Industrial Cthulhu doesn't believe in the end times.

Chapter 20 Is it really you?
After getting off the bus, just as Zheng Yuan had said, they left enough safe space, and there were military and police officers controlling the route, keeping the crowds and traffic far away.

And just as Su Xun had imagined, no one recognized him. He had changed his clothes and put on a hat, so even his acquaintances would probably have a hard time recognizing him at a glance.

Several young girls watched Jiang Yi from a distance and exclaimed in amazement, "Sister, you're so beautiful!"

At a bus stop not far from the subway station, a couple with graying hair, like everyone else, watched the rather large crowd with curiosity.

"Which leader has arrived?"

"Hey, look, that guy in the hat... doesn't he look a bit like Ah Xun?"

"Everyone looks like him to you." The man looked into the distance, paused for a moment, and stood on tiptoe to peer closer: "He does look quite like him?"

"Why don't you call him?"

"Isn't this bad?"

"What's wrong with that? These people can't hit you. At worst, you can just admit you were wrong."

"If you want to shout, then shout; you have a high-pitched voice."

"Ok."

The woman took a few steps closer and hesitated for a moment.

"Ah Xun! Ah Xun?"

Actually, the sound wasn't loud, but when a group of soldiers and police looked this way, the woman's voice unconsciously became softer.

But Su Xun still heard it. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes somewhat dazed.

A hand gently took his arm. Su Xun turned his head and saw that it was Jiang Yi. Her eyes were full of concern and inquiry.

"Let's go."

Su Xun's steps were somewhat weak, but he still forced himself to walk into the subway entrance. As soon as he entered, he leaned against the wall, his face showing pain.

How did they get here?

Yes, my aunt's family lives nearby. Although one family is poor and the other is rich, the two families have never broken off relations.

They've probably come to visit their aunt.

Memories sealed for hundreds of years gradually awaken, and the faces of more people appear before our eyes.

The Su family is known for its simple and honest ways, and they have harmonious relationships with their neighbors. There are quite a few people of Su Xun's age who are on good terms with him.

Relatives, classmates, and friends almost all disappeared after the apocalypse began and I never saw them again.

How long did I live in this apocalypse after that? Two hundred years? Three hundred years?

Time seemed to blur for a moment, and Su Xun couldn't help but ask himself, am I still me?

Is he still the same Su Xun who, before the apocalypse, rode his electric scooter around delivering food and was anxious and worried about his mortgage of several thousand yuan?
He asked himself if he had forgotten these feelings, but why did he still feel uneasy when he heard those two calls?
He couldn't find the answer immediately, but he knew exactly what he needed to do.

He glanced at Wang Junyou, who almost immediately knew what he was thinking and turned to walk away.

A moment later, he came back and shook his head at Su Xun.

"They've already boarded the bus."

"...Okay, thank you for your help."

With a sigh of relief, Su Xun turned around, made up her mind, and walked towards the shelter that was being renovated.

Is it escapism? Perhaps.

Is it a responsibility? Probably.

At least many people in the Daily Project never mentioned wanting to go home. They knew Su Xun was a reincarnated person, but they never asked him about their future or their family's situation.

Then why should Su Xun rely on his status to seek special treatment?

Inside the bus.

The woman shrank back and grabbed the man's hand, complaining, "It can't be him. Our son doesn't have a girlfriend, and even if he did, she wouldn't be that good-looking."

"Sigh, this child, why did he suddenly say he wanted to do something for the country? He didn't even call home to tell us."

A middle-aged man who had just squeezed in with them overheard their conversation, smiled, and leaned over to ask, "Working for the country? Is that your kid?"

"Yes, sigh, the child didn't say a word, and we couldn't get through to him on the phone. We thought something had happened to him. Then someone came to our door to explain that he had gone to help the country." Mr. Su was a talkative man. He said, "To be honest, if those people hadn't been led by the village chief, we would have really thought they had set a trap to kidnap my child!"

The man's eyes flickered, and he asked with a smile, "Your child is quite successful. What did he do before?"

Su's mother gave him a wary look and pressed down on Su's father's hand, who was about to answer: "What are you asking about? What my child does is none of your business."

The man didn't take it to heart: "Hey, I was just curious. Don't be angry, don't be angry. If you don't want to tell me, then forget it."

As they were talking, the bus arrived at another stop, and Su's mother pulled Su's father, saying, "I'm carsick, let's get off and rest."

Watching the bus drive away, Mr. Su rubbed his hands together and said, "Is it really necessary? It was just casual conversation. My son is successful, so why can't we talk about him?"

"Have you forgotten what they told you!" Su's mother looked at her with exasperation: "A-Xun is playing a big role and making great contributions now, so it needs to be kept secret! You can't just tell anyone!"

"We don't know anything about him, all we know is that he delivers takeout. But even delivering takeout isn't allowed, is it?"

"No, you're not allowed to say a single word. I wanted to yell at you in the car about doing things for the country, you..."

Mr. Su listened patiently as Mrs. Su scolded him.

"So what do we do now? Should we call those people and talk to them about this?"

Hearing this, Su's mother was also somewhat troubled.

"Let's forget about it. It's unfounded and we shouldn't bother people with something like this. Those kids are all busy lately."

……

Across the ocean.

Although the intelligence department was decimated by the president, it still had a solid foundation, and the remaining personnel were still quite large.

Department head Merrick received several intelligence reports and rubbed his temples in frustration.

The East's recent actions have been massive, bordering on the shocking, putting Merrick under considerable pressure.

The only consolation is that, under such immense pressure, North America has correspondingly increased its investment in intelligence, almost to the point of providing money and manpower as needed.

Of course, whether this is good or bad for Merrick himself is still debatable. Many people have their eyes on his position. For example, a member of the Smith family once used the power of the conglomerate to put pressure on him.

Now is the time to produce some results.

Intelligence work is not, as most people imagine, about achieving its goals by interrogating enemy personnel or directly stealing their core secrets.

Ultimately, there's no such thing as hearing thunder in silence. What's an intelligence agency doing lying in silence all day? Waiting to die?

Most of the time, intelligence work in any country involves analyzing and filtering massive amounts of information to find the useful parts.

However, ASEAN's recent actions have been like a thunderclap out of nowhere, launching a major offensive without warning.

After the opponent has been initiating the attack for so long, Merrick has only managed to find two possible directions.

First, the so-called astronomical disaster announced by the East coincides with the time of their moon landing. Unlike some netizens who think there is something on the moon, Merrick speculates that the East may have brought some new equipment to the moon and obtained some observation results in that special place.

If we explore in this direction, the main targets are the ASEAN Space Centre and the Academy of Sciences. Another option is to launch our own rocket to the moon, although the latter is unlikely.

As for the second direction, intelligence from various sources indicates that some unusual forces and resources from the East have converged on Binhai City, which is abnormal. Although Binhai City is considered a first-tier city, it is not the economic and cultural center of the East.

Anything unusual means there's a problem.

Merrick retrieved the intelligence information about the coastal city and examined it carefully.

"Two informants were arrested in Binhai City and are suspected of being executed by firing squad..."

"A food delivery driver was unusually recruited by ASEAN..."

"Did this deliveryman work at a soybean research institute?"

The fingers tapped lightly; although this was a clue worth exploring, it might not actually be of any value. It's not uncommon for people to gain the trust of higher-ups through deception and fraud, and such things happen everywhere.

"Is it really you?" he wondered to himself.

Someone walked in; it was the member of the Smith family. He leaned against the doorframe, speaking in a very rude tone.

"Oh, my Mr. Merrick, haven't you found any valuable clues today?"

Merrick frowned, then slammed his hand on the table in anger: "No? No! I've discovered a crucial clue, and I'll submit it to His Excellency the Commander right now. Get out!"

(End of this chapter)