Did the world end today?

Chapter 6 will definitely save you.

Gone again.

Lin Xu struggled to get out of bed, the unbearable pain of the impending apocalypse rippling through his body.

fuck.
That hurts so much.

He hadn't used this method to exit the world of fitness trackers in a long time, and for a moment he actually felt a little bit of satisfaction.

What are you doing?
Has it been adjusted to this state by this thing?

Lin Xu scratched his head hard, recalling the scene before the apocalypse.

Jiang Xingye's anxious and flustered face is still vivid in my mind—you know what, even though she is over forty years old 20 years later, she still has a unique charm.

He doesn't look forty, more like he's in his early thirties?
Especially when her hair is flying, she looks just like the female lead in some fatalistic music videos.

It really is an old A8. People with good genes don't show many signs of aging on their faces.
-
Wait a minute.

How did we end up here?
My mind is a bit of a mess, like I haven't had enough sleep.

Lin Xu sat down at the computer, opened a new document, and typed two words in the title.

"clue".

He had never done anything like this before, not because he was lazy, but simply because he had never experienced the "bracelet world being changed by the real world".

Therefore, he instinctively felt that the world inside the bracelet was parallel to reality.

Although most things are similar or even continuous, it might be like a game that has no connection to the real world at all.

However, it now appears that this conjecture was clearly wrong.

That is the world twenty years from now, in reality.

The end times will come in 20 years; there is no going back.

20 years
What should I do?

After a moment's thought, Lin Xu started a new line and typed out the clues he already had.

[First: The apocalyptic event occurred one hour after entering the bracelet; one hour later, the world was destroyed precisely on schedule.]

[Second: The apocalypse was characterized by a massive flash of light, but nuclear weapons can be ruled out because no subsequent damage from nuclear weapons (such as overpressure, shockwaves, etc.) has been observed.]

Third: After the apocalyptic event, the human world was completely destroyed (no survivors were found)

These three clues are the "basic laws" of the bracelet world that Lin Xu has mastered, and they have been verified dozens of times so far.

He then continued to tap out more clues.

The world of the bracelet will change due to changes in the real world. The two worlds exist on the same timeline, or they may influence each other to some extent (this is questionable).

Lin Xu wasn't so sure about this clue. After all, theoretically, if the two worlds were really on the same timeline, even the slightest changes he made would be reflected in the bracelet.

However, it seems that this is not the case now. Instead, the world of smart bracelets only changes when "major events" or "key moments" occur.

For example, solving the flight control algorithm in advance.

Based on this reasoning, the connection between the two worlds might be even more complex?
This is also a problem that urgently needs to be solved.

Once you understand the connection between the two worlds, your future exploration of the bracelet world will be much easier.

The next step is to find a way to verify this.

Lin Xu continued typing, and the clues led to the newest and most crucial part.

Jiang Xingye.

Jiang Xingye sent herself a warning through special means before the apocalypse arrived; she had prior knowledge of the impending doom, but the timeframe was limited (questionable).

This is the point that Lin Xu is most confused about right now.

How did she find out? How did she obtain the information?

So, you're not the only one who knows about the apocalypse twenty years from now?
How did I, twenty years from now, find out?

These questions are actually the same one, and if we go further, we'll get to the question of the "truth about the apocalypse."

It's not easy to solve.

Lin Xu typed a shortcut to save the document, ran to the refrigerator, took out a Coke, and gulped it down, which cleared his somewhat groggy head considerably.

I checked the time; it was 10:30.

Want to grab a late-night snack with Jiang Xingye?

While directly asking her "How did you know the end of the world was coming?" would definitely not yield an answer, perhaps by getting to know her better, we might find some clues?

Lin Xu immediately took out his phone and sent a message to Jiang Xingye.

"Want to go out for a late-night snack?"

A moment later, Jiang Xingye replied.

Jiang Xingye (Head of the flight control development team for the test ship): "Is this really you, buddy? You're really hungry, aren't you?"

Lin Xu: "A little, that's why we didn't get to eat."

Jiang Xingye: "You little brat, you're just craving food, aren't you? Not tonight, I have something to do tonight."

Lin Xu: "Which night did you go?"

Jiang Xingye: "??? Are you trying to provoke me? I'm not falling for that."

Lin Xu: "No, there's something really important I'd like to discuss with you in person."

Jiang Xingye: "I thought you were going to be desperate and picky about food."

Jiang Xingye: "Then come out. I also have some things to do. I was planning to talk to you about it tomorrow, but since we're coming out today, let's talk about it together."

Lin Xu: "You want to confess? Then I'm not going." Jiang Xingye: "You'll be my stepmother! See you downstairs in 10 minutes."

Lin Xu chuckled, put down his phone, and quickly changed his clothes.

He and Jiang Xingye both lived in apartments not far from the company, only a few floors apart, so it was quite convenient for them to go out together.

As they walked out and downstairs, the elevator stopped midway. Jiang Xingye stepped into the elevator, and seeing her attire, Lin Xu asked in surprise:

"You came out dressed like that??"

At this moment, Jiang Xingye was wearing a fluffy pajama set, completely wrapped up, with her makeup removed and her hair loose. She was also carrying a huge water glass, making her almost unrecognizable from her daytime self.

but
It looks quite nice, though.

Jiang Xingye rolled his eyes.

"Big brother, I just finished showering and was about to go to bed."

"The project has finally come to an end, and I haven't been to bed before midnight in ages. I have to seize this opportunity to catch up on my sleep."

"Here, help me carry this."

Lin Xu took the water glass and said with an embarrassed smile:
"I thought you girls were all very conscious of your appearance when you went out."

He turned his head away and stopped looking. Jiang Xingye chuckled, a sly glint in his eyes.

"That's how we STEM girls dress. We only dress like this when we go out. If I'm eating at your house, I won't be dressed like this."

"At least we need to put on our battle uniforms!"

Lin Xu pursed his lips speechlessly and said:

"Give me a break, you're all talk and no action, but the moment I ask you a question you're telling me to get lost."

"What, am I not your target fish?"

"I'll fucking punch you right through."

Jiang Xingye rolled her eyes at Lin Xu, and the two of them walked out of the elevator one after the other, and randomly found a shop to sit down in the night market street downstairs.

Actually, Lin Xu wasn't hungry at all; he just used up some energy after entering the bracelet's world.

So he didn't order much, just a few skewers and two bowls of porridge.

Jiang Xingye wouldn't let Lin Xu drink any beverages, saying that he was too tired from work and needed to take care of his health. So he asked the boss for cups and poured a cup of ginseng and goji berry tea for each of them.

While waiting for the food to be served, Lin Xu asked:
"So what did you want to talk to me about again?"

"Didn't you contact me first? You should have said something first!"

Jiang Xingye blew on the scalding hot tea, paused briefly, then shook his head and said:
"Never mind, I'll go first."

"Project Test 3 is about to enter the implementation process. The preliminary development is basically completed, and the simulation effect is very good."

"I anticipate that your workload will be significantly reduced in the next project."

"That's awesome!"

Lin Xu asked cheerfully:

"How long can you lie flat?"

"Lie down my head!"

Jiang Xingye glared at Lin Xu with displeasure and said:

“We’re a private company. Can a private company be the same as a government company? If you give up now, you’ll slowly become marginalized.”

"I came here to earn enough money for retirement before I turn 35, so I'll give it my all!"

"You've been doing well lately, so I've recommended you to come with me to the new project."

"Where did this new project come from?"

Lin Xu asked in confusion.

He had indeed not heard of any plans to start new projects at the company—the test ship hadn’t even flown yet, and now they were starting new projects?
Do they really think they're some ridiculously powerful tech unicorn? With assets of only a few hundred million, they're already comparing themselves to SpaceX?
Seeing his expression, Jiang Xingye shook his head and said:
"It's not some particularly serious new project."

"It's the space travel project I told you about today."

"The boss has already given his approval, and we'll start assembling the project team tomorrow."

“You absolutely must join. Although this project is unlikely to be completed in a short time, just as you said, it’s a very important capital story.”

"Tell this story well, and we'll eat until our mouths are greasy."

"When the time comes, whether you want to retire or change jobs, having a trump card will make things much easier."

"clear."

Lin Xu nodded gratefully.

To be honest, Jiang Xingye is really a good leader for bringing such a good thing along with him.

What's the point of working? Isn't it just for money?

Could it be for an ideal?
He raised his glass and clinked it with Jiang Xingye's, then drank it down in one gulp. Jiang Xingye asked:
"And you? What do you want to talk to me about?"

Lin Xu was taken aback, and after a moment's hesitation, he asked:
"I have a very abstract question."

"Let me ask you this: if the world were to end one day, and you had one chance to save one person, who would you save?"

After asking the question, Lin Xu expected Jiang Xingye to laugh at him.

But to my surprise, she answered almost without hesitation:

"I'll save you."

(End of this chapter)