The man before him, who looked strikingly like Doctor Ding, finally showed a flicker of expression, though it was limited to a slight arch of his brow. Beyond that, he did not move.
He did not deny his identity. Instead, as though tacitly admitting it, he said:
"Do you like the gift I prepared especially for you?"
The words were an outrageously brazen provocation, yet he delivered them with rigid formality, as earnestly as if he truly believed this was a "gift" without a trace of malice.
Li Xian did not answer, but the man did not mind. He continued in the same unruffled tone:
"If you like, I can create a special instance for you."
"You've seen how realistic the data simulations are-your parents, family, and friends would all be in that instance. Though they would be fake, they could be indistinguishable from the real ones."
"I can build that instance's world around your preferences. It could be a place almost identical to the real world, free from any spectral monster attacks."
After laying out these terms, the man paused briefly. Seeing that Li Xian had no intention of accepting, he continued:
"If you wish, I'll do my best to expand the instance's boundaries-to make it even closer to reality."
"There, you wouldn't even have to worry about anyone, yourself included, aging, falling ill, or dying."
"What do you think?"
He presented one tempting condition after another as though bargaining, raising the stakes whenever Li Xian remained unmoved. Perhaps he felt that what he had offered by this point was enough to tempt anyone, because he stopped and quietly awaited Li Xian's answer.
Li Xian had shown no reaction to any of these terms. Only after confirming that the man had finished did he give a cold laugh and