Did You Destroy the World Today?
Chapter 5: Run!

"What's going on? Getting so excited about hijacking a spaceship?" Skull Head gripped his rifle equipped with a silencer and joked: 

"Seriously, the apocalypse hasn't even arrived yet, planning to kill yourself first by crashing?"

"...Change of plans." Lin Xu couldn't be bothered to engage with him and replied casually: 

"The target's layout isn't what I expected. I can't find where I need to go now."

"Aren't there signs over there? Can't you just follow them?" Skull Head pointed at the open gate in the distance before continuing: 

"Honestly I still don't get your logic. You say the world's ending and we need to hijack a spaceship to escape." 

"But the thing is, space tourism is so developed now. With all the money you spent hiring us, you could've just chartered a ship directly. Wouldn't a rich guy like you have a few million to spare for chartering? That'd be way cheaper than hiring me."

"Don't know, maybe I had a brain fart." Watching the stream of employees leaving Tianqiong Technology and the lax security, Lin Xu truly couldn't understand why his alternate self would hire mercenaries to hijack a ship in this timeline. 

Was it because a tourist spacecraft couldn't achieve his goals? Or was it that his actions in the real world could only produce limited changes in this bracelet's future world?

"Forget it, mission aborted. I need to go in and check things out first."

"Fine by me." Skull Head nodded. 

"But even if you decide not to proceed, our fees are non-refundable." 

"You came to me. Payment's due whether we act or not. That's the rule, got it?"

"...Are you running a protection racket?" Lin Xu rolled his eyes and opened the car door. 

"Don't worry, I won't ask for the money back." 

"Wait here. I'll be right back!" As he spoke, Lin Xu strode toward the main gate.

Halfway there, he realized he still had his night vision goggles and bulletproof vest on. By then, the guards at the gate had already noticed him—too late to turn back now.

Steeling himself, Lin Xu kept walking while trying to come up with an excuse, but the guard spoke first: 

"Sir, visiting hours are over already." 

"We're closed now. Opens again at 8am tomorrow."

"Visiting?" Lin Xu was taken aback.

"Yeah, ended before noon." 

"Are you here for wargames or cosplay? Maybe fill out a form to schedule an appointment for tomorrow?"

Damn. A rocket launch site had become a tourist attraction. Clearly Tianqiong Technology had fully embraced commercial space tourism—and was doing extremely well at it. This friendly, accessible approach definitely attracted crowds. 

But...how was he supposed to get in? After some thought, Lin Xu said: 

"I have clearance. Let me verify my iris scan."

"Employee?" The guard scratched his head. 

"Then why the...outfit?"

"Personal hobby." Lin Xu said with complete seriousness.

"Got it, got it. Please verify over here then." The guard led Lin Xu to the staff entrance. As Lin Xu placed his eye against the biometric scanner, he secretly planned that if the alarm went off, he'd signal the mercenaries to storm in. 

After all, these people were just "data"—he didn't feel too guilty about it. But his worries proved unnecessary. 

The verification passed instantly without alarms. This confirmed he was still an "internal member" of Tianqiong Technology—not flagged as a threat before initiating his operation. That explained how he'd accessed the isolation door earlier using his credentials in the control room.

But this made no sense. If he'd always been an insider, what made him predict the apocalypse? And what drove him to such extreme measures for survival? 

Lin Xu's head swarmed with questions as he removed his night vision goggles and helmet, carrying them while heading toward what looked like the main office building. Passing employees eyed him curiously—they seemed to recognize him but nobody greeted him. 

Only after entering the building did Lin Xu encounter his first "acquaintance"—one-sided acquaintance, that is. 

"Director Lin, working this late?" 

Lin Xu had no idea who this person was but nodded and replied: 

"Some business to take care of."

"You're so dedicated...hey, what's with the outfit?"

"Cosplay." At Lin Xu's casual response, the person didn't press further and left after some polite small talk. 

Lin Xu grew even more confused. 

Director Lin? His position here was clearly significant—but what exactly did he do?

Continuing inward, he entered a massive exhibition hall. Holographic projectors filled the space, displaying Tianqiong Technology's latest achievements and breathtaking cosmic vistas captured by their spacecraft. 

Swirling galaxies, massive ships, brilliant cosmic rays, alien landscapes—entering this hall felt like stepping directly into space. Now Lin Xu understood why this place became a hotspot. 

Even by any era's standards, the awe-inspiring experience here qualified as a major attraction. He approached one holographic display seemingly focused on "science education" and touched the interface. A welcome screen immediately appeared:

"Welcome to Tianqiong Technology, sir." 

"What would you like to learn about?"

What indeed? After brief consideration, Lin Xu answered: 

"Introduce the Star Voyager-1 spacecraft."

"Understood. Star Voyager-1 was developed by Tianqiong Technology in 2025 and officially entered service in 2032 as China's first civilian manned spacecraft." 

"This spacecraft filled the domestic gap in civilian manned spaceflight." 

"In March 2032, chief engineer Shen Li and astronaut Bai Mo completed China's first commercial spaceflight aboard this vessel." 

"After two low Earth orbits, the spacecraft returned safely." 

"Thus began a new chapter in civilian spaceflight..." 

As Lin Xu listened intently to the AI narrator, holographic footage kept playing. Perhaps because this technology was already "over a generation old," every technical detail was openly displayed—even dedicating sections to breakthroughs in intelligent flight control and next-generation space engines. 

Damn, they were showing this to random tourists? Had Tianqiong Technology gone open-source? 

Lin Xu couldn't help marveling at how much the world had changed in twenty years. As the presentation concluded, he prepared to continue searching for his office. 

But just then— 

"Bzzz—" 

A loud hum echoed as the hall lights suddenly cut out. 

Closing time? Before this thought could fully form— 

"Bzzz—" 

The lights returned. 

All holograms began flickering violently. 

Stars twisted, planets tore apart. 

After brief lag, every projector suddenly displayed eerie black screens—then a terrified, distorted face appeared. 

Jiang Xingye! 

Her voice was hoarse with desperation: 

"RUN!" 

"Lin Xu! RUN NOW!" 

"It's too late! It's coming! When you see this, you have 15 seconds left!" 

Lin Xu stood frozen in shock. 

He checked his wristband. 

Time remaining until doomsday: 

15 seconds! 

No time left. 

An instant later— 

White light flashed. 

The bracelet's world was annihilated once more...