After stepping out of the elevator and seeing the entire laboratory, Lao Zhang felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had lived and worked here before.

He knew the functions and usage of all the instruments on the lab bench.

For example, a microscope can see tiny objects that are invisible to the naked eye.

The disc-shaped object with small holes is called a modified biochemical petri dish, which can accelerate the fusion and reaction of chemical reagents.

He also remembered the names of all the bottles and jars on the wall, as well as the organs and tissues soaking in them, and the fleshy spheres full of eyes. He even remembered the formulas for synthesizing these organs and tissues!

But this feeling was also very vague, as if these memories were not his own, but rather that these memories related to the laboratory had been implanted into his mind through some means.

In other words, these memories are not real…

And in this laboratory, the only place that felt familiar to Old Zhang, a place that seemed to echo his own memories…

It's the step leading to the next floor.

So Old Zhang went over there.

When he pushed open the door and saw the mezzanine between the core area and the experimental area, which was the second floor of the experimental area, Old Zhang was stunned.

This is an exceptionally spacious area, with bright white light tubes hanging from the ceiling, illuminating the space so brightly that it seems to stretch as far as the eye can see.

What came into view were countless people with stiff expressions, wearing the same black and white striped clothes, held by their shoulders by two cantilever arms, and suspended on huge conveyor belts below the light tubes. The conveyor belts had countless rows, and these people moved stiffly with the movement of the conveyor belts.

Old Zhang was stunned for a moment.

He discovered that these people were divided into groups of twenty, and that everyone in each group looked exactly the same!

In this enormous space, they were like machine dolls produced in an assembly line factory!

Wang Lan followed Lao Zhang in, and when he saw these people who looked the same, he was stunned.

The mass grave in the restricted area immediately flashed into his mind.

These people who look alike are all clones!

But…

Why did the final fortress create so many clones?

Old Zhang heard footsteps behind him, turned around, and found Wang Lan standing at the door, staring at him.

Old Zhang asked him curiously, "Why did you come here?"

Wang Lan looked at Lao Zhang, and after a moment asked, "Do you know... Zhang Jingyi?"

Upon hearing this, Old Zhang's expression suddenly changed, and he lowered his head thoughtfully. After a moment, he raised his head and said, "It seems... very familiar... like... a very familiar feeling."

Wang Lan narrowed her eyes slightly and asked again, "Are you... Zhang Jingyi?"

Old Zhang's expression changed repeatedly, as if he was trying hard to recall something, but the memory was too blurry. He frowned and pondered for a long time, but he still couldn't figure it out. Instead, his head started to ache. So he was about to look up and explain the situation to Wang Lan, but then he found that Wang Lan's expression was one of horror, and her hand trembled as she raised it, pointing behind her.

Old Zhang turned his head in confusion, and when he saw the scene before him, he gasped in shock, trembled all over, and almost collapsed to the ground.

As the tracks turned, a group of clones were transported over, and surprisingly, every single one of them looked exactly like Old Zhang in appearance, build, and physique.

Wang Lan hurriedly stepped forward to support Old Zhang, whose legs were weak.

Old Zhang looked up at Wang Lan and nodded slightly, partly to let Wang Lan know that he was alright, and partly to express his gratitude.

He stood up and walked toward the clone in the tracked drive bay.

The sound of the machinery turning the tracks was clearly audible.

Old Zhang looked at the person who looked just like him hanging from the cantilever.

Their expressions were stiff, numb, and bewildered.

Old Zhang's face showed only bewilderment.

Old Zhang followed the drive of the tracks, remaining silent.

Wang Lan followed behind, also remaining silent.

Suddenly, Old Zhang raised the machine gun in his hand and fired a burst of fire at the cantilever.

Amidst the billowing flames, bullets rained down, shattering the cantilever and sending one of the clones crashing to the ground expressionlessly.

Wang Lan didn't understand why Lao Zhang would suddenly do this. She just looked at him and then saw Lao Zhang raise his gun again and shoot at the clone that had fallen to the ground.

The clone was instantly torn open, blood gushing from the bullet holes and flowing all over the ground. Old Zhang aimed his last shot at the clone's head and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

His head exploded.

Two liquids, one red and one white, sprayed out.

Old Zhang squatted down, looking at the clone's riddled corpse, and asked, "They're clones? They...are people too?"

Wang Lan nodded: "It should be, just like those clones we saw in the restricted area..."

"Zhang Jingyi!"

Old Zhang suddenly spoke up, interrupting Wang Lan, and asked, "How did you know this name?"

Wang Lan said, "Mu Chen found a name tag with Zhang Jingyi's name on it."

"Oh..." Old Zhang reached out and touched the clone's skin, saying, "It's really strange. It doesn't look like a living person. Even though I killed it, its body is still warm, and even its blood is warm."

Then he turned to Wang Lan and said, "Do you think... I might have been a clone before?"

"Huh?" Wang Lan was taken aback and said, "How is that possible? These people may not be clones. They may just be human samples created based on civilians."

Old Zhang shook his head, then pointed to his head and said, "If it's as you say... then where did my understanding and knowledge of fortress structures come from? Why do those memories seem real yet unreal? Could it be... that my name... or my true name is Zhang Jingyi?"

Wang Lan shook her head, sighed, and placed her hand on Old Zhang's shoulder, seemingly wanting to say a few words of comfort. However, when the words reached her lips, she didn't know what to say, and in the end, she could only manage, "Please accept my condolences..."

Old Zhang: "..."

He then gave a wry smile.

But then they heard footsteps coming from the entrance. The two turned around and saw Sun Muchen running over, looking flustered and anxious.

"Brother, I've made a new discovery! You guys absolutely have to come!"

The two paused for a moment, but Old Zhang's attention was clearly still on the clone. Wang Lan patted him and said in a deep voice, "Let's go, let's go take a look!"

Old Zhang remained silent for a moment, then got up and followed Wang Lan out.

In the laboratory…

Sun Muchen sat in front of a computer, his fingers rapidly tapping on the keyboard, and said, "I was bored just now, so I used what I learned from a book to turn on the computer, and then I found a strange video!"

As he spoke, Sun Muchen pointed a finger down.

A video without a picture appeared on the computer monitor...