Disagreement
Morning dew condensed into beads on the spiderweb, refracting a rainbow of colors. Du Siling squatted by the stream, staring at her reflection in the water—it was still that face, not transformed into Han Beimo's appearance. Three days had passed since the balancing ritual, and the genetic connection seemed to have stabilized, the terrifying confusion of consciousness no longer present.
"What are you looking at?"
Han Beimo's voice came from behind. Du Siling turned around and saw the morning light outlining his slender silhouette, a bright red azalea still pinned to his collar—freshly picked this morning. Since leaving the cultivation base, this habit had become even more ingrained, like some kind of silent remembrance.
"I'm sure I'm still me." Du Siling stood up. Her right leg no longer hurt at all, and the wound had healed to the point where only a shallow scar remained.
Han Beimo approached and handed him a compressed biscuit: "We need to talk about the next steps."
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on Han Beimo's face. Du Siling noticed that the mark on his lower back was slightly glowing in the sunlight—the "RH-0-0509" brand now displayed more intricate patterns, like some kind of encrypted design.
"Your mark..." Du Siling unconsciously reached out to touch it, "It looks different."
When his fingers touched the patterns, a faint electric current surged through him. Han Beimo tensed his muscles, but didn't flinch. Even stranger, the brand suddenly glowed blue, projecting a three-dimensional map that floated in the air.
"What the hell..." Han Beimo rarely showed a surprised expression.
The map displays a 3D image of an island, located somewhere in the East China Sea. A red dot marks the northern side of the island, next to the label "Base Zero." A line of smaller text appears at the edge of the map: "When the twins unite, the gate will open. —L"
"Ling Hua left it behind," Du Siling said softly. "She had planned it all along."
Han Beimo reached out and touched the projection, and the image immediately magnified, showing the detailed structure of the base—the surface was made up of ordinary buildings disguised as weather stations, while underground there were more than a dozen floors of laboratories. The bottom floor was specially marked with a red room.
"The Founder's Cage." Du Siling read the small print aloud. "What founder?"
Han Beimo's expression became complex: "The initiator of Project Azalea? I always thought it was some secret department within the military."
Du Siling carefully studied the map and spotted a hidden underwater passage marked: "We can dive in from here. But we'll need equipment and transportation."
"There's still time." Han Beimo turned off the projection, and the markers returned to normal. "Yang Zhiming's men won't be able to find this place for now."
The abandoned forest cabin they found deep in the mountains was relatively safe, at least for the time being, as they didn't have to worry about being discovered. But another threat was more pressing—the balancing ritual hadn't actually stopped the merging of consciousnesses; it had only slowed it down.
Du Siling listed the known information in her notebook:
1. The entire truth behind Project Azalea is hidden at Base Zero.
2. The founder may be imprisoned there.
3. Their marker is a map key.
4. "When the twins unite, the door will open"—what does that mean?
"We need more information," Han Beimo said, looking at the list. "About the founder, about the specific meaning of 'Unity'..."
His voice suddenly stopped, and his facial muscles twitched slightly. Du Siling immediately felt a sharp pain through the connection—not a physical pain, but a kind of cognitive discomfort.
"Here we go again?" Du Siling helped him up.
Han Beimo nodded, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead: "Your memory... is too bright."
Since the balancing ritual, the two have begun to experience a strange symptom—the other's memories would suddenly flood their consciousness, accompanied by severe headaches. Han Beimo described Du Siling's memories as "too bright," while Du Siling felt that Han Beimo's memories were "too dark."
Du Siling helped Han Beimo sit on a wooden chair and brought him a cold towel. When his fingers inadvertently brushed against Han Beimo's temple, the connection strengthened once more. In that instant, he saw the pain Han Beimo was experiencing—Du Siling's own memory of his seventh birthday party; the light from the colorful balloons and cake candles was indeed too dazzling for Han Beimo's consciousness, accustomed to darkness.
"I'm sorry." Du Siling apologized instinctively, then realized how absurd this experience was—apologizing for happy childhood memories.
Han Beimo grabbed his wrist, with enough force to leave a bruise: "Don't apologize. Never apologize for the light."
The two gazed at each other in silence, a silent understanding flowing between them. Du Siling suddenly realized clearly that Han Beimo had never had a real birthday party in his entire life.
In the afternoon, they decided to test more features of the marked map. Du Siling activated the projection again, and this time the two touched different parts simultaneously. As their fingers crossed above the image, the map suddenly switched to a surveillance screen inside the base—an elderly man with white hair was locked in a transparent room, writing and drawing on the walls.
"The founder?" Du Siling leaned closer to look; the old man's haggard face had a pair of unusually bright eyes.
The screen suddenly flickered, then displayed text: "The original goal of the Twin Project was to create a perfectly complementary symbiotic relationship. After the military tampered with the experimental objectives, I attempted to destroy the data and was imprisoned by Chen Yan. Only the true fusion of twins can trigger the liberation agreement. —Dr. Shen"
After the text disappeared, a new route marker appeared on the map, leading directly to the room where Dr. Shen was imprisoned.
"Chen..." Han Beimo frowned, "My mother has never mentioned this person."
Suddenly remembering something, Du Siling pulled out the hard drive his father had left behind. After a quick search, he found an encrypted file titled "Dr. Shen's Evaluation Report," signed by Du Zhiyuan.
"My father has met him!" Du Siling said excitedly, entering her mother's name as the password to unlock the file.
The contents of the document are shocking—Dr. Shen was actually Ling Hua's mentor and the discoverer of the RH-0 gene. His initial goal was to create a gene therapy that would allow deep, empathetic connections between different individuals, thereby reducing human conflict. The military's intervention distorted the research direction, attempting to create super soldiers.
"So we are... a product of a peace experiment?" Du Siling asked incredulously.
Han Beimo sneered: "It was modified into a weapon."
At the end of the document, Du Zhiyuan wrote: "Dr. Shen believes that Alpha and Beta represent a breakthrough. They are not only twins, but also the evolutionary direction of human empathy. Chen Yan must not obtain them. —Du Zhiyuan, May 11, 2003"
The date shocked both of them—the day before Han Beimo's mother was killed, Du Siling's father had clearly sensed the impending disaster.
As night fell, the two took turns keeping watch. Du Siling was on the first shift, sitting on the porch gazing at the starry sky. The night sky in the mountains was much clearer than in the city, and the Milky Way stretched across the sky like a shimmering ribbon.
He remembered his father taking him to the countryside to watch a meteor shower when he was a child, and his mother preparing hot cocoa. That memory was so vivid, but now it evoked a strange sense of detachment—as if it were someone else's childhood, and he was merely borrowing it to reminisce.
"It's time to change shifts." Han Beimo's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Du Siling nodded and stood up, but suddenly felt dizzy during the handover. He grabbed the door frame, and Han Beimo in front of him seemed to become two double images.
"Du Siling?" Han Beimo grabbed his shoulder.
But Du Siling didn't hear his own name—Han Beimo's lips didn't move; the voice simply resounded in his mind. Even more terrifying, the response wasn't from his own consciousness, but from some kind of hybrid:
"We're fine. We just need to rest."
The word "we" sent chills down Du Siling's spine. He struggled to break free from this connection, but the more he resisted, the more intense the dizziness became.
"Don't resist." Han Beimo's voice and thoughts were now completely synchronized. "Follow my breathing rhythm."
Du Siling reluctantly complied, adjusting himself to the rhythm of Han Beimo's deep breathing. After a few minutes, the mixed sensation lessened, but he could still feel Han Beimo's consciousness enveloping his own thoughts like a thin film.
"Is this a side effect of the balancing ritual?" Du Siling asked breathlessly.
Han Beimo shook his head: "It's more like... the balance isn't stable enough. Our system needs regular calibration."
"What's the meaning?"
"At sunrise and sunset, we need to actively create that resonance," Han Beimo explained, "like...synchronizing two clocks."
Du Siling recalled her father's old pocket watch collection, which needed to be wound and calibrated weekly. Now, their consciousnesses were like those two mechanical devices, requiring human intervention to keep them synchronized.
That night, Du Siling had a strange dream. He stood in front of a huge mirror, but the reflection wasn't himself, but Han Beimo. When Han Beimo in the mirror reached out to touch the surface, Du Siling in reality also raised his hand. Their palms touched through the cold glass, and then—
The mirror rippled like water as Han Beimo stepped out. Not as an independent individual, but as one with Du Siling. The mirror was now empty.
Du Siling woke up with a start, his vest soaked in cold sweat. Even more terrifying, he found himself standing in the center of the small room, holding Han Beimo's dagger, pointing it at his left arm—the spot where Han Beimo had been burned by his father with a cigarette butt when he was a child.
"No!" Du Siling suddenly threw down the dagger, his voice startling Han Beimo from his light sleep.
"What's wrong?" Han Beimo instantly became alert, scanning his surroundings for any threat.
Du Siling pointed at the dagger, trembling: "I...I almost...that wasn't me!"
Han Beimo immediately understood. He stood up, a rare look of worry on his face: "You've been driven by my memories. This also happened in the Gamma series."
"Will it become more and more frequent?" Du Siling asked, even though she already knew the answer through the connection.
Han Beimo nodded: "Unless we achieve the 'unity' that Dr. Shen mentioned, or..." He didn't finish his sentence, but Du Siling sensed the unspoken thought—or one of them would completely disappear.
"No!" Du Si said sharply, "Stop with the stupid idea of sacrificing yourself. We'll find a solution together."
Han Beimo did not refute, but Du Siling knew through the connection that he had not given up that idea—he had just hidden it more deeply.
At dawn, they engaged in their first active resonance, as agreed. They sat cross-legged facing each other, palms touching, consciously adjusting their breathing and thought frequencies. The feeling was both intimate and strange, like two people dancing a tango precise to the millisecond.
After finishing, Du Siling felt much clearer, as if she had been recalibrated back to "herself". But Han Beimo's expression became even more solemn.
"What's wrong?" Du Siling asked.
Han Beimo hesitated for a moment: "Each resonance...deepens the connection. This isn't a long-term solution."
Du Siling sensed more through the connection—Han Beimo worried that they would eventually reach a critical point where they could no longer separate and would become a new existence that was neither Du Siling nor Han Beimo.
"Then let's go to Base Zero," Du Siling said firmly. "Let's leave today. We'll find Dr. Shen and get the real solution."
They packed their meager belongings and prepared to head towards the coastline. Just then, Du Siling's alert instincts suddenly screamed—not through a connection, but through years of honed instinct.
"Someone's coming," he warned in a low voice.
Han Beimo sensed it too, and the two quickly concealed themselves at their designated location. A few minutes later, a group of fully armed soldiers appeared in the woods, but it wasn't Yang Zhiming's black team—these men were dressed in regular military uniforms and were well-equipped.
The most eye-catching person was the officer leading the group—a man in his fifties, whose shoulder insignia indicated he was a major general. As he approached, Du Siling recognized the name tag: Huo Mingyuan.
The name struck Du Siling like an electric current—the "only trustworthy ally" mentioned in her father's diary!
General Huo suddenly stopped and removed his sunglasses. In the sunlight, his eyes shone with the same amber gold color as Han Beimo's. He spoke to the empty woods:
"Du Siling, Han Beimo, I know you're here. I'm not an enemy. Du Zhiyuan and Ling Hua are my friends."
Du Siling and Han Beimo exchanged a glance. Through their connection, they shared the same conclusion—General Huo had indeed appeared in their father's photograph, and those golden pupils couldn't possibly be a disguise.
But what truly made Du Siling decide to show himself was General Huo's next action—he raised his right hand and made a special gesture: his thumb and little finger were straight, while the rest of his fingers were bent. This was a secret code that Du Siling's father had used with him during his lifetime, which he had never told anyone.
"Come out, children," General Huo's voice suddenly softened. "I'll take you to see Dr. Shen."
Du Siling stood up, followed closely by Han Beimo. The soldiers immediately raised their guns and aimed, but General Huo waved for them to lower their weapons.
"You two look even more alike than in the photos." General Huo sized up the two men, his gaze lingering for a moment on the azalea on Han Beimo's collar. "Ling Hua also likes this flower."
"Do you know my mother?" Han Beimo asked warily.
"We know each other very well." General Huo's expression became complex. "She's my student, just as Dr. Shen is her mentor."
He gestured to his adjutant to bring a tablet computer, which displayed live surveillance footage—Yang Zhiming and his team were searching in another direction a few kilometers away.
"We don't have much time," General Huo said in a low voice. "Chen Yan has convinced the higher-ups that you have dangerous weapons that must be recalled. Only Dr. Shen knows how to truly solve your problem."
"Why should we help you?" Han Beimo asked coldly.
General Huo remained silent for a moment, then made an unexpected move—he unbuttoned his uniform collar, revealing a brand below his collarbone: RH-0-0478.
"Because I'm just like you, only an earlier version," he said with a wry smile. "Now, decide. Come with me, or wait for Yang Zhiming to find you."
Du Siling quickly communicated with Han Beimo via the connection. General Huo's identity was verified, but risks still existed. Ultimately, the desire for the truth overcame caution.
"We'll go with you," Du Siling said, "but on one condition."
"explain."
"If the situation changes," Du Siling looked directly into General Huo's golden eyes, "you promise to help Han Beimo escape first."
Han Beimo turned sharply to look at him, a flash of shock in his eyes. Du Siling didn't explain—through the connection, Han Beimo already knew the reason. In those gradually merging memories, Du Siling saw all of Han Beimo's painful past, and he couldn't bear to see this scarred soul imprisoned again.
Through the same connection, Han Beimo saw Du Siling's deepest fear—not death, but the loss of herself. So he responded with a silent promise: if necessary, he would ensure Du Siling's survival, even if the price was his own disappearance.
General Huo, observing their exchange of glances, seemed to understand something. He nodded solemnly: "I promise. Now let's go to Base Zero."
The soldiers parted to make way, and Du Siling and Han Beimo followed General Huo toward the waiting helicopter. Amidst the roar of the rotors, Du Siling suddenly felt a strong sense of déjà vu—this scene seemed to have appeared in his dream, or... in Han Beimo's dream?
The connection deepened, and the boundaries became increasingly blurred. On their journey to Base Zero, both of them pondered the same question: After meeting Dr. Shen, would they find a solution, or face an even more cruel choice?
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