Hou Biao sat on the ground, carefully examining his reflection in the mirror.
This is a Real-Scene Dream. He has become quite adept at having these kinds of dreams, blending into the real world around him. Now, his body is sitting in front of the same mirror, surrounded by the same floor, walls, and gently swaying sandbags. The only difference is that in the real world, he is an exact mirror image of himself, but here, while he is sitting, the person in the mirror is standing.
Dreams are strange things; as long as the subconscious dares to think, it can break all physical rules, such as the principle of image formation by a plane mirror. But he knew very well that this was not the result his subconscious wanted, and he had never thought of constructing a mirror that did not conform to the principles of optics.
The person in the mirror is not him; he is a shadow, an intruder.
While accompanying Professor Mei to an art exhibition in Los Angeles, this shadow invaded his consciousness. As a bodyguard, he had no choice but to stand in front of the professor, no matter what happened, whether it was a bullet or an invading consciousness.
Hou Biao remembered every detail of that art exhibition: the portrait of the girl, and the long street after the rain, deserted except for shadows. The girl was lost, gazing at the viewers for help. Hou Biao found her among the countless shadows on the street. She had returned, holding an umbrella, walking gracefully in the rain. Turning around, he saw that familiar face, and a fire ignited in his heart, while shadows began to gather beneath his feet.
Fortunately, Yao Jingjing called him at that crucial moment, bringing him back to reality. He covered the sign used for mind control with chewing gum, thwarting their carefully planned plot against the professor.
He didn't tell anyone about this. The shadow slowly grew in his consciousness until one day it stood up and grabbed his neck.
He knew what he was up to, but he wasn't Lester, nor was he Xia Wenyuan. He was Hou Biao, an underground boxing champion who had fallen countless times in the ring and risen again to defeat his opponents, a mercenary who had killed countless people. How could such a person, after being enlightened by the jungle hunter and later by Qingmu, and possessing powerful Mental Power, easily let a shadow kill him!
"I really want to know what you want?" Hou Biao said, looking at himself in the mirror.
The person in the mirror said, "You know what I want."
Hou Biao said, "Your target is the data from Mei Laboratory, but you know perfectly well that I'm just a bodyguard and have no authority to access that data. I don't think it's that simple; you must have other motives that I don't know about."
"We are one, I cannot hide anything from you, just as you cannot hide anything from me."
"As you say, there are no secrets between us. So even if I get what you want, how do you plan to pass it on? I don't see any channels through which you pass messages, nor do I see anyone connected to you."
"Once you've actually gotten what we want, our people will contact you."
"Hahaha!" Hou Biao laughed loudly, "So you're just someone they sent to keep an eye on me? How ridiculous! Why should I listen to you? Why should I hand over anything to your people? Do you really think you've successfully parasitized me?"
"You could say that," the Parasites said. "At least you and I are inseparable now. Although I can't replace you, we're closer than twins now, so it's not necessarily a bad thing."
"Even so, you still need to send a message out so your people will know I got what you wanted. Otherwise, how will they know when to come looking for me? So there must be something else I don't know."
So what?
"I can let you in, or I can kick you out. Even—" Hou Biao stared at the mirror, his voice filled with malice, "I can kill you!"
The Parasites in the mirror remained unmoved, looking at the shadow penetrating the mirror and connected to Hou Biao's foot beneath its feet, and said, "Killing me is also self-harm."
Hou Biao laughed and said, "I've died several times already, what am I afraid of getting hurt?"
"This is no small injury; it's a psychological wound, far more painful than a physical one. Physical injuries can heal slowly, Tushu psychological and emotional damage is never truly healed," the Parasites warned. "The consequences will be severe!"
How serious is it?
"You might become an idiot, with an IQ equivalent to a gorilla; you might suffer damage to your nervous system, becoming paralyzed and bedridden; you might lose the ability to remember, although your memories are stored in your cerebral cortex, you can't access them, and you won't even be able to dream!"
Hou Biao was silent for a moment, then said, "What if I still want to kill you?"
The Parasites said, "No, you won't. You chose me yourself. When you stood before that painting, you could have rejected me, but you didn't. Although you've seemingly reformed, you can't change your past. You're an evil person, a killing machine. You grew up amidst bloodshed and death; your heart is filled with darkness, anger, and hatred. Killing and bloodlust are your nature. I was born in the shadows of your heart, and it was your primal nature that accepted me. You won't drive me away, much less kill me. I am your other half."
Hou Biao knew that what he said was true. In the world of the subconscious, there was originally no art of language; everything was a direct presentation of consciousness.
He once thought he had already said goodbye to the past. After Jiang Deguan's death, he lost the will to live. It was Qingmu who saved his spirit, allowing him to see hope again and see a different version of himself.
However, how easy is it to completely sever ties with one's past! The stronger his Mental Power becomes, the clearer all his past memories become, and the dark, bloodthirsty side of his heart is increasingly exposed.
He initially lacked the courage to do anything, until a tiny spark ignited within him. He decided to do something, to bid farewell to the past in a decisive yet intelligent way. Thus, he took on most of his sins through an intruder.
"This is the last time I'll ask you, what's your method of transmitting messages?" Hou Biao said.
The Parasites tilted its head and looked at him in the mirror. "Oh, I see a flame in your heart, a very intense flame! Like a blooming rose! She has stirred love in your heart—an emotion unique to foolish humans! But I can accept it. As long as you love her, I will love her too. I am you! And I know that a man who loves will not harm himself!"
How do you know a loving man won't harm himself?
Hou Biao suddenly stood up, a military dagger in his hand, its sharp blade faintly gleaming with a white light.
"What are you going to do?" The man in the mirror showed a hint of panic, because he sensed murderous intent from Hou Biao's consciousness.
"Have you forgotten that love can heal all pain? That's what makes humans superior to you." Hou Biao slowly walked towards the mirror.
"No, emotions are useless; they are a programming error in the process of life's evolution. Only by abandoning emotions can we rationally move towards ultimate evolution!"
"Fuck your ultimate evolution!"
Hou Biao thrust his dagger forward. His movement was slow, like a slow-motion movie special effects shot—the tip of the dagger pierced the glass and was reflected back out of the mirror. The dagger in the mirror pierced the Parasites's heart, and the reflected dagger also pierced Hou Biao's heart.
The Parasites twisted in agony, staring at Hou Biao in disbelief.
The mirror shattered on the floor.
Suddenly, a flame ignited in Hou Biao's chest, engulfing the sharp knife embedded in his heart. The knife dissolved into water, bursting forth with dazzling sparks...