"[Humanity must have a tomorrow, must have a future; only when we resolve all crises can ti flow and allow future generations to continue to survive.]"
"So..."
He extends his hand in a gesture of a handshake, looking at Chen Heping:
"Join us, join us in safeguarding Donghai, join us in safeguarding the future!"
...
Just as initially anticipated.
Both Li Cheng and Chen Heping joined Lin Xian’s plan.
Li Cheng soon united various villages surrounding Donghai City, relying on the shared knowledge and technology from Rhein University for farming, constructing, developing, educating, manufacturing...
The enthusiasm for rebuilding the ho surpassed the struggle for survival and gave a greater sense of accomplishnt.
Big Face Cat was also formalized into the role and beca the head of the security team at Rhein University.
Imposing, yet truly dutiful.
And most crucially, Chen Heping distanced himself from external noise, stayed focused in the university’s institute on research, day and night with Liu Feng advancing cosmic constants.
...
Days and nights alternate.
Stars revolve.
The sycamore trees in the university campus turn yellow and then green, green and then yellow.
Expansive fields outside Donghai City yield harvests one season after another.
Big Face Cat’s daughter grows up and enters elentary school; three years later, Lee Ningning enters the sa school and makes a boy cry on the first day of class.
Er Zhuzi grows increasingly thin, while San Pang grows increasingly fat.
Sister-in-law Lian cooks in the cafeteria, dumplings on Wednesdays are popular among students and teachers; Li Cheng’s wife, with exceptional managent talent, succeeds Liu Feng to beco Rhein University’s new interim president.
The spring breeze from Brooklyn ultimately doesn’t reach the West Coast, yet the horse Bruce grows increasingly strong, capable of carrying a vibrant young girl across vast rivers and mountains.
More and more miniature nuclear batteries are transported back by CC and Bruce from other places, CC’s father assus the role of village leader, leading the Chinese village to technological upheaval, becoming the largest force in Brooklyn.
The autumn breeze is refreshing, one year passes, another year begins.
Lin Xian changes several razors.
Liu Feng’s cane turns into a wheelchair.
Not only are his legs and feet not very agile, but his ears also have so hearing loss, needing loud voices beside his ear for Liu Feng to hear.
Intermittent deafness causes ninety-plus-year-old Liu Feng to beco more silent, disliking talking, and enjoying daydreaming.
Chen Heping runs over hurriedly from the laboratory, places the report sheet on the desk, and looks at Lin Xian and Liu Feng:
"I, I have a completely new understanding of the cosmic constant! We couldn’t find a path before, maybe because we had the direction wrong."
"Previously we all thought, the cosmic constant 42 was similar to the mass-energy transformation equation... It is a principle through which powerful weapons can be made."
"But isn’t there a possibility that we thought too complicated? Isn’t it possible that the cosmic constant 42 itself is a kind of weapon!"
Lin Xian squints his eyes:
"What does that an? Explain in detail."
"It’s like this."
Chen Heping pursed his lips and explained:
"We all know, there are many kinds of weapons, such as kinetic energy weapons using explosives, laser weapons using lasers, biochemical weapons using toxic gas, and climate weapons that manipulate weather."
"I take a bold guess—"
"[Cosmic constant 42 itself is a mathematical weapon!]"
...
The entire office is very quiet.
Lin Xian stands up from the chair, tilting his head:
"[Mathematical weapon]?"
Chen Heping nods:
"I can’t define what a mathematical weapon is right now, but I feel this is an entirely new direction!"
"I joined Rhein University, researching cosmic constant 42 for many years now, at first, we thought 42 was a high-dinsional concept, then thought it was a quantitative related to space-ti... But regardless of the guess, ultimately they are dead ends with no paths forward."
"Didn’t you say sothing before Lin Xian? You said sotis we don’t get the answer not because our thinking isn’t complex enough, but because it’s not simple enough!"
"So, to simplify, could it be that we took a roundabout path, and actually the number 42 itself contains power... is it a mathematical weapon more powerful than conventional weapons, lightspeed weapons, even space-ti weapons?"
Lin Xian turns his head.
Looking at the silent Liu Feng, sitting in a wheelchair, wearing a hearing aid:
"What do you think?"
"It’s a very novel direction."
Liu Feng’s voice is hoarse, with a gentle breath:
"But... still treats the symptom rather than the cause."
"Even if we hypothesize a thousand directions, it can’t hide the fact that the research on 42 has made no progress."
"As long as we can’t understand it, can’t master it... then it’s aningless."
Liu Feng’s words leave Chen Heping speechless, lowering his head.
The truth is.
For so many years, the research on cosmic constant 42 feels like hitting a ceiling, hitting humanity’s limit, unable to advance further.
Unable to understand, unable to explain, unable to delve, unable to grasp.
"Don’t give up, don’t lose heart."
Lin Xian looked at the calendar on the table, the date showed...
October 13, 2622.
He turned around and looked at the two:
"As long as ti hasn’t reached the end, we still have hope."
...
Three days later, Liu Feng fell ill.
He suddenly fainted in the laboratory.
Fortunately, a designated student was with him, and upon noticing the situation, imdiately notified the infirmary, saving him.
"It’s not a serious issue."
The school doctor flipped through the dical records, telling Lin Xian:
"It’s due to overworking the brain, accumulated labor leading to illness."
He closed the dical records.
The school doctor raised his head:
"Mr. Lin, to be honest, Principal Liu Feng, at his advanced age, is really not fit for scientific research anymore, especially this high-intensity study."
"Over these years, Principal Liu Feng’s health has deteriorated more and more, his ntal state as well... I don’t know if you’ve noticed, especially in the past two years, he’s like a tightly stretched wire, never daring to relax, always so tense."
"But in this world, how is it possible for a wire never to snap? I realized early on that Principal Liu Feng was bound to have issues with his high-pressure ntal state sooner or later."
"He’s too anxious, or perhaps... he has so knots in his heart, he’s the one who broke himself."
"I know."
Lin Xian said softly:
"How is he now? Can he be visited?"
"He’s fine now."
The doctor stood up, looking at the dark night outside the window:
"But I hope... in such situations, there won’t be a next ti."
...
Fifth floor of the hospital ward.
The curtains swayed in the night breeze, with strands of moonlight casting like slides, disappearing quickly with the curtain’s movent.
Lin Xian pushed open the ward door and walked in.
He saw Liu Feng, with little hair left, lying flat on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, while the drip from the IV stand slowly flowed into his hand.
He slightly turned his head, looking at the young man standing at the door, his old friend.
In an instant, sadness rose in his heart:
"I’m sorry..."
Lin Xian chuckled softly, walked to the bed:
"What are you talking about? What do you have to apologize to for? If anyone should apologize, it should be to you, you’re already so old, and I still let you..."
"No."
Liu Feng shook his head, interrupting Lin Xian:
"I’m not apologizing for today’s events, but for... everything, everything so far..."
"Actually, Lin Xian... this apology has been stuck in my heart for many years..."
His voice barely a whisper, choked with emotion:
"I’ve really held it in for many years, never said it, lacked the face to say it."
"Back then... you created a teor shower for Qi Qi, fulfilling her wish, and saved my life... I truly wanted to do sothing to repay you, wanted to help you calculate the cosmic constant, master the power of 42."
"But... it’s been 600 years, since you found , gave this task... it’s been 600 years, yet I... I haven’t done anything, haven’t helped you at all."
"Don’t say that."
Lin Xian sat by Liu Feng’s bed, holding his arm:
"You’ve already helped a lot, without you, I wouldn’t have co this far."
"But Lin Xian... it has no aning."
Liu Feng’s eyes brimd with tears:
"If we can’t solve the World-Ending White Light, can’t keep ti going, no matter how far we go, it’s utterly aningless."
"If... if... if on the day of the super disaster, it were Gao Wen who survived, it would’ve been better. He definitely can do it... if it were him along with Chen Heping, they’d definitely make it..."
The pain in a man’s heart is only known to the man himself.
In an instant, Liu Feng’s tear ducts broke, crystal tears slipped down the dry wrinkles.
He clenched his needle-pierced fist, looking at Lin Xian through blurred vision:
"[I’m sorry, Lin Xian.]"
Liu Feng’s voice trembled.
He closed his eyes:
"[I’m too useless...]"
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