〈Parallel Universes〉

22    “Upside-Down Dreams”

1

I was certain that I was still alive. A group of people surrounded my hospital bed. This was neither heaven nor hell, but a hospital.

“Thank God, my son. You’re finally awake.” An elegantly dressed middle-aged woman gently stroked both my cheeks, tears glistening in her loving eyes. “Big Brother David, you were in a car accident and unconscious for three days. Mom has been right here watching over you for three whole days.” The young woman standing behind her excitedly took my hand. She called me “Big Brother David.” No, that couldn’t be right. My instincts told me she had mistaken me for someone else, because I remembered that I was a girl, a college student.

“General Manager, as soon as we received your wife’s call, we came to see you.” Several men and women standing nearby wore company uniforms and name badges on their chests. They must have been senior employees of some company. But why couldn’t I remember any of them? “Thanks to Dr. Lin, who performed emergency surgery on you, you were saved. You have no idea how worried your mother and all of us have been these past few days.”

The middle-aged woman speaking to me had facial features that looked somewhat similar to those of the other woman. They must have been sisters. “Bixian? Is she calling me? I don’t remember my name being Bixian.”

I felt a dull pain in my chest. Layers of gauze wrapped tightly around my head and torso, making me look like a mummy and filling the air with the smell of antiseptic. I reached up and tugged at the gauze around my chest, wanting to loosen it because it was making it difficult to breathe. But then I discovered that my breasts had actually “disappeared.”

The shock nearly made me spring out of bed. I cried out, “My breasts are gone!” At the same time, I clearly heard my own voice become deep and low. Yes, I had become a man—or rather, I was unmistakably a man.

Everyone around me was startled by my sudden cry. They looked at one another, then stared at me with expressions ranging from pity to confusion.

Two days later, I began eating liquid food. The woman who claimed to be my “mother” and my “younger sister” took turns feeding me pork-rib congee and small-fish congee. While sitting beside my bed, my “mother” slowly explained what the attending neurologist had told her.

“Your brain was injured in the car accident. A malignant tumor in the occipital lobe ruptured. Although the blood clot and tumor tissue were removed, there may still be damage to the memory centers, resulting in memory loss. The doctor said the accident may actually have been a blessing in disguise because the malignant tumor in your brain was discovered in time. You need time to recover. Mom won’t put any pressure on you.”

The explanation sounded both professional and reasonable, but I was still only half convinced. Becoming a man was extremely difficult for me to get used to, especially having to stand up to urinate. The only small consolation was that my menstrual cramps were gone. Men didn’t have to deal with the nuisance of a monthly period.

During this period, whenever my “mother” was away, my “younger sister” stayed by my side. She became my “private nurse.” She was meticulous and well organized. She brought out old photographs and videotapes of me with my family, classmates, coworkers, girlfriends, and others. One by one, picture by picture and tape by tape, she told me about the things I had experienced in the past, and she answered every question I asked.

She said she had been my sidekick since we were children and that we had talked about everything, including every girlfriend I had ever dated. She knew all of them.

Surely she wouldn’t have needed to go to such great lengths to fabricate all these records. In fact, it would have been impossible. And yet I still could not accept this body: thick hair, half a face covered in stubble, sharply defined features, a rugged and well-built physique, and thick hair covering my chest and legs.

2

“Madam, your son is still alive, while my only daughter, the one who depended on me for everything, is lying unconscious in a hospital bed.”

I was awakened by a heated argument. I opened my eyes and saw the back of an elderly man with graying hair standing at the doorway. He was of medium build and wore a faded short-sleeved shirt and khaki pants.

“Mr. Ji, we were both victims of the car accident. Your daughter was an innocent victim, and the prosecutor has already said that my son was not at fault in any way.” My “mother” was arguing with him.

“But my daughter has become a vegetable! Meiru, you poor thing!” The voice sounded strangely familiar to me. Could this elderly gentleman be…? “Meiru.” That name sounded so familiar. Could she have been my former…?

“Brother Ji, haven’t I already given you three hundred thousand dollars to take care of your daughter’s funeral, out of human compassion and basic decency? I have no obligation to support you.”

I felt terrible hearing this. My “mother” was actually being so stingy.

“Mom, why don’t you give the old gentleman some more money so he can settle down?” I timidly spoke up.

When my “mother” heard me call her, she turned around and looked at me in delighted surprise.

“All right. You can decide what to do about this. Mom is so happy! Ever since you were injured and hospitalized, you haven’t called me anything for an entire month. I thought—I thought you didn’t recognize me as your mother anymore.” As she spoke, my “mother” was so relieved that tears unconsciously streamed down her face.

I secretly decided that the first thing I would do after leaving the hospital was to look for Mr. Ji. I was desperate to find out my true identity.

The road to the traditional three-sided courtyard house twisted and turned, but my memory of it was extraordinarily clear. I directed the driver as we went, and he could tell that I seemed to know this neighborhood extremely well.

The familiar red-brick, black-tiled courtyard house came into view. In the small flower garden at the entrance were the Marguerite daisies I had planted in the spring. They were now budding, their snow-white petals about to bloom. I was certain that this was my real home.

The person who opened the door to greet me was none other than Mr. Ji, his face covered with the wrinkles I knew so well. He was the person I was most familiar with, but I had to restrain myself. For the time being, I could not acknowledge him.

My elderly father opened the bedroom door. This was my Japanese-style bedroom. Everything inside was arranged just as it had always been. The only addition was a portrait photograph of me hanging on the wall. The photograph had been taken just two months earlier as a casual portrait.

My entire body trembled uncontrollably. I was certain that I was Ji Meiru.

“These are all albums of my daughter Meiru from when she was alive.” Mr. Ji placed several large photo albums in front of me.

I had barely turned two pages when I could no longer hold back my emotions. Tears burst from my eyes.

“Mr. Chen, sir, what’s wrong?” My elderly father was completely bewildered by my unusual reaction.

I struggled to suppress my emotions. “I’m sorry. I lost control of myself, old—old gentleman.”

After borrowing “Meiru’s” diary and photo albums from “Mr. Ji,” I left that familiar home.

3

At my “mother’s” urging, I returned to the company to “work”: I was the impostor General Manager, Chen Bixian.

I secretly observed the mannerisms and movements of several male managers, even studying their facial expressions and hand gestures when they spoke. From them, I tried to figure out how I should “play” the role of general manager without revealing my true identity every few minutes.

This really was a “difficult job.” First, I had to explain why there was no ashtray on my desk, because “the doctor had instructed me to quit smoking.” Then I had to tell my secretary, Ms. Qin, that I did not drink coffee at breakfast or during afternoon tea. I drank only fresh fruit juice.

I carefully read the documents on my desk and even dug out a pile of old documents, studying Chen Bixian’s handwriting and the vocabulary he used in his written instructions so that I could imitate him as closely as possible.

“Seven parts alike—good enough,” I told myself. At least I thought I was managing to get by. The more troublesome things were the various “forms” and professional terminology. Other than my secretary, there was no one I could comfortably ask for help.

I tactfully explained to my secretary that after being injured in the car accident, my brain functions had not yet fully recovered and that I had temporarily lost some memories. My secretary patiently answered my questions and gave me a general explanation of things. I actively studied under her guidance, to the point that she had to accompany me for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea. In return, I gave her Ferrero Rocher chocolates and several boxes of skincare products.

She said to me, “Sir, after you woke up from the car accident, your manner of speaking and your behavior changed so much.”

“How so? What’s different about me now?” I asked, pretending to remain calm.

“In the past, you always came across as stern, strong, and completely confident. When you spoke, you were aggressive and intimidating, like a lion king. I always felt a great deal of pressure around you.” The secretary spoke with a completely serious expression.

“So what am I like now? A tame sheep?” I replied with a smile.

“W-Well, not exactly. You’re just much gentler and friendlier now. You’re much easier to get along with.” Secretary Qin’s expression was somewhat strange.

During the management meeting, I carefully listened to the reports from the managers of each department. At the same time, I took notes and had to nod and smile whenever someone was speaking.

I did my best not to express any substantive opinions about their reports. Instead, I made vague and general comments such as, “Manager, your report was thorough,” or “Manager, your performance has been proactive and deserves recognition.”

Afterward, my secretary told me about the managers’ “reactions” to me. At first, some felt that I “didn’t seem to have gotten into the swing of things,” while others felt that my “noncommittal attitude” actually made them feel that there was “more beneath the surface than they could understand.”

Their common conclusion was: “The general manager apparently hasn’t fully recovered yet.”

In fact, I had already reached much the same conclusion from the puzzled expressions on their faces.

4

At noon that day, I was lying facedown on my desk, hugging a pillow as I took a nap, when a voice suddenly woke me.

“Get up, get up! Who are you? Why are you wearing my clothes and sitting in my chair?”

I sleepily raised my head.

“Huh? Nobody.”

I thought I might have been hearing things. But just as I was about to put my head back down, the voice came again.

“Who are you, exactly? Why are you occupying my body?”

This time I knew I wasn’t imagining it, because the voice was clearly coming from inside the office.

I searched the entire room but found no suspicious hiding place. Gathering my courage, I asked, “I’m Chen Bixian. Who are you? Are you here to play some kind of prank?”

“I’m the real Chen Bixian, you impostor. Tell me the truth. Who are you?”

The voice became increasingly stern.

I turned around and noticed a figure in the dressing mirror behind my chair. The person looked exactly like “me” and was pointing at me with one finger.

“So you’re here!” I asked, “You’re Chen Bixian?”

“That’s right. Who are you? Why are you occupying my body?” The figure glared at me angrily.

“I—I’m Ji Meiru.” I answered honestly, feeling as though a tremendous burden had been lifted from me.

“How did you get into my body?”

“I don’t know either. I only remember that I was riding a bicycle through an intersection when a car that had rolled over from the opposite lane swept into me. After I woke up in the hospital, I had become like this.” I gave him a rough explanation.

“I was driving that car,” he continued. “So you were the innocent pedestrian. My soul was thrown out of my body when the car rolled violently. I imagine that when the car ran over you, your soul also left your body. Then, amid the chaos, it entered my body.

“When the ambulance arrived, my soul couldn’t return to my body, so I had no choice but to temporarily attach itself to the crystal necklace I was wearing. Today at noon, when you took off that necklace and placed it on the desk, the sunlight reflected off the crystal, allowing me to project my image onto the dressing mirror.”

“I see. I thought I had encountered a ghost.” I smiled calmly.

“Since you have already occupied my body, I want to make an agreement with you. We can share this body.” He made the proposal.

“Actually, I don’t want to occupy your body.” I gave a bitter smile. “You’re a businessman. Your life is far too busy for me. I’m exhausted just trying to keep up.”

“Really?” he sneered, looking somewhat pleased with himself.

“Yes. I’m just a college girl. I never wanted to be a general manager.” I looked helpless.

He asked, “Then, is your body still alive?”

“Yes. It’s still lying on a hospital bed in a rehabilitation facility, completely unconscious.”

“Good. Take me there now. I’ll make do with using your body for the time being.” His face lit up with delight.

“Are you sure this will work?”

“It should. How will we know unless we try?”

So, under his instructions, I put the crystal necklace around my neck and quickly left the office. When my secretary asked where I was going, I didn’t even turn around.

I sneaked into the rehabilitation facility, stole a doctor’s uniform, and disguised myself as a newly arrived physician. After distracting the nurse, I followed “Chen Bixian’s” instructions, removed the crystal, and placed it on “Meiru’s” forehead.

Suddenly, a tiny point of light, like a candle flame, sank from the crystal into her forehead. Before long, “Meiru’s” eyes gradually began to move naturally.

“Help me sit up,” Meiru said.

I helped “her” sit up. Her body was extremely weak.

“This body still can’t be used yet. You have to help me with rehabilitation.”

She asked me to carry her on my back. Together, we quickly escaped from the rehabilitation facility, and I temporarily settled “her” in “my home,” Mr. Ji’s traditional three-sided courtyard house.

I reminded “her” that, to avoid “complications,” she should temporarily consider herself to be “Ji Meiru.” Once her body had recovered, I would fulfill our agreement and arrange for “her” to enter the company as the “Assistant to the General Manager,” allowing “her” to regain control of the company’s real power.

“Father” was both delighted and bewildered when “Meiru” regained consciousness. His daughter had been “brought back,” but the “daughter” who had returned was no longer the same as before, because this “daughter” had a great many complaints and would raise her voice at her elderly father at the slightest provocation.

5

As promised, I arranged for “Meiru” to join the company as the “Assistant to the General Manager.” I became a puppet controlled by strings, while “Meiru” became the invisible hand manipulating everything behind the scenes. I was merely “Meiru’s” rubber stamp, responsible for stamping documents on her behalf. She ordered me around as she pleased, and even in front of the managers, she often showed me no mercy, leaving me deeply aggrieved.

My days became extremely dull, but I had no way to escape my current situation: my identity, my position, and my responsibilities. Every day, I felt like a spinning top turning helplessly in place, living as though my soul were detached from my body.

I often “zoned out” because my mind was never really on what I was doing. I kept thinking that, if possible, I would “get seriously ill” and hide away in a hospital so I could finally rest properly.

“Meiru” seemed to notice my loneliness as well. She suggested that once the company’s business had settled down, I should give myself a long vacation and travel abroad.

With “Meiru’s” special permission, I felt as though I had been pardoned. I quickly found myself an excuse for taking an extended vacation: “going abroad for a thorough examination of my brain.” My “mother” also agreed, since this was something I had to take care of personally.

A female college student from a poor family had to work part-time to pay for tuition and living expenses. Traveling abroad had always been an unattainable dream for me, let alone carrying “U.S. dollar traveler’s checks” and a “Citibank Gold Card.” Hawaii, Las Vegas, Hollywood—wherever I wanted to go and have fun, that was where I would go.

“Meiru” only required that I not damage Chen Bixian’s body. Sooner or later, he would have to find a way to take it back.

6

As the two-month vacation was drawing to an end, “Mei-ru” called me on my cell phone from overseas to remind me to keep my promise and return to Taiwan as scheduled. Otherwise, he threatened, “I’ll get you back here by any means necessary. I’ll use every method I can, no matter what it takes, dead or alive!” In that instant, I felt plunged into unprecedented despair, because before long I would have to fly across the Pacific and return to that tiny, overcrowded island where people were packed together and cars were bumper to bumper, and resume a life in which I was controlled by others every day, no different from a walking corpse. I decided that I would not bow to fate. I wanted to escape the control of my “mother” and “Mei-ru” and live the life I wanted.

I used traveler’s checks to buy some gold bars and immediately converted them into a large amount of cash. Then I bought a used car, a forged Chinese passport, two bags of plasma matching my blood type, and a sharp knife. I drove the car onto a bridge and, under cover of darkness, staged it as a murder scene: a suit and shirt stained with plasma and torn with holes were left in the driver’s seat, while a short piece of cut necktie was left hanging from the car window. The passport was scattered beside the car door, and a pair of shoes was left separately near the guardrail.

The next day, the evening newspaper reported the “suspected murder case” just as I had expected. A young man from Taiwan, identified only as Chen, was suspected of having been murdered by criminals and his body dumped into the river. His “checks, gold card, and cell phone” were believed to have been stolen, and the county police department had dispatched officers downstream to search for the victim.

I put on a wig and brown sunglasses, slung a guitar over my shoulder, and dressed in a Hawaiian-style floral shirt, making myself look like a flashy Mexican guy. I boarded a long-distance bus from New York to Seattle, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

When I arrived in Seattle, I rented a studio apartment near the University of Seattle and began planning my future life. First, I intended to undergo plastic surgery to change my appearance. Then I would take courses for college credits, apply for admission, and gradually realize my dream: becoming a pianist.

7

My “mother” placed missing-person notices in several newspapers. She believed I was still alive because the police had found neither my body nor any suspect who might have been involved.

I had gradually become accustomed to being a “man,” although my landlord and classmates found it strangely amusing that, despite my rugged appearance, I was somehow a little “effeminate.” Occasionally, after using the bathroom, I would forget to tuck “that thing” back into my underwear and hurriedly pull up my zipper. Sometimes the zipper would catch my foreskin, leaving me in pain for quite a while.

I lived a peaceful and happy life for two years, taking graduate-level music courses for credit. However, something unexpected still happened.

My “younger sister” had actually crossed the ocean to the United States and had also been accepted to the same university.

The day I encountered my “younger sister,” I was eating in the school cafeteria when a familiar laugh came from the table next to me and caught my attention. I stared for quite a while. “Oh my God!” I shouted inwardly. “The world really is a small place. Could that girl actually be my ‘younger sister’?” To make sure, I ordered another milkshake and sat back down, secretly watching my sister for quite some time. Then I remembered that she often wore a certain brand of perfume. I pretended to walk past her table. “That’s it. It’s definitely the same scent.” I smelled the perfume on my sister, and that scent had been deeply imprinted in my olfactory memory during the time I was hospitalized.

I found out what my “younger sister” was majoring in and where she was staying, and was just planning to find an opportunity to approach her. At night, I worked as a pianist at a pub in the city. That night, I encountered my sister again. She was drinking beside the bar with another girl who had a similarly East Asian appearance. Before long, several young men gathered around them. Judging from their sloppy, cocky appearance, they seemed to be local troublemakers who hung around the area. The boys kept teasing the two girls with their words and physical gestures. My sister went to the restroom, and one of the troublemakers actually took out a capsule and mixed its powder into her drink. I saw the entire thing clearly from the stage.

As soon as I finished playing a piece of music, I immediately pretended to have a stomachache, informed the manager, and hurried to the entrance of the women’s restroom. As soon as my sister came out, I called out to her, “Vivian, I’m your brother, David.”

My “younger sister” looked at me through drunken, hazy eyes, her expression filled with confusion.

“David? Your voice sounds like his, but you don’t look like him.” She waved her hand and staggered as she spoke.

I grabbed her arm and pulled her toward a corner. “Look, this crystal necklace.” I took the crystal necklace from around my neck and held it up in front of her eyes.

“Why do you have this crystal necklace?” She seemed to sober up halfway, staring at the necklace in surprise before looking back at me.

“I really am David. Take another close look. I’ve had plastic surgery.” I leaned my face closer and let her examine me carefully.

“You really are my brother? I must be drunk.” For a moment, she still could not believe that I was standing right in front of her. “You really are David? Two years ago, you had already…”

“It’s a long story. I’ll explain it to you later.” I pulled her toward the back door because two of the troublemakers were already walking toward us. “You need to leave with me first. Those guys put something in your drink.”

“Where are you taking me?” my sister asked as I pulled her outside. I dragged her along as we ran, but the two troublemakers were fast. They had already caught up with us and blocked the entrance to the alley, pulling out knives and shouting at me.

I reached into the back pocket of my trousers and took out the pepper spray I had hidden there. As soon as they came within effective range, I immediately sprayed both of them in the face before they had any chance to react. Caught off guard, they covered their faces in agony. I kicked one of them in the groin and shoved the other into a wall. Several more troublemakers then rushed out through the back door. I quickly pulled my sister along, stepped over the men lying on the ground, and ran out of the alley into the parking lot. I climbed into my van, slammed the door shut, and started the engine. By then, the pursuing troublemakers had already blocked my way. Without hesitation, I stomped on the accelerator and knocked two of them aside as I broke through.

“That was close!” My sister playfully stuck out her tongue. “But that was really exciting!”

“Are you completely sober now?” I pinched her chin lightly.

“Yeah. The fright sobered me up.”

“Now you believe I’m your big brother, right?”

“Half of me believes you. The other half still doesn’t understand.”

“Oh? The part you don’t understand—I’ll explain it to you when we get back to my apartment.”

“Really? Big brother is taking his little sister back to his place to get a room?” My sister gave me a suggestive look.

“You! Stop being so naughty and saying things like that.” I smiled and gently scolded her.

“Brother, how did you turn into such a proper old gentleman?”

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you everything once we get back to my apartment. For now, let me concentrate on driving. I’m worried those guys might chase us all the way here.”

“Okay. I won’t say anything. You concentrate on driving, Brother.” My sister leaned against the seat and closed her eyes for a nap.

8

“Brother, why does your room smell so nice? And why do you have pink wallpaper on the walls?” my sister asked curiously as soon as she entered my room.

“I like pink. It feels warm and cozy.” The moment I said it, I realized I had “given myself away.”

“No, no, Brother. You used to like royal blue.” My little sister shook her finger suspiciously.

“Let’s not talk about that. Tell me what’s happening at home first!” I quickly changed the subject.

“Ah… These past two years, Mom has been exhausted and very unhappy,” my little sister said with a sigh.

“Your mom…” I paused. “What happened to Mom?”

“Brother, ever since your accident, Mom has often been depressed. She has always believed that you were merely missing. She has said more than once, ‘Whether he’s alive or dead, I have to see him.’ Whenever the Criminal Investigation Bureau’s international affairs division called to notify her, she would come all the way to the United States to identify a body. I came with her every time.”

“That must have been hard for her.” I felt a little sorry for her inside.

“In the past, Mom demanded a lot from us, so we felt that she was strict. But that was because she had to be both mother and father, carrying the entire family business on her shoulders. At the company, Mom was a true powerhouse. But ever since what happened to you, she often cries in front of me. She has even said things like, ‘My son is gone. What meaning is there in living anymore?’ All I could do was cry with her.”

“Oh?” I thought to myself that this seemingly “domineering” mother actually had a soft side. The power of family affection in this world was stronger than anything else. I thought of “Mei-ru,” that hateful bastard of a man. “What about my assistant, Miss Mei-ru?”

“Mei-ru? That crazy woman actually told all the managers that she was the general manager herself, and she made up all kinds of nonsense.” The moment my little sister mentioned “Mei-ru,” a look of disdain appeared on her face. “At first, Mom was completely taken in by her and almost believed all her ridiculous lies.”

“What happened afterward?” I asked with great interest.

“Later, Mom discovered that the woman was extremely ambitious. She had actually colluded with several directors and tried to force Mom to step down.”

“She was really in such a hurry?” I secretly laughed to myself. “Chen Bi-xian, sooner or later the entire company will be yours. Why rush and ruin everything?”

“An old, loyal director secretly reported the whole matter to Mom. So Mom struck first and drove Mei-ru out of the company. Her scheme failed. Later, when Mom investigated Mei-ru’s plans and network for seizing control of the company, she unexpectedly discovered that after you disappeared, Mei-ru had actually hired a hitman to come to the United States and deal with you because he suspected that you had merely staged your death and escaped.”

My little sister’s words shocked me. I secretly congratulated myself that I had run away first. Otherwise, wouldn’t I have been in serious trouble?

“Mei-ru was really that vicious?” I continued asking.

“Yes. Mom says, ‘A woman can be the most ruthless creature of all.’” My little sister’s expression became unusually serious.

I almost burst out laughing. “Oh, really? Isn’t Mom the same way?” The moment the words left my mouth, I realized I had said the wrong thing again.

“Ha!” My little sister burst out laughing. “Exactly. Mom is the real-life Empress Wu.”

“Oh? So you agree with me?” I laughed, finally relieved.

9

“Brother, you really were seriously injured in that car accident!” My sister smiled as she used a wet towel to wipe my face. I was still half asleep and half awake.

“The aftereffects are still there. It’s like you’ve become a completely different person.” My sister complained softly. “You didn’t even grope me once the entire night. Your little sister isn’t used to that.”

“I was completely knocked out. How would I have been groping you?” I murmured with my eyes half closed, my brain apparently not fully awake yet.

“You wouldn’t even let me touch you. You even reached over and held my hand down. So stingy! When we were little and slept in the same bed, you would touch my face and let me touch your chest.”

“When I’m sleeping, I don’t like being touched randomly. It messes up my dreams.” I muttered sleepily.

“Brother, I think you should still come back with me to see Mom. She’ll find a way to help you fully recover.”

“Really? I think we should forget it. I’m never going to be able to go back to the way I was.” As I said this, I suddenly felt a little melancholy, and I became much more awake.

“Don’t be so pessimistic, Brother. Mom will do everything she can to find a way to help you.” My sister comforted me and continued, “You should also go back to Taiwan to visit Mom, shouldn’t you? She loves you so much.”

“After this semester ends, okay? It’s only a little over two months away. Sis, let me finish my studies first and get myself emotionally settled. Then I’ll go back to Taiwan with you.”

“Okay, Brother. Don’t stand me up!” My sister smiled happily.

“I won’t. Don’t worry.”

“Then come back to my dorm with me to help me move my things. I’m moving in with you this afternoon.”

“Isn’t that a bad idea? My studio apartment is so small. It’ll be really crowded.”

“That’s okay. A smaller place makes it feel more like a honeymoon.” My sister teased me.

“Forget the honeymoon! You’re thinking too much!” I smiled and lightly tapped her forehead.

“Then why do you sleep in a double bed? Unless you eat almond pudding on odd-numbered days, grass jelly on even-numbered days, and soft, wobbly aiyu jelly on weekends, while changing the color of the cow every day.” The more she talked, the more outrageous she became, practically making me sound like some kind of womanizer.

“Stop making things up. I’m very chaste. I may walk through a field of flowers, but I never touch a single petal.”

“Don’t give me that ‘single petal’ stuff. I’m not accusing you falsely. You used to bring different girls back to the company dormitory to spend the night. I always pretended not to see.”

“Really? You’re becoming more and more shameless, you little gossip. Be careful, or no one will want to marry you when you grow up.” The more flustered I became, the more I tended to stumble over my words.

“Brother, even your speech suddenly short-circuits. And you still say there’s nothing wrong with your body?” My sister laughed joyfully, like a spectacular display of fireworks lighting up the night sky. “I never planned to get married anyway. From now on, I’ll be your housekeeper and stay with you. I’ll have food to eat and a place to sleep. I can eat with my sister-in-law and sleep with my big brother. How happy would that be?”

“Forget it. I can’t win an argument with you. Maybe I should become a priest, so that if you turn into an old maid, even God will blame me.” I lightly pinched my sister’s tender buttocks, and a pair of rosy blushes quickly appeared on her cheeks.

“What a headache, this mischievous little girl!” I sighed softly.

10

Just two days after my younger sister moved in with me, “Mother” unexpectedly appeared at my door.

My sister and I were both startled. She looked at me innocently and said, “I didn’t tell Mom, David. Please believe me.”

“I followed the radio signal emitted by your sister’s earring all the way here. It has nothing to do with your sister. I knew that your sister had just moved in with you.” Mother explained gently. It turned out that my sister’s earring was actually a miniature listening device.

“Mom, I’m sorry.” I took the initiative to step forward and embrace her, but my movements seemed stiff. Toward the woman standing before me, I felt far more fear than affection.

“Tell me, who exactly are you?” Mother asked in a gentle voice that nevertheless carried a touch of severity, making me afraid to lie. “I am actually Ji Mei-Ru. Please forgive me.”

“Hmm. You have been honest. For that alone, I don’t want to investigate any further into how your soul came to inhabit my son’s body.” Mother continued, “Actually, your sister and I are both AI androids produced through biotechnology. I am the first-generation X model, while your sister is the improved second-generation Y model. Biochemical scientist Dr. Chen Zi-Sheng created me, while you were personally cloned by Dr. Zi-Sheng.”

Mother’s shocking revelation left both my sister and me staring at her in stunned disbelief. I thought to myself, “How could I be the doctor’s clone?”

Mother looked at me affectionately and said, “Judging from the expression on your face, I know you are confused.”

I nodded foolishly and smiled.

Mother continued, “My son—no, Miss Ji Mei-Ru, I don’t know how your brain waves originally entered David’s body, but it is obvious that the female executive assistant you brought in is an ambitious woman. She actually dreamed of replacing me and taking control of the entire Chen Biotechnology Corporation. That is absolutely unforgivable. I have already erased her brain waves and had her body frozen.”

My sister and I were so horrified that we were speechless.

“The most important part of an android’s master program is absolute loyalty and obedience to the family leader, followed by love and trust toward family members. Miss Mei-Ru, although you are not one of my own kind, your noble moral character has earned my acceptance and respect. I intend to have you serve as my right-hand person, with a male identity but the delicate, gentle, and resilient thinking of a woman. In the future, you will become my successor.”

“But I still want to become a woman again. I hate being a man. I can’t wear beautiful clothes, I can’t use makeup to make myself look glamorous, and I can’t express a gentle nature and receive the loving care of men. Anyway, I simply don’t like being a man.” At last, I bravely dug out all the words buried deep within my heart and said them aloud. I longed to gain true freedom for my soul.

“That is not entirely up to you, Miss Mei-Ru. At present, I still have no way to return your soul to Mei-Ru’s body. However, if you follow me and learn properly, you will have the opportunity to reach the highest levels of power and control all the resources of the biotechnology company, commanding everything at will. The body of that female executive assistant is not an android. Once the company develops transplantation technology, perhaps you will be able to return to your own body.”

I nodded helplessly and said, “It seems I have no other choice. But I still have one request. Please allow me to freely choose to live as a woman after working hours.”

Mother smiled gently and affectionately. “The way you dress as a woman would make even the ugliest woman regain her confidence the moment she saw you.” She then added, “If the police ever catch you, just tell them you’re a transgender person.”

“Mom, your joke is so cold!” my sister said from the side, then burst into a strange giggle.

11

Two months later, I earned my master’s degree in music and my diploma as a concert pianist. Mother urged my sister and me to return to Taiwan together. Over the phone, she said she would arrange for me to take over the company.

When I returned to Taiwan, however, a “nightmare” was waiting for me.

Mother told me herself, “Dr. Zi-Sheng’s original clones were identical twins. In other words, there is another brother in this world who looks exactly like you.” She continued, “Back then, enemies broke into the doctor’s research institute and set it on fire. During the chaos, they kidnapped the female assistant and your brother. Your brother was raised by those enemies. They incited your brother, and now he has brought a group of underworld associates to our doorstep, demanding that I hand over control of the company.”

“Mom, what do you want me to do?” I asked uneasily.

“Since they are coming after us, a true man must strike first. We will make the first move and send combat androids to eliminate them.” A cold and murderous glint flashed through her eyes, sharp enough to send chills down my spine. Toward this “Mother” standing before me, it seemed that all I had left was “fear.”

My younger sister, who appeared so delicate and gentle on the outside, was actually the person carrying out the entire operation code-named “Dragon Hunt.” Yet I had been kept in the dark by Mother all along, until I unexpectedly encountered my brother after a police raid.

On Friday evening, after finishing my paperwork, I drove alone up into the mountains to soak in a hot spring. Afterward, as I drove down the mountain road, two police vehicles blocked me at an intersection. I rolled down my window. The uniformed officer outside stared at me, while two plainclothes detectives stood behind him.

“Officer, I haven’t been drinking.” I assumed it was a routine DUI checkpoint and was just about to reach into my suit pocket for my identification.

“Sir, please step out of the car,” the officer said.

The moment I pushed open the door, the officer grabbed me and pulled me out. The two plainclothes detectives behind him moved with lightning speed. Before I could figure out what was happening, one of them had twisted my wrist behind my back and slapped handcuffs onto me.

“We finally caught you, Black Dragon! Heh-heh. You’ve been walking the wrong side of the road for too long. Sooner or later, you were bound to fall into the hands of our detective squad.” The plainclothes detective who handcuffed me sneered.

“I’m not the person you’re looking for. My name is Chen Bi-Xian, general manager of Vicky Biotechnology.” I anxiously tried to explain.

“Cut the crap. Don’t even think about pulling any tricks.” The plainclothes detective grabbed me by both shoulders, then suddenly drove his knee hard into my lower abdomen, making me double over in pain.

“Take him back to the station. We brothers will give you a warm welcome, Black Dragon,” the other plainclothes detective said.

I was immediately fitted with a black hood, lifted up as if I were a dead pig, and thrown into the police vehicle.

Inside the interrogation room, a glaring desk lamp shone directly into my face, while two plainclothes detectives stood behind me.

The “squad leader” in front of me grabbed my collar and forced my face down against the tabletop. “A wise man knows when to submit, Black Dragon. I suggest you cooperate with me and honestly tell us what your operation is and where your hideout is. That way, you can avoid unnecessary physical punishment!”

“I’m not the Black Dragon you’re looking for. You—you’ve got the wrong man!” I thought they must have mistaken me for my identical twin brother, the underworld boss.

“You’re still denying it? I’d recognize you even if you were reduced to ashes. Look at this scar on my cheek. You gave me this two years ago.” The man leaned his face toward me, reeking of cigar smoke.

“I really am not Black Dragon. You have the wrong man,” I repeated.

The man quickly lost patience. He grabbed me by the hair at the back of my head and slapped me hard across the face twice. The blows left me seeing stars.

“I told you I’m not Black Dragon! I’m not the underworld boss you’re looking for!” I timidly covered my cheeks as I spoke. My defense was immediately answered by a brutal barrage of punches and kicks.

I was beaten to the floor and felt as though a layer of skin had been peeled from my body. The pain was unbearable.

“Take off his shirt!” the squad leader ordered.

With a sharp ripping sound, all the buttons down the front of my shirt flew off at once.

“Boss, this is strange. Why doesn’t this guy have the legendary Nine-Headed Dragon tattoo on his chest?” one of the plainclothes detectives said.

“Oh?” The squad leader leaned closer and stared carefully at me.

“Boss, could we have arrested the wrong guy?” the detective asked.

“Put him in custody first. We’ll figure it out later!” The squad leader’s face turned pale, then flushed, as though he too had become confused.

“I demand to make a phone call to my family,” I said.

“Wait until we send you to the district prosecutors’ office.” By then, the squad leader had begun to realize that they might have arrested the wrong person, but he was too embarrassed to admit it.

After nearly two hours of interrogation, I had been beaten until my face was swollen and bruised and my entire body ached. My tie and sleeves had been pulled and torn, and then I was violently kicked into a cell.

Inside the cramped detention cell, there was a whole crowd of fierce-looking men.

One of them recognized me. A heavily tattooed man with tattoos covering his chest and arms, a short crew cut, and a broad, fleshy face said, “Boss Black Dragon, how did you end up in here too? Man, you’re really out of luck! Word on the street is that Black Dragon, the feared boss of the Nine Dragons Gang, has always operated in secret and has never been caught. The authorities have put a twenty-million-dollar bounty on your head!”

“I’m not Black Dragon. You’ve got the wrong person!” I said irritably.

“Really? You’re afraid news of your capture will spread through the underworld, so you’re deliberately denying it. Am I right?” The man stared at me, examining me from head to toe.

“I’m not the boss you’re talking about, and I’ve never even heard of this Nine Dragons Gang.”

After I said that, the man seemed to notice something unusual about me. “How could two people look this much alike? Let me see the tattoo on your chest.”

I hesitated slightly and thought to myself, “I’m a man now. If he wants to see it, then let him.” So I lifted my shirt, its buttons already torn away, exposing my bruised and purplish chest and abdomen. By then, several other men had gathered around to watch.

“Heh-heh, brothers, all of you come over and take a look. This Black Dragon doesn’t even have the legendary Nine-Headed Dragon tattoo on his chest? What a strange thing! Something bizarre happens every year, but this is the first one this year!” the man called out.

Among the crowd, a middle-aged, slick-haired man with an oily, fussy appearance said to me, “Young man, if you’re not Black Dragon, how could you possibly look exactly like him?”

“I don’t know either. Maybe it’s just a coincidence. Perhaps we only look somewhat alike?” I deliberately pretended to be clueless because I remembered that “Mother” had repeatedly emphasized that my long-lost “Black Dragon” brother was ruthless and extremely powerful, with connections everywhere, even having informants within the police force. I did not want Black Dragon to hear that I had been arrested by the detective squad, in case the information somehow reached him and I eventually fell into his hands. So I had no choice but to keep denying it.

The next day, I was transferred to the district prosecutors’ office. After another interrogation, my identity was finally confirmed.

“Mr. Chen, I’m sorry. After our office verified your identity with your family, we confirmed that this was indeed a misunderstanding. Please accept our apologies for any disrespect or inconvenience. Your sister will be here shortly to take you home,” the prosecutor said apologetically.

“I’ve already been beaten this badly by your plainclothes officers, and you think you can settle the matter by calling it ‘a misunderstanding’? If you don’t give me a satisfactory explanation, you’ll hear from me!” I said angrily.

“I will issue disciplinary orders against those reckless officers and give you a proper explanation,” the prosecutor said.

12

A black BMW sedan drove into the entrance of the district prosecutors’ office.

Three young men got out of the car, all wearing the company’s standard employee suits.

“General Manager, the Madam sent us to pick you up and take you back to the company,” the leader said.

“Huh? How come I’ve never seen you three at the company before?” I asked suspiciously, beginning to grow wary.

“We’re the latest batch of improved F2 models. The general manager probably hasn’t seen us before.”

“F2” was the designation for the second generation of combat androids. I had only heard my sister briefly mention them, and indeed, I had never seen one before. I remained skeptical and did not dare get into their car immediately.

“General Manager, this is our identification code.” The young man in charge lifted the hair at the back of his head and pressed a hidden button. A row of product codes appeared on his forehead, convincing me of their identity.

I never imagined that even with all my vigilance, I would still end up getting into the “wrong car.”

The car left the Nantou District Prosecutors’ Office, but instead of heading toward the city, which was the direction of the company, it turned onto the Puwu Highway and headed toward Wushe. Instantly, I knew I had gotten into the “wrong car.”

“This isn’t the right direction, is it? Who exactly sent you?” I asked uneasily.

“Don’t worry, brother. We mean you no harm. We’re members of the Nine Dragons Gang. Boss Black Dragon sent us to pick you up. The boss wants to talk to you.” The young man in charge continued, “Do you know why we didn’t blindfold you?”

I shook my head.

“Our boss, Black Dragon, said that after he talks to you, he believes you won’t betray him because you are his brother.”

I let out a long “Oh,” thinking, “What exactly does Black Dragon want to talk to me about?”

The car wound through the mountain roads, turning left and right through countless bends. It was not until darkness had fallen that we turned into the back hills of a farmhouse restaurant and arrived at a secluded traditional courtyard house hidden among the trees.

One of his men led me inside. “Black Dragon” was lying sideways on a bed, his chest wrapped in gauze. Judging from his condition, his injuries appeared serious.

“Brother, you’re my brother,” Black Dragon said with difficulty between coughs.

“You’re Black Dragon?” I asked. Facing this mysterious underworld boss, I felt nothing but concern. There was not the slightest trace of fear in my heart.

“Yeah! I’m Chen Bi-Sheng, known in the underworld as the feared Black Dragon.”

“You’re injured.”

“Your sister led a team of assassins into Puli last night and launched a surprise attack on the Nine Dragons Gang’s headquarters. We lost more than half of our men.” Black Dragon gave a bitter smile. “I took two bullets while covering my brothers’ retreat.”

“My sister? That can’t be!” I asked in disbelief.

“Yes. Your sister was the commander of the entire surprise attack. She is a second-generation android, while the mastermind behind it all is your mother, the first-generation android known by the code name ‘Witch.’”

“Why would they—why would they attack you and the Nine Dragons Gang?” I asked, unable to understand.

“They don’t want us brothers to recognize each other and join forces against them.” Black Dragon continued, “Thirty years ago, the android Witch turned love into hatred, killed our father, and destroyed our father’s biotechnology laboratory. Our mother managed to get me out in time, but you were left behind and raised to regard our enemy as your mother.”

“Oh?” For a moment, I did not know how to face this cruel truth.

“Perhaps it is difficult for you to believe what I’m telling you right now. But, brother, I hope you can accept it soon.” Tears glistened in Black Dragon’s eyes.

I summoned my courage and said, “Actually, I really am not Chen Bi-Xian, and I am not your brother. My true identity is Ji Mei-Ru, a timid and gentle woman.”

Black Dragon looked at me in confusion and said, “Brother, the hatred of a father’s murder can never be reconciled. How can you possibly stand by and do nothing?”

Patiently, I told him the entire story from beginning to end.

“I see. Sigh! No matter what, you are still my brother.” Black Dragon let out a long sigh.

“Black Dragon, although I am a fake Chen Bi-Xian, I am willing to resolve the hatred between you and Witch.”

“You are too naive, brother. Witch will never let us go. This is a life-and-death struggle between us and the androids. It is a grudge between human beings and androids.”

“Then what do you want me to do, Black Dragon?”

“To catch tiger cubs, you have to enter the tiger’s den. Go back to the company undercover and find an opportunity to obtain the soul-control code from the main computer. Then I can destroy these androids and stop them from continuing to wreak havoc.”

I hesitated for a while before reluctantly saying, “All right. I’ll do it.”

Black Dragon held my hand, tears glimmering in his eyes. “Brother, I’ll provide you with whatever support you need. I have loyal operatives planted inside the company. And there’s something else I need to tell you. In a manual our father left me, there is a record of a technique for exchanging souls.”

“A technique for exchanging souls?” I thought I must have heard him wrong.

“That’s right! I have a way to help you return to a woman’s body.”

“But my female body isn’t already…” I wondered whether I was simply allowing myself to fall into another trap.

“Don’t worry. I’ve already had my men recover your female body and place it in low-temperature storage in the laboratory at the Black Dragon Gang’s base.”

“To become a woman again, even if I have to charge straight into the dragon’s lair or tiger’s den, I have to do it.” I was saying those words to myself.

13

On the drive back to the company, I tried to throw my chaotic thoughts into the trash can of reason, leaving only one thought in my mind: “I have to find that soul-control code as quickly as possible. I hate being reduced to a puppet controlled by either side.”

I was taken back to the company. The bruises covering my body became my protective shield. Witch and my sister did not ask why I had been delayed for two hours. Instead, they immediately expressed concern about my injuries.

“I was stopped by a police vehicle and taken to the Nantou District Prosecutors’ Office for interrogation. The detectives seemed to mistake me for a gang boss named Black Dragon. They interrogated me repeatedly and beat me again and again. In the end, they discovered that I didn’t have the dragon-shaped tattoo on my chest, so they let me go.” I truthfully recounted the first half of what had happened, and sure enough, both Mother and my sister believed me.

“How could those cops be so brutal?” My sister touched the injuries on my cheek, her eyes filled with concern.

“They thought your brother was that Nine-Headed Dragon, so they resorted to torture to force a confession.” Witch, my mother, wore an equally affectionate expression. These two ruthless fake mother-and-daughter figures could actually put on such a convincing and natural performance in front of me. Yet I could sense that they did not intend to stand up for me or provoke the police. They were merely comforting me with words.

“From now on, don’t go out alone. I’ll have several capable men follow you so nothing goes wrong.” Mother’s move was indeed “brilliant.” She had openly placed me under surveillance. I controlled my temper and pretended to be an obedient, well-behaved child. I knew that the key to the success or failure of this mission depended not only on my acting skills but, more importantly, on my patience. I had to wait until the mother and daughter gradually lowered their guard, find the best opportunity to obtain the soul-control code, and then escape as quickly as possible from this dangerous lair.

There were four android bodyguards assigned to watch me, but the one who truly gave me a headache was my sister. She was practically a piece of chewing gum, stuck to me everywhere I went. She kept a close eye on me all day, even when I took a shower or went to the bathroom. My sister never played mind games with me. She enjoyed taking care of me because I was her only companion. With no better option, I had no choice but to use my sister to carry out my mission.

While Mother was overseas, I asked my sister to take me into the computer control room, and she readily agreed. It was a forbidden zone for company employees, with extremely tight security. In addition to several checkpoints equipped with deadly laser beams, we also had to pass through a long corridor. According to my sister, it was filled with numerous lethal mechanisms, and not even a fly could make it through.

When we entered the main control room, the first thing I saw was a gigantic supercomputer and a robot responsible for monitoring it. The computer was connected to a control box. Inside the box was a mass of something. I stared at it for a while before realizing that it was a living “human brain.” It was truly unbelievable!

“Oh my God! Even if I were a computer prodigy, finding that soul-control code would probably take quite a bit of work…” I muttered to myself.

Then something strange happened. The supercomputer actually detected my presence, and it seemed to have no hostility toward me.

“Child, you’ve finally come!” A person who looked exactly like me suddenly appeared on the computer’s LCD screen. At that moment, I realized that he was the founder of the company, Dr. Chen Zi-Sheng. A “father-and-son reunion” unfolding under such circumstances left me with deeply mixed feelings.

My sister beside me then said softly, “I should have brought you here long ago. Father has always been thinking about you.” She took my right hand and placed it on the sensor panel.

“Child, I can feel you. You have a truly kind heart. At last, I can lay down the burden I have carried on my shoulders. From this moment on, you are my successor. Every android in the company will obey you.”

The doctor’s face on the screen was filled with an affectionate smile. And amid his laughter, the supercomputer actually began executing the shutdown command by itself.

It turned out that my kind heart was precisely the key soul-control code. This development was completely beyond anything I had expected.

14

When I opened my eyes, Black Dragon’s face was pressed right into my field of vision.

“Ji Mei-Ru, do you recognize me? I’m Black Dragon.”

I pushed myself up into a sitting position and discovered that I had indeed returned to my original appearance. It felt as though I had just experienced a strange and upside-down dream…

Black Dragon said, “Your mother and sister have come to see you, along with your father, Mr. Ji.”

“Mother and my sister? What exactly is going on?” I looked utterly confused.

Black Dragon said casually, “The soul-control codes of those two have been reset. They won’t do anything bad anymore.”

It felt wonderful to be a woman again. The only problem was that sometimes I would unconsciously walk into the men’s restroom, causing the men inside to stare at me and make sarcastic jokes.

“Does this woman have a peeping fetish?”

“This lady must have come to the bird park especially to watch the birds…”

Hearing the laughter and teasing behind me, I ran away in embarrassment, my face burning red. However, my bad luck was not over yet…

One stormy afternoon, the rain came down hard and fast. I used my sheet music to shield myself from the rain and hid beneath the shade of a row of large trees. Just then, a handsome man carrying a black umbrella walked toward me and kindly held the umbrella over me. The two of us squeezed together beneath it.

The man said, “It’s just a summer thunderstorm. It should stop pretty soon, right?”

As I gazed at the curtain of rain, the folk singer Cheng Yi’s song “The Rain Came at Just the Right Time” suddenly echoed in my mind. Unexpectedly, a flash of white lightning struck, and the electrical current traveled through the tip of the umbrella and passed through both of our bodies. I instantly lost consciousness…

I did not know how much time had passed when I slowly regained consciousness. I found myself lying in a burn ward bed, my face and body wrapped in gauze. My entire body burned with a searing pain, as though hundreds of thousands of ants were biting me.

A nurse led a group of people to my bedside.

One of them said, “The leading actor has ended up like this. Can we still start filming our movie tomorrow?”

Another said, “It looks like Zhi-Ming was seriously injured this time. I guess we’ll have to find a replacement at the last minute.”

“The leading actor? Zhi-Ming? A last-minute replacement?” I quickly reached down and touched my chest, instinctively realizing that the nightmare was happening all over again…

I screamed, “Nurse! My breasts—my breasts! Are they gone again?”