Chapter 316: The Millennium Stake Trilogy

This novel is translated and hosted only on BCaTranslation

After saying goodbye to Zhang Shi and leaving his house, Lin Xian and Gao Yang hurried towards the elevator. They pressed the button for the first floor, their minds buzzing with the recent revelations.

As the elevator doors closed, Gao Yang broke the silence. “So, you see, Chu An Qing’s disappearance has nothing to do with the time-space particles! There’s no connection at all! These are completely separate events. Now we can understand, Lin Xian. A few days ago, when Chu An Qing was trying to capture the time-space particles, it didn’t matter whether she touched them or not. She would have disappeared at exactly 00:42!”

Lin Xian nodded thoughtfully. “If that had happened, she would have turned into blue star dust in her dorm, scaring her roommates. In other words—”

“Chu An Qing is a Millennium Stake,” Gao Yang interjected, “and it has nothing to do with the time-space particles. No matter where she is or what she does, nothing can prevent her from turning into blue star dust and disappearing at 00:42 on her twentieth birthday, March 28, 2024. Nothing can change this predetermined fact!”

“Exactly,” Lin Xian agreed. “Zhang Shi didn’t lie. According to Chu An Qing’s situation, her reaction to touching the time-space particles was very intense. You saw it too; she just touched a time-space particle and immediately screamed, had a nosebleed, and held her head in pain, crying and shouting.”

“If Zhang Yu Qian had touched the time-space particles, with such a severe reaction, they couldn’t have missed it. From Zhang Shi’s description, their family was laughing and chatting in the car with no unusual behavior from Zhang Yu Qian. Since there was no extreme reaction, we can be sure she didn’t touch the time-space particles.”

“So, we can rule out the possibility that Zhang Yu Qian disappeared because of contact with the time-space particles. As you said, whether Zhang Yu Qian or Chu An Qing touched the time-space particles or not, it wouldn’t affect their fate of disappearing at 00:42 on their twentieth birthday.”

“That makes sense,” Gao Yang said as they walked out of the elevator and headed toward the community exit. “Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a time-space particle appearing on Earth every twenty-something years, causing such a scramble like last time.”

“Moreover, we’ve already verified that time-space particles don’t actively seek out Millennium Stakes. They ignore everyone. So why would they seek out Zhang Yu Qian?”

The elevator doors opened on the first floor.

Lin Xian and Gao Yang walked out and headed towards the community exit. This trip was really worth it. They had gathered many crucial clues, and by comparing the Chu An Qing incident with Zhang Yu Qian’s, they could derive many accurate conclusions.

Firstly, the first rule: The formation and disappearance of Millennium Stakes have nothing to do with time-space particles. These are entirely separate phenomena. Lin Xian had initially been misled by Chu An Qing’s disappearance, as everything unusual happened after she touched the time-space particles. But thanks to Zhang Yu Qian’s case and Zhang Shi’s truth-telling, Lin Xian could deduce the above absolutely accurate conclusion.

On January 21, 2000, Zhang Yu Qian disappeared into blue star dust without touching the time-space particles and without any warning signs. This is likely the correct way Millennium Stakes work—silently and stealthily, completing their task independently and locking history.

Of course, this idea of locking history is still just Lin Xian’s guess. It’s likely correct, but he still can’t understand how a disappearing Millennium Stake, a 20-year-old girl, could lock history. And what happens after history is locked? These are questions to explore later.

For now, considering the Millennium Stake, Zhang Yu Qian is a true, qualified, and timely Millennium Stake. But what about Chu An Qing? Because she accidentally touched the time-space particles, unexpected things happened. She must have awakened some memories or realized some truths and answers at that moment. She not only knew she would disappear at 00:42, but she also knew many other things, incredible things, that made her confidently write herself a note... telling herself that opening this note in the dream world 600 years later would reveal the reality of the world.

“Chu An Qing must have gained some memories after touching the time-space particles. That’s why her reaction was so intense. Although I don’t know what kind of memories she gained, it must have been caused by the time-space particles. Yellow Finch probably didn’t know that time-space particles would affect a Millennium Stake.”

As they walked past the community square, where an old lady was peeling pomegranates, they continued toward the community gate.

After hearing Lin Xian’s words, Gao Yang added, “Yellow Finch probably didn’t know that Chu An Qing gained memories after touching the time-space particles. Look, Yellow Finch was also panicked at that time. It was obviously her first time seeing a Millennium Stake interact with time-space particles.”

“I remember, Chu An Qing kept crying and asking Yellow Finch, and Yellow Finch finally asked, ‘You know everything?’ This shows that the situation was beyond Yellow Finch’s understanding! I feel like many things during the time-space particle capture plan that day were unexpected for Yellow Finch.”

Lin Xian nodded. “But one thing is certain, Yellow Finch must have known that Millennium Stakes can see time-space particles. That’s why she brought Chu An Qing on the plane but didn’t give her a specific task.”

“This further proves that on January 21, 2000, there were no time-space particles around when Zhang Yu Qian disappeared. If there were, even if others couldn’t see them, Zhang Yu Qian would have seen them. This confirms it.”

“Moreover, Yellow Finch also knew that Millennium Stakes would disappear at 00:42 on their twentieth birthday. That’s evident. She knew that no matter what, Chu An Qing would disappear at 00:42. That’s why she shouted not to save her... because she was destined to disappear.”

Suddenly, Lin Xian remembered Yellow Finch’s words. She said that if they lost this time-space particle, the future, the world, and everything would be terrible. That’s why she planned such a desperate and dangerous capture operation.

Yellow Finch might have only seen or known about time-space particles but never caught one, at least not this one. Similarly, she knew about Millennium Stakes, their ability to see time-space particles, and their fate of disappearing at 00:42 on their twentieth birthday, but she didn’t know what would happen if a Millennium Stake touched a time-space particle. This was beyond her knowledge.

“No wonder...” Gao Yang snorted. “No wonder Yellow Finch agreed so easily to let Chu An Qing catch the time-space particles. It was her original plan. She knew Chu An Qing would disappear anyway, so she didn’t care about her life, just wanted to use her to catch the time-space particles!”

“Hey, it’s hard to say.” Lin Xian patted Gao Yang’s shoulder, urging him not to dwell on past events. No one knew what Yellow Finch’s initial plan was.

Thinking positively, Yellow Finch might have brought Chu An Qing just in case. If Gao Yang had captured the time-space particles directly, Chu An Qing wouldn’t have been needed. Thinking negatively, Yellow Finch might have known Gao Yang couldn’t catch the particles, and they would become invisible, so the only way was for Chu An Qing to catch them.

“It’s all in the past, Gao Yang. Yellow Finch might have been wrong in some areas, but she did it for me. Let’s not dwell on it and look forward.”

They left the community, hailed a taxi, and headed back to their hotel to rest.

“What do you think...” Gao Yang said, sitting in the back seat of the taxi, turning to Lin Xian. “What memories did Chu An Qing awaken after touching the time-space particles? It couldn’t be Zhang Yu Qian’s memories, right?”

Lin Xian shook his head. “I’m not sure, and I can’t guess. But I think she awakened a lot of crucial memories. Zhang Yu Qian’s 20-year life was too simple and couldn’t have given Chu An Qing the confidence to write me that note.”

“But that question isn’t important. When I see the contents of the note later, I’ll understand. As Chu An Qing said... I’ll definitely understand. I believe her.”

“So, let’s not overthink and focus on summarizing our theories about the Millennium Stake.”

Lin Xian continued to piece together the information in his mind, leading to the second theory about the Millennium Stake: If the disappearance time of the Millennium Stake is fixed and unchangeable, it means the interval between the Millennium Stakes is a stable 24 years.

It didn’t open.

Reflexively, he pushed the wheel up and changed the password to 1978.

Click.

Again, it didn’t open.

“Suddenly, I remembered, Lin Xian!” Gao Yang said, mouth full of food. “If a Millennium Stake is planted every 24 years, there must have been a girl before Zhang Yu Qian! A girl who looks just like Chu An Qing.”

Click.

The password diary didn’t open.

“That’s obvious. The previous Millennium Stake should be from 1976.”

Lin Xian looked down and realized the password wheel showed 1976.

He pressed the lock.

Click.

Still didn’t open.

“Hmph, let’s see how long you can hide,” Lin Xian laughed. Only about 2000 combinations left. It couldn’t hide for long. Even if the code was 0000, it could only hide for 2000 more tries. He endured the long process of trying every combination. The last thousand or so wouldn’t be a problem.

Lin Xian continued turning the wheel, trying each password.

Click. Click. Click.

Eventually, Gao Yang finished eating and wiped his mouth. “Do you think we can find the girl who disappeared in 1976, who looks like Chu An Qing?”

“Absolutely not, don’t even think about it.”

Click. Click.

Lin Xian kept trying combinations. The numbers continued to decrease. 1961, 1960, 1959...

“1976 is too long ago. X Country didn’t have a national ID system until 1984. Though it’s inappropriate to say, back then, the only proof of existence was a crude household registration, without photos. So you definitely can’t find the 1976 Chu An Qing.”

“Besides, consider the possibility of being born abroad. This time it was a coincidence, two Millennium Stakes in the country. With so few samples, a Millennium Stake could easily be born abroad.”

Lin Xian thought of CC. She said she was born abroad, in Brooklyn, USA.

Click. Click.

He continued to turn the password wheel.

Gao Yang sighed, wiped his mouth with a napkin. “When does this Millennium Stake thing end? Even if it takes a thousand years, there has to be a start, the first post, right?”

“1976... 24 years back... 1952!”

1952? Lin Xian blinked. This was a familiar year.

Isn’t this... The year realist painter Henry Dawson painted “Sorrowful Einstein” in Brooklyn?

He looked down. The password wheels on Zhang Yu Qian’s diary showed 1952.

Lin Xian hesitated before pressing down his thumb—

Click.

A crisp sound, and the password lock, closed for 24 years...

Opened!

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation