Ye Xu had been feeling restless lately.

  Every day at work, she was listless and often distracted, her efficiency noticeably declining.

  Sensing something was off with her recent state, Ye Xu specifically visited a doctor for a checkup.

  The results, however, suggested that her condition might be anxiety manifesting physically, likely due to overwhelming stress.

  Though skeptical, Ye Xu had always been someone who took advice seriously. She promptly handed over her tasks to Academician Zhang and planned to return home for a period of rest.

  On a vast, open plain, a gentle breeze swept through, rustling the grass and trees.

  Five sleek, silver-white hovercars, their designs streamlined and futuristic, soared across mountains and fields toward their destination.

  The hovercars’ exteriors were equipped with radar cloaking, optical stealth, and thermal mimicry—multiple layers of concealment technology. Even if an ordinary person stood right in front of one, they wouldn’t catch the slightest glimpse of the vehicle.

  Ye Xu sat in the central hovercar, sinking into the soft rear seat, gazing out the window.

  After departing from a secret location not even navigation systems could pinpoint, Ye Xu set foot on the soil of her hometown. The last time she had returned here was to celebrate the New Year with her family. In the blink of an eye, it was already late summer, early autumn.

  In the distance, the towering skyline of the city gradually came into view.

  That was her hometown—Taiqing City.

  If there was anything in this world that could truly make her relax, the answer would undoubtedly be home.

  “Chief, we’ll arrive at our destination in ten minutes,” a short-haired woman in a black suit, seated in the front passenger seat, reminded her in a low voice.

  “Shall I arrange a family gathering? Academician Ye and Professor Chen happen to be in Taiqing City on a business trip.”

  Ye Xu shook her head. “No need. I didn’t inform them about this leave in advance. Let’s not disrupt their schedules.”

  The short-haired woman replied, “Understood.”

  It was the year 2050, the mid-21st century.

  The world had just clawed its way out of a global economic bubble. Wealth had inflated and burst like foam, leaving towering city skyscrapers teetering in the financial storm. Unemployment and poverty followed like shadows.

  Yet, just as people thought civilization might crumble, a new technological revolution quietly ignited a spark of hope.

  Artificial intelligence nourished the parched earth like spring rain, quantum computing tore through the boundaries of knowledge, and gene editing reshaped the very essence of life.

  Society trembled under the weight of this transformation. The gap between rich and poor widened like a chasm, tearing through social classes. Towering smart cities coexisted with abandoned old districts, as if two worlds stood side by side.

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  The economy recovered from collapse, and wealth began to flow again—but it was no longer evenly distributed. Tech giants rose to power, seizing control of resources, while ordinary people relied on automation to survive. Life became more convenient, yet they were invisibly bound by the chains of algorithms.

  On the streets, virtual reality projections adorned the night sky. Humanity fused with machines, chasing eternal life and power.

  But beneath this facade of prosperity, undercurrents surged: over-reliance on technology made society fragile, ethical boundaries blurred in the face of genetic modification, and the flood of data swallowed privacy whole.

  People cheered for the miracles of this era, yet feared its lurking dangers.

  Everyone struggled within it. Everyone was consumed by it.

  This era was the best of times, and the worst of times.

  It was called the “Era of Prosperity.”

  Ye Xu stretched lazily on the soft seat. “No need to arrange a schedule. I’m here to rest, not to work.”

  “I recall the house at Shiwan Tower has been renovated according to my specifications, correct?”

  The short-haired woman replied, “Yes, Chief. The household AI, Little Seven, has been integrated as per your requirements, and the hardware facilities have been isolated and upgraded.”

  Ye Xu nodded. “Then let’s head to Shiwan Tower first.”

  The convoy slightly adjusted its course, heading toward a towering skyscraper in the eastern new district of Taiqing City.

  Shiwan Tower, funded by the Pangu government, was a high-rise luxury residence built specifically for researchers, officials, and individuals who had made significant contributions to society.

  Standing over 600 meters tall, Shiwan Tower was divided into 100 floors above ground and 32 floors below.

  The floors above the 32nd level were residential, while the rest served as public entertainment areas.

  The residential zones were categorized by floor height—the higher the floor, the better the living conditions, and the greater the resident’s contribution to society.

  The public entertainment area included a high-end gym, a cinema, a shopping mall, a gourmet street, a public parking lot, a hot spring park, and more.

  Shiwan Tower was never available for purchase. The only way to live there was to have made an exceptional contribution to society. In a way, residing here symbolized the highest social status.

  The most luxurious residences in Shiwan Tower numbered only three, located on the top floor. Ye Xu occupied one of them, while the other two remained vacant for now.

  “Buzz…” The ionized gas expelled by the Hall-effect thrusters emitted a low hum, propelling the hovercar toward the top floor of Shiwan Tower.

  “How much longer until we arrive?” Ye Xu asked lazily, nestled in the seat with her eyes half-closed.

  The security officer in the driver’s seat glanced at the autonomous driving system’s display and replied, “Chief, we’re estimated to arrive in ten min—”

  Suddenly,

  The officer’s voice cut off without warning, as if his throat had been seized, leaving no sound behind.

  In the back seat, Ye Xu’s eyes snapped open in surprise.

  The short-haired woman in the front passenger seat whipped her head toward the officer. At the same time, metallic particles surged from her neck, wrists, and ankles. In less than half a second, a black combat suit with a cape formed over her suit.

  The security officer’s neck bulged with veins, his eyes protruding unnaturally, emitting an unconscious “ugh, ugh” from his mouth.

  The short-haired woman barked into the communication network, “Luan Bird One has encountered a biochemical breach! Immediately execute Protocol Seven—”

  But before she could finish, another disaster struck!

  “Buzz…” Suddenly, the Hall-effect thrusters lost power, and the hovercar tilted downward, plummeting toward the ground!

  A massive sensation of weightlessness silenced the woman mid-sentence. She stared in horror at the central control screen inside the vehicle. The autonomous driving system had been disabled, the vehicle was in an uncontrolled state, and even the emergency safety measures for a fall failed to activate!

  It wasn’t just Luan Bird One, Ye Xu’s personal hovercar—the escort hovercars surrounding them also lost control one after another, spiraling toward the ground!

  Disbelief flashed in the short-haired woman’s eyes.

  The Chief’s personal convoy was equipped with the highest level of security measures. The autonomous driving system was directly controlled by the national AI, Beidou. For someone to forcibly disable the system from Beidou’s control was unthinkable!

  The laziness in Ye Xu’s eyes vanished. Metallic particles surged around her as well, forming a sleek silver bodysuit that encased her entirely, complete with a helmet that shielded her completely.