Run!

"What's going on? We're about to hijack a spaceship. Are you really that excited?"

Skullhead gripped the silenced rifle in his hands and teased, "What, the apocalypse hasn't even come yet and you're planning to crash yourself to death first?"

"...The plan has changed."

Lin Xu couldn't be bothered to deal with him and answered casually, "The target's layout is different from what I expected. I can't find where I'm supposed to go now."

"Isn't there a sign over there? Can't you just follow it?"

Skullhead pointed at the open gate in the distance, then continued, "Honestly, I really don't get your thinking. You said the apocalypse was coming and that you wanted to hijack a spaceship to escape."

"But with space tourism being so advanced now, and with all the money you have to hire us, couldn't you just charter a spaceship and fly up there?"

"A rich guy like you can't be short of the few million it costs to charter one, right? That's a lot cheaper than what I charge."

"I don't know. Maybe I just lost my mind."

Watching the workers gradually leave Skyvault Technology and seeing the lax security at its entrance, Lin Xu truly couldn't understand why his past self had hired a mercenary squad to hijack a spaceship.

Was it because a tourist spacecraft couldn't accomplish what he wanted?

Or could the things he did in the real world only alter the future world inside this wristband to a limited extent?

Lin Xu took a deep breath and said, "Forget it. The operation is canceled. I need to go in and take a look first."

"Sure." Skullhead nodded.

"But even if you decide not to make a move in the end, our fee won't be refunded."

"You hired me. You pay whether we do the job or not. That's the rule, got it?"

"...What are you, the Triads?"

Lin Xu rolled his eyes and pulled open the car door.

"Don't worry. I won't ask for the money back."

"Wait here. I'll be right back!"

As he spoke, Lin Xu headed toward the gate.

Halfway there, he realized that he had not taken off his night-vision goggles or body armor.

By then, the security guard at the gate had already noticed him. It was too late to turn back.

Lin Xu forced himself to keep walking, trying to think up an excuse, when the guard spoke first.

"Sir, visiting hours are over."

"We're closed for the day. We open again tomorrow morning at eight."

"Visiting?"

Lin Xu paused in surprise.

"Yeah, it ended before twelve. Are you here for wargames or cosplay? Why don't you fill out a form and make an appointment to come back tomorrow?"

Well, damn. A space launch base had actually become a tourist attraction.

It looked like Skyvault Technology had fully committed to commercial space tourism—and was doing quite well at it.

At the very least, this approachable style really could attract a huge number of visitors.

But... how was he supposed to get inside?

After thinking for a moment, Lin Xu said, "I have clearance. Let's verify my iris."

"You're an employee?" The guard scratched his head. "Then what's with this outfit...?"

"Personal hobby."

Lin Xu kept a straight face.

"Understood, understood. Please come this way and verify it."

The guard led Lin Xu toward the employee entrance. As Lin Xu brought his eye close to the biometric scanner, he quietly calculated that if the device sounded an alarm, he would notify the mercenaries to move in and kill their way inside.

After all, the people here were nothing more than a pile of "data." He wouldn't feel too burdened by it.

But his concern was unnecessary.

The verification passed quickly, and the system did not sound an alarm.

That proved he was still an "insider" at Skyvault Technology.

Even before the operation began, he had not been placed on any danger list.

That was also why he had been able to use his own clearance to open the isolation door in the main control room earlier.

But that still didn't make sense.

If he had always been an insider, then what had made him foresee the apocalypse? And what had made him choose such an extreme method of survival?

Lin Xu was full of questions.

He took off his night-vision goggles and helmet, carrying them in his hands as he walked toward the building that looked most like the main office building.

The employees leaving work gave him curious looks. They seemed to know him, yet not one of them came up to greet him.

It wasn't until he entered the office building that Lin Xu encountered his first "acquaintance."

The one-sided kind.

"President Lin, you're coming back to the company so late?"

Lin Xu had no idea who the person before him was. He nodded and gave a vague hum. "Something came up."

"You work so hard... Hey, what's with that outfit...?"

"Cosplay."

Lin Xu answered casually. The man did not ask further questions, exchanged a few polite words with him, and left.

Lin Xu grew even more confused.

President Lin?

His position in the company definitely wasn't low, but what exactly did he do?

He continued deeper into the building and found himself facing a massive exhibition hall.

Holographic projection equipment nearly filled the entire space, displaying Skyvault Technology's latest achievements everywhere, along with breathtaking cosmic scenes filmed by spacecraft in space.

Rotating galaxies, enormous spaceships, brilliant rays, desolate alien landscapes...

Stepping into the hall felt like setting foot in outer space itself.

Lin Xu finally understood why this place had become a popular check-in spot.

No matter what era it was placed in, the awe-inspiring experience on display here would absolutely qualify it as a tourist attraction.

He walked over to a holographic installation that appeared to focus on science education and reached out to touch it. A welcome screen immediately popped up.

"Welcome to Skyvault Technology, sir."

"What would you like to learn about?"

Learn about what?

After a brief thought, Lin Xu answered, "Introduce the Star Traveler One spacecraft."

"Understood. Star Traveler One was Skyvault Technology's first civilian manned spacecraft, developed in 2025 and officially commissioned in 2032."

"The spacecraft filled the domestic gap in civilian manned spaceflight."

"In March 2032, Star Traveler One's chief engineer Shen Li and astronaut Bai Mo completed the nation's first commercial space journey aboard the spacecraft."

"After orbiting Earth twice in low orbit, the spacecraft returned safely."

"From that point on, civilian manned spaceflight entered a new era..."

Lin Xu listened intently to the AI guide's explanation while archival footage continued to flash through the holographic projection before him.

Perhaps because it was already technology from more than a generation ago, every technical detail of the spacecraft was displayed without reservation. It even devoted considerable space to introducing the breakthroughs it had made in intelligent flight control and next-generation aerospace engines.

Damn. Was this really something they could just show tourists?

Had Skyvault Technology gone open-source too?

Lin Xu couldn't help sighing. Twenty years had truly changed the world.

By then, the explanation had basically ended.

Lin Xu was about to continue onward and look for his own office.

But right then—

Bzzzz—

With a loud hum, the exhibition hall lights suddenly went out.

Were they closing?

Before the thought could fully form in his mind, the next second—

Bzzzz—

The lights came back on.

Every holographic projection began to flicker.

The starry sky warped. Planets tore apart.

After a brief delay, every holographic device suddenly turned into an eerie black screen.

Then, on the black screens, appeared a face twisted in terror.

Jiang Xingye!

She screamed herself hoarse, "Run!"

"Lin Xu! Run!"

"It's too late! It's coming! When you see me, you only have fifteen seconds left!"

Lin Xu was utterly shocked.

He looked at the watch on his wrist.

The time remaining until the apocalypse...

15 seconds!

Too late.

A moment later.

A flash of white light.

The world inside the wristband was destroyed once again...