Did You Destroy the World Today?
Chapter 37: The Bloodstained Zhurong Rover

"So..."

"So my top priority now is finding a device that can access the internet for research."

Before Skull Head could say more than two words, Lin Xu directly cut him off.

Skull Head looked utterly bewildered.

"What the hell?? Weren't you just talking about the apocalypse and escaping by rocket?"

"That's way too abrupt a shift! Are you... mentally unstable?"

"Don't tell me you've got some psychiatric disorder?"

"You're the one with issues," Lin Xu rolled his eyes.

"If I say it's the apocalypse, you'd believe me? Then if I say your wife's a whore, would you believe that too?"

"So you were just messing with me??"

"Exactly, what else?" Lin Xu replied casually while removing his gear.

"After all, idle hands are the devil's workshop when it rains."

"Conditions aren't right today to continue the operation."

"I need to check out the facility first. You can come along if you want, otherwise wait in the car."

With that, Lin Xu opened the car door. Just like previous times, Skull Head swiftly removed his equipment and followed closely behind.

"What are you going into the facility for?" Skull Head asked.

"Didn't I say? To get online."

"I need a device for research. Since we don't have one, where else would I look besides the facility?"

"...That makes sense, yet somehow doesn't." Skull Head was full of questions but didn't know where to start, so he just followed Lin Xu into the facility.

Lin Xu moved with clear purpose, verifying his iris and identity before heading straight for the exhibition hall. The holographic terminal there wasn't just for display - like most large display screens from his era, it was essentially a computer. Though company restrictions prevented gaming or video watching, basic research was still possible.

Watching Lin Xu's fluid movements, Skull Head couldn't help asking:

"You seem to have planned this for a while... so what exactly are you looking for?"

"Information about the Zhurong Mars rover," Lin Xu replied.

Skull Head gave him a strange look, frowning as he asked:

"A Mars rover? Why are you interested in that thing?"

"Tsk... you mentioned the apocalypse too... don't tell me you're also a member of that 'Planetary Reincarnation' organization?"

At this, it was Lin Xu's turn to be stunned. This was actually the first time he'd heard the term "Planetary Reincarnation" from Skull Head's mouth. It made him realize he might have been operating under some misconceptions.

True, in 2025, Planetary Reincarnation had been an extremely secretive organization that might not even have existed - no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find any information about it. But in 2045? This organization had already made the news. Xu Jin had been publicly identified as a wanted criminal. The organization's influence had expanded while its secrecy diminished.

If he wanted information about it, perhaps he could just ask people directly or even search online? Damn it! Then what was the point of all that effort I put in earlier?? Lin Xu felt like slapping himself.

Continuing toward the exhibition hall, he asked:

"You know about Planetary Reincarnation too? So what kind of organization is it really?"

"A terrorist group, what else... a terrorist group that keeps screaming about the coming apocalypse," Skull Head replied, seeming relieved. "The fact that you're asking means you're not connected to them, right?"

"Of course not, otherwise why would I ask you?" Lin Xu retorted logically. Skull Head nodded and continued:

"Good that you're not. Everyone in that group is crazy."

"You've heard of groups like ISIS and the Taliban, right?"

"Planetary Reincarnation is more extreme than them. Actually, their extremism is on a completely different level from those religious-controlled groups."

"In this regard, ordinary people might have less exposure."

"After all, the domestic environment is relatively stable with strong counterterrorism forces."

"But I spent time in the Middle East before. You wouldn't believe the fear that red-and-green banner would strike in us..."

"Those people have no brains. When they fight, they have zero concept of 'casualties'."

"Even if they're just holding sticks, they'll charge straight into 12.7mm gunfire."

"Man... seen zombie movies? When they go crazy, they're practically indistinguishable from zombies on screen."

"That extreme??" Lin Xu looked somewhat skeptically at Skull Head. From his description, this "Planetary Reincarnation" sounded like a thoroughly extremist organization - violent, cruel, fanatical, even anti-human. These traits matched what he'd heard from the interrogator at the Maritime Security Bureau office.

Back then, he'd thought it might be exaggeration for operational purposes, even slander. But now it seemed this organization really was dirty. Not just dirty - terrifyingly so.

But how could that be? This was an organization with "reaching Mars" as its ultimate goal! Their entire foundation was built on "science." And clearly, they'd recruited actual research scholars like Xu Jin. How could such people tolerate these things?

Frowning deeply, Lin Xu arrived at the central holographic display in the exhibition hall.

"Search for information on the 'Planetary Reincarnation' organization."

Results instantly appeared, but Lin Xu quickly realized these weren't what he truly sought. Page after page contained "crime descriptions" of Planetary Reincarnation, interspersed with official briefings, debunkings, and critical articles. From this information, Lin Xu couldn't find any key clues.

Was this really the same organization in his mind? The same "must reach Mars at all costs" group deeply tied to space exploration? Or was this just part of them?

Lin Xu vaguely sensed that by this time, Planetary Reincarnation had split. The more radical factions had strayed from the organization's original purpose, developing uncontrollably. These peripheral, uncontrollable elements also formed a thick shell that obscured vision, diverted official attention, and tightly wrapped around the true core, making it impossible to investigate.

Was this an active choice or an unavoidable outcome of passive development? Lin Xu didn't know. But he did know that the path of "internet searches" for clues was effectively blocked. Even now, official attention remained focused on Planetary Reincarnation's "surface." How could he easily reach the core? He had to proceed step by step.

Lin Xu sighed deeply.

"Search for information about the Mars rover 'Zhurong.'"

He issued another command to the AI, and results quickly appeared. Unlike his 2025 searches, this time most information provided detailed records of the rover's entire lifespan.

Launched in 2024, landed on Mars late 2024. Discovered semi-metallic hydrogen, found suspected liquid water, captured extensive Martian terrain photos, conducted sample analysis of some rocks...

In 2030, the rover experienced its first malfunction. Over the next three years, it operated intermittently until completely failing in late 2033. Its history should have ended there.

But then a piece of information that stunned Lin Xu appeared before his eyes.

In 2035, the first official research vessel - the heavy crewed spacecraft "Donghuang Taiyi" - landed on Mars. Then in mid-2035, the Zhurong Mars rover launched from Mars. In January 2036, the return capsule carrying Zhurong entered Earth's atmosphere.

Due to control system failure, the capsule deviated from its planned trajectory and landed in the Naibk area, approximately 62 kilometers northwest of Damascus, Syria. The rover was ultimately recovered by Chinese authorities.

It really came back! Lin Xu remembered Xu Jin's words: "We must bring Zhurong back." So was it him who accomplished this?

As Lin Xu silently pondered, Skull Head suddenly spoke up:

"Naibk... what a familiar name."

"Familiar?" Lin Xu turned to him.

"You've been to Naibk?"

"Of course." Skull Head pointed at the holographic text.

"Doesn't it say right here? Zhurong landed in Naibk."

"I was working for another PMC at the time and participated in the security operation."

"That left quite an impression on me."

"It was truly... the bloodiest scene I've ever witnessed..."

"Bloody?!" Lin Xu was dumbfounded.

"What happened?"

"An attack." Skull Head clicked his tongue.

"You won't find this info through public channels - consider it a freebie with our service."

"Basically, Planetary Reincarnation mobilized large numbers of armed personnel trying to seize the Zhurong rover."

"In Naibk alone, they left behind at least a thousand corpses."

"We also suffered heavy losses."

"Rumor has it - just rumor - our overseas personnel casualties exceeded fifty."

"After that incident, the Maritime Security Bureau cooperated with overseas PMCs and spent three years practically cleansing the entire Middle East of extremist groups. That's when ISIS and al-Sham were completely wiped out."

"But such massive operations ultimately appeared before civilians as just an ordinary line: 'Multinational peacekeeping mission in the Middle East successfully completed.'"

"Domestically, there was slightly more commotion - State Security arrested a bunch of people, some even made the news."

"Who?" Lin Xu's expression suddenly changed.

"Xu Jin? Was that name in the news?"

"I don't remember," Skull Head shrugged.

"But it sounds familiar - probably was?"

Probably meant yes. Lin Xu exhaled deeply. Now everything made sense...