am-books Chapter 94: 92: MX (Vote for Monthly Ticket)
Chapter 94: 92: MX (Vote for Monthly Ticket)
Chapter 94: Chapter 92: MX (Vote for Monthly Ticket)
“`
Masks?
Lin Xian blinked...
Now that everyone’s cards were on the table, and we were all in the same gang, was there any need for masks?
“Is it for safety, Brother Lian?”
“Yes and no. Actually, what safety can a mask really offer? It’s more about tradition now.”
...
Big Face Cat flicked his cigarette butt onto the ground and stamped it out with his shoe:
“There are many people around here who do this kind of thing. I don’t know when it became an unspoken rule, but everyone wears cartoon masks so that we can recognize each other as fellow thieves, not enemies, to avoid panic and confusion.”
“Usually, when we see someone else wearing a cartoon mask, we just nod and pass by; there’s no need for conflict. In this regard, whether we know each other or not, we actually get along quite well.”
...
Alright, when in Rome... Lin Xian followed Big Face Cat into another warehouse.
It was completely dark outside by now.
The distant lights of New Donghai City were coming on one after another.
Click.
Big Face Cat turned on the warehouse light switch, pointing to the pile of children’s toys inside:
“There are quite a few masks here... Ultraman and such. Just pick one, whatever works.”
“What mask are you wearing, Brother Lian?”
Lin Xian was quite curious.
In The First Dreamland, Big Face Cat wore a Rhine Cat Mask. But in this world... was there still Rhine Cat? Could it continue to be popular for another 600 years?
“I wear this one.”
Big Face Cat picked up a robot mask from the ground. It looked a lot like Gundam, but it clearly wasn’t:
“My son likes this cartoon, with robots fighting.”
“I see.”
Lin Xian chuckled.
Least said.
With his daughter being rebellious and not listening, Big Face Cat had now shifted his pampering to his son.
Lin Xian started rummaging through the pile of toys, looking for something that caught his eye...
Hm?
Lin Xian swiftly picked up a cat mask!
“Rhine Cat.”
Seeing his own design of Rhine Cat in this strange new dream world felt surprisingly comforting.
He wiped the dust off the mask and cleaned it with a cloth from next to him, and a cute and mischievous Rhine Cat Mask appeared in his hands.
Lin Xian loved this cat too much, especially seeing his own design in a different world, he couldn’t help but laugh:
“Are Rhine Cat toys... still really popular now?”
“Of course they’re popular!”
Big Face Cat scratched his armpit and laughed:
“This Rhine Cat... it’s one of the few toys that’s popular in both New Donghai and the old city.”
“It’s not just in New Donghai or the old city, actually. This cat is so popular worldwide. My daughter loved it when she was little and had many of these toys.”
“Sometimes when I go to the Waste Treatment Plant to steal things, if I see any trash related to Rhine Cat, I take it home for her, clean it up, and she loves it.”
...
Lin Xian couldn’t let go of the Rhine Cat Mask in his hand.
Every line on it came from his own hand... there was no reason not to choose this mask:
“Then I’ll wear this mask for my actions tonight.”
“Eh... little brother, I didn’t expect you to be so young at heart. Isn’t it kind of ridiculous for a grown man to wear a Rhine Cat Mask?” Big Face Cat looked at him with some disdain:
Big Face Cat extended his right hand, pointing towards the distant, neon-lit, colorful New Donghai City:
“You see that tallest building in the middle, the one that is the Twin Towers Building, can you see the words written on it?”
Lin Xian followed his gesture.
In the very center of New Donghai City... there stood a Twin Towers Building that was clearly much thicker and larger than all the other tall buildings.
It was so tall that it disappeared into the clouds, its height unfathomable.
But on the waist of the Twin Towers Building...
There shone two enormous, black-and-white, luminous giant LOGOs—two English letters—
[MX]
Lin Xian squinted his eyes.
He was too familiar with the design of these two letters.
He would see them countless times every day at various locations: on the top of the company building, on the backdrop behind the reception desk, on the stickers inside the elevator, on the draft papers in the office... even Lin Xian’s work badge bore these uniquely shaped two letters...
Last time he looked over New Donghai City, it was from the rooftop of Big Face Cat’s home. Because of the angle, the sight of these two letters was completely blocked by the buildings in front, and he hadn’t seen them.
But now, looking over from Lee Cheng’s home, he could clearly see the two giant letters MX emitting a white cold light.
MX
It goes without saying.
The most central, magnificent, and spectacular building in New Donghai City, the Twin Towers Building, must undoubtedly be the headquarters of MX Company.
To be precise, the headquarters of MX Company 600 years in the future.
It was so tall.
So grand.
So imposing.
The Twin Towers seemed to be the Sea-Calming Divine Needle of New Donghai City, firmly anchoring down this colossal behemoth.
Throughout these 600 years...
What kind of change had occurred that allowed a cosmetics company, which was just modestly well-known domestically, to successfully transform into a super giant capable of independently constructing a futuristic sci-fi city and dominating the world?
What is the [history] behind it?
How did it develop to this stage?
This company, which Zhao Yingjun started from scratch and established single-handedly... who controls it now?
Suddenly.
Lin Xian’s eyes widened.
He thought of a catastrophically frightening possibility...
The world of today, the world of 2023, is incomparable to the past.
With the spark of cryonics technology ignited in 2023, humanity officially entered an era of rapidly evolving technology, and no one could predict how the future of technology would develop or how the world would change.
Professor Xu Yun had once optimistically estimated that within two or three years, a hibernation pod capable of reducing life activity efficiency by 90% could be developed...
But human potential is limitless.
Who could be sure?
If one were to go by the most optimistic estimate and the hibernation pod were to be developed successfully soon...
The more Lin Xian thought about it, the more terrified he became, and the colder his back felt.
He looked up...
At the moon in the sky, split in two by a giant black handprint,
At the black right hand that stretched out its index finger, pointing straight up,
Thinking of the First Dreamland where Big Face Cat’s father died tragically beneath a truck, thinking of Xu Yun’s body, torn open in the snow at 00:42 on New Year’s Day,
Thinking of the invitation to the Genius Club that Zhao Yingjun received,
Thinking of the laboratory of Xu Yun, where the white mouse had successfully hibernated for 40 hours and then woke up...
“Brother Lian.”
Lin Xian’s voice was deep as he stared at Big Face Cat:
“[What’s the name of the current president of MX Company?]”