Through the explanation of Li Xingchen's successor, Jia Hui, Feng Qi finally understood the full story.
As Li Xingchen had predicted earlier, the domain forces behind the Institute of Technological Research had begun an internal purge. Even Li Xingchen himself was not exempt from suspicion.
Faced with inevitable exposure, Li Xingchen made the same choice as his predecessor. He supported someone he trusted to take over his position, using himself as leverage to win the favor of the domain forces.
Ultimately, it was Jia Hui, his successor, who personally "betrayed" him to the domain forces behind the Institute of Technological Research.
Li Xingchen's self-sacrifice commanded Feng Qi's respect.
In his youth, Feng Qi had always believed that being a "hero," as Old Wang often described, was an incredibly cool achievement. But ever since he embarked on the arduous path of saving humanity, he understood the tragedy and sacrifice behind those two simple words.
With Li Xingchen's death, a new plan began to take shape.
In the eastern district of Future City, within the dark confines of a sewer system.
The oppressive darkness carried a stench of rotting food and damp mildew, punctuated occasionally by the squeaking of nearby rats.
By now, Feng Qi was accustomed to such conditions.
When the streets above grew quiet late at night, he emerged from the sewer, moving stealthily through unlit alleys. Eventually, he reached a street bathed in faint lamplight. Pulling out an encrypted phone given to him by the Crimson Research Institute, he powered it on.
As the phone booted up, a string of messages appeared on the screen.
After scanning through the unread messages, he opened his contact list, selected "Contact #1," and sent a message:
Feng Qi: Are you there?
After a brief wait, Wei Wei replied:
Wei Wei: Don't you sleep at night?
Feng Qi: Nighttime is the best time for action. Wake up, it's party time.
Wei Wei: Let me guess—something urgent came up? You wouldn't bother contacting me otherwise.
Feng Qi: I recently obtained an important piece of data from Jia Hui. If possible, I'd like you to use memory implantation technology to pass this knowledge to another version of me.
Wei Wei: What kind of data are we talking about?
Feng Qi: It's part of the "Spiritual Energy Technology" research provided by the Institute of Technological Research to the Future Research Institute. The domain forces clearly have no intention of sharing this technology with humanity at large. I want to bring it back to the present.
Wei Wei: Now you have my full attention. Let's hear your plan.
Feng Qi: I plan to hand over this spiritual energy technology to the Crimson Research Institute once I return. My vision is to transform your institute into an all-encompassing research hub, armed with the cutting-edge technologies I obtain from the future.
Wei Wei: Kid, you're thinking big (Pleased beauty emoji).
Feng Qi: No choice. Both the Institute of Technological Research, which holds humanity's technological development, and the Tiger Soul Research Institute, which dominates cultivation methods, are under the control of domain forces. The two main paths of human advancement have been severed. That's why I want the Crimson Research Institute to take over in advancing both technology and cultivation. I'll figure out how to acquire the necessary knowledge from the future.
Wei Wei: Oh, so the Crimson Research Institute will become a superpower in some future timeline? That's what you're saying?
Feng Qi: If my plan succeeds, then yes.
Wei Wei: (Rubbing hands in anticipation emoji)
Feng Qi: But I'm worried that you won't have enough talent to handle all this advanced knowledge. A shortage of skilled personnel could be a significant hurdle.
Wei Wei: That's not a problem. With the right knowledge, we can recruit the people we need. Besides, don't you have access to a list of talented individuals? Just hand it over.
Feng Qi: That's exactly my intention. I've stored the data in the sewer near the Starshine Café in the eastern district of Future City. Send someone to retrieve it as soon as possible.
Wei Wei: Consider it done.
Wei Wei: By the way, have any other human resistance groups reached out to you recently?
Feng Qi: Not yet.
Wei Wei: Hmm, I can understand their hesitation. Before they knew you had the ability to traverse timelines, your reckless actions probably seemed like suicide missions. Even we, the Crimson Research Institute, wouldn't have reached out to you. It would've been safer to continue with our infiltration plans than to risk everything on you.
Feng Qi: That's why I need to keep building the strength and influence of the Dawn Organization. I believe more allies will eventually emerge, just as Li Xingchen did.
Wei Wei: Good luck, little brother Feng Qi!
After finishing their conversation, Feng Qi turned off the phone.
He had witnessed firsthand the immense power of spiritual energy technology on this sacrifice timeline.
This was a revolutionary black technology that had the potential to reshape humanity's arsenal.
Currently, human weapons were crafted from special spiritual ores, but compared to spiritual energy weapons, they were significantly inferior.
Spiritual energy technology essentially "enchanted" weapons made from spiritual ores. By altering their internal structures and inscribing formations onto them, these weapons were imbued with extraordinary capabilities.
For example, a weapon inscribed with the "Spirit Absorption Formation" could automatically draw in spiritual energy from its surroundings, channeling it into its wielder.
Another example was the "Slaughter Formation," which allowed a weapon to generate spiritual energy attacks that could amplify its destructive power with every strike.
The implications of this technology were staggering.
The Institute of Technological Research clearly had no intention of making spiritual energy technology publicly available. That's why Feng Qi had devised a solution.
His plan was simple: steal their data. By physically obtaining this research, he could hand it over to the Crimson Research Institute, effectively "liberating" the technology for humanity's benefit.
Fortunately, the Future Research Institute already held partial knowledge of spiritual energy technology.
When Feng Qi approached Jia Hui, the new director, with his request, Jia Hui didn't hesitate to hand over the data.
By passing this information to the Crimson Research Institute, Feng Qi achieved two goals at once: enhancing the institute's influence while ensuring the widespread dissemination of spiritual energy technology.
In the future, when Old Wang cracked the sacrificial cultivation technique, Flesh Sacrifice, it would also be released under the Crimson Research Institute's banner.
Strengthening the Crimson Research Institute was a win-win for Feng Qi and the future of humanity.
The Institute of Technological Research, in Feng Qi's eyes, was a treasure trove.
Through the Future Research Institute, he had access to many of its groundbreaking technologies.
If he could fully exploit these resources, perhaps even achieving something as ambitious as recreating the spiritual energy nanobot technology embodied by Little Black wouldn't be impossible.
Still, he couldn't help but feel that this was overly optimistic.
After all, the spiritual energy nanobots were the Institute of Technological Research's most closely guarded secret. Sharing it with the Future Research Institute was unlikely.
Even with access to the technology to create spiritual energy nanobots, crafting something akin to Little Black would remain an impossibility.
The narrator had once mentioned that Little Black was undoubtedly constructed from some sort of super-material. This kind of material was entirely beyond Feng Qi's reach.
As he pondered, Feng Qi walked out of the dim alley under the flickering streetlights.
It was late into the night, and the streets were eerily quiet, devoid of any pedestrians.
Standing under a streetlamp, Feng Qi waited for a moment before Lü Yue appeared beside him.
"You smell," Lü Yue remarked, his tone casual.
Feng Qi lowered his head, sniffed his shirt, and smiled indifferently. "Well, it's the sewer. A bit of stench is unavoidable."
While speaking, the rune crystal embedded in his chest emitted a faint glow. A shimmer of light swept over his body and clothing, instantly eliminating any unpleasant odors.
Turning toward Lü Yue, he observed the man still carrying his blade, Sword Wave, styled like a modern swordsman.
"Where have you been staying lately?" Feng Qi asked.
"At Forest Park. The environment there is relatively comfortable."
Feng Qi nodded at the response. "Let's go. Time to move to the next target."
Without waiting for a reply, Feng Qi took the lead, heading westward. Lü Yue quickly followed suit.
In the following days, Feng Qi and Lü Yue worked through the list provided by Li Xingchen, recruiting new members.
This had become one of Feng Qi's regular activities.
Those who made it onto the Institute of Technological Research's assassination list were individuals of significant influence in their respective fields. Their addition to the Dawn Organization greatly enhanced its growth and potential.
For now, Feng Qi had temporarily set aside his confrontation with the Institute of Technological Research. His primary focus was on expanding the Dawn Organization.
Two years later, at 1 a.m.
Feng Qi leaned against a streetlamp, wearing tattered clothes, scrolling through intelligence reports on his encrypted phone.
Over the past two years, with Jia Hui's assistance, the Dawn Organization had secretly established an extensive intelligence network within Future City.
The organization's members now included not just the initial core group but also professors from the Academy of Technological Sciences, staff from the Array Research Institute, and individuals from various other professions.
Late at night, these members consolidated the useful information they gathered throughout the day and relayed it to their respective points of contact. The data was then transmitted layer by layer, ultimately reaching Feng Qi.
With the experience gained over these years, Feng Qi's approach to problem-solving had become more methodical. He managed the Dawn Organization with efficiency and precision.
However, the organization's development was not without its challenges.
To ensure security, the Dawn Organization lacked a permanent base. Members only communicated with their designated contacts. Apart from Feng Qi, who had a full list of members, even two organization members meeting by chance might not recognize each other as allies.
While this decentralized structure significantly improved security, it also made it difficult to unify the organization's combat strength.
A bigger issue plaguing Feng Qi was that, to this day, no other human resistance forces had attempted to make contact with the Dawn Organization.
He had two theories about this:
Human resistance forces likely had their own long-term plans and saw no benefit in allying with the currently weak Dawn Organization. Such a move would seem overly risky.
Similar to the Institute of Technological Research, even if these resistance forces wanted to make contact, they might not know how to find the Dawn Organization.
This second theory was entirely plausible.
Over the past year, the Dawn Organization had prioritized covert development. They had ceased operations against the Institute of Technological Research, making it impossible for their adversaries—or potential allies—to locate them within the vast network of Future City.
This created a paradoxical situation.
If the Dawn Organization exposed itself, it might attract other resistance groups but would also risk annihilation by the domain forces behind the Institute of Technological Research.
If they stayed hidden, they would remain invisible to potential allies.
Feng Qi deliberated over this dilemma with Wei Wei and other leaders of the Crimson Research Institute.
Ultimately, two options remained:
Continue to expand the Dawn Organization covertly, waiting for the right moment to rise up and overthrow the Institute of Technological Research's control over Future City.
This option came with numerous difficulties and a low likelihood of success. After all, as a clandestine force, the Dawn Organization could only grow to a certain extent. Without a stronghold, consolidating their combat strength was nearly impossible.
The only source of potential military support lay within the Future Research Institute, which controlled some city defense forces and elite combat squads. However, even with their strength, they stood no chance against the domain forces backing the Institute of Technological Research.
The best course for this path would involve relocating the Dawn Organization out of Future City, leaving behind only a small group to continue gathering intelligence.
Yet, upon deeper reflection, Feng Qi realized that this was precisely the path Mu Qing had chosen.
After leaving the city, she chose to expand her efforts outside the urban environment. Utilizing the strength of the Scavengers, she quickly grew the Dawn Rebel Army and eventually launched offensives against major cities.
Thinking about this, Feng Qi couldn't help but feel a deep sense of resonance.
Only by walking this path himself did he truly understand how daunting it was to see it through.
The second option, however, was far riskier: exposing the truth to the world—the fact that the Institute of Technological Research was controlled by domain forces.
At the beginning, this path seemed impossible, but now, it had shown some promise.
Previously, the Dawn Organization's influence had been so limited that even revealing the truth would have led to disbelief. The only outcome would have been the Institute of Technological Research using its control over public opinion to smear them.
But now, the Dawn Organization included many members with significant influence in Future City. Among them were professors, scholars, and researchers.
If he chose this path, it would require the coordinated efforts of all Dawn members to publicly announce the truth.
The resulting impact could be tremendous.
Even if the Institute of Technological Research attempted to suppress public opinion, it would be difficult to stop the information from spreading further.
In addition, the Crimson Research Institute in Star City could support the narrative in secret, amplifying the public response and momentum there.
However, this path would be a desperate gamble. Choosing it would mean exposing themselves entirely.
The ramifications of such exposure were uncertain, but one thing was clear: the Dawn Organization would inevitably face total annihilation at the hands of the Institute of Technological Research's powerful retaliation.
Feng Qi and the Crimson Research Institute's senior members envisioned three potential outcomes from this move:
The emergence of human resistance forces, possibly even a united front against the Institute of Technological Research.
If this hypothesis proved correct, the Crimson Research Institute could help identify and catalog every resistance force that surfaced, passing that information to Feng Qi's future self. Essentially, the exposure would lead to the discovery of allied forces.
Human resistance forces might choose to remain hidden, unwilling to risk exposure.
In this case, the Dawn Organization's sacrifice would yield almost no useful information, making the operation nearly a complete failure. However, even in this scenario, some slim opportunities could arise.
Human society could be shaken, prompting many individuals with insight and bravery to step forward.
These individuals might initiate investigations into the Institute of Technological Research. Gradually, they could form alliances and launch coordinated resistance efforts against the Institute's dominance.
If the choice to resist the Institute of Technological Research in this timeline had already caused monumental changes 1,500 years later, then there must have been a correct course of action within it.
Whether to remain hidden or to expose themselves, both strategies carried the potential to break the stalemate.
Feng Qi found himself at a crossroads, deeply uncertain about which path to take.
If he chose correctly, the real-world version of himself might one day meet individuals from the future, 1,500 years ahead.
But if he chose wrongly, he would leave behind only scattered remnants for the next version of himself to inherit.
This timeline's objective was designed to enable the next Feng Qi to connect with people of the future and gain more valuable intelligence.
Time passed.
Lost in thought, Feng Qi sighed. His eyes then hardened with resolve.
At this moment, he made his decision.
He chose to reveal the truth to the world.