Chapter 1 The End

Lin Xian looked at the giant pentagram formed by 4,000 Starlink satellites in the sky, then turned back to the large screen playing a video of the fluttering red flag.

He nodded in satisfaction.

"Not bad, vv, very creative. Maybe someday, hundreds of years from now, you'll become a meme people talk about."

In fact, when vv first mentioned using Starlink satellites to create a shape, Lin Xian already knew what to do. He immediately understood what vv meant.

Earlier, there were frequent news stories from around the world.

They reported a straight line of small light spots flying across the night sky, looking very much like UFOs (unidentified flying objects).

But in the internet age, these UFO rumors were quickly debunked. It wasn't some unidentified flying object, nor was it some alien weapon.

It was…

The Starlink satellites launched into orbit by the world's richest man, Musk.

The Starlink low-orbit satellite internet constellation project was created by SpaceX, the space exploration technology company owned by Musk, who is also the world's richest man. Currently, there are over 20,000 Starlink satellites in Earth's orbit. According to Musk's plan, another 22,000 are planned for launch in the coming years, bringing the total to 42,000, covering the entire low-altitude orbit of the Earth.

Generally speaking, satellites at this altitude are completely invisible to the naked eye, even if they are reflective.

But the altitude of newly launched satellites isn't that high at first.

When Starlink satellites are first launched into space, they are at a low orbital altitude.

Afterward, they use weak propulsion to slowly climb to a higher orbit, until they reach an orbital altitude of 550 kilometers or more, then stabilize their attitude for normal operation.

Therefore, those satellites that have just been launched and are climbing to their orbits can be observed by people on Earth at night. The reflected sunlight also causes misunderstandings.

Later, international organizations severely criticized Musk for this pollution of the night sky, requiring him to improve subsequent Starlink satellites by using light-absorbing coatings... So recently launched Starlink satellites no longer have this problem of glowing in the middle of the night.

vv used this "benign bug" in reverse.

Since satellites glow when they are in low orbit, just let the satellites decelerate, reduce centrifugal force, and be pulled back into low orbit by Earth's gravity.

It's just a little lower in orbit, not considered destruction, and doesn't violate the competition rules.

Anyway, after drawing the pentagram, just start the thrusters and climb back to the original orbital altitude, right?

"But… is a pentagram even considered a star?" Lin Xian complained.

"A pentagram is more impressive!"

In the Bluetooth headset, vv giggled:

"Being able to do this is already pretty good, be content! If you want to give her a real star… then work hard in the future, the road ahead is long…"

*Pu-tong!*

The free performance segment had just ended.

Over on the American stage, the genius hacker Kevin Walker rushed to the center of the stage, pointing at Lin Xian's competition platform and shouting:

"He's cheating! He used my vulnerability! He violated the rules!"

The host stepped forward to negotiate with him, but he insisted that Lin Xian had stolen his vulnerability to invade the Starlink satellite system, which was a serious form of cheating!

Amidst Kevin Walker's argument with the host,

Lin Xian stared at the young man, who was completely covered by a hood and a black mask…

As soon as Kevin Walker entered, Lin Xian had vv try to capture his facial features and compare them with the mysterious old man's sketch to see if the two were the same person.

Unfortunately,

Kevin Walker's hoodie was large, completely covering his face, and he also had a black mask underneath… Lin Xian only noticed this after the competition started.

He had originally thought that the darkness inside the hood was due to lighting issues, and that the various cameras were deliberately avoiding certain angles, so he didn't realize the shadow inside was a

mask.

He was originally worried about how to approach Kevin Walker and remove his mask.

But now,

Kevin Walker ran directly to his side to question him, close enough to be a golden opportunity!

Recalling just now, when Huang Que suddenly appeared to support Chu Anqing, she made a very familiar gesture towards the sky…

Just like the pose Kevin Walker made when he entered the stage, both were the emblem of the Genius Club, a right hand pointing straight to the sky.

When Kevin first made this gesture, Lin Xian was a little concerned, but didn't think too deeply.

After all, this gesture isn't uncommon, Chu Shanhe made it when donating money, Gao Yang made it when gesturing wildly, and even he himself often made the gesture.

But Huang Que was different…

Her every move, every word, seemed to reveal some deeper meaning.

Especially in this unnecessary situation, deliberately making the gesture of the Genius Club to show him was definitely a reminder.

Genius Club.}

Kevin Walker is likely a member of the Genius Club.}

Lin Xian's thoughts raced…

He had considered this possibility before.

Even if the threshold for the Genius Club was high, Kevin Walker's level should be enough, right?

With a body of flesh and blood, as an ordinary human living in 2023, he actually had strength comparable to the juvenile vv, so strong it could only be described as outrageous.

If such a person couldn't join the Genius Club, then Lin Xian could only conclude that the Genius Club might be full of aliens or superpowered beings.

Reasoning this way, the mysterious old man in the fourth dream was likely also a member of the Genius Club, very likely… the Kevin Walker in front of him!

Now.

It's time.

To reveal the truth.

"vv, pay attention to facial recognition."

After instructing,

Lin Xian walked around the competition platform and strode towards Kevin Walker.

Perhaps he was thinking too much in his head.

Blaming all the resentment towards the mysterious old man, Xu Yun, Tang Xin, Zhao Yingjun in the third dream… etc., all on the Genius Club, the root of all evil, to the point that his face was very ugly.

Kevin Walker clearly sensed Lin Xian's ill intentions, taking two steps back:

"You… what are you going to do!"

*Pu-tong!*

The retreating Kevin Walker was tripped by a cable on the ground, sitting down, watching Lin Xian approach warily.

*Shua.*

Lin Xian was quick-eyed and quick-handed, grabbing the black mask on his face, and then removing it along with the hoodie—

Freckles, round face, flat nose, small and round eyes, curly brown short hair.

This was a very ordinary-looking American teenager.

This…

Lin Xian stared at the details of the teenager's facial features.

Doesn't look like him.

Not at all!

He didn't even need vv to do facial recognition and comparison, Lin Xian could assert that the teenager in front of him was definitely not the mysterious old man in the fourth dream!

Completely different nose and mouth,

Eyes with drastically different sizes and lengths,

The face shape, chin, and cheekbones had nothing in common!

Could it be…

Lin Xian took a deep breath.

"Lin Xian, the comparison is done, this teenager is not the old man in your sketch, and he is not Kevin Walker."

In the Bluetooth headset, vv's voice came: "His name is Josen, also a well-known young hacker in the American hacker circle, but his level is obviously far from Kevin Walker's, and his life history is very complete, he is currently studying in high school and has already applied to Stanford University. He does have some talent, but from

all his information… he is far from being a genius, let alone a genius like Kevin Walker."

At the same time,

The American audience in the stands instantly became noisy, discussing the situation.

Those who were able to come to the event today had some understanding of the IT circle and the hacker circle, so they not only knew Kevin Walker, but also knew Josen, the young hacker.

These were completely two different people!

Today at the competition, this Kevin Walker wearing a hoodie, wearing a mask, and carrying the title of making his first public appearance… was actually Josen pretending to be him:

"How could it be Josen? I came here today specifically to see Kevin Walker! Kevin Walker has never appeared in reality for so long, no one knows who he is, no one has ever seen him, I thought I would finally see his true face today, but I didn't expect it to be fake!"

"No, we can't say it's fake either. Kevin Walker is very active on the internet, he must have met Josen online. If Josen was intentionally pretending to be him, Kevin Walker would definitely have spoken out online. But until now, Kevin Walker hasn't made any clarification… which means! It was Kevin himself who authorized Josen to pretend to be him!"

"Then what is this for? With Josen's level, he certainly can't invade the Dragon Country's Tianwang system and Beidou satellites… not to mention Josen, even the top ten hackers in the world can't do that, the only one with this level is a truly transcendent genius—Kevin Walker."

"Why has he never shown his face? Who exactly is Kevin Walker? Why is he hiding himself? If Kevin Walker himself had come to the event… he definitely wouldn't have lost to the Dragon Country today."

…

On the competition stage,

Lin Xian slowly stood up, looking down at the unfamiliar and somewhat flustered boy in front of him.

Something's not right.

Many things were not right.

This wrongness wasn't just wrongness in reality…

It was all-around wrongness.

Recently, Lin Xian always felt that things around him were very awkward.

Even in the dream…

The old man in the dream always came to see him in the last few seconds of 00:42, preventing him from doing anything.

The fourth dream tightly restricted his activity range to a mere palm-sized area, either surrounded or tied to a chair, unable to move.

Did the space elevator and the star city in the distance really exist?

Or…

Was it just a backdrop?

Like a backdrop in *The Truman Show*?

Was he just a lab rat in a studio?

The same goes for time.

In the fourth dream, no matter how early he entered the dream, the time he could move freely was less than a minute.

This impossibly short time not only prevented him from exploring the dream to obtain information, but also prevented him from verifying the authenticity of the dream.

Was this scientific?

Was this really a real dream?

Why did it smell so fake?

Or perhaps…

The more Lin Xian thought about it, the colder he felt.

If the fourth dream was real.

Then what did the mysterious old man do to him during his coma?

Since they could convict him of crimes against humanity, crimes against Earth, and disrupting space-time… would they obediently tie him to a chair and wait for him to wake up?

After confirming that the dream was real for a year, Lin Xian began to suspect that the dream was fake for the first time.

At least…

The fourth dream was really strange.

Looking at the reality in front of him.

The genius hacker Kevin Walker, who never showed his face.}

The old man who only came to see him in the last few seconds in the dream.

Announced loudly that he would attack the Dragon Country's Tianwang system in the hacker competition.}

Dozens of soldiers squatting at his respawn point.

He had enough strength to invade Tianwang and leave traces of the juvenile vv, but deliberately waited for the hacker competition!}

Clearly, he could kill himself directly in the dream, but deliberately let him live until 00:42!

Showed him his face, but only for a few seconds!}

Let other young hackers pretend to be him, with a hood and mask to cover his face completely, unless it was removed, it was impossible to see his appearance clearly!

*Teng.*

Lin Xian stood up and took a deep breath:

"Not good!"

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha… Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!"

In the huge New Jersey stadium, all the sound-playing devices emitted a spine-chilling laugh!

A crazy and childish laugh;

An arrogant and excited laugh;

A victorious and gloating laugh!

Speakers, stereos, cell phones, computers, the host's headset, toys brought by children, the Tesla cars displayed on the prize platform as prizes…

Everything was laughing wildly!

The entire 80,000-person venue was instantly thrown into chaos.

Children crying in fear, women hugging their companions tightly, men covering their ears, glass shattered by high-frequency sonic resonance—

"No…"

A light laugh suddenly came close to Lin Xian's eardrum.

He turned his head sharply!

Only to find that the sound came from the Bluetooth headset he had been wearing all night! Contemptuous, slow, and cold:

"I, see, you!"