“Yu Xi, wait for me at the stairwell. I’m more comfortable with this distance.”

“Even if Jask and the others go up and down, they’ll take the elevator. They won’t pass by this stairwell.”

After much consideration, Lin Xian found a balance between "don't leave Yu Xi" and "don't expose Yu Xi to Jask."

He settled Yu Xi at the stairwell on the 17th floor of the inpatient department before heading toward Zheng Xiangyue's ward.

Two people were standing outside the ward.

One was the Donghai official and the other was the head nurse.

They didn't go in to disturb Jask and Zheng Xiangyue's conversation, as Jask had requested from the beginning.

Jask said he wanted to chat with Zheng Xiangyue in a relaxed state, just a private chat, nothing too formal.

Lin Xian didn't get too close either, just standing quietly outside the door.

Soon, Jask, who kept looking back, noticed Lin Xian. He immediately got up from Zheng Xiangyue's ward and walked out.

"Lin Xian, he's a friend of mine."

Jask pointed at Lin Xian and smiled at the Donghai official accompanying him:

"We'll go over there and say a few words, it won't take long, it won't affect the rest of the schedule."

"No problem, please go ahead."

Afterward.

Jask straightened his suit, walked toward Lin Xian, and proactively extended his right hand:

"Lin Xian, long time no see, let's shake hands."

"Where's Angelica?"

Lin Xian didn't take his hand, cutting straight to the chase:

"Where's Angelica? What did you do to her?"

Jask lowered his head.

He chuckled.

Then shook his head:

"Lin Xian, if you're looking for Angelica, you seem to have come to the wrong place. Angelica isn't here with me."

"It's true that I controlled her once, and I took good care of her… but unfortunately, she still escaped from me and stole some things."

"I'd rather ask you, do you know where Angelica is? If you do, please tell me. No matter what, she has to return what she stole from me, right?"

Lin Xian snorted softly.

He didn't believe Jask's lies at all.

Angelica went missing at Jask's rocket launch center. There had been no signs of external activity or contact with him for so many days.

Clearly, Jask was lying.

He took a deep breath and looked into Jask's eyes:

"So there's nothing to talk about?"

Jask also dropped his smile.

He looked at Lin Xian seriously:

"I guess you won't believe anything I say right now, will you? Lin Xian, I think there's some misunderstanding between us, even… a very deep misunderstanding."

"But as things stand, if you ask me to provide any evidence to prove that it's all a misunderstanding, I really can't."

"However, I believe that if we can both show sincerity, put aside our prejudices, and have a good talk, we should be able to clear up these misunderstandings."

"This definitely isn't the right place, and I do have something I want to show you, but a hospital isn't the right place to bring it out. So… how about we change the time and place and have a good talk?"

He smiled, stood up straight with his hands behind his back:

"In Lingang New Area, about two kilometers north of the Tesla Gigafactory, there's an abandoned factory. Although it's filled with building materials and garbage, it's spacious and quiet enough to be undisturbed, perfect for us to have a good chat."

"Let's not delay, how about 8 o'clock tonight? I won't be late this time… 8 p.m., we'll meet at that abandoned factory on time. I'll come to see you with enough sincerity, without any bodyguards, without anyone, just me, alone."

With that.

He waved goodbye to Lin Xian:

"See you tonight, Lin Xian, don't stand me up."

He turned around.

Jask chuckled, grabbed the Donghai official's arm, and together they politely entered the elevator, closed the door, and went down.

…

This meeting.

It was much shorter than Lin Xian had expected.

But what could he do?

Since the other party didn't admit that Angelica was in his hands, there was naturally nothing more to talk about.

He just didn't expect…

Jask would invite him to meet separately at 8 p.m. at an abandoned factory in a remote suburb.

Saying it would be a private meeting, that he’d come alone.

Was that believable?

Lin Xian wouldn't be foolish enough to believe it.

Since he was already here, and he had been busy going to space, rushing around, and running for his life, he hadn't visited Zheng Xiangyue in a long time.

He might as well take this opportunity to visit her.

He walked to the ward, gently knocked on the open door, and met Zheng Xiangyue's eyes as she held an urn.

"Brother Lin Xian!"

Zheng Xiangyue smiled, tilting her head, her waterfall of black hair cascading down.

She put her brother's urn back on the bedside table.

Then she trotted over and took Lin Xian's hand:

"Brother Lin Xian! Do you know who came just now? Jask came! The Jask who sells lunar travel tickets! He told me everything! He said that ticket was a gift from you! All this time… why didn't you tell me you bought it!"

Lin Xian smiled slightly.

He walked into the ward with Zheng Xiangyue, listening to her chatter about Jask's visit.

"Since you know, I won't hide it from you."

Lin Xian said truthfully:

"Actually, that ticket was technically bought through me, but the money came from another friend of your brother, from his estate. He knew your dream, and he knew about you and your brother, so… he did a good deed before his death and made your dream come true."

"Ah, I see."

Zheng Xiangyue scratched her head, listening to the complicated story:

"Then he… was truly a good person, a kind person."

"Maybe in the next life."

Lin Xian smiled:

"Maybe he'll be a good person in the next life. Fulfilling your lunar dream counts as earning some merit."

Zheng Xiangyue pursed her lips, hesitant to speak.

Finally.

She looked up.

Looking at Lin Xian seriously:

"Brother Lin Xian, didn't you ask me before if I would be willing to go into hibernation with Xu Yiyi?"

Lin Xian nodded:

"Have you thought it through now?"

Actually.

Before Xu Yiyi's attending physician said that Yiyi's body couldn't handle it, Zheng Xiangyue's attending physician had talked to Lin Xian twice.

The attending doctor said:

"I know that you're taking care of both Zheng Xiangyue and Xu Yiyi, so I'll tell you their true condition directly."

"Mr. Lin, don't think that just because Zheng Xiangyue's condition looks much better than Xu Yiyi's, she can really hold on… That's not the case. From our medical perspective, Zheng Xiangyue's condition is actually much more dangerous than Xu Yiyi's."

"At least Xu Yiyi's condition is stable. We can grasp the changes in her body, make preparations in advance, and predict future deterioration trends. But Zheng Xiangyue is different… Her heart disease, once it attacks, can be suddenly fatal."

"Zheng Xiangyue's heart disease has already attacked several times, and each time she's been pulled back from the brink of death. She's indeed a very lucky girl, but how long can that luck last? The heart is different from other human organs. Sometimes life and death are just a moment, and you can't save them."

"So I suggest… you work on Zheng Xiangyue's thinking and let her go into hibernation with Xu Yiyi. We medical professionals know a lot about hibernation pod progress. Although the current hibernation pods are still in the nominal testing phase, the test results have long been ready for mass production and promotion."

"Nowadays, apart from the unavoidable side effect of amnesia, most other hibernation side effects have basically been overcome. Even if there are still some minor side effects, they are negligible and not so serious, and they won't affect Zheng Xiangyue or Xu Yiyi much."

"You have to make up your mind as soon as possible, Mr. Lin. Zheng Xiangyue's condition can't wait. No one knows when misfortune will befall this poor little girl."

…

Therefore.

When taking Xu Yiyi to the Longke Institute for hibernation, Lin Xian naturally persuaded Zheng Xiangyue for a long time.

But Zheng Xiangyue still insisted on refusing.

She was afraid of missing that lunar journey.

Even though she didn't quite believe that the ticket to the moon was real, but… what if? What if a miracle really happened?

If she really had a ticket, and it wasn't a well-intentioned lie, but she missed it because she was sleeping in a hibernation pod…

She would really regret it for the rest of her life!

But now it was different.

Jask's promise had dispelled her last concerns.

She now…

Had really thought it through.

"Yes, Brother Lin Xian, I've decided."

Zheng Xiangyue nodded seriously at Lin Xian:

"Uncle Jask has already promised me that my lunar travel ticket can be redeemed at any time, even decades or centuries later, and it doesn't matter if the ticket is lost!"

"In that case, I can go into hibernation with peace of mind… I also want to have a healthy body so that I can stand on the moon and bury my brother's urn there."

"Of course, that's no problem."

Lin Xian smiled:

"It's a result many people want to see that you're willing to go into hibernation, and it's indeed the best treatment plan for you. Don't worry, Xiangyue, human technology and medicine are developing rapidly. It probably won't take many years, maybe even less than 20 years, before congenital heart disease and spaceships to the moon are all solved."

"I'll only be 45 years old in 20 years. When you wake up then, maybe I can watch you get into a spaceship and see you off on your lunar journey."

"Hehe…"

Seeing Lin Xian's gentle words, Zheng Xiangyue's eyes welled up with tears, blurring her vision.

She wiped her eyes.

Her voice choked:

"Thank you so much, Brother Lin Xian… My brother always said that you are all good people, and you have helped us a lot; he told me that if I have the chance in the future, I must repay your kindness."

"Although I don't know what I'll be able to do in the future, Brother Lin Xian, if I really have the ability after I grow up, I will definitely repay you! Just like you take care of me now… when you get old, I will take good care of you!"

Ah.

Such innocent words.

Lin Xian took two tissues from the paper box next to him and handed them to Zheng Xiangyue.

He had noticed it long ago.

Although Zheng Xiangyue wasn't that young, she was already 15 years old this year.

But because she had been trapped in the hospital since she was a child, hadn't gone to school, hadn't interacted with the outside world, and had no friends… her mental age was much younger than her actual age.

It wasn't just her mental age, but her body was also underdeveloped, making her shorter than a normal fifteen-year-old girl by more than a head.

So, all things considered, Zheng Xiangyue looked completely like an eight- or nine-year-old girl, pitiful and endearing.

"You don't have to think so far ahead, Xiangyue."

Lin Xian comforted her:

"As long as you can take care of yourself and fulfill your dream of going to the moon, we will all be happy for you. I've actually been of limited help to you and your brother, and I don't come to take care of you often, so… you really don't have to think about repaying me, don't have that kind of pressure."

"What's more, if you hibernate for a long time, the side effect of amnesia will make you forget everything, and you will naturally forget about me. But I think it's good to forget, a new environment, a new era, everything starts anew, and it's not a bad thing."

Hearing Lin Xian's reminder.

Zheng Xiangyue suddenly remembered that hibernation had the side effect of amnesia! If Lin Xian hadn't suddenly mentioned it, she would have forgotten!

"Then… then that won't do, Brother Lin Xian."

Zheng Xiangyue shook her hand resolutely:

"My brother repeatedly taught me that a drop of water should be repaid with a spring, and people must never forget to repay kindness. But… what about the side effect of amnesia? If I wake up and forget everything… forget about burying my brother on the moon, forget about you, Brother Lin Xian… that would be terrible."

Suddenly, she had an idea.

She had it!

Why not just record these important matters in a notebook?

That way.

When she woke up one day, she could just follow the descriptions recorded in the notebook and complete them one by one, right?

She flipped over, got on the bed, opened the drawer of the bedside table on the other side, and took out a pink notebook and a cute-looking pen.

She opened to a blank page.

Zheng Xiangyue wrote on it:

《Things to do after waking up from hibernation!》

1. Bury my brother on the moon.

2. Repay Brother Lin Xian well.

After writing.

She held the notebook in front of Lin Xian, smiling:

"Brother Lin Xian, look, this way I won't forget you! When I wake up from the hibernation pod, I will immediately remember it when I see these words!"

Hehe.

Lin Xian chuckled and touched Zheng Xiangyue's head, not saying much.

If it were that simple…

People in society wouldn't be so worried about memory loss and memory fraud after hibernation.

What's more.

Zheng Xiangyue wrote these two things so simply, with just a few strokes. Even if she was willing to believe the notes she wrote after she woke up, would she really be able to understand them?

The second one could barely be understood.

But the first one… it looked inexplicable on its own. Without context, it would definitely not be understood.

But Lin Xian didn't plan to tell Zheng Xiangyue any of this.

Let her go into hibernation happily, without worries or concerns.

This should also be what Zheng Chenghe wanted to see most.

Zheng Xiangyue's health and happiness were more important than anything else.

As for forgetting Lin Xian? Or even forgetting Zheng Chenghe?

Forget it, then.

Forget everything and accept a new life.

"You might as well just cross out the second one."

Lin Xian laughed:

"Because I personally am quite resistant to hibernation pods, you probably won't see me in the future. And kindness itself doesn't seek repayment. It’s passed down selflessly from generation to generation."

"I've also received kindness from many people, which is why I have the ability to help you today, but many of the people who gave me kindness… are no longer here, and I don't even have the chance to repay them. So, that's why I continued that kindness to you."

"So naturally, Xiangyue, you can continue to pass on this kindness—"

"[Be a kind person, be a loving person, extend a helping hand to those in need, and offer love to those who desire care.]"

"[If you have the ability, make great contributions to the country; if you don't have the ability, then return to Donghai to build your hometown.]"

"In short, if you can continue to pass on this kindness and love, that will be the best repayment to me, to your brother, and to all the people in this world who have helped you."

…

Zheng Xiangyue listened to Lin Xian's words.

She nodded heavily.

Then she picked up the pen again and added a new line to the《Things to do after waking up from hibernation!》—

3. Be a kind and loving person.

Lin Xian couldn't help but smile again when he saw it.

It was still the same concise, master of compression that he knew. Zheng Xiangyue was indeed good at extracting the key points, with every word worth its weight in gold.

"I'm going now, Xiangyue. I'll take care of your hibernation arrangements."

Lin Xian stood up from the chair:

"I'm very familiar with the Longke Institute, and I had them reserve two experimental hibernation pod slots a long time ago. Xu Yiyi is already asleep in one, and the other is still reserved for you. I just need to contact them."

"For the rest, just listen to your attending physician's arrangements."

Afterward.

Lin Xian left Zheng Xiangyue's ward and called the Longke Institute. There were no problems. Dean Gao Yan said that the Affiliated Hospital of Donghai University could send Zheng Xiangyue over at any time.

Then, Lin Xian met with Zheng Xiangyue's attending physician again.

The doctor said:

"That's great. In fact, Zheng Xiangyue's heart disease flared up again a few days ago, but I couldn't contact you. Your phone was always switched off. I was just looking for an opportunity to have a good talk with you."

"Since there are no problems with the Longke Institute accepting her, then Zheng Xiangyue should set off as soon as possible. My suggestion is not to wait a moment and leave immediately after preparing. For safety reasons, we will not use transportation like high-speed trains or airplanes. We will send a professional ambulance to transport Zheng Xiangyue."

"Don't worry, the ambulance has a lot of emergency equipment. Even if Zheng Xiangyue's heart disease flares up on the way to the capital, there will be time to rescue her. What's more… this is also the benefit of an ambulance. If something happens that can't be handled, you can also quickly get to a nearby hospital to use eCmo equipment, which is much safer than high-speed trains and airplanes that can't change direction halfway."

Lin Xian nodded:

"Okay, doctor, then I'll leave Zheng Xiangyue in your care."

"Don't worry, Mr. Lin."

The attending physician smiled:

"We will take care of Zheng Xiangyue on the way to the capital. Speaking of which, you and Zhao Yingjun of MX Company are both very respected people in our inpatient department."

"Whether it's Professor Xu Yun's daughter, Xu Yiyi, or Zheng Xiangyue, this poor child, after they became orphans, you two have been taking care of them and paying for their medical expenses."

"I've been in the inpatient department for so many years, and I've watched both Zheng Xiangyue and Xu Yiyi grow up, so I have some feelings for them. So I'm very grateful to you and Zhao Yingjun for taking such good care of these two children."

"You are both very kind people, and your lives will be full of good luck."

Lin Xian smiled slightly, stood up, and prepared to leave:

"Thank you for your kind words. Now is exactly… when I need good luck the most."

…

After coming out of the attending physician's office, Lin Xian arrived at the stairwell on the 17th floor of the inpatient department.

Yu Xi was leaning against the wall, waiting quietly.

"Anything happen?" Lin Xian asked.

Yu Xi shook her head:

"No one came here, only Jask's bodyguards ran up and down twice."

"Did they see you?"

Yu Xi put her hands in her pockets and shook her head again:

"No."

Afterward.

The two took the elevator downstairs, got back into the Volkswagen sedan, and drove back to the hotel.

In the suite, Lin Xian told Yu Xi about his conversation with Jask.

"This must be a trap set by Jask."

Yu Xi said:

"If we had taken the initiative to invite him out, that would be one thing, but now that he's taking the initiative to invite you to such a remote place, it looks dangerous no matter how you look at it."

"He says he's coming alone, but the abandoned factory is near his base camp, the Tesla Gigafactory… Who knows how many people will come?"

"And since he's denying that Angelica is by his side, then there's even less reason for you to talk to him. No matter what state Angelica is in, Jask definitely doesn't plan to return her to you… It's not even certain whether Angelica is dead or alive right now."

"I think so too."

Lin Xian sat on the sofa in the suite's living room, looking at his watch:

"No matter how you look at it, this is more like a Hongmen Banquet."

The electronic smartwatch showed that the current time was 16:32.

There were still three and a half hours until Jask's appointment with him at eight o'clock tonight.

"Are you sure you want to go?"

Yu Xi shook her head:

"This is really dangerous. I suggest that if you must meet with Jask, we can choose the place and set the time."

"However… I don't think there's much time left, because I can feel that the space-time assassin has entered the territory of the Dragon Kingdom. It's just that her location is still relatively far away, and the distance I sensed is not very accurate… probably, she should be near Shandong, which is still a long way from Donghai City."

"But no matter what, since the space-time assassin has entered the Dragon Kingdom, it's only a matter of time before she comes to Donghai City. If we let her meet up with Jask, we really won't have any chance."

"Time is running out, Lin Xian. You must make up your mind as soon as possible. Now, either we take the risk and go to see Jask; or we ignore Jask and try to get rid of the space-time assassin; or… leave Donghai again, avoid the fight, and wait for a more suitable opportunity."

Lin Xian rested his chin in his hand, closed his eyes, and sat on the sofa, thinking.

He always felt that.

Jask's attitude toward him was really subtle.

Was he an enemy?

He hadn't shown any intention to kill him, and he had indeed rescued him from the impact of the aerospace plane hijacked by Kevin Walker and indirectly revealed Kevin Walker's address to him.

If he wasn't an enemy?

Clearly, he was lying about Angelica, and he had killed VV and sent the space-time assassin.

From the current situation.

The space-time assassin wouldn't be able to arrive in Donghai until the early hours of tonight at the earliest; before that, it was Jask's vacuum period for assassins.

Of course, perhaps Jask could directly dispatch a team of assassins from this timeline to kill him.

But if the logic was so simple…

Why didn't he act in the US?

Why not directly send a team of assassins in the US?

No matter how you looked at it, killing him in the US was much easier than killing him in the Dragon Kingdom.

He was at least a public figure in Donghai.

If he was really killed, Jask would have to pay a price, and he wouldn't do such a stupid thing.

Lin Xian's feeling now was still as awkward as before.

He always felt…

"Something's not right."

Let's analyze it carefully.

Now, the people who clearly had hostility toward him:

Kevin Walker, the mysterious old man from the Fourth Dream, the space-time assassin.

The people who clearly stood on his side and protected him:

Oriole, Yu Xi, Angelica.

In this case.

Jask's position, as it had been from the beginning, was completely unclear.

Could it be…

The real mastermind was someone else?

Then who could it be?

Lin Xian couldn't figure it out for the time being.

But at 8 p.m. tonight, Jask's Hongmen Banquet, should he go or not?

"I think we should go."

Lin Xian opened his eyes:

"I always felt that if Jask really wanted to ambush me, there was no need to specifically come to Donghai to kill me."

"He had countless better options, but now, setting up a trap in Donghai to kill me during the time period when the space-time assassin couldn't arrive was simply the stupidest method, completely illogical."

"What's more, if the space-time assassin's goal was really to kill me, I don't think I would have survived until now, right? Before you protected me, if the space-time assassin had a little intention to kill, I should have already died."

"Now that I think about it carefully, although the space-time assassin seemed to be attacking hard, she was actually measured. For example, when she tore my car door at the beginning, she could have directly torn my neck; also, when she crashed into me in the Mercedes-Benz, she could have crashed harder and overturned the car; not to mention that she herself was not restricted by the laws of space-time and could easily get a gun in the US, why did she never use a gun?"

Yu Xi blinked her azure blue eyes:

"The reason why she didn't use a gun may be because she was afraid of accidentally injuring other humans in this timeline, right? What if the problem of the failure of the laws of space-time wasn't on her… but on you? Is there something wrong with you? Does mandatory avoidance only work on you?"

"I don't know."

Lin Xian shook his head:

"But I still say that Jask is a smart man, if he wanted to kill me, he would have killed me long ago. It's impossible to wait until I return to Donghai to kill me, it's completely a bad move."

"Don't be too complacent, Lin Xian."

Yu Xi walked to the opposite side of the coffee table, put her hands in her pockets, and looked at him:

"You're always so indecisive. Why do you want to put your life in Jask's hands? You can't always believe in the enemy's mercy, right?"

"If you really go to see Jask tonight, I will naturally protect you and go with you. But I am limited by the laws of space-time. If you are really in danger, I can only take you and run away. I can't counterattack the humans in this timeline."

"Jask can lie to you about Angelica, then he can deceive you about anything. Don't trust him too much. So let's be more prepared. If Jask is sincere in talking to you, then talk to him well; but if he ambushes you… you have to react in time and subdue him."

"After subduing Jask, we can use him as a hostage. That way, even if there is an ambush outside, we will at least have a bargaining chip."

"Subdue?"

Lin Xian raised his head from the sofa and looked at Yu Xi, who was standing with her hands in her pockets:

"How are we going to subdue Jask?"

Snap.

Yu Xi took out a yellow and black object from her right pocket and slammed it on the coffee table.

Lin Xian looked down—

Taser!

This was a weapon for civilian police that he was very familiar with…

Although he hadn't used it, it had been used on him countless times.

The paralyzing feeling of the instantaneous current still made his muscles tense up when he thought about it.

"Where did you get this?"

Lin Xian asked, puzzled.

"I stole it from Jask's bodyguard at the hospital stairwell today," Yu Xi replied:

"I always wanted to go to the black market and exchange Angelica's jewelry for a real gun for you… but I never had the chance, and you're not comfortable with me leaving you, so I can only make do with this."

"This thing won't kill people. It will paralyze people, cause them to convulse, fall to the ground unable to move, or pass out. Subduing Jask is definitely no problem."

"So, to prevent any surprises…"

Her bright, blue pupils stared into Lin Xian's eyes:

"Tonight, let's go to the abandoned factory in advance and set up an ambush."

"If something's really wrong… we'll strike first!"