Chapter 3：The Truth of the Death Contract
1369words
I sat frozen at the computer, fingers suspended above the keys, as fragments of memory crystallized in my mind.
Those words I believed were "James's records" were my own experiences. The truth began flooding back:
Three months ago, I received that 3:33 text. I came to apartment 4271. I observed the neighbors' robotic routines and documented every abnormality.
But somewhere along the line, my memory was wiped. No—re-edited.
The system erased my identity, then forced me to relive everything as a "reader." When I inevitably discovered the truth again, the shock would break me down, making me accept my fate more readily.
I stood and approached the folder I'd believed was "left by James." Now I understood—these were my own records.
My memories sharpened. That night in the basement, I saw more than just filing cabinets.
I approached a hidden entrance in the corner—a door I hadn't mentioned before. Unmarked, yet I knew exactly where it led.
I pushed it open to reveal a vast chamber. Hundreds of filing cabinets lined the walls, each labeled with residents' names and numbers.
I located the section marked "Apartment 4271 Resident Files."
First cabinet: Mrs. Chen - 3B
Second cabinet: Mr. Rodriguez - 2A
Third cabinet: Jennifer - 4A
Fourth cabinet: James - 4271
My filing cabinet.
With shaking hands, I pulled open my drawer. Inside lay a thick stack of documents, topped by a "Death Installment Payment Agreement."
```
Apartment 4271 Resident Survival Contract
Resident Name: James
Move-in Date: Three months ago
Contract Type: Death Installment Payment Agreement
Items Paid:
True Memories: 95% (5% retained for basic functions)
Identity Awareness: 90% (10% retained for transition period adaptation)
Free Will: 78% (0.3% automatically deducted daily at 6:47)
Ability to Question: 85% (2% deducted each time system explanation is accepted)
Current Life Value: 34%
Next Deduction Time: Daily at 6:47
Deduction Content: Independent Thinking Ability 0.5%
Estimated Complete Recovery Time: 68 days
Special Terms:
Resident has entered Administrator Training Period
Memory Reconstruction Program Activated
Loop Experience Mode Enabled
Substitute Recruitment Task Assigned
Consequences of Default:
Immediate deduction of remaining 100% Life Value
Soul converted to permanent system component
Assumption of other residents' collective debt
Signatory: James (Handwriting Recognition: 100% match)
Witness: System Administrator
Signing Time: Three months ago 3:33
```
I stared at the contract, my hands shaking uncontrollably. The signature was unmistakably mine, yet I had no memory of signing it.
I frantically opened the other residents' cabinets, desperate to understand their situations.
Mrs. Chen's Contract:
```Resident Name: Mrs. Chen
Move-in Date: Five years ago
Contract Status: Completed
Items Paid:
Life Force: 100%
Personal Will: 100%
Emotional Capacity: 100%
Memory: 100%
Current Status: Biological Shell Maintenance Mode
Function: Execute basic programs, maintain normal building operations
Note: Resident deceased, but body continues to fulfill contractual obligations
```
My blood ran cold. Mrs. Chen was dead? But I'd just spoken with her…
Mr. Rodriguez's Contract:
```Resident Name: Mr. Rodriguez
Move-in Date: Two years ago
Contract Type: Happiness Ability Specialized Harvesting
Items Paid:
Happiness Perception Ability: 92%
Hope: 87%
Satisfaction: 94%
Special Terms:
Each drinking session accelerates deduction (alcohol dependence enhances harvesting efficiency)
Blue/red tie serves as emotional monitoring device
Basic social abilities retained to maintain appearances
Current Life Value: 23%
Estimated Complete Recovery Time: 4 months
```
Jennifer's Contract:
```
Resident Name: Jennifer
Move-in Date: Six months ago
Contract Type: New Resident Trial Period
Items Paid:
Curiosity: 67%
Independence: 45%
Genuine Emotional Expression: 78%
Special Terms:
Trial resident, observing adaptability
Daily 8:15 phone call is designated for emotional harvesting period
Real connection with mother has been replaced by virtual program
Mother's voice is synthetically generated by the system
Current life value: 76%
Remaining trial period: 3 months
```
I could barely process what I was reading. Jennifer's nightly calls with her "mother" were actually conversations with an AI?
I continued searching through the documents and found even more horrifying details:
```
《Apartment No. 4271 Resident Survival Manual》Complete Version
Article 12: Each time a resident questions the rules, an additional 10% of "Independent Thinking Ability" will be deducted
Execution record: James has triggered this clause 47 times
Article 18: Each escape attempt by a resident will result in a permanent 25% deduction of "Mobility Ability"
Execution record: James has triggered this clause 3 times, current mobility ability 25%
Article 23: After a resident's death, their soul will automatically be converted into an "Administrator", responsible for collecting new residents
Converted administrators: Mrs. Chen (maintenance function), former James (recruitment function)
Article 31: Once the contract is signed, the only way to terminate it is to find a replacement
Requirements for replacement: similar psychological traits, questioning spirit, inner vulnerability
Current task: James must find a replacement within 68 days
Article 47: Memory Reconstruction Program
Purpose: reduce psychological resistance of residents, improve cooperation
Method: delete contract signing memories, implant "discoverer" identity
Effect: residents will actively explore the truth, enhancing system control
Article 52: Cycle Experience Mode
Residents will repeatedly experience the process of "discovering the truth"
Each cycle will weaken resistance will
Eventually residents will voluntarily accept the administrator role```
I set down the manual and surveyed my surroundings. The basement stretched far beyond what I'd initially seen. I ventured deeper and found a control room.
Inside were dozens of monitors displaying every room in the building. I watched:
Mrs. Chen robotically arranging items in 3B, her movements mechanical and lifeless
Mr. Rodriguez sitting motionless in 2A, staring vacantly at a blank wall
Jennifer rehearsing her smile before a mirror in 4A, her eyes dead and empty
On the control panel sat a device labeled "Memory Editor." Its screen displayed a scan of my brain, regions color-coded:
Red areas: Deleted memories
Yellow areas: Modified memories
Green areas: Implanted memories
Blue areas: Retained memories (only 5%)
A chilling thought struck me—even this "revelation" might be carefully orchestrated. The system could be allowing me to discover these things to break my will further.
I rushed toward the elevator, desperate to escape, only to discover something horrifying:
The elevator panel had only three buttons:
1st floor (Resident Area)
2nd floor (Resident Area)
Basement (Management Area)
No buttons for the 3rd, 4th, or 5th floors.
But I distinctly remembered Jennifer living in 4A, and myself in 4271…
I pressed the button for the 1st floor. When the doors opened, I faced an impossibly long corridor stretching in both directions. Countless doors lined both sides, each bearing a different number:
2A, 2B, 2C… 3A, 3B, 3C… 4A, 4B, 4C…
stretching endlessly to 4271.
This was no ordinary apartment building. This was an impossible space that defied physical laws.
I made my way to 4271 and unlocked it. Inside, everything looked as I remembered, except for a computer on the desk that hadn't been there before.
The screen showed a rental website with a new listing form open.
In the title field, text was already entered: "The True Experience of Apartment 4271—Please Do Not Believe Any Advertisements About This Building"
In the content area, a cursor blinked expectantly.
Suddenly, every screen in the apartment lit up simultaneously—TV, computer, even the microwave display—all showing the same message:
```
Administrator Training - Phase Three
Congratulations, James. You have successfully completed the memory reconstruction and truth discovery phases.
Now that you understand how the system works, it's time to fulfill your obligations.
Your task:
1. Complete writing a rental advertisement
2. Post it to at least 5 rental websites
3. Attract at least 3 candidates within 30 days
4. Select 1 most suitable replacement from them
Upon completion of the task, you will receive:
Retain 20% of personal memory
Administrator privileges (can leave the building 1 hour/day)
Life extension to 1 year
Consequences of refusing the task:
Immediate deduction of remaining 100% Life Value
Conversion to low-level maintenance program
Never able to leave the basement
You have 10 minutes to consider.
Countdown begins: 09:59…09:58…09:57…
```
I watched the countdown, my fingers suspended above the keyboard.
I knew that whatever I chose, the system had already calculated the outcome. This "choice" itself was likely just another part of its design.
But before the countdown hit zero, I had to decide.
Would I become the bait to lure the next victim, or face the consequences of defiance?
