Chapter 1 A Knock at the Door

Dong, dong!

Lin Xian was in the villa's bedroom, guarding his sleeping female secretary.

A loud knocking echoed from the front door of the living room outside.

Lin Xian, gripping his pistol and ensuring the safety was off, moved from the bedroom to behind the living room door.

Not approaching, nor looking through the peephole, maintaining a safe distance to draw his gun:

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Lin Xian."

From outside the door, Yu Xi's voice rang out.

Lin Xian relaxed slightly, but still didn't lower his gun.

He went to the door and looked out through the peephole…

Indeed, only Yu Xi stood outside the door, her bright, indigo eyes fixed on the peephole.

*Click.*

Lin Xian opened the door and let Yu Xi in.

"Lin Xian, the time-space assassin is coming."

As soon as she entered, Yu Xi hurriedly said:

"I can feel it. She's moving so fast; she must have flown from New Jersey to Texas. She's already heading this way from an airport not too far from us."

"She's approaching very quickly, either in a vehicle or driving a car herself."

Lin Xian frowned:

"Can you roughly determine her target? Is she coming for us? Or is she heading towards Angelica and Jask's rocket launch base?"

"If the time-space assassin's destination is Jask's rocket launch base, we have to notify Angelica and tell her to retreat immediately."

Yu Xi had already told herself that she and the other time-travelers from the future had enhanced vision, hearing, sense of smell, and even brainpower through drugs. She could see through Angelica's disguises at a glance.

Of course, that was assuming the time-space assassin had met the female secretary before and knew what she really looked like. But there was no doubt that the female secretary and the time-space assassin had met; otherwise, how would Angelica's "lolita complex" have been discovered?

So, if Angelica was in danger, she had to text her and warn her to retreat.

"I can't accurately determine it yet."

Yu Xi looked at Lin Xian and shook her head:

"Until she gets really close, no one knows which way the time-space assassin will turn. We're not that far from Jask's rocket launch base to begin with… If you want me to determine the time-space assassin's target right now, I really can't."

"About how long, or how far away, will she have to be before you can accurately determine the time-space assassin's target?"

"Another half hour or so should do it," Yu Xi replied.

"In half an hour, the time-space assassin will be close enough, within a few dozen kilometers. Then, we'll see if she turns south. Then we'll know whether she's coming for us or if Jask recalled her to the past."

A few dozen kilometers…

Lin Xian calculated that even if she drove as fast as possible, it would still take half an hour to cover that distance. Angelica would have time to retreat.

"Then keep monitoring the time-space assassin's location and movements. Report the results to me as soon as you know."

"Angelica said not to text her unless it's absolutely urgent, to avoid exposure. So I'll wait until I'm sure of the time-space assassin's purpose before I text Angelica to tell her the situation."

Hearing Lin Xian's instructions, Yu Xi nodded and found a place to sit in the living room.

Then she saw the black briefcase on the table containing the pistol and magazines, and stood up again. She quickly filled both magazines with bullets and, together with another black pistol, stuffed them into her tracksuit pockets, preparing for battle.

Lin Xian returned to the villa's bedroom.

Looking at the female secretary still sleeping soundly on the large bed.

He went to the bedside table and examined the objects on it.

Besides Angelica's props, there was also a small bottle of white pills.

Lin Xian picked it up and looked at the instructions.

He didn't recognize the name of the drug, but he could understand the usage instructions. It was a sleep aid, probably what you'd call a sleeping pill?

He didn't know if the pills inside matched the bottle… Lin Xian intuitively felt that pure sleeping pills shouldn't have such a powerful sleep effect.

The female secretary wrapped in a blanket was really sleeping like a log. She hadn't moved from that position in a long time.

If it weren't for the rhythmic rise and fall of the blanket and the faint sound of breathing, Lin Xian would really suspect that the female secretary was dead…

A dozen minutes later, Yu Xi came in from the living room:

"Lin Xian, it's confirmed. The time-space assassin is coming for us. She didn't turn south towards the starship rocket launch base. Instead, she's heading straight for us, and she's getting faster and faster. She'll probably be here in less than half an hour."

"We need to decide on a plan now. Are we going to ambush her here and fight the time-space assassin, or are we going to drive away and keep running? We have to make a decision now."

Lin Xian nodded.

He had already thought out a plan:

"Now is not the time to confront the time-space assassin."

"First of all, you're the only one who can hurt her. Due to the strange restrictions of the space-time laws, I have no way to attack her. In this situation, even if you have a gun, it doesn't necessarily give you an advantage, because who knows if the time-space assassin has a gun too?"

"I don't think we should fight this battle unless we have an absolute advantage. If you win, that's great, everyone's happy. But if you accidentally lose… I won't have any help anymore. It's not worth it."

"The best thing to do is to use the information Angelica gathered to figure out why the time-space assassin is not restricted by space-time laws. Once we find the reason, we might be able to cure it! Then… I can also join the battle. My marksmanship, plus our 2-on-1 advantage, can definitely solve the time-space assassin without fail."

"Secondly, there's another concern. We're currently in Cameron County, where there are many people and a very dense population. If there's a fight here, or even a shootout, it will inevitably attract the intervention of the US police. If they catch us, with the world's richest man, Jask, pulling the strings behind the scenes, we'll really have no way out."

"So, let's avoid the fight for now. When the time is right and we have a chance to win, we'll find a way to solve the time-space assassin 2-on-1."

"Okay."

Yu Xi's answer was short and neat.

She agreed with Lin Xian's analysis:

"Then I'll go to the garage and drive out the female secretary's other car. It's a Mi-style tough muscle car with a lot of horsepower. Its performance is very strong, whether it's off-roading or running at high speed, much better than our old manual sedan."

"You should probably send Angelica a message to tell her we're leaving and to come back as soon as possible. Otherwise, if the female secretary wakes up halfway and we're not there to control her, she'll definitely call Jask to warn him… Inevitably, Angelica will be directly exposed, which is even more dangerous than facing the time-space assassin directly."

"Don't worry, I'll handle it." Lin Xian nodded.

"Angelica told me early on that if the female secretary wakes up, I should send her a message. Now that we're leaving early, we naturally have to report to her and let her come back as soon as possible."

"Although from the amount of medicine Angelica used… this female secretary probably won't wake up for a while, but just in case, I'll send her a message."

…

Texas, Cameron County, Boca Chica, Space-T Starship Launch Center, Observation Tower.

Jask held a phone in one hand and a gun in the other, standing next to the observation room.

Copernicus…

Hearing this unexpected name.

He was first stunned, then laughed.

"Copernicus…"

He shook his head and laughed, turning and pacing to the railing of the observation tower, a little further away from Angelica.

The gun was still pointed at her, and he said into the phone:

"It's really surprising, Copernicus, I didn't expect to receive a call from you. So, this woman who's disguised as my secretary, was she sent by you?"

"To be able to call so promptly, either you're monitoring her phone, or you've installed a listening device on her. Tell me, what is your purpose in sending her here, and who gave you so much confidence… that I'll give you face in this situation and let her go."

After that.

The old man on the phone chuckled dryly twice and said slowly:

"No, you're wrong, Jask… It's true that I've been monitoring Angelica's phone, but she doesn't know I exist, and I didn't authorize her to go to your side."

"Today, I'm just a kind old man who can't bear to see a poor child who has lost all her relatives die so boringly."

"Heh heh…"

Jask sneered, not believing Copernicus's nonsense at all:

"Copernicus, although I've never met you, I've heard people talk about you. Others don't think highly of you, even… somewhat harshly."

"I'm sorry, you're not my colleague, nor are you a partner I recognize. So… perhaps you're a little too confident. Your face isn't as big as you think. It's far from enough for me to spare this woman's life."

Even so.

The old man on the other end of the phone was still calm:

"Silly child, don't be so arrogant… Arrogance is the head of the seven deadly sins, the mistake that geniuses should never make. Like you, Jask…"

The old man chuckled and continued:

"[What if I told you… that the little blue-eyed girl lied to you, that she's not really your closed loop?]"

"What did you say?" Jask stopped smiling.

"Think about it, silly child… Turing is much smarter than you think."

"You thought you won against Turing? No… it's all a trap Turing set for you."

The old man cleared his throat and said a little wearily:

"If you still don't understand at this point, then there's no need to say more."

"I don't deny that in front of the young people of the new era, this old thing really has no face to speak of. But after all, there's an old saying in distant Dragon Country… ginger is still hotter when it's old; a family with an elder is a treasure. Don't underestimate old people…"

"I'll send you Turing's address. You two… haven't you always wanted to kill each other? I'll solve this problem for you. If that's still not enough face… I can only say that you, young man, are a bit ungrateful."

*Beep beep.*

With that, the old man hung up the phone.

At the same time, an address in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA, on the outskirts, was sent to Angelica's phone.

Jask glanced at it. After the street and number, was a building name, the site of an old middle school campus.

He always had a good memory.

Although he couldn't remember everything he saw, one glance was enough for addresses or phone numbers he wanted to remember.

Turning off the phone screen.

Jask tossed Angelica's phone in his hand, looking at the woman squatting on the ground, wearing red-rimmed glasses, disguised as his secretary, and remained silent.

He was thinking about what Copernicus had said.

The little blue-eyed girl… lied to him…

Was that possible?

He recalled the scene when he first met the mysterious blue-eyed girl.

She told him some things, told him about his closed loop, and gave him a USB drive that clearly didn't belong to the current era.

She explained that the virus in the USB drive was based on the artificial intelligence created by Kevin Walker for extermination purposes, and would eliminate all advanced artificial intelligence from the Internet, restoring the era to its proper state.

Jask didn't suspect the Eastern-faced girl at the time.

Because her actions and gifts were indeed like sending charcoal in the snow, what he needed most at the moment.

And he had guessed early on that the function of [space-time particles] must be related to time travel.

Jask turned and looked at the tightly closed door of the observation room.

Inside, were the space-time particles he had captured many years ago.

So he had been waiting for his closed loop, waiting for his own historical correction—

If he guessed correctly,

Space-time particles are the necessary condition for time-travelers to complete reverse-time travel,

Then, as long as he guards his space-time particles,

One day, when technology develops to the point where it can create time machines in the future…

There will definitely! be a time-traveler sent by his future self to help him correct history and complete the true closed loop!

This is logically reasonable in space-time.

The appearance of the blue-eyed girl also confirmed this.

It's just that.

What Copernicus said on the phone just now was indeed intriguing.

This made Jask wonder…

Had he thought everything was too smooth and overlooked some other possibility?

He previously believed that he had stopped Turing's conspiracy and completed his closed loop.

But according to Copernicus, that wasn't his closed loop. Instead, he had been played by Turing, by Kevin Walker.

Then…

If that wasn't his closed loop, whose closed loop was it?

Or…

Was Copernicus also lying, with the purpose of disturbing him?

Jask still didn't speak.

He was thinking about a lot of things in his mind.

The space-time particles he possessed that were still active;

The girl who traveled from the future;

The timely USB drive that was sent to him just right;

The aerospace plane that fell from the sky, and the rocket he intercepted halfway;

Kevin Walker, who went against him, Turing, who always opposed the future he envisioned;

All of this.

Which is true and which is false, which is right and which is wrong.

Instantly became confusing.

But it doesn't matter…

"Hmph."

He snorted coldly.

He would figure everything out. No one could deceive him.

He didn't completely believe what Copernicus said, and he was also suspicious of the words of the time-traveling girl.

He always only trusted his own judgment, only trusted the answers he found himself.

*Beep beep.*

In his hand, Angelica's phone popped up with a newly received text message.

Also a strange number, with no note.

The words were few and the content was simple:

"We left early, come back as soon as possible."

Jask knew that this message must have been sent by Lin Xian.

From the moment Copernicus said Angelica's name, Jask had figured everything out.

No wonder she was able to portray his female secretary so realistically that even he couldn't tell the difference.

The Protean Witch, the Oscar Queen, lived up to her name.

Now that things had come to this, it wasn't difficult to deduce that Angelica's approach to him must have been dispatched by Lin Xian.

So what was Lin Xian's purpose?

Revenge?

Obtain information?

Or did he sense his purpose?

"But no matter what…"

Jask looked at the text message sent by Lin Xian and smiled:

"Shouldn't your primary goal be to kill Kevin Walker? Why are you aiming at me?"

Smiling, Jask clicked on the text message reply page.

Using Angelica's phone, he retyped the address Copernicus had just sent, added a few words, and sent it to Lin Xian—

[Mississippi, Vicksburg suburbs, 217 Leeson Road, Old Prentiss School Site. This is Kevin Walker's address, go there as soon as possible, and don't contact me again.]

Watching this text message being sent.

Jask directly threw this phone, which had been monitored by Copernicus, from the observation tower.

The phone landed with a thud and shattered to pieces. The battery and back cover popped out… It was completely damaged and unusable.

"What a pity, Angelica."

After witnessing the phone shattering, Jask turned back to look at the Hollywood actress disguised as his secretary:

"It seems that I really should have taken the initiative to greet you and get to know you when we met at the banquet a few times before. If that were the case… at least we wouldn't be so unfamiliar today, would we?"

He smiled and shrugged:

"I'm a man of my word. If what Copernicus said is true, I will naturally let you go. But until then, you just stay here obediently, until…"

"I figure everything out."