Chapter 38: The Library

As Lin Xian stepped into the dream, a wave of intense heat enveloped him. The sudden rise in temperature made his skin tingle, and sweat began to bead on his forehead.

“It’s so hot!” Lin Xian muttered, blinking against the bright light. The loud chirping of cicadas filled the air, and the sun blazed fiercely overhead, causing the shadows at his feet to shrink away.

He squinted up at the sky. The sun dominated, too brilliant to gaze into without seeing spots. Rubbing his eyes, Lin Xian dropped his gaze. “I haven’t had a daytime dream in ages. Not used to this heat at all.”

He guessed the temperature soared above 40 degrees Celsius, a sharp contrast to the wintry chill of the real world. He hurried to the shade of a nearby tree, welcoming the slight relief from the sun.

Glancing at an electronic bulletin board, he noted the date and time: August 28, 2624, 13:33

“Only half past one. Plenty of time left,” Lin Xian thought, wiping sweat from his brow with his sleeve. He was keen to reach the library, anticipating the comfort of its air conditioning.

The normally bustling square was eerily quiet, likely due to the oppressive heat. Lin Xian walked in the shade to the bus stop and caught a bus to the library.

Despite spending 23 years visiting this dream, Lin Xian rarely frequented the library. With only three to four hours of dream time daily, he preferred engaging in more thrilling activities or tackling significant challenges rather than browsing through books.

Numerous reports, historical records, critiques, and news articles later, he found a common scapegoat: societal issues. Complaints like “A flawed education system fails to recognize true genius” and “Schools don’t teach anything useful, wasting potential talent” were rampant. Other criticisms pointed to the lack of young scientists and how academic cliques often sidelined talented scholars.

His eyes settled on one particular entry: “An Analysis and Prospects of Hibernation Technology” by Bill Michaelson

“That’s the one,” he said, noting the location: 3rd Floor, Science Literature, Section C, Shelf 67, Level 7.

He ascended to the third floor and found the book precisely where it was supposed to be.

“‘An Analysis and Prospects of Hibernation Technology,’” Lin Xian read aloud, hoping the material would be comprehensible.

The book was old yet well-preserved, indicating it was seldom read. Lin Xian settled into a seat by the window and began to read, intently focusing on retaining crucial information for Professor Xu Yun.

The text simplified complex terms and chemical processes, making them accessible. It explained that human hibernation involved reducing physiological and cellular activities to a minimum, utilizing low-temperature freezing techniques. However, the primary challenge was preventing ice crystal formation, which could destroy cell structures during freezing.

As he turned the page, Lin Xian pondered, “How can we overcome the ice crystal issue?”

He continued reading, eager to find a solution that could revolutionize hibernation technology.

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