This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Lin Xian stepped forward and embraced Zhao Ying Jun.
“Actually...” he said softly, “I’ve hesitated too.”
“When I first learned about all this, my mind kept coming back to you and Yu Xi. I even thought about staying here, risking the virus, and trying my best to save the world right here, in this time.”
Zhao Ying Jun shook her head. “If you hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have blamed you,” she said. “But... if you had stayed, then Yellow Finch would have died for nothing. And Chu An Qing’s leap from that plane at twenty thousand meters, catching that spacetime particle for you, would have been pointless.”
Her eyes shimmered with emotion as she paused. “If we were going to give up on saving the future, ignoring the World-Ending White Light... then why did we hold on for so long just to quit now?”
“Giving up is easy. You just convince yourself it’s the right choice. But holding on, pushing through danger and sacrifice—that’s the hard part.”
She hugged him tighter, resting her head against his chest. “I don’t want to lose you, Lin Xian. But there are things in this world only you can do—things only you can finish. No one else can replace you.”
“If Yu Xi grows up without you, I’ll make up for it. I’ll make sure she never feels like she’s lacking love, not compared to any other child. And even without you here, I’ll still do my best to manage MX Company, Rhine Company, and the Shan He Group—with Brother Wang’s help, of course.”
She looked up at him, her voice trembling but firm. “But saving humanity’s future, stopping that white light... no one else can do that but you. I don’t want to lose you, but I can’t let the world’s only hope end here, with me.”
Lin Xian could feel the warmth of her embrace through her thin pajamas, and he knew baby Yu Xi had calmed down, probably falling back asleep.
“I just hope... Yu Xi won’t hate me for this,” he said hoarsely. “We’re making this decision as adults, but she might not understand or accept it.”
“Don’t worry, Lin Xian,” Zhao Ying Jun whispered. “I’ll raise her well. Parents are the best teachers, and the best way to teach is by example. Our Yu Xi will grow up brave, strong, and full of responsibility—just like you.”
“She’ll make us proud, just like you do. You’ll always be our pride.”
Lin Xian released her and looked into her slightly teary but determined eyes. “I’ll head back to Hang City in a few days and talk to my parents about all this. I know them—they might resist at first, but they’ll understand eventually, especially my father. Once he knows why I’m doing this, he’ll support me. That’s the kind of man he is. He raised me to be this way.”
“And your parents...”
Zhao Ying Jun smiled and wiped her eyes. “Don’t worry about them. They might resist, but I’m not a child anymore. This is our decision—yours and mine.”
She looked into his eyes, her smile small but resolute. “My man, my choice.”
...
Donghai University, Rhine Joint Laboratory
“Is that so?” Liu Feng rubbed his nose after listening to Lin Xian’s explanation. “I always knew she’d say something like Yellow Finch, make that kind of choice. But hearing you tell me... I can’t help but admire it.”
“You two have given up so much for the world, for the future of humanity.”
“Don’t say that,” Lin Xian replied. “A lot of people have worked for the future. If we’re talking about sacrifices, Yellow Finch, Chu Shan He, Chu An Qing—they’ve sacrificed far more than Ying Jun and I.”
“This road may be difficult and heartbreaking, but we have to keep walking it. Otherwise, like Zhao Ying Jun said, if we give up now, all their sacrifices—Yellow Finch, Chu An Qing, and so many others—would be in vain.” �
Liu Feng looked at Lin Xian for a moment before lowering his head. “Honestly, I feel guilty. I’ve spent so much time on the secret of the Universal Constant, but I still haven’t figured it out. Even though we know the answer is forty-two, just knowing the answer isn’t enough—we still don’t know how to use it.”
“If I’d cracked the Universal Constant 42 earlier, maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
Lin Xian shook his head. “It’s not your fault, Liu Feng. You’ve already done so much for me. Without you, I wouldn’t even know about spacetime particles, let alone catch one or join the Genius Club through the Spacetime Clock.”
“You’ve helped me more than anyone else in this world, and I’m grateful for that. I’m glad you’re willing to hibernate with me and face the future together.”
Liu Feng laughed softly, giving Lin Xian a gentle push. “There’s no need to be so formal. You saved my life, and the last card Qi Qi left me said... to follow you. She called you my meteor, meant just for me, here to lead me to a brighter sky.”
“No matter what time we wake up in, I’ll do my best to help you figure out the Universal Constant 42.”
“Together, we’ll solve all the mysteries and bring Chu An Qing back. And maybe we’ll save humanity’s future—let them see a new dawn.”
He paused, glancing at the blackboard labeled “Arithmetic Sequence.” Written on it were the names of the girls who had been in the lab, arranged by their age differences—
Yan Qiao Qiao, (empty), Chu An Qing, Su Su, Zhao Ying Jun, Yellow Finch.
“The sequence is still incomplete,” Liu Feng said with a sigh. “There should have been another girl, seventeen years old, between Yan Qiao Qiao and Chu An Qing. But no girl of that age ever entered this lab. Looks like... this arithmetic sequence will remain incomplete.”
Lin Xian couldn’t help but chuckle. “You still care about that arithmetic sequence? I didn’t think this would be what you regret.”
Liu Feng walked to the blackboard, pointing at the empty space between Yan Qiao Qiao and Chu An Qing. “That spot should have been filled, but it never was. I guess... this will remain an unsolved regret.”
He closed his eyes, his fingers pressing against the blackboard. “Do you think the sequence could be completed in the future?”
“Erase it,” Lin Xian suggested. “It seems unlikely now.”
“Start sorting out the documents here in the next few days—we’ll head to Capital City soon. I’ve arranged for the Research Institute to provide us with the latest hibernation chambers. Ying Jun will be overseeing production there too, so we’ll have a little more time together... until the early morning of April 17th.”
“What?!” Gao Yang shouted, eyes wide. “Bro, are you serious? What are you two thinking?!”
Gao Yang jumped up, pacing next to Lin Xian. “Look, maybe I’m short-sighted, but how does the world ending in a few centuries matter to us? We’re not gonna live that long!”
“We sat by the river eating barbecue, and you said you’d never use a hibernation pod! That the virus didn’t bother you because it didn’t hurt your health—weren’t you okay with just living for seventy or eighty years?”
“You have a family, Lin Xian. Your daughter is about to be born. Why put yourself through this?! Why do it at all? You think you’re the only one who can save everyone? You think there won’t be someone better in the future?”
“Bro, just trust in the next generations! You really think you’re the last hope? There are geniuses to come—someone stronger, someone better—the future belongs to them. No one’s gonna know who you are in two hundred years...”
Lin Xian smiled calmly. “What would you do, if you were me?”
“With this much money?! I’d live life to the fullest!” Gao Yang said, pounding his chest. “Like those online stories—I’d bet on the World Cup, then the Euros—I’d make myself the richest man on Earth.”
“And then?” Lin Xian asked.
“I’d buy yachts, private islands—throw parties with Victoria’s Secret models! Once I’d had my fill of that, I’d move into the entertainment industry. I’d be the biggest star! That’s how you’d do it.”
“You’d also make connections with the government, earn the title of national hero, and enjoy every luxury the world has to offer! Even in death, you’d be remembered. And you—look at you now. Always running, hiding. It’s pathetic.”
“You know what ‘out of sight, out of mind’ means, right? In 2025, you’re a big shot. But if you hibernate and wake up in two centuries, you’ll be nobody. You’ll be outdated. You might even have to work on a street corner making kebabs.”
Lin Xian chuckled. He had heard similar rants in those novels about tech moguls.
“Alright,” he said, waving Gao Yang off. “I’m here to say goodbye. We’ve known each other for more than twenty years—you’re the person I’ve known the longest in this world. After this... who knows if we’ll see each other again?”
“Hey!” Gao Yang yelped. “Why are you like this?! You got something against money? If you do, let me spend it for you!”
Lin Xian laughed. “Alright, since I’ll be in hibernation, I guess you can run Rhine Company for me—do what you want.”
“Come on... are you serious?!” Gao Yang looked worried. “What’s going on in your head?! Don’t do this!”
“I’ve made my choice—Ying Jun and I are committed to this path,” Lin Xian said firmly. “It’s not just about saving the world or humanity—it’s about Chu An Qing too. She jumped from 20,000 meters for me. She risked everything for me. How could I just let her go?”
Gao Yang was stunned. “It’s about Chu An Qing? Do you think you can save her?”
Lin Xian shook his head. “Not yet. But if I hibernate, I might learn the truth about the Millennial Stake—and find a way to bring her back. I promised I’d save her, and I will. I think... all of this—Chu An Qing, the Millennial Stake, the World-Ending White Light—it’s all connected.”
“So saving her means saving the world—and saving the world means saving her.”
He turned and walked towards the door. “Take care, Gao Yang.”
Suddenly—
Thud.
Gao Yang’s large hand grabbed Lin Xian’s arm, stopping him.
“Huh?” Lin Xian turned back.
Gao Yang’s face was full of conflict, his expression serious and pained.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Xian asked.
Gao Yang’s face turned red as he struggled to speak.
Finally, he clenched his teeth. “You... You should’ve said it was about Chu An Qing.”
His voice was low.
He remembered their time together at the astronaut training center—
He remembered that brave girl, covered in blood, stepping out of the spacecraft—
He remembered her helpless glance from the wing of the plane—
He remembered her fearless jump into the unknown...
“Damn it,” Gao Yang muttered. “Chu An Qing jumped from that plane right in front of me. She was my mission partner—I even dug up her grave with you...”
“Saving the world is one thing, but if you’re doing it for Chu An Qing...”
He swallowed hard, lifting his head, his eyes narrowed.
“I’ll... think about it.”