Dual Worlds: I Have a Doomsday World

Liu Xuan left the second floor and took the stairs down to the reception area.

Lin Xin quickly called out to her, "Sister-in-law, you must be hungry! I have a freshly heated can of food here. Have some to tide you over!"

After more than a day together, Lin Xin and Liu Xuan were getting along quite well.

Liu Xuan didn’t refuse. She sat down next to Lin Xin and said, "Thank you."

While opening the can, she said to Lin Qi, "I contacted my father and fourth uncle this morning. The company will fully cooperate with the operation. Everyone on the list will be working overtime for a new company project starting tonight."

"United Pharmaceutical’s expansion plan and Liu’s Heavy Industries’ new quarterly adjustments happen to be starting at the end of the month, so it won’t arouse any suspicion."

"My father believes there’s no need to hesitate with this choice. Liu’s Academy can replenish any talent the company needs at a moment’s notice."

The meaning behind Liu Xuan’s words to Lin Qi was clear. She wanted to know what he was really thinking.

Just like Lin Xin, she couldn’t stop thinking about the moment Baili Xueyuan had called Lin Qi away the night before.

She was afraid that Lin Qi, in a moment of emotional impulsiveness, would make an irrational choice.

After she finished speaking, Liu Xuan kept her eyes fixed on Lin Qi, seeming to await his answer.

"Sister-in-law, don’t worry. My brother isn’t an idiot. I just asked him. He said the smaller the ability, the smaller the responsibility. He won’t be impulsive."

Lin Xin spoke up at the right moment, answering Liu Xuan on Lin Qi’s behalf.

However, this answer clearly did little to ease Liu Xuan’s worries.

In a sense, Liu Xuan’s understanding of Lin Qi in this regard far surpassed Lin Xin’s.

According to the results of multiple psychological tests from Liu’s Academy and the company, Lin Qi had a tendency to be a meddler under certain conditions.

Furthermore, his "humanitarian" index was far above the social average for Red Fruit City.

"Really?"

Liu Xuan asked, looking into Lin Qi’s eyes.

Lin Qi looked a bit helpless. He nodded emphatically twice and said, "Even setting aside the matter of ability, judging from a rational perspective, I have no reason to get involved. It would bring me unnecessary trouble and, more importantly, bring danger to my family."

Hearing Lin Qi admit it himself, Liu Xuan finally relaxed a little.

"The company never has to worry about a shortage of employees. Aside from top-tier researchers, no one is irreplaceable."

"Even if everyone in Red Fruit City dies, the company can just move to other Cyber Cities."

Liu Xuan stated the values held by members of large corporations, hoping Lin Qi could come to accept this way of thinking.

In most situations in the Cyber World, humanitarianism and profit are mutually exclusive.

Lin Qi didn’t say much, just nodded from time to time.

Picking up the can the old man had brought, Lin Qi grabbed a spoon and started eating.

It tasted pretty good, full of the charm of Cyber Society’s technology.

Judging by the sensation on his taste buds, this can of "Iced Sugar Pear" probably had a "pear" content of no more than 0%.

After sitting in the reception area for a while, the first to leave were the old man, and... Sister Li.

Lin Qi hadn’t paid attention to what the old man and Sister Li were talking about, but they had been chatting for a long time.

In the end, who knows what kind of sweet-talking the old man had used on Sister Li, but he somehow managed to lead her downstairs.

Downstairs, besides Lin Qi’s workshop, was the old man’s operating room.

Not long after the old man took Sister Li downstairs, he came back up, chuckling to himself, and headed for the storeroom where the second-hand Prosthetic Bodies were kept.

Seeing this, Lin Xin couldn’t help but facepalm.

’Damn it!’

’The old man is working his damn charm again!’

’He even managed to swindle someone from the Eastern Alliance into becoming a customer!’

’They’ve only known each other for two days!’

’I wonder how many Credit Points the old man is going to squeeze out of Sister Li.’

When the old man passed by the reception area with a basket full of Prosthetic Bodies, Lin Xin rolled her eyes at him repeatedly.

The old man saw this, merely glanced at her, and said, "You’re just a kid. You don’t know how hard it is to run this place! Business at the clinic was so good these past few days, and then we just up and closed. I haven’t even secured the payment for my next shipment."

"It’s not easy to find someone without any Prosthetic Bodies installed. This is a big potential customer!"

"If I can sell all the A-Class stuff I’ve been saving, the profit could be a million Credit Points."

Hearing the old man’s words, Lin Xin rolled her eyes even harder.

’Heh!’

’Does the old man think people from the Eastern Alliance are fools?’

’People from the Eastern Alliance hate Prosthetic Body implantation. At most, Sister Li would only get one or two externally-linked Prosthetic Bodies just to try something new.’

’There’s no way she’d get invasive implants!’

’The old man’s plan is definitely going to fail.’

After the old man went downstairs, Lin Xin sat on the sofa, sulking.

Looking at Lin Qi, who was sitting on the sofa opposite her, she suddenly felt annoyed.

The relief she had just felt over Lin Qi making the right decision vanished completely.

Lin Xin picked up a throw pillow from the sofa and tossed it at Lin Qi.

Lin Qi casually caught the pillow, set it aside, and looked at Lin Xin, feeling bewildered. "What are you doing?"

Lin Xin shot Lin Qi a disdainful look and said, "I want to have a private chat with my sister-in-law. You’re being an eyesore sitting here. Can’t you just get the hell downstairs and play with your Prosthetic Bodies?"

Lin Xin’s tone was hostile.

Lin Qi didn’t put up with it. "Are you nuts? Itching for a scolding?"

Lin Qi glanced around, then remembered that his "Advanced Language Application" chip seemed to have been repossessed along with his old model flying vehicle.

Without the chip’s prompts, Lin Qi’s talent for insults couldn’t compare to Lin Xin’s.

Frowning, Lin Qi decided that Lin Xin was a bit of an eyesore herself.

Before Lin Xin could say another word, Lin Qi stood up and headed downstairs.

Liu Xuan, who was sitting to the side, looked at Lin Xin with some surprise.

Lin Xin quickly changed her tone. "Sister-in-law, don’t look at me like that. You’re making me blush."

Lin Qi, who hadn’t gotten far, heard Lin Xin’s suddenly cutesy voice and felt his scalp tingle.

He immediately quickened his pace, getting away from the first-floor reception area.

Meanwhile, Liu Xuan and Lin Xin continued their conversation.

"Do you and... Lin Qi always talk to each other like that?"

"Of course! It’s his fault for always bullying me when we were kids. By the way, sister-in-law, I heard you have a younger sister too. Didn’t you bully her when you were little?"

"Bully my sister? Why would I bully my sister?"

"Because it’s fun, of course! If I had a younger sibling, I’d definitely be even worse than Lin Qi..."

The two didn’t discuss anything important, but the atmosphere of their chat was excellent.

Even someone as cool-tempered as Liu Xuan was occasionally made to laugh by Lin Xin.

...

Inside the workshop, Lin Qi felt a rare sense of boredom.

In terms of Prosthetic Engineering, without literature or guidance from a High Level researcher, there wasn’t much for him to learn.

As for Pharmacy, although he hadn’t finished reading all the literature, what Lin Qi really needed was hands-on experimentation.

But he wanted to lay low in the Cyber World for a while, and the current batch of Extraordinary Materials from the Doomsday World should, if all went well, be finished with production today.

He could start the practical application once he went to the Doomsday World.

He was so bored that he could only grab some spare parts and, without any blueprints, start creating Prosthetic Body equipment on a whim.

Thankfully, the boredom didn’t last long.

A message suddenly popped up from the [Highest Level Temporary Chat].

King Arthur: Master Ma and I have arrived at Alliance City. We’re getting ready to head up in a bit. Even though I have plenty of spacecraft, this is my first time actually leaving the Earth’s surface.

Capitalist: There will be plenty of opportunities. Based on the trend of this mission, there’s a high probability our Highest-Level Mercenary Corps will get to go on a mission to a city on the Moon in the future.

Master Ma: The feeling of leaving the Earth’s surface isn’t great. It’s quite unsettling.

Jingang: Too bad my identity is basically public knowledge, or I’d want to experience it too.

The Mercenary Corps members started chatting. Lin Qi’s gaze locked onto the message sent by Capitalist.

’It feels like Capitalist is hinting at something, or maybe testing something.’

Shaking his head slightly, Lin Qi’s eyes fell on King Arthur’s message.

King Arthur was as straightforward as ever. The information she revealed was enough for any member of the Mercenary Corps to figure out her identity.

’Having Tier Four Extraordinary Power really lets you relax.’

Lin Qi remembered that King Arthur used to be more cautious.