Earth Metaverse 10 years, May24, 2031 AD.

Two days ago, just as the students settled into their seats, ready for another day of class, the homeroom teacher burst through the door, her face glowing with unrestrained excitement.

Clearing her throat, she scanned the room before announcing, “Class, I have fantastic news! Shawn has been selected for special enrollment at Capital University! He'll be heading to the capital in the next few days for an interview!”

The classroom erupted.

All eyes turned to Shawn—some filled with surprise, others with envy, and a few were already whispering among themselves.

“Special enrollment at Capital University? That's a tremendous honor!”

“Shawn's background must be impressive—maybe he comes from a family of high-ranking officials?”

“To be fair, he is incredibly talented in ancient literature.”

Not everyone shared the enthusiasm. Donner and Jolie remained silent, but their skepticism and irritation were evident.

Shawn, however, was the one who stood out the most—not for his excitement, but for his lack of it. Resting his chin on his hands, he appeared lost in thought rather than pride.

Joe, a classmate, couldn'help but ask, “What's wrong? Capital University is one of the best schools in the country. Why aren'you happy?”

Shawn's voice was barely above a whisper. “I don'want to go... I want to apply to Sunzen University.”

“What? You don'want to go?!” Joe practically shouted, unable to believe his ears.

The classroom buzzed again. Some admired Shawn's determination, others thought he was crazy, and a few dismissed him as merely putting on an act.

The news quickly reached the school's leadership. Administrators and teachers took turns trying to persuade him.

“Shawn, you'd be the first student in our school's history to receive special recruitment from Capital University! If you turn this down, it'll have a huge negative impact on our reputation.”

The homeroom teacher spoke in a more serious tone. “At the very least, you should attend the interview. If you still don'want to go afterward, then we can talk.”

Back home, Shawn discussed the situation with his grandfather. Both agreed that something about this opportunity seemed off. Still, his grandfather advised him to go and check things out before making a decision.

Now, on a Saturday morning, Shawn boarded an early high-speed train from Shangdu to Jingcheng.

As he stepped out of the exit gate at Jingcheng West Station, a man wearing glasses approached him.

“Student Shawn, I've come to pick you up.”

Shawn froze.

He hadn'told anyone his train schedule. The school never mentioned arranging transportation. How did this man recognize him so quickly?

“Excuse me, do we know each other?” Shawn asked, puzzled.

The man smiled. “What? Don'remember me?

Shawn studied him. Something about his figure seemed familiar. His Mandarin had a slight southwestern accent…

“Wait… You're the guy from that night…” Shawn's eyes widened in recognition.

“That's right,” the man nodded. “My name is Kent. I work at X CC-Base.” He extended his hand formally.

Still caught off guard, Shawn hesitated before shaking it. “Uh… nice to meet you.”

Kent led him to a sleek Red Flag sedan, and they both took seats in the back.

“Is Capital University far from here?” Shawn asked after settling in.

“We're not going to the university,” Kent replied casually. “We're heading to X CC-Base first.”

Shawn stiffened.

“ X CC-Base?” He had heard of it—a restricted zone where the senior leaders and generals of the CP-Hub resided. Along with Xinhua Palace, it was one of the most heavily guarded areas in the capital.

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“Yes,” Kent confirmed, eyeing Shawn's backpack before placing it on the seat between them. “We're going to meet Elder Pingzi first. After all, he's the one who arranged all of this.”

Shawn's heart skipped a beat.

Elder Pingzi? That Elder Pingzi?

He was one of the legendary seven Pavilion Elders of the CP-Hub—an influential figure over a hundred years old.

The CP-Hub itself was the highest authority in the Eastern Government, its leadership team controlling the party, the government, and the military.

Shawn could hardly believe it. “Elder Pingzi wants to see me? He arranged all of this?”

Kent nodded. “Yes. He's already met you.”

Shawn blinked. “Wait… what?”

Kent smiled knowingly. “That old man you met the other night? That was Elder Pingzi.”

A wave of realization washed over Shawn. He was surprised. So that was him…

Kent continued, “Elder Pingzi has been around for almost thirty years, but he personally went to your county just for you.” His tone carried a hint of disapproval.

Shawn was at a loss. “He came all that way… just for me?”

Kent shot a quick glance toward the driver, then subtly signaled for Shawn to drop the subject.

“Anyway,” he said, leaning back, “it's good that nothing unexpected happened.”

Shawn wasn't sure.

He had suspected something was off for a while now, but he never imagined it would involve someone as powerful as Elder Pingzi.

The warm sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the stone path. In the quiet courtyard of X CC-Base, an old man sat beneath a pavilion, sipping tea.

Dressed in a simple white Taiji practice suit, he exuded an air of wisdom and authority—a true picture of an immortal sage.

Elder Pingzi had been waiting.

And Shawn was about to find out why.

"Elder Pingzi, Shawn has arrived," Kent announced as he stepped forward.

"Good, good. Bring those two chairs over. Let's have our conversation here," Elder Pingzi said, his tone calm yet warm. He remained seated, making no move to greet Shawn formally, but his presence carried an undeniable authority.

Kent and Shawn each grabbed a chair and settled around the tea table.

Elder Pingzi's eyes were fixed on the jade meteorite pendant resting against Shawn's chest. The pendant's octagonal shape and intricate engravings seemed to spark something in the old man's memory.

"Kent, that night, I couldn't it clearly. But take another look—does this match the mysterious pattern you and I both received?"

Shawn, dressed in a simple short-sleeved T-shirt due to the warm weather, instinctively reached for the pendant.

Kent, already prepared, pulled out a folded A4 sheet from his document bag and handed it to Elder Pingzi. The paper bore a printed symbol—a circle with an inverted ‘V' inside.

"I believe it does," Kent nodded. "This pattern is a fusion of the oldest Yin and Yang lines from the early days of Meta-I Ching. Look, I printed it for comparison."

Kent wasn'just Elder Pingzi's personal secretary—he had once been the Director of the Department of Culture and Tourism in a southern province, responsible for industrial development. But unwilling to entangle himself in the power struggles of the political system, he had resigned just before being promoted to Deputy Director. Six years ago, when Elder Pingzi's former secretary retired, Kent had been personally recommended for the role. Pragmatic and studious, with exceptional writing skills, he had earned Elder Pingzi's deep trust.

"Yes, yes... This is the same pattern I received," Elder Pings murmured, adjusting his presbyopia glasses and tracing the lines with his finger, a hint of excitement in his voice.

Shawn's eyes flicked between Elder Pingzi and Kent, his expression a mix of surprise and curiosity.

"You... you both received this pattern too?" he asked, incredulity creeping into his voice.

Elder Pingzi and Kent exchanged a meaningful glance before nodding.

"Yes. I extracted this pattern using a brain-computer interface device," Kent explained. "But ,your pendant—did you have it custom-made?"

Shawn hesitated. "No… It sandstorm-made, it's…" He trailed off, struggling to find the right words.

Elder Pingzi leaned forward slightly, his expression sharpening. "You didn't it made?"

Shawn took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. He collateral the full story behind the Zhen Palace Spirit Key just yet. First, he needed to understand the origins of their shared pattern.

"That's right, Elder Pingzi. I didn't customize this pendant." He changed the subject.," he said, redirecting the conversation. His gaze shifted to the A4 printout. "Has this pattern ever exhibited any… unusual properties?"

Elder Pingzi and Kent exchanged another glance, this time tinged with unspoken understanding.

For a brief moment, silence hung in the air. Then, Elder Pingzi finally spoke.

"At times, I get the sense that a little red horse is galloping through the pattern," he mused. "Kent, what about you?"

Kent nodded. "I printed out my version earlier this year. On the night the sky flashed with that strange vision, I saw something moving within it—a bird, maybe? No, not just any bird... a pheasant. A wild one."

He glanced at Shawn, understanding now that the young man was verifying their experiences.

As for Shawn's identity, Elder Pingzi and Kent had already done their research. They knew he didn't come from an influential background. All they could confirm was that earlier this year, he had acquired a mysterious jade meteorite pendant and had since been searching for members of the Meta Origin Society. His ultimate goal remained unclear, but one thing was certain—he had no ill intent.

Shawn's breath hitched. "Was it… January 3rd?"

Kent's eyes widened. "Yes, yes, it was that night—around nine o'clock."

Excitement flickered in Elder Pingzi's eyes. "That night, I also felt the little red horse galloping once again," he said, his voice calm yet resolute.

A slow smile spread across Shawn's face. He exhaled in relief, feeling a long-standing puzzle finally beginning to unravel.

"Finally," he murmured. "I've found you."