History and Ancient Culture Research Center, 1F, World Civilization Artifacts Hall.
The spacious hall had few visitors, with the Terracotta Warriors standing silently in a corner. Their gaze seemed to transcend millennia, examining the unfamiliar surroundings.
In times of peace, each Terracotta Warrior was priceless, with their shapes and dimensions meticulously recorded and archived. These national treasures had been moved from Xi'an to Northern Ireland five years ago, a process that had cost the lives of several soldiers to protect them. Now, they were merely gathering dust in the research center’s warehouse, occasionally brought out for display.
“The tea is nice. I haven’t had black tea in ages,” Lin Siyin said softly.
Zheng Rong put down his cup and responded, “It’s from Lance. You’ve met him, that general.”
Zheng Rong rubbed his temples, organizing his thoughts about what he wanted to discuss with the female doctor today. “I’ve been comparing ancient Chinese warfare with the fighting styles of the Mayans and Phoenicians…” He glanced at the Terracotta Warriors.
“Why were ancient Chinese men, on average, taller than modern men?” Zheng Rong suddenly asked. “According to Dr. Sikamon's report, Caucasians are generally stronger than Asians. Given the nutritional scarcity during the Qin Dynasty, this seems rather illogical.”
Lin Siyin replied, “In my view, the height of the Terracotta Warriors doesn’t represent the average stature of men at that time. They were more likely created to serve as Emperor Qin’s ceremonial guard.”
Zheng Rong responded, “But you can’t deny that taller individuals did exist.”
“Of course,” Lin Siyin said. “From the Qin and Han dynasties through the Three Kingdoms period, descriptions of people often included height. Meng Tian was eight chi and seven cun tall, Xiang Yu was nine chi and seven cun, and even Zhuge Liang and Liu Biao were around nine chi. Lü Bu stood out among them.”
“A ‘seven-chi man’ wasn’t considered much. Many were called ‘great men,’ which suggests that some could reach one zhang in height.”
Zheng Rong paused, thinking of Xiang Yu.
Xiang Yu was nearly two meters tall, with a powerful physique. His muscles were filled with explosive strength, a kind that modern humans could barely achieve. Even Lance, a soldier with special forces training, wouldn’t be able to break off a cannon from a killing machine and throw it through its alloy chest armor with sheer force.
“Could an ancient Chinese man, in his thirties, without structured exercise or proper nutrition, reach the strength of a modern special forces soldier?” Zheng Rong asked.
Lin Siyin smiled, “Your question is peculiar. You said ‘an ancient Chinese man,’ not ‘ancient Chinese men.’ Are you hiding one in your home?”
Zheng Rong, embarrassed, replied, “Don’t get hung up on strange logic. Let’s discuss the theory. Joseph, what do you think?”
While Lin Siyin pondered, her husband, a Spanish historian, interrupted from behind an exhibit case. He was dancing with the mummy of Pharaoh Khufu, humming a tune as he joined their conversation.
“What’s strange about that? The ancient Greeks had similar figures,” Joseph said, spinning gracefully with the millennium-old corpse in a tango dip. “Hercules, son of Zeus and Alcmene, who rescued Prometheus…”
“Oh, come on,” Lin Siyin said with a laugh. “Dear, he’s just a mythological figure.”
Zheng Rong added, “Anything is possible. History itself is a mixture of myth, legend, and oral tradition.”
“But Chinese history is well-documented,” Lin Siyin noted.
“No, no, you have to consider The Iliad and The Odyssey…”
“No, listen to me,” Lin Siyin insisted.
“Dear, that’s why I prefer studying mysterious cultures,” Joseph said, his tone serious. “I bet Zheng Rong isn’t like you, always buried in those thick, brick-sized history books, let alone in translations.”
Zheng Rong chuckled, and Joseph tossed the mummy back into its golden sarcophagus, sitting down at the table. Lin Siyin, somewhat annoyed, asked, “So, what’s your point?”
Zheng Rong thought for a moment and then spoke earnestly, “What if ancient humans were physically stronger than modern humans?”
Joseph, surprised, replied, “Isn’t that obvious? Modern humans have been genetically altered by endless pollution, adapting to the environment, which has led to our physical decline in the radiation and industrial age.”
Zheng Rong leaned in, squinting, “That’s exactly what puzzles me.”
“Dr. Sikamon and my father studied this. I’m familiar with the conclusion, no need to repeat it,” Zheng Rong explained. “It’s undeniable that industrial development has caused human degradation, but I think they’ve overlooked something.”
Joseph and Lin Siyin remained silent, listening closely. Zheng Rong gestured as he continued, “Since the Industrial Revolution, humans have shifted toward intellectual development, gradually losing the independence that once allowed them to adapt to and dominate their environment. This shift, starting in the 18th century, marks the beginning of human decline.”
Lin Siyin nodded, “Yes, that’s true.”
Zheng Rong continued, “So, when did the glorification of individual martial heroes in Chinese history begin to fade?”
Lin Siyin thought carefully before responding, “After the Wei and Jin dynasties, it became less common. Society leaned towards valuing intellectual labor, which was likely instilled by emperors to curb rebellion…”
“Leaving that aside,” Zheng Rong interrupted, “by the time of the Qing Dynasty, we no longer see figures like those in the earlier periods, those capable of ‘moving mountains and covering the world.’”
Lin Siyin smiled, “Xiang Yu… well, he’s an exception. Many consider him to be the strongest figure in Chinese history, in terms of both martial skills and physical strength.”
“To put it simply, he was likely the strongest man ever recorded in history,” Lin Siyin concluded.
Zheng Rong asked, “Perhaps we could phrase it differently: if Xiang Yu were the greatest martial artist in 5,000 years, what kind of physical condition would be required for him to lift a bronze cauldron weighing a thousand pounds?”
“Thank you, Zheng Rong,” Lin Siyin laughed. “That was probably an exaggeration. Even Sima Qian’s accounts aren’t entirely reliable. A Dongfeng truck weighs 1.6 tons.”
Zheng Rong asked, “But what if it were true?”
Joseph added, “Based on human strength alone, it’s impossible to lift something weighing half a ton.”
Zheng Rong said nothing. He had recently tested Xiang Yu’s grip and pull strength, which measured twelve times that of an average person and four to six times that of a soldier.
“Ants can lift six times their weight. That’s not surprising,” Zheng Rong noted.
Joseph laughed, “But ants are insects. For a human to have that kind of muscle strength, their upper limbs would have to be incredibly developed…”
Zheng Rong wasn’t joking and asked, “How developed?”
Joseph replied, “First, the arms would need to be long. The muscles, acting as connective tissue, would need to be as strong as titanium alloy, and the bones…”
“The bone cross-section would need to be less than eight inches,” Lin Siyin interjected. “Each upper arm bone would act as a lever, with the shoulder serving as the fulcrum. To support 125 kilograms, the bones would need to be as dense as diamonds.”
Zheng Rong added, “If we assume the hardness of alloy is nine on the Mohs scale, then converting that density to muscle density and calculating the volume…”
Joseph laughed, “That’s impossible. Unless his arms were as thick as barrels, two meters long, with a diameter of 120 centimeters—he’d be a monster.”
Lin Siyin and Joseph laughed together, but Zheng Rong remained contemplative.
“You’ve taken quite an interest in Xiang Yu recently,” Lin Siyin remarked.
Zheng Rong, slightly surprised, asked, “Why do you say that?”
“I saw your post about him on the research center’s internal network yesterday. I was surprised at how much you know about Chinese history,” Lin Siyin said with a smile.
Zheng Rong: “…”
Joseph said, “You’ve listened to us long enough. What are your thoughts?”
Zheng Rong knew Xiang Yu had likely used his login to post something on the historians’ BBS but chose to ignore it for now. “Listen, I have a wild theory,” he said.
“All scientific breakthroughs begin with wild theories,” Joseph said nonchalantly.
“But history is different,” Lin Siyin interjected.
Zheng Rong tapped his fingers on the coffee table. “I suspect that ancient Chinese people and modern Chinese people are not the same species. Or at least, they look similar but are fundamentally different.”
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Joseph was startled, while Lin Siyin laughed as if she had heard a joke.
Zheng Rong didn’t mind and continued, “This hypothesis could be valid. Consider the combat styles and creatures in ancient Chinese legends, starting from the Yellow Emperor’s war against Chi You. These are like nothing we’ve ever seen or heard of before.”
Lin Siyin sighed, “Those could just be ancient animals that hadn’t fully evolved. Their descendants are still around today. Besides, can you really treat the Classic of Mountains and Seas as historical fact? I find it hard to believe the Yellow Emperor’s army rode into battle on pandas.”
Zheng Rong countered, “Why not? Every civilization’s origin is shrouded in chaos. Before Pangu created the heavens, the world was an egg. The Bible says that on the first day, God said, ‘Let there be light.’”
“In ancient Mayan mythology, the world began in darkness. All creatures slept in the dark,” Joseph added. “In Norse mythology, the Ginnungagap was a bottomless abyss of darkness, and when the eternal light appeared, the world began in an instant.”
Zheng Rong nodded, “Myths often mention the appearance of light at the beginning—something that defines the rules of this world. If we treat certain myths as revelations left for Earth, they share a commonality. Could it all be a coincidence?”
A spark of excitement flickered in Zheng Rong’s clear eyes, as if his mind had stumbled upon a wild yet exhilarating idea.
Lin Siyin and Joseph understood that look well. They had seen it in Zheng Feng’s eyes before—a scholar completely immersed in his own world, eagerly explaining his thought process and the thrill of venturing into uncharted intellectual territory. Zheng Rong’s expressions and mannerisms were uncannily similar to those of his late brother.
Joseph urged, “Go on, this is getting interesting.”
Zheng Rong continued, “It’s a bit of a stretch, but what if there were two kinds of humans on the ancient Eurasian continent? One represented by the Yellow Emperor, and another by the ‘barbarians’—all those who evolved from primitive humans into civilized beings.”
“So, are you a barbarian or an advanced human?” Lin Siyin asked playfully.
Zheng Rong thought for a moment and replied, “Probably a mix. In fact, these two groups must have influenced and intermingled with each other since they lived in the same region.”
Joseph said, “Bold hypothesis, but it doesn’t contradict known facts. Let’s assume it’s valid. Where did this advanced human race come from? Aliens?”
Zheng Rong replied, “Let’s set that aside for now. The advanced humans had significantly superior physical strength and intelligence compared to the ordinary humans. After the Yellow Emperor’s war, the two groups began to live together and interbreed.”
Joseph traced a circle with his finger, “Mixed lineage.”
Zheng Rong nodded, “They looked identical, so we might be their mixed descendants. As ordinary humans became more numerous, the genes of the advanced humans became recessive, and after several generations…”
Lin Siyin commented, “That’s an interesting theory. So, is Xiang Yu the only one showing traces of this ancient gene? A modern-day ‘warrior’ of the advanced race?”
Joseph added, “The first major blending must have occurred in an undocumented period of Chinese history…”
Zheng Rong corrected him, “The first blending happened during the ‘Battle of Zhuolu’ between the Yellow Emperor and Chi You.”
Joseph continued, “Second question: in any society’s history, when two distinct groups emerge—regardless of whether they’re the same species—if one group develops a sense of superiority, it inevitably leads to the domination of the other. Look at the Romans, the Mongols, or the Germanic tribes. This isn’t about societal morality; it’s the natural law of the strong dominating the weak. As humanity progressed, we’ve gradually moved away from such violent conquests and superiority complexes.”
Zheng Rong, animated, replied, “Exactly! To ensure the advancement of society, the advanced race probably established the idea of the ‘Mandate of Heaven’ for emperors—essentially, a claim to pure bloodline.”
“That’s absurd,” Lin Siyin objected.
“You don’t think it’s possible?” Zheng Rong asked.
Joseph remained silent before finally asking, “What led to the current state of humanity, then?”
Zheng Rong explained, “History is full of coincidences. Countless accidents piled up to form the broader direction of development. At some point, ordinary humans gained the upper hand in the power struggle. This temporary victory pushed the two groups to further blend…”
“And here’s the key point,” Zheng Rong said seriously. “The second major interbreeding erased the possibility of any ‘superhuman’ figures from emerging. It happened during the period of the Five Barbarians’ invasion of China. That’s why we no longer see individuals like Xiang Yu recorded in history afterward.”
Lin Siyin said nothing, understanding that Zheng Rong’s repeated mention of inconsistencies in human physical evolution was difficult to refute, even for her.
Zheng Rong continued, “The second blending occurred during the Industrial Revolution, a period of relative decline in physical strength. That explains why China, which didn’t experience significant technological advancements, saw a gradual weakening of human physique.”
“Then came the third and fourth blends. Each time, the genes of the Yellow Emperor’s line went into deeper dormancy within the human body…”
Lin Siyin commented, “That’s impossible to verify. It involves knowledge of genetics, anthropology, and biological history—too much to prove.”
Joseph added, “If the ‘dormant gene’ theory holds, there’s another flaw: if advanced humans had such superior abilities, wouldn’t they have passed down records or knowledge to maintain their dominance?”
Zheng Rong replied, “Didn’t Emperor Qin burn all the books?”
Lin Siyin asked, “How do you explain the fact that no major uprising or reversal occurred among these extraordinary individuals between the pre-Qin and Han dynasties?”
Zheng Rong countered, “Who says there wasn’t? Wasn’t Xiang Yu one of them?”
Lin Siyin retorted, “Xiang Yu’s downfall was entirely his own doing. When he rebelled, he wasn’t shouting about reclaiming the dominance of an advanced human race…”
Zheng Rong interrupted, “You’re forgetting the question of alliances. Xiang Yu wasn’t the only strong figure at the time. Han Xin and Xiao He might have been awakened individuals as well.”
Joseph asked, “So, has humanity ever realized that there are dormant genes within them?”
“Yes,” Zheng Rong replied without hesitation. “That’s why they developed techniques to awaken these potentials. For example, the ‘qigong’ you Westerners find so mysterious.”
Joseph burst into laughter, “If you could go back in time and bring some ancient people here for experiments, maybe you could prove this theory.”
“My brother planned to do just that,” Zheng Rong said. “It was my father’s idea. I refined it, and my brother was supposed to put it into practice.”
Joseph and Lin Siyin were dumbfounded.
“Unfortunately, it failed in the end,” Zheng Rong said calmly. “The lab exploded, and everything was lost.”
He adjusted his coat, donned his hat, and bowed as he said goodbye to Joseph and Lin Siyin.
“I’m sorry, Zheng Rong,” Lin Siyin said as she stood up.
Zheng Rong nodded, saying nothing more as he left the museum.
“Hey, listen, Zheng Rong,” Joseph called after him, catching up outside the museum. He placed a hand on Zheng Rong’s shoulder and whispered, “I think your idea… as crazy as it sounds, it makes some sense.”
Zheng Rong sighed, and Joseph continued, “You need help. You can’t do this alone if you want to prove it.”
Zheng Rong replied, “What can I do? Even if I had an ancient person, all I could do is confirm the theory.”
Joseph said, “This theory has profound implications. You can’t think of it purely as a scientific hypothesis.”
“Think about it,” Joseph’s eyes gleamed with an indescribable fervor. “Why have we been driven into hiding by the Maya aliens? Why are we so afraid of them?”
“The Maya aliens maintain an aura of mystery. Their technology makes it painfully clear that the gap between humans and extraterrestrials is vast. We’re not even on the same level.”
Joseph’s tone grew manic, “We’re ants! The Maya are gods! Do you understand? If your theory can be proven, it would be the greatest boost to humanity’s spirit. Even if it’s never applied in technology, just the idea alone…”
Zheng Rong listened quietly. Joseph suddenly deflated, sighing, “The real challenge is how to prove your hypothesis.”
Zheng Rong said, “What if I forge a research report in my brother’s name and submit it to the Human Civilization Preservation Association?”
Joseph shook his head.
Zheng Rong asked, “Once it’s proven, what then?”
Joseph rubbed his fingers together, saying, “Awakening.”
Zheng Rong nodded, his thoughts aligning with Joseph’s.
“Awaken the blood of our ancestors. Awaken the fighting spirit within our genes,” Zheng Rong whispered. “Awaken the will to resist alien invaders.”
Joseph echoed, “Yes. Whether it changes humanity or not doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is making them believe…”
Joseph glanced at a distant park, where a mother sat on a bench, cradling her baby, her expression blank, filled with despair and helplessness.
“Make them believe that every Earthling is a warrior,” Zheng Rong said.
Joseph patted Zheng Rong on the shoulder, “I’ll think of something. Don’t give up. For your brother, for your father, keep this plan going.”