Past Life, Present Life

My name is Li Yingyue, and I am an ordinary young man, as ordinary as they come. After graduating from university, I became a nine-to-five worker, just like most of my peers.

My life was simple and routine, a daily commute between two points: from home to the office, and from the office back home.

Although such a life might seem a bit dull, I truly enjoyed this peace and tranquility.

I loved this simple and pure way of life; without too much pressure or worry, I could freely manage my own time.

However, fate did not seem to intend for me to live so peacefully forever.

A sudden war shattered my once-calm life and altered the trajectory of many people's destinies.

In this turbulent era, everyone had to make a choice.

I was no exception; I was conscripted as a volunteer, responsible for logistics work.

This meant I would leave the city I knew, head to unfamiliar places, and begin an entirely new journey.

Sometimes, I couldn't help but fantasize: if life could just remain this mundane, without grand plots or heart-stopping adventures, only day-after-day trivialities and boredom, how wonderful that would be! Such days, though plain, bring a sense of inexplicable peace.

Yet reality is always cruel; the shadow of war constantly looms over our world, leaving people feeling uneasy and terrified.

Every day, countless lives vanish in the flames of war, and innocent people suffer pain and torment.

How I wish all of this could end and usher in true peace.

But the war seems endless, and every conflict brings more destruction and casualties.

And I, too, am exhausted, worn out in both body and soul. Perhaps death is the ultimate release.

It was a day like any other, with the sun hanging high in the sky, shining upon the earth and bringing a touch of warmth and brightness.

However, for me, today was destined to be an extraordinary day.

As a logistics transport worker for a highly classified research institute, my life was usually calm and routine.

Every day, I would drive my truck and deliver the necessary supplies to the institute on time.

But today, as I drove along the road as usual, I noticed something unusual—a blinding white light flashing in the distance, as if something were exploding.

The light was so dazzling that I had to squint to avoid being blinded.

At the same time, a strong sense of curiosity welled up in my heart, making me want to know exactly what had caused such a phenomenon.

Just as I was trying to figure it out, a loud noise erupted, shaking the entire world like a thunderclap.

It was a hair-raising sound, accompanied by a powerful shockwave that swept over me in an instant.

I felt a massive force, as if a car had slammed into me at high speed, throwing me violently into the air.

Then, everything became blurred, my consciousness gradually faded, and I sank into darkness.

When I opened my eyes again, everything before me was a blur, and it took a while for things to gradually come into focus.

I saw the surgical lamp above my head emitting a dazzling light, a radiance that seemed to pierce through my eyes.

I felt as if my body had been thrown into a raging fire; it was unbearably hot, and every cell in my body was trembling in agony.

I tried to move my fingers, but I found that I couldn't move at all; my body felt as if it were tightly bound by an invisible force.

I began to check my physical condition and discovered that my skin was covered in blisters and festering wounds, clearly the result of severe burns.

I tried to calm myself down, but the fear and anxiety in my heart grew stronger and stronger.

I noticed that my body was covered in all sorts of tubes, each connected to different fluids, while various medical instruments were arranged all around me.

These instruments emitted faint sounds, as if telling me they were working hard, trying to save my life.

"You're awake."

A man dressed like a doctor looked at me with a steady, serious gaze.

"You're lucky you didn't die in the first wave of the nuclear blast; basically everyone outside the base at that time is already dead," the doctor said heavily, his voice filled with helplessness and regret.

I lay quietly on the hospital bed, surrounded by various instruments, my face as pale as paper.

An endless sense of sorrow and despair surged in my heart, as if the entire world had collapsed in an instant.

"But you are also unfortunate, because due to the nuclear radiation, your genes are collapsing throughout your body. With current medical means, it is untreatable," the doctor continued, his eyes revealing a hint of pity.

I listened silently, my heart filled with pain and unwillingness.

I had once thought I could escape the fate of death, but now I found myself in an even more terrifying situation.

My body was gradually breaking down, and modern medicine was powerless.

I thought of my past life; those beautiful memories now seemed so distant and illusory.

I once had dreams and hopes, but now everything had turned into a bubble. I didn't know how to face this reality, nor did I know what the future would hold.

At this moment, I felt incredibly lonely and helpless. I knew my time was running out, and I still had so much left undone.

But what could I do? Just silently accept this cruel fate? No! I am not willing to give up like this.

Even if my life is coming to an end, I must strive to find a glimmer of hope.

Even if there is only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, I must try to overcome this illness.

I want to leave something worth remembering in my life, no matter the cost.

"Have you heard of digital life technology?"

Digital life technology? That's the kind of tech that can upload human consciousness into a computer, right? Shouldn't that still be stuck in the realm of science fiction? Could it actually have a practical application already?

"I have. The technology that uploads human consciousness into a computer?"

"Exactly. I am a researcher for the Digital Life Project. Your current condition is untreatable; your DNA is shattering throughout your body. In a few days, you will die in agony from genetic collapse. The only way for you to survive is to have your consciousness uploaded. Are you willing to participate in the Digital Life Project?"

"Do I have any other choice? There is only one path to survival before me, isn't there?"

"I am willing to participate in the consciousness upload experiment!"

"A wise choice. I will prepare the consciousness upload experiment for you," the researcher said with a smile, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible excitement and anticipation.

He knew what this decision meant for the subject, but he also understood that this would be a process full of challenges and unknowns.

However, he believed in the power of science and was convinced that this experiment would bring new hope and possibilities to humanity.