January 2020. The pandemic exploded across the globe, just as Ye Xia feared. But the landscape was different from her memories of the first timeline.
Thanks to her years of preparation, the initial response was faster. Hospitals in major cities had PPE. Research into a vaccine was already underway. The Yun-Mo Foundation's early warnings, though initially ignored, were now being seen as prescient.
Their actions didn't stop the pandemic, but they blunted its worst effects. They saved countless lives.
This new war wasn't fought with Qi blades or stock market manipulations. It was fought with supply chain logistics, public health directives, and scientific funding. Ye Xia's [Conceptual Waste] ability was now used daily on ideas like "effective public trust in health measures" and "equitable vaccine distribution."
The system, born of money and waste, was now being used as an engine for global salvation. It felt like the ultimate paradox, and the ultimate purpose.