Hijacking the Timeline

Translator: CinderTL

After closing the message box, Feng Qi sighed inwardly.

With the Scarlet Research Institute as his companions, his path ahead had become much smoother.

For many problems he needed to solve, the institute would offer advice or even handle them directly.

From their initial assistance with investigations to the Talent Blind Box, the Brain in a Vat technology, and now the Knowledge Implantation Technology, Feng Qi was deeply grateful to these silent contributors.

Over the next few days, he began reviewing the materials the Scarlet Research Institute had left for him, particularly those related to the Knowledge Implantation Technology.

With this technology, even without his Photographic Memory innate ability, he could bring the code for the super virtual game back to reality through memory implantation.

In addition, there were the Rune Modification Plan materials tailored for him by Wei Wei and Old Wang's second version of the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice decryption data.

These crucial pieces of information were his greatest gains from this Dream Realm journey and all needed to be brought back to reality.

As Feng Qi immersed himself in memorizing the materials, he quickly entered a state of deep concentration.

It was only when the Narrator's warning sounded that he realized little black was about to arrive.

Without hesitation, he immediately returned to the first level of the underground shelter with the Suction Cup.

Amidst the Narrator's desperate cries of "Next time for sure!", he tossed the Suction Cup to little black and decisively retreated back to the second level, continuing to study the materials left by the Scarlet Research Institute.

Time flew by.

As he memorized the materials, Feng Qi discovered that the Scarlet Research Institute had simplified the content to aid his memorization.

Besides the core concepts, lengthy theoretical explanations were often condensed into a single line.

For example: (Advanced Gene Liquid Evolution 3.0, page 266).

The layout had also been improved to prevent visual fatigue from dense text.

However, compared to the previous timeline, the volume of materials provided by the Scarlet Research Institute was still overwhelming.

By the time Feng Qi finished his first read-through, he realized he didn't have enough time to return to the Star City Shelter.

Feng Qi had originally planned to investigate whether Lin Ran had successfully reversed the parasitic relationship with the Lord of the Mist.

However, time was running short. He decided it would be better to use the remaining time to consolidate his memories.

He settled his mind and continued reading the database materials.

Once he entered a state of immersive learning, his sense of time blurred.

If not for the Narrator's reminder, he wouldn't have noticed that little black had already broken through the metal outer door of the elevator and reached the second level of the underground shelter.

When he turned to look, he saw the elevator riddled with holes, and little black's mist-like form enveloping him.

Without hesitation, Feng Qi switched to his Battle Body Form.

"Fierce Tiger Fist, First Stance: Black Tiger Steals the Heart!"

[Feng Qi's First Stance: Execution Ground Expert, Live-Streaming Beheading;

Feng Qi's Second Stance: Suction Cup Sacrifice, Next Time for Sure;

Feng Qi's Third Stance: Unyielding Weakling, Flailing in Death's Grip. We eagerly await your fourth stance to be developed soon.]

Feng Qi: ...

While mentally flipping the Narrator the middle finger, his body made contact with the black mist.

In an instant, his vision was consumed by darkness...

When Feng Qi opened his eyes again, he found himself back in reality.

He sat up from the sofa and went to his desk, where he recorded the information he had obtained from this Future Line.

This Future Line had yielded a great deal of data, but the intelligence value was limited. He had uncovered no valuable information related to the Future Research Institute.

After recording the intelligence in his notebook, he began to consider his next Future Line selection.

As he gathered more and more information, the number of Future Lines available to him grew exponentially.

One thing was certain: regardless of his choice, prioritizing strength was not the optimal strategy.

While personal strength could solve many problems, it couldn't solve them all. If he had focused solely on improving his own abilities without gathering intelligence, he would never have learned about the numerous Domain Forces lurking within Human Civilization.

Even if he possessed the power to defeat all Domain Forces, when the Lord of the Mist activated the "Bloodline Switch," he would become the loneliest human in the world.

In that scenario, all his enemies would be vanquished, yet he would not have truly won.

Furthermore, there was another crucial reason for his decision.

In the Future Line (Sacrifice Line), he had no innate ability. Even if he grew stronger in the Dream Realm, his counterpart in the Future Line remained weak, unable to gauge the enemy's true strength.

Thus, it fell to his Reality Line self to estimate the enemy's power and determine how much stronger he needed to become to defeat them.

Yet, when the final battle arrived 1,500 years later, it would be his Reality Line self who would have to face the enemy directly.

Therefore, pursuing a path of mindless strength offered only one chance.

If, by the time the final battle arrived, he believed he had gained enough power to defeat the Domain Force, but a stronger opponent emerged from their ranks, he would have no chance to turn the tide.

Thus, the path of mindless strength had a clear end in sight.

The risks were immense, the rewards meager.

In Feng Qi's view, the optimal strategy was to prioritize the steady development of Human Civilization, with strength enhancement serving as a secondary support.

He could also learn from history, assess the enemy's strength, and devise countermeasures.

The Scarlet Research Institute's assistance in these Future Lines proved that his choices had been correct.

On the path to salvation, he needed companions, not to walk alone.

Feng Qi pondered his choice for the next Future Line.

He decided to focus on investigating the Future Research Institute once again.

This time, however, he would adopt a more radical approach, simultaneously confronting the Technology Research Institute.

The four resource warehouse coordinates provided by Jia Yi would be his targets in this Future Line.

Confronting the Technology Research Institute would also trigger changes in the Future Dream Realm.

This would allow him to encounter Future People, gather more useful information, and potentially even gain access to the Star City Shelter's authorization data.

[Will you activate the Brain in a Vat Project in this Future Line?]

Faced with the Narrator's question, Feng Qi remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking:

"I'm curious why confronting the Technology Research Institute could cause such significant changes in the future. So, I'll activate the Brain in a Vat Project in this Future Line and witness it firsthand."

[Then... good luck. I won't be able to accompany you on the Sacrifice Line.]

Having made his decision, Feng Qi stood up and sat on the sofa. He picked up the Merit Wine, which was still a third full, twisted off the cap, and drained the rest in one gulp.

As his body temperature gradually rose, he leaned back against the sofa.

While waiting, the energy progress bar reached the requirement for entering the Dream Realm, and sleepiness washed over him.

His expression, lost in thought with closed eyes, gradually became peaceful...

The phone rang, jolting Feng Qi awake.

Sitting up, he felt his head swim as he reached for the phone on the coffee table.

It was Lin Ran calling.

He pressed the answer button, and Lin Ran's voice came through:

"Brother Qi, time to eat!"

Lin Ran's voice cleared his head instantly.

Having failed to enter the Dream Realm after falling asleep, two possibilities now lay before him:

First, he had become the Sacrifice Line.

Second, he was accessing memories stored in his own brain from the Future Dream Realm.

After explaining to Lin Ran that he was busy, he hung up.

Sitting on the sofa, he fell into deep thought.

In truth, either scenario was the same to him. His task remained the same: to follow his planned path as closely as possible.

He needed to gather more valuable intelligence.

Having prepared for this long ago, he quickly accepted the reality before him.

He sat down at his desk and began to refine his planned Future Line in greater detail.

Since this Future Line involved a radical approach to investigating the Future Research Institute and confronting the Technology Research Institute, enhancing his strength was crucial.

He decided to go to the Scarlet Research Institute as soon as possible for rune modification, which would grant him formidable power.

Simultaneously, he couldn't neglect the formation of the Dawn Army.

This time, he would personally lead the rise of the Dawn Army, positioning it as a key force in the future confrontation against the Technology Research Institute.

At 1:00 AM, Feng Qi put down his pen and closed his notebook.

Having lost his innate ability, he no longer possessed boundless energy and already felt drowsy.

After washing up, he lay down and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, he woke up and went to his desk.

He opened his contact list, found Wei Wei's profile with the orange cat avatar, and sent her a message:

Feng Qi: Wei Wei, beautiful lady, are you there?

After sending the message, he got up to brush his teeth and wash his face before returning to his seat.

Wei Wei had already replied:

Wei Wei: Feng Qi? Have you changed your mind and decided to join my Scarlet Research Institute to make a name for yourself?

Feng Qi: That's right, I want to make a name for myself. I'd like to visit the Scarlet Research Institute now to discuss a brilliant idea with you.

Wei Wei: Oh? How does this idea compare to the Human Body Deity Seeding Concept?

Feng Qi: It's a hundred times more powerful. Are you free now?

Wei Wei: Yes, I'll send someone to pick you up from Star City Academy right away!

A smile spread across his face as he read Wei Wei's message about sending someone to pick him up.

Of course, he didn't have an idea more powerful than the Human Body Deity Seeding Concept. It was all a ploy to gain smoother entry into the Scarlet Research Institute.

When he mentioned the Sacrifice Line earlier, Wei Wei hadn't believed a word of it.

It would be better to use this method to infiltrate the Scarlet Research Institute first, then confront Wei Wei and other high-ranking members.

After closing the chat app, he stood up and left his dorm, heading towards the academy gate.

At the gate, he greeted the security guard and stepped outside.

While waiting for the special car to arrive, he took out his phone and called Bai Fusheng to report his movements.

Moments later, a military maglev car pulled up in front of him.

After confirming Feng Qi's identity, the door slowly opened, and he stepped inside.

His next destination: the Scarlet Research Institute.

The maglev car swiftly traversed the sky, landing within the Scarlet Base's perimeter walls several hours later.

As soon as he disembarked, he spotted Wei Wei nearby, wearing a Scarlet uniform and eating xiaolongbao from a bag.

"Feng Qi, I recall you saying just a few days ago that you weren't interested in joining my Scarlet Research Institute. What changed your mind today?"

Facing Wei Wei's teasing gaze, Feng Qi smiled calmly. "Times have changed, and circumstances have shifted dramatically. Let's find a place to discuss this in detail."

"Alright. I'm curious to hear what you have in mind. Follow me into the base." With that, she turned and walked towards the entrance.

Feng Qi immediately followed.

A moment later, in the Scarlet Reception Room.

Wei Wei stared at Feng Qi, who was eating his xiaolongbao, her expression one of utter shock. "So, you were just stringing me along?"

When Feng Qi had said he had no actual plans, Wei Wei had thought, This guy is incredibly thick-skinned. He actually dared to pull one over on me.

The Scarlet Research Institute was no place for jokes.

Just as Wei Wei's expression began to shift, ready to speak, she saw Feng Qi swallow his xiaolongbao and continue, "Sister Weiwei, what I'm about to say is very important. You should prepare yourself."

"I hope you can give me a satisfactory answer. Otherwise, there might be consequences. After all, we at the Scarlet Research Institute have our pride. We can't just let someone make a fool of us without reacting."

Looking at Wei Wei's smiling face, Feng Qi couldn't help but ask curiously, "What kind of consequences?"

"A castration."

"No problem. I'm not interested in romance anyway, so what use is it to me? Removing the source of trouble will only make my heart stronger," Feng Qi said with a calm smile.

Wei Wei: ...

She had intended to scare Feng Qi, but his response had caught her completely off guard.

Gazing at the serious-faced Feng Qi, she couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by 'Sacrifice Line'?"

"That's exactly what I'm about to tell you. Please prepare yourself."

Feng Qi then began to explain to Wei Wei his ability to travel through time and the information he had gathered from other timelines.

Time flew by. As she listened to Feng Qi's account, Wei Wei's expression gradually grew grave.

From initial disbelief to eventual acceptance, Wei Wei felt as if she were dreaming.

The information was overwhelming. When Feng Qi finished speaking, it took her a long time to recover.

"If you hadn't revealed all our secrets, I'd suspect you were just trying to trick me. But now I believe everything you've said is true." Wei Wei sighed, then continued, "So, what future direction have you planned for this timeline?"

"To continue investigating the Future Research Institute while confronting the Technology Research Institute. For this Sacrifice Line, I'll need immense power. I'll need you to perform rune modifications on me. The modification plan has already been prepared by your counterpart in the previous Future Line. I can simply hand it over to you."

Hearing this, Wei Wei nodded immediately.

"Please wait here for a moment. I'll go find the dean to convene a high-level meeting. You'll attend and repeat everything you told me to the assembled leaders."

"Understood!" Feng Qi agreed immediately.

After waiting for about half an hour, Wei Wei returned and led him out of the reception room.

Following a physical examination, he changed into a new set of clothes and entered the Scarlet Research Institute's high-level conference room.

After he detailed the situation during the meeting, the Scarlet Research Institute's senior leaders were shocked. However, faced with the undeniable facts, they ultimately accepted Feng Qi's account.

In the end, the Scarlet Institute Director and the assembled leaders decided to fully support his subsequent plans.

Though he knew the outcome would undoubtedly be as he desired, the Scarlet leaders' attitude still warmed his heart.

After the meeting, he followed Wei Wei to the Genetics Department's laboratory.

There, he described the rune modification plan he had obtained from the previous Future Line, and Wei Wei recorded it.

After several hours of work, Wei Wei, having finished recording the data, looked up at him with a faint smile.

"So, for the rune modification, will you focus on the demon dragon or the Ferocious Shadow?"

(End of the Chapter)

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