Did You Destroy the World Today?
Chapter 60: Node Not Reached

After having dinner with Jiang Xingye, the two didn't return to the office but went straight back to their apartment.  

It was 8 PM. Lin Xu glanced at his wristband, which now displayed the number 4 again.  

Damn, could dating actually restore energy?  

This sounded like some galgame mechanic...  

But Lin Xu did feel remarkably refreshed.  

Perhaps people genuinely needed relaxation sometimes.  

Seeing there was still time, he opened his computer and created a new page in his clue document to organize his tasks.  

First, the material issue for Star Voyager-1 was now resolved - no need to waste time reacquiring it.  

That left only two urgent matters before him:  

1. Determine Zhurong rover's location and status, attempting physical contact.  
2. Uncover the truth about "higher-dimensional space" and its connection to the Apocalypse.  

The first required Bai Mo, while the second needed further discussion with Skull Head.  

Skull Head was easy to find, but Bai Mo?  

Lin Xu wasn't sure contacting Bai Mo would be safe. Last time, merely mentioning Jiang Xingye's name had attracted the quick reaction force.  

As Jiang Xingye's designated contact, might Bai Mo also be under surveillance?  

Assuming she wasn't, how could he establish trust after making contact?  

After brief consideration, Lin Xu picked up his phone and sent Bai Mo a message:  

"We need a safe word between us."  

Moments later, Bai Mo replied:  

"Safe word??"  

Lin Xu:  

"More precisely, a security passphrase."  

"In the future, if anything unexpected happens, just hearing this word from me, you must trust me unconditionally and provide all requested information."  

"This is an anchor point."  

"You must memorize this anchor point firmly."  

Bai Mo:  

"Understood. What is it?"  

Lin Xu pondered silently before replying.  

This passphrase needed to be simple yet something never mentioned in daily life.  

It had to be absolutely... secure.  

"Butterfly."  

Lin Xu typed:  

"The passphrase is 'butterfly'."  

Bai Mo:  

"Understood. I'll remember."  

Lin Xu:  

"You must remember! Never forget it your entire life!"  

Bai Mo:  

"I'll tattoo it on my body."  

Lin Xu:  

"Good. Thanks."  

After sending this, he exhaled deeply.  

Would this be enough?  

Shouldn't this operation sufficiently influence the wristband's world?  

There, with this passphrase, he could quickly gain Bai Mo's trust to obtain necessary information.  

Once Zhurong rover's secrets were revealed, his "Temporal Pincer Movement" could properly commence.  

Satisfied, he lay back on the bed and lightly tapped his wristband.  

Consciousness drained away once more...  

......  

"So..."  

"Your wife wasn't lying to you."  

Lin Xu interrupted Skull Head's standard speech and commanded:  

"Drive."  

"I need communication equipment - find me a wristband."  

"Now??"  

Skull Head froze.  

"Wait, what do you mean?"  

"Mission aborted?"  

"If we proceed, we can't take this risk!"  

"Activating personal comms will immediately reveal our location and identities!"  

"Everything would be wasted - even if successful, we couldn't escape! And no refunds!"  

"Are you certain?"  

"I'm certain."  

Lin Xu answered without hesitation:  

"Now hurry! I need that wristband!"  

"...Fine!"  

Skull Head gritted his teeth and radioed:  

"Old Ma, get me a wristband."  

"Deliver to Qixia Mountain vicinity for rendezvous."  

"Maximum shielding. If possible, disable network monitoring."  

"No can do."  

Old Ma's voice crackled through:  

"New-gen monitors link to quantum cloud - beyond my skills."  

"Best I can do is a few minutes via channel attack."  

"Acceptable?"  

Skull Head looked at Lin Xu, who nodded decisively.  

"Move out!"  

The convoy sped toward Qixia Mountain.  

Scenery flashed by as Lin Xu studied Tianqiong Technology's towering structures, noticing everything remained unchanged.  

The "key node" hadn't been reached yet.  

Perhaps only when both materials were physically manufactured would changes appear?  

As Lin Xu frowned slightly, Skull Head suddenly asked:  

"What did you mean about my wife?"  

Damn, still hung up on her!  

Lin Xu sighed and casually replied:  

"Your wife's 'Prophecy' was real."  

"She likely did enter another space and witness the Apocalypse."  

"Though how remains unclear..."  

"How do you know?!"  

Skull Head gaped incredulously.  

Lin Xu answered flatly:  

"I'm Maritime Security Bureau. I know everything."  

This left Skull Head speechless. He seemed to want to say more but swallowed his words.  

The convoy arrived at Qixia Mountain where Skull Head's contact delivered the wristband.  

"How does this work?" Lin Xu asked.  

"Power on, verify iris and fingerprint - auto-binding."  

Skull Head hesitated before adding:  

"You... don't use wristbands yet?"  

"Department equipment is conservative."  

Lin Xu answered matter-of-factly.  

"Right, right... typical bureaucracy..."  

Skull Head leaned closer.  

"Who you contacting? Remember their number? Or ID, citizen ID?"  

"Phone number."  

The wristband completed verification. Lin Xu input Bai Mo's memorized number into the holographic display, but the call failed - the number had long been disconnected.  

Twenty years... made sense.  

He tried citizen ID and name search instead. The call connected instantly.  

A weary voice answered:  

"Hello? Who's this?"  

Lin Xu took a deep breath.  

"Butterfly."  

"...Butterfly? Who??"  

Huh?  

Lin Xu froze.  

No effect??  

"This is Lin Xu."  

"Passphrase is butterfly, remember?"  

"Lin Xu?!"  

Bai Mo's tone shifted noticeably.  

"You? What do you want??"  

Shit.  

Lin Xu realized with sudden clarity - his relationship with Bai Mo in reality hadn't reached that node either!  

Getting her to act based on subjective instructions was futile!  

"Do you have a butterfly tattoo?"  

"No! What are you playing at?!"  

Bai Mo's voice turned warning.  

"Explain properly or I'm calling security!"  

"Wait!"  

Lin Xu gritted his teeth.  

"The world is flat."  

"The world you saw in that space was flat!"