It rained heavily all night.
Wen Xingze returned to the house purchased by the mermaid's parents in Los Angeles. It was a small three-story villa facing the sea with a wooden attic. On a clear day, you could see the starry sky directly through the glass ceiling.
Wen Xingze didn't have time to appreciate it. He took off his shoes and sat down hurriedly. He opened his laptop and tablet, and took a whiteboard to write and draw.
——He sorted out all the things that happened in the past year and recorded them on a mind map according to the timeline. What concerned him most was the "hidden ending" that the dragon clan parents had mentioned.
The interface of "Desolate: King's Awakening" says that the reverse cub-raising function is offline because the normal ending is achieved. The normal ending is easy to understand, which is what was originally said about "helping the cubs change their destiny." What about the hidden ending?
This may be a key.
"And? ...Divine Realm, thank you."
Wen Xingze wrote a few words on the whiteboard, then looked up and thanked the housekeeper.
The housekeeper of the Los Angeles residence smiled and shook his head. He poured hot milk for Wen Xingze, brought him a blanket and an emergency night light, then turned on the light and went back to his room, not wanting to disturb the young master again.
It was already very late at night, and the city's power cables that had been cut off due to heavy rain were being repaired. Wen Xingze sat in the dim attic, listening to the sound of rain.
Wen Xingze returned his gaze to the whiteboard, where it was already written:
[Divine Realm][Eight Race Filters][Silver Bird].
This is the clue, or doubt, that Wen Xingze can think of at the moment.
The hidden tasks in "Baby Development Plan" are achieved by lighting up the travel map. Before the system was offline, the only unlit area on the travel map was called "God's Domain".
"This place doesn't exist on Earth," Wen Xingze muttered to himself, "and I'm sure it doesn't exist in the parallel universe either."
When Wen Xingze was playing "Desolate: King's Awakening", one of his tasks was to expand the territory. He knew the map of the entire universe very well, and there was no area called "God's Domain".
Judging from the name, Divine Realm, the Realm of God... seems to have a strong connection with the 'Gods' of some legendary universe. But these gods have disappeared for many years.
"God is omnipotent, encompassing all things. He possesses eternal life and endless loneliness. Only the most holy blue-tailed mermaids are qualified to sing hymns for God, and the Feathered Clan are God's messengers."
'Whenever the passage between the human world and the divine realm opens, divine punishment will descend upon the world.'
"Tens of thousands of years before the beginning of the cosmic era, after a flood that was a divine punishment, the gods could not bear to see the suffering of the world and personally severed the path from the human world to the divine realm. But after the path was severed, the human world once again faced punishment..."
This was a passage Wen Xingze had read in the Desolation data card. Because it was so long ago, the details might be blurry, but the general idea was this. At the time, he'd dismissed it as a useless, mystical aura, but now he realized every word was potentially true. God truly existed.
He is going to the divine realm.
Wen Xingze could be sure of this. The purpose of the "hidden mission" was to hint that they must go to the divine realm, and the key was how to get there and what means to use.
“…” This was all Wen Xingze knew. No matter how many clues he had, he could not find any. Wen Xingze had to change his target temporarily.
The second doubt is...
"'Desolation' says that the filters for the eight races have been activated and can be used normally, but the Feather Tribe's filter has clearly not been activated."
The Feather Tribe does not live on any planet in Muse, but rather in a distant, suspended city in the sky. They are the most mysterious and reclusive race in all of Muse.
No? Speaking of the Feather Clan filter, Wen Xingze hasn't seen the Feather Clan parents many times this whole year.
As for the silver bird, it appeared inexplicably two months ago, and disappeared a month ago with the decommissioning of the "Cub Development Plan"... This bird must be related to that universe.
Is this bird the head of the Feather Tribe? But that doesn't make sense. He didn't know that the head of the Feather Tribe could turn into a bird. And if it is the head of the Feather Tribe, why didn't he say a word?
These conclusions were reached more than half a month ago, and then Wen Xingze was stuck here.
There was a huge fog hanging before him.
He felt like he was facing a difficult math competition problem. He knew he must have missed some details, but he was still at a loss and could only wait for the goddess of inspiration to bless him...
Just now in Janice's clinic, I seemed to have grasped something, but it was only a fleeting moment.
"Calm down and think carefully..." Wen Xingze bit the tip of his pen and pondered deeply.
If you want something, you have to fight for it yourself and endure hardships.
And his parents and lover are still waiting for him.
Wen Xingze thought, it’s okay, at least he is good at enduring hardships.
The next day.
Wen Xingze didn't sleep the whole night until the sky was gradually turning pale.
The rain gradually subsided.
This rainstorm was global in scope. All time zones, even Africa, where it never rains all year round, saw a rare few drops of rain.
The intensity of the rain was beyond anyone's imagination. Besides Los Angeles, many other cities experienced power outages due to the downpour. Meteorologists around the world stayed on duty, working overtime to analyze this unusual weather.
In Los Angeles, many people were worried that the heavy rain would escalate to a red alert, preventing the awards ceremony from going ahead. Fortunately, the next morning, the heavy rain that had been falling all night finally stopped, and the sun came out.
But the weather forecast says it will rain again this evening.
Wen Xingze was dragged out of the hotel by Jiang Ye at noon.
Normally, preparations for such an important award ceremony should have started in the morning. But when Jiang Ye arrived in the morning, he was shocked to find that Wen Xingze hadn't slept all night. Fearing that he might have died suddenly, he had to send him off immediately to catch up on his sleep, which had delayed it until now.
"Hurry up, the red carpet walk starts at 4 pm. We are in the middle of the order and we are going to be late!" Jiang Ye walked around in circles in high heels. Several stylists wanted to turn into octopuses on the spot, trying one set of clothes after another on Wen Xingze.
The order of appearance on the Oscar red carpet is very particular. The middle of the red carpet is the time with the highest broadcast attention, and it is usually the position of highly talked-about actors or potential award-winning contestants. This shows the importance that the board of directors attaches to Wen Xingze.
"I've already chosen my clothes," Wen Xingze said, completely drowsy. He pointed out a suit from the coat rack with pinpoint accuracy, "This one."
Ordered by parents.
Many celebrities wear high-end fashion sent by brands when they walk the red carpet. It saves them trouble and is also a welcome publicity for the brands. However, Wen Xingze has already declined the kindness of those brands in advance.
"This set?" Jiang Ye took out the set and took a closer look. "Okay."
It was a three-piece suit with one button, and the color was a deep blue like the vast starry sky.
Wen Xingze has a body that is perfect for clothes, and this suit is the masterpiece of a top Italian designer. It was carefully tailored by eight tailors and was sent from Italy overnight, so there couldn't be even a single crease.
This was already the highest level of treatment for human beings, but at that time parents still felt that their children were not worthy of their king and could only make do with it.
"I remember you have a lot of better clothes in your closet," Jiang Ye still remembered. "Why don't you wear those?"
Wen Xingze explained, "Those aren't okay. They were sent by my parents."
After the express delivery system was activated, the parents of the Muse Empire sent all his royal dresses.
"?" Jiang Ye didn't understand the logic. "Why not? It's OK?"
Wen Xingze said casually: "Just an Oscar, if it soils the clothes my family gave me..."
Jiang Ye: “…”
Stylist: “…………”
Just an Oscar...
Listen, is this what a human being says?!
Wen Xingze hadn't really been trying to be rude when he said this, and only then did he realize what was happening and quickly shut up. But he really did think about the importance of the awards ceremony or the clothes sent from home.
Because time was running short, the entire afternoon was a bit chaotic. Of course, Wen Xingze, the protagonist, didn't need to do anything; his mind wandered to other things the entire time. How could he unlock the hidden ending? For some reason, as time passed, a vague sense of unease emerged within Wen Xingze, unexplained.
The weather outside the window is gloomy. I don’t know if I can see the starry sky tonight.
At 4 pm Los Angeles time, the Oscar red carpet officially began, and it was time for Wen Xingze to get ready to go.
Unexpectedly, just before leaving, he received a video call.
"Aze!" Zhu Bo, who was standing on the other side of the camera, was dressed very formally, and next to him was Xu Qianqian. "Are you leaving yet? You're going to walk the red carpet soon, aren't you nervous?"
There is a time difference between Los Angeles and China. Wen Xingze looked at the camera and it didn't look like it was at night... Could it be?
Wen Xingze: "Brother Zhubo, Sister Qianqian, are you here?"
Zhu Bola was as happy as a husky, as if he was the one walking down the aisle. Xu Qianqian pushed his head aside without any hesitation: "We just arrived too. This awful weather is such an ominous sign. I'm even reluctant to buy a bunch of flowers."
"The weather forecast says there will be heavy rain tonight. I hope it won't affect the awards ceremony."
She moved the camera, and Wen Xingze realized that there were not only her and Zhu Bo, but Fang Ruxue was also there, applying her lipstick and greeting Wen Xingze with a smile.
In addition to the three of them, many people from "Meeting the Dragon Night" and "Fantasy Cruise" came, making it a lively occasion.
"It's a pity that Director Zheng has something to do, otherwise he would have come too.
"Why are you here? You're going to receive an award tonight, so we have to support you."
"I don't necessarily have to win an award, and I'm going to attend the award ceremony, not to..." For the first time in a month, Wen Xingze couldn't help but want to laugh, "Get into a fight."
Fang Ruxue teased him: "Oh, then let's go back?"
Wen Xingze quickly changed his words: "Since I'm here."
there:"……"
“Hahahahahahahahaha!”
A burst of laughter broke out over there.
Because time was tight, there was no time for further greetings, but Wen Xingze was still smiling until he hung up the phone.
My heart, which had been hanging in the air for a month, seemed to be filled a little.
He is very lucky to have such a group of friends.
Moreover, Xu Qianqian couldn’t even buy flowers because the weather has been really bad recently... Wait, flowers?
This word suddenly coincided with a vague impression in my mind.
Flowers, daisies...
What does the flower symbolize? Wait, why has he been seeing daisies so often lately? There's a pot of daisies on the windowsill at home, and there were daisies at Janice's clinic yesterday...
Wen Xingze immediately took out his phone to check. Daisies bloom from March to June, and it's already September! Why are the daisies on the windowsill still blooming at this time of year?
Wen Xingze sat up straight and began to try hard to recall.
But it always seemed like there was a layer of gauze between them, which made Wen Xingze feel anxious. This thought brought him back to the red carpet.
"It's your turn soon." Jiang Ye pressed Wen Xingze's shoulder, also a little nervous, "Don't be nervous, it's okay, they won't..."
Before he could finish his words, Jiang Ye was suddenly stunned when he saw Wen Xingze's eyes.
She swallowed the rest of the words back into her stomach.
She was really worrying for nothing. She didn't need to worry about Wen Xingze being stage fright. He was the person least likely to be stage fright.
…It was raining heavily last night, but now the sky is as blue as if it had been washed by water.
Under the transparent sky of late summer in Los Angeles, a long red carpet unfurled in front of the Dolby Theatre. A statue of the Golden Man stood in the center, and on both sides, huge posters and posters fluttered in the wind. The red carpet was already packed with people, and the atmosphere was bustling.
——This is the most influential film award in the world, the Academy Awards.
The extremely excited audience and media reporters were packed in three layers inside and outside, blocking off all paths. The security dispatcher at the entrance used a walkie-talkie to confirm the next artist to enter before letting them in.
As soon as Wen Xingze got out of the car, cheers and screams poured out like a tide:
"It's time to get off the bus, get ready!"
“Ahhh! It’s coming!!”
"Wen Xingze, we love you! 'Dust Planet' is very, very good—"
"Welcome to the Oscars Red Carpet Live Show. I'm right here in the heart of Hollywood," the host, dressed in an evening gown, stood in the center of the red carpet, smiling and explaining the current situation to viewers around the world:
"Superstars from all over the world gather here... Now walking towards us is the male lead of 'Dust Planet', nominated for Best Actor for his big screen debut, and the most anticipated Chinese actor after Chi Yan, Wen Xingze, only 24 years old!"
The lights and the camera focused.
Wen Xingze stepped onto the red carpet and walked slowly. The young man had a tall figure and the clear blue sky of California spread out behind him.
——As if he was not affected by the many lengthy prefixes before his name, nor did he have any fear or nervousness of walking the red carpet for the first time. Under the attention of the whole world, he took every step calmly and even arrogantly.
At this moment, the crowd and the noisy wind in Los Angeles also stopped.
He looked at the camera and after a moment, smiled nonchalantly.
“…”
After the silence, the enthusiastic cheers suddenly rose!
Because film reviews have long been dominated by white people and influenced by differences in aesthetics, many viewers still lack the ability to appreciate Asian actors.
If Chi Yan opened this gap for the first time eight years ago, then Wen Xingze's arrival just now once again brought this kind of...amazing and heart-thumping feeling that is difficult to describe in words, directly striking the hearts of the audience.
His pupils were extremely transparent, filled with the gray-blue light of the sky after the rain, and his eyes curved so lonely.
The whole audience fell for him.
"I bet every girl here had their heartbeats speeding up in that second," Wen Xingze had already gone to find his seat, but the host couldn't help but sigh behind him, "This is what the Chinese often say, 'Beauty can lead to misfortune.' He's such a captivating Chinese boy! Let's look forward to tonight's awards ceremony!"
Once inside the theater, the cheers and screams outside were cut off, and the atmosphere suddenly became much quieter.
Wen Xingze didn't care about what others thought of him, and he found his place under Jie Yin's guidance. As usual, he sat with the "Dust Planet" crew.
Unexpectedly, I met an acquaintance before I even got to my seat.
"Xiao Wen!" Ji Meng was this year's special guest. She was wearing a fishtail dress and had delicate makeup on. She happily greeted him from a distance, "You're finally here."
"Senior Ji," Wen Xingze hadn't known Ji Meng would be coming due to confidential matters. He was genuinely surprised. He walked over quickly and asked, "Hello, how have you been lately?"
Ji Meng: "It's fine. I've been tutoring my niece these past few months. I originally planned to treat you and Chi Yan to a meal after the filming of "Dust Planet" was finished, but I forgot..."
Of course, another reason was Ji Miduan. The cat Ji Meng had raised for over twenty years had passed away a few months ago, and Ji Meng was in no mood to hang out with friends.
When mentioning Chi Yan, Wen Xingze's smile faded a little. Ji Meng saw it and was a little surprised, so he didn't continue talking.
What happened between this kid and Chi Yan? Did they break up? That shouldn't be the case...
The award ceremony would not begin for a while, and Ji Meng wanted to reminisce with Wen Xingze, so he did not rush to his seat.
"Do you think you'll win the award?" Ji Meng teased him. "I have some acquaintances on the board of directors. How about I ask them for you?"
Wen Xingze readily agreed: "Okay, okay."
Ji Meng: “…”
Now it was Ji Meng's turn to be speechless.
"That's so boring! You youngsters just don't play by the rules," Ji Meng scolded him. Perhaps because she'd gotten used to tutoring her niece over the past few months, she casually said, "Can't you just guess the answer yourself? You should think about the problem from the perspective of the person who set the question."
'Think about the problem from the perspective of the questioner.'
Wen Xingze's thoughts paused here.
etc……
“……?”
Wen Xingze couldn't remember what they talked about afterwards. It was too vague. The award ceremony was about to begin, so Wen Xingze went to his seat. And the whole time, his mind was repeatedly thinking about this sentence.
——Has he been trapped in a misunderstanding all this time?
For the past month, he had been thinking about how he could get to the divine realm. But he had never considered:
Why did the "Child Development Plan" release this hidden mission and let him go to the Divine Realm? Furthermore, what is the reason for the existence of "Desolation", "Child Development Plan", and even the Light Tower?
What if this is a test paper?
If "Desolation: King's Awakening" and "Cub Development Plan" both serve as test papers, and the person who sets the test is a "God" far away in another world, what is his purpose in setting these test papers?
'Selection'.
“…”
"Aze, what are you thinking about?" Li Mingzhou patted his shoulder, attracting Wen Xingze's attention. "The ceremony has begun, look at the camera!"
More than one billion people around the world are watching the live broadcast of this awards ceremony.
The entire theater, with its grand dome, was bustling with activity before the awards ceremony began. But soon, as the countdown to the opening began, silence spread.
Finally, thousands of people fell completely silent.
The entire Dolby Theatre fell into darkness for a short while, and then the golden star special effects on the stage shone together.
The symphony sounded, the audience applauded enthusiastically, and the host walked to the front of the stage from the depths of the stars.
The host of this award ceremony is a famous talk show host from Country A. He is very good at livening up the atmosphere. While talking about the basic nominated works and the main creators of this year, he easily made the audience laugh.
At this time, he told a joke related to "Dust Planet". The director cut the camera to Wen Xingze, and Wen Xingze looked at the camera in confusion.
"...Hahahaha!" Everyone laughed good-naturedly.
Wen Xingze could only smile at the camera awkwardly but politely until the director cut the camera away.
His brain was working non-stop, thinking about this problem... Assuming that completing "Desolation: King's Awakening" is the condition for unlocking the "Cub Development Plan", and the ultimate condition for completing the "Cub Development Plan" is to be able to go to the Divine Realm.
If we regard "Desolation" and "Cub Cultivation Plan" as exams, and the purpose of the exam is selection, then the purpose of these two exams is selection—
New, God?
"What's wrong?" Li Mingzhou asked, seeing Wen Xingze's unhappy expression.
Wen Xingze murmured casually: "I seem to be taking an exam..."
Li Mingzhou thought he was joking and said, "Exam? Is there a time limit for submitting the paper? You better hurry up. It's going to rain again tonight. How can you do the exam in the Dolby Theatre?"
Wen Xingze: “…”
Wen Xingze: “…………”
boom.
Li Mingzhou's words were just careless, but they were like thunder exploding in Wen Xingze's ears. The fragmented beads in his mind were all connected together at this moment, and Wen Xingze felt that the blood in his body was rushing upwards.
Wen Xingze suddenly stood up from his seat!
A performance was going on on the stage at that time and everyone's attention was focused on it. Only the people around Wen Xingze looked at him in surprise.
Li Mingzhou pulled him in shock, and Wen Xingze had no choice but to sit down again, but his heart could no longer calm down.
Time limits, heavy rain, daisies...
If last night's bizarre, global rainstorm was the 'divine punishment' mentioned in the data card, then at this moment, the passage between the divine realm and the human world is open! But only tonight, and only before the second rainstorm, which is the 'divine punishment after the passage is cut off', arrives.
As for that passage... Wen Xingze is not 100% sure, but he probably knows how to open it.
He's going to Janice's clinic last night!
The only thing missing now is time.
"Director Li, what time does the weather forecast say it will rain again?" Wen Xingze asked Li Mingzhou anxiously.
Li Mingzhou looked at him in surprise and uncertainty: "It seems to be around half past six?"
It's already six o'clock!
"Director Li, I may not be able to attend tonight's awards ceremony," Wen Xingze looked at Li Mingzhou, "I have something very, very important to do next. If I don't go now, I may never see my family again in this lifetime."
Li Mingzhou stared at him blankly, his expression gradually changing from confusion at the beginning to determination.
"You go, I will take responsibility for the consequences," said Li Mingzhou.
Wen Xingze felt relieved.
He couldn't stay here any longer. After figuring it all out, Wen Xingze quickly stood up and apologized to the people around him: "Sorry, I'm a little... I need to go to the bathroom."
Everyone around me expressed understanding.
Wen Xingze started walking, then almost ran. At the exit, he was stopped by security with a puzzled look: "Mr. Wen, the restroom is not in this direction. Do you need me to show you the way?"
Wen Xingze's hands were shaking with nervousness. He said, "No, sorry. I have something to do with my friend. I'll be back soon."
The security guard seemed very hesitant: "Sorry, we can't let you out just like that..."
The Best Costume Design Award had just been presented on stage, and the Best Foreign Language Award, for which "Dust Planet" was also nominated, was about to be presented.
Wen Xingze: “…”
Wen Xingze made a quick decision, turned around and walked away, quickly tapping on his phone. In addition to this entrance, there was another passage where you could take the elevator directly to the underground garage.
Several security guards in black suits and sunglasses followed Wen Xingze closely. Wen Xingze had to speed up and even run. The security guards were confused and driven by the atmosphere and couldn't help but run.
"Stop him!"
"Don't let him get away!" No? Security came hurriedly from a distance, and the atmosphere here suddenly became Mission Impossible. "He wants to avoid accepting the award!"
Wen Xingze: “???”
Before Wen Xingze reached the elevator, the pursuers behind him had already arrived.
And it was at this time that the winner of the Best Foreign Language Film was announced, and it was confirmed to be "Dust Planet"!
The entire Dolby Theatre was almost overturned by screams and applause. The director cut the camera to the location of the main creators of "Dust Planet", but everyone was confused to find that Wen Xingze was not in his seat.
"Mr. Wen, it's time to receive the award for your movie," said the security guard.
The pointer on the wall showed ten minutes after six. The sky was getting cloudy outside and it was about to rain.
Wen Xingze: "Sorry, I really don't have time——"
"Can you guys come and do me a favor?"
A gentle female voice interrupted.
The security guards looked in the direction of the voice and saw Ji Meng holding up her skirt with one hand and her broken high heel with the other, with an apologetic look on her face... The security guards knew that this was a special guest and they dared not neglect her.
After saying that, Ji Meng looked at Wen Xingze and winked at him.
Wen Xingze nodded gratefully to Ji Meng, then ran towards the elevator. This time, only one security guard was still chasing him.
Just at this moment, the elevator arrived. Wen Xingze was about to step into the elevator. The security guard noticed that he was about to leave and wanted to stop him, but two people came out of the elevator.
"What's going on with you guys? I've been complaining for ages and no one's come?"
Zhu Bo wore a suit and a bow tie, while Xu Qianqian looked very imposing in her eight-centimeter high heels.
Zhu Bo and Xu Qianqian came out arguing with each other. Xu Qianqian pushed Wen Xingze into the elevator, gestured for him to leave quickly, and then started arguing with the security guard.
On the other side of the stage.
Because of Wen Xingze's disappearance, there was already some discussion in the audience.
"...I'm the director of 'Dust Planet,'" Li Mingzhou scratched his head. "I know you all want to see handsome guys, so give me a chance!"
Li Mingzhou is a regular at the Oscars.
Everyone immediately gave him face and burst into laughter.
Li Mingzhou secretly gave Wen Xingze a thumbs-up from afar. On WeChat, several people in the Dust Planet creators' group posted: "I don't know what happened, but..."
"Aze, go for it!"
Wen Xingze: “…”
The elevator door closed, isolating the noisy award ceremony scene behind.
Wen Xingze was touched and wanted to laugh.
However, the good times did not last long. When the elevator went down to the basement floor and the door opened, Wen Xingze, who was anxious to run out, met Jiang Ye's gaze.
Jiang Ye folded his arms across his chest, holding the car keys in his hand, and looked at him coldly.
Wen Xingze: “…”
Why are you waiting for him here?
Wen Xingze: "Ye, Sister Ye... I didn't mean to run away, I just..."
Jiang Ye looked at him for another two seconds, and just when Wen Xingze's pressure reached its limit, she suddenly laughed out loud.
"puff."
Wen Xingze: “?”
"Stop talking nonsense, aren't you in a hurry?" Jiang Ye threw the car keys into Wen Xingze's hand. "Go ahead, say hello to your family for me—if possible, try to be back before eight o'clock!"
Wen Xingze almost cried: "...Okay!"
At this time, there were less than twenty minutes left before the heavy rain predicted in the weather forecast, and the wind was already getting stronger.
wrong.
Wen Xingze rushed in with the car keys in his hand when he suddenly remembered that he didn't know how to drive! He didn't have a driver's license!
At this moment, a pink sports car with an extremely arrogant shape drifted to a stop in front of him. Fang Ruxue, sitting in the driver's seat, honked the horn and raised her chin to him:
"Aze, get in the car!"
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