Did the world end today?

Chapter 10: I'm the CEO?!

Chapter 10: I'm the CEO?!
"So you mean, the entire human world is reduced to just—"

"No, that was just a cover. I'm here to find someone."

Lin Xu interrupted the skull's speech, which had been repeated dozens of times, and quickly took off his bulletproof vest.

Time was limited, so he had to be quick.

He ripped off the helmet and night vision goggles and stuffed them into the skull's arms, then said:

"The plan has changed. The defenses here are lax, so we may not need your help for the time being."

"I'll go in and check first. If things aren't right, I'll signal you."

"If there are no problems, today's operation will be canceled."

"It doesn't matter."

The skull shrugs.

"Since you've come to us anyway..."

"I know I have to pay whether I do it or not."

Lin Xu opened the car door, but to his surprise, the skull figure also got out.

"No, I have to follow you."

The skull-like figure also quickly removed his equipment, even putting the pistol from his waist back into the car.

He was only wearing a tactical vest, and the skull mask on his face had been removed.

"You are, after all, the employer, and I have to be responsible for your safety."

“You didn’t say that last time.”

Lin Xu muttered something.

"Last time? What last time?"

The skull is out of the blue.

Lin Xu waved his hand, glanced at the skull's face with interest, and said:
"It's nothing, I just saw your story during the background check. It's not important."

"But to be honest, you're a bit more handsome than I expected—nice beard."

The skull shuddered.

"Damn it, I'm not some bear! I'm warning you, I have a wife!"

"Are you fucking an idiot?"

Lin Xu rolled his eyes.

"Come on, follow me!"

Are you sure you want to just walk in like this?

The skull followed Lin Xu suspiciously, but Lin Xu ignored him and went straight to security, swiped his iris, and led the skull into the company park.

The skull doesn't even need to be registered—with Lin Xu's authority at Sky Dome Technology, he can bring anyone in and out at will.

"I'm starting to have doubts about your identity. Why would a mole like you need to hire us?"

The skull shook its head and clicked its tongue. Lin Xu casually replied:
"I've already told you, my original plan was to steal a spaceship."

"It's just that the plan has changed and it's been temporarily shelved."

"Really stealing a spaceship?"

The skull was terrified.

"So who is your employer? That's incredibly audacious!"

"NASA? That can't be right. Even if NASA is in decline, it wouldn't stoop to stealing a commercial company's spacecraft technology, would it?"

"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask."

The skull wisely shut up, and the two walked quickly forward. This time, Lin Xu was a little faster, and just before the man who knew him got off the elevator, he entered the elevator next to the exhibition hall.

Lin Xu recognized the name of his department from the floor signs in the elevator.

Flight Control Design Department, Fuel Development Department, Engine Development Department, Hull Development Department
Twenty years later, Sky Dome Technology's industry has developed to a fairly complete stage.

Judging from its departmental structure, this company is fully capable of building an aerospace-grade spacecraft from scratch.

And it seems that the company is following the same "self-production and self-use" route that I had previously envisioned?
That's right, only in this way can the company minimize costs and increase operating profits.

Besides the hardware manufacturing and design departments, the platform support and operations departments on floors 16 to 20 are there to serve the "space travel" business.

Those departments are the company's real money-printing machines.

Lin Xu carefully checked the department list, wondering which department and office Jiang Xingye would be in.

If she continued to work in flight control, then she should be in the flight control design department.

The elevator reached the 10th floor, and Lin Xu quickly ran inside with the skull in his hand.

All the office doors had electronic displays showing job titles and names, but Lin Xu searched around and couldn't find Jiang Xingye's name.

Got a promotion?
He returned to the elevator, puzzled, and continued his search upwards.

There is no 11nd floor.

There is no 12nd floor.

Lin Xu still couldn't find her name even after going up to the 16th floor.

Lin Xu suddenly sensed that something was wrong.

Not only could Jiang Xingye's name not be found, but even his own name was missing.

Logically speaking, given his high level of authority within Sky Dome Technology at this time, he should at least be a mid-level or higher leader.

But now, we've already looked through all the offices of the middle and senior management, and there's still nothing.

"No, what exactly are you looking for?"

"If you're looking for someone, shouldn't you come at a different time?"

The skull asked, puzzled.

"I was looking for someone, but before I could find the person, I had to find my own office first."

"Your own office? You don't even remember where your own office is?"

The skull was terrified.

"You have amnesia? Is this some kind of melodramatic movie plot?"

"Stop talking nonsense."

Lin Xu frowned deeply.

There are only 35 minutes left.

Surely I can't have been transferred to the operations department?
Lin Xu practically ran from the 16th floor to the 20th floor.

It was nearly midnight, and the office building was completely empty.

No, still not.

But how is this possible?
I have a high level of authority in the company. In my previous experience, I could access almost all of the company's confidential information without any obstacles.

As for Jiang Xingye, it goes without saying that her ability to mobilize company resources to issue herself a doomsday warning already proves her status within the company.

How could two people like these not even have an office in the company?
Lin Xu felt as if he had entered a dream without any logic.

Many things seem obvious, but upon closer examination, they are extremely unreasonable.

"Only the last floor is left."

The skull seemed to have decided that this was a free money opportunity.

"The CEO's office is on the 21st floor."

"You're not going to tell me that you're actually the president of Sky Dome Technology, are you?"

"If he were really the CEO, would he need to steal a spaceship? He could just drive it there himself."

indeed.

The elevator continued to ascend, and Lin Xu grew increasingly uneasy.

So is it possible that either I or Jiang Xingye might actually end up in the CEO position?
But this is also unreasonable.
He felt that his speculation had reached a dead end again.

The few remaining clues have now been cut off.

The elevator doors opened, and Lin Xu stepped out. Behind the enormous reception hall was the door to the actual CEO's office.

The electronic screen on the main gate displays job titles and names according to the company's standardized format.

[Xu Rushan, Chairman and CEO of Tianqiong Technology]

Below the name was a carefully taken animated photo. Lin Xu stared at it for a few moments, confirming that he definitely did not recognize the person in front of him.

The key point is that this person doesn't even share the same surname as the boss of Sky Dome Technology 20 years ago!
The original boss was named Ren Jian. As far as Lin Xu knew, he had a decent lifestyle and had not been known to have any illegitimate children.

They were parachuted in?
Lin Xu walked towards the empty president's office and tentatively brought his eyes close to the iris recognition camera.

He didn't actually expect to be able to open the door to the CEO's office.

After all, the names written on them weren't their own.

Even with the highest level of access, it's impossible to arbitrarily open a company's top-level and most core access control system.

However, the next second.

The access control was unlocked, and the CEO's office door opened wide.

The skull was dumbfounded.

"Wait, bro, are you really the CEO??"

"Wait a minute! The photos outside aren't of you!"

"Former CEO??"

"Holy crap, this is a business drama plot!"

"Are you my ex? Has the access control not been updated yet??"

"possible."

Lin Xu stepped into the office, with only 8 minutes left.

The computer on the desktop was on. He sat down in front of it and tried to unlock it with his password.

But this time, he failed.

This is a personal office computer, not a public system.

The account and password that I had figured out through repeated trial and error were completely useless for logging into this computer's system.

"Do you want to take it away?"

The skull asked:
"I have some technicians who might be able to help you crack it."

"However, it will cost extra!"

"no need."

Lin Xu shook his head.

"All the critical information is stored in the cloud, so there's no point in taking this thing with us."

He pondered for a moment, picked up the receiver of the somewhat "retro" telephone on his desk, and dialed a familiar number.

He was calling himself.

A moment later, the sound came.

The number is invalid.

After a pause, he continued to dial Jiang Xingye's number.

Similarly, the number is invalid.

20 years have passed, has the number changed?
That's certainly possible.

Lin Xu sighed.

"It's almost time, let's..."

Before he could finish speaking, his gaze suddenly stopped in the corner of the president's office.

There was something familiar there.

Jiang Xingye's water cup.

The water cup was clearly very old.

Lin Xu rushed over and took it in his hand, clearly feeling the "traces of time" on the outer wall of the cup.

This thing
Wasn't it left with Jiang Xingye?
Wait, it's not just this water glass.

Lin Xu glanced around and noticed more details in the office.

Most of the books on the bookshelf are ones I've read myself.

There were ginseng and goji berries in the tea area that hadn't been brewed yet.

All the decorations and arrangements are pleasing to the eye at first glance.

This office is decorated the way I like.

This is my office!

But why has it changed owners now?

Is this really a business war?

The skull was still happily surveying the office, probably thinking he could just follow the former president into the office and collect the money without doing anything.

This is much simpler than fighting as a mercenary.

But at this moment, Lin Xu raised his hand and looked at the watch on his wrist.

1 minutes.

That's too late.

Lin Xu sighed and moved the chair behind his desk.

"Give me a hand, help me break open the French windows."

"French windows?"

The skull asked in astonishment:
"What do you want to do?"

"Never mind, just smash it and run, no one will pursue you."

"Fine."

The skull stepped forward to steady the chair, and together with Lin Xu, smashed it hard against the French windows.

"Wow!"