Chapter 9: The First Contact
Lin Zhou did not sleep that night.
The vision of his own death replayed endlessly in his mind. The rooftop. The wind. The gunshot. The cold concrete beneath his body.
It had felt real.
Too real.
He sat near the window of his apartment, watching the quiet city below. Streetlights stretched into the distance like glowing veins, carrying the pulse of the city through the darkness.
Somewhere out there, someone—or something—might already be moving the pieces that would lead to that future.
And that thought refused to leave him.
For the first time since gaining his strange ability, Lin Zhou realized something terrifying.
Saving others from fate was one thing.
Trying to escape his own fate was another.
The sky slowly brightened as morning approached.
When the first rays of sunlight appeared between the buildings, Lin Zhou finally stood up.
If someone truly was manipulating the threads of fate, then waiting passively would only bring that vision closer to reality.
He needed answers.
And the only person who seemed to know anything about this hidden world was the man with the compass.
Lin Zhou left his apartment and stepped into the early morning streets.
The city was quieter than usual. Delivery trucks moved through the roads, shop owners opened metal shutters, and commuters began their daily routines.
Everything looked ordinary.
But Lin Zhou knew better now.
Behind ordinary life, something far more complicated was unfolding.
He walked for nearly thirty minutes before he finally spotted the man.
The man with the compass stood near a small park bench beneath a large oak tree.
It was almost as if he had been waiting.
Lin Zhou approached him quickly.
"I saw it," Lin Zhou said immediately.
The man looked up calmly.
"My death."
The man studied Lin Zhou's expression carefully.
"And what did you learn from it?"
Lin Zhou frowned.
"Learn? You call that a lesson?"
"Every vision has meaning."
Lin Zhou crossed his arms.
"Then tell me what it means."
The man remained silent for a moment.
Finally he spoke.
"It means someone is moving against you."
Lin Zhou felt the tension in his chest tighten.
"So the watchers are real."
"Yes."
"And they want me dead."
"Possibly."
Lin Zhou shook his head.
"This is insane. I didn't ask for any of this."
The man's eyes softened slightly.
"Few people who enter the web of fate ever do."
Lin Zhou paced slowly across the park.
"If they can't fully predict my choices like you said… why would they try to kill me?"
The man lifted the compass around his neck.
The needle spun slowly.
"Because unpredictability threatens control."
Lin Zhou stopped walking.
"They can't control what they can't predict."
"Exactly."
Lin Zhou sighed heavily.
"So what do we do?"
The man was about to answer—
When suddenly a quiet voice spoke from behind them.
"You start by cooperating."
Lin Zhou turned instantly.
A woman stood near the park entrance.
She wore a dark coat and sunglasses despite the morning light. Her posture was calm, confident.
Too confident.
Lin Zhou felt a cold sensation run down his spine.
She had approached them silently.
The man with the compass did not look surprised.
In fact, he looked almost… resigned.
"You found us quickly," the man said.
The woman smiled slightly.
"It wasn't difficult."
Her eyes shifted toward Lin Zhou.
"So this is him."
Lin Zhou felt like a target under her gaze.
"Who are you?" he asked.
The woman walked a few steps closer.
"My name is Elena."
Her voice was smooth, controlled.
"I represent an organization that studies the structure of fate."
Lin Zhou immediately understood.
"You're one of the watchers."
She tilted her head slightly.
"That's one way to describe us."
Lin Zhou felt anger rising.
"You're the ones manipulating events."
Elena smiled faintly.
"Manipulating is a strong word."
"Then what do you call it?"
"Guiding."
Lin Zhou laughed bitterly.
"You guide people into dying?"
Her expression did not change.
"Some threads must be allowed to complete themselves."
Lin Zhou stepped forward.
"You mean you let people die."
The air between them felt tense.
The man with the compass raised his hand slightly.
"Lin Zhou."
But Lin Zhou ignored him.
"If you knew that boy would die at the intersection last night—"
Elena interrupted calmly.
"Yes. We knew."
Lin Zhou's fists tightened.
"And you did nothing."
"Correct."
"Why?"
Elena's voice remained steady.
"Because that moment influenced seven other events that were scheduled to happen later that night."
Lin Zhou stared at her in disbelief.
"You're treating people like numbers."
"Patterns," she corrected.
Lin Zhou shook his head slowly.
"You're insane."
Elena looked at him carefully.
"No. We are practical."
She paused.
"Which is why we came to speak with you."
Lin Zhou narrowed his eyes.
"Speak?"
"Yes."
Her tone remained calm.
"Someone with your ability could be very valuable to us."
Lin Zhou understood instantly.
"You want me to work for you."
Elena smiled again.
"Not work for us."
"Work with us."
Lin Zhou didn't hesitate.
"No."
Her smile faded slightly.
"You should think carefully before answering."
"I already have."
Elena removed her sunglasses slowly.
Her eyes were cold.
"Then allow me to explain the situation more clearly."
She looked directly at him.
"We have already seen the vision of your death."
Lin Zhou felt his heart skip.
"You… what?"
Elena's voice remained calm.
"The rooftop."
"The gunshot."
"The moment your body falls."
Lin Zhou felt the world tilt slightly.
"You caused that vision?"
"No," she replied.
"We confirmed it."
The implication was terrifying.
They weren't just predicting his death.
They were preparing for it.
Elena placed her sunglasses back on.
"You have two options, Lin Zhou."
"Join us…"
"Or eventually become another completed thread."
Silence filled the park.
The man with the compass watched quietly.
Lin Zhou looked from one of them to the other.
For the first time, the true scale of the conflict became clear.
This was not just about fate anymore.
It was about who controlled it.
And Lin Zhou had just been invited into the center of the battle.