your memories are accurate; what Tang Hui described simply didn’t happen. Second, the operation of the Other Shore itself damages the human brain. Tang Hui probably developed signs of mental disturbance after undergoing the experiment.”

Bai Chen then reconstructed the events of that night. According to Ran Yi’s account, the real Tang Hui was far from a compliant girl—she was drawn to the unknown, loved adventure, and the mysterious Other Shore ticked all her boxes. Likely intrigued by its novelty, she joined the experiment. Around midnight, the group arrived at the laboratory, and after brief examinations and introductions, Tang Hui accompanied by Hu Chuan entered the source laboratory at 2:00 a.m.

However, the experience within the Other Shore evidently exceeded Tang Hui’s expectations. As a university student, her willpower was insufficient; she endured a long nightmare. Due to the destructive effect of the Other Shore device on the brain, this nightmare was possibly prolonged, vivid, and inescapable. Moreover, time within the Other Shore probably flowed much slower, so from the perspective of real-world time, Tang Hui felt like she was living through years in mere hours.

After an unknown length of struggle and torment, even experiencing near-death sensations, Tang Hui barely broke free from the Other Shore’s grasp and returned to the real world. But by then, her mental state was severely impaired, unable to distinguish between reality and dream. She stepped out of the Other Shore into the dark laboratory—a darkness as terrifying as the deepest nightmare. She heard Hu Chuan’s inquiries, but they sounded more like monstrous roars.

Perhaps it was then that Tang Hui lost control. Believing she was still trapped in the nightmare and that monsters were nearby, she panicked and tried to escape. Unaware of the situation, Professor Hu Chuan was likely frightened by her and instinctively opened the door to the source laboratory.

The corridor was brightly lit, and Tang Hui saw the light after a long time. However, a stranger’s figure blocked her path. In her confused state, she could no longer tell if the person before her was Hu Chuan or a monster. Instinctively, she fumbled and found a fruit knife somewhere, and with a desperate resolve, she stabbed.

Professor Hu Chuan fell. Tang Hui accidentally triggered the power outage. Although Zou Yao claimed only he could enter the control room, his long-term alcohol dependence sometimes led to mistakes. After the lights went out, not wanting to be plunged into darkness again, Tang Hui followed the light and fled. The noisy personnel outside the Su laboratory, coupled with the blackout, didn’t notice her escape.

In summary, Tang Hui very likely committed involuntary manslaughter while in a state of mental disorder. Bai Chen comforted Ran Yi accordingly. “But you needn’t worry. On one hand, she is still a minor. On the other, Hu Chuan’s experiment was inherently risky. Tang Hui’s mental disorder was caused entirely by him, so she won’t bear too much responsibility.”

Ran Yi stroked his chin thoughtfully. Bai Chen’s analysis sounded quite reasonable, especially since it explained the non-existent motive for murder attributed to Tang Hui.

Bai Chen said, “The rest is simple. I’ve gathered all the surveillance evidence. Now we’re just waiting for professional physicists to analyze the Other Shore further, to understand how it works and its harm to the human body. Then we’ll issue a joint statement proving this kind of human experimentation is unethical, establishing Tang Hui as a victim, which will reduce the charges against her and allow the process to move forward. If psychological treatment is needed afterward... that will be up to you.”

Ran Yi nodded solemnly. Learning that Tang Hui would be alright, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

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Suddenly, the interrogation room door was knocked upon.

“Well, well, Captain Bai, are you already wrapping up the case? How do you still have time to chat?” Nie Chu sneered before even stepping inside, his old face shriveled like a dried gourd. Bai Chen didn’t hold back in retorting.

“Thanks to you, Deputy Director Nie, I’ve already cleared the surrounding surveillance. The case is progressing swiftly, so there’s no need for your concern,” Bai Chen said, deliberately emphasizing the word “Deputy,” which predictably annoyed Nie Chu.

He ground his teeth, “Young people are too reckless; that’s never a good thing. Be careful not to cause trouble in the future.”

“Thanks for your kind wishes. I will strive to improve—I doubt I’d be Deputy Director at my age otherwise,” Bai Chen stressed again.

“You...” Nie Chu clenched his fists, then suddenly thought of something. Smirking, he said, “Oh! You’ve finished the investigation, haven’t you? The little Liang in the database is your subordinate, right? I just happened to pass by there and saw the kid with the surveillance data, looking panicked. Something must have happened, huh?”

“What?” Bai Chen started to question, but Nie Chu had already finished his taunt and fled.

“Dealing with that scoundrel is really a curse,” Bai Chen cursed silently.

Soon after, Xiao Liang timidly pushed open the door.

“What’s wrong, Xiao Liang? Have you finished sorting out the surveillance evidence?”

Xiao Liang looked troubled, hesitating for a long while before handing over a stack of documents.

“Captain Bai... it’s been sorted for a while, but... something’s not right...”

“What could be wrong? We recorded everything on the footage. Even the Almighty couldn’t hide it...” Bai Chen said dismissively.

But just a glance at the screenshots stunned him as if struck by lightning; his previously commanding aura vanished.

“Captain Bai... the footage is definitely real, but it clearly wasn’t like this just now...”

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“What happened?” Ran Yi leaned forward curiously. He noticed beads of sweat forming on Bai Chen’s forehead, dripping heavily onto the screenshots of last night’s surveillance.

The unbelievable footage showed that at 9:40 p.m., Tang Hui was still on campus, searching for something.

At 10:30 p.m., Tang Hui and Ran Yi walked side by side to the school gate and said their goodbyes.

At 10:50 p.m., Tang Hui returned home.

But the original screenshots had changed entirely.

At 9:00 p.m., only Hu Chuan and Song Qi were in the car.

At 11:50 p.m., Hu Chuan and Song Qi returned to the laboratory.

At 2:00 a.m., Hu Chuan entered the source laboratory.

At 3:30 a.m., the laboratory lost power, and Zou Yao reported the incident.

Tang Hui disappeared completely from the footage.

The interrogation room fell into a heavy silence. Bai Chen’s and Ran Yi’s shared quietness pointed to one conclusion.

This world had been altered.

Outside, Nie Chu seemed to have received the outcome he expected, leaving with a satisfied, sinister smile.