Chapter 1: Shocking Transformation

Inside the bright and comfortable cabin of a passenger plane, a middle-aged man had just stepped out of the restroom. As he turned on the faucet to wash his face, he suddenly felt a sharp object pressed against his neck, and a cold voice sounded from behind him.

“Don’t move.”

The unexpected situation did not cause the man to panic excessively. He lifted his head slightly and, through the mirror in front of him, saw the person standing behind—a seemingly ordinary young man. At this moment, the young man was holding a ballpoint pen, the tip pressed firmly against his neck.

Without giving him any time to comprehend what was happening, the young man spoke rapidly, “Hello, He Jie. My name is Kong Zhe, just an ordinary office worker. I know you don’t know me, but that doesn’t matter. I know you very well. I know you’re an assassin, sent by your organization to kidnap a scientist on this plane. You have a younger sister, He Ling, who is a student in Class Three, Grade Three, at Pinghu Middle School. Your wife is named Zhu Xiujun, and she’s three months pregnant. You plan to retire after this job. Of course, neither your wife nor your sister know you’re an assassin, let alone that you have an illegitimate son in America!”

The rapid-fire information left He Jie unable to maintain his composure. His face changed dramatically, and he asked in shock, “How—how do you know all this?”

“Don’t move!” the young man snapped, pushing the ballpoint pen closer to He Jie’s neck, his lips curving in a cold smile. “I know you’re shocked right now, and I know you want to pull the gun from your waist and blow my brains out. But I advise against it—because before you can pull the trigger, this pen will pierce your throat.”

He Jie had to withdraw his hand from his waist. He realized that anyone who could sneak up behind him undetected was more than capable of making good on the threat.

In the reflection of the mirror, He Jie scrutinized the man behind him. The young man’s face was calm—no trace of tension or panic despite threatening someone’s life. This was not something an ordinary person could do. After repeatedly confirming, He Jie was certain he did not know this man.

How could he possibly know such intimate details about him?

As an assassin, all his information was strictly confidential. What’s more, he was considered a senior member of the organization and never acted conspicuously. The organization would never leak his information. Especially the fact that he had an illegitimate child abroad—this was a secret he had painstakingly concealed. Not even the organization knew; not even the child himself knew. Only he knew. How could this young man possibly be aware of it?

He Jie felt the world becoming unreal. Was he dreaming?

The young man ignored his reaction and continued quickly, “I also know this job isn’t yours alone. You have three accomplices. They are in the first row, leftmost seat; third row, third seat; and the second seat in the last row. You’ve already placed bombs at key spots on the plane, planning to act once the plane is far enough from Huaxia. Someone will meet you afterward, and you plan to blow up the plane to make it look like an accident, covering your tracks.”

“You—!” He Jie’s pupils widened in shock. He snapped awake. This couldn’t be a dream. He himself only knew the locations of two accomplices; the third was specially arranged by the organization as a contingency, only appearing at the last moment.

“Sorry, I don’t have time to explain everything. The reason I’m telling you this is so you’ll believe what I say next. It might sound like a joke or a prank, but you have to trust me, or disaster will befall you.”

“Listen carefully—I’ll say it only once. I don’t know how many people you plan to kidnap, nor do I care what you want with them. But you won’t succeed. Because in about three hours, the world will face the apocalypse. Then, magical clouds from another world will shroud the earth, the sun will vanish, and the planet will plunge into an ice age. Simultaneously, magical beasts and races from the other world will flood into ours. Humanity will become the lowest tier of prey, and the earth will turn into a brutal hell. The team meant to receive you will be devoured by monsters before they ever reach you…”

“Uh, I—”

“Shut up. I know you think I’m crazy or plotting something sinister, but unfortunately, everything I’ve said is true. After the apocalypse begins, this plane will be relentlessly attacked by flying monsters, crashing straight into the Pacific. No one aboard will survive. Your sister in Jincheng will be eaten by a fish-man in the first moments, and your wife will be beaten to death by a crazed mob in your home shortly after.”