# Chapter 2307: If Across Time and Space
The faces once remembered in memory, the changes in physical state, and the surrounding environment all reminded Xu Huo that he had entered a false environment.
Before university, he had been deeply addicted to some thrilling and exciting activities for a period of time, and underground gambling was one of them. This gambling game involving human hands was also in his memory.
He glanced at the watch of the person beside him. At this time, Xu Zhi should already be on his way to find him.
Pushing aside the people around him, ignoring the shouts and jeers, he walked straight toward the exit.
The surrounding bodyguards gathered around. The man at the gambling table said, "Young Master Xu, you got on the table and now you want to leave just like that? If you don't dare to gamble, that's fine too—just leave your hand behind!"
Xu Huo didn't bother to fight these people. He turned back to the smug man and said, "Your uncle can only be your backing for at most half a month. The cases on your hands are enough to get you shot two or three times over. You have no sense of the coming crisis, yet you're fixated on venting your anger on me. You really are a fool."
The man across the gambling table flushed red with anger, slammed the table, and stood up. "Whether I die or not is hard to say, but you're dead for sure!"
The bodyguards closed in.
A few minutes later, Xu Huo walked out of the underground casino with injuries.
Everything familiar in his memory rushed toward him with the unique scent of the streets. He didn't hail a car to leave but instead crouched directly by the roadside to wait.
After several cigarette butts had fallen at his feet, Xu Zhi finally arrived hurriedly, accompanied by some friends with fighting skills.
When young Xu Zhi saw Xu Huo crouching by the street, his expression visibly relaxed. He slowed his pace as he walked over. "Was it fun?"
"Not fun. It's meaningless." Xu Huo patted his pants and stood up, fixing his gaze on Xu Zhi. "I know what I'm doing. Stop worrying about me."
Xu Zhi smiled. "How could I not worry about you? We're brothers."
Xu Huo remained silent.
Just then, one of Xu Zhi's friends walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "You're not a child anymore, and you're smart. Why waste your energy on things that have no meaning? Temporary excitement is just the lowest form of pleasure. Your happiness lies elsewhere."
Xu Huo looked at the arm in front of him—from the skin to the blood vessels, to the bones. Without cutting it open, everything seemed to be clearly presented in his mind.
Being unable to control oneself was a very dangerous thing, especially during adolescence.
So he had chosen some tolerable things to substitute.
Xu Huo, retaining his current memories, understood what this meaningless impulse was caused by. So he grabbed the other person's wrist and, under the slightly puzzled gaze of the other, said, "Your skin and muscles are very beautiful. If used for dissection, they could definitely become an exemplary specimen in textbooks..."
The other person instinctively pulled his hand away, studied him for a moment, then pulled Xu Zhi aside and whispered something.
Without extraordinary hearing, Xu Huo couldn't make out their conversation, but from the expressions of the two, it was probably that person suggesting to Xu Zhi that he should tighten control over him and not let him run wild anymore.
After a while, Xu Zhi walked back alone, sighed, and said, "Why did you scare my friend?"
"I didn't scare him. That's my true thought." Xu Huo answered truthfully. "An ordinary, law-abiding life doesn't seem to suit me. If I don't do these things, I'll eventually find something else to do. I'm also afraid I won't be able to stop myself."
Xu Zhi was silent for a long time. "Laws and morals aren't prepared for everyone. They are a reference for you. You can adjust them appropriately, but you can't completely abandon them. The two bottom lines that regulate humanity are the crystallization of human wisdom. Anyone can benefit from them, and you are also a beneficiary, even if you step beyond that line in the future."
"As a beneficiary, appropriately following them is a duty."
"Besides, just for the sake of seeking excitement, there's no need to break the law. The limits of the world aren't just about challenging authority and the outside. Try turning inward instead—you can try challenging yourself."
"Starting tomorrow, don't come to places like this anymore. This is my request to you as an older brother, and also as a law-abiding ordinary person."
Xu Huo knew he couldn't convince him to give up on him, so he nodded in agreement.
The two walked toward the car. Xu Huo followed behind Xu Zhi. Halfway there, he said again, "Brother, if someone wants to kill me in the future, would you die in my place?"
Xu Zhi turned back, smiling gently. "What nonsense are you talking? How could I just watch someone else kill you? Not even the law would allow it."
Xu Huo quickened his pace and grabbed his arm. "Don't save me. Let me die. This matter has nothing to do with you."
Xu Zhi was about to say something else when the friend beside him suddenly interrupted them. "Friends, if you're under a life threat, it's recommended to call the police here."
Xu Huo thought that made sense, so the car drove directly to the police station.
Because of Xu Huo's "small notoriety," this matter quickly attracted attention. Upon learning that there might be enemies crossing space to come here, specialized personnel arrived, and the conversation venue was moved to a confidential location.
Among the team that came to see him was a familiar face.
"Nie Xuan." Xu Huo called out his name.
The younger Nie Xuan looked at him hesitantly. "We've met."
"Met in the future," Xu Huo told him.
Nie Xuan showed no emotion. He simply nodded lightly. "The person speaking with you today is Team Leader Fan. You can tell him everything."
What followed was a three-hour conversation.
Xu Huo recounted in detail everything about Dr. Zhang and the Seventeenth Hospital, the Dimensional Fissure Game and the Preliminary Train, player classification and Super Evolution, the crisis of Zone 14 and the destruction of Zone 17, even drawing the White Notes used in the game exactly as they were.
After recording all of this and asking about some important details, Team Leader Fan asked again, "I noticed that you avoided mentioning the changes within the country in your description. Is there some major upheaval?"
Xu Huo had indeed avoided some content, but those weren't what he considered important.
"I spent most of my time in the game and rarely returned," he answered. "It's very simple to verify my words. Go find the Seventeenth Hospital. The missing person in the group photo of the medical staff will tell you the answer."
"You came back to the present as a prophet to tell us about the future. Does that mean future technology has reached the point where it can travel through time and space?" Team Leader Fan asked again.
This was a very obvious trap question, so Xu Huo directly cut to the point. "Without sufficient power, large-scale time-space travel isn't possible. Short-term travel is feasible."
"It seems you know quite a bit. Would you mind telling us how this is done? Is it related to player evolution?" Team Leader Fan seemed very interested.
Xu Huo's expression turned cold, and he didn't continue answering questions.
A month later, he was locked up in a specially protected psychiatric hospital.