Chapter Forty-Five: Where Will the Next World Be?

The next day, Xie Jing yawned as he stepped out of his room. Huang Ling had already bought breakfast—steamed buns, mantou, and porridge—setting it all out on the table.

She had an important class today and couldn’t accompany Xie Jing, which left him feeling quite at ease.

After handing over the items to General Zhang last night, Xie Jing hadn’t lingered but went straight home. The rest was now up to the state to promote and develop; there was nothing more for him to do.

What he didn’t know was that after he left, General Zhang spent nearly an hour on the phone with the highest authority, then boarded a plane that very night, escorted by two fighter jets, rushing to the capital.

That same night, a number of leading scientists from the China Academy of Sciences were dragged out of bed by urgent calls. After a series of strict confidentiality measures, they were shown technologies more fantastical than they had ever imagined.

Though they were uneasy about why all the designs were described in Japanese, their scientific expertise prevailed. One night’s research led to a clear conclusion:

The contents of the hard drive were entirely feasible to manufacture.

Immediately, the hard drive’s security level was raised to the highest classification. General Zhang was thoroughly questioned by the relevant department for three hours before he was allowed to leave, now with four additional security officers by his side.

When Xie Jing woke up, he noticed something odd—there seemed to be people monitoring his front door.

“The state moves fast,” Xie Jing chuckled, unconcerned.

Only General Zhang had met him yesterday, so no one would know his identity.

At leisure, Xie Jing picked up a bag of dog food from the corner and poured it into King Singer’s little bowl, not caring whether the dog felt like eating.

King Singer, still listless after watching a bird’s heartbreak on Animal World the night before, seemed lost in his own world. Xie Jing had no idea if the dog had understood what it saw.

Afterward, Xie Jing turned on his computer and launched into a frenzy of catching up on anime.

Not just anime, but horror films, action flicks, and science fiction—he even rewatched all the Ultraman series. The system’s unpredictability compelled Xie Jing to cast the widest net possible, lest he find himself in another world with no clue what awaited him.

Life drifted by in this tranquil routine. The dramatic confrontations and moments of triumph he once imagined had no place in the current harmonious society.

No secret organizations, no underworld, no delinquents harassing Huang Ling...

The state merely maintained surveillance around Xie Jing’s house, growing from two personnel to a squad of twelve.

General Zhang was appointed to oversee Xie Jing’s surveillance and protection. But had it not been for the unforgettable transformation he’d witnessed, Zhang would have thought Xie Jing nothing more than a deeply reclusive otaku, whiling away his days.

Twenty-four hours a day, save for meals and occasional strolls, this supposed alien spent all his time at home, watching TV.

From Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf to Evangelion, from The Temptation to Return Home to The Grudge, Xie Jing watched it all, jotting down notes as he went.

But General Zhang didn’t know that at certain moments, Xie Jing would use the Tiga World Key to return to another world, where he spent time in romantic company.

Time slipped by swiftly. In the span of a month, only about ten percent of the hard drive’s data had been decrypted.

Yet, laboratory research had already successfully produced the unique high-strength, lightweight material from the Feiyan fighter’s airframe—a major breakthrough in modern materials science, enabling all of China’s fighter jets to shed thirty percent of their weight while gaining fifty percent more strength.

It wasn’t just the materials—the engine research pressed on. After all, for the Feiyan fighter, which defied all aerodynamic logic, to soar through the skies, its engine had to be exceptionally powerful.

As for laser weaponry, the top-secret lab had just launched the project, and the country’s laser experts were already on the verge of delirium.

Within a single month, subtle transformations were taking place.

Numerous survival shows quietly appeared on television, along with science documentaries demystifying aliens.

The locations of air-raid shelters across the country began to crop up on TV, sparking speculation among the observant.

On major online forums, especially military ones, debates raged about whether there was a looming conflict with another great power.

Only two nations on Blue Star could strike at China’s heartland.

The Beacon Nation and the Bear Nation.

The Bear Nation was all but moribund and maintained good relations with China, so that left the Beacon Nation.

China’s rapid ascent had seriously jeopardized the Beacon Nation’s international standing, leading to increasing friction in recent years—mainly in the economic sphere, while the prospect of all-out war between the two remained unthinkable.

Even the famously erratic president of the Beacon Nation hadn’t considered such a possibility.

After all, a total war between countries of such scale wasn’t a question of victory or defeat, but of whether the next world war would be fought with sticks or stones.

Yet the situation in China had not escaped the Beacon Nation’s notice. Opening up air-raid shelters, broadcasting survival knowledge—these were clear signs of the earliest stages of wartime mobilization!

What on earth was the Rabbit up to?

The Eagle was utterly baffled, so he summoned the Chinese ambassador for questioning.

The ambassador was just as bewildered; the hard drive project was top secret, known to only a handful. Naturally, the ambassador was not among them.

Meanwhile, the Bear Nation was growing frantic, as were the French Rooster and the Neon Nation. Unaware of the real situation, they dispatched spies to China while simultaneously holding large-scale military exercises.

China’s military, equally in the dark except for General Zhang, saw the flurry of exercises and thought: “Well, if you’re all going to make a show of it, we’ll join in!” And so they did.

Thus, during this period, the people of the world witnessed a remarkable spectacle.

Every country of any standing on Blue Star seemed to be in a contest to stage military exercises...

The flags flew, firecrackers resounded, drums thundered, and crowds gathered in great numbers—a scene of unbridled spectacle.

Yet none of this affected Xie Jing’s life. As the only superhuman on Blue Star, he had more than enough power to protect himself and his loved ones. Besides, military exercises were expensive; eventually these nations would realize something was amiss.

Now, Xie Jing stood in his room, opening his system screen.

A red warning box was flashing incessantly before his eyes, occupying nearly all his vision.

[One minute until your next world traversal! Please prepare yourself!]

Taking a deep breath, Xie Jing felt a flicker of anticipation as he awaited the transition.

After so many days of peace, the lure of the unknown journey had become surprisingly enticing—even to someone as lethargic as Xie Jing himself.

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[Begin traversal]

Light twisted around him. That familiar wave of dizziness returned, and despite his power over light, Xie Jing blacked out.

When he awoke...

Before him stretched a vast, endless prairie of emerald grass.

“Where on earth... have I landed this time?” Xie Jing stared at the armor on his body and the horsewhip at his waist, completely bewildered.