Reality Programming Association

Chapter 15: Chapter 7: ”Substitute Syndrome

”I understand. Forgive my presumption.”

”However...” Wen Yu shifted the topic. ”While I can’t disclose the specifics, I can tell you my assessment. In my opinion, these family members—or rather, patients—have no objective evidence to prove that the victims were replaced by doppelgangers while they were still alive. It’s nothing but pure paranoia.”

”No objective evidence?”

Thinking of Xia Li’s disappearance, which also lacked any objective evidence, Yu Xian realized that in the eyes of others, his own experience was merely pure delusion as well.

”Yes, I believe it’s a stress-induced cognitive bias, which is why I diagnosed them with paranoia,” Wen Yu explained, her tone carrying the lucid helplessness of an onlooker. ”Those family members didn’t find any concrete evidence to suspect their loved ones were replaced. Rather, they simply couldn’t accept the fact that their relatives had committed suicide. To escape that immense pain, their subconscious minds forcibly fabricated an excuse.

”As long as I don’t admit that the one who died was my child, my child is still alive. It’s a psychological defense mechanism triggered by extreme agony.”

Yu Xian fell silent. Based on what Wen Yu said, this situation had nothing in common with what he and Shi Zuozhou were experiencing.

”Although you’re confused by your roommate’s habits, your logic is clear and your focus is precise. This shows that your self-awareness is completely intact. It’s entirely different from their symptoms.”

”...Okay.”

After chatting for a bit longer, Yu Xian checked the time. Dr. Wen was highly professional and had likely shared everything she could. He stood up.

”Thank you, Dr. Wen. I feel... much more at ease now. I still have classes tonight, so I’ll be taking my leave.”

His gratitude was only half genuine.

”Alright, I’ll walk you out. The elevator requires a keycard.” Wen Yu grabbed her trench coat from the rack. ”I was just about to head downstairs to buy a cup of coffee anyway.”

They stepped into the elevator side by side, the red numbers ticking downward.

”Don’t overthink things.” When they reached the ground floor, Wen Yu looked at Yu Xian’s reflection in the mirrored stainless steel of the elevator doors and spoke softly. ”I’ll let your cousin know that you were very cooperative. I’ll tell him not to put any pressure on you.”

Yu Xian paused for a moment before nodding. ”Thank you, Sister Wen.”

The lobby of the PIC featured towering ceilings. Outside the Rotating Doors, the torrential rain continued to pour.

”I won’t walk you any further.” Wen Yu pointed at a nearby cafe. ”I’m going to get my coffee. The rain is heavy, so take your time heading back, and try to get to bed early tonight. Just contact me anytime if anything comes up.”

Yu Xian watched Wen Yu turn and walk into the cafe, thinking to himself that she was truly someone who was gentle and intellectual on the outside, yet resolute and principled on the inside. He withdrew his gaze and pulled his coat tighter around himself, planning to hail a cab and dash into the curtain of rain ahead.

Just then, a figure suddenly blocked his path.

”Hold on a second, handsome.”

The voice was crisp, carrying a vibrant energy that hadn’t yet been beaten down by the harsh realities of society.

Yu Xian stopped in his tracks. The person stopping him was a girl around his age. She was on the shorter side, dressed in a baggy hoodie. The most eye-catching thing about her was the two messy buns casually tied atop her head. A few loose strands of hair hung by her ears, giving her a playful look. She stared at him with wide, round eyes, looking him up and down.

”Can I help you?” Yu Xian instinctively took a half-step back to maintain a polite social distance.

”I’m looking at your aura... uh, well, it’s not exactly clouded with doom, but there’s a distinct look of confusion between your brows!”

The girl shook her head in a mystical, exaggerated manner, then suddenly whipped out a deck of what looked like playing cards from her pocket.

”Meeting by chance is fate! Do you want to try a free fortune-telling test? It’s super accurate!”

In this day and age, were there still people doing these old-school sales pitches? He waved his hand, wanting to escape as quickly as possible.

”Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t have money, and I don’t believe in this stuff.”

He tried to step around her and leave.

”Hey, hey, hey! Don’t go!” The girl nimbly side-stepped, blocking his path once more. ”I don’t want your money, it’s totally free!”

Yu Xian frowned. Were sales tactics this aggressive nowadays? Blocking people right in the lobby of an office building to solicit customers?

He glanced at the increasingly heavy rain. People were coming in and out by the elevators, and admittedly, he looked like the easiest target to harass. After a moment of hesitation, he decided against calling security. Perhaps it was just a university club doing an activity, or some social media influencer filming content.

”What exactly do you want?” Yu Xian checked his ride-hailing app. It was raining in the city center, and there were still 193 people ahead of him in the queue.

”It’ll only take two minutes. It’s a task assigned by my boss, please help me out.”

The girl dropped her enigmatic act and scrambled to hand Yu Xian one of the cards she had just pulled out. Printed on it was a QR code to add a friend.

”Ahem. It’s an AI fortune-telling bot. Not only can it predict your love life, but it also reads your overall fortune. It’s totally scientific.”

There were still 125 people in the queue.

”Alright.” Yu Xian sighed. He remembered that Shi Zuozhou used to do similar things for Student Union activities, and it was indeed tough work. Not wanting to give a fellow struggling worker a hard time, he scanned the QR code.

The profile picture was a pixel-art kitten, and the nickname was ”Uncertainty Robot”.

The girl accepted his friend request instantly, then fired over a test link titled: ”Soul Compatibility Test (Emo-Exclusive Edition)”.

There were still 56 people in the queue.

Yu Xian tapped the link. The only personal information it asked for was age and zodiac sign, followed by a card-drawing process similar to Tarot cards. He quickly picked a few cards according to the rules, just to help the corporate slave with the twin buns hit her recruitment quota.

To his surprise, there was a subsequent lot-drawing segment that resembled traditional Chinese divination. It seemed modern fortune-telling was truly a fusion of East and West.