Chapter 308: Chu An Qing and 00:42

This novel is translated and hosted only on BCaTranslation

“That’s not quite right,” Lin Xian shook his head.

Technically speaking, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, didn’t come out of this time-space particle conflict unscathed. He didn’t directly participate in the battle, but launching that timely rocket surely wasn’t cheap.

Moreover, his multi-billion-dollar Starlink satellite project, which he spent years and billions of dollars on, was completely destroyed. The direct losses, indirect losses from stock prices, and subsequent related losses combined would likely multiply the initial billions by several times.

If the chain reaction caused by this incident continues to develop, Elon Musk will inevitably lose his position as the world’s richest man. Judging by the current stock prices, it seems like he has already lost it. However, the wealth of these world tycoons fluctuates greatly every day. The exact amount of wealth cannot be accurately predicted. But it’s clear that Elon Musk has suffered a severe blow, akin to being stabbed in a vital artery.

So, from an economic perspective, Elon Musk is actually the biggest loser in this time-space particle conflict. Therefore, it can’t be said that Elon Musk was just watching from the sidelines. In a sense, he is also a victim.

“Moreover...” Lin Xian lowered his head and looked at the bustling night view of the capital in the distance.

“Moreover, all my current speculations are based on the assumption that the dream world is real. If we consider the possibility that the dream world is fake, simulated, or staged in a studio, then trying to deduce who the mastermind is right now is meaningless.”

“So, the most urgent task is to find a way to quickly determine the authenticity of the dream world. Only by confirming this premise can we continue to reason further. Otherwise, if the premise is wrong, like a crooked foundation, all subsequent reasoning and construction will inevitably be skewed and wrong.”

Thinking of this, Lin Xian reached out his right hand and pressed it against his chest. Inside the pocket of his pajamas was a small note left by Chu An Qing.

This small note was the last thing Chu An Qing left for him. For months, Lin Xian had been agonizing over what to write on the note that could deceive everyone, even if the enemy saw and copied it, and still convey a message across 600 years, enlightening him about the reality of the dream world.

He had shared this dilemma with Chu An Qing on his 25th birthday. At the time, she couldn’t think of an answer either, believing the question to be too difficult. But after Chu An Qing touched the time-space particle, she seemed like a different person, as if she remembered something or gained some memory. She was visibly upset and desperately asked Yellow Finch if everything was real.

Lin Xian couldn’t understand what specifically Chu An Qing was asking. Her intense reaction after touching the time-space particle indicated that she recalled something significant.

There was no time to ask these questions back then, as Chu An Qing was in a hurry to write the note and grab the time-space particle. Lin Xian had planned to ask her everything once it was over, but he never got the chance. It became another unsolvable mystery.Fịndd new updates at novelhall.com

And the answer, he believed, was written on this little note that held the weight of time and fate.

Lin Xian’s fingers twitched against his chest, feeling the folded note through his thin pajamas. To this day, no one had seen the note—not even him. No one in 2024 knew what was on it. Chu An Qing, the only person who knew, had disappeared. Thus, a secret was born that no one in the world knew.

Lin Xian carried this note with him at all times, never daring to let it out of his sight. It was the note Chu An Qing had exchanged her life for. Losing it or letting someone else see it would betray her intentions.

She had told him seriously, “Read it when you get there... You’ll understand.”

Her eyes were filled with confidence. Lin Xian trusted her. Chu An Qing was straightforward and sincere. If she didn’t understand something, she wouldn’t pretend to. Likewise, if she was certain about something, it was likely true.

Moreover, the content of the note was written by Chu An Qing after touching the time-space particle, undoubtedly related to her emotional breakdown and the memories she seemed to have awakened. On the space shuttle, when he asked Chu An Qing what had happened, she had almost spoken out but stopped abruptly and chose to write the note instead.

But when they landed, she had vanished.

These days, Lin Xian constantly pondered the question: Did Chu An Qing disappear at 00:42 because she touched the time-space particle, or was her disappearance at 00:42 inevitable, whether she touched the particle or not?

He couldn’t figure it out. But he was certain that after touching the time-space particle, Chu An Qing knew she would disappear at 00:42. This deduction seemed correct. It explained why Chu An Qing insisted on going outside the cabin, standing on the space shuttle’s wing to capture the time-space particle.

She knew her time was up. She only had a few minutes left and was no longer cautious about her life, willing to do anything reckless. No wonder no one could stop her. Lin Xian and Gao Yang had a heated argument with Yellow Finch, almost coming to blows. But Chu An Qing stood firmly with Yellow Finch, persuading them despite their objections. The compromise was a safety rope tied to Chu An Qing’s spacesuit, held by everyone.

Unfortunately, Lin Xian hadn’t realized that Chu An Qing’s disappearance at 00:42 was inevitable until she stood on the wing, sighed, and asked Yellow Finch for the time. Her tone, her words, her nonchalance, and the blue stardust after landing made Lin Xian belatedly realize: Chu An Qing had known her death time.

She knew she would vanish at 00:42 on March 28, 2024. That’s why she dared to go outside, unfasten the safety rope, jump from the space shuttle’s wing, and fall from 20,000 meters with the rice cooker, facing death without fear.

“Ah...” Lin Xian sighed.

This was the logic. As Yellow Finch had said, there was no need to save Chu An Qing, who was destined to disappear at 00:42. She would die anyway. But for Lin Xian, even knowing this, even if given a thousand or ten thousand chances, he would still jump from the plane without hesitation.

It was foolish, irrational, and uneconomical. But as he had told Liu Feng, life wasn’t a math problem with a correct answer. He would always choose to jump from the plane to save Chu An Qing.

“Hmph!” Suddenly, Gao Yang, who had been holding his breath for a long time, let out a loud snort and sat up in bed. “Damn... why do I feel so stuffy! I was almost suffocated!”

He turned and looked at the open balcony window, the cold wind blowing in, and Lin Xian standing on the balcony in the moonlight. “Damn! What are you doing, man? Trying to scare people in the middle of the night? You almost scared me to death!”

Lin Xian came back to his senses, turned to Gao Yang. “You should lose some weight. Otherwise, you might suffocate in your sleep before anyone scares you to death.”

“What time is it? Hurry up and get back to bed! I was wondering why it’s so cold. Close the balcony door. It’s not even April yet. The capital is different from Donghai City; it’s freezing! Hurry up and come back... I can’t sleep without you.”

With that, Gao Yang rolled over and started snoring again.

Lin Xian checked the time; it was indeed late. And the capital was cold in late March, unlike the warmer Donghai City.

“Let’s sleep. We’ll think about it tomorrow.”

Now, he had set aside all other concerns to focus on investigating Chu An Qing’s disappearance. There were many mysteries to unravel, but he believed he could figure it out and give Chu Shan He and himself a proper answer.

Yawning, Lin Xian walked back into the hotel suite, closed the balcony door, lay down on the bed, pulled up the covers, and closed his eyes.

Hopefully, tomorrow’s investigation would go smoothly.

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation