He hadn't slept all night.
While the residents of Star City celebrated the new year with their families, Feng Qi had spent the entire night sitting on the balcony.
During this time, he received New Year's blessings from Mist Lord, Lin Ran, and Wei Wei.
Now, as he watched the rising sun slowly emerging from the horizon, he stood up and brushed off the snow that had accumulated on him.
The new year had arrived, and with it, the start of a new journey toward his ideals.
Stepping back inside, he took one last glance around the old house before striding out of the room.
He slid the key back into the crack in the wall and walked downstairs without looking back.
The past would be carried away by the wind, and from now on, he would follow Mist Lord into the depths of darkness.
Outside, the snow was still falling.
The streets beyond the neighborhood were mostly empty, with only a few snow-clearing robots diligently pushing the accumulated snow to the sides of the road.
Exhaling a puff of white mist, he made his way toward the bus stop three kilometers away.
Tiger Soul Research Institute didn't have a uniform holiday schedule for its staff and researchers.
Some researchers working on critical projects had to return to work the day after their New Year's Eve dinner.
Those working on non-essential projects were given a few extra days off.
He belonged to the latter group.
But he knew he needed to return as soon as possible.
Last night, Mist Lord's New Year's message had already hinted that Tiger Soul Research Institute had been fully taken over.
When he heard the news, he hadn't been surprised.
Knowing Mist Lord, he wouldn't have initiated his plan unless he was nearly certain of success.
It was likely that, before making his move, he had simulated countless variations of the plan in his mind.
Even if unexpected situations arose, Feng Qi believed Mist Lord had the strength to retreat unscathed.
From the details Mist Lord shared over the phone, the Night Shadow Clan's internal war had been brutal.
In the end, none of the three factions won.
Just when they were all exhausted, Mist Lord made his move.
He had been severely wounded in the battle, but his core vitality remained intact.
His new body, however, had been battered beyond repair and wouldn't last much longer.
But according to Mist Lord, none of that mattered anymore—he now had complete control over Tiger Soul Research Institute.
And the way he secured control was simple.
He hadn't killed all of the Night Shadow Clan members.
To him, their psychic control abilities were still valuable and could help him maintain a firmer grip on the research institute.
So after securing his position, he chose to enslave the remaining Night Shadow Clan members.
To ensure absolute obedience, he forced them to cultivate Flesh Sacrifice Ritual.
As a demonstration, he remotely triggered the deaths of three of them, letting the others witness firsthand what defying him would mean.
By the time they understood that a single thought from Mist Lord could drain their life force and kill them instantly, it was too late.
The three unfortunate examples disintegrated into blood mist, dying gruesome deaths.
The ones who survived had no choice but to bow their heads in submission.
Those who practiced Flesh Sacrifice Ritual were no different from test subjects marked for death by the shadowy figures behind the Institute of Technological Research. Their fate was no longer in their own hands.
As Mist Lord had once described them, the Night Shadow Clan had a "weak tribe mentality."
Faced with an inescapable fate, the survivors didn't resist. Instead, they lowered their heads and surrendered, choosing to live in servitude.
Before ending the call, Mist Lord informed him that he would soon arrange for him and Lin Ran to be transferred to Tiger Soul Research Institute's headquarters.
Then, he would begin his plan to seize control of Lin Ran's body.
That was the reason Feng Qi had to hurry back to the branch base.
Lost in thought, he arrived at the bus stop.
After waiting for a while, a driverless hover-bus pulled up.
Boarding the bus, he found it completely empty.
He took a seat by the window and entered his destination.
The vehicle started up and steadily accelerated.
—
Several hours later, Feng Qi arrived at the gates of the Tiger Soul Research Institute's branch base.
Just as he was about to verify his identity to enter, he looked up.
A helicopter marked with the words "Tiger Soul" hovered above the base, preparing to land on the helipad.
After verifying his credentials, he walked inside.
Turning his head toward the landing pad, he saw Lin Ran stepping out of the helicopter, carrying multiple bags.
Their gazes met from afar, and Lin Ran smiled before quickly making his way over.
Feng Qi stopped in his tracks.
"Qi-ge, why are you back so soon? You didn't want to rest a few more days?"
"And you? How was it, finally getting to spend some time at home?"
"My relatives kept showering me with praise—I've become their bragging material when they talk to others," Lin Ran laughed. Then, he added, "Also, I hadn't seen my little sister in a year. She's grown up so much—already up to my chest now."
Seeing the joy on Lin Ran's face, Feng Qi suddenly didn't know how to respond.
He had no hesitation in sacrificing himself for his ideals.
But sacrificing others… that was an entirely different feeling.
Standing on the high ground of righteousness and asking someone else to give up everything—it felt wrong.
Even though Lin Ran had explicitly stated that he was willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good.
But the more Feng Qi thought about it, the more he realized how different they were.
He was alone, with no attachments, nothing but the burning fire of his ideals pushing him forward.
But Lin Ran was different. He had family. He had people who loved him and whom he loved in return.
Every person in every timeline was a living, breathing soul. Lin Ran was no exception.
Lin Ran's willingness to give himself up might serve the greater cause, but to his family, it was an unforgivable cruelty.
Noticing the change in Feng Qi's expression, Lin Ran's smile faded.
After a brief silence, he asked, "Qi-ge… is it time?"
Feng Qi looked at Lin Ran and let out a deep sigh.
Lin Ran's smile reappeared as he reached out and playfully punched Feng Qi's chest.
"You've already sacrificed so many timelines, isn't it time I got to experience what it feels like to charge forward for an ideal without hesitation?"
"Let's not talk about this out here. We should head inside first."
With that, they walked side by side toward the base.
Once inside, they each returned to their rooms to put down their luggage.
After changing into their Tiger Soul Research Institute uniforms, they met up again at Lin Ran's personal lab.
As Feng Qi pushed open the door, he saw Lin Ran already sitting on the sofa, waiting for him.
Taking a seat across from him, Feng Qi looked at Lin Ran with a complicated expression and said,
"Lin Ran, Mist Lord has completely taken control of Tiger Soul Research Institute."
Lin Ran wasn't surprised at all. He simply nodded calmly.
"I figured. When do you think he'll try to take over my body?"
"Probably tonight…"
Before Feng Qi could finish speaking, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in."
The door opened, and a man dressed in a Tiger Soul staff uniform stepped inside. He handed Lin Ran a document and said respectfully,
"Group Leader Lin, this is a document from Tiger Soul's headquarters."
Taking the file, Lin Ran nodded.
"Thank you."
Once the staff member left, Lin Ran lowered his head and skimmed through the contents.
Feng Qi didn't need to look to know what it was.
Mist Lord had used his newfound authority at headquarters to officially transfer both Lin Ran and himself back there.
After a moment, Lin Ran looked up at Feng Qi and said,
"Qi-ge, we've been given a day to prepare. Tonight, you and I will be heading to headquarters."
Hearing this, Feng Qi felt a mix of emotions.
"Don't look so troubled. This day was always going to come. I've already made my peace with it."
"Have you thought about your family?"
At these words, Lin Ran fell silent. A flicker of struggle appeared in his eyes.
After a long pause, he looked up and spoke,
"Qi-ge, I've struggled with this too. I asked myself why I should have to sacrifice myself for the future of the main timeline… but in the end, I overcame that hesitation."
Taking a deep breath, his eyes turned red as he continued,
"When I was in school, I used to listen to stories about the heroes who came before us. Their sacrifices filled me with passion and admiration. I always imagined that if my time ever came, I would fight just as they did—for the future I dreamed of."
"Now, that childhood dream has become reality. After my struggle, I finally understood what I truly wanted. And I made the choice I believe is right."
Seeing Lin Ran's unwavering resolve, Feng Qi couldn't help but sigh.
Only now did he realize that Lin Ran's determination was no weaker than his own.
Standing up, Feng Qi placed a firm hand on Lin Ran's shoulder.
"Lin Ran, say your goodbyes. You don't have much time left."
With that, he turned and walked out, giving Lin Ran some space.
—
After Feng Qi left, Lin Ran pulled out his phone.
He opened his photo album.
As he scrolled through pictures of his family, his eyes turned red.
He switched to his contact list and looked at the names one by one.
But in the end, he didn't make a call.
He found that he couldn't bring himself to say goodbye.
He didn't even know what to say at a time like this.
—
Outside the lab, Feng Qi leaned against the wall, his emotions in turmoil.
He could feel the grief welling up inside Lin Ran.
And he fully understood why.
Sadness didn't mean hesitation. It had nothing to do with whether someone was truly committed to their ideals.
His experiences across countless timelines had taught him one thing—
The heroes in history who willingly sacrificed for the greater good weren't emotionless.
They shed tears, too.
The difference was that they kept running forward, even as those tears fell.
The road to Utopia was paved with thorns.
Moving forward meant embracing both sacrifice and pain.
Taking a deep breath, Feng Qi suppressed the emotions surging within him and walked toward his own quarters.
A moment later, he was back in his room.
Reaching under his bed, he pulled out a metal case sent by the Crimson Research Institute.
After completing the verification process, Feng Qi watched as a thin mist of frost rose when he opened the metal container stored under his bed.
Inside the container was a vial of Memory-Erasure Liquid.
Beside it, nestled in a padded slot, lay a Miracle Bracelet.
Taking a deep breath, he picked up the bracelet and fastened it around his wrist.
Then, he sat on the bed and began to wait.
Lin Ran had only one day left.
By nightfall, Tiger Soul Headquarters' special aircraft would arrive.
Feng Qi felt that Lin Ran needed this time alone—to think, to remember, and to say goodbye.
—
8:00 PM.
The Tiger Soul Headquarters' aircraft landed on the helipad within the walls of the sub-base.
Feng Qi and Lin Ran, having packed their belongings, stepped out of the base gates.
After confirming their identities with the escort team, they boarded the aircraft.
Without further delay, the aircraft took off and soared into the night sky.
Tiger Soul Headquarters was located in the southernmost outskirts of Star City.
It was even more remote than the sub-base, but its land area was more than ten times larger.
Thirty minutes later, the aircraft touched down.
As Feng Qi and Lin Ran disembarked, what stretched before them was an entire city.
A skyline of towering buildings stood ahead.
At night, the headquarters of Tiger Soul was illuminated brightly, every window aglow.
The most eye-catching structure was the Tiger Soul Headquarters Main Tower.
Standing at the heart of the city, bathed in golden light, it pierced through the clouds like a massive sword.
A group of staff members was already waiting.
When they saw Lin Ran step off the aircraft, they immediately approached, faces filled with excitement.
Inside Tiger Soul Headquarters, Lin Ran was far from an unfamiliar figure.
In fact, many of the researchers and staff were his devoted fans.
News of Lin Ran's transfer back to headquarters had already set off a frenzy in the internal chat groups.
And now that they could see him in person, they could barely contain their excitement.
Led by the staff, Feng Qi and Lin Ran made their way toward Tiger Soul Main Tower.
As they walked, Feng Qi observed the security system within the headquarters.
Compared to the Crimson Research Institute, it was on an entirely different level.
But upon closer thought, he understood why.
The defense of Tiger Soul Research Institute relied on two primary barriers:
The first line of defense was Star City itself.
Anyone attempting to infiltrate Tiger Soul Research Institute would first have to contend with Star City's military defenses.
The second line of defense was the Tiger Soul Security Forces and stationed troops.
However, these forces were mainly spread around the outer walls and key entry points.
Only a small portion patrolled the inner perimeter.
This setup revealed one crucial flaw—
The higher-ups at Tiger Soul had no idea about the internal threats lurking within.
They believed these two barriers were enough to keep Tiger Soul Research Institute safe.
They never considered the possibility of an infiltration from within.
In contrast, Crimson Research Institute had layer upon layer of security, with biometric scanners, checkpoints, and constant surveillance.
Compared to that, Tiger Soul's internal security was dangerously lax.
—
Following the staff into the main tower, they took an elevator down to the third basement level.
There, they were assigned new rooms.
Lin Ran's room was directly next to Feng Qi's.
—
After the staff left, Lin Ran locked his door.
Stepping toward his luggage, he retrieved a small container.
Inside was the Memory-Erasure Liquid.
Without a second thought, he uncapped the bottle and downed its contents in one gulp.
The reason for taking it now was to avoid arousing Mist Lord's suspicion.
He had to make sure everything appeared normal before he entered Tiger Soul Headquarters.
Checking the time, he saw it was already 9:00 PM.
He knew Mist Lord could arrive at any moment—
To seize his body.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, memories surged through his mind like a film reel playing in fast forward.
Then, one by one, they were wiped away.
It felt as if an eraser was chasing after his thoughts, slowly blotting out everything.
He tried to outrun the eraser—flipping through the pages of his memories at a frantic pace.
His childhood, his aspirations, his promises… all replayed in his mind before they were erased.
—
"Lin Ran, you are our pride. We are so proud of you."
"I really must be a genius. This casting technique… let's call it the Seal Formation Flow, shall we?"
"Tough environments help me grow. I've made up my mind—I'm applying to Winterfell Academy!"
"I will fulfill my grandfather's wish. I will create a revolutionary cultivation technique that will change the future."
—
As he reminisced, his expression grew vacant.
More and more memories blurred.
In the end, one final image remained.
A scene from his childhood—
He was sitting in a classroom, his tiny fists clenched, his eyes filled with burning resolve.
And then—he swore an oath.
"One day, I, Lin Ran, will become a hero like the warriors before me!"
—
His resolve burned like a beacon, lighting the path toward his ideals.
A single tear rolled down his cheek.
His eyes lost focus.
And the last fragments of his memories faded into oblivion.
All that remained in his heart was a final trace of determination, like the last flickering ember of a dying flame.