Did You Destroy the World Today?
Chapter 56: Would You Believe It?

National Security Office...

The moment these six words came through the receiver, Lin Xu's expression instantly changed.

National Security Office!

National Security Bureau!

Holy shit, what the hell did I do?

Lin Xu was certain he hadn't done anything out of line from start to finish.

Similarly, he hadn't leaked any information that shouldn't have been leaked.

All information related to the apocalypse stopped with him.

He had been extremely cautious, yet he still attracted the attention of national security.

There was only one possibility.

The materials.

These two materials had caught someone's attention.

And this "someone" was likely connected to Xu Jin!

Damn!

How did that saying go again?

Every gift of fate comes with a price tag attached.

He had used Xu Jin to leverage official resources, acquiring equipment and setting up the factory in the shortest time possible.

But at the same time, it was only natural that he would attract official attention.

And with just a little investigation, they would discover that the information in his hands had no verifiable source.

The industrial production methods for these two materials appeared out of thin air, with no logical chain to trace.

It was normal for them to question him. If they didn't react at all, that would be truly suspicious...

Since things had come to this, he might as well accept it.

Lin Xu took a deep breath and turned to Jiang Xingye, who was waiting quietly beside him with deep concern in her eyes.

"I need to go out for a bit."

"Don't worry too much, it's nothing serious."

"That Bai Mo—keep communicating with her."

"We need to keep her; she'll be useful later."

"Oh, and don't chat about random things with her. Help her settle her housing issue first."

"Got it."

Jiang Xingye nodded. Just as Lin Xu was about to turn and leave, she suddenly grabbed his arm. After a moment's hesitation, she asked,

"Are you... okay?"

"...Dude, don't act like those drama wives sending their gangster husbands off to a fight."

Lin Xu patted the back of her hand, signaling for her to let go, then continued,

"Relax. I should be back for dinner tonight."

"...Be careful."

Jiang Xingye didn't say anything more. Lin Xu gave a quiet "Mm" and left, closing the door behind him.

Downstairs, Lin Xu hailed a cab and headed straight for the Liuchao Road Police Station.

In the car, he mentally reviewed everything he had done recently while also planning how to communicate once he arrived at the National Security Office.

He absolutely wasn't planning to reveal everything at this stage—his bargaining chips weren't enough yet.

At the very least, not enough to make the authorities willing to give him sufficient leeway despite knowing he was hiding something.

So, how to communicate, how to disclose truthful but limited information in a reasonable way to persuade them, became especially important.

Make up a lie?

No way.

Even if he were facing ordinary law enforcement, spinning a tale might have worked.

But he was dealing with national security.

Their methods and access to information were no joke!

There was only one way.

Stick to silence.

As long as he ensured his direction was correct, as long as he didn't negatively impact the bigger picture or national interests, they theoretically wouldn't be too harsh on him.

Let's give it a try.

The car stopped in front of the Liuchao Road Public Security Bureau. Lin Xu got out and walked toward the entrance, still thinking about where to go and whom to look for once inside. But the moment he stepped out of the car, a plainclothes officer with a buzz cut was already approaching him.

"Mr. Lin Xu, come with me."

Lin Xu wasn't too surprised.

Since they had come for him, they must have already thoroughly researched his background.

He followed without hesitation. Though his heart was pounding at nearly 160 beats per minute, his expression remained utterly calm.

Backing down wasn't an option.

Hell, the fate of humanity was in his hands—he was the damn protagonist here!

Lin Xu took a deep breath and followed the man up to the fourth floor, entering what looked like an utterly ordinary office.

Inside the office, however, was... a wheelchair.

This was completely unlike the "interview" or even "interrogation" scenario he had imagined!

Lin Xu frowned at the elderly man in the wheelchair.

He seemed very frail.

But his gaze remained sharp.

"Sit."

The old man noticed his expression and spoke with a faint smile.

"Lin Xu, have a seat."

After a brief hesitation, Lin Xu sat in the chair across from him.

The chair had clearly been carefully chosen—once seated, they were at eye level, making conversation effortless.

"You are... Xu Qianlin, Senior Xu?"

Lin Xu guessed the old man's identity, and the other man nodded, smiling somewhat self-deprecatingly.

"None of that 'Senior Xu' nonsense... just call me Xu."

"This condition isn't from old age—it's cancer."

"There's a fundamental difference between the two."

"...You've been through a lot."

Lin Xu didn't know what else to say.

The atmosphere wasn't tense at all. Instead, it carried the awkwardness typical of a junior speaking with an elder.

Seeming to notice his expression, Xu Qianlin across from him stopped making small talk and got straight to the point.

"I don't have much time left, so let's cut to the chase."

"I started paying attention to you when you sought out Xu Jin."

"You provided him with industrial production process documents for M46X and PEEK-RTM materials, met with him, and secured a partnership."

"To be honest, at first I thought you were just representing Tianqiong Technology, trying to get official backing through Xu Jin."

"But soon, after investigations by our economic crime division, we realized things weren't as we assumed."

"You didn't bring Xu Jin on board for 'backing'—you were using him as cover."

"The technology was yours, Tianqiong Technology was the platform, and Xu Jin was the means to legitimize the information source."

"You deceived both sides to join your scheme, clearly aiming for rapid mass production of these two materials."

"That raises a very strange question."

"Let's not discuss how you obtained this technology for now—after all, even our intelligence officers aren't omniscient; there are bound to be oversights."

"Let's focus on just one point."

"If your capabilities are advanced enough to produce two technologies clearly ahead of their time... why were you in such a hurry?"

"Or rather, why adopt such a flawed approach to execute your plan?"

"There's only one answer."

"You didn't have much time, or you urgently needed to implement this plan."

"So..."

"Can you tell me why?"

Silence.

Lin Xu was at a loss for words.

Holy shit...

You've already said everything I was going to say—what's left for me??

At this moment, he deeply felt the overwhelming power and terror of this national machine.

It wasn't just the "facts."

Of course they knew the "facts."

Now, they had even deduced most of his motives.

In front of them, he might as well have been transparent.

So what could he do?

Lin Xu took a deep breath.

Then, he spoke.

"I was indeed pushing this project urgently."

"But as for the reason..."

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"Try me."

Xu Qianlin looked at him gently.

After a brief pause, Lin Xu asked,

"What if I told you... the apocalypse is coming?"

"I'd believe you."

Xu Qianlin nodded solemnly.

"Because you're not the first person to say that."