The helmet's protective effect relies on factoring in the data contained within it during the projection of consciousness. Since everything in this game world is inherently composed of data, this is easy to achieve. However, even with the helmet's protection, entering the data world remains extremely dangerous.

As the most complex and sophisticated part of the human body, the human brain has never ceased to be studied. However, even in the 29th century, when research on the human body had reached a new level, exploration of the human brain and mind remained very superficial. Because this area is so crucial, even the slightest carelessness could lead to accidents, requiring extreme caution.

So, while holographic simulation technology is mature, its application in gaming still carries certain risks. Several researchers have experienced accidents during previous testing. Fortunately, the situations were manageable, with the most serious incident being a concussion, requiring significant recovery time.

After several improvements, even this mild mental shock could be eliminated. With this result, Zhang Zitao dared to bring the helmet to Yang Jia.

According to his original design, even if he opened a "door" in the helmet, there wouldn't be any problems. Although Zhang Zitao, like Yang Jia, wanted to capture information for research, his approach was much more conservative, intending only to add a new program to the helmet to replicate any data it encountered. Who could have imagined that Yang Jia would be so bold as to use his consciousness to "fish" for data?

He counted the seconds and found that the preset time had passed but Yang Jia still hadn't woken up. He immediately knew something was wrong.

This situation had never happened before, and Zhang Zitao had no idea how to handle it. After all, Yang Jia's consciousness might still be stuck in the data world. He didn't even dare to disconnect the power to the helmet. This matter was serious; if he was careless, Yang Jia might never wake up again.

Fortunately, Zhang Zitao himself was a genius in this area. After a brief hesitation, he came up with a feasible solution: to have another person enter the data world and try to wake Yang Jia up.

Of course, this is also very risky and the chances of success are slim.

After all, since Yang Jia couldn't wake up, something must have happened. The most likely possibility was that he was hit by the data flow. Without any protection, there was only one result of being hit by the data flow, and that was that the data would be completely decomposed and then swept into the recycle bin by the system as a redundant program.

To put it another way, even if Yang Jia still insisted on waking her up, the probability of success was very low.

Zhang Zitao and Yang Jia had a superior-subordinate relationship. During his time at the Nirvana Guild, he had a very happy life because Yang Jia placed absolute trust in him, never interfering with his research, at most suggesting directions and letting him work on his own. Naturally, Zhang Zitao would do his best to repay this trust.

He was vaguely worried, thinking that Yang Jia's current condition might not only make him unable to wake up in the game, but would also affect reality.

Because it was her consciousness that was trapped in the data world, and in her current state, she probably had no choice but to log off. If her consciousness couldn't be awakened, her real body would remain dormant in the nutrient tank, unable to wake up.

Zhang Zitao didn't know that Yang Jia didn't actually have a real body. Once she fell into the digital world, she would completely disappear. But even with only what he knew, this speculation was terrifying.

If Yang Jia couldn't wake up, she would become a vegetative state. In the 29th century, with an overpopulated population, human life became less valuable. Because robots could perform many tasks, the vast majority of ordinary people no longer needed to work, relying entirely on government welfare. For those in an incurable vegetative state, the government would no longer cover any of their expenses, leaving them with only one option: abandonment.

This was a life, and it couldn't be taken lightly. So even if the chances were slim, Zhang Zitao had to try.

Fortunately, due to the requirement for absolute confidentiality, only a few people were involved in this project, all of whom were absolutely trustworthy. Zhang Zitao immediately had the news blocked, then took out a spare helmet and began to figure out how to get in and rescue the people.

Many people must have known about Yang Jia's arrival. The so-called blockade of the news could only be concealed until nightfall. Someone would surely come looking for him by then, but Zhang Zitao would have no way to stop it. If word of Yang Jia's misfortune got out, chaos would ensue even before nightfall.

This is a game world, after all, and the players' mindsets differ from reality. Yang Jia is now able to lead the Nirvana Guild because of her ability and strength, and with Li Bai's support, she leads the Nirvana Guild on the right path, bringing benefits to everyone. But to say there's any respect or even loyalty towards her personally is a joke.

Therefore, Zhang Zitao was certain that once the news was exposed, except for a small number of core members, others would not think about how to save Yang Jia, but would plan for themselves, either leaving here to join other forces, or simply seize leadership directly.

The scary part is that if Yang Jia isn't in charge, this research, which she personally initiated, will inevitably be halted. Without funding, materials, and resources, even if Zhang Zitao wants to revive Yang Jia, it will be impossible.

But what made Zhang Zitao helpless was that Li Bai arrived just after he ordered the news to be blocked.

Ever since Yang Jia left, Li Bai had been feeling deeply uneasy. Her body had been modified while still in the Matrix, making it incredibly special. Her foresight into danger was far superior to that of ordinary people. Because of this, she had been able to repeatedly turn the tide in times of crisis, surpassing the numerous talents of District Three and bringing increasing honors to the Chinese District.

This talent has saved her life many times, so this time, Li Bai did not dare to be negligent.

It was for this reason that she didn't stop Yang Jia from coming here. Li Bai thought that since she was in danger, it was just right for Yang Jia to leave so that she wouldn't be implicated. Yang Jia's two selfless attempts to rush to her in times of danger were so striking that they left a deep impression on Li Bai, and she didn't dare to take any risks.

In the end, nothing happened on her side, but the feeling of unease grew stronger and stronger. Li Bai then speculated that perhaps the danger was not herself, but Yang Jia. That's why she decided to come and look for him.

Between the two options of hiding it or telling the truth, Zhang Zitao hesitated for only a moment before deciding to tell Li Bai the truth.

He knew full well that he couldn't possibly keep the news secret by himself. As the second-in-command and spiritual leader of the Nirvana Guild, Li Bai would undoubtedly be the first to hear the news, and it wouldn't be long before it was revealed. Therefore, concealing the news was meaningless.

Li Bai had a good relationship with Yang Jia, and Zhang Zitao bet that she would save Li Bai. With her help, the pressure on his side would be much less, and he wouldn't have to worry about changes in the outside situation.

After all, when it comes to saving people, we must do our best. The longer we delay, the more dangerous Yang Jia will be.

After making the decision, Zhang Zitao took Li Bai directly to the computer room.

Although Li Bai had already realized something might be wrong when she saw the look on Zhang Zitao's face, her heart still tightened when she saw Yang Jia lying on the test bench wearing a helmet. "What happened?"

Zhang Zitao said, "I wonder if Yang Jia has mentioned this project I'm working on?"

"She did," Li Bai said immediately. "If you have any questions, just ask." Since the two of them had already confirmed their relationship, Yang Jia's affairs would naturally not be hidden from Li Bai. There are many ways to enhance one's strength, and for Yang Jia, this is one of them.

As Yang Jia stepped to the forefront and became the de facto master of the Nirvana Guild, more and more people naturally paid attention to her.

Bai Ting had mentioned before that some people had begun to explore her real-life identity. After all, for Li Bai to be so willing to serve as her deputy, she must have something extraordinary. The fact that no one had heard of her name was naturally surprising, and they also wanted to find her.

Current speculation remains that Yang Jia is a secret talent, a claim the Li family neither acknowledges nor acquiesces, so other factions will remain silent for now. However, those within the Li family naturally know there's no such thing as a secret talent, so they'll naturally invest more effort in investigating Yang Jia, attempting to identify and control him.

In this situation, once Yang Jia's identity as an NPC was exposed, she would be trapped in a cage and would be caught by these people sooner or later. After all, as long as the system processed this data, she would have no power to resist.

Therefore, Li Bai agreed with Yang Jia's idea of adding an extra layer of protection to himself.

While being in the gaming world can be harmful, it's not without its benefits. Because the game "Reality" is fully controlled by an intelligent mastermind, even the chief game designer has limited authority unless it affects the game's progress. They can't access or even manipulate game data at will.

In this way, the more powerful Yang Jia is and the more important her position in the game, the less likely it is that the system can control her, because that doesn't conform to the system's operating logic.

Even though she also knew that Yang Jia's choice was full of dangers, but on the path Li Bai had taken, which step was not dangerous?

But now, seeing Yang Jia lying unconscious in front of him, Li Bai realized that he was not as strong as he thought and could not easily accept this result.

In other words, Li Bai didn't care about the dangers she had experienced, but she couldn't accept that Yang Jia was also in such a crisis.

But... neither she nor Yang Jia had a choice.

Li Bai held Yang Jia's hand and listened to Zhang Zitao explain the situation one by one. He also told him the rescue method he had thought of. Then he said without hesitation, "Just do as you say, the sooner the better."

Zhang Zitao nodded. Seeing that Li Bai didn't seem to be planning to leave, he added, "I will definitely do my best, but Yang Jia can't wake up now, so someone needs to take charge of things outside. At least, no one can see any clues, otherwise I'm worried that something unexpected will happen."

The Nirvana Guild had just taken over eight new cities, and these forces needed to be suppressed. A single mistake could easily lead to chaos. At this time, no one was more suited to take charge than Li Bai. After all, her personal reputation was even higher than Yang Jia's. Even if she did replace Yang Jia, it wouldn't be too difficult, and wouldn't cause much unrest.

Li Bai was also very clear about this, so although she really wanted to stay here to accompany Yang Jia and follow up on the latest developments, she was even more aware that there was no point in her staying, and leaving was the best option at the moment.

"I know." She said to Zhang Zitao calmly, "I'll stay a little longer and then leave."

Zhang Zitao hesitated for a moment, but without further persuasion, he turned around and began to get busy. He was also racing against time and couldn't afford to waste any time.

After he left, Li Bai's body trembled slightly, and then collapsed completely. She squatted in front of Yang Jia, resting her head on her knees, blinking lightly, and tears fell.

Li Bai knew that no matter how powerful one's martial arts were, there were still some things they could not do. But there had never been a moment that made her realize her own insignificance and powerlessness as clearly as this moment.

She has learned a lot, she is dangerous and powerful, but there are things in this world that she cannot do.

Even while she was crying, the expression on Li Bai's face was calm, but anyone who saw her at this moment would not mistake her pain and sadness.

It turns out that sometimes, people’s emotions are not expressed through facial expressions.

After a moment, Li Bai raised her head. Aside from the slight dampness around her eyelashes, her expression remained the same as before. Yang Jia had once told her that emotions didn't need to be overly intense, or even displayed to too many people. Only those who cared about you would rejoice in your joy and grieve over your sorrow.

Since that person can't see it, then all emotions are naturally unnecessary.

It wasn't that Li Bai was heartless, but she knew very well that this state was the most suitable for her at this moment. She always felt that her lack of expression was not good before, but now she couldn't help but feel fortunate. Fortunately, she could now easily pretend that nothing had happened.

Because all you have to do is empty your mind and not think about anything.

…

After regaining consciousness, Yang Jia immediately felt a sharp pain between her eyebrows, as if a nerve in her brain was being severely compressed. She felt extremely exhausted and could fall asleep immediately if she closed her eyes. But she forced herself not to sleep because she remembered where she was. This was a data world full of dangers. She didn't even have the basic ability to protect herself. If she stayed there for too long, no one knew what would happen.

By the way, when I tried it myself before, I seemed to have attracted a lot of information fragments...

As soon as this thought came to her mind, Yang Jia felt her entire body sink, and she began to fall uncontrollably. When she finally stopped herself, she discovered that she could actually see.

But this kind of seeing is like watching a slide show, with one photo after another flashing before my eyes.

The recurring imagery of the gray sky and the towering, obscure skyscrapers within these "photos" seemed to hold a profound meaning. Although Yang Jia didn't know what it signified, he still managed to memorize it.

Gradually, the image in the photo became clearer, transforming from a flat photo into a three-dimensional scene. Yang Jia found herself becoming one of the people in the photo. However, because it was a first-person perspective, she couldn't see who she had become or what she looked like.

Even these scenes don't have any special meaning. Sometimes they are just chatting, sometimes they are laughing, and sometimes they are watching something like a TV screen. What these pictures have in common is that their background is the same. It seems like a small but very warmly decorated house.

Yang Jia speculated that this should be a family of three, and "himself" was one of them, playing the role of a child.

These chaotic scenes finally froze into a black-and-white photograph. The photograph showed the woman playing the role of the mother. Undoubtedly, a disaster had struck this family, taking the mother away.

The scene then became very dim. Yang Jia could only hear a noisy sound and could see almost nothing. That was until a huge spaceship appeared before his eyes.

The spaceship was perhaps as tall as a 40-50-story building. Its exterior was a technologically advanced silver-gray, its brilliance restrained and remarkably refined. Yang Jia joined the crowd aboard, then found his room according to the number plate in his hand.

The interior of the spaceship wasn't anything unusual. Rooms lined either side of a corridor, similar to the hotels Yang Jia had stayed in, though the materials and decor seemed more upscale. The rooms were incredibly cramped, with only a bed and a foldable table against the wall, leaving only a tiny bit of space for turning around. The walls were dotted with various sockets, and under the bed was a cabinet for luggage.

Yang Jia watched "herself" put away her luggage, took out a blue helmet and put it on, then connected the wire connected to the helmet to a socket on the wall, then lay down on the bed, pressed a button on the headboard, and a transparent cover rose up, covering her whole body.

The scene ended there, but the next one was still on the spaceship. Yang Jia judged that this should be a room dedicated to viewing the space scenery, because there were many people gathered here, and the walls on both sides were not made of textured materials, but transparent glass. This was something that the small room did not have.

"I" was standing at the window, amazed by the scenery in front of me like everyone else.

At this moment, Yang Jia wasn't paying attention to that "self." Instead, he was immersed in the vast, distant, and beautiful starry sky, feeling an incomparable awe. It was a feeling that those who hadn't seen the scenery before him couldn't understand or experience. Yang Jia had seen many aerial photos of space before, but how could those static images compare to the dynamic scenery before him?

There is a reason why humans yearn for the sky.

By this time, Yang Jia finally came up with a possible guess.

This is not a scene that can be seen in the game world, but should have happened in the real world where Li Bai lived.

Have I entered the memory of someone or some people in the real world?

But how did this happen? After all, she had only fished out a few scattered data from the data world, and it shouldn't contain such content anyway, right?

However, the "Reality" system wasn't something that could be simply theoretical. According to Li Bai, it was the product of countless laborious research by the planet's top computer and intelligence experts. The specific development process was highly confidential, unknown to the researchers and even the leaders of the three major regions. Naturally, this was due to its unique characteristics.

At this moment, the scene before him changed again, and Yang Jia couldn't think about what was going on anymore. Although he didn't know why he had entered these memories, perhaps they contained some of the information he needed? Even if there was nothing, he could just think of it as a journey.

She might never be able to leave the game world and see what the real reality is like, but it would be nice to be able to see it in these scenes.

That’s... where Li Bai lives.

Yang Jiazhen never expected that he would be able to see Li Bai appear in these fragmented scenes!

So much so that when she saw him for the first time, she was completely stunned. This "encounter" was really too mysterious. Although she and Li Bai had not been apart for a long time, Yang Jia still couldn't help but feel a sense of reunion after a long separation.

In this scene, Li Bai was not glamorous. On the contrary, she looked dusty and covered in wounds. If Yang Jia hadn't been very familiar with her, he probably wouldn't have recognized her.

Li Bai's arm was the most seriously injured, which was why she appeared in front of Yang Jia - Yang Jia's current identity seemed to be a battlefield rescue doctor.

In her current state, she could only watch, completely unable to influence the actions of the people in the scene. So Yang Jia could only watch as "herself" worked non-stop, treating all of Li Bai's injuries in just a few minutes, and then turning to the next patient without even looking up.

From beginning to end, let alone a conversation, they didn't even look at each other.

Because of Li Bai's appearance, Yang Jia lost interest in the rest of the story and just skimmed through it. She had been brooding on Li Bai. Although she knew he had fought on the battlefield and had made many contributions, she had only heard about him from others and hadn't even seen any videos. So, Yang Jia's imagination had always been filled with how brave and powerful Li Bai was, invincible. But when it came to war, she was just an ordinary person, subject to fatigue, injury, pain, and... death.

This was a Li Bai she had never seen before, and she didn't know anything about him. Even if it was just a fleeting glimpse, it was enough for Yang Jia to understand Li Bai more deeply.

Of course, the reason why Yang Jia could spare some time to think about these things was because her identity this time seemed to be a researcher. The people in the scene were talking enthusiastically about those topics and discussions, but she couldn't understand even a single professional term and could only be distracted.

Until another scene appeared.

The entire scene was dim and blurry. Everyone was screaming and running around in panic, and nothing could be seen clearly. Then the noise faded away one by one, and Yang Jia heard "himself" say, "Are we going to die?"

Her heart pounded as she suddenly realized that this might be the last scene, but before she could react, the scene was over.

But this was not the end. What followed were still fast and blurry images. Some of them Yang Jia could see clearly, but some were very blurry. Among those images that could be seen clearly, some were green mountains and clear waters, some were tall buildings, some were flowers, birds, insects and fish... Things that Yang Jia knew and didn't know appeared one by one in the images, which were complicated and yet extremely familiar.

Then - these originally incomprehensible images were like pieces of a disassembled puzzle, piece by piece being reassembled in front of Yang Jia. However, this combination seemed unstable and not easy. Sometimes it would completely fall apart halfway through and need to be started over again.

After an unknown amount of time, a complete picture finally formed in front of Yang Jia's eyes.

As soon as she saw this picture, Yang Jia subconsciously held her breath, although she didn't know whether she was still breathing.

That's a map.

The entire game world map is divided into three independent areas: China, America and Europe.

The moment she realized this, Yang Jia herself entered the picture, and then... Yang Jia reviewed her short life at the speed of light, from her first cry after leaving her mother's womb to her familiar login to the talent website and opening the part-time job interview notice.

In fact, at first Yang Jia didn't realize that this was his entire life, but these things still existed in his memory, just gradually faded. Now when he replayed it again, many details were recalled and they were still very clear.

After seeing all this, Yang Jia's first thought was: It turns out that all this is true.

Everything she had experienced was real, not some false memory the system had fabricated and crammed into her head. Even though it was just a game world, where truth and falsehood were impossible to distinguish, Yang Jia felt a sense of relief knowing that she had truly experienced those things, not just fabricated them.

This world itself is a lie, and there is no way to trace it back.

But at least her existence as Yang Jia was "real", which made her seem less like a joke.

At this point, Yang Jia thought it was over. After all, the game was about to begin, and if he continued, the amount of information would be overwhelming. Although he still didn't know why this information stream contained both his own and others' memories, even if there was nothing else to gain, just being able to see Li Bai was enough.

However, after a familiar pain in his brow, Yang Jia came back to his senses, only to find that he seemed to be stuck in a void.

She felt as if she had turned into a speck of dust, floating lightly in the air, while around her, pictures flashed by quickly. Logically, at such a fast speed, she should not be able to see the contents clearly, but strangely, Yang Jia could feel that those pictures were clearly retained in her memory, and she could remember them as long as she recalled them.

But she now has no energy to recall the past, because there are endless images coming up, eager to "pull out" the previous ones.

Too much information poured in, and although Yang Jia tried hard to maintain a clear mind, her consciousness was ultimately shattered. At first, she would constantly recall her own events, trying to stay awake, but in the end, this resistance gradually faded, and she fell into chaos, with only instinct to remember the flashing images.

In this space, there is no concept of time and space, and later on there is no concept of "I" and "others".

Yang Jia forgot who she was, how she got here, and what she was doing now, completely becoming a part of this space. It wasn't until the last image disappeared that she felt a slight jolt from the depths of her soul, and a sense of "self" emerged.

However, this "I" was confused and could not remember anything. I just wandered in this space based on instinct.

Until she heard someone calling her name——

…

After several attempts, Zhang Zitao finally improved the spare helmet, but when he entered the data world, what he saw surprised him.

Yang Jia was still there, having not been discarded by the system as trash. This was a blessing in disguise. As long as she was still there, there was always a way out. After all, the data in the Recycle Bin was constantly being decomposed. However, Zhang Zitao couldn't say exactly what Yang Jia's current situation was.

Because the silver helmet was almost submerged in the golden river, Yang Jia was completely immersed in the information flow. Originally, the information flow was like a river of uniform width, flowing straight ahead without any ripples or ups and downs. But now, there was a bulge in the middle of this information flow. The torrent of information continuously washed over this place, but it never washed it away.

Zhang Zitao couldn't get an answer to what exactly was going on. In his current situation, he didn't know how to start, so he had to invite Li Bai over again.

Li Bai knew that Yang Jia, as an NPC, was part of the system data and distinct from the players. Although she wasn't sure what was going on, it didn't seem as bad as she'd anticipated.

However, they still had to do what they needed to do. They tried many methods to wake Yang Jia up, but Yang Jia was now engulfed in data streams, and it was completely ineffective.

Later, Zhang Zitao realized that nothing could be done, so he simply continued researching the program for copying information. No one knew how long Yang Jia would remain like this. If she never woke up, they would have to prepare for a protracted battle. Studying the system data was also a possible avenue; at least it was better than standing still and doing nothing. Perhaps once this data was thoroughly analyzed, a targeted method could be found, allowing people to overcome the onslaught and enter the information flow to pull Yang Jia back.

Therefore, the only one who would use the helmet to enter the information world to see Yang Jia was Li Bai.

She actually doesn't have much time. When she was always inseparable from Yang Jia, she didn't feel how busy she was as the city lord and president. But now that Li Bai is alone, she feels like there is endless things to do. She can only spare a little time in the morning and evening every day to see Yang Jia.

At first she was just there to take a look, after all she couldn't do anything.

But one day, Li Bai suddenly discovered that the golden light enveloping Yang Jia seemed to have faded a little.

She wasn't sure if this was an illusion caused by her excessive concentration, so she didn't tell anyone else and continued to observe. Soon, Li Bai concluded that it wasn't an illusion; the golden light was indeed fading.

Li Bai almost immediately came to the conclusion that Yang Jia must have done something that led to this result.

She had a strong premonition that when the golden light completely disappeared, Yang Jia would wake up.

On the tenth day of Yang Jia's slumber, Li Bai had just entered the data world when he noticed something unusual happening. As the golden light gradually faded, the silver cocoon enveloping Yang Jia had reappeared within his sight. But now, the golden light suddenly intensified, making it difficult to discern what was happening.

Li Bai's heart skipped a beat, but before she could react, the golden light dimmed again. Li Bai immediately noticed that the information flow surrounding the light cocoon was gradually receding.

Finally, it was over, and Li Bai felt relieved. However, before she could completely relax, she saw a white figure being dragged out of the light cocoon.

Yang Jia!

Li Bai thought she might have let out a cry, but in reality, in this information world, she couldn't make a sound at all. Instead, her emotions fluctuated, and she immediately hit the threshold set by the helmet, and was automatically ejected.

Therefore, Li Bai didn't see that after the white figure was dragged out, it floated on the information river. If you look closely, you will find that there is a thin layer of golden substance floating on its surface, which is constantly circulating. It looks very similar to the information river, but the light is dim and almost undetectable.

As this layer of material continued to flow, the originally blurry white figure gradually became clearer. The whole process was like a piece of clay being molded into a person bit by bit, first the general shape of the body, then the head and neck, hands and feet, and finally the fingers, facial features and other details. After it was completely modified, the person who had just been molded seemed to be carved out of the same mold as Yang Jia, but was shrunk countless times.

The last layer of golden substance flashed slightly and fell on the doll, turning into a golden dress.

…

The feeling of being forcibly ejected by the helmet's protective system was naturally unpleasant. Li Bai's face paled. She had barely had a proper rest in the past ten days. Although she was in the game and her spirit was much stronger than in real life, it was almost at its limit.

I thought Yang Jia would wake up soon, but I didn't expect such an accident to happen. Is it a blessing or a curse?

Unable to enter the data world again, Li Bai could only come to Yang Jia.

She stared at Yang Jia without blinking, with so many things she wanted to tell her. She wanted to tell her that she couldn't hold on any longer, that she was very worried about her, and that she wanted to beg her to wake up quickly... But in the end, she said nothing and just watched quietly.

If no one can hear it, then there is no need to say it.

At this moment, Li Bai noticed that Yang Jia's eyelashes seemed to tremble.

The next moment, the person in front of him opened his eyes, and then under Li Bai's eager gaze, he asked in confusion, "Who are you?"

The author has something to say: Extra chapters for those who are exhausted... [Lie down]