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Lin Xian realized in that chilling moment that these were the remains of Ah Zhuang, who had just been vaporized by the superheated laser. The fact that these remains were hitting him meant he was now flying at the same altitude as Ah Zhuang had been.

Suddenly, his vision turned red. It felt as if he was enveloped by a scorching red sun, and in that moment, he was obliterated. He didn’t even have time to register the pain.

….

“Huff,” Lin Xian gasped as he opened his eyes and found himself back in his bedroom. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand. It was still early, far from 00:42, the time he had died in his previous attempt.

“This is too hard; it’s practically impossible,” he muttered, reflecting on the experience.

Having actually done a parachute jump in reality, Lin Xian now realized he had drastically underestimated the challenge of this mission. The main problem was the height. The gap in the defense network was at 10,000 meters, while the altitude of Rhine Sky City was about two to three thousand meters. This left a 7,000-meter difference, making it impossible to find any reference point for his landing.

As he descended to 10,000 meters, Lin Xian had to strain his eyes to even glimpse the tiny plaza 7,000 meters below. Aiming accurately from such a height was a feat he could not achieve.

“It’s like being asked to hit a palm-sized target 7,000 meters away with a gun that has no scope. Even if you think you’re aiming correctly, you’re just guessing; the chances of hitting the target are almost zero,” he explained to himself.

Lin Xian got out of bed and moved to his desk where he carefully reviewed the parachuting plan he had developed with Big Cat Face and Ah Zhuang.

The plan was daunting:

1. Start the jump at an altitude of 20,000 meters.

2. Fall 10,000 meters and then glide horizontally about 2,000 meters to position themselves directly above the plaza.

3. Assuming they miraculously hit the gap, they would still need to open their parachutes at about 5,000 meters, roughly 2,000 meters above the ground of Rhine Sky City.

4. If everything went perfectly, and they found the medicine for radiation sickness, they would still need to find the right moment to jump off the edge of Sky City and use a second parachute to return to the ground safely.

“This isn’t just a risky plan, it’s a suicidal one. Saying it’s a thousand deaths for one life isn’t an exaggeration,” Lin Xian pondered.

He realized that the death toll was high because each failed attempt provided no useful feedback to those still alive; they couldn’t use the elimination method. This meant that many more might perish in the same way as their predecessors.

“So, why is that gap in the defense area intentionally left open?” Lin Xian wondered aloud. After much thought, he became more convinced of his earlier suspicion — that gap was specifically intended for him.

“Only I can repeatedly die and remember where the gaps are. This capability is unique to me. Even if I’m killed by lasers, I can recall where I died and avoid it in the next attempt,” he reasoned, his thoughts sharpening.

This almost impossible challenge, this puzzle, seemed designed specifically for him. But who would set such a trap or offer such an opportunity?

An enemy? A friend? Or perhaps a future version of himself?

“This is getting more and more intriguing,” Lin Xian chuckled to himself. Whether friend or foe, he was in a world of endless cycles of dreams. What was there to fear?

Motivated, he was eager to dive back into the dream, determined to unravel the mystery of this gap.

….

The next day, Lin Xian entered his dream world early, with a clear objective in mind. He didn’t wander; instead, he went straight to where the crowd and lights were, looking for Big Cat Face.

Although this world’s Big Cat Face was meeting Lin Xian for the first time, he readily accepted Lin Xian’s proposal to jump together. After all, it was a path fraught with peril, and while no one stopped Lin Xian, many respected and thanked him for his bravery.

The next day’s parachuting attempt followed the same protocol as before, only this time Big Cat Face took Ah Zhuang’s place. They ascended to 20,000 meters on a helium balloon and then jumped, aiming for the central plaza of Rhine Sky City, only to be vaporized by the defense lasers once again.

Lin Xian remained optimistic. He didn’t expect to locate the gap in the defense network on just one or two tries. He was prepared to fail repeatedly, knowing that each failure helped eliminate incorrect possibilities, slowly but surely increasing his chances of success.

Thus, the more he failed, the closer he got to succeeding.

….

On the third day, the fourth day, and the fifth day, Lin Xian faced the same repeated scenario each night: an endless cycle of trying and failing.

In his dreams, when Lin Xian entered early, he would parachute alongside Big Cat Face. If he entered late, his companion would be Ah Zhuang. This time, he hadn’t developed a deep friendship with Big Cat Face; to Big Cat Face, Lin Xian was either overly enthusiastic or foolishly unafraid of death. However, this didn’t bother Lin Xian. His only concern was to participate in the parachuting, regardless of the outcome.

Despite the repeated failures, each night ending in a fiery crash, Lin Xian noticed an improvement in his parachuting skills. He had mastered more proficient gliding and learned mid-air flips, gaining better control over his direction and even performing complex stunts.

Driven by curiosity about what lay beyond the heights they reached, Lin Xian once decided not to follow Big Cat Face but instead allowed the helium balloon to ascend further while releasing gas. At 35,000 meters, the sight was breathtaking: the pitch-black vastness of space and the curved horizon of the Earth. It was the farthest he had ever been from Earth, and the view was mesmerizing. Above him was the black void of space; below, the Earth shone brightly. “So beautiful,” he thought, imagining what it would be like to stand in real outer space, looking back at Earth from 100 kilometers away.

For some unknown reason, the helium balloon couldn’t rise beyond 35,000 meters, possibly due to the thin air not providing enough buoyancy to lift the heavy load. Despite this, Lin Xian jumped from that height, continuing his mission. From a sensory standpoint, jumping from 35,000 meters felt no different than from 20,000 meters—it was all freefall, just a longer duration. The real challenge in parachuting wasn’t the freefall, which anyone could manage; it was deploying the parachute correctly to ensure a safe landing. But these weren’t Lin Xian’s concerns; the defense lasers took care of everything.

That morning, in front of the Rhine Company building, a crowd of reporters had gathered. It was the grand opening of Rhine Company, marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The presence of so many reporters was spurred not by the company’s achievements but because Chu Shan He, the president of the Donghai Chamber of Commerce, had personally attended. This was a rare occurrence in Donghai’s business circles, sparking rumors about Lin Xian’s connections.

During the ribbon-cutting, Lin Xian stood flanked by Zhao Ying Jun and Chu Shan He, with the latter displaying a surprisingly friendly rapport with him, further fueling speculation among the reporters. As Lin Xian cut the ribbon, celebration cannons fired, and confetti flew amidst a chorus of applause, marking the official launch of Rhine Company.

“Mr. Lin Xian, what are Rhine Company’s future plans?” one reporter asked, thrusting a microphone towards him.

Lin Xian paused, his mind flooded with visions of future cities powered by fusion engines, the pollution falling from above, and the afflicted people below. His expression grew solemn as he faced the crowd. “In fact, I have no grand ambitions for Rhine Company. It was never meant to be a global giant or a market unicorn,” he began earnestly. “While making money is essential, I believe there are principles that transcend profit. As President Zhao Ying Jun once taught me, one should make money with a conscience, and run a business with integrity.”

“Today, I am here because of the lessons I learned from her. The most important lesson? To operate with a conscience. I hope that years from now, Rhine Company will be remembered not just as a business, but as a conscientious entity that contributed positively to society.” Lin Xian concluded, addressing not only the reporters but also sending a message to future generations.

Lin Xian surveyed the quiet room, his unexpected speech had clearly caught everyone off guard.

In truth, Brother Wang had already laid the groundwork. The company’s PR department had distributed red envelopes to the media to ensure favorable coverage of their event. The reporters’ questions were scripted in advance, aligning perfectly with the press release crafted the night before. All Lin Xian needed to do was recite the prepared responses. Even a slip-up wouldn’t matter; the reporters would adhere to their scripts, painting a glowing picture in their articles.

This wasn’t Lin Xian’s first encounter with such orchestrated publicity. It was a standard practice in the industry, one he had witnessed multiple times, including at Rhine’s own product launches. Lin Xian understood and accepted these maneuvers as part of the business world.

But today was different. Images from his third dream—the catastrophe in Rhine Sky City and the lives it claimed—flashed through his mind, rendering him unable to deliver the hollow words scripted for him. Despite the expectation for CEOs to spout such platitudes at company events, having seen the potential future consequences in his dream, Lin Xian found himself unable to comply passively.

Unsure whether he would one day be responsible for constructing that future Rhine Sky City or if it would evolve from the current company, Lin Xian felt a profound responsibility to avert that grim future. Standing before the expectant crowd, he discarded the script.

“I still don’t have a clear direction for Rhine Company’s future development,” Lin Xian declared with gravity. “But I sincerely hope that no matter how large Rhine Company becomes, or what fields it might explore, it will remain steadfast to one principle—the principle that defines our purpose: For a better future for humanity!”

His words echoed through the silence that enveloped the room, followed by an eruption of applause. It was rare, nearly unprecedented, for a leader to make such an earnest declaration without the usual corporate veneer.

“For a better future for humanity.”

Such declarations had become almost cliché, often avoided by modern entrepreneurs out of a sense of embarrassment. Yet, Lin Xian spoke with sincerity. Though everyone was aware that his speech deviated from the typical promotional script, it was clear he wasn’t just putting on an act. He spoke from the heart, making a profound impression on his audience, including many former colleagues from MX Company who had followed him to Rhine Company, drawn by his genuine charisma.

….

“Well said, Lin Xian.” The applause dwindled as Chu Shan He approached with a smile, extending his hand in congratulations. “I look forward to the day you realize this dream.”

“Thank you, Mr. Chu, for your support,” Lin Xian replied, shaking his hand.

“Oh, think nothing of it!” Chu Shan He dismissed with a wave as he departed. “But do keep in touch, and visit often.”

After he left in his Maybach, most of the crowd dispersed, leaving Lin Xian with Zhao Ying Jun, who approached him, her heels clicking on the floor.

“I’m really happy for you, Lin Xian,” she smiled warmly. “It seems you’ve truly found something worth dedicating your life to. You’re not just chasing success for the sake of it; you’ve found a genuine purpose.”

Lin Xian returned the smile, appreciating her presence and support. “I learned it all from you, and I’m grateful for everything.”

“Then let’s shake on it,” Zhao Ying Jun suggested, offering her hand with a light laugh.

As they shook hands, Lin Xian felt the weight of the moment, the significance of their shared journey towards something meaningful.

….

Suddenly, a red laser flashed to the right.

Lin Xian turned just in time to see Big Cat Face vaporized by the beam, reduced to charcoal—a scene that had repeated itself countless times. Lin Xian, clad in his spacesuit, braced for his turn.

But the expected blast didn’t come. Instead, as he fell, he noticed he was plummeting directly toward the central plaza of Rhine Sky City. The details of the ground rushed up to meet him.

“I found the gap!” Lin Xian exclaimed, realizing he had somehow navigated through a breach in the city’s defenses.

His descent slowed as he deployed his parachute, gliding down towards a giant statue. Landing with a thud, Lin Xian quickly freed himself from the parachute and approached the statue. It was a grand depiction of a woman carved in white jade.

Below it, an inscription read: “In memory of the builder of Rhine Sky City—Zhao Ying Jun.”

Lin Xian stood there, absorbing the revelation, his heart filled with a mix of awe and curiosity about the role Zhao Ying Jun would play in this envisioned future.