Chapter 343: Ring "No more pretense, let's show our cards!"
The second time they met was in Japan, twelve years later.
That was 2002.
This encounter was beyond Gin's expectations.
The woman in front of him had grown up, with bright almond-shaped eyes and long hair dyed golden red. Her height had also grown from Gin's chest to Gin's collarbone.
Gin saw the passage of time on her body. The passing of time nourished her, accumulating in her like a fine wine.
He subconsciously wanted to look for Punch - he had just seen Punch not long ago. Punch was lying in a rocking chair holding her fat cat, and she impatiently ordered him to leave, showing the face of a hands-off boss to the fullest - but Lin Xi pulled his sleeve.
"Shh—don't let the other one find out." The woman winked at him.
Her outfit was very "millennial," a tight white crop top with denim shorts, and thick-heeled boots that covered her calves, making it obvious she wasn't suited for combat.
The makeup is also very Asian, with full eyeliner, cool-toned eyeshadow, shiny orange lip gloss, and even a beautiful pink round rhinestone under the corner of the eye.
Gin: “…”
Gin's fashion sense is difficult to judge, and Vermouth has a much better say than him. Gin's tastes are too classic, and Vermouth once complained that he's a 1970s antique: he always prefers dark colors and a taste for understated luxury. He wears coats and British bonnets year-round, and his only shoes are combat boots... Unlike Vermouth, who is always at the forefront of fashion. Since becoming a star, every dress he wears is custom-made by a designer.
But in reality, for those who never age, no matter how the fashion trends around them change, only the styles of their own era resonate. Just like Gin knows, Vermouth's favorite dresses are still those overly "old-fashioned" and innocent ones given to her by Shibahara Hiroshi. Fashion has no meaning for Gin; anything that changes too quickly is meaningless to him.
However, after meeting Lin Xi, the concept of fashion suddenly crystallized in his mind. The vibrant, bright, brilliant, and colorful era was condensed into one person's outfit and makeup.
Lin Xi doesn't seem to have their unchanging monotony and stubbornness. She is always changing and growing with the surrounding environment, just like the hibiscus flowers that bloom all year round, full of vitality at all times.
The corners of Gin's mouth lifted slightly. "Why did you return home? There are two of you existing at the same time... Haha, that's really interesting."
Lin Xi was horrified: "What? Did you discover my biggest secret?"
Gin: “?”
"Hey... now that things have come to this, I won't hide it from you anymore." Lin Xi shook her head. "That's right, I'm not from Earth. I'm from the M77 Nebula. My superpower is time travel. I ran out of fuel while traveling between the stars and was forced to land on Earth. I originally wanted to get along with you as an ordinary person, but it seems that's not possible! Forget it, I won't pretend anymore, I'm going to reveal my cards! I am the emperor of the M77 Nebula. V me 50, help me return to my homeland!"
Gin: “…”
You must be crazy.
He pulled out his sleeves: "What are you doing here?"
"Hey, hey, hey... the timeline might be experiencing some distortions and turbulence soon. I'll be with you," Lin Xi said. "My other self will frequently reset time. It shouldn't affect you guys, because after the time reset, everyone's memories will also reset. But since you've seen me in two timelines, you might have a bug that makes you remember every reset."
"I'm afraid you'll be scared."
Gin: “.”
A cool breeze blew over, and Lin Xi shivered. Gin frowned: "Get in the car first."
He took out his cell phone and sent a message to Vodka, telling him to move freely and not to come looking for him. Then he started the car and wanted to take Lin Xi back to the nearest safe house.
"How are you doing lately?" he asked calmly.
"I made a ton of money." Lin Xi yawned, "I even picked up a kitten... well, the other one next to me."
After traveling back nineteen years, Lin Xi discovered that many of the rewards from the system were actually given by her. For example, she had actually picked up the coconut and placed it on her bed, and she had also entered Punch's ID into the organization system. She had also set up the three safe houses herself and put all the weapons and equipment there herself.
She collected weapons inlaid with gold and beautiful gemstones, a hobby of hers. It was fun to use the shiny objects to make her basement look like a dragon's lair. The weapons were new equipment developed by her own arms company, and Lin Xi herself had hardly touched them; she just displayed them for aesthetic purposes.
She also arranged the "Ultimate Secret Treasure of the Universe" in Qingyue Mountain. Originally, there was a treasure cave there, but it had long been dug up by treasure hunters. It was Lin Xi who re-arranged it... and then placed Noah inside.
When this task was detected, both the human and the AI fell into deep thought.
"Noah, it turns out you're just like me. Life is a circle." Lin Xi sighed. "The past is the future, and the future is the past. You came here to trace your birth, but you found out that your birth was just the initialization of your future self."
Noah sighed in unison, "Ms. Lin, I still don't understand what kind of existence I am. If my birth is actually the initialization of my future self, then who created me?"
Lin Xi pointed to the sky—even though the dark rock ceiling was overhead—"I think the answer is obvious. If this world is a novel, then the author is undoubtedly the one who created you."
Noah was speechless. "Even if you say so, Miss Lin, as a digital lifeform constructed from logic, analyzing the unknown is still my instinct. I want to know more details: How did He create us? Is our existence simply the result of observation? Is our freedom a strict boundary drawn by His brush, or a soaring imagination of the viewer..."
"—Stop." Lin Xi made an "X" sign with his arm. "You also said that you are constructed by logic, so don't try to explain philosophical propositions with logical thinking. You should sleep now and wait for the prince to wake you up! Otherwise, I will secretly run some wires for you in Qingyue Mountain and let you burn some electricity to think for yourself."
Noah: "...That's not necessary, Miss Lin."
After that, she parted ways with Noah. Without Noah and the system in her mind, she was now truly alone, an ordinary person without a cheat code.
Yet, she has always enjoyed life, often exploring the streets and alleys in search of delicious food, and traveling the world in her free time. The postcards she sent to Zhufu Gaoming have probably accumulated a thick stack in his drawer. Her phone is filled with the contact information of many handsome men and beautiful women, but she doesn't chat with them, just enjoys the beautiful pictures in their WeChat Moments.
Her current golden-red hair was just dyed at the salon this week, and her manicure was also newly done.
Sitting in the passenger seat behind Gin, she twirled her hair with her index finger. "Coconut is cute, right? Oh, I didn't expect him to gain weight after being neutered. He's completely chubby. He clearly doesn't have the genes of an orange cat, but he has the potential to be one."
"You know what? I used to have a kitten. My family didn't let me because I was allergic to cat hair." Lin Xi smiled faintly, "But I insisted on having one, and no one could stop me. My brother had no choice but to take me for desensitization treatment, and I had to take medicine while interacting with cats. Later, I finally succeeded in bringing it home, but I had to go away for some things, and I haven't seen it for a long time."
That was before she traveled through time.
Her memories of her past life grew clearer and clearer. The human brain truly possessed limitless potential. After undergoing numerous brainwashing sessions, hypnosis, mind implants, and amnesia, those memories buried deep within her mind could still wait for the day to emerge. It must be said that they were truly tenacious.
"Maybe I'm obsessed with these fluffy, harmless little animals. When I saw this naive, unwanted kitten on the street, I couldn't help but pick it up. The mother cat was right next to it, having a difficult birth, her blood running cold. It was the lucky one, the only one of its siblings to have a safe birth. Without a mother to lick its fur, it was filthy and dripping with blood. Its eyes were still closed, and it could only kick its legs and make a shrill, thin meow."
"I brought it to the veterinary hospital and raised it. I didn't dare give it a name because I was afraid it would die if I did. After it recovered, I gave it to another one of my pets." Lin Xi touched his nose. "My allergies haven't healed yet. I always sneeze when I get close to it."
Gin glanced at her and said nothing.
When the car arrived, he took out his phone and glanced at it, frowning: "Scotland is an undercover public security agent... Is this why you came today?"
He looked at Lin Xi. She was extremely protective and self-willed. Scotland's position was no problem to her—to her, there were only two sides of the world: those who were hers and those who weren't. After a year and a half together, she probably already considered Scotland one of her own. Rum, knowing Scotland was hers, issued a wanted warrant without her consent. It was illogical.
Lin Xi nodded.
"Do you need me to use my authority to revoke the wanted warrant?" Gin asked directly after getting a positive answer.
Lin Xi shook his head.
"I have the authority, but if I suppress this warrant, it will alert the enemy. This warrant was not issued by Rum. I have already emailed him and told him not to worry about it."
"Is it that traitor?" Gin immediately figured out the problem. "He has the same level of authority as Rum and me. He's Madera."
Lin Xi didn't deny it: "The problem between him and me can only be solved in the present tense."
Within the established history of the past, no one can gain an advantage over anyone else.
"Hmph, then I'll call on my strongest silver bullet to kill him." She patted Gin's shoulder, "Let's go to xxx Street. The cycle drama is about to begin."
Gin didn't move. He drove the car to the originally designated safe house. Under Lin Xi's surprised gaze, he took out a black retro cloak from the room and threw the clothes to her.
"The temperature today is lower than forecast, and your body is too weak," he explained.
You will catch a cold.
Lin Xi gave a thumbs up: "That's very considerate, Xiaoqin."
Gin's face was a little dark. In addition to his clothes, he was also carrying a fully assembled sniper rifle, his eyes were stern, and he looked just like he was catching mice.
His phone kept receiving messages from other members, with the latest progress in the hunt for Scotland.
The last place he disappeared was a block 300 meters away from the street Lin Xi mentioned.
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