Chapter 5: Run!

“What’s going on? Are we hijacking a spaceship? That excited, huh?”
Skullhead held the silenced rifle in his hands and teased,
“What’s the matter? The apocalypse hasn’t come yet, planning to crash yourself to death first?”
“...Plan’s changed.”
Lin Xu was too lazy to bother with him and replied casually,
“The layout of the target is different from what I expected. I can’t find where I need to go.”
“Isn’t there a sign over there? Just follow it?”
Skullhead pointed to the open gate in the distance and said,
“Honestly, I still don’t get your thinking. You said the apocalypse is coming, so you want to hijack a spaceship to escape.
But the thing is, space tourism is so developed now. You have enough money to hire us mercenaries; why not just charter a ship and fly up directly?
You rich folks probably wouldn’t be short a few million for that, right? It’s way cheaper than what you’re paying me.”
“I don’t know, maybe I’m just out of my mind.”
Looking at the crowds leaving work and the relaxed security at the Tianqiong Technology gate, Lin Xu couldn’t figure out why his current self in this era had to hire a mercenary team to hijack a spaceship.
Was it because a tourist sightseeing spaceship couldn’t fulfill his purpose?
Or was it that what he did in the real world could only partially influence this future world inside the wristband?
Lin Xu took a deep breath and said,
“Forget it, abort the operation. I need to go in and have a look first.”
“Got it.”
Skullhead nodded.
“But even if you decide not to act in the end, our fees won’t be refunded.
You hired me, whether you do it or not, payment is due. That’s the rule, got it?”
“...You serious?”
Lin Xu rolled his eyes and opened the car door.
“Don’t worry, I won’t ask for the money back.”
“Wait here, I’ll be right back!”
Saying that, Lin Xu stepped toward the gate.
Halfway there, he realized he hadn’t taken off his night vision goggles or bulletproof vest.
At this moment, the security at the gate had already noticed him. It was too late to turn back.
Lin Xu gritted his teeth and walked forward, thinking of some excuse to cover up. Before he could speak, the security guard spoke first.
“Sir, visiting hours are over.”
“We’ve closed for the day, reopening at 8 a.m. tomorrow.”
“Visiting?”
Lin Xu was momentarily stunned.
“Yes, it ends before noon.”
“Are you here for wargaming or cosplay? Maybe you should fill out a form and come back tomorrow?”
Good grief, a space launch base had actually become a tourist spot.
It seemed Tianqiong Technology had fully embraced commercial space tourism and was doing quite well.
At least this approachable style did attract a large number of visitors.
But... how could he get inside?
After some thought, Lin Xu said:

“I have clearance. Let me do an iris scan.”
“Employee, then?”
The guard scratched his head.
“Then what’s with your outfit?”
“Personal hobby.”
Lin Xu answered seriously.
“Understood, understood. Please come this way for the scan.”
The guard led Lin Xu to the employee entrance. Lin Xu brought his eyes close to the biometric scanner, secretly calculating that if the device alarmed, he’d notify the mercenaries to start and storm in.
After all, these people were just “data” to him; he didn’t feel much psychological burden.
But his worry was unnecessary.
The verification passed quickly; no alarms sounded.
This proved he was still considered an “internal staff” of Tianqiong Technology.
He wasn’t on any danger lists before the operation started either.
That also explained why he could open isolation doors in the control room with his own permissions earlier.
But it still didn’t make sense.
If he had always been an internal staff member, then why had he foreseen the apocalypse? And why had he decided on such an extreme survival method?
Lin Xu was full of questions.
He took off his night vision goggles and helmet, holding them in his hand, and headed toward the building that looked most like the “main office.”
The people leaving work eyed him curiously. They seemed to recognize him but no one approached to greet him.
It wasn’t until he entered the office building that he encountered his first “acquaintance.”
A one-sided acquaintance, that is.
“President Lin, still coming back to the office this late?”
Lin Xu didn’t know who the person was. He nodded and replied,
“Got some things to handle.”
“You’ve worked hard... Hey, what’s with your outfit?”
“Cosplay.”
Lin Xu answered casually. The person didn’t ask further and left after some polite small talk.
Lin Xu was increasingly perplexed.
President Lin?
His status in the company was clearly high, but what exactly did he do?
He continued inside and came upon a huge exhibition hall.
Holographic projection devices filled almost the entire space, showcasing Tianqiong Technology’s latest achievements and breathtaking cosmic vistas captured by manned spaceships.
Rotating galaxies, massive spaceships, dazzling rays, alien desolate landscapes...
Entering this hall felt like stepping into outer space itself.
Lin Xu understood why this place had become a tourist hotspot.
Even in any era, the stunning experience on display here would be a major attraction.
He approached one of the holographic exhibits focused on “science education,” reached out, and the welcome interface popped up immediately.
“Tianqiong Technology welcomes you, sir.”
“What would you like to know about?”
Know about?
After a moment’s thought, Lin Xu answered,
“Introduce the Star Traveler One spacecraft.”
“Understood. Star Traveler One was developed by Tianqiong Technology in 2025 and officially entered service as the first civilian manned spacecraft in 2032.”
“This spacecraft filled the domestic void in civilian manned spaceflight.”
“In March 2032, chief engineer Shen Li and astronaut Bai Mo completed the country’s first commercial space travel aboard this ship.”
“After orbiting the near-Earth orbit twice, the ship returned smoothly.”
“Since then, civilian manned spaceflight has entered a new era...”
Lin Xu listened intently to the AI narrator as images flashed across the holographic display.
Perhaps because it was already “outdated technology,” every technical detail of the ship was fully revealed, even devoting extra space to breakthroughs in intelligent flight control and next-generation space engines.
Good grief, this was something they openly showed tourists?
Tianqiong Technology must have truly embraced open source.
Lin Xu couldn’t help but marvel at how much the world had changed in twenty years.
By now, the presentation was almost over.
Lin Xu was about to move forward to find his own office when suddenly—
“Buzz—”
A loud noise, and the exhibition lights went out.
Closed already?
That thought hadn’t even fully formed when—
“Buzz—”
The lights came back on.
All the holographic projections flickered.
The starry sky warped; planets were torn apart.
After a brief delay, all the projection devices went black with a strange flicker.
Then, on the black screen appeared a face, distorted in terror.
Jiang Xingye!
She screamed hoarsely,
“Run!
Lin Xu! Run fast!
There’s no time! It’s coming! When you see me, you have 15 seconds!”
Lin Xu was horrified.
He looked at his wristwatch.
The time until the apocalypse arrived was...
15 seconds!
There was no time left.
Moments later,
A flash of white light.
The world inside the wristband was destroyed once again...