Unavoidable

Jiang Qian arrived at the door to Screening Room No. 2.

To be safe, he studied the poster hanging beside the door again:

Against a deep blue background, a massive whirlpool occupied the center. A white ship sailed into the whirlpool from the outside, its bow pointed straight at the vortex's core.

"The vast deep-blue background evokes sadness and oppression. Stare at the huge whirlpool for too long, and it's easy to get drawn in. The white ship, meanwhile, seems like something capable of breaking the deadlock."

Jiang Qian tried to glean useful information by interpreting the poster.

Then, once he was ready, he pushed open the door to Screening Room No. 2...

What he saw surprised Jiang Qian.

The door had opened, yet it seemed not to have opened completely.

It was as though the doorway had been sealed by a rippling barrier of water—or perhaps the entire room had already been filled with water, held back by some force that prevented it from pouring out through the door.

In any case, if Jiang Qian wanted to enter the room, he had to pass through this "water curtain."

[Prompt: Your time in the corridor is about to expire. Please act quickly.]

"Fine. I'm just an ordinary human being. I can't hold my breath underwater for long. This instance wouldn't blatantly drown me, would it?"

Jiang Qian resolutely stepped into the blue barrier and entered the room...

The world spun upside down.

A distant instance prompt reached him:

[You are about to enter the viewing segment.]

[The film Choice is adapted from the trial participant's real experiences. You will play yourself in this film and receive the ultimate immersive experience.]

[Find the instigator and prevent all tragedies from happening.]

[Scene 1—Action!]

When Jiang Qian's vision cleared again, he saw someone both familiar and unfamiliar—his mother, Wen Han.

"A-Qian, what are you standing around for? Come help!"

His mother still looked as she had in her youth: an oval face, a fishtail braid, a fondness for wide-brimmed hats and floral dresses.

She was kneeling on a picnic mat, laying out fruit and snacks.

A picnic in the park.

In the distance, his father, Jiang Xuesong, and that annoying Jiang Yang were playing frisbee on the grass.

Jiang Xuesong was handsome and athletic. Dressed in a deep-blue tracksuit, he burst with explosive power as he ran across the green lawn.

Jiang Qian's gaze followed his deceased father as he ran, and he felt more bewilderment than nostalgia.

When his father had been alive, he had been a dedicated geologist who spent much of the year traveling with expedition teams on surveying work, unable to be with his wife and children most of the time.

The year the accident happened, his father had finally managed to clear out a stretch of time. He took the two brothers, then on summer break, and their freelance mother to a summer retreat with mountains and water for a family vacation.

Jiang Qian had actually expected this instance to use his father against him.

It had even dared to set a trap that made him kill his brother. Did it have any bottom line at all?

But when it truly happened, his feelings were more "intense" than he had expected.

"They are my closest family, yet now they are all gradually drifting away from me." Jiang Qian seemed to hear his own inner voice, and it surprised him.

He had not felt this sense of loss in a very long time.

"A-Qian? Hey..." His mother held out a hand toward him with slight helplessness. "Give it to me. Everything's already set out~"

Jiang Qian froze for a moment.

He had been too busy watching his father to notice that he was holding a fruit knife.

He handed the knife to his mother.

"Honestly, all you do is stare at your dad and brother. You won't even come lend your mom a hand." His mother grumbled, pretending to be dissatisfied.

Then she looked up at the sky.

"Oh? The weather's changing?"

Jiang Qian followed her gaze. At some point, dark clouds had drifted overhead.

Above the park, one half of the sky was bright with sunshine, while the other was smothered beneath leaden clouds.

Jiang Qian became alert.

His father had died during a self-driving trip years ago, in a rainstorm and flood disaster.

The three surviving mother and sons had all suffered from post-traumatic stress and were unable to recall the details of that time.

Jiang Qian's hypermnesia talent had only emerged after the brain injury he sustained in that accident. Before then—including the course of the accident itself—he had retained almost no memory of it.

"Looks like it's going to rain. A-Qian, go call your dad and brother back. I'll call the guide to ask about the situation and see whether we can still drive to the old city this afternoon."

As she spoke, Wen Han had already started dialing.

But Jiang Qian merely stood where he was, observing his mother's reaction as she made the call.

My goal is to find the instigator and prevent the tragedy... If the "tragedy" refers to the accident back then, then this afternoon's outing is undoubtedly where the tragedy begins.

Wen Han smiled and said a few words into her phone. Then she suddenly relaxed, hung up cheerfully, and muttered to herself, "Thank goodness. It's only overcast."

That meant the afternoon itinerary was still on...

"Huh, A-Qian, why haven't you gone to call them yet? You're acting a little strange today..." His mother turned around, worry and confusion on her face. "Are you feeling unwell?"

Jiang Qian crouched down and clutched his forehead. "Mom, I feel awful. Maybe I have heatstroke..."

"Huh?" Wen Han's concern deepened. She quickly crouched beside him and reached out to touch his forehead, murmuring, "Your temperature is normal. Where does it hurt? Tell Mom, okay?"

Jiang Qian put on a sickly expression. "I'm dizzy, nauseous, and I can't walk."

"Come, sit down first. Have some juice and recover a bit." As she spoke, Wen Han fed him a drink and wiped the sweat at his temples with a handkerchief.

The first thing to do for heatstroke was replenish fluids. Juice was lightly sweetened water and could provide effective relief.

"Mom, I want to lie down and sleep."

"Mm-hmm, then we'll postpone this afternoon's plans until tomorrow. It's fine, it's fine. My son's health is what matters most."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Silly boy, why are you thanking Mom? Still feeling bad? I'll go get some Huoxiang Zhengqi liquid from the car. Once you're feeling better, I'll have your dad take us back to the hotel."

"Mm, I'm okay..." Jiang Qian looked at Wen Han, still saying one thing while meaning another.

This mother created by the illusion showed him more care and concern in the instance than his real mother had shown him in an entire year.

Soon after, at his mother's call, his father and Jiang Yang returned to Jiang Qian's side.

His mother hurried off to the family car to get the medicine.

"What? My little brother got heatstroke? What a loser!" Jiang Yang sounded somewhat delighted by his misfortune.

Jiang Xuesong promptly taught him a lesson with a hard knock on the head. "I'm still right here. Quit picking on your brother!"

"Ow! Dad!" Jiang Yang cried out in pain.

Serves you right. You had it coming... Now it was Jiang Qian's turn to take pleasure in his misfortune.

Just as the three were enjoying themselves, a deafening boom erupted behind them!

Jiang Xuesong and Jiang Yang turned toward the sound. Jiang Qian, meanwhile, sprang upright from the picnic mat. At the point where all three of their gazes met was a runaway truck that had burst through the landscaped barrier!

And in front of the truck was a family car being shoved along...

That unfortunate car had already been sent rolling along the way, crushing and scorching a stretch of lawn.

"Wen Han!"

"Mom... Mom!"

Jiang Xuesong and Jiang Yang rushed over without a second thought!

Jiang Qian got up and followed his father and brother, sprinting desperately toward the family car. From far away, he could already see the mangled, bloody scene inside...

He stopped in his tracks, his chest feeling as though it had been struck by a heavy blow.

The next instant, the world spun.

[You are about to enter the viewing segment.]

[The film Choice is adapted from the trial participant's real experiences. You will play yourself in this film and receive the ultimate immersive experience.]

[Find the instigator and prevent all tragedies from happening.]

[Scene 2—Action!]

The same prompts, the same scene.

Jiang Qian's heart was still pounding like a drum.

A living, breathing Wen Han stood before him again, smiling brightly. "A-Qian, what are you standing around for? Come help!"

"Oh..." Jiang Qian reached out and set the fruit knife on the picnic mat before going over to help his mother arrange the cake and plates.

Everything began again, as if nothing had happened.

Had I made things too simple? This part of my memory was incomplete to begin with, yet I tried to avert disaster by sabotaging the travel plans. The instance wouldn't let me clear it that easily... Jiang Qian thought.

Beside him, his mother looked up at the sky.

Concern showed in her eyes. "Looks like it's going to rain. A-Qian, go call your dad and brother back. I need to call the guide to ask about the situation and see whether we can still drive to the old city this afternoon."

The plot was repeating itself.

This time, Jiang Qian did not put on another heatstroke act.

He obediently went to call Jiang Xuesong and Jiang Yang back. Once the family had gathered around the picnic mat, Wen Han put down her phone and announced with relief:

"The afternoon itinerary remains unchanged!"

"Great!" Jiang Yang got excited. "Frisbee is so boring. I want to go out and have fun!"

The family chatted as they enjoyed their snacks.

But Jiang Qian's attention remained on the parking lot.

Would that car accident happen again as usual?

If the accident doesn't happen this time, then it most likely means my personal choices directly trigger crude backlash from the plot;

Conversely, if the accident happens as usual, then there are two possibilities:

The first is that this "accident" is purely accidental and unrelated to anyone's actions here. No matter how I react, it will happen;

The second is that the triggered "accident" carries over from the previous scene into the next...

The first possibility would be fine. But if it's the second, then every "Action" prompt will add new elements. And if those elements are negative, disastrous ones, things will only become more troublesome and worse.

As Jiang Qian pondered, a deafening crash shattered the park's peaceful atmosphere.

The runaway truck shoved a family car through the landscaped barrier. It rolled across the grass, crushing and scorching a patch of green lawn.

The family turned toward the sound, and Jiang Yang was the first to curse, "Fuck!"

Jiang Xuesong and Wen Han stood up at the same time, staring in shock at the victim of the accident—their car. It was totaled!

Jiang Qian responded with silence.

What was meant to happen would still happen.

As for whether this was a purely "accidental" event or an accumulated "element," he would need more tests to determine.

Jiang Qian was very clear that everything happening now had nothing to do with reality. His father, mother, Jiang Yang, even their property—none of it was real.

They were merely "tools" serving the instance.

But was there really any need to continue testing?

How many chances to "start over" would he have to test and draw conclusions, ultimately finding a reliable solution?

The answer was unknown.

Maybe the next round would kill him.

Wait. My goal is to "find the instigator and prevent all tragedies from happening." From the looks of it, if the car accident doesn't involve my family, then it isn't a tragedy to me... Jiang Qian returned to the beginning and sorted through the clues, beginning to formulate a new plan.

Dark clouds blanketed the sky.

While everyone worried over the "car accident," Jiang Qian went with the flow while paying close attention to the information he cared about.

The accident had been caused by a new driver driving drunk. The offender had already been taken away by the public security authorities.

What remained were matters of contacting the insurance company, assessing the damage, and filing the claim. Once those were handled, the family took a taxi back to the hotel.

Without a car, their plan to drive themselves to the old city was about to be canceled.

However...

"Ah~ So we're going to stay cooped up in the hotel for two days?" Jiang Yang was quite unhappy to hear that their plans had been canceled.

Will you just shut up, you bad-luck charm... Jiang Qian inwardly rolled his eyes at Jiang Yang.

Then his father, sitting in the front passenger seat, smiled easily and said, "I asked around just now. There's a car rental place nearby. We can set off whenever we want."

Jiang Qian was immediately impressed by his father's efficiency.

To ensure his wife and children could enjoy a high-quality vacation during their rare reunion, his father was willing to spare no expense.

So Jiang Qian could not remain silent any longer.

After considering his words, he said, "Dad, so much happened today. You and Mom must be exhausted too. How about we rest for a day before making plans?"

Jiang Xuesong thought about it. "That works too. We really did lose quite a bit of time today."

"Ah~" Jiang Yang glared at his brother in displeasure.

Jiang Qian ignored him outright.

"You're going to visit the old city, right? Oh, there'll be heavy rain tomorrow night!" the driver chimed in. "If you go today, stay the night in the old city, and head back before noon tomorrow, that'll be just right..."

Seeing the driver gesticulating wildly, Jiang Qian immediately tensed. "Sir, drive carefully!"

Before he could finish, an orange flash appeared ahead!

The taxi was knocked off course by a speeding motorcycle. The distracted driver reacted and yanked the steering wheel, but he failed to control the car's balance and was rammed from behind by a bus...

In that instant, the front airbags deployed. The mother and two sons, crammed into the back without seat belts, were violently thrown through the air and slammed into the interior walls.

Under the intense sensory assault, Jiang Qian's consciousness blurred, and he heard the familiar prompt again:

[You are about to enter the viewing segment.]

[The film Choice is adapted from the trial participant's real experiences. You will play yourself in this film and receive the ultimate immersive experience.]

[Find the instigator and prevent all tragedies from happening.]

[Scene 3—Action!]

Jiang Qian's eyes flew open!

Still wracked by pain, he gulped down air.

Holding the fruit knife in his hand, he raised his head in slight confusion and met his mother Wen Han's familiar smile:

"A-Qian, what are you standing around for? Come help!"