Dual Worlds: I Have a Doomsday World

’Intercontinental Communication Network Company? Isn’t that the Intercontinental Giant Corporation behind Jin Yuanxi? The Executive Vice President? Why are they contacting me all of a sudden? I was involved in Jin Yuanxi’s downfall, but I was absolutely certain I wasn’t exposed.’

Lin Qi didn’t immediately doubt the authenticity of the information in the communication request.

Impersonating someone from the Intercontinental Communication Network Company over the comms network... besides Guang Ling, probably no one else in the world would dare to do such a thing.

The price of offending an Intercontinental Giant Corporation was far beyond the imagination of an ordinary person.

Furthermore, this communication had a peculiar feature: there was no "decline" option.

There was only one option: "Accept."

Lin Qi said to Liu Xuan, "I need to take a call. I can’t refuse it."

Hearing this, Liu Xuan looked surprised.

She asked directly, "Was it initiated by the Intercontinental Communication Network Company?"

Lin Qi looked at Liu Xuan and asked back in confusion, "How did you know?"

Liu Xuan’s response was completely unexpected to Lin Qi. "I received one yesterday, too. It’s not a bad thing."

This made Lin Qi even more confused.

He got up, stepped out of the Floating Vehicle, and found an open area before finally accepting the communication.

"Hello, this is Lin Qi."

Facing an Intercontinental Giant Corporation, and doing so with his real identity, Lin Qi was extremely cautious.

On the other end of the line, a woman’s voice said, "Yours was the most difficult call to connect with in the last few days. You’ve kept me waiting for a full five minutes."

Lin Qi replied, "I was in a Floating Vehicle. It took me some time to move to a different location."

The woman continued, "Lin Qi, Director of United Pharmaceutical. Given your status, you must have heard about what happened to Jin Yuanxi."

The woman’s mention of Jin Yuanxi made Lin Qi feel a little guilty.

After all, Lin Qi had practically orchestrated Jin Yuanxi’s downfall himself.

If Lin Qi hadn’t pressured Aishwarya, she would never have dealt Jin Yuanxi the final blow.

But the woman was right. With Lin Qi’s status, it was easy to learn about the downfall of a permanent council member.

Lin Qi admitted directly, "I was very sorry to hear the news. Council Member Jin Yuanxi was of great help to our United Pharmaceutical."

Back then, Jin Yuanxi had helped build up a lot of momentum for United Pharmaceutical to smooth over their relations. This was their public relationship, and Lin Qi had to acknowledge it.

The woman continued, "Jin Yuanxi was our Intercontinental Communication Network Company’s spokesperson in the Asian Political Zone Big Business Alliance. Now that he has fallen, the company needs to select a new candidate to take over the permanent council member seat within a year."

"According to the Intercontinental Communication Network Company’s usual practice, we generally don’t select a candidate to parachute in from within the company."

"We prefer to find a sufficiently capable partner. These partners can come from various corporations, gangs, or even be wanderers by origin. We only require Ability."

"You are very fortunate. Based on your performance at this year’s Asia Political Zone Advanced Pharmaceutical Enterprise Summit, you have been successfully entered into the selection list by the company’s system."

"You just need to sign a contract with us, and you’ll have the opportunity to become one of ten candidates..."

’An Intercontinental Giant Corporation choosing a spokesperson?’

’Becoming a permanent council member of the Big Business Alliance?’

’Something like this is possible?’

’According to her, as long as someone has demonstrated some kind of outstanding ability in public, even someone from the very bottom of society has a chance to leap up and become a permanent council member, reaching the pinnacle of power in the Asian Political Zone Big Business Alliance?’

For the vast majority of people who received such an invitation, the temptation would be impossible to resist.

But...

"Can I refuse?"

To Lin Qi, this held no temptation at all.

Whether he became a candidate or an actual permanent council member, his status would be elevated infinitely, attracting much more attention.

But these were not the things Lin Qi was currently pursuing in the Cyber World.

’Power?’

’Actual strength is more important.’

Through the Doomsday World, Lin Qi could acquire sufficient Extraordinary Power.

’Money?’

’It’s within easy reach.’

In the past, Lin Qi would still worry about Credit Points.

But now his status had changed. Lin Qi had become a director of United Pharmaceutical.

And under his leadership, United Pharmaceutical would soon become a new, major corporation.

As for Credit Points, having enough was sufficient.

What Lin Qi needed now was survival!

In the Cyber World, the threats to Lin Qi’s survival were the European Administrative Region’s Round Table Conference, the Witch Hunt, and that seemingly ordinary moon.

These were the things Lin Qi needed to solve in the future.

Becoming a permanent council member wouldn’t help Lin Qi as much as one might think. It might even make him a bigger target.

Hadn’t even Aishwarya, a Tier Four Wizard and permanent council member, been exposed because of the Europeans’ recent actions, forced to become a standard-bearer for all Wizard Professionals in the world resisting the Witch Hunt?

If Lin Qi’s public position were too high, he would face the same risk.

Even if Lin Qi’s power was sufficiently of the Underworld, there was no guarantee that the Cyber World didn’t have abilities that could counter him.

Take Guang Ling’s network ability, for example, which could only be described as freakish.

If Lin Qi weren’t one of Guang Ling’s "own people," his identity would be at constant risk of exposure.

For all these reasons, rejecting the Intercontinental Communication Network Company’s invitation was Lin Qi’s best option.

"Refuse?"

On the other end of the line, the woman hadn’t even finished speaking. She clearly hadn’t expected Lin Qi to ask such a question.

The woman didn’t get angry. She simply said calmly, "Of course you can. The operation of Cyber Society will never suffer an irreversible loss from the absence of a single individual. In fact, it won’t suffer any loss at all from the absence of any individual."

In other words, if you don’t want to participate, there are plenty of others who do!

Becoming the spokesperson for the Intercontinental Communication Network Company was a temptation that even the heirs of major corporations couldn’t refuse.

Hearing this, Lin Qi relaxed considerably and said directly, "In that case, I give up this opportunity. My greatest passions in life are Prosthetic Engineering and Pharmacy. I will devote the rest of my life to the work I love."

While refusing, Lin Qi didn’t forget to find a suitable excuse and, in the process, solidify the public persona he had cultivated.

Prosthetics and Potions—these were two pieces of information that anyone gathering intelligence on Lin Qi would not miss.

On the other end of the line, the woman was silent for a long time.

Then, she seemed to mutter to someone beside her, "How strange. Since when did the Asian Administrative Region have so many weirdos? I’ve actually been rejected three times now..."

Finally, the call quietly ended.

There was no record of the call left in Lin Qi’s Intelligent Brain.

This must be the work of the Intercontinental Communication Network Company.

’Rejected three times?’

It seemed Lin Qi wasn’t the first to refuse. He just didn’t know who else had turned down the Intercontinental Giant Corporation.

After ending the communication, Lin Qi felt quite relaxed and returned to the Floating Vehicle.

Liu Xuan was still in the same spot, not having moved an inch.

Lin Qi sat down next to Liu Xuan.

Liu Xuan turned her head to look at Lin Qi, her left prosthetic eye flickering with a faint light.

Lately, Liu Xuan’s reliance on the Suppressor had been decreasing.

From Lin Qi’s expression, Liu Xuan seemed to discern the decision he had just made.

"You rejected the Intercontinental Communication Network Company, too?" Liu Xuan asked.

’Too?’

’Does that mean Liu Xuan was one of the people who rejected that woman?’

’Was Liu Xuan also selected by the Intercontinental Communication Network Company?’

Lin Qi nodded and said, "I’m not pursuing power. Besides, participating in the selection would expose me to a lot of unnecessary risks, and I’m a person who hates risk."

’Hates risk, huh.’

Liu Xuan recalled her own mindset when she rejected the Intercontinental Communication Network Company.

At the time, Liu Xuan had actually been conflicted.

But when she thought about the risks involved in participating—not just the risks to herself, but to others as well—she ultimately chose to refuse.

"Me too," Liu Xuan said softly.

...

「Meanwhile, in the Council Building.」

Qiao Xi looked at Jingang as if he were an idiot. "You’re saying you rejected the Intercontinental Communication Network Company?"

Jingang said, "Council Member Qiao Xi, the heavens can testify to my loyalty to you!"

Qiao Xi replied, "I know. Now you can get out."