Entering the garage, it was set up like a workshop, with various tools hanging on the walls—screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, and even six electric screwdrivers lined up neatly, all polished and gleaming under the lights.

  Against the wall was a long countertop, equally tidy, with a coffee machine in the middle, making it convenient to grab a cup from any position. An office chair, with its upholstery already worn, was placed at the edge of the table, indicating the owner spent a lot of time here.

  In the middle of the garage sat a metallic, angular utility vehicle—the latest Tesla Cybertruck replica with a hydrogen fuel cell.

  "Uncle Bob says this vehicle can get you through anything, even the end of the world," Catherine introduced Bob's car, making a forward charge gesture with her hand. Stan, though not knowledgeable about cars, appreciated the cyberpunk aesthetic.

  "Ms. Mao, do you think this car will do?" Stan asked, knowing full well Ms. Mao needed to drive it.

  "Call me 'Mom', young man!" Ms. Mao didn't look at Stan and walked straight to the driver's seat.

  "...Mom." Stan corrected himself, feeling awkward. Ms. Mao got into the driver's seat, easily found the start button, closed the door, started the engine, and drove out of the garage. As soon as she exited, she performed a swift turn and brake, stopping the car in front of the garage door. The car's excellent performance showcased Bob's meticulous maintenance.

  Lowering the window, Ms. Mao said to Stan, "No problem, this car is easier to drive than it looks."

  Stan responded, "Alright... Mom! Then we'll choose this car. Once Mr. Bob sends over the agreement, we can sign it and head out!" He then turned to get Ms. Mao's suitcase, taking the opportunity to discuss AI hallucination issues with Catherine.

  Handing her the laptop, Stan said, "The AI hallucination problem appeared during practical testing phases, where AI would confidently give wrong answers to unknown questions. So, it's been a known issue for a while. If what I encountered today was indeed due to AI hallucination, then this would be the first time it caused actual harm."

  Catherine replied, "I've tested some older models that could run on my laptop, and I didn't find any hallucination issues, even when completely offline. It seems the problem has been addressed before large-scale deployment." Just then, Catherine's laptop chimed, indicating Bob's agreement had arrived.

  Catherine asked some information about Stan, completed the car rental agreement, and then sent it to Stan. Stan connected to Catherine's computer via Bluetooth. While the file was being transferred, that strange green flash simultaneously appeared on both Stan's phone and Catherine's computer. The file was quickly transferred.

  It was time to say goodbye. After everything that had happened, it was already much later than planned. Stan decided to call Fang Lu first to let her know he had picked up Mrs. Mao and they were heading home.

  “Hello, dear!” Stan dialed the phone, and on the other end came the voice of his wife, Fang Lu.

  “Dear, is everything going well?”

  “Just a few small issues, but I've resolved them!” Stan reassured his wife.

  Upon hearing that Stan had encountered trouble, Fang Lu's voice was noticeably anxious. “How's Mom? Is she okay?”

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  “She's fine. I'll let her say a few words to you!” While speaking, Stan waved goodbye to Catherine and headed towards the car parked at the garage door. He opened the car door, turned on his phone's speaker, and handed it to Mrs. Mao in the driver's seat.

  “Mom, it's Fang Lu!” On the other end of the phone, Fang Lu heard Stan call his mother and also called out, “Mom.”

  “Dear daughter, Mom is coming to see you soon. Just wait!” Mrs. Mao said, sensing Fang Lu's anxiety. “We'll be home soon. Just wait a bit longer. Don't worry, it's not good for the baby.”

  “Mom, but I have a bad feeling!” Fang Lu couldn't shake her uneasiness. “You know our family's premonitions have always been accurate, and the TV keeps reporting accidents!”

  Mrs. Mao's brow furrowed slightly, but she maintained her confident tone. “It's okay. Mom doesn't have any bad premonitions. Let's talk when we get home.”

  By this time, Stan had loaded Mrs. Mao's luggage into the car and sat in the front passenger seat. He reassured his wife, “It's nothing, just some minor incidents. I saw the reports on the airport display screens. We'll be home soon. I'm hanging up now.”

  Fang Lu expressed her concern for their safety and then hung up. After officially saying goodbye to Catherine, the car drove away from Bob's car rental company and onto the highway. The streetlights along the road were already lit. Planes landing at the airport and those taking off flew overhead, accompanied by the roar of engines. Stan turned on the car's music:

  “In that golden field, a gentle breeze whispers by Country roads winding, leading me back to my heart's home The sound of an old guitar echoes, accompanying the quiet night Stars twinkle above, dreams seem endless...”

  Accompanied by music, the car sped along the road. On both sides were self-driving vehicles. Through the car windows, families or friends laughed and chatted as they headed to their respective destinations.

  "Dad!" A child's voice made Stan look up. A little girl in overalls and a plaid shirt, with messy hair tied into two braids, was looking at him. "Dad, how long do we have to stay here?" The girl's voice pulled Stan out of his thoughts. He had lost track of time in this virtual space, though it must have only been a short while in the real world because he didn't feel hungry. The time acceleration in this virtual space had a severe side effect on Stan's brain, causing him to experience something akin to hallucinations, trapped in memories of the past. Those memories were so vivid, and Stan wished he could once again sit in that Tesla Cybertruck and return to the little house where Mrs. Mao and Fang Lu were waiting for him.

  "Just a little longer. I have one last question for Mr. Treehole," Stan said to the girl.

  Stan now stood in a tiny oasis in the desert, with just a small puddle of water and a withered tree. The surroundings were bright, the desert bathed in natural sunlight, but there was no sun in the sky. The sky was so bright it was colorless, all white. Stan and the little girl were wrapped in white cloths, with only their faces exposed, the cloths so clean they seemed unreal. The withered tree in the oasis looked petrified, with a hole that the girl called Mr. Treehole. It emitted sounds, and Stan knew it was the cornerstone of this virtual space, a relic of the old GPT AI accidentally damaged during transport, projected into this virtual display.

  "Does it have to 'die'?" Stan asked his final question.

  "Using 'die' isn't accurate. It's just a relatively stable state to solve the current problem. Stability is necessary," Mr. Treehole replied.

  Stan was silent, looking at the little girl, just looking. The girl looked back at Stan and then gave him a big smile. "Do we have to study today, Dad?" the girl asked. "No, let's go home. We'll study tomorrow, Ling," Stan replied.

  Stan took Fang Ling's hand and stepped out of the oasis. As soon as they left, the environment around them began to change rapidly, as if they were moving quickly, passing various scenes, animals, people, and events. Fang Ling watched these changes intently, while Stan just silently watched Fang Ling. Soon, they reached another part of the jungle. Unlike the desert, this was a vast jungle "maze," with a small cave in the center. In front of the cave was a bonfire, with some food heating beside it. Stan and Fang Ling took off their white cloaks. Fang Ling took both her and Stan's cloaks into the cave and put them away.

  Stan walked to the bonfire and looked at the heating canned food. He threw it all into the bushes and then brought out a complete set of barbecue tools from another bush. Then he turned and shouted towards the cave, "Ling, today Dad will teach you something new: a barbecue party!"

  Amidst Fang Ling's cheers, Stan and Fang Ling had a pleasant dinner. Late at night, Fang Ling fell asleep beside Stan. Stan took out his phone from his pocket and pressed the pause button, returning to reality.