Chapter 139: The Stars as Witness (Finale) We...
Gu Yifeng moved his lips slightly, but before he could speak, he was interrupted by a cold shout.
"Lock on the target!"
Zhao Cheng's voice once again ripped through the brief warmth. He was leading his troops from a distance, watching Wen Yi and the others warily.
Behind Zhao Cheng stood several newly deployed LW-30 laser defense weapons. Their complex focusing lenses shone like obsidian, their launch ports silently adjusting their angles. Without warning, the crimson aiming points landed precisely on Wen Yi and the tribesmen behind her.
Those burning red dots carried a sense of destruction, as if they were born with original sin—no trial, no charges, no defense; they could be wiped out from this world instantly.
The atmosphere, which had just relaxed, instantly tightened to the brink of breaking again.
"General!" Gu Yifeng subconsciously took a step forward and protected Wen Yi behind him.
Wen Yi gently held his arm. She wasn't surprised or angry, but calmly turned to look at Zhao Cheng and the soldiers behind him, who were bracing themselves for a formidable enemy.
When her eyes swept across the laser defense system aimed at her, a hint of sarcasm suddenly appeared at the corner of her mouth.
"Pulsed resonant laser emitter? Interesting," she said in a dismissive tone. "This configuration was long ago eliminated from our planet—the energy dissipation rate is too high. However, with your current level of technology, being able to create this version is indeed commendable."
She looked back at Zhao Cheng, whose face was ashen. "General Zhao, I always admire human courage. But a fight like this is truly meaningless."
"Your very existence is the ultimate threat to human civilization!" Zhao Cheng's jaw tightened, his tone resolute. "I cannot allow an alien lifeform capable of destroying the world to roam freely on Earth. It must be annihilated immediately!"
"emission!"
As he gave the order, a sharp scream of accumulated energy tore through the air, and a dazzling light burst out instantly, completely engulfing the figures of Wen Yi and others.
"Buzz——"
The predicted destruction did not occur.
The laser beam struck Wen Yi half a meter in front of her, like hitting an invisible, distorted force field. The blazing beam was deflected and scattered, transforming into dozens of dangerous streams of fire that shot out in all directions! The refracted beam grazed the ground and struck the armored vehicle in the distance, instantly melting glowing red holes in the thick steel plates. The charred earth sizzled and wisps of green smoke rose.
But not a single bit of energy escaped and harmed Wen Yi and the people around her.
At the same time, an invisible wave quietly spread out with Wen Yi as the center.
“Crack.”
“Crack, crack.”
The sounds of metal twisting and breaking rang out one after another. The laser defense weapons aimed at her seemed to be suddenly crushed by a big hand, and the guns held tightly by the soldiers were twisted into a ball of scrap metal in the blink of an eye.
Wen Yi glanced down at the panicked soldiers, her gaze finally landing on Zhao Cheng's pale face. Though no longer a pure human, her demeanor still carried the centuries-old tradition of the Wen family. Even surrendering her weapons was done with decorum and consideration. Without a sound, she dismantled the entire laser array, nodding and adding, "It's a necessity. Please forgive me." This courteous crushing made the soldiers present suffocate and vomit blood.
"If I had any hostility towards you, no one would be alive right now."
Wen Yi raised her hand to brush away the loose hair on her forehead as she spoke. This ordinary action actually made the surrounding soldiers all take half a step back.
She smiled, lowered her hand, and suggested, "It's time for the two civilizations to have a real dialogue."
A few days later.
The hustle and bustle of Qingluan Mountain gradually dissipated, and a meeting concerning the future of civilization was urgently held at the International Conference Center in Yunchuan.
Inside the main venue, the circular staircase was packed.
On the other side of the earth, from the snowfields of Fairfuegos to the beaches of Novalica, giant screens in all city squares were broadcasting this historic dialogue simultaneously.
Wen Yi, wearing the glittering Yuepo Huashang, stood on the central podium as a bridge between the two civilizations.
"We once stood on opposite sides, but today, we have voluntarily given up colonization. What we seek is only the continuation of civilization." Her promise echoed in every corner of the earth through simultaneous interpretation.
Gu Yifeng sat in the front row, legs crossed, staring silently at his lover on the stage. She stood under the spotlight, yet in an inhuman manner. The more inhuman she appeared, the more his blood surged, and every cell in his body trembled at her strength.
Zhao Cheng, the leader of the conservative faction, immediately slammed the table and stood up. "Even if you show sincerity, how can we believe that this isn't a scam? Allowing a powerful alien civilization to leave Earth is tantamount to burying an eternal hidden danger for humanity!"
A cold female voice immediately retorted:
"We can also look at this issue from a different perspective." It was Shen Wanqing, the leader of the development faction, who spoke calmly. "I, Shen Wanqing, am participating in this negotiation on behalf of myself and countless other people like me who love human civilization but cannot escape their own bloodlines. I believe this is not only a crisis for human civilization, but also an opportunity for humanity to take the initiative to leave the galaxy and embrace a more advanced civilization."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was an uproar in the audience.
Wen Yi looked at her, her eyes slightly moved. She remembered this name. Shen Wanqing was also a superpowered person. In a certain timeline, she worked with Gu Yifeng to seek benefits for superpowered people.
"I understand your fear of the unknown." Wen Yi spoke again, "I stand here to negotiate because I was once human and I still love this place. What I leave to mankind is not a threat, but a choice."
People all over the world watched this historic moment with bated breath at home, on the streets, and in the office.
"To all those with alien blood flowing through their veins—I now offer two paths.
First, if you accept your identity, recognize that you are part of the continuation of our civilization, and are willing to go with me to find a new home outside the earth, I will lead you away.
Secondly, I also fully respect those who refuse to accept this identity and desire to live as pure human beings."
Wen Yi raised her hand, and a blood collector appeared on the big screen. It was the initial genetic sample that she and Gu Yifeng brought back from the memory shadow.
"This is the choice I offer you. Using this can of blood as a foundation, human scientists can develop a gene therapy agent that can gently 'silence' the alien XNA gene, restoring you to normal humans. The price is that you will lose your superpowers forever. The choice lies not with the military or the government, but with each of you. Whether to embrace a future light years away or to cling to Earth's present is up to you."
Wen Yi's words caused an uproar in the meeting hall.
A subtle glint flashed across Shen Wanqing's eyes, and she calmly stood up and stated, "I volunteer to follow Ms. Wen Yi to witness the vast universe. However, it is not easy for a civilization to continue in the universe; it requires a solid starting point. Now, we don't have to drift aimlessly. On behalf of the development faction, I am proposing a win-win plan."
She raised her hand and waved lightly, and a grand design unfolded on the screen in the center of the conference hall - several giant silver-white ring-shaped structures were quietly floating in low-Earth orbit.
Shen Wanqing introduced, "What you see here is an artificial celestial body called 'Xinghuan-I'. This is the city of the future that our development team has dedicated years of effort to building." Her voice was filled with excitement. "This artificial celestial body, still under construction, can serve as our temporary home. It has a rudimentary ecological circulation system and a shield sufficient to withstand cosmic radiation. However, it lacks the core technology for sustainable development and cannot be used for human habitation."
Wen Yi understood her intention and immediately accepted the olive branch. "The technological civilization possessed by our planet can make up for this deficiency and bring this future cosmic fortress of humanity to life. From energy self-sustainability to material circulation, we can transform this steel city into a living cradle of civilization."
"That's right." Shen Wanqing nodded slightly, her voice filled with longing for the future. "This will not only enable us to build artificial celestial bodies and bring about an unprecedented technological leap, but will also provide new soil for extraterrestrial life to take root and sprout, creating a win-win situation."
The meeting hall was buzzing with discussion. General Zhao Cheng held urgent consultations with his advisors, while representatives from various countries chatted among themselves. Wen Yi and Shen Wanqing's eyes met, each seeing an unwavering determination to forge ahead.
After the noise, the venue became quiet again and no one raised any objections.
Shen Wanqing's voice echoed clearly throughout the conference hall: "This is a plan that combines idealism with pragmatism. It combines the artificial celestial framework we've built with the technological civilization of alien galaxies, piecing together two incomplete blueprints to forge a brand new path. I propose naming this plan the 'Ark Project.' Let 'Xinghuan' become our ark towards the future."
"Pa, pa, pa..." In the silent meeting hall, someone suddenly gave the first round of applause.
The voice was quiet, but clear and resolute. Then came a second, a third... like a spark igniting a prairie fire, it quickly spread into a wave that engulfed the entire audience. Amidst the thunderous applause, Wen Yi raised her head, her gaze piercing the surging crowd to meet Gu Yifeng's gaze fixed on her. Behind his glasses, his gaze was focused and gentle, like a coordinate marked for her, ensuring that no matter how far she traveled, she would always find the single, unchanging path home.
In front of the TV, the young child tilted his head and asked his mother in confusion: "Mom, what are they talking about?"
The mother gently stroked her child's hair. "Look, humans, using technology as a vessel, journey to the stars for love, and, because of love, find their way home. This is life—it always finds its way in ways we least expect."
*
When the first snow of this winter covered Qingluan Mountain, Xinghuan welcomed the first batch of Earth immigrants. Wen Yi led the Wen clan members who volunteered to go and boarded the spacecraft under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
At the end of the gangway, Wen Yi and Gu Yifeng stood facing each other.
He leaned forward and kissed the corner of her lips lightly in the warm winter sun.
"Gu Yifeng," Wen Yi pulled away slightly after the long kiss, and gently stroked his slightly furrowed brow with her fingertips. "Don't be sad. We are not saying goodbye, but embarking on a collaboration that spans the stars."
She gazed at the clear blue sky. "On Starry Sky, I will fuse the technology of our home planet with the human framework, transforming it into a true cradle of life. Every breakthrough you make on Earth in the future will be crucial to my mission."
Gu Yifeng placed a small quantum communicator in her palm. "I understand. Earth's industrial system is the cornerstone of the initial construction of 'Xinghuan'. I will establish a laboratory here to ensure a smooth transition of technology and resources, and become your most solid rear support."
His fingertips gently stroked the ring on her ring finger and he solemnly promised, "When you complete the ecological transformation of 'Xinghuan', I will wait for you to come home under the starry sky."
Gu Yifeng exerted force with his arms, and Wen Yi fell into his arms: "Hold me again." He whispered in her hair.
Wen Yi snuggled quietly in his arms and closed her eyes. She would always remember the warm woody scent on his body.
The spacecraft door slowly closed.
Gu Yifeng was on the ground, looking up at the spaceship that transformed into a streak of starlight and sailed off into deep space. His eyes reflected the distant light as it slowly flew towards the endless horizon.
*
The years passed in the blink of an eye.
As the Earth-based chief scientist of the Ark Project, Gu Yifeng has achieved numerous breakthroughs in quantum physics. After completing his current work, he will travel to Xinghuan to reunite with Wen Yi.
He looked up at the massive projection wall in his office—a real-time view of the starry sky unfolded before him like a scroll. Ever since she left, the screen hadn't dimmed, broadcasting the real-time movement of the artificial planets 24 hours a day.
The once cold steel skeleton was long gone, replaced by a vibrant, azure miniature planet. Beneath the atmosphere lay vast forests and winding oceans, while a city suspended in the clouds shimmered like stardust.
This is the vibrant new world that Wen Yi personally helped to create.
Gu Yifeng withdrew his gaze and continued to complete the final debugging of the quantum memory field. This technology, which combines quantum physics and neural interaction, can reconstruct the dusty past through memory coordinates.
"Is there any past that Gu Bo wants to look back on?" a colleague once asked him.
"No." He answered simply at the time.
At this moment, with the project nearing completion and reunion imminent, a complex feeling of homesickness creeped in. As he initiated the final commissioning, his colleague's question inexplicably lingered in his ears. Driven by some unspoken selfish motive, he inexplicably entered the space-time coordinates that intertwined their fates.
The picture of memory slowly unfolds——
In the afterglow of the setting sun, on a quiet street corner, Gu Yifeng seemed to smell the sweet aroma of ice cream and returned to the silver ice cream truck as if he were there.
Standing in front of the car window was Wen Yi, the naive girl from many years ago. She had her back to him and was reaching out to take the ice cream handed to her by the vendor, completely unaware of the impending danger.
Gu Yifeng's heart suddenly tightened, and the worry and powerlessness that had lasted for many years surged into his heart again. At that moment, instinct took precedence over reason. He raised his hand to stop it and blurted out:
“Don’t go over there!”
As soon as he said this, even he was stunned.
What is he doing? Doesn't he know that this is just a memory flashback?
However, something even more incredible happened.
Wen Yi in the memory field stopped moving.
She slowly turned around, going against the grain of history. Her gaze penetrated the boundary between virtuality and reality, landing precisely on him.
Those eyes were no longer innocent, but were filled with time and composure, gazing at him gently.
Gu Yifeng's heart suddenly beat faster.
Something's wrong! Is it an illusion? Or a system malfunction?
The unrealistic scene made his heart beat faster and faster, and his brows furrowed tighter and tighter. His mind couldn't believe it, but his emotions couldn't help but long for a miracle to happen.
The moment their eyes met, the images in their memories rippled outward. The ice cream truck and the vendor vanished, leaving only Wen Yi's silhouette, increasingly clear. Gu Yifeng froze for a moment, his suspicions vanishing, replaced by an indescribable ecstasy.
Wen Yi winked at him playfully and walked towards him gracefully. With each step, her figure became more solid, and finally she stepped out of the illusion. When she stood in front of him, her true aura instantly enveloped his perception.
She looked up at him, still holding the undamaged vanilla ice cream cone she had brought from the past.
"Mr. Gu, I've been waiting for a long time." Her eyes were slightly red. "I didn't get to taste the ice cream when we first met, but now I can finally make up for it with you."
—End of full text—
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The author has something to say: I started conceiving and writing this novel in early March of this year, and after more than six months, I finally finished writing my first novel. [Keep it up!]
Thank you for your support, for accompanying me through countless difficult days and nights, and finally producing this debut work. Please forgive me if the writing style is immature and the content is awkward. See you in the next one! [shy]
My original motivation for writing novels stems from my love for sci-fi and suspense, and my yearning for undying love, but I rarely encounter works that offer both. I often regret after watching a movie, hoping it would have been better if the romance had been a bit more involved. So, I set to work, wanting to create my own sci-fi, suspense, and romance-fueled fantasy. If you share my similar aspirations, please give me a thumbs-up and support my next work, which will be in this style. [Doghead holding a rose]
Without further ado, I would like to dedicate this article to my family, friends, and my soulmate who have supported me along the way. I would also like to thank the several Gugu teachers who have helped me for free on Xiaohongshu. Without your help, I would not be able to fly. [Spread flowers]
Thank you! Heart! [Heart]
This is also for you who are waiting for love, and for those who believe that there is true love in this world. If you haven’t met it yet, don’t worry, the love that belongs to you is running towards you through time and space.
Love is the one thing we're capable of perceiving that transcends dimensions of time and space.
Love is the only thing we can feel that transcends time and space. -Interstellar
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