Hijacking the Timeline

After searching for a while, Feng Qi found the stone tablet marking the entrance to the Star City Shelter.

Following a metal corridor to the data control console, he wiped away the thick layer of dust and pressed the red activation button.

The large screen in front of him immediately lit up, displaying a list of options.

He opened the search bar, entered his name, and initiated the filter.

After a few seconds, his detailed information appeared on the screen:

Feng Qi (Paragon of the Era)

Age at Death: 25 years old

Cause of Death: Mysterious sudden death

Date of Death: May 18, 2030

Lifetime Achievements (Honors): S-Class Human Elite Medal, Outstanding Contribution to Human Development Gold Award...

Research Achievements: Cultivation Exercises Version 2.0, Fierce Tiger Fist, Body Tempering Art, Heaven and Earth Meditation, Soul Seizing, Founder of the Human Body Deity Seeding Concept, Dragon-Seizing Technique, Human Regeneration Technology, Contributor to the Cultivation System Framework Version 3.88...

Evaluation: Feng Qi was a super genius worthy of being recorded in history. His research achievements made outstanding contributions to human development. Yet, at the age of 25, he died mysteriously and suddenly from an unknown cause, a tragedy for all humanity.

Feng Qi was utterly baffled to find he had died at the young age of 25.

The Sacrifice Line should have been relatively safe, so why had he died so young?

[Could the Future Research Institute be involved? Did they turn on you after you contacted them?]

”I don’t know. Let’s check the email messages first.”

With a lingering sense of doubt, he closed the details page and entered his email address.

The personal email page popped up. He entered his password and opened his inbox.

There were two message threads: one from his future self and another from Wei Wei.

He first opened his own thread and began scrolling through the messages.

1. After waking up, I lost all my abilities. Looks like it’s my turn now. Let’s see how I do! (Grinning widely.jpg)

2. Today, I visited the Scarlet Research Institute and informed them of everything, including my intention to investigate the Future Research Institute. They expressed their full support.

3. From senior officials at the Scarlet Research Institute, I obtained detailed information about the Future Research Institute.

4. The Future Research Institute was established earlier than the Technology Research Institute, making it the first top-tier research institution in Future City. That’s why it was named ”Future Research Institute,” after the city itself.

This institute’s research directions are quite diverse, similar to the Scarlet Research Institute, with projects spanning various fields. However, its core focus remains technology-oriented.

The Future Research Institute is also the most powerful research institute in Future City.

In its early days, due to issues like Domain Field resource allocation, Future City’s defense was entirely managed by the Future Research Institute. The first dean of the Future Research Institute was the city lord of Future City, and even the city’s top domain combat teams were under its jurisdiction.

This research institution boasts a profound foundation. Although its later research achievements were completely overshadowed by the Technology Research Institute, the Future Research Institute remains Future City’s strongest armed force.

Upon receiving this information, I couldn’t help but suspect that this might be the reason why the Technology Research Institute hasn’t dared to take action against the Future Research Institute.

However, it’s still unclear whether the Future Research Institute stands with us humans. Further investigation is needed.

I’ll keep you updated (ω).

11. The Scarlet Research Institute convened a high-level meeting to discuss how to establish contact with the Future Research Institute.

The Scarlet Research Institute and the Future Research Institute had previously collaborated on the Rune-Modified Human Project, but it was limited to superficial exchanges of ideas and never developed into a deeper partnership.

Moreover, the research directions of the two institutes rarely overlap, so the Scarlet Research Institute needed a suitable reason to delve deeper into the Future Research Institute.

The final decision was to focus on the Rune-Modified Human Project.

The Scarlet Research Institute planned to commission a batch of scientific equipment from the Future Research Institute and then initiate an exchange.

The specific details were still under discussion; I’ll keep you updated.

15. Elder Bai has submitted the proposal for academy system reform to the Ministry of Education. It’s virtually certain to be approved, and even the Tiger Soul Research Institute’s attempts to block it will be futile. Their influence doesn’t extend to the Ministry of Education.

From this perspective, the Ministry of Education appears to be free from infiltration by Domain Forces.

However, from the Domain Forces’ perspective, infiltrating the Ministry of Education offers limited benefits. While it could hinder the rapid rise of Human Civilization, the various Domain Forces clearly prioritize their own racial interests. Suppressing human development is merely a secondary objective in their pursuit of dominance.

16. Today, I visited Old Wang and spent the entire night in deep conversation with him. He confirmed his intention to join the Scarlet Research Institute and continue his efforts to decipher the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice.

The thought that Old Wang might dedicate his entire life to this single pursuit filled me with a sudden pang of sadness.

Wei Wei, Old Wang, Mu Qing, Lin Ran... including myself, it seemed that everyone’s destinies had already been predetermined.

Yet despite this, we were still determined to stubbornly follow this path.

18. The Scarlet Research Institute responded, confirming they had finalized a liaison plan with the Future Research Institute. Next, the Scarlet Research Institute would send representatives to the Future Research Institute to discuss specific cooperation details, such as the functional requirements for customized rune modification technology instruments.

I sincerely hope the Future Research Institute will stand on humanity’s side.

However, I believe that merely stationing representatives would be insufficient to uncover the Future Research Institute’s secrets. I’ve already come clean with Liu Yue and the others, and we’re preparing to infiltrate Jia Yi into the Future Research Institute to conduct a two-way investigation.

As for Lin Ran and Mu Qing, to avoid altering their predetermined futures and for safety’s sake, I haven’t revealed my secret to them.

I hope that in the future, you will witness Lin Ran successfully repel the parasitic Lord of the Mist.

This will grant you more precious time and a companion in the Dream Realm.

28. I personally oversee Jia Yi’s training. The memories from the Sacrifice Line have granted me vast technological knowledge, sufficient to prepare him for entry into the Future Research Institute. I haven’t neglected his other subjects either.

In this Future Line, the Dawn Organization continued to grow, but its focus shifted from confronting the Technology Research Institute and the Tiger Soul Research Institute to investigating the Future Research Institute.

34. The academy’s institutional reforms were approved. Starting today, the study of the Cultivation System Framework was abolished. This was undoubtedly a positive development for Human Civilization.

By eliminating unnecessary and tedious content, the academy paved the way for better progress.

Students could now dedicate more time to in-depth study within their chosen domains.

76. Under my guidance, Jia Yi passed the first round of the Future Research Institute’s tests after only six months of study. I will now devote a significant amount of time to helping him join the institute as soon as possible.

83. Old Wang officially joined the Scarlet Research Institute today. I handed over all the decryption data he left behind from the previous timeline.

Good luck, Old Wang!

123. The Scarlet Research Institute’s representative stationed at the Future Research Institute has sent back a wealth of information.

However, this information is superficial and insufficient to determine whether the Future Research Institute is aligned with humanity. I believe Jia Yi’s investigation will be crucial in this matter.

After all, the Future Research Institute wouldn’t reveal all its secrets to the Scarlet representatives stationed there.

But based on the information gathered so far, the Future Research Institute’s strength is formidable.

At least in terms of combat power, the Future Research Institute, which controls the Future City Garrison and five top-tier battle groups, is undoubtedly the strongest force in Future City.

As for whether the Future Research Institute or the Technology Research Institute is stronger, that’s currently impossible to analyze.

However, based on the memory of joining the Technology Research Institute through the Sacrifice Line, I suspect the latter might be slightly stronger.

After all, the battle groups under the Technology Research Institute are merely its surface strength. The true power lies in the Domain Forces behind them.

136 Jia Yi has received notification from the Future Research Institute and is about to embark on his journey to Future City.

During the evening gathering, everyone congratulated him.

But I could see his nervousness. Behind that nervousness, however, I also saw a steely resolve in his eyes.

Never feel alone.

You have companions, and many potential ones.

Seek them out and advance together.

152 Today, I received a message from Jia Yi, who shared his initial experiences at the Future Research Institute.

During our conversation, he also confided his frustrations, seemingly feeling isolated.

As a teacher, I naturally did my best to comfort him.

Speaking of loneliness, I suddenly thought of my Narrator.

When he was around, I found him annoying. But now that he was completely gone, my heart felt hollow. I missed the silly system who would mock me when I was happy and comfort me when I was down. It felt like something was missing from my life.

204. I taught Jia Yi many of my research findings from the Technology Research Institute, which allowed him to quickly rise through the ranks at the Future Research Institute. During this time, he also underwent a series of identity checks, a process somewhat similar to that of the Scarlet Research Institute.

I truly hope the Future Research Institute will stand with us.

235. Jia Yi has already reached a position near the core circle of the Future Research Institute.

Through Jia Yi’s description, I finally understood why the Future Research Institute’s combat strength was so formidable.

Let me introduce you to the Future Research Institute’s core research focus.

While the Technology Research Institute focuses primarily on technological devices, the Future Research Institute centers its research on ”Mecha Warriors.”

The Future Research Institute employs a large number of tech personnel who are also elite warriors.

Many have undergone technological modifications, transforming their bodies into semi-mechanical forms. While these modifications have introduced imperfections, they have also granted them immense power.

Technological advancements have steadily increased the strength of the Future Research Institute’s researchers.

In fact, even without the support of the Five Great Top Battle Groups and the City Defense Force, the Future Research Institute remains a formidable force to be reckoned with.

The investigation continues. I’ll keep you updated.

240 Jia Yi’s investigation has hit a wall. Overwhelmed by his heavy workload, he’s been contacting me less.

Perhaps I need to find another way to continue investigating the Future Research Institute.

246 Today, I contacted the Black Shadow Assassin to inquire about the Future Research Institute.

The assassin replied that it didn’t know whether other Domain Force factions were involved behind the scenes.

The alliance it belonged to was formed by small clans huddling together for warmth, and they had no idea how many Domain Force factions had infiltrated human society, let alone whether any Great Clans were secretly controlling the Future Research Institute.

So I gave it a miracle stone and asked it to help me investigate the institute.

Hopefully, this guy will prove useful and provide some valuable intelligence.

253 It suddenly occurred to me today that you could have your Sacrifice Line learn any knowledge you want to acquire in the future.

For example, you could have it study game programming.

All you need to do is use the Brain in a Vat Project to read that memory. That way, you’ll gain access to that knowledge as well.

As for me, I won’t study it.

After all, in this Future Line, you never intended to read my memories.

Perhaps it’s better this way. Less heartache and negative emotions to influence you. May your original intentions remain unchanged.

258. I’ve decided to groom Yang Xiaoxin as the leader of Dawn. As for Liu Yue, after his previous experience, he should stick to being a muscle. At least Yang Xiaoxin won’t be stubborn. If Dawn ever fails, she can always join the Scarlet Research Institute and become an external force.

270. Something’s gone wrong. We agreed to stay in contact daily, but I haven’t heard from the Black Shadow Assassin for days.

I have two theories:

1. He was caught investigating the Future Research Institute and killed.

2. He stole the miracle stone and fled.

After analyzing the situation, it’s clear the Black Shadow Assassin was trying to ingratiate himself with me, mistaking me for a representative of a Great Clan in the domain. In this case, the first theory is more likely.

If he betrays me, I’ll be in danger.

Whether the Future Research Institute sides with humanity or the Domain Force, I’ll become a target.

Terrified, I quickly made arrangements for my affairs, not knowing when I might disappear.

271. Today, I had a long conversation with Liu Yue and tentatively inquired about the Heaven-Reaching Road.

He still didn’t reveal any details, repeating his usual answer:

”The miracle hasn’t found me, which means I’m not yet worthy of knowing the Heaven-Reaching Road.”

But this conversation gave me a deeper understanding of Liu Yue.

He told me there are three types of people in the world: those who accept fate, those who defy it, and then there’s him—the desperate.

Even knowing his efforts might not change the future, he’d still give it his all. Failure would simply mean death.

He’s stubborn and rigid, but I also saw the stubbornness buried deep in his heart.

Perhaps it’s because of people like Liu Yue, who refuse to compromise with fate, that I’ve found so many companions.

We all share the same unwavering determination and longing in our hearts.

273 (Red-Marked)

I just received a message from Jia Yi, and now I suspect the Future Research Institute is secretly serving the Technology Research Institute.

They’ve acquired a batch of data and begun researching Spirit Energy Technology.

I examined the data Jia Yi obtained and confirmed it was indeed the Technology Research Institute’s Spirit Energy Technology files.

Even the research direction and specific content were identical.

It was impossible for the Future Research Institute to have stolen this data from the Technology Research Institute.

While the Future Research Institute might have acquired spirit energy weapons from the Technology Research Institute, stealing the core spirit energy technology data would require breaching the Technology Research Institute’s most secure areas.

Based on this intelligence, the Future Research Institute and the Technology Research Institute likely had a cooperative relationship.

The Technology Research Institute wouldn’t hand over crucial data to human factions. Therefore, I strongly suspect the Future Research Institute is a Domain Force aligned with the Technology Research Institute.

But a new question arises:

If the Future Research Institute is on the Technology Research Institute’s side, why would it help the Scarlet Research Institute confront them?

This falls into my intelligence blind spot.

I’ll have to wait for the results of further investigations.

278

Lately, I’ve been feeling uneasy. I still haven’t been able to contact the Black Shadow Assassin. I suspect it’s likely dead.

Perhaps it was eliminated by a hidden human faction, or perhaps it was killed while investigating the Future Research Institute. If the latter is true, I could be eliminated at any moment.

The message ended abruptly here.

Feng Qi frowned as he read this.

The message offered no clues about how he died in this Future Line.

He suspected it might be related to the Future Research Institute, but he couldn’t be certain.

[No way. The Future Research Institute is siding with the Technology Research Institute? But that doesn’t make sense. Later on, the Future Research Institute helped the Scarlet Research Institute confront the Technology Research Institute. Now, we have Schrödinger’s Future Research Institute again?]

”I’m not sure. Let’s see what Wei Wei’s message says.”

With lingering doubts, he opened Wei Wei’s inbox.

1. You still couldn’t escape the fate of dying young, poor little Feng Qi. You left this beautiful world at the tender age of 25.

As for the cause of your death, we haven’t found any information yet.

The manner of your death does resemble the Technology Research Institute’s assassination methods—sudden and inexplicable demise.

From now on, this beautiful woman will take over your inbox and continue relaying messages to you.

2. Since the Brain in a Vat Project won’t proceed, the Scarlet Research Institute will naturally have to focus on other areas of research. I’ve already decided what those areas will be.

From now on, everything I do will be for you.

Considering your perspective, I’ve decided to research a memory implantation technology—or, more accurately, a knowledge implantation technology.

If this technology succeeds, you won’t need to memorize complex game code anymore. You’ll simply be able to read the information I’ve implanted in your brain.

In essence, your brain will become your knowledge USB drive.

However, this technology is still in its early stages, and there are many challenges to overcome. But this beautiful woman has centuries to work on it, so I don’t see any problem. After all, besides being beautiful, my only other virtue is my intelligence.

9. I was thinking about what Talent Ability Blind Box to leave for you this time.

But after careful consideration, I’ve decided not to leave one. In the previous Future Line, you said you didn’t receive a Talent Ability Blind Box, which means the Secret Base’s resources can only sustain your brain.

After all, once the institute moves into the Secret Base, resources will inevitably be limited.

I plan to keep these resources for research consumption. I couldn’t think of a suitable Talent Ability Blind Box to leave for you this time, but I promise next time.

11. Regarding the Future Research Institute, here’s a more detailed introduction.

First, let me introduce the current dean. He was once a domain warrior who suffered severe injuries during an operation to dispel a Domain Field, forcing him to retire from frontline combat.

But he didn’t give up. Instead, he changed direction and continued to study diligently, eventually joining the Future Research Institute. Through sheer determination, he rose to become its dean.

Here’s his photo: (Li Xingchen.jpg)

However, from what I know, Li Xingchen, while reliable in his work, is deeply flawed in his personal life.

He indulges in every vice imaginable—eating, drinking, gambling, and womanizing—leading a chaotic and unrestrained lifestyle.

From this perspective, he seems highly susceptible to manipulation by hostile forces.

We’ve already contacted Jia Yi and will await further investigation.

Feng Qi opened the photo attachment in the email.

The photo showed the dean of the Future Research Institute, ”Li Xingchen,” sitting in a wheelchair. He was bald, his bare upper body covered in scars, and his face was twisted with malice, making him look incredibly fierce.

Feng Qi continued reading the email:

13. Jia Yi recently contacted us, revealing that he discovered a mass-produced, highly toxic serum at the Future Research Institute.

This serum is so potent that injecting it into the bloodstream rapidly depletes mental energy, leading to death with no discernible cause. Moreover, it evaporates quickly, leaving no trace.

This reminded me of your mysterious death.

From this perspective, it seems the Future Research Institute is also involved in assassinating human geniuses, just like the Technology Research Institute. They are indeed aligned with the Technology Research Institute.

But the same question remains: Why would the Future Research Institute confront the Technology Research Institute on some future day?

This is a headache. The investigation has hit a dead end.

Based on the current intelligence, you must be wary of the Future Research Institute. They don’t seem like good people.

78. The Dawn Organization you established has recently been recruiting members and expanding its influence within Star City Academy. They have also secretly launched an investigation into the Future Research Institute and have contacted us.

I hope their actions don’t alert the enemy.

Otherwise, the Dawn Organization could be wiped out.

113. Today, while working on the Mu Qing clone project, an idea suddenly popped into my head.

The you in the Future Line lost your innate ability, leaving you extremely weak.

Could we perform rune modification on you to help you improve your strength?

Rune modification technology is already quite mature. After undergoing rune modification, you could even use the changes in the Reality Line to infiltrate Domain Forces and gather intelligence.

After all, the Rune Modification Plan was designed for counter-infiltration, allowing you to closely resemble a domain creature.

I’m already reviewing your detailed physical data to create a rune modification plan tailored to you.

Once it’s ready, you can take the data back to Reality and give it to me the next time you enter the Dream Realm.

This way, every time the Future Line opens, you can first come to the institute for rune modification.

However, there are drawbacks to enhancing your strength through the Rune Modification Plan.

Mu Qing is the only one who has undergone near-perfect modification. Even she experiences moments of emotional instability, though these episodes have gradually diminished with age, posing no significant problem.

But for you, the outcome might be different.

Whether you’re willing to proceed is entirely your decision.

If you wish to open a future line involving contact with the Domain Force, I believe it’s worth considering.

High risk often comes with high reward.

Just be prepared for a potentially painful process.

140. Jia Yi has just relayed a new piece of intelligence.

The Future Research Institute’s Spirit Energy Technology has been successfully developed. Even with the available data, the speed at which they achieved this raises suspicions of assistance from the Technology Research Institute.

Based on current intelligence, the Future Research Institute is becoming increasingly suspicious.

External investigations have also revealed that many retired domain warriors have been recruited by the Future Research Institute.

It’s suspected that these injured or disabled veterans have undergone mechanical augmentation, allowing them to return as warriors within the domain combat teams under the Future Research Institute’s jurisdiction.

If the Future Research Institute sided with the Domain Force, it would be a major headache.

The Future Research Institute’s influence in Future City was too deep-rooted.

They even managed the city’s defenses. If infiltrated, it would be like the entire city being completely compromised.

I hope the outcome isn’t what I fear.

But I can be certain that Li Xingchen, the current dean of the Future Research Institute, is no good. Aside from his inspiring backstory, his character is deeply flawed, and he’s far too lenient with his subordinates.

I’ll spare you three seconds of worry.

176: As you predicted, the historical event has occurred. Today, the base outside Twilight City was attacked by an unknown force.

It was clearly the Technology Research Institute’s doing.

We were prepared for this. We’ve already destroyed all critical data. But now, the Technology Research Institute’s campaign of destruction against us will likely begin.

We held a high-level meeting today and decided to relocate to the Secret Base soon.

189: Little brother Feng Qi, see you at the Secret Base.

May the years ahead be even more beautiful because of your generosity and dedication. Stay strong!

After reading the email messages, Feng Qi fell into deep thought.

The messages from the Future Research Institute only made their stance more ambiguous. The intelligence was riddled with contradictions.

However, Wei Wei’s message contained crucial information: knowledge implantation technology, rune modification for his future self to open a Future Line to Domain Force factions, and more.

The Scarlet Research Institute’s achievements and research directions could serve as references for his next choices.

Knowledge implantation technology, in particular, was revolutionary. If realized, he could bring the code of the super virtual game back to reality even without his Photographic Memory ability.

Yet many questions remained unanswered.

Besides the Future Research Institute, the fates of Old Wang and Lin Ran were still unknown.

He would test Lin Ran’s situation last.

As for whether Old Wang had successfully deciphered the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice, he would have to rely on the data left behind in the Scarlet Secret Base.

With this in mind, Feng Qi lost interest in continuing to read the cultivation technique. He decided to visit the Scarlet Secret Base first.

(End of the Chapter)

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