Chapter 100 Chapter 100 End

It took two months for me to overcome the rejection reaction and regain consciousness.

Tao Ning opened his eyes and saw a face with pale and plain features - this face had appeared in his dream before, the "person" who had looked at him through the blue glass and later looked at the earth while he was holding the baby.

...Is he dreaming again?

"No." The man laughed, his voice like a faint breeze, leaving no trace as soon as it passed. Like his otherwise unremarkable features, yet perfectly formed together, coupled with his perfectly proportioned height.

It's precisely because this person's appearance is so perfectly balanced that they seem unusual, making people feel psychologically uncomfortable. If I had to describe it, it's like they were copied and pasted, devoid of any of the characteristics of a single person.

He smiled lightly and approached Tao Ning with brisk steps. "You're not dreaming, 510... Are you resisting me? Are you not welcoming me?"

Everything around was unusually quiet. Tao Ning suddenly realized that the sounds of the medical staff walking and talking outside had all disappeared. The world was so quiet that it was almost dead. Only the medical equipment was still running, and the glucose water in the infusion bag was slowly falling.

"...Who are you? You've been pretending to be Song Heng?" Tao Ning's voice was hoarse from not speaking for dozens of days. "...510, who is it again?"

"So many questions, just woke up?" As if oblivious to Tao Ning's vigilance, the man sat on the edge of the bed, legs crossed, chin propped up with a faint smile. Though the question was rhetorical, there was a hint of helplessness in his tone. "Looking back, your initial personality was more lovable."

"......" Tao Ning's face turned slightly cold.

"Okay, I'll answer these three questions. First, the human named Song Heng that I'm pretending to be." The man's fingertips tapped lightly on the edge of the bed, and his words were still as soft as a breeze, without much ups and downs. "Second, the number 510 is your name, and finally—"

He raised his eyes and met Tao Ning's gaze. "My name is Alpha. I'm the one who created you. If we use common human terms, I should be your father."

Alpha had expected to see Tao Ning's expression of disbelief, but for a long moment, there was only a long silence in the ward. Tao Ning didn't yell, "You're talking nonsense," nor did he show the fear of knowing such an incredible thing. He was as calm as if he were answering a question about whether he wanted to eat or not.

This actually made Alpha a little interested, "Aren't you afraid?"

"Is fear of any use?"

Completely unexpected for this answer, Alpha's expressionless face was obviously stunned for a moment, and then the room erupted in laughter. After a moment, Alpha stopped laughing: "510, you are so funny. I take back what I said before. Your personality now is also very likable."

Tao Ning said, "Can you please stop calling me 510? I really don't like it because I have a name, Tao Ning, which means Tao for clay and Ning for lemon."

"Are you angry?"

Tao Ning had no expression on her face.

Alpha smiled and said, "Tao Ning, on this earth, and even in the entire universe, I understand you best... well, let's just call you a human being."

The smile faded, and Alpha stood up, slowly walking to the window. It was late at night, the streets deserted, and only the hospital, a place of birth, old age, sickness, and death, was brightly lit. Alpha could hear the cries of babies and the sighs of the dying.

"You're into math, Tao Ning, right?" Alpha said. "Then I wonder if you've been following news about paleontology. It's generally accepted that the first dinosaur fossils were discovered in the 19th century. That was your first glimpse of traces from hundreds of millions of years ago. Since then, various theories of evolution have emerged. As far as I know, the most famous one was proposed by a man named Darwin. He believed that humans evolved from ancient apes through mutation, heredity, and natural selection."

Alpha turned around, raised an eyebrow, and said, "What's that expression on your face? I don't have much to say about this theory of evolution, but I found it interesting that you guys started asking, 'Where did life on Earth come from?' The current mainstream theory is that Earth's primordial oceans created organic molecules, which formed the basis of life... Then, over billions of years, dinosaurs and apes appeared. The dinosaurs became extinct within hundreds of millions of years, and the apes evolved into humans over hundreds of thousands of years. You see, everything makes sense."

"Sometimes I admire your confidence," Alpha said with a smile, "with just a few bones and some deductive experiments, you can determine things that happened billions of years ago."

He looked out the window again, but this time, there was a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"The stagnation of Earth's civilization today is largely due to the blind self-confidence of the humans who dominate this planet, who are deceiving themselves. In fact, the truth is often buried in the fear that you are unwilling to believe."

"Humans have existed on this blue planet three billion years ago." Alpha said lightly, and this light sentence was enough to shock the whole world.

"Those ancients were my ancestors. Modern humans categorize civilization into three levels. The lowest level is planetary civilization, which can utilize all of Earth's resources and freely manipulate its climate and disasters. Next is stellar civilization, which can fully utilize the sun's energy. And the highest level is galactic civilization."

"Over hundreds of millions of years... our ancestors flourished and developed into a galactic civilization, even a supergalactic one. We can move freely in the universe and twist the fleeting space and time. Just like I can change human memories and become Song Heng, until now I come to you and meet you in this human form."

Alpha's tone suddenly became lonely.

"Later, like you today, we were curious about what lay beyond the universe, questioning our own origins. So, the bravest and most intelligent of our ancestors decided to colonize the stars. But to our regret... this universe is lonely."

"—Our ancestors searched tens of thousands and hundreds of millions of galaxies throughout the universe, yet they found no civilization other than ours." Speaking of this, Alpha's eyes finally showed a hint of fear. "Do you know what this means?"

Everything he said was too shocking and hard to accept, especially his last sentence, which became a huge rock pressing on Tao Ning's heart, making it hard to breathe. It was as if he could travel through time and feel the despair of those spacecraft wandering in the universe.

Alpha chuckled softly, "It means we are all nothing. We all live in a pre-set program, or... maybe just in a book. After our ancestors figured this out, they gave up searching for their companions. Similarly, they also gave up on Earth, our resource-poor home planet."

He looked up at a point in the void. Tao Ning didn't know what he was looking at. He thought, maybe he was looking at the illusory thing that created all this.

"All our ancestors migrated to the Puzzle Galaxy, hundreds of thousands of light-years away from Earth, and eventually took root there. Later, through technological intervention, we selectively evolved into a more advanced species. If we compare current humans to ancient apes, then we are the true human race."

Alpha suddenly changed the subject: "It's too lonely."

He looked at Tao Ning. "You haven't forgotten Darwin's theory of evolution, have you? Because we're so lonely in this universe, we launched a project called 'Sparks of Civilization'. We began to consciously transform the stars in various galaxies and spread human DNA via comets... However, this plan may have violated the Creator's will. So far, only Earth has given birth to humans, and yet today humans believe they evolved naturally. What a coincidence, and how ironic."

"The 'Spark of Civilization' project later split into two factions. One faction continued to transform stars and spread human DNA. The other faction, led by me, directly pursued technological creation."

Alpha said lightly, his eyes falling on Tao Ning, that look was meaningful.

"I can't explain too much to you. Just know that at our level of evolution, the concept of natural reproduction no longer exists. Our world is overrun by what you call 'robots.' I hate them and revere the ideals of our ancestors. Therefore, I want to cultivate 'humans' created entirely through technology and send them to various stars to prevent the failure of civilization remaining solely on Earth."

"This type of 'human' doesn't even need the help of eggs and sperm; they're born, grow, and die directly in a petri dish." Alpha smiled. "But unfortunately, for a long time, these 'humans' were like robots, devoid of basic human emotions and only able to understand commands. They were just empty shells."

"...So, I am one of those people..."

Alpha raised an eyebrow and said playfully, "Of course, you are my most perfect creation. You were born on May 10th of the Earth calendar, and I named you number 510. Humans are visual animals, so I looked through the facial features and face shapes that humans have considered the most beautiful in recent decades and carefully created you. You should call me father."

“…”

"Okay, if you don't want to, forget it."

Elfa's tone was slightly regretful. "We've tried many ways to give those technologically-created humans emotions, but without exception, they've all failed. So, those star-transforming factions began suppressing my experiments. I refused to give in, and I happened to read a story in an ancient book. It tells of a stag who, because he admired the power of lions, infiltrated a pride of lions. Years later, when the stag ate the flesh of its former companions, it successfully transformed into a lion."

"That day, I finally understood the root of the problem. Humanity, though spanning only a few decades, has endured the separations of loved ones, the reunions of hated ones, the unfulfilled desires, the loss of glory and joy—all things we still struggle to fully comprehend. I, eager for quick success, how could I expect a technologically-created being to possess those emotions and self-awareness from birth? So, I destroyed all the technological beings I had formed, including you, who were born as a teenager."

Alpha smiled lightly, tracing Tao Ning's eyebrows and eyes bit by bit with his eyes.

"I created a large number of technological infants, pre-implanted programs within them, endowed them with distinct personality traits, and sent them to Earth. Those programs will automatically activate, using things you can understand to guide you through your emotions and monitor your extracranial nerves. As for you... that program in your brain should call itself a system, right?"

At this point, Alpha felt somewhat helpless. Seeing Tao Ning's reaction clearly soften, he smiled and said, "That system was the personality I initially programmed for you. It was lively and cute, but some researchers found it unpleasant, so I programmed it into you. As for your second personality, I generated it randomly... Well, I still think your first personality was cuter."

"...He...is me?"

"Yes," Alpha said playfully. "I really like it. Later, it promised me that I would learn some human books and actively pursue people, so that I could experience love, hate, and emotions as soon as possible and develop my own emotions. I agreed to this unreliable thing."

"I played along, tampering with your physical data to coerce you into approaching them. So from the beginning, it wasn't you who was trying to capture those three humans, but rather them trying to make you develop feelings for them... Unexpectedly, it worked."

As the clock struck five in the morning, Alpha said calmly, "Originally, we only randomly selected one person, but because the probability of technological humans developing self-emotion is extremely low, we randomly selected three. You are lucky. All three of them love you so much that you understand what love is. And the family you were 'born into' was also random, but you are equally lucky because you have family who love you very much, and you understand the true meaning of family love."

"On this blue planet, you've experienced love, family... and even your friendship with the system."

"Tao Ning, you have become a real human being."

After he finished speaking, the surroundings fell into deathly silence again, but the person on the hospital bed remained silent. Alpha suddenly realized that he had no idea since when he could no longer understand Tao Ning's emotions.

He walked up to Tao Ning and wanted to stroke his cheek as if they were outside the earth, but he gently slapped his hand away. The pair of eyes that Alpha had carved out himself with a program were looking at him coldly and resistingly.

Tao Ning said word by word, "I've been myself since my parents picked me up. Just tell me what you want to do."

Alpha was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, looking a little crazy with joy. He clapped his hands and said, "Very good, Tao Ning, very good. You know what? In fact, this conversation is our last test. If after I finish what I said, you start to doubt yourself and start to have the idea of ​​belonging to our civilization as a technological person..."

His eyes turned cold, "I will destroy you immediately."

As soon as he finished speaking, a huge black vortex suddenly appeared behind Alpha, like a terrifying monster with its bloody mouth agape. The darkness was bottomless. He turned around and walked towards the black vortex.

Just as Alpha was about to step into the vortex, he turned around and smiled, "I don't want to do anything, Tao Ning. In fact, the experiment I and the Star Sect have been pursuing from the very beginning has been an illusory pursuit. From beginning to end, we just want to prove that we are not alone in the universe."

"Now, you've given us a glimmer of hope, even if it's artificial." Alpha winked playfully and spoke in the same voice as the system before: "Fool, this behavior is as foolish as the creator who brought us to despair, isn't it?"

After he finished speaking, without waiting for Tao Ning to reply, Alpha in front of the black vortex slowly disappeared.

Until the end, there was no trace of the vortex in the whole world. All that remained were the nurse's blessings to the newborn outside the delivery room, and the rising sun through the morning mist outside the window.

A new day begins.

*

After leaving the hospital, Tao Ning's life returned to normal, but he would have to rely on medication for the rest of his life. When he returned to school, there were only two months left before the college entrance examination.

He ignored the strange, surprised, and curious looks from those around him, attending classes, eating, taking mock exams, then returning to the dorm to sleep. On weekends, he would return to his apartment alone. During this time, Tao Ning caught a glimpse of someone silently following him. The person was tall, with his hands in his pockets and his cap pulled low, making it difficult to discern his expression.

But I could feel his burning and forbearing gaze.

Tao Ning ignored him.

Occasionally, he would receive transfer notifications on his card. At first it was 200,000, and then it became more and more, all from an unfamiliar account, but Tao Ning was too busy every day to deal with them.

The high-intensity study had almost made him breathless. During this period, he also had to go to the court to testify for Liu Yuliang to reduce his sentence. Later, he took time out to go to Beijing to participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad, which happened to be hosted by China in Beijing.

Competing in the IMO had always been Tao Ning's goal. However, in the competition area, he encountered an unfamiliar account owner. Xu Jun, wearing a simple white shirt and black trousers, was crowded in a hallway with so many contestants, making the air extremely stuffy.

But even so, the top button of his white shirt was still fastened tightly, and his previous gold-rimmed glasses had been broken. Xu Jun had replaced them with a pair of frameless ones, which made him look tall and graceful, and gave him a strong air of bookishness and a strong sense of no strangers allowed.

Across the crowd, Xu Jun spotted Tao Ning, who was surrounded by a crowd. He walked through the surging crowd to his side and handed him a clean coat with a faint woody scent. "The air conditioner is on inside. Put on your clothes."

"......Um."

Even though she hadn't seen Xu Jun in a while, Tao Ning was still very natural with him, accepting the jacket, which was much larger than his, and putting it on. Contestants from other countries who had originally wanted to chat up Tao Ning were immediately put off when they saw Xu Jun intentionally or unintentionally protecting her.

On the way to the different competition venues for the exam, neither of them asked about the other's life, because they already knew almost everything about each other. Especially at this time, although they were both representing their countries, the competition for the gold medal was still fierce.

There were secrets and inseparable romances between them in the past, but at this moment, they were each other's most respected rivals.

"Don't be nervous," Xu Jun said calmly after sending Tao Ning to the entrance of the examination room, "I believe in you just as I did before."

Tao Ning was stunned for a moment, then smiled for the first time in more than two months.

"Me too......"

Before going in, Tao Ning turned around and said, "I will win the gold medal."

Xu Jun looked at him deeply, and the cold and sharp glasses behind the lenses were extremely gentle.

"Um."

After two days of exams, Xu Jun had already left. Someone told Tao Ning that he had to rush out because of a lot of company matters. While ordinary friends wouldn't need to tell each other about this, Tao Ning knew that he and Xu Jun were far more than just friends.

What kind of relationship is that?

Tao Ning knew very well that the answer might never be clearly explained in his lifetime.

After Xu Jun left, Tao Ning saw Song Yucong again outside the stadium. The man, wearing a mask and sunglasses, leaned against a Lamborghini with his arms folded. His overly flamboyant behavior and strange attire drew attention, prompting people to stop and take photos, gathering in whispers to discuss the situation.

Just when Song Yucong's patience was reaching its limit, Tao Ning came running out of the crowd and pulled him aside and asked, "Why are you here?"

"Xu Jun can come, but why can't I?" Even with sunglasses and a mask on, one could tell that Song Yucong was filled with dissatisfaction, and the strong smell of jealousy could be smelled from a distance.

Avoiding this bomb-like question. Tao Ning suppressed a smile and said, "Do you know why those people are looking at you?"

When talking about this, Song Yucong raised his chin proudly, seeming to be extremely proud. "I am a popular singer now, so it is natural for them to look down on me."

"Yes, there is that reason. But the main reason is that you can't park here."

“…”

After dinner with Song Yucong, Tao Ning returned to the apartment near the school because it was the weekend. He hadn't seen Zhao Jingqun in the past seventy-two days. Sun Laoer had only told him everything about Zhao Jingqun, including his struggles with Zhao Yi and Zhao Jingsui... and finally, about Zhao Jingqun's visit to a psychiatrist.

Tao Ning didn't say anything from the beginning to the end. Sun Laoer couldn't figure out what he was thinking, so he left in embarrassment.

I'm going home alone again tonight.

The apartment was well hidden, with each staircase designated for a specific building and tenant. Without an ID card, no one could enter. As Tao Ning passed the corner of the staircase, she passed a man in a baseball cap. The man walked slowly, and there was a faint smell of cigarettes on him.

When the two were about to pass each other, Tao Ning stopped and said, "...How long are you going to hide from me?"

The person behind him didn't move. It was just such a simple question, but he couldn't move his feet no matter what. He even shrank a little, pulled the brim of his hat even lower, and his tall back hunched over.

"Zhao Jingqun...were you cured by the doctor?"

Tao Ning turned around and approached the man, step by step, until he was cornered. The streetlight was dim, and the man huddled in the corner didn't even dare to raise his head. The two of them had no idea what expression was on each other's faces.

After a while, the man whispered like a child who had done something wrong: "...No."

"If not," Tao Ning stared at him and asked, "then why don't you continue to lock me up?"

Zhao Jingqun looked up in surprise. He hadn't expected Tao Ning to ask this. He thought Tao Ning knew he was mentally ill, so she asked this question. He opened his mouth to explain, saying that even if he hadn't, he wouldn't do such a crazy thing.

But before he could say anything, Tao Ning stared at him and said, "If not, then why don't you come to see me? If not, then why have you been hiding from me? If not... then why leave me alone?!" The last sentence was roared out, those beautiful eyes staring at him intently.

Zhao Jingqun had never seen Tao Ning so excited before. For a moment, he was stunned. When he saw tears welling up in Tao Ning's eyes, his heart ached again. He immediately ignored everything and rushed over to hug her in his arms to comfort her: "Ningning... I'm sorry, it's not that I don't want to see you... I... I just..."

"Just what?" Tao Ning pushed him away and said coldly, "You just feel guilty about getting me into trouble because of your family affairs, so you don't dare to come see me?"

A few words revealed Zhao Jingqun's inner thoughts, and the usually eloquent man was speechless at this moment. He was simply too scared and too guilty. Xu Jun almost died to protect Tao Ning, and Song Yucong donated bone marrow to Tao Ning without hesitation.

And what about him? He was the culprit who caused all this. How could he have the nerve to come to see Tao Ning?

Zhao Jingqun lives in self-blame every day. He now only hopes that Tao Ning is healthy and safe. As for his own love and hate, they are no longer important... Although he wants to kiss and hug Tao Ning tightly to make sure he is alive, this thought, like the self-blame, tears Zhao Jingqun apart.

“I…I…”

He couldn't say a word and could only look at his beloved in front of him cautiously and greedily.

"What do you think of me?" Tao Ning wiped away her tears.

As a wife, as a partner, as someone to protect for a lifetime.

But Zhao Jingqun didn’t dare to say it now.

Seeing that he remained silent, Tao Ning pursed her lips, then took out a card and handed it over. "In that case, I'll return the ID card for this apartment to you. I won't come again, and you don't have to follow me anymore."

Seeing Tao Ning put the card on the ground and was about to leave, Zhao Jingqun completely panicked. Ultimately, his desire to possess this young man who kept him awake at night prevailed. He immediately rushed forward and hugged Tao Ning's waist tightly, saying anxiously, "Don't go! Ningning, don't go... You can't leave me."

In this small corner between heaven and earth, far away from the world, Tao Ning sighed, broke free from his embrace, and instead hugged this insecure man, saying, "I'm kidding, I won't leave. I'm just a little angry. This is your punishment for leaving me alone at home."

"...Home?" Zhao Jingqun's expression went blank for a moment.

"You said this is our home," Tao Ning asked, "Are you denying that?"

"Admit it! Admit it!" Zhao Jingqun was so stunned by the surprise address that he couldn't believe it. He hugged Tao Ning tightly again, "Daibao... I'm sorry. From the day I was with you until now, I've considered you my only life partner."

His illness was ultimately incurable. He would remain morbidly in love with Tao Ning for the rest of his life, until death.

"I know, that's why I'm angry," Tao Ning said. "If you want to know my whereabouts at all times, I'll tell you. If you want to lock me up, I'll cooperate. I just can't tolerate you pushing me away to protect me. To me, that's not love at all. You're selfish and don't consider my feelings."

"You think I'm weak and need your protection. Although my health is very poor, I have never given up. I have always been moving towards my goals and can even face death calmly. So you have to believe that I can stand shoulder to shoulder with you. And..."

At this point, Tao Ning's voice gradually faded. "I only feel sorry for your past and experiences, and I never feel that you are a burden to me."

On the contrary, thank you for letting me know what love is. Because of you, I have the courage to think that Alpha's words are wrong - I am just an ordinary person who encountered some strange things and is otherwise ordinary.

So please show up by my side openly and protect me.

After hearing these words, Zhao Jingqun could no longer contain the surging love in his heart. He reverently cupped Tao Ning's cheek and gently kissed his soft lips. In the end, he couldn't tell whose tears they were; they were bitter yet scorching. He desperately sought the warmth in the other's mouth. Thus, over 180 days of constant yearning, day and night, finally fell back into the brightly lit harbor.

Two months later.

Tao Ning undoubtedly won the IMO gold medal and was also accepted into the Mathematics program at Trinity College, Cambridge. While many Oxentum students go on to prestigious international universities each year, Tao Ning's unique experience made him the first transfer student to win a gold medal in an international competition and receive an Ivy League admission. This was incredibly inspiring, and major media outlets in Haizhou rushed to report on his success.

There was even a news report from the central government that decided to interview him and broadcast the event on television. Tao Yuan, thousands of miles away, was overjoyed and proud upon hearing the news. She even prepared a feast and invited all the neighbors to her house to watch TV. Because Xiao Meng was prone to motion sickness and the school wasn't closed for the holiday, Tao Ning didn't let them travel all the way here.

Instead, just watch TV.

"Hahahaha, that's a student from our class, what a great person!" The homeroom teacher, Teacher Yang, was pleased for Tao Ning and said with emotion, "As far as I know, Tao Ning's family is poor, and she only came here to study because of a sponsorship opportunity. She's also not in good health, so it's not easy for her to get to where she is today..."

While reporters were conducting interviews behind the scenes, the seats in Oxente's largest multi-purpose venue, capable of accommodating several thousand people, were completely packed. Everyone's gaze was fixed on the podium, filled with curiosity, longing, and, most of all, admiration. All the flashes were focused on the figure in the center, who had shed his youthful demeanor to become a tall, slender, and beautiful young man.

Tao Ning scanned the auditorium until her eyes landed on a masked man in the corner of the second floor. Catching his gaze, the man glared at her. Tao Ning's lips curled slightly.

I still remember that he mentioned this to Song Yucong a few days ago and asked him if he would come. Song Yucong hummed and said that he would not go, saying that he was famous now and it would be troublesome to be recognized.

As a result, today I saw the person who said he would not come standing in the corner of the second floor.

His gaze shifted downward, landing on a red-haired man with a rather gangster-like smile in the center of the auditorium. After hearing about this, Zhao Jingqun unexpectedly donated three buildings to Oxente, securing the best seat in the auditorium. Seeing Tao Ning looking over, he quietly blew him a kiss.

Tao Ning's cheeks flushed slightly, and she pretended to be calm and looked away.

At this moment, the host on the podium—Xu Jun, who had been "rehired" to host this speech—looked at the cue card in his hand and asked calmly, "Does anyone have any questions?"

At this moment, someone trembled and raised their hand. Xu Jun gave them a wink, and the microphone was passed to them. This person seemed a little timid, but asked a pointed question: "Hello, senior. I'm Li Le, a freshman and a transfer student, but I consider myself quite ordinary. Do you agree that only talented students can achieve success? I feel that the gap between people is really huge, especially since I came to this international school."

The place was immediately in an uproar. After all, Oxent had been discriminating against transfer students for years. Ninety percent of the students in this school were gifted students. They had been in control of the most advanced resources in society since birth and received an elite education that was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

The remaining 10% of transfer students mostly came from ordinary families, and even with excellent grades, only a few could catch up to the other 90% of geniuses. To surpass them, perhaps one really needed exceptional talent.

After a few minutes of silence, Tao Ning neither denied nor confirmed the claim. Instead, he looked at the flamboyant, red-haired man silently supporting him in the audience. Then, he looked at the camera focused on him, as if, through distance and time, he could see Tao Yuan and Xiao Meng, the others watching in front of the TV, proud of him.

Finally, there were the towering mountains he had traversed countless times as a child. There, towering trees reached the clouds, blocking out the sun and making it impossible to see beyond. Yet, they also gave rise to vibrant roses that blanketed the hills. Every summer, Tao Ning, still only a few years old, would lie on the grass, observing the world.

"It took me 19 years to get from a remote mountain area to the podium I'm on today. If I had to talk about the talent that led to my success, I think it was persistence and a bit of luck."

"What kind of luck is that?"

“Always have the curiosity to look up at the universe.”

——End of the full text——