Chapter Ten: He's Still Alive
Takahashi stood at the door. The basement lights were off. Only the flashlight in his hand lit the face in flickering bursts. Lin Mo hid behind the door. Su Yan stood beside him, her fingers clutching his sleeve so tightly they were white. Neither of them made a sound. But Takahashi smiled.
"You don't have to hide anymore."
His voice was calm.
"I know you're here."
Lin Mo didn't move. Takahashi placed the photograph in his hand on the table.
"You probably have a lot of questions."
"But now isn't the time to ask them."
Lin Mo stared at the photograph. The boy in it was only thirteen years old. He stood in a white room. His expression was blank. A woman stood beside him. She wore a black hat. It was M.
Takahashi reached out and flipped the photograph over. Written on the back were the words:
"First memory erasure attempt failed."
Lin Mo's pupils contracted.
Memory erasure.
Those four words instantly brought the hospital back to him. Amnesia. Eleven hours. And the sound that had kept knocking on the door.
He finally understood. It hadn't been an accident.
"What the hell did you do to me?"
Lin Mo stepped out from behind the door. Su Yan jumped.
"Lin Mo!"
Takahashi wasn't surprised. He only looked at him.
"I knew you'd ask that."
"Answer me."
"Do you really want to know?"
"Yes."
"Then you need to be ready to accept the answer."
Takahashi paused.
"Because the person you think you are might not be all of you."
Lin Mo walked to the table.
"What do you mean, not all of me?"
Takahashi didn't answer. He picked up the old-fashioned tape recorder.
"You heard it just now, right?"
"I heard it."
"That recording wasn't left by you when you were thirteen."
Lin Mo froze.
"What?"
"The voice is real."
"But the time isn't."
"It was recreated later."
Lin Mo glared at him.
"You're lying."
"I have no reason to lie to you."
"Then tell me where the real recording is."
Takahashi smiled faintly.
"It's gone."
"Why?"
"Because it couldn't be allowed to remain."
Su Yan suddenly stepped out.
"Takahashi."
Takahashi turned to look at her.
"Long time no see."
"Why have you been watching us?"
"Watching you?"
Takahashi said flatly, "If I were really watching you, you wouldn't have noticed."
"Who took those pictures?"
"Not me."
Su Yan froze.
"What?"
"I didn't take those pictures."
Takahashi looked at her.
"M did."
Lin Mo frowned.
"Who the hell is she?"
Takahashi didn't answer. He only looked toward the wall.
"Do you know what this place used to be?"
"A lab for the M Project?"
"No."
"Then what was it?"
"A data center."
"Ten years ago, everyone thought the M Project was researching some kind of technology."
"But it wasn't."
Takahashi said, "The real research was memory."
Lin Mo's heart sank.
"Memory?"
"Whether people could be guided into forgetting something."
"Whether someone could be made to believe they'd never experienced something."
"Whether a memory could be hidden away."
"Even—"
Takahashi looked at him.
"Whether a memory could be implanted in someone else's mind."
The basement fell silent except for the worn-out air conditioner's hum. Su Yan's face went pale.
"You were conducting human experiments?"
Takahashi didn't deny it.
"Not at first."
"At first, it was just trauma research."
"Later, someone realized that if you could control a person's memories, you could control their choices."
Lin Mo asked, "So the M Project failed?"
"No."
"It succeeded."
Lin Mo froze.
"What?"
Takahashi looked at him.
"The day it succeeded was the day you lost your memory for the first time."
Lin Mo felt his hands and feet turn cold.
"Me?"
"Yes."
"Was I a test subject?"
"No."
Takahashi shook his head.
"You were a witness."
"Then why did you erase my memories?"
"Because you saw something you shouldn't have."
Lin Mo fell silent.
"What?"
Takahashi didn't answer directly. Instead, he took a folded sheet of paper from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"Open it."
Lin Mo didn't move.
"Are you scared?"
"I just don't want to be led around by you people anymore."
Takahashi looked at him.
"This time, you get to decide for yourself."
Lin Mo reached out. Slowly, he unfolded the paper.
Inside was a report from ten years ago. At the top, it said:
M-01 Memory Project Subject: L-13
Lin Mo stared at the three characters.
"L-13?"
"Your code name."
"I wasn't a test subject."
"You're right," Takahashi said.
"But that's later data."
"At first, you were just looking for your father."
Lin Mo froze.
"I was?"
"June 3, ten years ago."
"You secretly followed your father."
"You came in here."
"And you saw the entire experiment."
A sudden pain shot through Lin Mo's head.
A white room. Glass. A bed. A boy. And a woman.
He staggered. Su Yan immediately caught him.
"Lin Mo!"
"I..."
He clutched his head.
"I think I saw it."
"Saw what?"
"A room."
"Someone was lying on a bed."
"That person..."
His eyes suddenly flew open.
"It was me."
Takahashi said nothing. Lin Mo looked at him.
"Why was I on that bed?"
Takahashi was silent for a long time.
"Because that day, you had a twin brother."
Lin Mo went completely rigid. The basement seemed to lose every sound.
"What did you say?"
"You had a brother."
"That's impossible."
"He was born seventeen minutes before you."
Lin Mo shook his head.
"I don't have a brother."
"Your mother told you that you were an only child."
"Because he died not long after you were born."
Lin Mo's face grew paler and paler.
"Then why was he here?"
"Because he didn't die."
Su Yan jerked her head up.
"What did you say?"
Takahashi looked at her.
"He's still alive."
Lin Mo could barely breathe.
"My brother?"
"Yes."
"Where is he now?"
Takahashi didn't answer. Lin Mo gripped the edge of the table.
"Tell me."
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"I haven't seen him since ten years ago."
"Then who does know?"
Takahashi looked at Lin Mo.
"M."
It felt as though Lin Mo had been struck hard in the head.
So the person who had been following him all this time wasn't looking for him. They were confirming—
whether he had remembered his brother.
"Wait."
Su Yan suddenly spoke.
"If he's Lin Mo's brother,"
"why did I see him when I was little?"
Takahashi looked at her.
"Because you were involved too."
"What?"
"You weren't a test subject in the M Project."
"But your father brought you here once."
"You saw that boy."
Su Yan's face began to turn pale.
"So the boy I remember from when I was little..."
"Was him."
Lin Mo turned to look at her.
"The 'Lin Mo' you were talking about?"
Su Yan nodded. Her eyes began to redden.
"I always thought it was you."
"But you back then..."
"You weren't the same as you are now."
Lin Mo froze.
"How were you different?"
Su Yan struggled to remember.
"He was quieter."
"He barely spoke."
"He always wore a black bracelet."
"And..."
"He told me not to forget him."
Lin Mo fell silent.
"Do you remember his face?"
Su Yan shook her head.
"Not clearly."
"Because my memories were erased later too."
Lin Mo looked at her. Suddenly, he understood.
Their lives had crossed long ago. They had simply both forgotten.
Takahashi picked up another document from the table.
"That's why you suddenly lost your memory three years ago."
"Because you met him again."
Lin Mo's head snapped up.
"Who?"
"Your brother."
"He came back."
"You saw him on the night of June 3."
"You followed him to my old office."
"And then you saw him."
Images flashed through Lin Mo's mind again.
A boy. Standing in a doorway. A black bracelet. His back turned to Lin Mo.
Lin Mo asked, "Who are you?"
The boy turned around.
"You really don't remember me?"
The image suddenly vanished.
Lin Mo gasped for breath.
"I remember."
Su Yan immediately looked at him.
"What do you remember?"
"That boy."
"He asked me..."
"He asked me if I still remembered Mom."
Su Yan froze.
"And then?"
"I said I did."
"He smiled."
"Then he said—"
Lin Mo stopped.
"What did he say?"
"'Good.'"
Takahashi suddenly turned around.
"What else did he say?"
Lin Mo looked at him.
"He said..."
"'Then we can finally go home.'"
Takahashi's expression changed instantly. This was the first time Lin Mo had seen him show genuine fear.
"Impossible."
"What's wrong?"
Takahashi murmured to himself, "He couldn't possibly remember."
Lin Mo stared at him.
"You know where he is."
Takahashi didn't answer.
"You have to know."
"Tell me."
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
For the first time, Lin Mo shouted at him.
"All of you know!"
"My dad knows."
"My mom knows."
"Your dad knows."
"M knows."
"I'm the only one who doesn't!"
His voice echoed through the basement. Takahashi didn't argue. He only looked at him.
After a long time, he said, "Your father wasn't trying to make you forget."
"He was trying to keep you alive."
Lin Mo froze.
"What does that mean?"
"Ten years ago, the M Project went out of control."
"Someone wanted to sell the research results."
"Your father refused."
"So they began eliminating everyone who knew the truth."
"Your brother was one of them."
Lin Mo's expression changed.
"He was taken?"
"No."
"He stayed behind willingly."
"Why?"
"Because he knew that if he left, you would die."
Lin Mo couldn't speak.
Takahashi continued, "Your brother knew he was the most successful case in the research."
"He could remember things that had been erased."
"He could even recover them after his memories had been rewritten."
"So he became the person they wanted most."
"Your father took you away to protect you."
"Your brother stayed behind."
"That night, he said a lot of things to you."
"But you only remembered the last one."
Lin Mo looked at him.
"What was it?"
Takahashi said quietly, "'Don't forget me.'"
Lin Mo's eyes suddenly reddened. He didn't know why. It was just someone else's story. He didn't even know what the other person looked like. And yet, when he heard those words, it felt as if something deep inside him had been pulled painfully tight.
"What was his name?"
Takahashi fell silent.
"Tell me."
"Lin Chen."
Lin Mo froze.
"Lin Chen..."
He had never heard the name before. But the instant he said it, an image suddenly surfaced in his mind.
A little boy sat on the floor. He held a toy car in his hand. He looked up and smiled at young Lin Mo.
"Big brother."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Then will you stay with me?"
"Yeah."
The memory lasted only a few seconds. But it was real enough to make tears fall from Lin Mo's eyes.
"I remember him."
Su Yan stood beside him. Tears slowly slipped down her face too.
"I remember him too."
Takahashi looked at the two of them.
"Now you know."
"There weren't three people ten years ago."
"There were four."
"Your father."
"Su Yan's father."
"M."
"And Lin Chen."
"All of you thought he was dead."
"But he stayed alive all this time."
Lin Mo asked, "Where is he now?"
Takahashi shook his head.
"I don't know."
"Then why did you say it was supposed to end today?"
Takahashi fell silent.
Lin Mo suddenly noticed that he was holding an envelope the entire time.
"What's that?"
Takahashi glanced at it.
"It's for you."
"Who gave it to you?"
"Lin Chen."
Lin Mo went completely still. Takahashi placed the envelope on the table.
"I received it a month ago."
"He said that if you found M-01, I was to give it to you."
Lin Mo slowly walked over.
"Why are you only giving it to me now?"
"Because I wanted to confirm that you'd really remembered."
"And now?"
"I've confirmed it."
Lin Mo picked up the envelope. On it were only four words:
For my little brother.
His hand began to tremble. He opened it.
Inside was a single sheet of paper. The handwriting was simple. The first sentence read:
"If you're reading this letter, it means I'm not dead."
Lin Mo's breath caught.
The second sentence read:
"It also means M has found you."
The third:
"Don't trust anyone."
The fourth:
"Including Takahashi."
Lin Mo's head snapped up.
Takahashi stood where he was. His expression was calm. But the next second—
A tremendous crash came from outside the basement.
Bang!
Everyone turned toward the sound. Urgent footsteps came from outside the door. Takahashi immediately switched off the flashlight.
"Someone's here."
Lin Mo asked quietly, "Who?"
Takahashi didn't answer. He quickly went to the wall and flipped a hidden switch.
The wall slowly moved aside, revealing a narrow passage.
"Go through here."
Su Yan looked at him.
"Aren't you coming?"
"I'm staying behind."
"Why?"
"To hold them off."
Lin Mo looked at Takahashi.
"Who are they?"
Takahashi didn't answer.
A voice came from outside the door again. This time, someone shouted:
"Takahashi!"
"Hand Lin Mo over!"
Lin Mo's face changed instantly. That voice. He'd heard it before. It wasn't a stranger. It was—
His father.
Takahashi looked at Lin Mo.
"Now you know."
"You know who's really been looking for you all this time."
Lin Mo stood there, clutching Lin Chen's letter tightly. The voice outside rang out again.
"Lin Mo!"
"Come home with me!"
Lin Mo didn't answer. Because he suddenly remembered what his mother had said that morning.
"I just want you to be safe."
And his father's letter had said:
"If M finds you..."
For the first time, their words overlapped in his mind. He suddenly understood. His parents weren't completely on the same side. At least one of them had been lying to him all along.
Takahashi said quietly, "Go. Now."
Lin Mo grabbed Su Yan, and the two of them entered the hidden passage. Just as the wall was about to close, Lin Mo looked back.
Takahashi was still standing in the center of the room. He hadn't run. He only looked at Lin Mo.
Then he said one last thing:
"If you see your brother,"
"tell him this for me."
"I've regretted what happened ten years ago this entire time."
The wall closed. Darkness swallowed Takahashi.
The passage was narrow. The two of them could only move forward sideways. Lin Mo used his phone as a light. Nothing but darkness lay ahead. Su Yan followed behind him.
"Are you okay?"
"I don't know."
"Your hands are shaking."
"I know."
"Are you scared?"
"Yeah."
Lin Mo stopped. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.
"I suddenly have a brother."
"I never knew."
"My parents knew."
"You knew."
"Takahashi knew."
"Even M knew."
"I'm the only one who didn't."
Su Yan stood in front of him.
"Now you know."
"But where is he?"
"We'll find him."
Lin Mo opened his eyes.
"You really believe he's still alive?"
"I do."
"Why?"
Su Yan looked at him.
"Because you cried just now."
Lin Mo froze.
"What?"
"When you saw his memories."
"You didn't question them."
"You just remembered him."
She said softly, "Some people are still remembered by the body, even after the mind forgets."
Lin Mo was silent. Then he nodded.
"Yeah."
At the end of the passage was an iron door. Lin Mo pushed it open. The two of them emerged onto an unfamiliar street. It was already nighttime outside. The passage led directly to another street.
Lin Mo took out his phone. There hadn't been any signal before. Now it suddenly came back.
In an instant, more than a dozen messages popped up. One of them was from an unknown number.
Lin Mo opened it. There was only one photograph.
A man stood by the sea, his back to the camera. He wore a black bracelet.
Beneath the picture were the words:
"Haven't you always wanted to know where he is?"
The next line read:
"Tomorrow morning at eight."
"Taipei Station."
"Come alone."
Lin Mo stared at the photograph. Su Yan leaned closer.
"Is that him?"
Lin Mo nodded.
"Probably."
"Are you going?"
"Yeah."
"I'll go with you."
Lin Mo shook his head.
"He told me to come alone."
"Then are you really going alone?"
Lin Mo looked at the figure's back in the photograph.
"I don't know."
He put away his phone.
"But I have to go."
Su Yan didn't try to stop him again. She only said, "Then I'll be nearby."
Lin Mo looked at her.
"Didn't you say alone?"
"I promised you."
"I won't let you go alone."
Lin Mo smiled faintly.
"Okay."
The two of them walked side by side through the night. Neither noticed the black sedan parked on the corner. A woman inside was watching them through the window. She wore a black hat. A camera was in her hand.
On its screen was the sight of Lin Mo and Su Yan walking away.
She lowered her head and made a call.
"They found M-01."
There was silence on the other end.
The woman continued, "Takahashi gave him the letter too."
After a long pause, a man's voice came through the phone.
"Then let him go see Lin Chen."
The woman asked, "You're not going to stop him?"
"No need."
"But what if he remembers everything..."
The man laughed.
"Then that's perfect."
"This time, we can finish what we failed to complete ten years ago."
The woman hung up. She looked up in the direction Lin Mo had gone.
She whispered, "Big brother."
"You've waited ten years for him."
"Now he's finally coming to find you."
Meanwhile, Lin Mo walked through the night. He didn't know that at eight the next morning, he was about to meet the brother he had believed dead for ten years.
What he knew even less was this—
what Lin Chen truly wanted him to remember wasn't what had happened ten years ago.
It was who had taken away those eleven hours of his memory on the night of June 3, three years ago.