Did the world end today?

Chapter 5 Run!

"What's going on? Are you trying to steal the spaceship? Are you that excited?"

The skull-faced man, gripping a rifle fitted with a silencer, said sarcastically:

"What's wrong? The apocalypse hasn't come yet, are you planning to kill yourself first?"

"The plan has changed."

Lin Xu was too lazy to pay attention to him and casually replied:
"The layout of the target is not what I expected, and now I can't find my way."

"Aren't there signs over there? Can't we just follow the signs?"

The skull pointed to the open door in the distance and then said:

"Actually, I really don't understand your thinking. You said the world is going to end and you need to steal a spaceship to escape."

"But the problem is, with the space tourism industry so developed now, if you have so much money to hire us, why don't you just charter a spaceship and fly up there?"

"Someone as wealthy as you shouldn't be short of a few million for chartering a boat, right? This fee is much lower than mine."

"I don't know, maybe I'm just out of my mind."

Looking at the crowds leaving get off work one after another and the lax security at the entrance of Sky Dome Technology, Lin Xu really couldn't understand why he, in this era, would need to hire a mercenary team to steal a spaceship.

Is it because a sightseeing spaceship cannot achieve its purpose?
Or, is it possible that what I do in the real world can only change the future world within this bracelet to a limited extent?

Lin Xu took a deep breath and said:
"Never mind, let's call it a day. I need to go in and take a look."

"can."

The skull nodded.

"But even if you ultimately decide not to take action, we won't refund your fees."

"You're the one who approached me, so you have to pay me whether you do it or not. That's the rule, understand?"

"...Do you want my number?"

Lin Xu rolled his eyes and opened the car door.

"Don't worry, I won't ask for the money back."

"Wait here, I'll be right back!"

As he spoke, Lin Xu lifted his foot and walked towards the gate.

He only realized halfway there that he hadn't taken off his night vision goggles and bulletproof vest.

By this time, the security guard at the gate had already noticed him, but it was too late for him to turn around.

Lin Xu forced himself to walk forward, trying to come up with an excuse, when the security guard spoke up.

"Brother, the opening hours have already passed."

"We're closed now. We'll reopen at 8 a.m. tomorrow."

"visit?"

Lin Xu was stunned for a moment.

"Yes, it ended before 12 o'clock."

"Are you a wargame player or a cosplayer? Why don't you fill out a form to make an appointment and come back tomorrow?"

Wow, a space launch base has actually become a popular tourist attraction.

It seems that Sky Dome Technology has truly embarked on the path of commercial space tourism, and is doing quite well at it.

At the very least, this approachable art style is sure to attract a large number of tourists.

But how do I get in?

After pondering for a moment, Lin Xu spoke:

"I have the authority to go and have my iris checked."

"An employee?"

The security guard scratched his head.

"And what are you wearing?"

"personal hobby."

Lin Xu was very serious.

"Understood, understood. Please come over here for a checkup."

The security guard led Lin Xu toward the employee entrance. Lin Xu put his eyes close to the biometric scanner, secretly planning in his mind that if the device alarmed in a moment, he would notify the mercenaries to start the attack and storm in.

Anyway, the people here are just a bunch of "data", so he doesn't have too much psychological burden.

But his worries were unnecessary.

The verification was completed quickly, and the system issued no alarms.

This proves that he is still an "insider" of Sky Dome Technology.

It was not on the danger list until the operation began.

This is why I was able to open the isolation door with my own permissions in the control room before.

But that doesn't make sense either.

If you've always been an insider, what made you foresee the end of the world, and what made you decide to take such an extreme approach to survival?

Lin Xu was filled with questions.

He took off his night vision goggles and helmet and carried them in his hand, walking towards the building that most resembled the "main office building." People walking by on their way home from get off work looked at him with curious eyes. They seemed to recognize him, but no one came up to greet him.

It wasn't until he entered the office building that Lin Xu encountered his first "acquaintance".

The kind of one-way acquaintance relationship.

"Mr. Lin, why are you coming back to the company so late?"

Lin Xu didn't know who the person in front of him was. He nodded and hummed in agreement.

"I am busy."

"You must be tired, what's with your outfit?"

"cosplay".

Lin Xu answered casually, and the man didn't ask any more questions. After exchanging a few polite words, he left.

Lin Xu became increasingly confused.

Mr. Lin?
I know my position in the company is definitely not low, but what exactly do I do?

He continued walking into the building, where he was greeted by a huge exhibition hall.

Holographic projection equipment almost filled the entire space, showcasing the latest achievements of Sky Dome Technology and the spectacular cosmic views captured by spacecraft entering space.

A swirling galaxy, colossal spaceships, dazzling rays of light, and the desolate landscape of an alien planet.
Stepping into this exhibition hall feels like stepping into outer space.

Lin Xu finally understood why this place had become a popular spot for taking photos.

Even in any era, the breathtaking experience presented here would definitely qualify it as a tourist attraction.

He walked up to one of the holographic projection devices that seemed to be mainly for "popular science", reached out his arm to touch it, and a welcome screen immediately popped up.

"Welcome to Sky Dome Technology, sir."

What would you like to know?

What do you need to know?
Lin Xu thought for a moment and replied:

"Introducing the Star Travel 1 spacecraft."

"Understood. Star Travel One is the first civilian manned spacecraft developed by Sky Dome Technology in 2025 and officially put into service in 2032."

"The emergence of this spacecraft fills a gap in China's civilian manned spaceflight field."

"In March 2032, Shen Li, chief engineer of Star Travel-3, and Bai Mo, astronaut, will complete the first commercial space trip in China's history."

"After orbiting twice in near-Earth orbit, the spacecraft returned safely."

"From this point on, civilian manned spaceflight entered a new stage."

Lin Xu listened attentively to the AI guide's introduction, while images and data flashed continuously on the holographic projection in front of him.

Perhaps because it belongs to the category of "technology that is more than one generation behind", all kinds of technical details of this spacecraft are presented without reservation, and even special space is devoted to introducing the technological breakthroughs of this spacecraft in intelligent flight control and new generation of aerospace engines.

Good heavens, is this something you can just show to tourists?

Sky Dome Technology has also open-sourced, right?

Lin Xu couldn't help but sigh, "The world has really changed in twenty years."

At this point, the explanation was basically over.

Lin Xu was planning to continue forward to find his own office.

But at this moment.

"Om-"

With a loud bang, the exhibition hall lights suddenly went out.

Is it closed?
Before the thought could even cross his mind, the next second...

"Om-"

The lights come on again.

All the holographic projections started flickering.