The "me" on the phone screen is smiling, a familiar expression with the corners of my mouth slightly raised, revealing a hint of my signature canine teeth.
"Long time no see, Lin Xia," she says, her voice identical to mine. "Do you like this surprise?"
I stare at the screen, my finger joints turning white from the pressure. She has not only copied my appearance but also perfectly replicated even the subtlest expressions and tones. If I didn't know this was a video call, I would think I was looking in a mirror.
"Who are you? What do you want?" I force myself to stay calm.
"Don't be nervous," she tilts her head, a small gesture I often unconsciously make during meetings. "We'll meet soon. By the way, your company's Biometric System has too many vulnerabilities."
The scene shifts, and I see the server room on the 15th floor of our company. A "me" is sitting at a terminal, typing away at the keyboard.
"You...!"
"As the Project Leader, you should be well aware of the importance of this system," her voice still carries a hint of amusement. "Once it goes live, it will become the Identity Authentication Standard for the entire Internet Field. How many people's Digital Lives will be built on this foundation?"
My heart sinks. This project is a new generation Identity Authentication System that the company has invested heavily in developing, utilizing revolutionary Multimodal Biometric Recognition Technology. If it gets hacked...
"Stop it!" I nearly shout. "Do you know how serious the consequences could be?"
"Consequences?" She laughs even more joyfully. "Darling, do you think I'm here to hack the system? No, I'm just here to perfect it."
The screen changes again. I see lines of code on the computer screen; it's the project's Core Algorithm. But the code on the right side looks unfamiliar.
"Did you implant a backdoor in the project?"
"Smart," she nodded. "Once the project goes live, we'll have access to all users' identity information. And the best part is, no one will suspect a thing because the one who submitted the code is you—Project Leader Lin Xia."
My mind raced. According to the project timeline, the system was set for final testing next week, after which it would be launched. If a backdoor was implanted...
"Why choose me?"
"Why?" Her expression suddenly turned playful. "Maybe because you wrote in your diary: 'I hope to create a product that truly changes the world'?"
I froze. That was something I had written in my private notebook when I joined last year, something even my closest friends had never seen.
"Don't be too surprised," she continued. "I know every note you've made, every post on social media, every online purchase history—I've been you for the past eight months."
Eight months? That was exactly when I started taking charge of this project...
"Who sent you? How much will it take to make you stop?"
"Money?" She burst into laughter. "You think this is just simple corporate espionage? No, darling, this is a revolution. And you are the chosen one."
Just as I was about to press for more answers, the lights in the office suddenly went out. Moments later, I heard footsteps approaching from the hallway.
"It seems our time to meet has come," the figure of "me" on the screen blinked. "Enjoy the unfolding drama. Oh, and..."
She lowered her voice, "Say hello to Chen Mo for me."
The call was cut off. The office was plunged into darkness. The footsteps grew closer, stopping at my door.
The doorknob began to turn.
" Lin Xia?" A familiar male voice called out.
It was Chen Mo.
"I heard you ran into some trouble." He pushed the door open, his expression serious. "We need to talk."
I looked at this familiar face, suddenly unsure whether I could trust the person in front of me. After all, in a world where even "I" might be a fabrication, what could possibly be real?
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