Is your surname Lin

Fang Qi pulled his thoughts back and looked ahead.

By now, they had been walking for quite some time.

He estimated they had already descended over a hundred meters.

Liguang held his hand tightly the whole way, her pace alternating between fast and slow...

Like a little puppy on a leash, desperate to dash forward!

Fang Qi could clearly feel her anxiety.

If Lin Xiaoyou and Xiaoqing hadn't been blocking the way in front of them, she probably would have sprinted all the way down!

Finally...

In the darkness ahead, at the end of about forty or fifty steps, something different appeared.

Fang Qi narrowed his eyes to look...

That was...

A door?

An alloy blast door.

It looked thick and sturdy, gleaming with a cold metallic light.

The door fit seamlessly into the stone wall, surrounded by a visible sealing structure.

On the silver-gray metallic surface, faint, intricate patterns could be seen.

On the stone wall next to the door...

Was that a card reader?

Just as he was about to take a closer look... a massive force tugged at his hand!

He was yanked forward, stumbling!

Hey...!

Seeing that door, the silver-haired girl beside him finally couldn't hold back anymore!

She grabbed Fang Qi!

With a stretch of her legs, her black maid leather shoes skipped several steps at a time!

She completely bypassed Lin Xiaoyou and Xiaoqing in front of them and charged straight toward the alloy blast door!

Fang Qi was pulled so hard he nearly missed a step!

Holy crap!

Wifey!

Are you trying to kill me with a fall!

"Liguang! Slow down, slow down--!!"

His panicked shouts echoed endlessly down the corridor!

And in the moment they passed the two girls...

His shoulder accidentally bumped into Lin Xiaoyou's arm!

Fang Qi: "...?"

He suddenly felt a chill on his neck!

Wifey, you did this, I didn't initiate it...!

Then he realized...

She was still dragging him down, completely oblivious to the fact that he had just touched Lin Xiaoyou.

All her attention...

Had been entirely captivated by that door!

Fang Qi: "?"

Huh?

Wait...

What is the meaning of this?

Liguang, what do you mean by this?

This broken door...

Is more attractive than your master, is it?!

I...!

Then his foot almost slipped into thin air again!

"No, no, no, slow down, slow down!"

He quickly snapped back to reality!

He didn't want to have to reset just because he broke a leg!

Fortunately, Liguang was somewhat obedient and slowed down a tiny bit, going from taking five steps at a time...

To taking four steps at a time.

Fang Qi was dragged all the way to the door just like that!

Then the silver-haired girl let go of his hand, and with a "whoosh," practically plastered herself against the alloy blast door!

She tilted her head, her amber left eye wide open, the pupil trembling slightly.

And that crimson eye... its scarlet light was flashing wildly at a frequency Fang Qi had never seen before!

Dyeing the entire door in a layer of blood-red!

...Forget it.

Let her be!

Fang Qi immediately comforted her softly:

"Liguang, don't get too excited. Take it easy."

The flashing frequency of Liguang's crimson eye paused...

Then she gave a gentle nod.

"Yes, Master."

But her actions were anything but taking it easy.

She spread the five fingers of her right hand and pressed them directly onto the card reader's screen!

"Beep."

The screen lit up.

And the data flow in Liguang's crimson eye instantly accelerated!

Fang Qi was taken aback.

Was she trying to brute-force hack it?!

But the next second...

"Beep! Verification failed."

The card reader emitted a cold prompt.

Liguang's fingers paused for a moment.

Then she started trying again!

Faster, more urgent!

Even her simulated breathing became rapid!

The lace on the chest of her maid outfit rose and fell slightly with her breaths!

"Beep! Verification failed."

"Beep! Verification failed."

"Beep..."

"Oh my, don't be in such a rush!"

A crisp voice came from behind.

The flashing in Liguang's crimson eye paused again.

Fang Qi also turned around.

Lin Xiaoyou, holding Xiaoqing's hand, had slowly walked down.

She and Xiaoqing were standing a few steps up.

Tilting her head, her small round face wore a beaming smile.

"It's way too hard to brute-force hack this door."

"If you used your true core to hack it, it might be possible, but using this crimson eye..."

She raised her hand, pointing her finger in the air at Liguang's right crimson eye, and smiled:

"You won't be able to hack it at all!"

"It simply doesn't have the capability!"

Fang Qi narrowed his eyes slightly.

Not because Lin Xiaoyou was pointing at Liguang's eye, but because he saw...

Held between the fingers of the hand she was pointing with, was a white card!

Waving it left and right, as if deliberately showing it to him!

Xiaoqing was also looking at the card in her hand, her lips moving...

But ultimately she just turned her head and looked away.

She looked a bit displeased but said nothing.

Fang Qi looked at the swaying card.

The card wasn't large; it was white, printed with some text and a photo.

The photo showed a man's face, a middle-aged man wearing glasses.

Next to the photo was a clearly printed name.

[Lin Zhouyuan]

...Hmm?

The corner of Fang Qi's eye twitched slightly!

Surnamed Lin?

Before he had time to think deeply, Lin Xiaoyou released Xiaoqing's hand and walked down with brisk steps.

Xiaoqing followed half a step behind her, keeping her eyes fixed intently on Fang Qi and Liguang.

As for Liguang...

She understood that Lin Xiaoyou was going to open the door, and she very decisively took a step back.

She even gave Fang Qi a gentle tug.

--Master, don't stand in the doorway and get in the way!

Fang Qi: "..."

He hadn't yet figured out why that person was surnamed Lin, but he understood...

Liguang's little bottom was really begging for a spanking!

Lin Xiaoyou walked past Fang Qi and Liguang, stepped up to the door, and gently tapped the card against the reader!

"Beep!"

A crisp electronic prompt sounded, echoing through the corridor.

"Researcher, Lin Zhouyuan. Approved."

An emotionless synthetic voice.

"Hiss--"

A deep pneumatic hiss rang out as the thick alloy blast door slowly opened.

The door panels slid sideways, and white light spilled from the crack, growing wider and brighter.

Fang Qi instinctively narrowed his eyes.

And Liguang had already grabbed his hand again, pulling him as they stepped over the threshold.

The white light was blinding.

He blinked hard, waiting for his vision to gradually clear...

A massive underground space appeared before his eyes.

On the white wall directly opposite, a large sign was printed in black font--

[B1]

Oh?

Fang Qi was slightly taken aback.

Floor B1...?

That meant...

Below this, there were even deeper levels?

And Liguang was already completely unable to stand still.

The silver-haired girl stared straight into the depths of the space, the scarlet in her crimson eye flashing madly, her whole body trembling slightly.

She was already on her tiptoes, leaning slightly forward.

If she wasn't still holding his hand, she probably would have dashed over long ago!

"Oh my, don't be in a rush!"

Lin Xiaoyou's cheerful voice rang out again.

She popped up from behind the two of them, hands on her hips, a bright smile on her little round face.

Xiaoqing also slowly strolled past them, leaned against the wall, crossed her arms over her chest, and continued to stare at them.

"Clap!"

Lin Xiaoyou clapped her hands, smiling radiantly:

"Since we're all inside, let me give you a proper introduction!"

She reached out a hand and pointed across the space!

"This here is the B1 level of the research institute!"

"The outermost layer—the living area!"

Fang Qi looked in the direction she was pointing.

Indeed.

This place looked...

Like the living space inside some kind of underground bunker.

The space wasn't too large, but the functional areas were clearly divided.

On the left was a row of simple metal bunk beds, which served as... a makeshift dormitory?

On the right was a small kitchen.

Stainless steel countertops, an induction cooker, a microwave, and a sink.

Further in was a folding dining table with several folding chairs.

On the table were... a few snack wrappers?

Potato chips, cookies, chocolate bars...

The packaging looked quite new.

"How about it, not bad, right?"

Lin Xiaoyou took a step forward with a grin and patted the folding dining table.

"This place is a temporary base for Xiaoqing and me!"

"Sometimes when we need to lay low, or need an absolutely safe place to do some small experiments, we come here and stay for a few days!"

Lin Xiaoyou said this, pointing to a corner with a very relaxed tone:

"We're too lazy to make the beds, so we just sleep in sleeping bags. Anyway, it's only for a few days each time, so we just make do."

Fang Qi followed her finger and looked over.

There were indeed a few sleeping bags there, haphazardly piled in the corner.

Next to them were several power banks, a few charging cables, and a portable speaker.

Stuck on the speaker was a cartoon sticker of a cat rolling its eyes, its expression looking like it needed a good beating.

Fang Qi: "..."

Yeah, just as punchable as Lin Xiaoyou.

However...

His gaze was quickly drawn to something pasted on the wall.

It was a yellowed duty roster.

The edges of the paper were curled, and the handwriting in some places was already blurred, but the dates were still legible.

It was from... three years ago?

Looking at the names on it, he pursed his lips slightly.

At a glance, he saw the name Lin Zhouyuan.

Liguang didn't notice. She was still staring straight into the depths of the space, not observing her surroundings at all.

Fang Qi gave her small hand a gentle squeeze.

"Xiaoyou."

He looked up, stared at Lin Xiaoyou, and asked:

"I want to know..."

"Who is Lin Zhouyuan to you?"

Hearing this, the grinning expression on Lin Xiaoyou's face stiffened slightly.

But then she smiled again, the corners of her mouth curling up!

"Ah, you found out."

She reached back and scratched the back of her head, her ponytail swaying along.

"Lin Zhouyuan... he is, of course, my dad!"

...Just as I thought!

Fang Qi's pupils contracted.

So that means...

The relationship between Lin Xiaoyou's father and his parents was...!

"It's just that..."

Lin Xiaoyou reached out and lightly flicked the yellowed duty roster.

Snap.

The paper made a crisp sound.

"Him."

Her voice was still as light and brisk as ever.

She turned her head and looked at Fang Qi, her almond eyes slightly curved and the corners of her mouth turned up.

"Fang Qi, he... and your parents..."

Yet, there didn't seem to be the slightest hint of a smile in those eyes.

"Died on the exact same day."

"Don't you think that's quite a coincidence."

She even let out a small laugh.

To the side, Xiaoqing pursed her lips tightly, lowered her head, and stared at the tips of her shoes.

Fang Qi stared at her, stunned.

...?

Huh?

There was... this layer of connection?

What was he supposed to say...?

My condolences?

The amount of information was simply too overwhelming. He opened his mouth...

But in the end, he could only manage to ask with some difficulty:

"Your father..."

"Was he really... a researcher under my parents?"

Lin Xiaoyou blinked.

"Hehe."

She laughed again.

With her hands behind her back, she tilted her head, her ponytail resting on her shoulder.

"That's right."

"That's why I have the access card for this place."

She pulled that white card out of her pocket and waved it in front of Fang Qi again.

"It's my dad's card."

"He always kept it on him, never letting it out of his sight, even when he slept."

"But on the day of the accident, he just so happened to leave the card at home!"

She looked down at the card in her hand, her thumb gently rubbing the spot where the photo was.

Then she looked up, smiling at Fang Qi:

"Would you say this is the will of heaven?"

Fang Qi's breathing grew a little shaky.

So, Lin Xiaoyou's father, just like his parents...

Was a member of Dawn?

But because her father was silenced by Dawn... she joined Twilight?

And because she didn't undergo modification for some reason... she wasn't highly regarded by Twilight, which is why she's so poor?

Is that how it is...?

"Oh, by the way, Fang Qi."

Lin Xiaoyou suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

Her almond eyes looked straight at Fang Qi, and the smile on her small, round face became somewhat subtle.

"You've seen the movie The Last Heartbeat, right?"

Fang Qi couldn't help but freeze for a moment.

Huh?

What?

A movie?

The Last Heartbeat?

He had seen it, but...

Why bring up a movie all of a sudden?

"Then let me test you."

"The male lead's..."

Lin Xiaoyou tilted her head, tapping her finger against her lips.

"His best friend who was hospitalized because the elevator shot up to the top floor—"

"What was his last name?"

Her almond eyes curved as she looked at him.

"Do you remember?"

Fang Qi blinked.

What?

What was she talking about now?

The male lead of the movie...

Wasn't that Uncle Fang Yi?

The uncle's best friend... an elevator shooting up... hospitalized...?

Hmm?

...It seems there really was such a scene?

In the movie, Xiaoyue, in order to eliminate everyone around her master who might pose a threat, orchestrated several accidents.

A competitor got electrocuted, the phone of a woman pestering her master spontaneously combusted, and...

His best friend, caught in an elevator that shot to the roof, hospitalized with severe injuries.

But what was that person's last name... how could he possibly remember that!

It was just mentioned in passing in the movie! The guy didn't even show his face!

"Lin."

A gentle voice suddenly rang out beside him.

Fang Qi whipped his head around.

The silver-haired girl was still staring blankly into the depths of the space, the crimson in her red eyes continuing to flicker.

Her lips moved slightly.

"The male lead's best friend..."

"His last name is Lin."

Her voice was calm, and she didn't even glance in their direction.

It seemed as if she was just...

Casually helping her master answer a question he couldn't figure out.

But Fang Qi...

The corner of his eye twitched violently!

Ah...?!

Wait...

The person who was hospitalized because of the elevator shooting up...

Had the last name Lin?!

Was that...

Lin Xiaoyou's father?

Wait...

Then this Lin Zhouyuan, was he a researcher for Dawn, or for Twilight...?

...Actually, it doesn't conflict?

His father, Fang Chu, one of the founders of Dawn...

Was also Uncle Fang Yi's biological older brother.

His uncle's friend working as a researcher under his own brother... that seemed pretty normal?

Maybe...

His uncle had personally recommended him to his brother?

Ah...

No wonder!

No wonder his uncle was so kind to the amnesiac Lin Xiaoyou in the movie theater!

He... knew her father?

Was that why he...?

"So..."

He stared blankly at Lin Xiaoyou:

"Your father is...?"

Lin Xiaoyou did not answer.

She simply tilted her head, her almond eyes curving into crescents as she looked at him.

Then, suddenly—

"Alright!"

Lin Xiaoyou clapped her hands together forcefully!

"Smack!"

The crisp sound echoed throughout the living area.

Then, she put her hands on her hips and glared at Xiaoqing, who had been leaning against the wall with her lips pursed tightly.

"Xiaoqing!"

Her voice suddenly spiked!

"Now... it is time for your punishment!"

Lin Xiaoyou pointed a finger toward the corner of the living area.

"You, go kneel over there!"

"You are not allowed to get up until I tell you to!"

Xiaoqing was instantly dumbfounded. "I..."

Fang Qi: "...?"

No, wait...

The way you changed the subject this time...

Is seriously way too forced!