The end of the world is approaching, I'm handing myself over to the country.

Chi Zhengyang nodded heavily. He walked up to Lin Mo, stretched out his calloused hand, and patted Lin Mo's shoulder forcefully.

"Don't worry about that!"

"Our Dragon Kingdom will support you unconditionally, even at the cost of everything!"

These words resonated deeply.

Lin Mo had no doubt whatsoever.

After all, helping him is the same as helping yourself.

Old Qian, who was standing next to him, finally calmed down. He looked at Lin Mo, and the resentment of "not recognizing Mount Tai" had long since vanished. All that remained was the love he felt for his own precious child.

Although he didn't say anything.

But the slight upturn of his lips betrayed his mood at that moment.

He felt really bad about having to give out 2000 places out of 10,000 people.

His original purpose in coming in was to bypass these troublesome guys and secretly discuss this matter with Lin Mo.

See if we can persuade the other party.

It wasn't that he was stingy, but the situation was urgent.

But now it's different; there will soon be 100 million slots available.

The quantity has increased a hundredfold!

With plenty of candy in his pocket, he naturally wouldn't be stingy with a few melons and dates.

Although this sounds like empty promises, it certainly fills the stomach!

Chi Zhengyang withdrew his hand.

The other person's body was warm, but their heart was burning hot.

It is precisely because of the existence of countless people like this that the Dragon Kingdom has achieved its current glory.

Lin Mo walked to a table to the side, picked up the kettle, and prepared to pour a cup of hot tea for the elderly.

Just then, Chi Zhengyang, who had been in a state of excitement, suddenly became serious.

The others knew what he wanted to say, and they all kept their mouths shut.

The entire grocery store fell silent again in an instant.

"Comrade Lin Mo."

There's something I want to tell you.

Seeing the other person's serious expression, Lin Mo stopped pouring water, placed the kettle on the table, and looked at the other person intently.

"What's the matter? Just tell me."

Chi Zhengyang's gaze was deep and unwavering as he spoke, each word distinct and deliberate.

"Just last night, monsters appeared in our world."

"Moreover, it's not just our Dragon Kingdom; as far as I know, three other countries have experienced monster attacks."

"Fortunately, those monsters did not appear in the densely populated main city, so there were not many casualties."

"Click".

These words were spoken.

The ceramic teacup in Lin Mo's hand gently tapped against the edge of the table, making a crisp sound.

He froze for a moment.

"What?!"

Lin Mo's voice rose slightly, carrying a hint of shock that he himself was unaware of.

"How is this possible! There were still five years before the monster invasion! How could it be so fast!"

Five years!

He remembered this exact time perfectly; there was absolutely no way he could have made a mistake!

Could it be...?

A terrible thought uncontrollably surfaced from the depths of my mind.

Is it because of me?

Because of what I did after my rebirth, an unknown butterfly effect was triggered, causing the timeline of the entire world to shift.

"Comrade Lin Mo, please calm down and let me finish."

Chi Zhengyang's voice was steady and powerful, carrying a convincing quality.

"The monster that appeared this time is not very strong."

"Only four monsters have appeared in the Dragon Kingdom, including three servant-level Moonlight Cat Demons and one elite-level Venomous Cat Demon."

"There were no large-scale casualties."

Chi Zhengyang did not specify the exact number of casualties.

What's done is done, there's no way to change it, and nobody's to blame for this.

Moreover, seeing Lin Mo's appearance, he had already concluded that the matter was indeed as they had guessed.

The other party was unaware of this; it seems that at that point in time, they also chose to conceal the information.

The public was unaware of this.

At least the average person doesn't know.

Chi Zhengyang paused, giving Lin Mo some time to catch his breath and think, before throwing out an even more astonishing deduction.

"So we suspect that things might not be as you think."

"Perhaps, in the original timeline, the monster also appeared at this point in time, but we chose to keep the news hidden back then."

"The monster invasion time you know about 'five years later' may actually just be the time when we can no longer hide it and have to make it public."

Lin Mo looked at Chi Zhengyang suspiciously, his voice hoarse.

Were there any casualties?

"It's nothing serious."

In fact, seven researchers lost their lives last night.

But Chi Zhengyang doesn't intend to tell the truth about this matter.

The deed is done, and saying anything now will only upset the other party.

The four elders did not show any unusual behavior and had no intention of dismantling the pond and the main balcony.

Lin Mo looked into Chi Zhengyang's eyes: "I'm sorry, I think I... did something wrong."

"It was me who provided you with incorrect information."

Looking at Lin Mo's face, one could see the undisguised guilt and self-blame.

The hearts of the elderly people present softened.

Old Master An stepped forward, gently pressed Lin Mo's shoulder, and spoke softly.

"It's not your fault, you've done enough."

"Everyone makes mistakes, especially since you were unaware of this matter."

Even Old Wei, unusually, didn't keep a stern face and chimed in, "Little guy, you've shouldered so much all by yourself; it's beyond everyone's imagination."

"Therefore, don't take on responsibilities that aren't yours."

Even Old Qian, who hadn't spoken until now, mumbled something in a deep voice.

"Exactly, it's not your fault, why are you overthinking it?"

Lin Mo lowered his head.

His mind was in chaos as memories of his previous life appeared before him.

His father went out to find food and never returned, and his mother died in front of him while protecting him.

The end times may be heartless, but people are compassionate.

Bad people are always bad, but good people are always good.

He was just an ordinary person, afraid of pain, afraid of death, afraid of everything.

He feels sad when he sees someone die, and he grimaces with empathy when he sees someone injured.

Lin Mo didn't want the people he cared about to experience the same tragic ending again.

That's why this time, when he had the ability to change the ending of the story, he didn't hesitate to give it his all.

"Comrade Lin Mo."

A calm yet powerful voice pierced through the chaotic thoughts.

This pulled Lin Mo back to reality from the chaos.

Chi Zhengyang had appeared before him without him noticing, his weathered eyes fixed intently on him.

Upon hearing this, Lin Mo suddenly raised his head.

Self-blame is a useless emotion.

"What we need to do is prepare for what might happen next."

"The people need you."

The old witch, who had been silent in the corner, slowly spoke at this moment. Her voice was a little hoarse, but exceptionally clear.

"The information you brought is of immeasurable value."

"Even if there is a discrepancy in the timing, the core information about the types, habits, and weaknesses of monsters, as well as the help provided by the general store, remains our greatest reliance."

"Perhaps there is a slight deviation in the timing of the information, but in the face of the foreseeable future, it is not an unacceptable price to pay."

"And it's not all bad. At least we know that monsters have appeared, and we will only be more vigilant in the future to prevent the same thing from happening again."

Old Wu's words were very simple.

The monster has appeared; the fact cannot be changed.

The most important thing now is not what happened in the past, but how to face the future.

Lin Mo slowly loosened his clenched fist, leaving several deep crescent-shaped marks on his palm.

He let out a long breath.

The pent-up frustration in my chest seemed to dissipate somewhat.

He looked up, his gaze turning calm: "Whatever you need me to do, I'll do my best to cooperate!"