Lin Qi used the remaining time to change back into his clothes from the Cyber World.

Before returning to the Cyber World, Lin Qi sorted through his thoughts, double-checking for anything he might have missed.

Lin Qi suddenly recalled something. Before he left for Hongshan Camp, Wang Ziru had mentioned that the construction of the Mo University Camp had run into some technical difficulties.

Lin Qi had promised Wang Ziru he would personally check on it after returning to the Mo University Camp, but now it looked like he wouldn’t have enough time.

’Tomorrow, after I arrive in the Doomsday World, I’ll head to the lab first and resolve the issues with the camp’s construction.’

’Beyond that, the construction of the Mo University Camp needs to be accelerated. Its defensive facilities and the teams’ equipment all need an upgrade.’

’The Electromagnetic Kinetic Energy Weapons have limited lethality once Zombies reach the Tier One Middle to Late Stage.’

’I’ll either have to equip the Mo University Camp with more advanced weaponry, or I’ll have to introduce Extraordinary Professions like Martial Artist and Knight.’

’Or... I could bring Prosthetic Engineering to the Doomsday World.’

The Mo University Camp’s combat effectiveness had to keep increasing.

Their current strength was far from sufficient; it was only enough for the Mo University Camp to protect itself.

In Lin Qi’s vision, the Mo University Camp was supposed to become a faction that helped him gather resources in the Doomsday World.

It wasn’t meant to be merely a foundation of trust for his cooperation and communication with the official Dragon Country government.

After briefly running through his to-do list in his head, the time for the Door’s activation had quietly arrived.

The cooldown ended, and Lin Qi was forcibly returned to the Cyber World.

With a shift of light and shadow, Lin Qi was back in his room.

Upon his return, Lin Qi’s first instinct told him that the strange feeling was gone.

The buff he’d received in the Doomsday World hadn’t followed him back to the Cyber World.

This led Lin Qi to a more direct hypothesis about the nature of the buff.

’This buff isn’t from some kind of Extraordinary Item, and it isn’t rooted in my body.’

’Instead, it’s more like a watchful presence, the enveloping will of an Extraordinary Item or some creature. That must be why I could sense it with my Spiritual Vision.’

A sliver of worry appeared in his heart.

If it came from the Extraordinary Item controlled by the Dragon Country, that would be one thing.

What Lin Qi feared was that it came from some living creature.

Like the Blood Moon in the Doomsday World’s sky.

Being watched by something like that... even if it granted him a beneficial buff, Lin Qi felt he would eventually have to pay a price.

After all, why would a being of that magnitude concern itself with a single human?

Unless it had an ulterior motive.

After some thought, Lin Qi wasn’t as terrified as he’d been initially.

Even if it was a crisis, it wouldn’t erupt anytime soon. After all, the three other buff recipients from the Dragon Country were all alive and well, and their Extraordinary Power was growing rapidly.

Lin Qi had now obtained what was essentially the highest possible Meditation speed in the Doomsday World. Perhaps it wouldn’t be long before his strength truly reached the top echelon of that world.

At that point, he could consider deepening his cooperation with the Dragon Country’s government to obtain more intelligence.

He would have to cross that bridge when he came to it. That was all he could do.

Going to the sink, Lin Qi habitually cupped some water in his hands and washed his face.

He then dried himself off, left the bathroom, and lay back down on his bed.

He had important things to do tomorrow, so for now, he would rest.

...

The morning alarm always went off at the same time, a time Lin Qi had carefully selected to clock in for work at the very last second.

This ensured he would arrive at the company just one minute before he had to clock in.

As usual, he went into the bathroom and washed his face.

He then left his room and walked out of the villa.

Liu Xuan had already left, so she didn’t happen to run into Lin Qi.

Just like always, it wasn’t until Lin Qi reached the docking bay on the company’s top floor that he saw Liu Xuan.

Lin Qi didn’t see Elder Dong today. The old man had wisely started arriving two minutes early, costing him hundreds of minutes of his life in the process.

"What a coincidence."

"It is, isn’t it."

This exchange happened between them every day.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see how specially Liu Xuan treated Lin Qi and deduce the pattern behind their chance encounters.

Unfortunately, in the Cyber World, what employee would dare to cut it so close, clocking in at the last possible minute like Lin Qi?

At that time of day, it was virtually impossible to run into anyone else on the top floor.

Elder Dong had been an exception, but now even he was choosing to come in early.

After his encounter with Liu Xuan, Lin Qi got into the elevator.

He clocked in at the critical moment of 9:59.

The elevator descended, heading for the fourth floor.

By the time Lin Qi entered the H4-401 Large-Scale Comprehensive Laboratory, every other researcher was already at their station.

Under Wei Wutao’s strict management, this group of researchers always arrived an hour early.

They were terrified of losing their precious jobs for being late.

This was the norm within a major corporation in the Cyber Society. Someone like Lin Qi, who arrived at the last minute, was completely unheard of.

Seeing Lin Qi enter, Wei Wutao walked over to him.

All the A-level Researchers watched Lin Qi out of their Peripheral Vision.

They all knew Lin Qi had connections, but that didn’t stop them from wanting to see how Wei Wutao would treat him.

This was the second day in a row he’d shown up at the last minute!

As far as the company was concerned, Lin Qi had clocked in on time.

But for lab H4-401, his arrival time could definitely be considered late.

With Wei Wutao’s usual way of handling things, even if the person got to keep their job, their salary would be cut by at least half.

However...

Wei Wutao walked over, clapped Lin Qi on the shoulder, and said with a grin, "Researcher Xiaolin, your timing is truly impeccable. Not like this bunch of wastes I have under me, so terrified of being late they show up an hour early every day."

"As expected of a genius in the two fields of Pharmacy and Prosthetic Engineering, Researcher Xiaolin. Your work efficiency is truly beyond compare."

These words...

For a moment, Lin Qi couldn’t tell if that was a compliment, a veiled insult, or both.

But from Wei Wutao’s expression, Lin Qi got the feeling he was just genuinely praising him, albeit in a rather peculiar way.

"You’re too kind, Uncle Wei," Lin Qi replied with a smile. "We all work for the company. As long as we meet our targets, that’s what matters. Everyone has their own habits, right?"

The two of them looked at each other and laughed, looking for all the world like an elder and a junior sharing an inside joke.

And indeed, the other researchers had no idea what the two were laughing about.

Were they being mocked for having no connections, for being ruthlessly exploited by the company?

Could they stand for this?

Of course they could!

In the Cyber Society, they had seen far darker schemes within the corporation.

What was a mere veiled taunt in comparison? There was nothing they couldn’t endure.

If they couldn’t even stomach this, none of them would have ever made it to the rank of A-level Researcher.

Everyone went back to their own business as if they hadn’t heard the conversation between Lin Qi and Wei Wutao at all, getting ready for the day’s tasks.

After Lin Qi and Wei Wutao exchanged a few more words, the lab doors opened again.

The person who entered was Ning Hao, and he was two minutes later than Lin Qi.

Ning Hao looked somewhat dejected. He walked up to Wei Wutao and said, "United Pharmaceutical is really bustling for a new company. In the final minute before clock-in, both elevators in corridor one were occupied."

Ning Hao was a man who planned his time carefully, and he also liked to arrive at the last minute.

Unfortunately, the elevators had delayed him.

Who knew why at 9:58 both elevators for corridor one would be at the top floor, and no amount of button-mashing would call them down!

He had to wait a full minute before an elevator finally started moving.

Lin Qi paused for a moment after hearing this.

Corridor one was the one closest to where his own flying vehicle docked.

He had been using one of those two elevators, and Liu Xuan had been using the other.

Ning Hao must have entered the building from the ground floor instead of the rooftop, which was why he’d been held up by the elevators.

Unless Ning Hao used the elevators in a different corridor, he would have to wait an extra two minutes on the ground floor every single day.

Lin Qi had no doubt that the elevator waiting for him on the top floor every day, its doors opening the moment he pressed the button, was due to Liu Xuan’s deliberate arrangement and not some coincidence.

Lin Qi glanced at Ning Hao but said nothing, simply waiting in silence for the day’s work to begin.