Chapter 282 Our Era
That's it?
"Um."
"That's it? Really, really?"
"Um."
"So I really won't have a chance to perform?"
"……Um."
The girl in front of me sighed: "I heard I once held the rank of colonel."
"That's really impressive." Lin Xi gave a thumbs up in a very respectful manner.
The disappointment in Xiang Xin's eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by a bright smile. She asked Lin Xi, "And what about you? You were once Academician Lin, Dean Lin, who saved the world, but now you're just a junior staff member."
Lin Xi smiled and shook her head: "No regrets. I am content with my current life."
“Yes.” Xiang Xin rubbed her cheek. “Although I don’t have any memories of my past life, I’ve watched a lot of horror movies and know what that feeling of despair is like. Rather than pursuing achievements, it’s better to keep living the life I have now.”
"Yeah yeah."
Looking at the warm smiling face in front of her, Lin Xi felt that this was just right.
The next moment, Xiang Xin scratched her head: "But real life is so boring. I need to find something to do. How about I draw a post-apocalyptic comic based on your story?"
Lin Xi and Xiang Xin seriously discussed the feasibility of this matter.
Lin Xi suggested: "Then you can start describing my twelfth life. Write about the female protagonist encountering a zombie, being reborn as a medical researcher, and then blah blah blah, that's what happened in that life."
Xiang Xin: "The previous lives can't be omitted either."
Lin Xi: "The previous lives were too pathetic and useless, how boring. The protagonist should forge ahead bravely."
She also kept some of her past humiliating experiences from Xiang Xin, because Xiang Xin still sees her as a shining example.
Xiang Xin: "Hmm... I don't think it can be removed. A brave protagonist is great, and you who are constantly growing are great too."
"Really..." Lin Xi was still unsure. Could that useless version of herself, whom she had once despised, really be the protagonist? "Would everyone like this kind of story?"
"I think so..." Xiang Xin said firmly, "Yes! Anyway, I like you."
"...Okay. I like you very much too."
Xiang Xin pouted: "Where's Brother Lu?"
"Huh? You mean his role in the story?"
Xiang Xin raised an eyebrow: "I mean, you and Brother Lu have known each other for so many years, both fighting to save the world. Now that it's over, have you two kept in touch?"
"He's very busy." The relevant departments ordered a temporary state of emergency in major cities, and the two haven't seen each other since Lin Xi left the secret laboratory and returned to Nanhua.
They have a joint account containing a doomsday fund they've both saved to provide necessary financial support for each other's affairs.
In the first few years after they opened their accounts, they were all very young and often spent all the money on their cards for various plans.
In recent years, both of them have developed very well in their respective fields, and the bonuses have been transferred in one by one, now amounting to a considerable sum.
The apocalypse is over, so this fund will probably have to stop operating.
"Hmm... I need to find an opportunity to have a good talk with Xiong Da about the money in my card, to see how best to allocate it. I'm planning to bring my parents back and buy a new house. My current income..."
Lin Xi rattled off a whole bunch of things, and Xiang Xin looked at her expression with a bit of speechlessness.
"What's wrong?"
Xiang Xin: "...It's nothing. When can we get together with Brother Lu?"
Lin Xi: "Oh, he said he'll be back the day after tomorrow and asked me to have dinner with him."
Xiang Xin: "Wow—they didn't invite me and Haiwang. That day was May 20th."
Lin Xi shook her head: "But I don't have time."
"?"
Lin Xi: "I signed up for the National Women's Sanda League, and the finals were that night."
Xiang Xin: "The Sea King said he felt sorry for Brother Lu for a second, so I'll feel sorry for him for a second too. Why did you have to participate in that competition?"
Lin Xi: "Because when we first met, you suggested that I participate in that competition."
However, that day happened to be May 20th, and Lin Xi had more important things to do at the time, so she did not participate. This promise was finally fulfilled in this life.
“…Good sister.” Xiang Xin hugged Lin Xi.
Lin Xi added, "Although he stood me up, I arranged to meet him the next day."
Xiang Xin: "The next day was May 21st."
Xiang Xin rested her chin on her hand and whispered, "You guys have lived for a long time, but Brother Lu is already old..."
Lin Xi was both amused and exasperated: "I'm pretty much the same. You used to really admire Brother Lu."
Is that so?
"Yes. You even touched his abs."
Xiang Xin opened her eyes wide: "No, no, no... just forget about it, I don't know anything about it anyway."
"Hahaha…"
-
May 20, 2025.
10 a.m.
Lin Xi was dressed in an elegant business suit, looking radiant, a stark contrast to the busy employees in the elevator.
There were familiar faces in the elevator—
Li Sijia carried her coffee delivery with a bitter face, her free hand fiddling with her phone and sending messages.
Lin Xi was tall, and she glanced at the screen to see the message:
Group chat [Sharing happiness and leaving the group in times of trouble] (3)
There used to be four people in this group, but Lin Xi is no longer in it.
Li Sijia complained in the group:
My takeout has arrived, but 360 says there's an extra person in charge from the research institute and asks me to prepare an extra cup of coffee.
[Could I pour these four cups of coffee on four different people's faces, give the last one a wicked smile, and say, "Consider yourself lucky"?]
The elevator arrived quickly, and Li Sijia and Lin Xi stepped out at the same time. They politely declined each other's advances and smiled at each other.
20 minutes later, in the conference room.
"Let me introduce you. This is Lin Xi, the project leader from the Nanhua Biological Research Institute."
Lin Xi looked at the familiar faces and nodded in greeting without any change in expression.
The next moment, Zhou Ling appeared with Li Sijia and Wei Shuhan carrying trays.
It seems that the department that assisted with the reception for this meeting was the same one again.
The meeting was about to begin, and the assistants personally served tea and refreshments.
The fifth cup of coffee was placed in front of Lin Xi.
-
"San San is so handsome!"
Xiang Xin squeezed the Sanda champion badge on Lin Xi's chest.
Not far away, Feng Xue, who had won the runner-up title, glanced over and smiled at Lin Xi, her eyes showing respect and congratulations to her opponent.
Lin Xi nodded in acknowledgment.
On the way back, Xiang Xin asked, "You have the ability to be reborn, but you didn't take Zhao Jing's scientific research achievements, yet you took Feng Xue's championship!"
Lin Xi punched her lightly: "That's different! My Sanda skills are the result of three lifetimes of hard training. I beat Feng Xue, who grew up in peacetime, with my strength. Most importantly, my achievements before May 20, 2025, are history created by others, but from today onwards, my achievements belong to the future."
"Alright, alright, our champion San San is the best. Let's go, Xiong Er is waiting for us to have a midnight snack."
They met at the next intersection and saw another familiar figure.
Lin Xi's eyes lit up, and she walked up to him, but the question that came out instinctively was: "How much is the shirt?"
Her voice was quite loud, attracting the attention of those around her.
Nine pounds and fifteen pence.
Some answered her, while others turned away and whispered among themselves:
"How many pence is fifteen pounds again?"
"Nine pounds and fifteen pence..."
Many young people know this meme, and when they hear this code in public, they subconsciously respond with the next line, as if it has triggered some kind of resonance, and they all smile at each other.
Our time is coming.
- End of text
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