"Are you really leaving?" One-Eyed Man asked. He had grown accustomed to staying by Lin Fan's side. Even though he hadn't said it aloud, his actions betrayed his reliance. The feeling of having someone to depend on was wonderful; he didn't have to worry about anything, no matter what happened.
Previously, as the head of the special department, he felt immense pressure. Ever since Lin Fan came into his life, everything went smoothly, everything tasted delicious, and he didn't have to worry about those troublesome matters.
"Yes, I'll be back soon. Ming promised me he'd protect this place, so don't worry," Lin Fan said.
One-Eyed Man glanced at Ming and noticed the strange look in his eyes, as if he were fixated on him. This feeling wasn't pleasant; it felt like something bad would happen after Lin Fan left.
He whispered, "I don't think he's very reliable."
"Don't worry, he's very reliable. I can feel it," Lin Fan reassured him.
One-Eyed Man felt uneasy. If he's reliable, then pigs can fly. Looking at Ming's expression, it was clear he was looking for trouble, likely still dwelling on previous events.
He knew, however, that persuading Lin Fan was impossible. He had to treat Lin Fan as someone who had escaped from Qingshan Mental Hospital, with a slightly skewed perspective. The book written by Hao Ren didn't offer any solutions for this kind of situation.
Only after Lin Fan and the others left did One-Eyed Man suddenly realize something. You're going out to find your daughter, and you're taking Old Zhang with you? And if you can take Old Zhang, you could have taken me too! He didn't want to stay with Ming at all.
Unfortunately… it was too late.
Ming approached One-Eyed Man and patted his shoulder. "It's a pity we didn't have a good chat last time. Shall we have a proper chat sometime?"
One-Eyed Man turned his head stiffly, forcing an awkward smile. He politely declined, "I'm rather busy. Maybe another time."
Like hell I want to chat with you. As the leader, he couldn't show fear. No matter how strong you are, the only person who can make me, One-Eyed Man, panic has already left. The rest haven't even been born yet.
In space…
"It's so beautiful!" Old Zhang gazed at the planet below, his expression full of wonder. Even though he had seen it before, the sense of awe remained.
The Evil Chicken was lost in thought. Things were getting complicated. As an undercover agent, he had gradually drifted further from his original mission. He didn't know what he would encounter next, but with his increasing exposure, the Evil Chicken realized that some things couldn't be achieved by relying on his fellow evil beings.
Therefore, the Evil Chicken had a grander ambition: not only to become a qualified undercover agent, but also to lead the evil beings to victory, to restore their peak glory.
He owed this ambition to the movies Lin Fan had shown him. There was a saying that resonated deeply: "One must rely on oneself." It applied perfectly to him, the Evil Chicken.
Lin Fan smiled. "If you like it, I can bring you to see it often."
"Once a day?"
"Sure, if you like."
"You're so good to me."
Lin Fan smiled. You're my best friend. If I'm not good to you, who else would I be good to? Of course, his wife and Xiaobao were also people he needed to treat well.
Old Zhang asked, "Where are we going now?"
Lin Fan replied, "To find the Dragon God."
The universe was vast. Lin Fan took them through space at an incredible speed, reaching a velocity invisible to the naked eye.
They flew out of the Milky Way. Endless darkness, devoid of light. Everything around them felt cold and silent. Anyone in this soundless universe would be terrified by the stillness.
The great clans of the starry sky traveled to their planet by opening passages. Those who hadn't reached the Ancestor level would take an immeasurable amount of time to cross the universe. They might fly their entire lives and still not reach the edge of the Milky Way.
After a long time, Lin Fan sensed life fluctuations. But these weren't what he was looking for.
If the scientists in Yanhai City knew about this, they would surely exclaim, We've spent our entire lives researching, and we haven't even fully explored the Milky Way, which is just the tip of the iceberg, yet you're taking Old Zhang beyond the Milky Way. Isn't that a bit over the top?
Traveling through another unknown galaxy, Old Zhang couldn't see his surroundings clearly. Everything looked like streaks of light, stretching into long tails before disappearing.
Suddenly…
"What's wrong?" Old Zhang asked.
Lin Fan said, "I sense someone calling for help, as if they need assistance."
"Is there?" Old Zhang looked around but saw nothing. He didn't know where the situation Lin Fan mentioned was happening.
Lin Fan pointed into the distance. "Yes, it's over there."
On a blue planet, the distribution of countries was similar to their own. But they didn't have the problem of evil creatures or monster infestations. Their issues were mainly the conflicts and power struggles between nations. Their technological level had just reached the point of venturing into space and exploring the vicinity of their planet.
On the planet, there were people with the same skin color as Lin Fan. They belonged to one nation, and now the entire country was focused on their first step into space. But now, everyone's hearts were in their throats. Trouble had arisen.
Countless people held their breath. Some prayed. Some shed tears. And some countries gloated. Some media outlets had already published articles, along the lines of, Insufficient technology makes venturing into space a dangerous act.
Astronaut Zhou Xiao floated silently in space, drifting further and further away from the spacecraft, as if being enveloped by darkness. Apart from the shouts of his teammates coming from the communicator, he couldn't hear any other sounds.
"Am I going to die in space?" He closed his eyes slowly.
At that moment… Thump! Thump! It sounded like someone was tapping on his helmet.
"Hello! Hello! Are you alright?"
Where is that vibration coming from? Am I already dead and hallucinating? Zhou Xiao thought to himself, but soon he realized something was amiss. He opened his eyes abruptly and saw a face in front of him.
"Ah!!!" He screamed. Even with his professional training, he was terrified at this moment.
The team members heard Zhou Xiao's scream and became very nervous.
"Zhou Xiao, Zhou Xiao, what's wrong?"
They didn't know what had happened. They knew Zhou Xiao was beyond saving. Was he being subjected to some kind of terrible torment now?
Lin Fan noticed the astronaut's panic. He thought about it for a moment, then saw a spaceship in the distance. It seemed the astronaut had drifted towards it. So, he pulled Zhou Xiao towards the spaceship.
Not long after, the people on the planet were stunned. What did they see? The astronaut who was in danger had returned! And what shocked them even more was that there was someone in space, without wearing any protective suit, walking and surviving just like that.
At this moment, the whole world was in an uproar. Their first step into space had uncovered such a secret, such a sight. The impact was immense. Even the people in the command center put down their work and stared blankly at the screen.
The universe was vast, boundless. Many people said there were aliens. After all, with so many planets, why wouldn't there be life? And now, it appeared right before their eyes, bringing them an unforgettable shock.
Lin Fan delivered the stranded astronaut to his teammates. "Goodbye, stay safe," Lin Fan said.
He didn't care whether they understood him or not; it wasn't important. Then, he took Old Zhang and the others and left.
But he didn't know that his appearance had brought an unforgettable scene to this world that had just taken its first step into space.
"Lin Fan, who were they?" Old Zhang asked.
Lin Fan shook his head. "I don't know. They should be people living in this universe. They look a lot like us, but they're really weak."
A long time later, they arrived at the Dragon God's territory.
The Dragon God, who was meditating in the clan grounds, opened his eyes, a puzzled look on his face, and disappeared from the chamber.
In space…
"I didn't expect you to come here." Seeing Lin Fan, the Dragon God asked curiously.
Lin Fan smiled. "I have something to ask you. I want you to take me somewhere."
"Tell me." The Dragon God was curious about what could make Lin Fan seek his help. He had to admit, he admired Lin Fan's strength; he was truly powerful. It was just that Lin Fan gave him the impression of being… not very bright.
Of course, he couldn't say such a thing to Lin Fan. Otherwise, as a strong individual, he had to defend his dignity.
Lin Fan said, "I want to ask you to take me to the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone. The person I'm looking for might be there."
Hearing "Starry Sky Forbidden Zone," the Dragon God was surprised.
"Did Little Tathagata ask you to go again?" These words slipped out without a second thought. Besides that, what other reason could there be? Among all the great clans, who wanted Lin Fan to go to the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone the most? Little Tathagata was second to none.
But… he didn't see Little Tathagata. Strange.
"No, I want to go myself. I really need to go there to find someone. I hope you can take me there." Lin Fan spoke earnestly, and it didn't seem like he was joking.
The Dragon God pondered. The Starry Sky Forbidden Zone! It was a mysterious region, connected to an unknown and dangerous place. Every Ancestor wanted to enter it to seek opportunities, and he, the Dragon God, was no exception.
He was more rational and knew the risks of going there were high. If something happened to him, it would be a disaster for the Dragon Clan.
"Alright, I'll go with you. I've wanted to enter the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone for a long time, but I haven't found a reliable and strong companion." The Dragon God made up his mind. He wouldn't overthink it. This was a rare opportunity, and Lin Fan's strength was far greater than his.
Although they hadn't known each other for long, Lin Fan seemed relatively reliable.
Lin Fan said, "Great! Thank you for trusting me. I never abandon those who believe in me."
The Dragon God didn't know why Lin Fan wanted to go to the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone. After asking, he learned that Lin Fan was looking for his daughter.
Upon hearing this news, the Dragon God's expression became identical to One-Eyed Man's when he looked at Lin Fan.
Are you kidding me? You have a daughter?