Chapter 1 2024

April 26, 2024, morning.

Yu Xi changed into the casual wear she bought yesterday and walked out of the suite.

She tugged at her sleeves and adjusted the hoodie on her back, completely ready.

With fair skin, slightly furrowed brows, she possessed a cold and alluring beauty, yet also an innocent and delicate charm.

Perhaps only the enhanced and gene-edited new humans of the future could simultaneously possess so many praiseworthy qualities.

This was a beauty that did not belong to this era.

Just like her crystalline blue eyes, still bright and dazzling in the morning sunlight, she was out of place in this world.

"Put on your contact lenses," Lin Xian said, putting on his shoes in the living room, reminding Yu Xi as she came out.

"The black ones, I gave them to you yesterday, remember?"

"I can't put them on."

Yu Xi said softly.

Oh… I see.

Lin Xian chuckled as he tied his shoelaces.

As expected, Yu Xi was still a human girl, despite her immense strength, and vastly different from the Terminator robots in movies.

As long as one is human, there are bound to be things they fear.

Some muscular men over two meters tall are afraid of arthropods and insects.

Some vicious-looking people covered in scars are afraid to watch horror movies.

Lin Xian remembered seeing a video on Douyin of a heavily tattooed gangster with a thick gold chain getting weak knees from fear when lining up for a vaccine.

Perhaps, for Yu Xi…

Sticking a dark, gooey piece of plastic on her eyeball was more terrifying than fighting a space-time assassin with a bayonet under the moonlight.

Yesterday, when Lin Xian helped her remove her contact lenses, Yu Xi asked:

"Won't such a thin piece of thing, with the blinking of the eyes, turn to the back of the eyeball?"

Lin Xian had never worn contact lenses before.

But later he thought about it, theoretically, this situation should be possible:

"It should be possible, after all, the human eyeball is round, and the corners of the eyes are not closed."

He said truthfully:

"But the probability should not be high, at least I have never heard of anyone whose contact lenses ran behind their eyeballs."

This sentence must have caused some lingering fear.

Yu Xi, who dared to fight demons, was genuinely afraid to try putting on contact lenses herself.

Lin Xian placed the daily disposable contact lens on a small plastic suction stick and lifted Yu Xi's chin:

"Look up and open your eyes wide."

Yu Xi obediently widened her eyes…

Those deep blue pupils, like shattered glass, were so profound, like a swirling galaxy, that Lin Xian felt like he was about to be pulled into them… falling into a rift in space-time, entering a black hole from which even light could not escape.

He held Yu Xi's upper and lower eyelids, placing the pure black cosmetic contact lenses on her eyeballs, covering those two blue light bulbs.

He really didn't know what principle caused human cells to emit light due to space-time rejection; was it like fireflies or electric eels?

"Okay, the other eye."

Yu Xi closed her eyes, wiped away the protective tears that seeped from the corners of her eyes when putting on the lenses, shook her head, and her short and cute hamster-like pigtail swept across Lin Xian's nose, carrying the scent of the hotel's shampoo.

"Why do you have to tie such a short ponytail?" Lin Xian asked, looking at Yu Xi's tight hairstyle.

"Because I don't have to wash my hair often," Yu Xi answered honestly.

"…"

Lin Xian was speechless at this unexpected answer:

"Okay. It seems that even with such advanced future technology, with so much gene editing and drug enhancement, there is still no way to solve the problem of washing hair."

"After all, the existence of skin oil is still more beneficial than harmful."

Yu Xi raised her head again, widening her other blue eye, letting Lin Xian put on the black cosmetic contact lens:

"Besides, the hair itself is already dead keratinocytes, without any activity or functionality. Strengthening the hair roots is fine, but there is nothing else to strengthen."

"If it weren't to avoid suspicion and avoid attracting attention… I would rather shave my head, with not a single strand of hair. That way, I would never have to wash my hair, and I could wash my head when washing my face; and when fighting, I wouldn't have to worry about my hair being grabbed by the enemy, reducing a lot of flaws."

Lin Xian imagined Yu Xi with a bald head, feeling somewhat comical:

"There's no need to be so extreme, it's fine as it is. Okay, this black contact lens is also on, you can put on your big sunglasses, and no one will see your eyes."

Having said that.

Lin Xian also stood up and went to put on his coat.

Yu Xi walked to the coffee table in the suite's living room, picked up the black sunglasses placed on it, covered her face, and completed her going-out outfit.

Today was the day Jask was going to the Donghai University Affiliated Hospital to visit Zheng Xiangyue.

The time he announced on Twitter was 10:00 AM, and he would be accompanied by Donghai City officials.

Lin Xian and Yu Xi planned to stake out in advance and then find an opportunity to meet Jask in Zheng Xiangyue's ward.

Yu Xi's intention was to have Lin Xian find a reason to lure Jask out alone, kill him, and eliminate future troubles, completely resolving the space-time assassin crisis.

Although Lin Xian didn't say anything on the surface and understood Yu Xi's slightly cold-blooded approach… it was indeed the most direct way to solve the current problem.

Huang Que told him at the cost of her life that some sacrifices were necessary for victory; Yu Xi was also fighting space-time assassins with her life, each time hanging by a thread.

Lin Xian had many friends who had sacrificed because of this inexplicable battle, and logically speaking, he really shouldn't hesitate or be indecisive anymore.

Perhaps the saying is true that honest advice is hard to hear, and Yu Xi's suggestion was the best solution.

But…

The principle is the principle.

He still couldn't completely disregard Angelica's life or death.

In any case, he definitely couldn't assassinate Jask in Zheng Xiangyue's ward, in front of the Donghai City officials, and the other party wouldn't dare to make any moves either.

He planned to take advantage of this rare moment of safety to talk to Jask first and see what Angelica's situation was. Then, he would act according to the situation.

……

"To be honest, I don't have any chips in my hand that Jask would be interested in."

On the road.

Lin Xian drove a Volkswagen sedan, with Yu Xi in the passenger seat, heading from the hotel to the Donghai University Affiliated Hospital.

Taking advantage of the red light, he turned his head and said to Yu Xi:

"If I had to say, perhaps the digital life Turing would count, because Jask only knows Kevin Walker's address. He may not know that Kevin Walker has long since digitized his consciousness and uploaded it to the network, forming another digital life version of himself."

"I don't know if this counts as valuable intelligence. After all, from the digital life Turing, we can learn that Turing has transcended physical life and has ideas that run counter to Kevin Walker. It can be said that they are already two completely different people."

"Turing said it would be a fair and impartial observer… but who knows? If it were an artificial intelligence, I might believe what it says, but unfortunately its essence is still human… then what's the difference between talking and farting?"

Yu Xi shook her head:

"I don't think this intelligence is valuable enough for you to lure Jask out alone. Kevin Walker's address was originally given to you by Jask, or rather, Angelica heard it from Jask's mouth."

"Since, in your guess, Jask and Kevin Walker both belong to the Genius Club, I think Jask's understanding of Kevin Walker is definitely far above you. Maybe he already knows of Turing's existence, and even if he doesn't know, he should be able to guess it, right?"

"Not to mention they are still in the same club meeting… now that you have killed Kevin Walker, Jask will eventually find out about this. I think you should think of a more tempting chip, one that is enticing enough for Jask to take risks and make a deal with you… whether it's using Angelica or something else."

Lin Xian sighed softly.

Looking ahead at the traffic light countdown, he said:

"If it's something else… I have a space-time particle with no energy version. Jask may have one with full energy, or maybe he doesn't have it yet. But obviously, he understands space-time particles very well, far more than I do. If I use this as a chip, he probably won't be interested."

"Then, apart from that, the only thing I have studied more deeply and have had more contact with… is the Millennium Stake."

Huh?

Yu Xi's lower half of her face, not covered by the big sunglasses, was obviously stunned, and she turned her head:

"What is the Millennium Stake (Qian Nian Zhuang)?"

This time it was Lin Xian's turn to be stunned, and he also turned his head to look at Yu Xi:

"You don't know about the Millennium Stake?"

"Never heard of it."

Yu Xi shook her head:

"What is that thing? Is it related to space-time particles or space-time travelers?"

Lin Xian was silent.

Although the term Millennium Stake was Huang Que's original creation.

But still, that sentence.

Originality, not nonsense! There must be a strong connection between the Millennium Stake and its original term; at least, one should be able to react to it upon hearing it.

It's similar to the laws of space-time.

When he and Yu Xi first met, their names for the various details of the laws of space-time were completely different, but this did not affect communication, because one could tell which word or law corresponded to which upon hearing it.

Could it be that Huang Que's original term is a bit too far off?

Lin Xian wasn't sure…

Logically speaking, Huang Que, who traveled from decades in the future, could know the concept of the Millennium Stake; so why wouldn't Yu Xi, who traveled from hundreds of years in the future, know of the existence of the Millennium Stake?

"Millennium Stake… how should I put it."

Lin Xian tried to organize his words:

"It's just that every 24 years, there will be a 20-year-old girl who looks exactly the same and disappears, turning into blue stardust. This is the known phenomenon. As for what this phenomenon represents specifically, I don't know. With that said, what can you associate it with?"

"I can't associate with anything at all."

Yu Xi shook her head without hesitation:

"It feels like listening to a fairy tale… Are you sure this idea of yours is real? Or is it just your personal imagination? Why does it sound so mysterious to me?"

"If there really is such a situation, then why would the girl disappear? There should be a certain reason, right? And… without cosmetic surgery and gene editing, how can you guarantee that all these 20-year-old girls will look exactly the same?"

Up ahead.

The red light turned green.

Because Lin Xian's car had not started for a long time, the car behind honked its horn to urge them.

Lin Xian quickly turned his head, stepped on the accelerator, and let the Volkswagen sedan continue to move forward.

Listening to Yu Xi's questioning…

It was not difficult to see.

Yu Xi really didn't know what the Millennium Stake was, what the concept was.

Because she completely misunderstood it, even with a large deviation, not guessing even a little bit correctly.

Could it be…

That he really guessed correctly by accident?

Yu Xi could readily discuss the laws of space-time, but she was completely ignorant of the concept of the Millennium Stake.

This might really indicate that [the secret level and actual role of the Millennium Stake is even more important than the laws of space-time!]

Huang Que also told him that the Millennium Stake was a very important matter and was highly related to historical lockdown, hoping that he could figure it out as soon as possible.

Relatively speaking, the laws of space-time are not difficult to discover and summarize.

Because this stuff all relies on fantasy and reasoning.

Even without any evidence or experimental corroboration, it doesn't matter; it can all be deduced with just a pen and paper.

But looking at the Millennium Stake.

It only appears once every 24 years, the time is too long, and it is too hidden.

The Earth is so big, so many countries, so many people…

Wanting to encounter a Millennium Stake in this sea of people is simply more difficult than ascending to the heavens.

And wanting to witness the process of the Millennium Stake turning into blue stardust and disappearing at 00:42… that is even rarer.

Unless one is a chosen one with overflowing luck, otherwise who would have such good luck? After all, the time to turn into stardust and disappear is only a few seconds, and you might miss it if you blink even slightly.

Lin Xian really hadn't thought about this issue in detail before.

Now, after analyzing it, he felt that there must be very few people who know about the existence of the Millennium Stake!

Like himself.

If he hadn't been able to witness Chu Anqing's disappearance at that moment, he probably would never have come into contact with the concept of the Millennium Stake in this lifetime.

And the next birth of a Millennium Stake infant should be in 2028.

The number of newborn infants born worldwide each year exceeds 130 million. Hundreds and thousands of small babies are born every day, every hour, and every moment… who can accurately distinguish which one is a Millennium Stake?

Then push the time forward.

The next time the Millennium Stake disappears should be on some day in 2048 at 00:42.

This is an even rarer supernatural phenomenon.

Why didn't Zhang Yuqian's parents tell the truth about their daughter's accident?

Because no one would believe it even if they did.

From childhood to adulthood, Lin Xian didn't know how many supernatural stories and urban legends he had heard.

From the female ghost in the teaching building, to the upstairs neighbors whose glass marbles bounced at night, to UFOs, prehistoric creature water monsters, and even the old lady being suddenly possessed by someone's soul during rural sacrifices…

He didn't believe a single one.

The Millennium Stake was only because he had personally experienced it, so he firmly believed it.

If he told a second person about this, probably no one would believe it, at most they would just say:

"Ah, then when we are all old men in 2048, you can take me to see the young Millennium Stake little sister turn into blue stardust."

No one would care about this matter, or even remember it.

Therefore—

[Since Yu Xi doesn't know about the existence of the Millennium Stake, then Jask probably doesn't know either, and even the Genius Club may not necessarily know!]

Hundreds of years from now, with advanced technology, anything could happen.

But now in 2024, and even earlier in 2000, 1976, 1952… there is no technological support that can find someone globally who only knows their appearance and year of birth.

Who can guarantee that every Millennium Stake will live in a peaceful and prosperous country?

If they are born in poor and backward countries, they may starve to death before they grow up;

If they are born in war-torn countries, they may be killed by bombs before they reach the age of 20.

What will happen if the Millennium Stake dies before reaching the age of 20?

Lin Xian doesn't know yet.

But he does increasingly feel that the existence of the Millennium Stake… seems to be a secret that only a very few people know.

And that is why.

Whether it was Zhang Yuqian's life or Chu Anqing's life, it was an ordinary and stable 20 years, with no one disturbing them, no one monitoring or using them.

Except for Huang Que.

If Huang Que didn't know that Chu Anqing was a Millennium Stake, then this time the Millennium Stake's disappearance might have also quietly disappeared in an unknown corner, in an unknown place, eventually closing the case with Chu Anqing's bizarre disappearance.

Then, continuing to reason more deeply.

Why would Huang Que know that Chu Anqing was a Millennium Stake?

The only possibility is because she and Chu Anqing were very familiar.

Whether it was the space-time that Huang Que was in, or the space-time that he was currently in, Zhao Yingjun, himself, and Chu Anqing were already very familiar.

Therefore, if something supernatural really happened to Chu Anqing, he and Zhao Yingjun would definitely know.

But neither Jask nor the members of the Genius Club have this opportunity.

As for Zhang Yuqian, she was an extremely ordinary little girl, and no one would notice her.

So.

Lin Xian narrowed his eyes.

Could it be…

[The Millennium Stake is his unique and true trump card?]

This idea might be somewhat wishful thinking.

But it is not impossible.

…

Otherwise, why were Zhang Yuqian and Chu Anqing's 20 years of life so peaceful?

It's just that, to figure out whether the members of the Genius Club know about the Millennium Stake… I'm afraid I can only judge after I actually join in.

"I'm just making preliminary guesses, without verification."

Lin Xian brushed it off in one sentence, pointing to the high-rise building in front:

"Look, that's the inpatient department of Donghai University Affiliated Hospital, I've been there many times. Zheng Xiangyue's ward is on the 17th floor."

He looked at his watch.

It was not yet nine o'clock in the morning, and Jask and his team should not have arrived yet.

He parked the Volkswagen sedan in a position where he could see the gate of the inpatient department diagonally.

He paid special attention to pointing the front of the car towards the flower bed and the rear of the car towards the inpatient department.

That way, the other party would not be able to observe them through the car windows, while they could rely on the rearview mirror to see the situation behind them.

Lin Xian turned the key, turned off the Volkswagen sedan, and turned to look at Yu Xi:

"Let's wait here. When Jask and the others arrive, we'll follow them."

Half an hour passed…

Lin Xian and Yu Xi's eyes were tired from staring at the rearview mirror, but they still didn't see Jask's figure.

"Still not coming?"

After another ten minutes.

Lin Xian looked at his watch, the time showing 09:46.

"So punctual?"

Lin Xian felt a little strange:

"Saying they will be in Zheng Xiangyue's ward at ten o'clock… not a bit early?"

……

Donghai, Lingang New Area, Tesla Super Factory.

Angelica paced in the living room of the room.

Two female bodyguards were sitting at the door, back to her, dutifully guarding.

She came to the living room window and looked outside.

There were many bodyguards in black suits and many black vehicles outside the building, all of which should have been brought by Jask's security.

Normally, even if a foreign visit requires security, it doesn't need to be so many or so exaggerated.

Angelica knew herself.

She knew that these security personnel and vehicles were definitely not prepared to prevent her from escaping.

She didn't have that much ability.

Just the two strong female bodyguards in the living room were enough to stop her.

What's more, the entire Tesla Super Factory was Jask's territory, so where could she run?

So, the answer was self-evident.

Angelica looked at the square, pure white, unremarkable small refrigerator in the corner of the living room.

Such an exaggerated security force must be used to protect this small refrigerator, as for her… she was just an extra.

Suddenly.

The crowd in front of the building below the window stirred.

Jask, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, had finished packing up. His entourage and he got into the vehicles together, forming a convoy and heading towards the center of Donghai City.

Angelica knew what he was going to do this morning.

The whole world knew.

Jask had repeated the itinerary ten thousand times on Twitter, and even the moon ticket he was going to give to Zheng Xiangyue had been shown on Twitter several times, as if he was afraid the world wouldn't know he was going to the Donghai University Affiliated Hospital.

Of course.

He didn't care if the world knew, he only cared if Lin Xian could see it.

Angelica didn't know what Jask was going to tell Lin Xian or talk about.

In Angelica's eyes, this world's richest man was still an enemy, an untrustworthy person.

So, she didn't reveal a word to Jask about anything about Lin Xian… but strangely, Jask never asked once.

Considering that Lin Xian said that the blue-eyed girl who was chasing him was sent by Jask, perhaps Jask didn't need to ask anything from her. He could learn enough about Lin Xian through the information from the female assassin.

But after all, this was Dragon Country, this was Donghai… Jask and that female assassin wouldn't dare to attack today, would they?

Angelica thought it was unlikely.

Outside the window, the dust raised by Jask's convoy gradually settled, and the convoy had long disappeared. At this time, it should have driven onto the expressway leading to the hospital.

Jask would definitely meet with the important officials of Donghai first, and then go to the hospital to visit Zheng Xiangyue.

She sighed helplessly.

She couldn't help now, she could only wait and see.

Just as she was about to withdraw her gaze.

A black Tesla sedan stopped in front of the door. A burly man in a black suit and sunglasses got out of the car carrying two huge lunch boxes. The security personnel next to him nodded to him.

This burly man should be the head of the security team.

After getting up in the morning, Angelica told the female bodyguards that she wanted to eat some Donghai City specialty breakfast, and then this burly man went to buy it.

Unexpectedly, he only bought it back now:

"Too slow, it's almost lunchtime."

Angelica walked back from the window and sat at the dining table to wait.

Soon after, the burly man in a suit walked into the room and handed the two super-large stacked lunch boxes to the two female bodyguards:

"You can eat together, I bought a lot, I bought it for the three of you together."

The two female bodyguards each took a lunch box.

Turned around.

Just preparing to open it on the dining table.

As a result—

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Two rapid shots, the two female bodyguards twitched and fell to the ground!

Angelica widened her eyes and stood up from the dining table.

In the burly man's left and right hands…

Each holding a black and yellow [Taser]!

This is a common basic police equipment.

It can fire two wires and electrodes, and then release a huge current to paralyze or stun the prisoner for a short time, so as to safely complete the arrest.

"What do you want to do?"

Angelica looked at the burly man warily.

The burly man made a shushing gesture to her, then took out his mobile phone from his pocket, pressed a phone number…

After waiting for the connection, he silently handed it to Angelica.

Then, the burly man walked to the dining table and opened the two huge stacked lunch boxes—

There was nothing to eat inside!

All kinds of cosmetics, bottles and jars, gels, decorations, disguising tools…

Angelica couldn't help but hold her breath.

Put the connected phone to her ear:

"Hello?"

"Hehehehe…"

On the other end of the phone, came a strange old man's dry laugh.

It was a laugh that Angelica had never heard before, but it felt very creepy, making her goosebumps stand up.

"Take Jask's white little refrigerator and come with this man to find me. I will tell you everything… tell you everything you want to know… Angelica."

"No, maybe I should change the title."

The old man laughed dryly again, and said in a low voice:

"It's time for you to come back to my side, my last Seven Sins…"

"Lust!"