Another Self

On the forum.

People refreshed the page over and over.

Finally, ten minutes later, Emperor San updated again.

"Hello, stranger.

You are like a star in the galaxy.

Though there may be countless others like you, there is still a faint difference.

Sometimes, you stand out from the crowd.

Yet others see you as an oddity.

Sometimes, you pour out all your feelings.

Yet others respond with indifference.

All you can do is sigh at your loneliness.

At coordinates (12°N, 115°E), there is a wonderful place—Gemini Shoals.

The world tells us that everything has at least two of its kind.

I believe that somewhere in this world,

there is someone just like you.

Someone who can understand every one of your thoughts.

She or he will

know your mood with a single glance.

Understand your worries in just a few words.

There are three riddles in this round.

There is no prize.

But they may help you find a lifelong confidant.

A gentle confidant who truly understands your heart."

At the end of the passage was an exquisite QR code.

As well as a sentence: Do you believe there is another you in this world?

When the post was published, the forum suddenly fell silent.

It was not until five minutes later

that the countless netizens immersed in those words finally snapped out of it.

"These words spoke straight to my heart!"

"Does someone like that really exist?"

"How I wish my other half were someone like that!"

"I can't believe there's a place called Gemini Shoals. It's so poetic!"

"There's a QR code at the end of his post!"

"Does he want us to scan it?"

"I don't care, I'm trying it!"

Thanks to the unprecedented popularity of Emperor San's first two posts, the third one was just as eagerly sought after!

Although the post did not explain what the QR code was for,

it only made netizens even more curious!

Hundreds of millions of people picked up their phones and scanned it!

Inside a studio apartment in Sea City.

A young shut-in sat there disheveled and listless.

After scanning the QR code on the forum,

a prompt popped up on his phone: Download the "Gemini" app?

Yes!

The young man took a bite of his now-cold instant noodles.

When he looked back at his phone, the app had already finished downloading.

That was fast!

With a light tap,

the app launched instantly without the slightest lag, faster than 99% of the software on the market!

After a simple yet refined opening animation,

there was only a dialogue box asking him to enter a username.

Username?

Interesting. Is this a chat app?

The young man entered the online handle he often used: Heartless Man.

The Gemini system is analyzing your personality: 1%...10%

The young shut-in curled his lip in disdain.

Analyzing my personality?

I haven't entered any information. How can you analyze me?

Online apps these days are getting more unreliable by the day. It's all just smoke and mirrors!

User personality analysis complete!

Friend behind the screen, is this you?

1. You appear very confident on the outside, but there is a restless and uneasy side to you inside.

2. You hope to be liked, and your desire for recognition is too strong.

3. Sometimes, you have impractical ideas.

4. You have exceptionally good inspiration, and quite a few people depend on you.

5. There are areas where you are overly strict with yourself.

6. Once you like someone, you sometimes force yourself to meet her expectations.

7. You once failed because of a hasty decision. If you had waited a little more patiently back then, things would have turned out much better.

8. You are honest, but you have suffered quite a few misunderstandings.

9. You have regretted your decisions before. Whenever you make a decision after hesitating, you worry about whether it was right or wrong.

10. When you feel at a loss, you hope to ask your friends for advice, but you already have an idea in your heart and are only waiting for someone to affirm it.

This...

The young shut-in stared wide-eyed as he read through each point.

The more he read, the more shocked he became!

This is so much like me!

Isn't this fucking describing me?

This system understands me so well!

It even understands me better than my best friends do!

Of course, the Gemini system understands everyone.

Now matching you with the new friend most compatible with you!

Immediately afterward, his phone screen began scrolling as countless profile pictures flashed past at high speed.

The young shut-in found himself growing more and more excited.

He stared fixedly at the phone screen.

Could it really be like the post said?

Could it help me find a true confidant?

Ding. User matched successfully. Other party's ID: Heart Loser.

Her name is Heart Loser.

Mine is Heartless Man.

Could it really be such a coincidence?

The young shut-in tremblingly tapped her profile picture. Female, 23 years old, Jiangbei City.

She was a girl.

The shut-in's breathing began to quicken.

The girl's profile picture was the female lead from an obscure foreign film called "Rose Corner," named Lillian.

His own profile picture was Adelaide, the male lead of "Rose Corner"!

"Th-this... There shouldn't be many people in the country who know about this movie!"

"Could she be a fan of obscure films too?"

The young shut-in's eyes glistened faintly with tears.

I have to get to know her!

I absolutely can't let this chance slip away!

Since his breakup, he had drifted through life in a muddle for two years.

Nothing had ever made him feel such an intense desire before!

"Hello, my name is Zeng Xiang. I'm rather withdrawn, so I'm not very good at talking, but..."

The shut-in edited his message, feeling as if he were terribly tongue-tied!

Yet the other party sent him a message first!

"Hello, my name is Lu Xiaoyan. I'm rather withdrawn, so I'm not very good at talking, but I really want to get to know you, because I feel like we seem to have so, so much in common!"

Looking at the message that was nearly identical to the one he had been composing,

the shut-in was completely stunned!

This app was fucking incredible!

Too ashamed to face anyone—I broke my promise.