Dimensional Hotel

“I’m talking about the ‘Boundary City,\'” Yu Sheng said, his tone serious. “There’s only one Borderland, but what about Boundary City? This city located at the Borderland—is it possible that somewhere else in the world, there’s another city similar to it?”

He paused, his eyes locking onto Bai Li Qing’s. He spoke slowly, emphasizing each word. “A city very similar, yet not exactly the same. One that shares the same name, with places that have identical names, but unlike here, they’re not… extraordinary. They’re just ordinary places. If the universe spans billions of light-years or more, isn’t it possible that a city like that could exist somewhere within that vast expanse?”

Yu Sheng thought he saw something different in Bai Li Qing’s expression, a seriousness that wasn’t usually there.

The director remained silent for a few seconds before replying, his words careful. “Scholars actually have a hypothesis about something like what you’re describing. It goes like this:

“If the universe is infinite—or even just so vast that it feels practically infinite within what humans can comprehend—then it’s possible that two identical or almost identical places could exist: two planets with similar parameters, two similar mountains, maybe even two histories that are almost the same. The probability of such ‘mirror images’ might be low, but given enough time and space, it’s not zero.”

Yu Sheng pondered this and nodded slightly. “Yeah, I think I’ve heard theories like that before.”

“Then let me tell you about a limitation of that hypothesis—a part that’s not widely known,” Bai Li Qing continued. “Even if the idea is true, and any place or event in the universe could have a ‘mirror image’ somewhere out there, there are two exceptions. They will never have mirror images.

“First is a planet called ‘Terra,’ far off among the stars, with secret ties to the Borderland.

“Second is this very Borderland.

“In other words, there won’t be a second ‘Boundary City’ in this world because this city is a key part of the Borderland itself. And the Borderland doesn’t have a ‘mirror image.’ Even if the universe is endless and time stretches infinitely, from the past to the future, there will only ever be this one Borderland, and this one Boundary City.”

Yu Sheng’s eyes widened slightly, and for a long moment, he didn’t say anything.

“From your reaction…” Bai Li Qing adjusted his posture. “It seems like you’re almost sure there’s another Boundary City out there—one that you’ve actually seen?”

Yu Sheng forced himself to calm the swirling thoughts in his mind. He took a deep breath and started tapping the table lightly with his fingers.

“Yes, I’ve seen it. It’s a small seaside town. You could drive from one end of the town to the other in just thirty minutes. There are no ‘Otherworlds’ there, no Special Affairs Bureau. The people live ordinary lives. The sunshine is always soft and warm, and the sunsets… they’re beautiful.”

He described scene after scene from his memories to Bai Li Qing, not hiding any details. Since he already knew the truth about Wutong Road and his organization dealt with matters from the Otherworld, he seemed like the best person who might help him.

Bai Li Qing listened quietly. His eyes, which seemed to lack any color, always concealed his emotions. No one could tell what he was thinking as Yu Sheng spoke. Only when he was done did he finally say something.

“May I have a look?”

Yu Sheng was taken aback. “Have a look? How?”

He reached out and gently pressed his hand against Yu Sheng’s temple. The touch was cold, and for a moment, Yu Sheng felt a wave of dizziness.

“This is my ability—if you don’t mind, please open your imagination to me for a moment. Of course, if you’re uncomfortable, I won’t force it,” Bai Li Qing said sincerely. ȓＡℕo͍₿Ɛᶊ

Yu Sheng frowned but, after a moment of consideration, nodded slightly.

Closing his eyes, he began to picture his hometown—that other Boundary City. The ordinary seaside town appeared vividly in his mind, and he felt as if another pair of eyes was watching these scenes along with him.

After a while, Yu Sheng opened his eyes. Bai Li Qing still had his eyes closed, and behind him, the endlessly extending café seemed to be collapsing from afar. The tables and chairs, neatly lined up and repeating endlessly, were being swallowed by darkness—as if they were falling into an unseen abyss.

Yu Sheng was stunned, unsure of what was happening. “Hey! This place is collapsing! Wake up! This…”

Before he could finish, Bai Li Qing finally opened his eyes. “It’s okay, just a minor side effect of using my ability.”

As he spoke, the collapsing buildings and furniture silently returned to their original state.

Yu Sheng felt a bit awkward and gave a nervous chuckle. “Wow, your ability is… quite something.”

Bai Li Qing didn’t respond. Instead, he rubbed his forehead, looking as though he was lost in thought.

“Did you see everything?” Yu Sheng asked, curious. “What do you think?”

“I saw it, just as you described—a peaceful seaside town, with many places that seemed like echoes of this city,” he said, interrupting Yu Sheng. For some reason, he hesitated, but then quickly masked it. “I believe now that you have seen such a Boundary City. But I’m curious—why are you so fixated on finding this place?”

Yu Sheng’s expression turned earnest. “For personal reasons. I want to find it. But, based on what you’ve said…”

“Theories are, after all, just theories,” Bai Li Qing said, shaking his head. His tone had softened, leaving room for interpretation. “Honestly, I still don’t believe there’s a second Borderland in this world. But if it’s just a place that looks similar—shares a similar architecture and layout—it’s not entirely impossible.”

Yu Sheng looked at him skeptically. “Really?”

“Who knows?” he sighed. “Some scholars say our universe is still young, that there are physical laws yet to fully form. Maybe everything humans think they know could be proven wrong, or turned upside down. I believe that the Boundary City you showed me does exist, but… it’s not recorded in any of the Borderland’s archives.”

“So, if you ever find it…”

“You’ll be the first to know,” Bai Li Qing nodded seriously.

“Thank you,” Yu Sheng said, though a feeling in his gut told him Bai Li Qing wasn’t being entirely sincere. He didn’t know why, but he decided not to push it.

“I have another question,” Yu Sheng said quickly, changing the subject. “This one’s for a friend.”

“Go ahead,” Bai Li Qing replied. “I’ve got plenty of time today.”

Yu Sheng paused, choosing his words carefully. “Do you know about ‘Alice’s Little House’? Does the Special Affairs Bureau know of this group?”

“‘Alice’s Little House’? Of course,” he said immediately. “Those ‘Living Dolls’ are active in the supernatural world. We’ve had quite a few encounters with them.”

Yu Sheng’s heart skipped a beat. Maybe he’d found a clue about the little doll. “You mean ‘Alice’s Dolls’? So, is this little house registered with the Bureau?”

“No, you’ve misunderstood,” Bai Li Qing shook his head. “‘Alice’s Little House’ isn’t registered with us. It’s an independent group, one that operates outside of the Borderland. They keep a low profile, but their influence is no less significant than ours.”

“Uh…?” Yu Sheng was puzzled.

“The Borderland isn’t the only special place in this world, and we’re not the only major organization dealing with Otherworld matters. We’re just one of many. There are others—like the ‘Bamosa Secret Society,’ the ‘Academy’ from Terra, the ‘Astrology Association’ of the Algaleidians, and many more. ‘Alice’s Little House’ is similar—an independent force. They follow an ancient deity named ‘Alice’ and are ancient creations blessed by her. They existed long before the Special Affairs Bureau was even formed.”

Yu Sheng was speechless.

So Irene had such an important background? The little doll wasn’t just bragging!

He couldn’t hide his reaction, and Bai Li Qing noticed. “I remember the report mentioned you have a doll with you?”

“Yeah, her name’s Irene. She says she’s one of ‘Alice’s Dolls’ but got sealed away for a long time.”

“But I remember the report also said she was only about this tall…” Bai Li Qing raised his hand, indicating a small height.

Yu Sheng awkwardly scratched his nose. “Ah, well, that’s another… accident.”