Xia Chu

The 744th encounter at the top floor of the research institute.

The 372nd encounter at nine in the evening.

Lin Qi had no idea what Liu Xuan was trying to do, but he felt that these encounters had become an essential part of his commute.

Fixed time, the encounter with her, and that perpetually sulking younger sister.

Liu Li had grown somewhat weary of this encounter routine, but her sister Liu Xuan never tired of it.

The encounter wasn't meant to lead to anything—just a simple greeting, then each went their separate ways to their respective Flying Vehicles.

Gripping the steering wheel of his Flying Vehicle, Lin Qi once again felt that familiar gaze.

The eyes of a mercenary.

Sure enough, the stare this morning hadn't been aimed at him; the mercenary's target must be the Liu sisters.

A mercenary who had set their sights on a member of the Liu Family in Hongguo City, and was still alive?

This Mercenary Group definitely had some skill.

At least T3 level, probably on par with the "Highest Level" Mercenary Group.

A Mercenary Group of this caliber posed a potential threat to the Liu sisters.

While driving, Lin Qi activated his Psychic Vision to track down the suspicious gaze.

"Only one pair of eyes watching. The mission is likely still in the information-gathering phase."

"If they're collecting architectural data on the Red Fruit Weapons Research Institute, the position should be..."

Based on his years of experience with the "Highest Level" Mercenary Group and the direction of the gaze he'd detected, Lin Qi roughly pinpointed the suspicious area.

It happened to be on the route he had to take to return home.

When he reached the corresponding location, Lin Qi deactivated his Psychic Vision and observed with his naked eyes alone.

Under the flickering neon lights, a flash of crimson came and went.

Crimson?

Most A-level military reconnaissance cybernetic eyes had that appearance.

Crimson wasn't mandatory, but from a design perspective, it gave the strongest sense of pressure. The light effect could be turned off when necessary.

In practical use, however, large corporations deliberately left certain flaws in the A-level Cybernetic Bodies they sold—unless it was internal supply.

"As an L-level researcher at the weapons institute, I'm currently studying A-level Cybernetic Bodies to seek a promotion. Being sensitive to the light effects of military reconnaissance cybernetic eyes is perfectly normal."

"Besides, from my position, I can indeed observe the crimson light effect with my naked eyes. Reasonable, and logical."

Lin Qi initiated a communication request to Liu Xuan.

As always, she picked up instantly.

This time, Lin Qi didn't pause. He directly informed Liu Xuan: "Someone near the research institute is using an A-level military reconnaissance cybernetic eye. The target of the reconnaissance might be the institute."

As he spoke, Lin Qi accessed his Brain, found the clip of the crimson flash from his Flying Vehicle's recorder, and sent it to Liu Xuan.

Liu Xuan's response was as calm as ever: "Okay."

After receiving her reply, Lin Qi ended the communication.

Reporting the matter to Liu Xuan was far more efficient than informing the institute's security department.

Liu Li looked at Liu Xuan with a strange expression. "What's wrong?"

Liu Xuan took a deep breath, her gaze drifting for a few seconds before returning to normal. "It seems someone has set their sights on the institute. Or, of course, it could be you."

"Me? How is that possible? Why would anyone target me?" Liu Li found it unbelievable.

Liu Xuan turned to look at her sister. "What do you think?"

When not influenced by Lin Qi, Liu Xuan's thoughts were exceptionally clear, and her eyes were sharp as she looked at Liu Li.

"You mean... the Liu Family has been targeted?" Liu Li's pupils dilated instantly as she grasped Liu Xuan's meaning.

Liu Xuan tacitly acknowledged her sister's words. Using her left cybernetic eye, she controlled her Brain to forward the footage Lin Qi had sent.

"Don't go out until this is resolved. And don't come to the weapons institute for now." Liu Xuan looked into Liu Li's eyes.

Liu Li caught a different undertone in her sister's words. "And you?"

Liu Xuan looked away. "You just stay home."

Liu Li stared at Liu Xuan in disbelief. "With something like this happening, you're still thinking about that cybernetic freak?"

Liu Xuan didn't respond. She stared ahead at the Flying Vehicle's path, as if there were some particularly interesting scenery in front of her.

Liu Li didn't understand, nor did she respect her sister's thoughts, but she made up her mind—once she got home, she would contact their father.

Liu Heavy Industries, mid-level employee apartment. Lin Qi returned to his room.

He pushed open the bathroom door and faced the mirror.

Lin Qi held the chip in his left hand and reached behind his neck with his right.

The external Brain was installed at the back of his neck.

A metal spinal structure connected the arm Exoskeleton Armor and leg Exoskeleton Armor.

This was the load-bearing frame Lin Qi had designed, and also the key component that disguised the Exoskeleton Armor as prosthetic limbs.

His right hand brushed over the Brain's position, and the chip slot opened.

The exoskeleton wasn't just Lin Qi's disguise—through layers of external equipment, he possessed abilities nearly indistinguishable from a cyborg.

He inserted the chip, and the Brain processed sword combat data.

With the Brain's control, Lin Qi could use the exoskeleton to wield quasi-master-level sword techniques.

This was nearly the limit of what a chip could achieve.

After finishing all this, Lin Qi walked out of the bathroom.

The [Gate] still had a few hours before its cooldown ended.

He stepped up to the workbench and quickly scrolled through Hongguo City's news.

No major incidents. No new mercenary murders.

Nothing worth paying attention to, but Lin Qi still browsed for a long time—this was a data camouflage tactic to avoid algorithms detecting his true interests.

After finishing his browsing, Lin Qi lay down on the bed, closing his eyes to rest.

He'd been through a lot since yesterday. He was tired.

He meditated with his eyes shut, waiting for the [Gate] to open.

March 1st, 2089, 0:55.

Lin Qi opened his eyes on time. The [Gate]'s cooldown was complete.

The [Gate] wasn't forced open; Lin Qi could choose when to open it.

The [Gate] existed deep within his Spiritual Sea, accessible through Mental Power.

This [Gate], which could carry him between worlds, slowly opened.

He went through the dark passage once more.

When Lin Qi opened his eyes, he was already in the Doomsday World.

The scorched ground beneath him confirmed that his position hadn't changed since the last crossing.

In his Psychic Vision, the woman at the door inserting her key proved that time hadn't changed either.

"When I cross through the [Gate], does time on the other side stop?"

As Lin Qi reached this conclusion, the woman turned the key and cracked the door open.

Through the gap, Lin Qi met her eyes.

In her gaze, he saw joy, relief, and lingering fear.

She stepped inside and closed the door.

The next moment, she lunged straight at Lin Qi.

According to the Brain's assessment, her movement posed no threat.

The exoskeleton made no defensive moves.

"Lin Qi, thank god you're alive..."

"I'm so glad you didn't turn into a Zombie. I wouldn't have known what to do."

Lin Qi stood still as the woman embraced him tightly.

The moment she spoke, he finally remembered her name.

In the parallel world of his past life, he knew her. In his memory, she was his high school class monitor.

Lin Qi spoke: "Xia Chu?"