As the saying goes, "science knows no borders", in the pioneer of brain imaging technology, the Cold Mountain Laboratory, nationality has become a dispensable mark, and no one cares about it at all.

Yellows, whites, blacks, and even red-skinned Indians fill the continent with branches in this research institution. Aside from the core personnel of this institution, no one knows where the headquarters of Cold Mountain Labs is.

Like the "evil organization" commonly found in various entertainment works, Cold Mountain Labs is not affiliated with any one country, but operates under the auspices of a mysterious consortium.

It stands to reason that no country in the world would allow such a thing to exist on its own soil. However, due to its outstanding contribution to civilian brain-computer interface technology, as well as the "selfless dedication" of disclosing its own R&D results and sharing it with countries around the world, Lengshan Laboratory has successfully gained a firm foothold.

- Even if there are concerns about this scientific research institution, the results of this institution can be called indispensable: without the design drawings and experimental data published by the "Lengshan Laboratory", the development of civilian brain imaging equipment will be delayed for at least another ten years before it is possible to reach today's level.

For this reason, countries around the world have basically acquiesced to the existence of Cold Mountain Laboratory.

Of course, acquiescence does not mean complete non-interference, and they are also secretly carrying out some "operations".

No matter how mysterious it is, the Cold Mountain Laboratory is a scientific research institution for the earthlings after all, and when selecting and recruiting new talents, it often directly "poachs" from top universities or scientific research institutions.

Obviously, this is a good opportunity to spy on them.

Many of the top students and scientific research experts who were favored by the Cold Mountain Laboratory accepted the tasks of their own governments.

Of course, these researchers are not as skilled as real spies, but what the intelligence agencies ask them to do is simple: they just enter the lab with special locators and eavesdropping devices, and they are done.

Unfortunately, things didn't go the way the intelligence agencies had envisioned. Even the most specialized agency in this area, the notorious CIA, has not been able to extract even the slightest bit of useful intelligence from the Cold Mountain lab.

The researchers recruited into the Cold Mountain Laboratory have lost almost all contact with the "outside world".

The members of this group all live in a completely closed life in the laboratory, so to speak, giving up everything for research. Even their families never saw these people again.

It appears that a signal shield has been installed in the laboratory, and the equipment carried by the "spies" will be deactivated as soon as they enter the laboratory. Except for the occasional announcement of scientific research results, any branch of the Cold Mountain Laboratory is usually in a state of isolation.

Realizing that surveillance through equipment is impossible, intelligence agencies have no choice but to turn to other means. They tried to find the scientists who had left the Cold Mountain Lab and get usable information from these populations.

Then, they discovered a horrific truth:

- No one left the Cold Mountain Laboratory.

This mysterious laboratory is like an ogre cave, devouring all the researchers who step into it.

Judging by the speed at which the new results are announced by the Cold Mountain Laboratory, those researchers should still be alive. But if that's the case, there's something wrong with the fact that no one chooses to leave.

After learning about this situation, many strange rumors began to circulate. In Lin Chi's opinion, the reason why no one left is very obvious:

"The appeal of what they're working on is unparalleled and it's impossible for anyone to refuse."

Lin Chi, who returned to the real world, sat on the sofa in the living room and talked to Frankenstein: "Even if everyone's personality is different, there are some things that are engraved in human DNA, such as curiosity, or ...... The desire for 'eternal life'. ”

"But many people are still committing suicide." Frankenstein said coldly.

"That's right, but survival is the instinct of human beings, and the vast majority of suicides choose to die because of too much pressure, despair or depression, and their death is because they live too painfully, resulting in the embodiment of 'death' greater than 'survival' desire."

Speaking of this, Lin Chi paused meaningfully for a moment: "But what if there is such a place where people can lose all the pressure?" They no longer have to go to work, they don't have to support their families, they don't have to worry about illness and aging, and they can choose any lifestyle they want. Even if you are too empty and too lazy to live, you only need to turn off your own 'switch'......"

"Electronic immortality." Frankenstein sat down next to Lin Chi.

"That's right, that's what I'm trying to say." Lin Chi nodded: "This is also what the coach and I are looking for." ”

The Cold Mountain Laboratory, which has developed civilian intrabrain imaging technology, may have more experience than anyone else in technologies such as "consciousness uploading".

In Lin Chi's opinion, this organization should not be a mysterious "pulse entertainment company", but "War Paradise" may also be related to Cold Mountain Laboratory. If the Cold Mountain Laboratory is developing consciousness upload technology, the reason why the coach has been frequently undergoing various experiments recently may be obvious.

"They used the coach as a test and started testing the technique." Lin Chi said in a deep voice: "Maybe the coach doesn't need to flee there at all......"

Historically, in areas such as intrabrain imaging, human technology has stagnated for a very simple reason: it can't be tested on humans.

Aside from the fact that medical technology allows experiments on patients, it is extremely difficult to conduct human experiments with other technologies. In the early stage of research and development, to test brain-computer interfaces on normal people is undoubtedly a completely unethical anti-human behavior, and no laboratory will do it.

However, Cold Mountain Labs can do it.

-- For that completely closed secret scientific research institution, any "evil experiment" that will be condemned by public opinion can be carried out as it pleases. After all, no one but their researchers knew what was going on in the lab, let alone the media.

When the Lengshan Laboratory first announced the results of civilian intrabrain imaging technology, many people suspected that they had conducted early experiments with living people, but they could not find any evidence.

When other scientific research institutes tested on animals according to their published schemes, it took a long time before they finally created a real civilian device.

Now, before starting the operation, Lin Chi planned to go to the Cold Mountain Laboratory to find out. As for how to sneak in......

"Can you go in?" Lin Chi asked Frankenstein questions succinctly.

"I'm not going to help you." Frankenstein's answer is also extraordinarily impersonal, which is very much in line with its usual state.

"Don't be tsundere, I'm serious." Lin Chi asked, "Is it okay?" ”

After the previous conversation, Frankenstein is less resistant to his purpose. Under Lin Chi's questioning, this robot, which is trying to become a human being, still gave an answer:

"Nope."

"Is it hard?"

"It's impossible." Frankenstein shook his head.

"Why?" Lin Chi looked at the other party's glass face.

"I'm trying to hack into Cold Mountain's labs." Frankenstein said seriously: "They couldn't find any access to it, they didn't connect to the external network, but used the closed network inside the scientific research institution, and there was no channel to enter." ”

"And how did the coach contact me?" Lin Chi narrowed his eyes.

"Maybe it's because the man is a special experiment, so he can contact the outside world through the Internet." Frankenstein voiced his judgment: "He may be the only one in the laboratory who can communicate with the outside world, and this passage does not need to be opened too wide, and nothing else can be mixed in with him." ”

"I don't think so." Lin Chi chose a comfortable position and collapsed in the sofa: "If that's the case, the coach won't let me help him, there must be some way to get in." ”

- It may sound ridiculous that an agency that even the CIA can't infiltrate wants to sneak in on its own. However, Lin Chi still noticed a hint of abnormality.

"I remember that Cold Mountain Lab would occasionally be open to the media for a while, right?"

"Yes, when they publish the results of their experiments, sometimes they allow the media to enter the branch and shoot videos." Frankenstein immediately recounted the information he had received: "In general, the state media would not mention them by name, and would use the phrase 'fifteen countries together for scientific research institutes'. ”

"Huh?"

Hearing the clues provided by Frankenstein, Lin Chi suddenly thought of something. If memory serves, I sat here a few months ago, watching the news in the holographic projection......

Lin Chi turned on the TV, searched for previous news, and soon found the news he had seen:

"Today's headline news is that a joint research institute of 15 countries has successfully created a replaceable artificial heart, marking a new stage in the research of artificial organs."

“bingo。” Lin Chi waved his fist weakly.

He remembers that when he saw the news, he had discussed philosophical issues with Frankenstein. Since this video was most likely filmed in the Cold Mountain lab, a closer look may reveal some clues:

What came into his sight was a white-walled laboratory with blue-clad staff walking around behind it.

The camera didn't capture any strange equipment, just white walls and researchers in sterile gowns.

Then, the camera pans to a short-haired female reporter with good facial features and a balding middle-aged man standing next to her.

"We have now made high-spec artificial hearts and completed experiments on orangutans, and the survival rate of orangutans transplanted with artificial hearts has reached 100% without any adverse reactions." The man spoke in English, and Chinese subtitles automatically appeared in the air.

"Where's that accent?" Lin Chi asked.

Frankenstein searched it and immediately concluded: "EY accent in London's East End, movie star Jason . Statham also uses this accent. ”

"Oh, this thing is British, and I seem to understand why he's bald." Lin Chi said with a smile.

"Please be serious." Frankenstein said it seriously.

Lin Chi continued to watch the news he had seen once, and in the footage he had taken, he looked for any new clues that might be valuable:

"When will this artificial heart be officially put into use?" The female reporter asked questions in English.

"Even if it has been determined that it is safe, we still need to conduct a series of tests before we can start installing artificial hearts on human volunteers."

"Since the heart is one of the most important organs in the human body, testing in this area will be very rigorous," the researcher carefully explains. ”

At this time, the camera shifted to a dark red irregular spherical object, and the object attached to the plastic "blood vessels" in the tray was the artificial heart created by the R&D team.

"Instead of studying artificial organs, I think it's faster to upload consciousness directly to the computer." Lin Chi complained.

"Unlike you, most humans value their bodies." Frankenstein's voice is somewhat muffled.

"I also need my body for some kind of movement, you know." Lin Chi glanced at Frankenstein.

"You're disgusting." Frankenstein commented.

"I'm kidding."

While the two were talking, the interview continued, and in the face of the somewhat excited researcher, the reporter asked the question again: "After completing the artificial heart, what is your next research project?" ”

The researcher, standing next to the tray, glanced at the artificial heart next to him, raised his head to look at the camera, and his eyes seemed to flicker with excitement:

"When the artificial heart project is over, we will start the final project of this research group - the production of an artificial brain!"

"Now, part of the research team is reverse-engineering the human brain to see how it works. At the beginning of the artificial brain project, we will devote ourselves to this research and give the final gift to the 'evolution' of human beings! ”

"Aren't you worried about ethics?" The journalist asked.

"We are not simply replacing the human brain, but we are completely 'uploading' the human mind and memory into the artificial brain, which may take a long time. But we'll try. ”

As the bald researcher enters a frenzy, the interview ends, and the rest of the scene cuts to the news studio.

"Can you see anything?" Frankenstein concludes: "It's just useless." ”

"I think they're lying, maybe you can't see anything in this interview, but they've been interviewed in other ways."

Speaking of this, Lin Chi picked up his mobile phone and began to search for news related to "research institutes composed of fifteen countries".