That figure was small yet resolute, a negligible speck of dust in the vastness of countless worlds.
Tong Yang walked to the desk, looked at the lit computer screen, raised the walkie-talkie, and said, "Xu Junyue, don't we still have twenty minutes?"
He Jingjing was breathing heavily: "Xu Junyue, we still have time, we can think of other ways. Don't be impulsive!"
Xu Junyue's voice came through intermittently: "There's no way. I can't think of any way."
Tong Yang said, "You can't think of one, but I can."
"Xu Junyue, give me twenty minutes." Tong Yang took a deep breath. "I said I wouldn't interfere with any of your decisions, and I wouldn't save you when it's impossible to save you. But we haven't reached a dead end yet, understand?"
"Tong Yang has a point, don't be impulsive," Tang Li advised.
Chu Shiyu from World A scoffed, "You're brainless, and you think everyone else is as brainless as you?"
Xu Junyue snapped irritably, "Shut your trap."
Tong Yang continued, "I won't stop you if you want to die. It's just not urgent these twenty minutes. If I haven't thought of a way in twenty minutes, you can go die."
Xu Junyue's movements slowed. She clicked her tongue, "What you say seems to make some sense."
Tong Yang and the others collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
"Come back first."
"I'm not coming back," Xu Junyue refused. "I'll wait at the entrance to the underground base, to save time. When the twenty minutes are up, I'll go straight in. I won't give up without a fight. Even if I die, I'll make her pay dearly."
Tong Yang didn't insist further, saying, "Before the twenty minutes are up, hide well."
"I know. Do your best. I don't really want to die, but if there's no other way, then dying it is."
"Mm. Keep in touch."
"Understood!"
After the conversation ended, He Jingjing and the others arrived at the room, with Ye Huai and Ali Buckley appearing right behind them.
Entering the study, Ye Huai had the trainee soldier in the corner leave, leaving only the five of them.
Without wasting words, Ye Huai wheeled his chair to the desk and moved the mouse to check the computer's status.
He operated the computer with familiar ease, placed the golden ID card on the card reader, and clicked on a program with an English name.
"Central monitor?" Tong Yang asked.
"Mm."
The program's progress bar loaded, gradually revealing thousands upon thousands of surveillance feeds.
Surveillance cameras were practically everywhere in the parallel world.
Ye Huai had kept a walkie-talkie on him and had heard the entirety of their conversation.
After inputting a string of code, he accurately searched for the surveillance feed of Xu Junyue's location.
That rascal said she was going to the underground base entrance, and sure enough, she was right at the underground base door. Not only there, but she was also sitting brazenly on the stone steps of the entrance. Anyone coming out would spot her at a glance.
"This idiot, isn't she afraid of being seen?" Chu Shiyu from World A scolded.
"If she were afraid of being seen, she wouldn't have gone alone in the first place."
Ye Huai was quite proficient with computers, and having already been exposed to them in the First District, he operated with great fluidity.
In less than a minute, an engineering diagram of Harker Island appeared on the desktop, overlaid with a layer of blurry code, making the specific patterns unclear.
[Reading ID card——]
[ID card read successfully——]
[Verifying iris information——]
The camera on the right side of the computer suddenly emitted a piercing red light. Ye Huai's eyes stung sharply, and he closed them uncomfortably.
[Iris information authentication successful. Welcome to the terminal console.]
[Friendly reminder: Red icon locations indicate unmodifiable programs. Blue icons indicate selectively modifiable programs. After submitting a new program, modifications cannot be repeated within one day.]
[Please confirm entry to the terminal console.]
Ye Huai moved the mouse and clicked confirm.
[Respected Mr. Maynard, greetings.]
"Your iris information verification succeeded? You really are from the Maynard family?" Tang Li asked in surprise.
Ali Buckley said, "Mr. Maynard is, of course, genuinely from the Maynard family."
Ye Huai explained, "During the first gathering, Ye Tianlin collected my iris information."
The engineering diagram was a simple flat image showing the topography and buildings of the entire Harker Island.
Ye Huai pressed his right index finger on the mouse and dragged the image downward. The engineering diagram suddenly changed, like falling water droplets, continuously dripping down and landing to form three-dimensional spherical beads. These beads gradually merged with others, slowly forming a model with alternating red and blue stripes.
"Is this the energy terminal?"
"Is it? Looks pretty ordinary."
Ye Huai said, "The fixed programs can no longer be changed. We can only look for solutions within a small scope. There will definitely be loopholes, but within twenty minutes, we might not gain much."
Tong Yang pressed her lips together. Ye Huai had seen through her thoughts.
They stood no chance in a direct confrontation with Xu Siyuan. Not only would they fail to pull Xu Junyue out, but they would also drag the others down. Therefore, Tong Yang placed her only hope on the energy terminal.
Tong Yang had already come to understand how powerful magnetic field energy was. The brain-developing chips, gene serums, the energy terminal—everything was inextricably linked to magnetic field energy. Even if Xu Siyuan had been injected with high-quality gene serum and wasn't bound by magnetic field cycles and rules, she ultimately still existed under the influence of magnetic field energy. There must be a way to counterbalance her.
Tong Yang said, "At the very least, we can counterbalance her for a short time, allowing everyone to leave Harker Island. We have a way to leave alive. As for the others, as long as they don't die on Harker Island and the news can get out, it doesn't matter even if they die at sea."
"Wow! Boss, are you saying my one life is more important than the lives of everyone in 'Black Tempest'?" Xu Junyue exclaimed.
Tong Yang stated frankly, "Pretty much. And also, I'm not willing to go back like this."
"You're so greedy!"
Tang Li sighed, "I'm not willing either."
Tong Yang said, "The smooth progress of events is largely due to the 'Forerunners' standing by and adding fuel to the fire. They don't care what we do, they don't take us seriously, and they certainly don't take the real world seriously. Our actions are just like ants trying to shake a tree in their eyes. It's pure arrogance."
Xu Junyue agreed, "You make a good point. Being manipulated like puppets, even winning feels like losing."
"We haven't won. At the very least, we need to do something to make them pay a little for their arrogance, even if it's just a tiny bit."
Tong Yang was someone who repaid every slight and argued over every trifle. Although she didn't yet possess the full capability to contend with the parallel world, finding loopholes to cause them some trouble wasn't difficult.
"Boss, what do you want to do? I'm getting a bit excited!"
Tong Yang said, "I want to kill Xu Siyuan, on this island, using every available condition."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone except Ye Huai froze on the spot.
"Boss, are you crazy?"
"Kill a 'Forerunner'? And one who's been injected with high-quality gene serum?!"
He Jingjing exclaimed in shock, "I thought Xu Junyue was crazy enough, but you..."
Chu Shiyu from World A shook her head. "Impossible, absolutely impossible! That's a Forerunner officer! Not only incredibly strong but also injected with high-quality gene serum! Even in the Main World, aside from an execution order from above, no one has ever truly killed someone who's received that serum. Your idea is too dangerous, it's pure fantasy!"
Tang Li laughed heartily and patted her shoulder. "Tong Yang, you really are an utterly arrogant person."
"I admire you, and I support you. If you can kill Xu Siyuan, I'm willing to let you become the 'brain' of 'The Spider'."
Tong Yang said solemnly, "It will be extremely difficult to pull off. It would be good if the energy terminal can be of use, but it will still require paying a price."
Tang Li said, "But for us, the significance is extraordinary. Returning with a 'Forerunner's' life would be coming back fully loaded, a huge success against the parallel world."
"Exactly."
"Sometimes, a spiritual victory is more important."
If they sacrificed Xu Junyue and slunk back in disgrace, even if they uncovered the secret of the energy terminal, it would only be because the 'Forerunner' allowed it, even a form of charity. That would hardly be a true victory.
"The only alternative to sacrificing Xu Junyue is to kill Xu Siyuan, achieving two goals at once."
Xu Junyue said, "I want to join you too!"
Tong Yang said, "Stay put for now. Twenty minutes is too short. When necessary, die at the hands of someone else from the parallel world, understand what I mean?"
Even though Xu Siyuan considered herself from the parallel world, her true identity originated from the real world. If Xu Junyue died by her hand, Tong Yang wouldn't be able to return to ten minutes before her death.
Conversely, if Xu Junyue died at the hands of a parallel world human, Tong Yang and the others would have at least six hours—the time from the guest being poisoned to death—to find a way to kill Xu Siyuan and clear the instance to return to the real world.
However, before that, they must stabilize Xu Siyuan and make her believe that her scheme had succeeded.
Xu Junyue said excitedly, "I understand, boss!"
Tong Yang thought for a moment, then took out the S-level identity card of Yan Qing from the parallel world from her backpack and handed it to Chu Shiyu from World A, saying, "Deliver this to Xu Junyue."
"Why me?" Chu Shiyu from World A glared.
"You're strong, well-suited for it."
Chu Shiyu from World A was taken aback. "Huh? You... you really think so?"
"Mm." Tong Yang nodded.
Flattered, Chu Shiyu from World A took the identity card. "Since I'm this strong, of course a task like this should fall to me. Wait here, I'll deliver it to her right away."
"Do you know where the underground base is?"
"Of course I do."
"Go ahead."
"I'm off then!"
"Mm."
Tong Yang spoke into the walkie-talkie to Xu Junyue on the other end: "I'm sending her to deliver the identity card to you. Xu Siyuan won't kill you that quickly. She'll probably try to torture you. If you feel you can't endure it anymore, find an opportunity and order a base staff member to kill you."
"There's no time limit. Even if she just stabs you once, you can do this. As long as you die in front of her, that's enough."
Xu Junyue said gravely, "I understand."
"You must die by the hand of a parallel world human."
"I will, even if it's with my last breath!"
The corner of Tong Yang's mouth lifted. "Good."
Tang Li narrowed her eyes. Even though she knew Tong Yang harbored secrets, she couldn't help but feel surprised.
It sounded like she had a way to resurrect Xu Junyue?
Could it be related to the loops Xu Siyuan mentioned in the broadcast?
"Tong Yang, I'm serious. You could join 'The Spider'."
As if remembering something, Tong Yang's expression soured slightly. "I don't like insects."
"Still holding a grudge?"
"If I have a grievance, I usually settle it on the spot. The ones I don't, I remember for a lifetime."
"Pfft, hahaha... you're really something."
"What do you think?" Tong Yang bent down, leaning on Ye Huai's shoulder.
Ye Huai leaned back slightly, letting her rest more comfortably.
"I took a look. The red markers include soil, trees, buildings, etc.—everything inherently part of the island. They cannot be altered or edited."
Tong Yang nodded, examining the model displayed on the screen. It was almost entirely composed of lines of varying lengths. Lines within a region were integrated and could be edited simultaneously.
"What's this here?" Tong Yang pointed at the area marked with blue lines in the model.
Ye Huai clicked on the blue lines, causing the surrounding area to light up and a string of strange code to pop up.
Ye Huai said, "I've never seen this kind of code before. Judging from the model's location, it's the villa where you were staying."
"Can it be edited?"
"Yes."
"Take a look."
Ye Huai selected the modification program. The regional model expanded, with penetrating blue lines constructing the entire villa. Notably, red spherical objects were embedded within the building's walls.
"Bombs." Ye Huai checked the code for the red spheres. "There's a detonation program."
Tong Yang dragged a chair over and sat down beside her. "Did you hear the villa explosion in the real world?"
Ye Huai said, "I heard it."
"The villa in the parallel world shows no signs of having been blown up."
Ye Huai pursed her lips. "The bombs in the parallel world detonated in the real world?"
"Most likely. Try detonating a bomb."
"Okay."
Ye Huai minimized the view, showing the villa model on one side and surveillance footage on the other.
Adjusting the surveillance feed to the villa's location, Ye Huai triggered a bomb embedded in a second-floor wall.
The bomb disappeared from the model, but the surveillance footage showed no change.
"Triggering the bomb causes it to explode in the real world."
"Magnetic field energy is really something, capable of anything."
"I have an idea." Ye Huai said thoughtfully.
"What is it?"
Tang Li and He Jingjing didn't participate in their discussion. Exhausted from all the turmoil, they each found a spot to rest.
Tong Yang and Ye Huai were the sharpest minds among them. If they couldn't think of a solution, the others certainly couldn't.
However, Tang Li was clearly holding back in front of them, perhaps simply not wanting to get involved.
Ye Huai looked at the line-based modeling on the desktop, everything seemingly following a certain pattern.
"These lines are the code. The energy terminal is like a computer, and the programs are things composed of countless lines of code. The red lines and blue lines are like system software and application software. System software coordinates hardware resources, provides system services, and serves as the foundation for installing and running application software. Application software is what we normally use—it meets specific application needs, can perform specific tasks, has different functionalities, and relies on the operating system and system software."
Tong Yang pondered his words. Having limited knowledge of electronic devices, she vaguely grasped his meaning.
"The energy terminal is like a computer, and what supports its operation is magnetic field energy. Different from satellite signals, it's another thing similar to a satellite?"
Ye Huai explained, "In terms of real-world technology, covering the globe with communication satellites requires multiple satellites working together, forming a satellite network to cover every corner of the world. Magnetic field energy must be something above that."
"Under the influence of magnetic field energy, Earth is like a running computer, but within this computer, there exist several systems. Currently known systems include the First World, the Parallel World, and the Real World. Apart from the First World and the Parallel World, the Real World and several other worlds exist in a state of non-interference."
Tong Yang said, "The first two systems have developed problems, so they need to develop the next system."
"The Parallel World feels there's too much garbage, leading to resource scarcity. So they are cleaning up the garbage while developing the next world. With the experience from the First World, they aim to completely clean out the garbage from the next world. Then, the true elites standing atop the pyramid will abandon the garbage of the Parallel World and enter the Real World."
Tong Yang snorted disdainfully, "Even if invaded, the number of people using resources in the Parallel World is already dwindling. The root cause of the system's problems is that the codes are either being killed or having their consciousness stripped away. The program can't run anymore; it's facing collapse and paralysis."
"Dr. Wu's goal is to accelerate the system's collapse to restore it to the initial system and restart it—breaking it down to establish anew."
Ye Huai said solemnly, "Following this line of reasoning, for the Real World, magnetic field energy is a powerful new energy source. The ones who discovered it were from the First World, which is why they invaded the Parallel World."
Tong Yang frowned tightly, "We are on the same timeline, but decades ago we didn't discover any new energy source. Even with the butterfly effect, something like a new energy source shouldn't just disappear outright."
Ye Huai looked grave and nodded, "You're right. The First World's discovery of magnetic field energy probably wasn't due to natural factors."
After a moment of silence, they looked at each other and spoke in unison, "Time travel!"
"People from the future discovered the new energy source and went back decades, even centuries ago! They told the people of the past!"
"The loops of Yan Qing in the Parallel World, my loops..."
And also, Tong Le's time travel in 2036!
Tong Yang remembered something, a bone-chilling cold spreading across her back. "Perhaps, the gene serum isn't about resurrection from death, but about looping."
Ye Huai looked up, stunned. "Looping..."
Tang Li and He Jingjing also heard her words, turning to look at her in astonishment.
"One of the materials in the gene serum is a certain nerve from the human brain. If it possesses memory function, after injecting the gene serum, while curing all bodily diseases, it also stores cellular memory. Once the body is damaged, the magnetic field energy loops the body back to the time when the cellular memory was first stored, restoring and regenerating the cells." Tong Yang rubbed the hair on her head that wasn't her own. "Just like my loops, short-term loops always return to the same memory point in time."
"The scalp I cut off, its cells stored a portion of memory. The cells don't regenerate; they are reborn."
Ye Huai pressed his lips together tightly. "The gene serum's life-restoring effect is too incredible. If it stores cellular memory and the body loops as an individual, not involving time, then it makes sense."
"He Jingjing, come here for a moment," Tong Yang said.
"What for?"
"To run an experiment."
He Jingjing walked up to her. "What experiment?"
"Sorry, you might have to suffer a bit."
He Jingjing asked, "Is it necessary?"
"Yes."
"Then go ahead."
Tong Yang said to Ye Huai, "Check if there are any loopholes, change the game rules a bit."
Ye Huai nodded. "Okay."
Tong Yang pulled He Jingjing aside, and Tang Li curiously moved closer.
Tong Yang found a lighter and used a pen to draw a circle on He Jingjing's wrist.
"I'm going to burn your skin."
He Jingjing probably realized what she intended. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Then do it!"
Tong Yang flicked the lighter, the flame jumped, and she burned the circled skin. He Jingjing broke out in a cold sweat from the pain.
The burned skin was unrecognizable. Tong Yang stopped.
As the cells healed, the pain gradually faded.
In no time, He Jingjing's wrist returned to normal, but the mark made by Tong Yang with the black marker pen had disappeared.
Tang Li exclaimed in amazement, "It's exactly as you said."
Tong Yang put down the lighter. "Looping is one of the functions of magnetic field energy."
"However, based on the current situation, people injected with the gene serum undergo personal looping, while the time anchor point refers to time looping."
If not caught in a time dislocation, Tong Yang should have other methods to loop, just like Yan Qing in the Parallel World—unable to change the established facts of the past.
People from the future of the First World discovered the new energy source and went back decades, finding the new energy source ahead of time.
Subsequently, they brought the new energy source into the Parallel World.
Someone from the Real World traveled from the future to the past, knowing about the new energy source's existence. Could the person in this time travel be Tong Le from 2036?
There's just too little information to draw a definitive conclusion.
The only thing certain is that the secret behind the gene serum's healing is memory storage and personal looping.
Apart from the 749 Bureau's conclusion of death by dehydration, as long as you erase the stored memory and break the personal loop, you can kill someone injected with the gene serum.
"Chu Shiyu, have you delivered the items?"
"Delivered. I'll be right back," Chu Shiyu from World A replied.
"No need to come back," Tong Yang said.
"Huh? If I don't come back, where should I go?"
"Stay with Xu Junyue. I know how to kill her now," Tong Yang stated.
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's gaze instantly focused on her.
"What method?"
"You have a way?"
Tong Yang explained, "Her body loops and restores itself whenever injured. Normal means or death by dehydration are basically impossible."
"If we can't erase the cellular memory and can't break the loop in a short time, then we make her remain in a constant state of looping—neither alive nor dead, without form."
"What?"
"What method?"
He Jingjing and Chu Shiyu from World A asked simultaneously.
Tong Yang's tone was inexplicably chilling.
Tong Yang let out a cold laugh. "I should have thought of it sooner. Killing them is hard, but keeping them in a perpetual state of death isn't difficult."
"You—just say what you mean, don't scare people like that!" Chu Shiyu from World A protested.
Tong Yang said, "I originally planned to use fire, to keep her body looping continuously without time to recover, but flames can easily be extinguished, potentially leaving an opening."
She said with a sinister tone, "So, what do you think about immersing her in concentrated sulfuric acid?"
"Find an iron barrel, put her inside it. The sulfuric acid will constantly corrode her body, she will remain in a state of death, unable to regenerate."
He Jingjing gasped upon hearing this: "Holy crap..."
Tang Li couldn't help but take two steps back, putting distance between them.
"Tong Yang, are you a devil?! That's terrifying!" roared Chu Shiyu from World A.
"I like it, I like it!" Xu Junyue said excitedly.
At this moment, Ye Huai spoke calmly: "Tong Yang, you can change the target clearance character. Anyone on the island is an option."
Tong Yang broke into a radiant smile. "Great, truly everything is ready except for the east wind."
She looked at Ali Buckley and asked, "Is there concentrated sulfuric acid on the island?"
Ali Buckley looked at her with considerable trepidation. Anyone who had been injected with the gene serum would find it hard not to imagine themselves in that scenario upon hearing her words.
Soaked in concentrated sulfuric acid? Constantly corroding the body?
Even though their bodies could regenerate, the pain would be absolutely real.
"Yes."
"Then please prepare some."
Ali Buckley fell silent for a moment. "...Alright."
Then, Ye Huai asked, "If you confirm the change, you can't modify it again for a day. The guest might not last twenty-four hours after the poison takes full effect. We only have this one chance."
He Jingjing said, "Tong Yang, even if there's a way to kill her, we're no match for her. We can't control her."
"Besides, there's more than one 'Forerunner' on the island."
Tong Yang sneered, "Don't worry. Xu Siyuan is all alone. The other 'Forerunners' wouldn't be so foolish and long-winded."
"But no rush. We'll change the target when she's about to die."
Tong Yang said to Xu Junyue and the other person, "You two come back. No need to stay there any longer."
"Oh."
"Then we're coming back."
The corners of her mouth lifted, revealing a sinister smile.
"Who said we need to fight her?"
"I want her to walk right into the trap herself."
He Jingjing felt a chill run down her spine from that smile and couldn't help asking, "What if she doesn't come?"
"She will definitely come."
"After all, she's an idiot."
