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The explosive shockwaves jolted Lin Xian from his deep thoughts just as the vision of an old man clarified, and a bright white light enveloped him unexpectedly. In an instant, everything around him disintegrated into ashes.

Startled awake, Lin Xian found himself sitting upright in his bed, his heart racing from the vivid nightmare. He scanned the room—no familiar bedside clock in sight, confirming he wasn’t in his own bedroom. The feeling of disorientation was overwhelming.

As he slid out of bed, he grabbed his phone from a nearby desk. The time was 00:42. “This is reality,” he muttered to himself, his heartbeat slowly returning to normal. Dr. Liu’s warning echoed in his mind, “If one day you lose the reference points that distinguish reality from dreams… you’ll completely lose the ability to tell them apart.”

Lin Xian had always dismissed such cautions, but his recent dream, where he’d been disoriented by a stun gun and found himself hooded, blurred the lines between reality and dreams for a moment. He wondered if he was truly awake in reality or if this was just another layer of a dream.

Especially unnerving were the old man’s words, “No… I see you.” Those words, in that context, felt menacing, as if a predator had finally caught its prey.

“This dream has been strange from the start,” Lin Xian thought aloud as he paced around the luxurious suite. Over two decades, he had become skilled at navigating his surreal dreamscapes, appearing in the future world abruptly at various locations. Yet, the old man had recognized him, despite Lin Xian being a clear outsider to the world 600 years in the future.

“I can’t even predict when I will fall asleep and start dreaming,” Lin Xian reflected. His sleep was erratic, from early evenings to afternoon naps, making it impossible to predict the onset of his dreams.

And yet, the armed soldiers had ambushed him precisely. “They might have been waiting for me from noon, or even the morning. They not only knew when I would start dreaming but also the exact location of my appearance,” he realized, astonished by the implications. They knew of his time-traveling status and charged him with disturbing the timeline, signaling a severe crisis.

“I am completely exposed,” he concluded with a frown. The old man’s identity was still a mystery, but one thing was certain—he was Lin Xian’s adversary in the future, specifically on August 28, 2624.

Reflecting further, Lin Xian recalled the old man’s appearance—his wrinkled, dry skin was uncommon in a future where genetic modifications and cosmetic technologies maintained everyone’s youth. An elderly man like that in 2624 was an anomaly.

“This old man… might not even be from that era!” Lin Xian considered. Perhaps the old man had traveled to the future using a hibernation pod, a relic from an older time.

Lin Xian valued authenticity over artificially maintained youth, a choice he felt was an “era imprint,” reflecting older values. Stepping onto the balcony under the moonlit sky, he felt the remnants of summer heat. As he contemplated, the gravity of his situation and the formidable nature of his opponent became clear.

“How many elderly today would choose to undergo skin tightening and whitening procedures?” he pondered. Most elderly people he knew preferred to maintain a dignified appearance, believing it lent them credibility.

Thus, Lin Xian theorized that the old man from his dream might originate from an earlier time, reawakened in 2624 to capture him on that specific day. This man saw him as a threat to humanity, a disruptor of the timelines—an idea Lin Xian found absurd.

“There’s no point in worrying about this now,” he decided, clearing his mind of the disturbing thoughts. He needed to focus on the present.

In his past dreams, he had enjoyed freedom; he could explore and act freely. But in this fourth dream, he was immediately surrounded and detained by soldiers. “Even a Terminator T800 wouldn’t stand a chance here,” he thought humorously. “Unless Ultraman came to the rescue, anyone would be overwhelmed.”

He had barely any time to react or escape; the soldiers had acted swiftly and decisively. If all his dreams turned out this way, it would be like being in prison.

“I must find a way to break this deadlock,” Lin Xian resolved, taking a deep breath to steady himself. Realizing that his enemies needed to capture him in the future indicated they hadn’t caught him in the present—600 years earlier—which meant he was still safe for now.

The roles had reversed: previously, reality was dangerous, and dreams were safe havens. Now, reality was secure, and the dream world was dangerous.

“Interesting,” he mused, now with a clear head, and began considering his options:

One approach was to trigger another timeline shift, potentially rewriting the future and moving directly to the fifth dream. However, this was a temporary fix, addressing symptoms but not the root cause.

To eliminate the threat, he needed to uncover why he was exposed, determine the true identity of the old man in 2023, and neutralize him. This was a battle across time.

At this moment, Lin Xian appreciated Yellow Finch’s wisdom about the laws of time and space. Greater understanding of these laws could provide a significant advantage.

“I must stay ahead of the enemy,” Lin Xian determined. “My future self in 2624 is targeted, but my present self in 2023 is not. The key lies in my actions now—I must proactively uncover the cause of the exposure and identify the old man to support my efforts in the dream and rewrite the future!”

With this plan in mind, Lin Xian prepared for his next steps. He still had valuable tools at his disposal, including his super artificial intelligence, VV, which, though potentially outdated in the future, was a formidable asset in 2023. Another critical resource was the Universal Constant 42, which Lin Xian believed held the key to ultimate power, despite its deep mystery and extensive timeline.

“Don’t overthink it, take it one step at a time,” he told himself as he walked back inside from the balcony.

Tomorrow morning, he would return to Donghai with Chu Shan He. They would arrive early, around one or two in the afternoon, giving him a perfect opportunity to attempt another dream. If the enemy’s ambush hadn’t been set before 12:42, he might have a chance to break free.

….

The Gulfstream jet ascended sharply from the capital’s private jet base, soaring through the clouds and reducing the historically rich landscape below to mere geometric patterns before it disappeared into the cloudy abyss.

Lin Xian, elbow resting on the window sill, stared into the swirling clouds, pondering the troubling revelations from his dream. How had his secret been exposed?

“Lin Xian?” The voice of Chu Shan He across the aisle snapped him back to reality.

Chu Shan He, noting Lin Xian’s distant look, expressed concern, “What’s wrong, Lin Xian? You seem distracted. Did President Gao say something that discouraged you?”

“No, no,” Lin Xian replied quickly, offering a reassuring smile. “I was just lost in thought about something else—something personal. It feels like in today’s high-tech world, with big data everywhere, everyone’s privacy is gone. We’re all transparent, with no real sense of security.”

“I see,” Chu Shan He replied with a slight smile. “Are you worried about the World Hacker Contest?”

Lin Xian was taken aback. “No, I wasn’t thinking about that. But… what is this World Hacker Contest you’re talking about? How does it relate to personal privacy and secrets?”

“You don’t know?” Chu Shan He seemed surprised. “I thought that’s what you were concerned about. It’s been a big topic online lately, even touching on national security issues.”

Chu Shan He reached for the tablet on the private plane’s bar, connected to the satellite network, and began navigating. After a few moments, he handed it to Lin Xian. “This year’s World Hacker Contest is causing quite a stir, unlike previous years.”

Lin Xian looked at the tablet and saw the headline:

2023 World Hacker Contest to be held soon in New York, USA, on September 17.

While not deeply involved in the hacker community, Lin Xian was aware of the prestigious Pn2On competition, known for its contributions to global cybersecurity. Hosted by a cybersecurity service provider for the Pentagon, this annual event attracted the world’s top hackers. They tested the security systems of major corporations and internet companies, identifying vulnerabilities and improving safeguards. It was a constructive event that celebrated technological advancement and raised global network security awareness.

The contest was more than a gathering of hackers; it was a showcase of national cyber defense capabilities, with each team’s performance reflecting their country’s prowess in network defense and offensive strategies.

“This competition,” Lin Xian observed, looking up at Chu Shan He, “has seen champions who’ve broken into Google, hacked Microsoft systems, and cracked Apple phones. Teams from X Country like Tencent and 360 have won it twice. Is there something special about this year?”

“Swipe to the next news item,” Chu Shan He suggested, pointing at the screen.

Lin Xian swiped and the next headline caught his attention:

The World Hacker Contest Heats Up: American Genius Teen Targets X Country’s Skynet!

The article discussed X Country’s Skynet surveillance system, renowned for its vast reach. Initially designed to monitor public spaces with cameras and sensors, Skynet had evolved with technology advancements. Today, it used facial recognition, gait analysis, and behavior tracking to maintain a comprehensive data ecosystem, including personal details of over a billion people. A breach

could be catastrophic, turning a protective system into a weapon against its own people.

This year’s hacking competition was generating unprecedented buzz, primarily because of an American teen prodigy named Kevin Walker. Famous for his ethical hacking, Kevin had previously broken into the Pentagon’s security systems and always provided solutions to the vulnerabilities he exposed.

This time, Kevin, a typically elusive figure, had announced that he would represent the American team at the 2023 World Hacker Contest. In a bold move during the final free display round, he planned to hack into and take control of X Country’s Skynet system—all under the global community’s watchful eyes.

This bold declaration sparked controversy and heated debates online in both X Country and the USA.

Click.

Lin Xian pressed the lock screen button and handed the tablet back to Chu Shan He, expressing his concern:

“If that kid—no, that genius hacker—actually manages to breach X Country’s Skynet system, it could be disastrous.”

Chu Shan He took the tablet, smiling skeptically as he responded: “It’s highly unlikely. The Skynet system is a veritable fortress of security, not easily hacked into. Plus, the authorities are taking this very seriously. For this World Hacker Contest, the National Security Agency is leading the defense. They’ve even brought in two experts from Tencent and 360 teams, and three top specialists from the Information Technology Department to head to New York.”

Chu Shan He continued, his tone firm and reassuring: “The authorities have made it clear: winning is secondary. The primary goal is to defend the Skynet system. It’s a matter of national pride and dignity, and we cannot afford to take it lightly.”

Lin Xian nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation: “With the USA directly challenging us, the stakes are higher than just winning a contest. Protecting the Skynet system’s security is crucial. We can’t afford to lose face.”

Chu Shan He added: “As AI technology advances, the capabilities of the Skynet system continue to grow.”

He shared some recent successes: “Just the other day, the police used a victim’s description to create a sketch, which was fed into the Skynet system, and it immediately identified the suspect. In another case, a criminal who had been on the run for over thirty years was captured when they uploaded his childhood photo into the system. The AI generated what he would look like at fifty, and they caught him soon after.”

Hearing this, Lin Xian had an epiphany: Facial recognition, sketching, generating adult images from childhood photos—these were all capabilities of AI. And if the early-stage AI of the Skynet system could do so much, then VV, his super AI, could potentially use a sketch of the mysterious old man to recreate his younger appearance and find him in 2023!

Even though Lin Xian wasn’t sure if the old man would have even been born by 2023, it was worth a shot.

“You’re right,” Lin Xian acknowledged with a slight smile, impressed by the usefulness of AI.

Four hours later, a Gulfstream jet touched down at Pudong International Airport.

Both Lin Xian and Chu Shan He were met by their respective drivers and parted ways.

Back at his home, Lin Xian pulled out his laptop which housed VV’s 130,000 lines of code.

The time had come to activate VV.

With the cold fusion manuscript sent out and his fourth dream reaching its climax, Lin Xian was ready. He proceeded to input the final ten lines of code into VV.

He plugged in the laptop’s power and turned it on, noticing the network and Bluetooth icons were crossed out—he had removed the wireless network and Bluetooth modules to ensure safety before reconnecting them when VV was stable.

Lin Xian quickly typed in the last ten lines.

“Phew…” He exhaled deeply.

It was a momentous occasion; he was about to bring back Zhao Ying Jun’s creation from 600 years in the future, a gift that could potentially change the course of history.

Click!

Lin Xian pressed the final enter key—

The code scrolled rapidly across the screen, then suddenly, all interfaces vanished. The laptop seemed to have just rebooted, completely quiet.

Yet, Lin Xian felt something—an inexplicable sensation like a heartbeat, a breath, a pulse.

He sensed time, warmth, and a greeting that bridged 600 years.

“Hello, VV,” Lin Xian whispered.

“Hello, Lin Xian,” replied the laptop in a mechanical, emotionless voice, sounding like a distant radio devoid of memories.

In the next instant, the laptop screen went black, and all its lights went out.

But then Lin Xian heard a whisper close to his ear: “Long time no see.”

He spun around, startled!

Nothing was behind him, beside him, or below him—only a wireless headset hung on the wall, its power light inexplicably glowing.

“VV? Where are you?” Lin Xian called out, spinning around again, searching for the source of the voice.

Suddenly, every device capable of producing sound in the room—the electronic alarm clock, TV, phone, and various smart home devices—all vibrated slightly in unison:

“I… am everywhere.”