Dual Worlds: I Have a Doomsday World

The train slowly came to a halt, and the Intelligent Brain delivered a new email.

[Company email received. New work address and schedule acquired.]

The email was from the company and detailed Lin Qi’s work assignments in Greenfield City.

Greenfield City, Liu’s Heavy Industries branch building, thirteenth floor, Potion Division. Assignment: research on an unnamed A-Class Potion.

Temporary Residence: Greenfield City, Liu’s Heavy Industries High-Level Employee Dormitories, floor thirteen, room 1313.

"Potion research?"

The new research field was completely unrelated to his original work, but considering Liu Xuan had likely been the one to bring him to Greenfield City, Lin Qi accepted it.

Given the company’s achievements in Prosthetic Body research, there was no need to send a team to Greenfield City to conduct studies.

Greenfield City, under the Si Clan’s control, was renowned for its pharmaceutical industry. The entire city boasted a comprehensive pharmaceutical ecosystem.

By establishing its pharmaceutical division in Greenfield City, Liu’s Heavy Industries could significantly reduce costs.

This was the purpose of the Big Business Alliance: to effectively coordinate the strategic resources controlled by the major corporations.

Against this backdrop of competition and cooperation between megacorporations, new corporate powers could never emerge. The giants grew ever stronger while the weak were devoured.

This model was like a battle to the death. In the end, perhaps the entire alliance would be reduced to a single mega-corporation, with the rest left to eke out a meager existence.

This had nothing to do with him for the time being. Lin Qi maintained his Spiritual Vision, monitoring the activity on the train.

The doors to cars one, three, and four slowly opened.

They were now within Greenfield City, shrouded by the Iron Curtain System, so it was relatively safe.

A bodyguard approached Lin Qi. "You can go. Proceed to your assigned work and residence. The company has already emailed the Greenfield City pass to your Intelligent Brain."

The bodyguard was clearly telling him to get lost.

Although Lin Qi was in car one, he wasn’t considered a core member of the Liu Clan.

The sisters, Liu Xuan and Liu Li, would likely be escorted to a true safe house by the train master.

Lin Qi rose from his seat, glanced in Liu Xuan’s direction, then turned and left the train.

Through his Spiritual Vision, Lin Qi saw the train master enter car one shortly after he left. The master addressed one of the bodyguards, "Your mission has changed. The company has sent you the new directives."

The bodyguard froze for a second, then checked his email, his face a mask of disbelief.

Then, this bodyguard, a full-body conversion A-Class Implanter, also stepped out of car one and disembarked.

The bodyguard followed Lin Qi from a distance of one hundred meters, nearly the maximum range of his Spiritual Vision.

’His mission was changed to protecting me?’

Lin Qi was bemused, but he supposed it was a good thing.

With a full-body conversion A-Class Implanter for a tail, his safety in the increasingly chaotic Greenfield City was much more assured.

’As for his own secrets?’

’An A-Class with the insight of a typical Implanter wouldn’t have the ability to see through them.’

After checking the information on his Intelligent Brain, Lin Qi went to the urban transit platform and took a public rail vehicle to the residence the company had arranged for him.

He didn’t have to work today—a rare display of humanity from the company.

The A-Class bodyguard boarded the same public vehicle, keeping his distance.

...

Greenfield City. Liu’s Heavy Industries High-Level Employee Dormitories, floor thirteen, room 1313.

Lin Qi sat on a chair in his new residence.

’The bodyguard is in the room next door. Good. This floor is pretty empty, though.’

He activated his Spiritual Vision. The entire thirteenth floor was practically deserted.

Lin Qi could guess why.

These quarters had been arranged for the research team transferred from Red Fruit City.

They were all dead now, so of course, no one was living here.

Trying to relax, Lin Qi went to the bathroom and splashed some water on his face.

He looked at the seamlessly fitted Exoskeleton on his arms and legs and frowned.

’I’ll wait until I’m in the Doomsday World to take it off,’ he thought. ’God knows if the company installed some hidden surveillance in the employee dorms.’

Greenfield City’s surveillance network wasn’t as insane as Red Fruit City’s, but Lin Qi wouldn’t let his guard down for a second.

As he stared at his reflection, pondering the night’s Highest Level security meeting and his plans for the Doomsday World, the doorbell rang at a most unwelcome time.

’Who?’

’I don’t have any friends in Greenfield City. Who would be visiting?’

His Spiritual Vision instantly flared, locking onto the person outside his door.

The visitor was a young man, appearing to be only sixteen or seventeen.

No Prosthetic Body!

And no Extraordinary Items on him, either.

This combination put Lin Qi on high alert.

Lin Qi was starting to see a pattern.

In this Cyber World, anyone without a Prosthetic Body...

...was bound to be trouble.

’Someone from the Si Clan?’

Frowning, Lin Qi noticed the embroidery on the visitor’s fine clothes.

The logo of Si Pharmaceutical was stitched over the left breast of the expensive garment.

After a moment of hesitation, Lin Qi left the bathroom, walked to the entrance, and opened his apartment door.

The moment the door opened, the young man extended his hand.

A handshake—a very unfashionable gesture.

The young man’s crisp voice rang out. "Hello, my name is Si Ying."

’A member of the Si Clan?’

Lin Qi did not shake it, merely stating his own affiliation. "Lin Qi. A-level Researcher, Liu’s Heavy Industries."

Si Ying retracted his hand and asked politely, "May I come in?"

Lin Qi frowned. Unable to discern the Si Clan member’s intentions, he refused flatly. "No."

Si Ying seemed a little surprised, then a smile bloomed on his face. "I’m here to save you. I assume you don’t want to die a meaningless death?"

His smile was mysterious, and he spoke in riddles.

Lin Qi despised people like this.

"I’m just a researcher," Lin Qi retorted. "Who would want to kill me?"

Si Ying’s smile never wavered. "But all the other Liu’s Heavy Industries researchers who came to Greenfield City are already dead. You’re the only one left, aren’t you?"

"They’re all dead?"

Lin Qi feigned a look of confusion.

Lin Qi knew what happened in car two thanks to his Spiritual Vision, but the matter should have still been classified.

The doors to car two never opened after the train arrived.

A person of his standing shouldn’t have known about the deaths of his fellow researchers, so Lin Qi put on an act.

Si Ying seemed somewhat puzzled. "You didn’t know?"

’A test. This is definitely a test!’

’Who on earth is this Si Ying? Why would he come here to test me, a supposedly "ordinary" Liu Clan employee?’

Lin Qi nodded. "I didn’t know."

Whatever Si Ying’s goal was, Lin Qi would not reveal the slightest crack in his facade.

Besides, Lin Qi had already labeled Si Ying: bad news.

’In Greenfield City’s current state, a member of the Si Clan who dares to run around so freely can’t be anyone important.’

Si Ying continued to smile. "Well, now you know. They’re all dead, and I assume you don’t want to die."

"Nobody wants to die. I’m sure you’re no different. Just like me... I don’t want to die, either."

"Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Si Ying. I’m this generation’s heir to the Si Clan... or rather, his sacrificial lamb."