The 744th chance encounter on the top floor of the Red Fruit Weapon Research Institute.
The 372nd chance encounter at 9:00 PM.
Lin Qi didn't know what Liu Xuan was up to. All he knew was that these chance encounters had become a mandatory part of commuting to and from work.
A fixed time, a chance encounter with her, and her pouting little sister.
Liu Li was getting sick of this charade of "chance encounters," but unfortunately, her older sister Liu Xuan was enjoying it immensely.
Nothing ever came of these encounters. They would just exchange a simple greeting, then get into their respective flying vehicles.
Gripping the steering wheel of his flying vehicle, Lin Qi felt that familiar gaze on him once again.
A Mercenary's gaze.
'Just as I thought. The stare this morning wasn't for me. The Mercenary's target must be the Liu sisters.'
'A Mercenary targeting the Liu Family in Red Fruit City has actually managed to survive this long?'
This Mercenary Corps definitely had some skill.
'They're at least T3-level, probably on par with the Highest Level Mercenary Corps.'
'A Mercenary Corps of this caliber could pose a threat to the Liu sisters.'
As he drove, Lin Qi activated his Spiritual Vision to track the suspicious gaze.
'Only a single person is watching. The mission is most likely still in the information-gathering phase.'
'If they're gathering intel on the Red Fruit Weapon Research Institute's structure, their position should be...'
Based on his years of experience with the Highest Level Mercenary Corps and the direction he'd sensed the gaze coming from, Lin Qi roughly pinpointed the suspicious area.
It happened to be right on Lin Qi's route home.
When he reached the location, Lin Qi deactivated his Spiritual Vision, observing with his naked eyes only.
Under the flashing neon lights, a crimson glow flashed and vanished.
'Crimson?'
'Most A-Class military-grade reconnaissance Prosthetic Eyes look like that.'
'The crimson color isn't mandatory, but from a design standpoint, it's the most intimidating. The light effect can be turned off when needed.'
'But in practice, major corporations deliberately leave certain defects in the A-Class Prosthetic Bodies they sell to the public, with the exception of their internal supply.'
'As an L-level Researcher at the Weapon Research Institute, I'm currently studying A-Class Prosthetic Bodies to get a promotion. It's perfectly normal for me to be sensitive to the light effects of a military reconnaissance Prosthetic Eye.'
'Besides, I was in a position where I could genuinely spot the crimson glow with my naked eyes. It's both reasonable and plausible.'
Lin Qi initiated a call with Liu Xuan.
As usual, she answered instantly.
This time, Lin Qi didn't pause. He told her directly, "Someone near the institute is using an A-Class military reconnaissance Prosthetic Eye. The target may be the Weapon Research Institute."
As he spoke, Lin Qi used his Intelligent Brain to find the segment from his vehicle's recorder showing the flashing red light and sent it to Liu Xuan.
Liu Xuan's response was as placid as ever: "Okay."
After receiving her reply, Lin Qi ended the call.
Telling Liu Xuan was 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 wandered for a few seconds, then returned to normal. "Someone might be watching the Weapon Research Institute. Or, of course, they might be watching you."
"Watching me? How is that possible? Why would they be watching me?" Liu Li found it unbelievable.
Liu Xuan turned to look at her little sister. "Why do you think?"
With Lin Qi's influence absent, Liu Xuan's mind was unusually clear. She looked at Liu Li with lucid eyes.
"You mean... the Liu Clan is the target?" Liu Li's eyes widened in shock as she understood what Liu Xuan meant.
Liu Xuan tacitly agreed with Liu Li, using her left prosthetic eye to control the Intelligent Brain and forward the footage Lin Qi had sent.
"Don't go out until this is resolved. And for now, don't come to the Weapon Research Institute." Liu Xuan looked into Liu Li's eyes.
Liu Li detected an underlying tone in Liu Xuan's words. "Then what about you?"
Liu Xuan's gaze shifted away. "You just stay home."
Liu Li stared at Liu Xuan in disbelief. "With something like this going on, you're still thinking about that prosthetic freak?"
Liu Xuan didn't answer. She just stared straight ahead out of the flying vehicle, as if transfixed by some spectacular view.
Liu Li neither understood nor respected her sister's line of thinking, but she made a firm decision. The moment she got home, she would contact their father.
...
Liu's Heavy Industries, mid-level employee apartments. Lin Qi returned to his room.
Pushing open the bathroom door, he faced the mirror.
Lin Qi held a chip in his left hand and reached his right hand behind his neck.
Lin Qi had placed the external Intelligent Brain on the back of his neck.
A metallic structure resembling a full spinal column connected the Exoskeleton on his arms and legs.
This was the load-bearing structure Lin Qi had designed, and it was the key to disguising the Exoskeleton Armor as a Prosthetic Body.
His right hand brushed over the location of the Intelligent Brain, and a chip slot slid open.
The Exoskeleton wasn't just a disguise. Through its numerous external devices, Lin Qi possessed an Ability that was virtually indistinguishable from someone with a modified Prosthetic Body.
He inserted the chip, and the Intelligent Brain began processing swordsmanship data.
Controlled by the Intelligent Brain, the Exoskeleton allowed Lin Qi to execute sword fighting techniques at a near-master Level.
This was almost the maximum performance a chip could achieve.
After finishing all this, Lin Qi walked out of the bathroom.
It would be several more hours until the Door's cooldown was complete.
Walking to his workbench, he quickly scrolled through the news from Red Fruit City.
There were no major incidents, and no new murders involving Mercenaries.
There was nothing noteworthy, but Lin Qi kept browsing for a long time. It was a form of data camouflage, to prevent any algorithms from flagging the content he was genuinely interested in.
After he finished browsing, Lin Qi lay down on his bed and closed his eyes to rest his mind.
The events of the past day had been numerous, leaving him somewhat exhausted.
Closing his eyes, he began to practice Meditation, waiting for the moment the Door could be opened.
12:55 AM, March 1, 2089.
Lin Qi opened his eyes right on time. The Door's cooldown was complete.
The Door didn't open automatically. Lin Qi could choose when to open it.
The Door existed in the depths of Lin Qi's Sea of Consciousness, contacted via his Spiritual Power.
This Door, which allowed Lin Qi to travel between worlds, slowly began to open.
...
He experienced the process of passing through darkness once again.
When Lin Qi opened his eyes, he had already arrived in the Doomsday World.
The scorched marks on the ground proved that his location had not changed from the last time he crossed over.
In his Spiritual Vision, the woman at the doorway inserting her key proved that time hadn't passed here either.
'When I travel through the Door, does time stop on the other side?'
Just as Lin Qi came to this conclusion, the woman had already turned the key and opened the door a crack.
Through the crack in the door, Lin Qi and the woman's eyes met.
In the woman's eyes, Lin Qi saw joy, relief, and lingering fear.
The woman walked into the room and closed the door.
The next moment, the woman threw herself at Lin Qi.
According to the Intelligent Brain's assessment, the woman's actions posed no threat.
The Exoskeleton did not initiate a defensive maneuver.
"Lin Qi, thank god, you're not dead..."
"I'm so glad you didn't turn into a Zombie. Otherwise, I really don't know what I would have done."
Lin Qi stood motionless as the woman hugged him tightly.
The moment the woman spoke, Lin Qi finally recalled her name.
In the parallel world of his previous life, Lin Qi had known her. He remembered her as his high school class president.
Lin Qi spoke, "Xia Chu?"