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Gripping a handgun with the safety off, Lin Xian cautiously moved from the bedroom to the living room door. He stayed well back from the door, his gun at the ready.

“Who is it?” he demanded.

“It’s me, Lin Xian,” came the familiar voice of Yu Xi from outside.

His tension eased slightly, yet he kept his weapon aimed as he approached the peephole. Peering through, he saw Yu Xi alone outside, her bright, deep blue eyes meeting his gaze through the glass.

Click.

He unlocked and opened the door, allowing Yu Xi to step quickly inside.

“Lin Xian, the time-space assassin has found us,” Yu Xi announced urgently. “I can sense her nearing. She must have flown from New Jersey to Texas, and now she’s moving towards us from a nearby airport.”

“She’s driving fast, possibly in a vehicle,” she added.

Lin Xian’s brow furrowed with concern. “Can you determine her target? Is she after us, or is she going for Angelica or Elon Musk’s rocket launch site?”

“If she’s targeting the rocket site, we need to warn Angelica to evacuate immediately,” he reasoned.

Yu Xi, a time traveler like others from the future, possessed enhanced senses and analytical skills from advanced drugs. They knew Angelica’s usual disguises were ineffective against such heightened senses.

Assuming the assassin had seen the secretary and recognized her, the situation looked dire. The detailed intelligence Angelica had compiled supported this worrying possibility.

“I can’t pinpoint her exact target yet,” Yu Xi admitted, shaking her head. “She needs to get closer before I can determine her direction accurately. We’re not far from Elon Musk’s site—if I had to guess right now, I honestly couldn’t.”

“How close does she need to be for you to make an accurate call?” Lin Xian pressed.

“About half an hour away,” replied Yu Xi. “In thirty minutes, she’ll be within several miles. If she turns south then, we’ll know if she’s coming for us or if it’s a recall to Elon Musk.”

Lin Xian calculated quickly. Even with a fast vehicle, the assassin would need about thirty minutes to cover that distance, giving Angelica just enough time to get out if necessary.

“Keep an eye on her movements and update me immediately once you know more,” he instructed firmly. “Angelica told us not to contact her unless absolutely necessary to avoid drawing attention. We’ll reach out as soon as we’re sure of the assassin’s target.”

Yu Xi nodded and settled into a chair in the living room. Spotting a black suitcase open on the table filled with handguns and magazines, she swiftly loaded two magazines with bullets and slipped them, along with an extra handgun, into her tracksuit pockets, readying herself.

Meanwhile, Lin Xian returned to his bedroom to check on his still-sleeping secretary. He carefully examined the items on the bedside table, his gaze settling on a small bottle filled with white pills. He read the label but didn’t recognize the drug. It was labeled as a sleep aid, but Lin Xian was skeptical—the potent effect suggested otherwise.

The secretary, wrapped snugly in a blanket, was deeply asleep, so still that if not for her gentle, rhythmic breathing and the subtle rise and fall of the blanket, one might think she wasn’t alive.

….

About ten minutes later, Yu Xi entered from the living room, urgency etched on her face.

“Lin Xian, it’s confirmed. The time-space assassin is headed directly for us. She didn’t divert towards the rocket launch base; she’s coming straight here, and she’s picking up speed. We have less than thirty minutes before she arrives.”

“We need to make a decision now—whether we should set up an ambush here or flee in the car to stay ahead of her,” Yu Xi stated.

Lin Xian gave a nod, showing he was prepared for such a scenario.

“Confronting the assassin head-on isn’t the best move right now,” he began. “Firstly, you’re the only one among us who can physically affect her. The strange laws of time-space prevent me from being able to harm her. Even armed, we don’t have a clear upper hand if she’s also equipped with a gun.”

“Engaging her without a definitive edge is risky. If you were to be defeated, I’d be left defenseless. The risk outweighs the potential gains. Our optimal strategy should be to uncover why she’s immune to the time-space rules. Once we understand that, we can plan a counterattack. If both of us are able to fight her effectively, our chances of success will be much higher.”

“Secondly, we’re in Cameron County, which is densely populated. A fight here, particularly a gunfight, would inevitably draw the attention of the local police. Given Elon Musk’s influence, we’d likely have no escape if we were apprehended. We should avoid confrontation for now. When the conditions are more favorable and we hold an advantage, that’s when we strike.”

“Okay,” Yu Xi agreed swiftly, recognizing the wisdom in Lin Xian’s reasoning. “I’ll fetch the other car from the garage—the powerful American muscle car. It’s ideal for off-road and high-speed pursuits, a much better option than our older manual vehicle.”

“You should message Angelica to let her know we’re leaving. If the secretary wakes up and we aren’t here to manage the situation, she might contact Elon Musk. That could jeopardize Angelica, which is a risk far greater than confronting the assassin directly.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle it,” Lin Xian assured her with a nod. “Angelica instructed me to message her immediately if the secretary wakes. Since we’re departing sooner than planned, I’ll tell her to come back as soon as possible.”

“Though it’s unlikely the secretary will wake up anytime soon, given the strength of the sedative Angelica used, it’s better to err on the side of caution. I’ll send the message now.”

….

In Boca Chica, Texas, within the confines of the SpaceX rocket launch center’s observation tower, Elon Musk stood by the window with a phone in one hand and a gun in the other.

“Copernicus…” he murmured, pausing as the unexpected name took him by surprise. A smile soon played on his lips as he repeated, “Copernicus…”

He walked towards the railing, distancing himself from Angelica, yet still keeping the gun aimed in her direction as he spoke into the phone.

“I’m quite taken aback to receive a call from you, Copernicus. So, this woman posing as my secretary was your doing?”

“You must have tapped into her phone or placed a bug on her. What’s your angle here? Who made you bold enough to think I would let her live?”

A dry chuckle came from the elderly voice on the other end.

“No, you’re mistaken, Elon Musk. While I have been monitoring Angelica’s phone, she’s unaware of my existence. I didn’t send her to you.”

“Today, I am merely a concerned old man who doesn’t wish to see a young woman, who’s lost her entire family, die so pointlessly.”

Elon Musk laughed coldly, skeptical of Copernicus’s intentions.

“Copernicus, we may have never met, but your reputation precedes you. And frankly, not everyone speaks well of you. Some are outright critical.”

“I’m sorry, but you’re neither my colleague nor a recognized ally. Perhaps you’re too self-assured. Your favor doesn’t carry the weight you think it does, not enough for me to spare this woman.”

The voice on the phone remained composed.

“Arrogant pride is the first of the seven deadly sins, a mistake someone of your intellect should avoid. Take you, Elon Musk…”

There was a soft chuckle as the man continued.

“What if I told you… the blue-eyed girl has deceived you? She isn’t part of your loop.”

“What did you say?” Elon Musk’s smile vanished.

“Think about it, Elon Musk… Turing is far cleverer than you give him credit for.”

“You believe you outsmarted Turing? No… this has all been a trap he set for you.”

The elderly man sighed, his voice weary.

“If you still can’t see that, there’s nothing more I can explain.”

“I may not command the respect of the youth, but there’s a saying in X Country… ‘ginger gets spicier with age; having an elder is a treasure.’ Don’t underestimate the elderly…”

“I’ll send you Turing’s address. It seems both of you have always wanted to end each other. I’ll settle this matter for you. If this favor isn’t enough, then you’re truly thankless.”

Beep, beep.

The call ended abruptly.

An address in Mississippi, Vicksburg, appeared on Angelica’s phone—217 Leeson Road, Pont High School.

Elon Musk glanced at it briefly. His memory was sharp, not quite photographic, but he could recall addresses or numbers with just a glance. He turned off the phone’s screen, pondering Copernicus’s words.

The blue-eyed girl… had she really deceived him?

He recalled their initial meeting. She had shared certain details, hinted at his role in a larger scheme, and presented him with a USB drive from another era. She claimed the drive contained a virus intended to disable all advanced AI systems based on Kevin Walker’s technology, supposedly resetting the status quo.

Elon Musk had no reason to doubt her. Her actions seemed to align perfectly with what he needed. He had always suspected that the time-space particles were linked to time travel. If he was correct, and time-space particles were indeed necessary for time travel, then guarding these particles might eventually help him correct historical errors.

This logic seemed to fit perfectly within the framework of time-space theories.

The girl’s arrival had seemed to confirm this theory.

But now, Copernicus’s insinuations made him second-guess.

Had Turing actually outplayed him?

Or was Copernicus merely sowing seeds of doubt?

Lost in thought, Elon Musk remained silent, considering all the elements—his active time-space particles, the futuristic girl, the timely arrival of the USB, the disrupted space shuttle, his adversary Kevin Walker…

Truths and lies mingled, blurring the lines of right and wrong.

But it didn’t matter…

“Hmph,” he snorted dismissively.

He would figure it out on his own. Nobody could fool him. He didn’t trust Copernicus or the time-traveling girl entirely; his judgments and conclusions were his alone to trust.

Beep, beep.

Angelica’s phone buzzed with a new message from an unknown number. It was brief:

“We’re leaving early. Come back quickly.”

Elon Musk instantly knew it was from Lin Xian. Copernicus’s mention of Angelica earlier had clarified many things. No wonder the secretary’s performance was so convincing—Angelica, the changeling queen, truly lived up to her reputation.

Given the circumstances, it wasn’t hard to guess that Lin Xian had sent her. But what was his motive? Revenge? Intelligence gathering? Or had he foreseen his plan?

“Regardless,” Elon Musk mused with a smile as he prepared a reply.

“Your real enemy should be Kevin Walker, right? Why bother with me?”

He quickly typed a response using Angelica’s phone, including Copernicus’s provided address:

“Mississippi, Vicksburg, 217 Leeson Road, Pont High School. This is Kevin Walker’s address. Go quickly, and don’t contact me again.”

After sending the message, he nonchalantly tossed the phone from the observation tower. The device shattered upon impact, its battery and back cover scattering across the ground.

“What a pity, Angelica,” Elon Musk remarked as he watched the phone break. “We should have met at those Hollywood parties. Then today, we wouldn’t be strangers, would we?”

He spread his hands in a gesture of mock regret.

“I’m a man of my word. If Copernicus proves truthful, I’ll let you go. Until then… stay here until I sort this out.”