2:00 AM.
Feng Qi returned to his room.
Sitting down on the sofa, he decided to activate the new Sacrifice Line immediately.
It wasn't that he didn't want to rest a few more days to get rid of more negative emotions.
During his gathering with Lin Ran and Mu Qing at the lake, he had already drunk two glasses of Meritorious Wine, and his energy progress bar was now full, meeting the requirement to activate the Sacrifice Line upon sleeping.
As long as he fell asleep, he would enter the Future Dream.
[Then why not just pull an all-nighter? If you stay awake long enough, you won't have to enter the Future Dream!]
Hearing the narrator's snarky remark, Feng Qi rolled his eyes.
Over the past few days, his negative emotions had subsided considerably, enough to handle the emotional impact of another Sacrifice Line.
There was no need to delay any further.
Eliminating the hidden threat of the Silvermoon Clan in Star City would make the upcoming timelines much smoother—especially in the Future Dream.
After thinking it through, he got up and headed to the bathroom.
Spending five minutes taking a cold shower, he changed into a set of pajamas and lay down on the bed.
Then, he closed his eyes.
As his thoughts drifted, sleep overtook him, and his expression gradually became serene…
…
The next morning, the chirping of birds outside the window woke Feng Qi from his sleep.
Rubbing his messy hair, he turned to look at the mirror beside him.
Still as handsome as ever.
But that wasn't important. He immediately called out in his mind:
"Narrator? Son?"
There was no angry response as usual.
His consciousness sank into his spiritual sea, only to find that it was no longer a surging golden ocean.
Above, the floating Talent Orbs that once followed a fixed trajectory had disappeared.
Clearly, the Sacrifice Line had already begun.
After experiencing it so many times, the initial sorrow and melancholy were gone.
He picked up the phone on the bedside table and dialed Lin Ran.
After a long wait, the call connected, and Lin Ran's voice came through.
"I got it."
Feng Qi: …
"It's not about food. Come to my room, I have something to discuss with you."
"Is it important? If it's not, can we talk about it over breakfast? …Fine, I'll come over. If you're calling me this early, it must be serious."
Before Feng Qi could even explain, Lin Ran had already figured it out himself.
After hanging up, Feng Qi washed up, changed into fresh clothes, and sat on the sofa, waiting for Lin Ran.
As for whether Lin Ran would accept the mission, Feng Qi wasn't worried.
There would definitely be hesitation, but at his core, Lin Ran was the same kind of person as him.
Feng Qi still clearly remembered that in the previous timeline, Lin Ran had willingly taken the memory-erasure potion, tears in his eyes, sacrificing himself so that Feng Qi could continue progressing down the villain path.
Beneath his cheerful and carefree personality, Lin Ran had a courageous and selfless heart.
With Lin Ran's help, he could execute both missions simultaneously.
20 minutes later, a knock sounded at the door.
It was Lin Ran.
He walked in, plopped down on the sofa, and grinned mischievously.
"Qi-ge, tell me, what do you need? Your little brother is ready to follow you through fire and water!"
Feng Qi smiled and grabbed a bottle of drink from the fridge, placing it in front of Lin Ran.
"You said it yourself. I do have a favor to ask."
"You're not seriously asking me to do something shady, are you? I'm a model citizen, and I just received the Outstanding Contribution to Humanity Medal. I don't do illegal stuff."
"Relax. Not only is this completely legal, but if it succeeds, it will benefit all of humanity."
Hearing that, Lin Ran became intrigued.
"So… what exactly is it?"
"Have you ever been in a relationship?"
"…No." Lin Ran shook his head without hesitation.
But as soon as he answered, he suddenly recalled what Feng Qi had said at the academy cafeteria last night.
A bad feeling crept up his spine.
"No worries, it's not a big deal." Feng Qi continued. "It's related to dating, though. I need you to get close to someone and extract intelligence from her…"
Feng Qi then detailed the entire situation and explained the mission objective.
Four hours later, Lin Ran was in complete shock.
"Qi-ge, so… you want me to approach Yin Ling and use emotional tactics to get information out of her?"
"Exactly."
"…Why not do it yourself?"
"I need to progress on both fronts. I have to study hard and prepare to enroll in Old Day Academy next year. This way, I can avoid accumulating additional negative emotions. It's called killing two birds with one stone."
"I also want to study." A look of longing appeared on Lin Ran's face.
"This is why the birth rate is so low in modern society." Feng Qi sighed with an exasperated expression.
Lin Ran rolled his eyes.
"You were the one who told me, 'Women will only slow down my sword-drawing speed.'"
"That was the Main Timeline version of me speaking. If it weren't for the need to efficiently execute both plans, I would've taken this mission myself."
Seeing Lin Ran's skeptical look, Feng Qi smiled and patted his shoulder.
"Help a brother out. I trust your abilities. According to the law of geniuses attracting geniuses, you and Yin Ling should get along just fine."
"If she rejects me, then what?" Lin Ran frowned.
"Reject? Then keep going. Your mission is to get close to Yin Ling. Even if it means persistently following up, you must establish a connection. During this period, you have to maintain a proactive and enthusiastic attitude. That way, even if you're rejected, you'll still have a reason to continue approaching her."
"Doesn't that just make me a bootlicker?" Lin Ran looked shocked.
"For the sake of saving Star City from the Silvermoon Clan's threat, for the ideal future of humanity, what's wrong with being a bootlicker? Is it really that difficult?"
These were the exact words Wei Wei had told Feng Qi before. Without thinking, he blurted them out.
Sure enough, the feelings of someone in the situation and an outsider looking in were completely different.
Just a few days ago, he had been as troubled as Lin Ran, yet when Wei Wei had persuaded him, she had been firm and righteous about it.
It was clear that people don't truly understand each other's struggles.
"It's really difficult."
"A true bootlicker sees no obstacles. As long as your face is thick enough, even if Yin Ling rejects you, she won't be able to completely shut you out. Meanwhile, we will create various scripted opportunities to help you build rapport with her."
Seeing Lin Ran's hesitant expression, Feng Qi continued:
"Don't worry, I'm here."
"But... I've never been in a relationship before, I don't know anything about it."
"No problem, this can be learned. You'll have an entire professional support team backing you up, analyzing the situation in real-time and providing various forms of assistance."
"Oh, and you'll also receive a budget for dating expenses. All costs will be fully covered by the Crimson Research Institute."
At this point, Feng Qi looked at Lin Ran with a serious expression.
"Comrade Lin Ran, the Salvation Organization needs you."
"If it were anyone else asking me to take part in this so-called dating operation, I'd just get up and walk away, returning to my research and training… but damn it." Lin Ran let out a helpless sigh.
Seeing his reaction, Feng Qi knew he had successfully convinced him.
He understood that, for the sake of a greater cause, Lin Ran was willing to make sacrifices.
If given the choice, Lin Ran would rather dedicate himself to the field of spell and cultivation research until the day he died.
Even if the end result couldn't be changed, he would still choose to fight with all his might.
Even if he couldn't alter the future, at least he could look back without regrets.
That was Lin Ran's lifelong pursuit.
But dating to save the world? That was never part of his aspirations.
Feng Qi still remembered what Lin Ran had said before sacrificing himself in the villain timeline.
Lin Ran had said:
"I once listened to my teacher talk about the heroic deeds of martyrs in class. Their stories always filled me with passion and admiration. Back then, I often imagined that, when the time came, I too would have the chance to sacrifice myself for humanity's future, just like them… Now, that childhood dream has become reality. It's time for me to make the right choice."
At his core, Lin Ran had the heart of a true warrior.
Forcing him to become a bootlicker was truly asking a lot.
Lin Ran grabbed the bottle of drink on the table, twisted the cap off, and took a large gulp.
"Qi-ge, when does this plan start?"
"Now that I have your confirmation, I'll contact the Crimson Research Institute to begin preparations. Once the plan is set, I'll let you know."
"Got it." Lin Ran nodded.
"Stop looking so miserable. It's not like we're sending you into a deathtrap. Being a bootlicker isn't dangerous."
"I'd rather jump into a den of monsters. The thought of dating a domain creature gives me chills."
As he spoke, Lin Ran's mind conjured up the image of a terrifying, grotesque monster, making him shudder.
"You misunderstand the Silvermoon Clan. I'll take you to the Crimson Research Institute later. They have recorded data on the Silvermoon Clan, including visuals."
"They actually look very similar to humans, in fact, they align perfectly with our aesthetic standards. They resemble the elves from mythology."
"Still feels weird." Lin Ran muttered under his breath.
After chatting for a while, Feng Qi finally got Lin Ran's promise.
The bootlicker operation was officially set in motion.
Feng Qi took out his phone and contacted the Crimson Research Institute, arranging for a dedicated vehicle to pick them up.
After lunch, he and Lin Ran headed to the Crimson Research Institute.
Inside a conference room, they waited briefly before Wei Wei arrived.
When she saw Lin Ran, she was briefly surprised. But after listening to Feng Qi's detailed plan, she immediately understood his logic.
In fact, Lin Ran was a much better candidate than Feng Qi for this operation.
When Lin Ran learned that the original plan had been for Feng Qi himself to play the bootlicker, he looked completely dumbfounded.
After a moment of stunned silence, he turned to Feng Qi with an expression full of resentment.
"Good brother, I hope you know how much I hate you right now."
Feng Qi patted Lin Ran's shoulder with a grin.
"Tough luck, but I have more important things to do. Since you're my brother, you understand, right?"
Lin Ran sighed and punched Feng Qi hard in the chest.
"Fine, fine. Who told me to be your brother?"
At that moment, Wei Wei spoke up.
"We will handle Lin Ran's introduction to Yin Ling through official arrangements under the name of the Crimson Research Institute. As for you, Feng Qi, I'll assign a team to compile all the fundamental knowledge on domain studies to prepare you for enrolling in Old Day Academy."
"Got it!" Feng Qi nodded without hesitation.
His plan to enroll in Old Day Academy wasn't just about learning domain studies—he also intended to use this opportunity to locate the Psionic Clan members hidden within Old Day City.
He already had a well-thought-out plan.
In fact, there was one surefire way to gain access to the Psionic Clan.
That was to bring Old Mist along to Old Day Academy.
His previous conversation with the Dark God Clan's masked man had revealed that the Dark God Clan was never the Psionic Clan's first choice for an alliance.
Their initial target should have been the Mist Clan, which had only descended into this world in recent years.
The Psionic Clan had been waiting for the Mist Lord to recover from its injuries before initiating negotiations.
But then, Mu Qing destroyed the Mist Domain Field, and the Mist Lord vanished. This sudden turn of events had forced the Psionic Clan to shift their focus to the Dark God Clan.
So, if Feng Qi could bring Old Mist with him, it was highly likely that the Psionic Clan would try to recruit him.
(PS: This information is from Chapter 274 of the Villain Line.)
However, executing this plan would require Mu Qing's involvement.
Feng Qi needed her to play a role in Old Mist's "rescue" scenario, helping to establish an initial bond of trust.
Afterward, convincing Old Mist to travel to Old Day City would require further careful planning.
Getting Old Mist to enroll in Old Day Academy alongside him would be even more challenging—he would need a compelling reason to make it happen.
Otherwise, once Old Mist understood the current state of human society, he would logically choose the most advantageous path for himself.
Most likely, he would still head to Star City, waiting for the right opportunity to seize control of the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
Feng Qi sighed.
Once again, he had to use Old Mist to extract information.
"My poor brother... I'll definitely make it up to you next time."
The Old Day Academy plan was already quite solid.
Now, the biggest uncertainty lay in Lin Ran's bootlicker operation.
The situation with Yin Ling was unpredictable, and things might not progress as smoothly as they had hoped.
After chatting with Wei Wei for a while, Feng Qi took Lin Ran on a tour of the Crimson Research Institute.
He made sure to take him to the Virtual Technology Lab, where they tested out the game "Dawn."
More importantly, he unlocked an exclusive dungeon mode that had never been made public before.
This was meant to give Lin Ran an initial understanding of the Silvermoon Clan.
Among the few available dungeons in "Dawn," one was entirely centered around the Silvermoon Clan.
As nightfall approached, the two of them skipped dinner at the institute and headed straight back to Star City Academy.
When they arrived at the academy cafeteria, they saw that Mu Qing was already sitting in the far north corner, devouring her meal.
Feeling starved, Feng Qi and Lin Ran quickly grabbed their trays and went to the buffet station to get food.
Three days later.
Morning.
Sitting in the northern corner of the cafeteria, Feng Qi sipped on hot milk.
Suddenly, he felt his pocket vibrate.
Taking out his phone, he saw that Wei Wei was calling.
As soon as he answered, her voice came through the receiver:
"Tell Lin Ran, the plan starts at noon today. We've arranged for him to meet Yin Ling during lunch. He should get ready."
"It wasn't easy setting this up, so tell him not to mess it up."
Hearing this, Feng Qi grinned.
"Understood."
After hanging up, he turned to Lin Ran, who was eating.
"Ran, Crimson has everything set. Your first meeting is during lunch today."
Lin Ran immediately choked, pounding his chest a few times before reluctantly nodding.
"Got it… I'll do my best."
"Mm… What plan?" Mu Qing looked up curiously, her cheeks puffed out as she chewed, looking adorably squishy.
Lin Ran straightened up, put on a serious expression, and joked,
"For the sake of saving the world, Bootlicker Lin is officially online. I shall lick my way toward a brighter future!"
At this point, he had clearly moved past his inner turmoil and could face his mission with a sense of humor.
"For the sake of saving the world?" Mu Qing looked intrigued.
"Mu Qing-jie, you'll be an important part of this plan too, but your role will come later." Feng Qi explained.
"Mm… okay."
Mu Qing didn't press for details.
Since she trusted Feng Qi completely, she agreed without hesitation and went back to eating.
The way she tore through her meal could only be described as devouring like a storm.
As her mountain of food visibly shrank, Feng Qi couldn't help but visualize a data interface:
Strength +1, Stamina +1, Body Toughness +1, Vitality +1…