Rain drizzled down, shrouding the entire Harker Island in a thin mist, with thick smoke lingering in the air.
The scent of damp earth and medicinal herbs floated faintly.
"How is he?"
The private doctor sighed. "All the physical conditioning Young Master Ye underwent recently has been wasted. His condition is even worse than before. This child... doesn't take care of himself at all."
Ye Huaiping lay flat on the bed, his face pale, connected to a respirator, his eyes tightly shut.
Tong Yang sat by the bedside, her own wounds already cleaned and treated.
"Will he die?" Tong Yang asked.
The private doctor replied, "If things continue like this, he might as well be dead. If he takes good care of himself and follows a proper regimen, he could live for another twenty years. With advanced medical technology, the illness can be controlled, and even an artificial heart replacement is possible."
Tong Yang nodded. "Thank you, I understand."
Tong Yang bid farewell and left the room.
They were still on Harker Island. After everything ended, when they found Ye Huaiping, he had long since fallen unconscious.
The private doctor said his physical state had been on the verge of collapse for a while, and he had been pushing himself relentlessly. A few hours later, and nothing could have been done.
Entering the corridor, she saw Tang Li and the others standing by the window.
Tang Li was unharmed. The wounds of Chu Shiyu from World A had already healed. He Jingjing's injuries weren't serious and didn't affect her mobility. However, Xu Junyue was quite badly injured; after having her shoulder set, she couldn't stay idle and had come out in a wheelchair to join the gathering.
"Xu Siyuan, along with the iron barrel, has been sent to the ship to be taken back to the 749 Bureau."
Since Xu Siyuan's corpse would return to the real world upon her death state, they had already prepared sulfuric acid at the corresponding location in the real world.
"I see," Tong Yang responded.
"Regarding the magnetic field energy and the energy terminal, Dr. Wu plans to discuss it together once Ye Huaiping wakes up."
"Alright."
Tang Li continued, "You and Dr. Wu are now considered traitors. Very few people know the full story, so you won't be able to return to China for some time."
Tong Yang wasn't surprised. "I understand."
"As for your brother and Chu Shiyu, the government has been providing protection. Chu Shiyu sustained some injuries, but they're not serious. The pursuit won't continue either."
Tong Yang said, "That's good. There's no need to use virtual coordinates anymore."
"I think so too."
Tong Yang walked over to Xu Junyue and glanced at her shoulder. "How is it?"
"It hurts."
"Did you find your aunt's body?"
Xu Junyue shook her head. "The underground base doesn't exist in the real world. Her body is underground."
"Dig it out?"
"Impossible. The underground base is huge. Who knows exactly where it is? We can't just excavate the entire airfield."
Tong Yang smiled slightly. "Fair point."
Xu Junyue sighed. "I heard Old Xu has been arrested. Do you think what Xu Siyuan said was true?"
"Once you return home, you can go ask him yourself."
"That's true."
"Miss Ali."
Ali Buckley approached the group, her body already returned to normal.
"How is Mr. Maynard?" Ali Buckley asked.
"He's temporarily out of danger. He should wake up after some rest and recuperation."
"That's good," Ali Buckley said, lowering her gaze.
"What are your plans now?" Tong Yang asked.
Ali Buckley pressed her lips together. "The Maynard family has been wiped out overnight."
Tong Yang frowned. "The people?"
"The key figures of the Maynard family have disappeared. Not long ago, I received news that the Primary World is hunting down members of the Maynard family globally, including the trained soldiers."
"Who did it? Wasn't the Maynard family's status in the parallel world very high?"
"It was an order from the higher-ups. The task was carried out by four of the five 'Forerunners' who came to Harker Island."
Tang Li asked, "Only four people?"
"Yes. The Maynard family was utterly defenseless."
Chu Shiyu from World A shivered. "Thank goodness only one officer was chasing Dr. Wu back then, otherwise we wouldn't have survived no matter how many tries."
Tong Yang pondered for a moment. "The inaction of the 'Forerunners' regarding the events on Harker Island... was their goal to encircle and eliminate the Maynard family?"
Ali Buckley looked up at her. "Miss Tong, you are indeed very perceptive."
"The Maynard family single-handedly established the trade chain between the two worlds and held high prestige in the Primary World. With the black market trade unable to continue, the Maynard family naturally lost its necessity for existence. Moreover, Mr. Maynard's identity has been exposed. In the matter of Harker Island, it was the Maynard family that betrayed the Primary World."
"However, that's only one reason." Ali Buckley's expression grew complex. "Initially, the Primary World didn't know you were on the island, so the 'Forerunners' target wasn't you. Yet, upon learning you had landed on the island, they not only took no action but even revealed information about the energy terminal—something they didn't even plan to tell me—which is highly disadvantageous to the Primary World."
Tong Yang said, "The Forerunners acted on their own, disobeying orders?"
"You could say that."
"Won't they be punished?"
"They probably pinned all the blame on the Maynard family. I don't understand their objective."
Tong Yang seemed to grasp her meaning. "You're saying the reason for the 'Forerunners' departure from Harker Island is unclear?"
"Exactly."
He Jingjing said, "Were they helping us?"
Tong Yang shook her head. "Not helping us. Whether they are enemies or not, they are definitely not friends."
Tang Li said, "At least the threat is somewhat reduced."
"Even so, we mustn't let our guard down."
Tong Yang looked up at Ali Buckley. "You can't return to the parallel world. What do you plan to do from now on?"
Ali Buckley said, "Besides me, there are other people from the Maynard family on the island. I would like to ask you to negotiate on our behalf with the others, to allow us to stay on Harker Island."
Tong Yang didn't immediately agree to her request. During the Harker Island incident, Ali Buckley and the Maynard family had indeed helped them. One could say that without them, Tong Yang and the others would never have been able to modify the rules and return to the real world.
"What is your stance?" Tong Yang asked.
Ali Buckley replied, "Our stance will always be to follow the Maynard family and Mr. Maynard."
"And Ye Huaiping?"
"He is Mr. Maynard."
Tong Yang's expression remained steady. Ye Tianlin from the parallel world was Maynard. He made the real world's Ye Huaiping into the second Maynard. In this incident, he aided the real world. His true identity was still unclear, but his stance seemed to lean toward the real world.
"Do you know where the other surviving members of the Maynard family are?"
Ali Buckley shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't know about that."
Hearing this, Tong Yang nodded. "Alright, I will negotiate on your behalf with the others to allow you to continue staying on Harker Island."
"Thank you, Miss Tong."
The governments of Z Country and M Country dispatched several ships, preparing to take all the guests on the island back for investigation. After experiencing the defective product virus, the guests offered no resistance and cooperated unconditionally with the investigations by the two countries.
It is said that during this period, the full scope of the black market's involvement came to light. Problems were discovered not only in Country Z and Country M, but in other nations as well. However, all the information was held by these two countries; if others wanted it, they had to pay a price.
The total sum of these prices was thirty million US dollars, which was precisely the reward Country M had promised Tong Yang for clearing out the black market.
Thinking it over, Tong Yang felt she had gotten a raw deal.
As time passed, those infected with the defective virus gradually recovered and left Harker Island one after another.
Not long after, Tong Yang and her four companions were summoned to the study. Ye Huai had also woken up and, after tidying up a bit, hurried over.
In the study, Mr. Du and Wu Pingxue sat side by side in the central positions facing the door. Dr. Luo and a member of the research institute sat on the right. Two military officers, representing the governments of Country Z and Country M respectively, sat on the left. Six empty chairs at the back were reserved for Tong Yang's group.
Tong Yang entered the study, her face like still water, and sat down without glancing around.
"Miss Tong, you don't look very happy," Wu Pingxue asked, knowing full well the reason.
Tong Yang shot him a sidelong glance. "What do you think?"
“Oh?” Wu Pingxue glanced at the two military officers on the left. “You are the great heroes who cleaned up the black market. If you have any dissatisfaction, speak up.”
Tong Yang didn't mince words. "You sold the information about other countries' black market bases for thirty million dollars, which happens to be exactly the reward promised to me. You gained political favor and lost nothing, but I'm the one who got shortchanged."
Wu Pingxue sighed. "What you say makes sense, but... what should be done about it?"
Wu Pingxue looked meaningfully at the officer representing Country M. "Miss Tong's sentiment is only human. I wonder what you two gentlemen think?"
The representative from Country Z said, "Since the thirty million was obtained by trading information, it should rightfully belong to Miss Tong and her companions."
The representative from Country M's face turned slightly pale.
"I propose that this thirty million be given to them as a reward."
The Country M representative's mouth twitched. "We respect Country Z's opinion."
Wu Pingxue said, "Then it's settled. The thirty million obtained from the information exchange is awarded to the six of you. Distribute it freely amongst yourselves."
Tong Yang crossed her arms. "Is that all?"
Wu Pingxue feigned surprise. "What else is there?"
After a moment, Wu Pingxue acted as if a lightbulb had gone off. "Miss Tong, rest assured, the thirty million Country M promised you personally will definitely arrive on time. After all, Country M is a great nation with stature; they wouldn't possibly default on a debt to a young lady."
The Country M representative said with a stiff smile, "Don't worry, you'll receive every cent of the agreed-upon reward."
Wu Pingxue said with a beaming smile, "Miss Tong, are you reassured now?"
Tong Yang nodded. "Reassured."
For the first time, she felt that Wu Pingxue's fox-like cunning had been used in the right place.
The government of Country Z lost nothing. All expenses for the occasion were covered solely by the government of Country M. With just a few words, thirty-five million US dollars rolled into Tong Yang's pocket.
She now thought Wu Pingxue looked much more kindly and pleasant.
Tong Yang asked, "How do you plan to handle Harker Island?"
Mr. Du looked at her gently and said, "Do you have any requests?"
"The Maynard family from the parallel world was wiped out. The members of the Maynard family on the island have nowhere to go. They provided significant help during this operation, and now they wish to remain on Harker Island temporarily."
Everyone present was aware of the parallel world's existence, so Tong Yang had no need to hide it.
The representatives from Country Z and Country M exchanged a glance but said nothing.
Mr. Du said, "Harker Island is the private property of the Maynard family. Miss Tong, you should seek the opinion of the Maynards."
Ye Huai, sitting in a wheelchair, was pushed in by Ali Buckley. Though his face was still pale, his eyes were clear and alert.
"The Maynard family? Aren't they from the parallel world?"
Mr. Du explained, "The Maynard family exists in the real world as well, but there is only one heir: Ye Huai, Mr. Ye."
Ye Huai gave a slight nod to everyone and moved to Tong Yang's side.
Tong Yang looked at him suspiciously. "This is your private island?"
Ye Huai moistened his dry lips and said, "Yes. I also found out not long ago."
Mr. Du said, "The Maynards established quite a few enterprises in the real world. We've investigated in advance; every penny in the Maynard enterprises is clean, with no ties to the black market. Not long ago, on Mr. Ye's eighteenth birthday, the Maynards transferred all their assets under his name to him."
Tong Yang couldn't help but give Ye Huai another look. "And then you're going to hand over all these assets?"
Ye Huai smiled. "Not handing them over is also an option."
Mr. Du said, "As long as the funds are clean, we have no objections."
Ye Huai said, "Thank you."
The speech in the banquet hall had originally been meant to win people over. Those guests didn't even know who the real Maynard was, let alone what assets the Maynard family held.
Tong Yang said, "So, you agree to let the remaining members of the Maynard family stay on Harker Island."
"If Mr. Ye has no objections, we naturally have none."
Mr. Du continued, "However, there is one condition."
"What is it?"
"They are not to leave Harker Island even half a step without permission. All transportation and weapons on the island will be confiscated."
Ali Buckley said, "That's not a problem."
Ye Huai said, "I have a proposal."
"Let's hear it."
"I'd like to develop Harker Island into a resort. The scenery is beautiful, and the facilities are quite good. It should be very popular. However, it would require cooperation from Country M, with Ali Buckley managing it. The profits would be split 40-60: I take 40%, and Country Z and Country M each take 30%. How does that sound?"
The Country Z representative made the decision. "Excellent! The island's facilities are intact and suitable for a resort. Does Country M have any opinions?"
The Country M representative gave a cold laugh. "Wouldn't that be equivalent to Country M getting 30% and Country Z getting 70%?"
Ye Huai didn't argue. "If Country M disagrees, there's no need to discuss further. Let's change the subject."
"We didn't say we disagree, but we'll need to discuss it further after returning."
"Fine, there's no rush."
As they discussed, Tong Yang pondered. Developing Harker Island into a resort and promoting it would likely attract many tourists drawn by its fame, and those who came would undoubtedly be wealthy or influential. The annual net profit could be substantial.
The parallel world's Ye Tianlin wasn't so bad after all, preparing all these things for Ye Huai, and leaving them to him alone.
Ye Huai hardly needed to bother with the mess Ye Tianlin left behind.
"Let's get to the main point. You gained quite a lot from this trip, didn't you?"
Ye Huai told them about the energy terminal.
"To think something so miraculous exists in the world. If we could also find the 'magnetic field energy' mentioned by the parallel world, would we have the capability to contend with them?" said the Country M representative.
Mr. Du said, "It's not that simple. Their development of terrifying magnetic field energy has been going on for decades, even a century. Defective products, inferior gene serums, superior gene serums, including energy terminals, energy cycles, large-scale control, and global-spanning commands—none of these could have been achieved overnight. Decades of research and development mean we cannot catch up in a short time."
Tong Yang said gravely, "Most importantly, the parallel world's current state is inextricably linked to magnetic field energy. It might not be a good thing at all."
"Exactly. Once the real world develops magnetic field energy, the outcome will most likely be the same as the parallel world."
Ye Huai said, "Tong Yang and I speculate that the reason the real world on the same timeline shows no traces of magnetic field energy might be because a time traveler from the First World returned from decades in the future to decades in the past and informed people of that time about the location and development methods of magnetic field energy."
"After they invaded the parallel world, everything changed. There was no longer a need for time travelers to go back and reveal the existence of magnetic field energy, which is why there are no time travelers in the real world."
Tong Yang chose not to correct his statement.
In reality, if time travelers exist in the real world, there should correspondingly be a time traveler in the parallel world as well.
The time traveler in the real world is Tong Le from 2036. Who could the time traveler in the parallel world be?
"Time travel? Can time travel really be achieved in the future?"
Mr. Du said, "Probably under limited conditions."
"Dr. Wu, what do you think?" Ye Huai looked at the silent Wu Pingxue.
Wu Pingxue raised her eyes, sweeping them over everyone in the study.
"Please, both of you, leave," Wu Pingxue said to the two national representatives on the left.
The representative from Country M frowned displeasedly, but the representative from Country Z had already stood up and made a gesture of "please."
The two left the study one after the other, closing the study door behind them.
When only those from Country Z involved in the parallel world research remained in the room, Wu Pingxue sighed.
"You guessed correctly," Wu Pingxue said.
"The reason the First World discovered magnetic field energy and invaded the parallel world is due to the intervention of a time traveler."
Ye Huai said, "Please explain in detail."
"You will find out sooner or later; there's no need to hide it anymore," Wu Pingxue said.
"We don't know exactly which year the time traveler came from, but he returned to a time before the world war, taking on the identity of a scientist from a defeated nation," Wu Pingxue said with a weary expression. "He helped his country develop magnetic field energy, barely surviving the great war. The development at that time was very limited. Progress stalled with just one country unable to advance alone. Magnetic field energy gradually became exposed, and they were forced to make it public, triggering global research and discussion."
"Thus, it sparked the Second World War."
"The better and more thoroughly a country developed magnetic field energy, the more powerful it became; the more powerful a country became, the more it desired to dominate alone. At that time, they didn't realize that magnetic field energy would affect the human brain—plundering, invading, slaughtering... powerful nations bullied smaller ones, and those with power and money defected early, simultaneously advancing scientific research, creating various artificial intelligences. Decades ago, the First World's technology had already reached the peak of human achievement, leaving others far behind."
Mr. Du frowned and said, "Then imbalance was inevitable, leading to massive changes in the world order."
Dr. Wu said, "Correct. By the mid-stage, human society was severely polarized. Those in power held vast wealth, enjoying the conveniences brought by advanced technology; those at the bottom struggled for subsistence using cheap labor, living lives devoid of sunlight."
"Magnetic field energy is inexhaustible, but human greed knows no bounds. The status and wealth possessed by those in power did not satisfy them. After numerous experiments and research, they discovered the existence of parallel timelines and opened a passage, a time anchor, which landed on a newborn baby."
"What can a baby do? It was killed less than three hours after birth. Do you think that with the time anchor gone, the passage connecting the two worlds should close?"
Ye Huai said, "Logically speaking, that should be the case."
Dr. Wu smiled and said, "On the contrary, once a passage connecting worlds appears, it does not disappear, because what is connected is not just a passage, but the magnetic field energies of the two worlds. They are mutually attractive; once fused, they cannot be separated. If a time anchor exists, one can only travel between worlds through that anchor. If the time anchor dies, then the entire parallel world becomes the passage, allowing unlimited travel back and forth using magnetic field energy."
Tong Yang asked, puzzled, "Since the parallel world's anchor died long ago, what's the deal with Yan Qing?"
Dr. Wu said, "The year she was born, the two worlds declared a ceasefire. Some people remained in the First World, some stayed in the parallel world. To prevent people from both worlds from traveling back and forth recklessly, the higher-ups re-established a time anchor."
"It's surprising that the parallel world could hold its own against such a First World."
Dr. Wu shook her head. "As you guessed, the parallel world also had a time traveler, who brought the secret of magnetic field energy, barely resisting the First World's invasion, though at a very heavy cost."
"The parallel world fused the magnetic field energies of both worlds, but its research direction was completely different from the First World's. It became obsessed with researching the elixir of immortality, leading to the complete collapse of agriculture, industry, and all other resources requiring human production that were already damaged by war. The social system completely broke down, and combined with the effects of magnetic field energy on the brain, it formed the parallel world's current state."
After listening to Dr. Wu, Tong Yang vaguely understood.
The time traveler from the First World brought back the secret of magnetic field energy to help his country; the time traveler from the parallel world brought back the secret of magnetic field energy to resist the First World's invasion.
However, the time traveler from the real world, Tong Le, did not tell anyone the secret of magnetic field energy. Instead, she set the anchor on herself and re-established a timeline, making her one of the time-displaced individuals, constantly trapped in cycles, with the goal still being to resist the parallel world's invasion.
Just, without choosing to continue relying on magnetic field energy.
Tong Yang pondered for a few seconds and asked, "The parallel world's invasion of the real world, besides plundering resources, has another purpose, right? Related to magnetic field energy?"
Wu Pingxue looked at her deeply and said, "Correct."
"Defective products are failed examples of gene serums; inferior gene serums are successful examples, with reduced lifespan as the cost; superior gene serums are successful examples that can utilize bodily cycles to achieve cellular regeneration, but cannot delay natural aging."
"So, it's still not enough."
He paused, and everyone listened with faces pale in shock, exclaiming in unison, "Eternal life?!"
Dr. Wu's expression grew slightly solemn. "That's correct. By merging the magnetic field energy of three worlds, we can develop a supreme-grade genetic medicine—the very elixir of immortality."
"Before you die, they won't have the chance to develop the supreme-grade genetic medicine, nor do they wish for you to discover the magnetic field energy and use it to resist them. That's why they've chosen to gradually infiltrate the real world."
He Jingjing said, "If the magnetic field energy is so powerful, then as long as we master it first, we won't need to fear them anymore?"
Mr. Du shook his head. "Doing so would ultimately cause the real world to end up like the parallel world is now, or even worse."
Dr. Wu stated, "The merging of magnetic field energies from two worlds has a significant impact on ordinary people. If the energies of three worlds were to merge, even without their self-destruction plan, the average person's brain simply couldn't withstand it."
Tong Yang pressed her lips together. So, even by 2036, Tong Le hadn't told her anything about the magnetic field energy.
Tong Yang asked, "There's another solution, isn't there?"
Wu Pingxue nodded emphatically. "Yes."
"What is it?"
"Make the magnetic field energy disappear completely. Let the First World, the Parallel World, and the Real World be separated back into three distinct spacetimes. Let all things related to the magnetic field energy become inert, returning dust to dust and earth to earth."
Everyone's expressions grew tense, and they asked one after another, "How?"
"How can that be achieved?"
Wu Pingxue said, "As far as I know, temporal dislocation exists in the real world. This is our best opportunity."
"The temporal dislocation will gradually fade. Tong Yang, you must leave the magnetic field energy in the past before the dislocation disappears."
Tong Yang was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"I'll tell you how to do it specifically later. For now, you still need to grow."
Dr. Wu's gaze grew profound as he said, "You must go to the First World."
