“Dr. Zheng Rong, you’re just in time. The military was planning to talk with you—it's been scheduled for the next few days.”
Zheng Rong was led into a quiet room, where only Lance and an older commander were present. Lance introduced them: “This is General Peck’s comrade, from the Allied Operations Command, the American General Westcoss.”
Westcoss said, “Go ahead, as you Chinese say, let’s cut to the chase…”
Zheng Rong, displeased, replied, “Could you not share part of the contents of the writings on the tablet with me?”
Westcoss shook his head. “I’m sorry, but we haven’t found any usable information yet. The professor suspects that it’s not a language at all, but merely a set of symbolic figures.”
Zheng Rong frowned and after a moment of contemplation said, “I request that the military support me in completing my investigation plan. Perhaps I can acquire more tablets for comparison.” Without waiting for Westcoss’s response, Zheng Rong rose, hands in his coat pockets. “You’ve already read the files, but they’re just a record of our exploration process. The real theories and conjectures are here.” He pointed to his head. “Would you like to hear them?”
“Go ahead,” Westcoss said, pulling out a cigarette, and Lance lit his lighter. Zheng Rong took one too.
“Where to start…” Zheng Rong murmured. “This is a complex and expansive theory, one that overthrows...”
“Start with the five places you’ve mentioned before,” Westcoss interrupted. “Xi’an, Egypt, ancient Babylon, the Indus Valley, and the Mayan temples.”
Zheng Rong nodded. “Alright, except for the Indus Valley, which contradicts my earlier assumptions.”
“Why exclude the Indus Valley?” Lance asked.
“After the first encounter with ‘It,’ I understood a bit of its thought process,” Zheng Rong explained. “I’ll elaborate on that later. The remaining ancient sites, in my theory, are all places where ‘It’ once visited.”
Outside the small room, several high-ranking military officers watched Zheng Rong through the observation wall.
“What do you think?” one asked.
Anthony replied, “He seems like a madman—an obsessive yet rational one.”
Zheng Rong continued, “Let’s play a role-playing game. Let’s say you arrive in a completely unfamiliar world, and your power far surpasses that of the local species. You can easily control their lives and deaths. What would you do? Start slaughtering them indiscriminately?”
Westcoss pondered this for a moment and shook his head. “No, there would be no motivation for that. I would observe them for a while first.”
Zheng Rong nodded. “Exactly, you would first observe their life forms before making any decisions. Thus, we have the footprints of the gods. Wherever ‘It’ went, legends of the wheel of fate and divine descent spread among humans. Out of curiosity, ‘It’ tried to communicate with us, these insignificant creatures, telling our ancestors certain things. It took some humans as research subjects, gave them little gifts, and watched how they used them.”
“But if it were me,” Westcoss interjected, “I wouldn’t use a lower species as test subjects. Out of humanitarian principles…”
Zheng Rong coldly retorted, “It’s not human. Its civilization differs from humanity’s, so why would it hold humanitarian principles? Besides, remember the first group of settlers on the American continent two hundred years ago…”
Westcoss’s face immediately darkened, and he coughed. “Please don’t equate the two.”
“Stay on topic,” Lance said.
Zheng Rong, not holding back, sneered, “You Germans aren’t any better.”
Unfazed, Lance responded flatly, “Humanity is one collective whole.”
Zheng Rong asked, “So, have you figured out the effects of Moses’ staff and the First Emperor’s golden helmet?”
“No,” Westcoss replied. “We’ve tried several types of radiation detection...”
“To tell you the truth,” Zheng Rong placed his hand on the table and faced General Westcoss, “I don’t even need to look at that helmet to know what it is.”
Westcoss frowned. “What is it?”
“It’s a brainwave transmitter!” Zheng Rong said definitively. “It amplifies a person’s brainwaves and sends them out. Combine this with what Xiang Yu mentioned in the tomb—a medicine that removes fear of death and sacrifice. Doesn’t it all make sense?”
“The emperor wore it on his head, and the brainwaves were instantly amplified a trillionfold to hypnotize his soldiers, turning them into fearless killing machines.”
Anthony chuckled. “Impressive. He’s getting closer to the truth through deduction, and have you noticed? He’s gradually gaining the upper hand in this negotiation.”
Zheng Rong said calmly, “You already knew this.”
Westcoss looked into Zheng Rong’s eyes and nodded after a moment. “Indeed, some physicists have reached similar conclusions. There’s a wave amplifier hidden within the helmet, but it’s lost its energy and can no longer operate.”
“So, long ago, ‘It’ began researching the connection between thoughts, consciousness, and physical bodies,” Zheng Rong said. “Why? It’s likely that when ‘It’ first arrived on Earth, ‘It’ was already alone.”
“Loneliness—eternal loneliness,” Zheng Rong murmured.
“Let’s continue our role-playing game. If I were ‘It,’ and Earth was being destroyed, and I piloted a spaceship to escape with the corpses of my dead companions, what would I do first?”
“Of course, I’d venture into the vast universe, trying to find life forms similar to myself on other star systems. Or, rather, a life vessel. ‘It’ wanted to resurrect ‘Its’ companions—those lifeless bodies that barely survived in cultivation chambers.”
“So, it becomes understandable—‘It’ sought new soul vessels and perpetuated this idea through ‘Its’ actions. Humans imitated ‘Its’ thought process and inherited this point. Hence, the underground palace of the First Emperor and the kingdom of tombs in ancient Egypt.”
“All this stems from the god’s belief that life can be resurrected, and death is only temporary. Another world is an eternal realm. This eternal realm after death has been mythologized by humanity as the underworld, the road of the dead, or even the heavenly realm.”
“But they are none of those! In reality, it’s where ‘It’ came from! It’s a place far beyond billions of light years, crossing through countless dark matter and hyperspace tunnels, the home of the Mayan beings! A galaxy we don’t even know, perhaps not even in our universe, a place beyond human comprehension and knowledge.”
Lance’s deep voice asked, “Then why did ‘It’ leave Earth again?”
“Humans on Earth didn’t meet ‘Its’ requirements,” Zheng Rong replied. “‘It’ is searching for a more eternal body—biological entities that live for thousands of years without dying or being extinguished for tens of thousands of years.”
Westcoss said, “That’s unrealistic. What life form could be immortal? Even ‘It’ itself...”
Zheng Rong said softly, “No, why not think in another direction? What if they are truly immortal?”
“Your assumption contradicts the laws of the universe,” Westcoss argued. “All things evolve and perish…”
“Energy is neither created nor destroyed; matter is conserved, and only entropy increases infinitely,” Zheng Rong said. “The existence and evolution of all things is an endless cycle. Life and death are a circle. All consciousness exists as particle waves. They are energy, and they move within this circle, slowly revolving along their trajectories.”
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
“According to the professor’s model,” Zheng Rong continued, “from the moment of the Big Bang, the universe has been expanding. Space and time stretch with the expansion until a critical point is reached, and then it collapses and contracts.”
“The entire universe is like a heart, pulsing in a cycle. Based on reversed imaginary time and space, the professor calculated each heartbeat of the universe to be a period of 47.6 billion years.”
“Until everything falls silent, and the starry sky, with all its stars, planets, and particles, collapses into a singularity, starting the next expansion.”
“We are but a few thousand years in one of countless cycles, a fleeting instant in the heartbeat of the universe,” Zheng Rong said. “If ‘They’ are not originally from our spatial dimension, not within the cycle of our universe, then they are tourists who entered our world through a point in the multiverse’s continuum to search for another form of life. Is that so hard to understand?”
“Alright,” Westcoss conceded. “What do you think, Lance?”
Lance looked perplexed. Zheng Rong, impatient, said, “Don’t ask him. I need to conduct investigations to prove my hypothesis.”
“When the Mayan beings first arrived on Earth, what exactly happened?” Zheng Rong said bluntly. “‘It’ must have, under the guise of a god, performed some form of genetic modification on humans, attempting to guide the evolution of creatures on Earth toward ‘Its’ desired standards.”
“While waiting, ‘It’ left Earth to seek other possibilities.”
“Before returning, ‘It’ encountered an unexpected incident, becoming parasitized and controlled on another planet. So, after receiving a series of messages, our ultimate goal is the Mayan prophecy from 3,000 years ago—to find the parasite’s weakness and understand the connection between these ‘wave beings’ and the main body.”
“Why choose the Mesopotamian plain? Do you know?” Zheng Rong asked. “Because in ancient language, ‘Babylon’ means ‘The Gate of the Gods.’”
“There are a few possibilities for the Gate of the Gods. First, it could be the gate to the home of the gods. Perhaps we’ll find another rusty particle generator that can open the path to the Mayan beings’ homeland.”
“Or it could be that the Mayan beings piloted their spaceship to Earth and opened the first transport point from their ship to the surface. When the god emerged from Babylon, there must have been records of ‘It’ in the area.”
Westcoss said, “Our forces are extremely weak now. The fall of Northern Ireland prevents us from organizing any effective resistance.”
“We don’t need that,” Zheng Rong said. “I’ll pick the team members myself. As I said, I only need one military helicopter and a small team. I’ll bring back useful materials.”
After saying this, Zheng Rong left Westcoss to his thoughts, pushed open the door, and exited. Xiang Yu was waiting in the corridor. Without speaking, they walked downstairs together, only to be followed a moment later by someone.
“Hello, Dr. Zheng Rong.” The man extended his hand, but Zheng Rong did not shake it. He looked into the man’s eyes, instantly guessing something.
“Mr. Anthony, you monitored my conversation with the military?”
Anthony nodded. “Dr. Zheng Rong is a wise man. I’m glad you remember my name.”
Zheng Rong coldly looked at him.
Xiang Yu watched for a while as Anthony’s hand remained extended, unwavering. Finally, Xiang Yu chuckled and shook his hand.
Anthony gratefully introduced himself. “Anthony Jean. A specialist in psychology and medicine. Shall we talk while we walk?”
Anthony reached out to pat Zheng Rong’s shoulder, but Zheng Rong deftly avoided it.
Seeing Zheng Rong’s hostility, Xiang Yu automatically moved to stand between them. Anthony smiled and said, “You withheld something from the military, didn’t you? About the metal cocoon and the host—you have another theory?”
Anthony was a true psychologist. Knowing that trying to warm up to someone like Zheng Rong would backfire, he cut straight to the point.
Under Anthony’s scrutiny, Zheng Rong calmly replied, “Yes, but it’s uncertain. This theory stems from something Lainey said in the First Emperor’s tomb.”
Zheng Rong originally intended to tell Anthony and then dismiss him. However, Anthony quickly waved his hand and said, “No, no, I believe you completely. But the military required me to listen in—you understand.”
Zheng Rong was slightly surprised, and Anthony switched to Chinese, smiling. “You don’t have to explain your unverified theories to me. And you’re not obligated to. May I have the honor of treating you two to lunch? Speaking of Lainey, we used to be in the same research program under a professor. I know her quite well.”
Zheng Rong paused in thought and glanced at Xiang Yu for confirmation. Xiang Yu said, “Sure, but we need to buy a few things first.”
Zheng Rong had nearly run out of money; his research funds were tied up in gold and other hard currencies in Northern Ireland. Now, he was penniless.
Xiang Yu, who had received a generous military allowance, took Zheng Rong shopping.
The First Day of the New Year.
“Happy New Year!” A scholar exiting the inner residential zone tipped their hat to Zheng Rong in greeting.
Zheng Rong recognized the elderly woman. She was a scholar of religion and philosophy. He politely responded, “Happy New Year. How is the professor’s health?”
“Oh, not great,” she replied. “But last night he stayed to the end, though we didn’t reach any useful conclusions.”
Zheng Rong nodded understandingly. “Scientific research is a process of twists and turns.”
The elderly woman smiled kindly. “As Marx said, the laws of development for all things are such. We will prevail, my child.”
The situation had worsened compared to a few months ago. Most supermarkets were closed, having gone bankrupt. The military had implemented material rationing—prioritizing scholars and soldiers.
The only place where supplies circulated was a black market hidden in a secluded corner of the inner zone. It operated with military consent, using bartering to restore a primitive form of goods exchange.
Xiang Yu pulled out a few items from his pocket to assess their value at the market entrance. A few small boxes of anti-frostbite ointment, a small box of bullets, and a solar-powered universal energy storage board that could connect to various household appliances for energy transfer.
Anthony said with a smile, “Mr. Rain, I have some chips left. I could support you…”
Xiang Yu shook his head. “No need. I can take care of him.”
The three of them moved through the noisy black market, where merchants and customers argued loudly. Xiang Yu went to buy coffee.
“About Lainey,” Anthony said. “We used to be in the same class. About Li Ying, all I can say is... it’s a pity.”
“It’s okay,” Zheng Rong replied. “I’m just puzzled as to why she killed herself. I couldn’t see that her love was that deep.”
Anthony gestured. “You know, in psychology, there’s a condition called...”
“Hysteria,” Zheng Rong cut him off. “But she didn’t exhibit any hysterical symptoms. She wasn’t easily influenced or agitated.”
Anthony replied earnestly, “She did have mild hysteria. She often told us things she imagined as if they were real. I remember it well. One day, when Li Ying’s combat match caused a stir at the Indian Ocean military base, she came back extremely excited and told us Li Ying had accepted her confession.”
Zheng Rong said helplessly, “They’re both dead now.”
“True enough,” Anthony said, “but she couldn’t distinguish fantasy from reality.”
Zheng Rong understood. Quietly, he looked to a corner of the market and greeted, “Hey!”
Joseph was holding Lin Siyen’s hand while shopping. Lin Siyen’s belly was heavily pregnant; the due date seemed near.
Joseph whistled and called out from afar, “Ohoho!”
Zheng Rong gestured for him not to come over, choosing to stand where he was to avoid the crowd pushing around Lin Siyen.
Anthony reached out, finally succeeding in patting Zheng Rong’s shoulder. Zheng Rong became slightly less resistant to him.
Psychologists are always clever—they know when to speak and when to let the other person think. Their body language always has a purpose. After two consecutive attempts, when Anthony’s hand touched Zheng Rong’s shoulder, Zheng Rong’s hostility had already dissipated.
Waiting for Xiang Yu, Zheng Rong spoke after a long silence. “So, you mean to say she lived in her own world, and in her mind, there was another Li Ying. She lived for this person in her mind. No wonder—I never understood where she got the courage to keep going, especially since Li Ying never responded to her advances.”
“It’s unfortunate, but it seems that’s the case,” Anthony said. “It’s a manifestation of self-isolation in one’s personality.”
“But then how do you explain her sacrifice?” Zheng Rong asked. “If Li Ying was still alive in her mind, she didn’t need to die.”
“That’s precisely the detail I wanted to ask you about,” Anthony murmured. “I suspect that at some point during your expedition, when Li Ying reappeared, the mental image of him in Lainey’s mind overlapped to some extent with the real one.”
Zheng Rong immediately recalled that night when he entered Lainey’s room and saw Xiang Yu and Jin Piai.
Lainey must have spoken to Li Ying then, Zheng Rong thought.
Anthony added, “This is just one possibility. I suspect she might have learned something you didn’t know—like the bomb planted in Li Ying’s body. Given her inability to distinguish fantasy from reality, the shock must have been overwhelming. It could have driven her to act out of guilt when he died...”
“That’s enough,” Zheng Rong said.
Anthony nodded and added, “I know this discussion doesn’t mean much, but since you’re that hero’s only living relative, I thought it necessary to analyze it carefully for you.”
Zheng Rong smiled. “Thank you. Your mind is very clear.”
Anthony replied at the perfect moment, “Please let me join your next investigation. I know medical techniques, and I’d like to help.”
“You should come up with a better reason,” Zheng Rong said.
Xiang Yu returned with coffee, cigarettes, chocolates, several bottles of alcohol, a large piece of frozen tender beef, and even, surprisingly, a box of baby formula.
“I really love you,” Zheng Rong said happily.
Xiang Yu laughed heartily and handed over the baby formula.
“Siyen!” Zheng Rong walked over to Joseph and his wife, handing the baby formula to them.
Joseph declined. “Oh no, this is very expensive…”
Lin Siyen smiled gently. “You’re very thoughtful.”
“My brother bought it for you,” Zheng Rong said with a smile. “Please accept it.”
“I just came from the outer ring,” Joseph said. “I heard news—the expedition team is setting off again? I’m ready.”
Lin Siyen looked worried. Zheng Rong said, “No, you’re not going. You need to stay in Alaska and help the professor with his research on the tablets.”
“No, no,” Joseph insisted.
“You must stay,” Zheng Rong said firmly.
Joseph tried to explain, “Listen to me—”
“No, you listen to me,” Zheng Rong interrupted.
“Warriors fall, children are born,” Zheng Rong said. “That’s what gives us hope. There’s no room for debate, Joseph. Please stay and take care of Siyen and your child.”
“Let’s go eat lunch,” Zheng Rong said, taking Xiang Yu away with him. Anthony continued to follow behind them. “I’m fascinated by your imaginative ideas,” he said to Zheng Rong.
“Try another one,” Zheng Rong replied coldly.
With resignation, Anthony said, “Alright, I want to go on an archaeological expedition with you. I chose the wrong major. Actually, I’m quite interested in Babylonian history.”
Xiang Yu burst out laughing, and Zheng Rong said, “It could be dangerous.”
“I’m not afraid,” Anthony said.
Zheng Rong turned, extended his hand to Anthony, and said, “Welcome aboard. We’ll be counting on you in the future.”