I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Wang Kedong stood before the device, his fingers gently touching its surface, his eyes filled with a frantic obsession. A strange light flickered on the device, as if responding to his touch. His fingers trembled slightly, and each touch felt like a conversation with past memories.

"Do you want to know the truth about this device?" Wang Kedong's voice suddenly became calm. He turned around, a strange glint in his eyes. "This device is my life's work. It can control the human mind, turning humans into emotionless tools. However, the experiment failed, and it controlled me instead."

His voice was filled with a deep sense of helplessness, as if he was stating an unchangeable fact. Zhang Wanqing's heart sank, and she suddenly realized that the danger of this device far exceeded their imagination.

"So, was your experiment successful?" Fu Siyuan asked loudly, with a hint of urgency in his voice.

Wang Kedong fell silent, a look of confusion in his eyes, as if he were pondering this question. He slowly walked forward, each step feeling particularly heavy, as if he was fighting against the memories of the past. His eyes revealed a deep pain, as if he was recalling the past that he couldn't bear to look back on.

"I don't know." Wang Kedong's voice was low and hoarse, like a sigh from the bottom of his heart. "I only know that I must complete this experiment. Even if it means sacrificing more people."

Wang Kedong slowly walked toward the device, his fingers rapidly operating the control panel. The light on the device grew brighter, as if ready to explode at any moment. Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei exchanged glances, each knowing they had to act, or face disastrous consequences.

"Wang Kedong, stop!" Fu Siyuan shouted loudly, with a hint of urgency in his voice.

Wang Kedong suddenly raised his head, a mad look in his eyes: "You can't stop me. I have gone too far and there is no turning back."

His voice grew louder and louder, and his emotions became more and more excited. Zhang Wanqing's heart was shocked, and she suddenly realized that they had to take action, otherwise it would be too late.

"We won't let you succeed." Zhang Wanqing said loudly, with a hint of determination in her voice.

Li Wei suddenly rushed forward, his movements swift and decisive. Wang Kedong saw Li Wei rushing towards him, and a flash of panic flashed in his eyes. He suddenly pressed a button on the device, and the light from the device instantly burst out, illuminating the entire hall.

"Be careful!" Fu Siyuan shouted loudly, and he and Zhang Wanqing quickly hid aside.

The moment the device activated, Li Wei pounced on Wang Kedong and threw him to the ground. The two men wrestled on the floor, the light of the device flickering around them, as if ready to devour them at any moment.

"Stop!" Zhang Wanqing shouted loudly.

At that moment, the device suddenly emitted a loud bang, and the light instantly went out. The entire hall was plunged into darkness, with only the sound of rain still lingering.

Darkness surged in like a tide, drowning the entire hall in silence. The only accompaniment was the sound of rain, pattering against the iron roof of the abandoned factory. Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei stood there, silent for a moment, their breathing the only sound echoing faintly in the darkness.

"Where's Wang Kedong?" Fu Siyuan was the first to break the silence, his voice sounding somewhat hollow in the darkness. Zhang Wanqing's heart sank suddenly, and she realized that in the chaos just now, Wang Kedong's figure had disappeared into the darkness.

"He can't have gotten far." Li Wei's voice was calm and steady, as if the darkness had no effect on him. "We have to find him quickly. This device is too dangerous. We can't let him have another chance to activate it."

Zhang Wanqing nodded, trying to remain calm, even though everything in the darkness made her feel uneasy. She turned on the flashlight, and a weak beam of light drew an arc in the darkness, illuminating a small area ahead.

"Let's search separately." Fu Siyuan said, and took out his flashlight. The beam of light swayed in the darkness, as if he was looking for something.

Li Wei nodded, and the three of them quickly dispersed. The beams of flashlights shuttled through the darkness, as if looking for a glimmer of hope in the darkness.

Zhang Wanqing's heart was pounding. She clutched the flashlight tightly, taking each step carefully. In the darkness, she could feel an invisible pressure, as if something was watching her from the shadows. She tried to remain calm, but the fear within her was always there.

At this moment, her flashlight beam suddenly illuminated a figure. The figure stood in the corner, with its back to her, seemingly staring at something. Zhang Wanqing's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously gripped the flashlight tightly, her voice trembling, "Wang Kedong?"

The figure slowly turned around. It was Wang Kedong. His eyes seemed particularly bright in the darkness, as if they held endless secrets. He smiled slightly, a smile that seemed a little strange in the darkness.

"You finally found me." His voice was low and calm, as if the madness just now had never happened.

Zhang Wanqing tried to remain calm. She took a step forward and spoke in a steady voice, "Why are you doing this? What is all this all about?"

Wang Kedong didn't answer, but just stood there quietly, his eyes revealing a deep sense of fatigue. He slowly raised his hand and pointed in the direction of the device.

"You don't understand." His voice was so low it was almost inaudible. "I have to finish this. This is my only chance."

Zhang Wanqing's heart trembled. She suddenly realized that behind Wang Kedong's madness, there was a deep sense of helplessness. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. "We can help you, but you have to stop this."

Wang Kedong suddenly laughed, a laugh that was a little harsh in the darkness. He shook his head slowly, a hint of despair in his eyes: "It's too late, everything is too late."

Wang Kedong's voice echoed in the darkness, as if every word carried a heavy weight. Zhang Wanqing was filled with doubts. She didn't understand why Wang Kedong was so obsessed with this experiment, even at the cost of everything.

"You have to stop this." Zhang Wanqing's voice was firm, and she tried to make herself sound more convincing. "We won't let you continue."

Wang Kedong didn't answer, but stood there quietly, his eyes filled with deep confusion. His fingers trembled slightly, as if he was recalling something. Finally, he spoke slowly, his voice trembling slightly, "You won't understand. No one will understand."

"This device is the result of my life's work." His voice was low and hoarse, like a sigh from the bottom of his heart.

"Wang Kedong, listen to me, I can understand the obsession you are talking about. I have also been consumed by emotional issues, and I have been worried and upset all day long. But if it were me, I would not want my mind to be controlled by a machine. I would rather be a flesh-and-blood person than a 'robot' who can only think rationally about life, weigh the pros and cons, and avoid emotions. The reason why humans are humans, not machines, is because we have feelings, emotions, and can cry and laugh." Zhang Wanqing said.

Fu Siyuan, who was standing by, seemed to have fallen into deep thought when he heard Zhang Wanqing's words, and he didn't move. These words seemed to be referring to him.