"Elder Dong, thanks for everything today. Let’s continue tomorrow."

As the workday ended, Lin Qi emerged from a world of knowledge, very pleased with Dong Wenlong’s attitude.

Dong Wenlong, on the other hand, looked a little pale.

"O-Okay." A cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

In truth, Dong Wenlong wanted to curse his heart out.

’This hellish work is more exhausting than pulling overtime on an A-Class project for the company.’

’Who the hell was this guy, using an A-Class project as a cover to study A-Class Pharmacy? Forget his powerful connections—his Talent and learning methods were downright monstrous!’

’On average, he’d toss out a complex theoretical question every two minutes.’

’Was he fucking learning, or was he writing a dissertation?’

Dong Wenlong felt like he’d lost more brain cells in this one day than in a month of his usual research.

Leaving the lab, Dong Wenlong didn’t linger for a second and made a run for it.

Home!

Rest!

Sleep!

Seeing Dong Wenlong’s retreat, Lin Qi wasn’t annoyed. On the contrary, he was filled with respect for the man.

Every A-level Researcher was an elite talent in the Cyber World.

Especially someone like Dong Wenlong; Lin Qi felt he probably wasn’t far from becoming S-Class.

Lin Qi didn’t understand why a talent with such a solid foundation wasn’t getting the chance to be promoted to S-Class at the company.

’Are there complex conditions for being promoted to S-Class Researcher?’

Lin Qi didn’t understand, but he didn’t dwell on it.

He took the elevator down, ready to leave for the day.

On the ground floor, just as the doors to Lin Qi’s elevator were sliding open, the doors of the elevator opposite him also began to open.

Liu Xuan was inside.

"What a coincidence. Good evening," Lin Qi greeted Liu Xuan.

Liu Xuan didn’t respond immediately.

Instead, she studied Lin Qi’s face intently.

After a long moment, Liu Xuan spoke. "Something big might happen tonight. Do your best to stay inside your apartment. Don’t go out again."

The smile on Lin Qi’s face froze.

’What does she mean?’

’What does she mean, "something big might happen"?’

’And what does she mean... "Don’t go out again"?’

The words "go out again" echoed in Lin Qi’s mind.

’Does this mean Liu Xuan knows I’ve been leaving the employee apartment frequently these past few nights?’

’How is that possible!’

’How could she know?’

’With Guang Ling’s cover, even my bodyguard, Brother Green Hair, who lives next door, has no idea I’ve been going out.’

’How could Liu Xuan possibly know?’

Lin Qi wasn’t sure if Liu Xuan was just bluffing. He even suspected she might have guessed his identity as a Wizard.

After all, first there was his intervention on the Red and Green Train, and then there was the company’s top brass secretly inducing Rapid Growth.

From Liu Xuan’s perspective, Lin Qi was undeniably present during both incidents.

"Work at the company is so exhausting, I don’t have the energy to go out," Lin Qi said, avoiding a direct answer.

Liu Xuan paid no mind to Lin Qi’s answer, continuing, "If nothing unexpected happens, the Iron Curtain System will be deactivated by tomorrow morning. The Greenfield City branch will receive orders from the Red Fruit head office, and all personnel will take the Red and Green Train back to Red Fruit City."

"After you go back, you’ll retain your status as an A-level Researcher. The Red Fruit Weapon Research Institute will also establish a Pharmacy division, and you can hold concurrent positions as a researcher in both Pharmacy and Prosthetic Engineering."

"You’re in the company’s priority development program. If you have any special needs, you can contact Liu Weicai. If he can’t make the call, you can have him go find... Liu Li."

Lin Qi was stunned.

Liu Xuan had never said so much to him at once.

It was as if she were carefully laying out arrangements for the future.

To Lin Qi’s ears, her tone even sounded a bit like... last words.

’Just what is going to happen tonight?’

"Okay."

Lin Qi nodded, then walked out of the company building without looking back.

Lin Qi was in a hurry. He had to contact King Arthur, or even Guang Ling.

Lin Qi had to find out what exactly was going to happen in Greenfield City tonight.

According to his previous deductions, the crisis in Greenfield City should have been reaching its conclusion.

As he walked, Lin Qi used his Intelligent Brain to compose an email to Guang Ling.

"Guang Ling, I’m asking for your help in a personal capacity. I need to know what’s going to happen with Liu’s Heavy Industries and in Greenfield City tonight."

’Wait until he got back to contact King Arthur?’

That would be too late.

Lin Qi needed to rely on a more efficient source of intelligence.

He had even risked using the keyword "Liu’s Heavy Industries," which was tantamount to revealing his identity to Guang Ling.

Guang Ling did not keep Lin Qi waiting long.

An email arrived.

"I can provide you with the relevant intelligence free of charge, but are you sure you want to get involved?"

Along with the message, two images from the Black Market appeared before Lin Qi.

[Public Mission: Bounty for the assassination of suspected Liu’s Heavy Industries heir, Liu Xuan. Reward: 500 million Credit Points.]

[Public Mission: Bounty for the assassination of suspected Liu’s Heavy Industries heir, Liu Heng. Reward: 200 million Credit Points.]

The two images showed public bounties from the Black Market.

In addition to these two images, Guang Ling also provided an intelligence analysis.

"These two high-value bounties will be officially posted in one hour. The source of the funds is Si Pharmaceutical, but their actions have been very covert. I can’t acquire direct evidence, nor can I breach the Black Market’s network firewall for further proof."

"Theoretically, these two missions would be very beneficial for the development of the Mercenary Corps. However, out of special consideration for the protection of the Corps’ members, I can promise you that the Highest-Level Mercenary Corps will not take part in any of tonight’s operations."

"Furthermore, should any Mercenary Corps members require it, I can provide a network cloaking service for a fee. The price is two million Credit Points per person, per hour."

After receiving Guang Ling’s email, Lin Qi instantly understood what Liu Xuan had meant.

The Si Clan had begun its final, desperate gambit, putting up a massive bounty in an attempt to assassinate the Liu Clan’s true heirs and present it as a pledge of allegiance to the European Administrative Region.

But the Si Clan wasn’t acting without a safety net. By using a Black Market bounty, there would be no overt evidence pointing back to them.

Even if the European Administrative Region refused to acknowledge this pledge, the Si Clan could continue to exist within the Asian Administrative Region.

In fact, the Big Business Alliance in the Asian Administrative Region would probably be happy to see the strategic alliance between the Si and Liu clans shatter.

It would mean a redistribution of interests.

Lin Qi sat inside the public rail vehicle, conflicted.

’What should I do?’

’Should I follow Liu Xuan’s advice? Hide in my apartment and wait for it all to blow over?’

’After all, it won’t involve me.’

’Once the dust settles, I can return to Red Fruit City safely.’

’I can keep using the Door to travel between worlds and develop steadily.’

’Tier Three, Tier Four, maybe even Tier Five Extraordinary—I could potentially reach them all in the future.’

But...

He composed an email and sent it.

"Guang Ling, do me a favor."

...

「In a hidden meeting room within the cyber network.」

An encrypted file appeared in the meeting room’s hidden archive.

[Date: March 10, 2089]

[Codename: Wizard]

[Lin Qi Made a Legendary Choice]