Chapter Forty-Five: The Next World

The next morning, yawning as he stepped out of his room, Xie Jing found that Huang Ling had already bought buns, steamed bread, and porridge, all neatly arranged on the table. She had an important class today and couldn’t keep him company, which suited Xie Jing just fine—he welcomed the peace and quiet.

After handing over the items to General Zhang last night, Xie Jing had gone straight home without lingering. The rest was a matter for the nation—promotion, research, development—well beyond his own reach.

What he didn’t know was that after he left, General Zhang spent nearly an hour on the phone with the supreme leader, then boarded a plane under the escort of two fighter jets, rushing through the night to the capital.

That very night, many of the top minds at the Huake Institute were roused from their beds by a single phone call. After stringent security checks, they were shown a trove of unprecedented, fantastical technology. Although some discomfort lingered over the fact that all the technical documentation was in Japanese, their scientific acumen prevailed. After a night’s intensive study, they reached a conclusion: the contents of the hard drive were indeed feasible to manufacture.

The security classification of the hard drive was immediately raised to the highest level. General Zhang himself was questioned by the relevant authorities for three hours before being allowed to leave, now accompanied by four additional security guards.

When Xie Jing woke up the next morning, he noticed that someone seemed to be keeping watch outside his apartment.

“The state moves quickly, doesn’t it?” Xie Jing chuckled and thought nothing more of it. Since only General Zhang had met him the day before, no one else could possibly know his identity.

Leisurely, Xie Jing scooped some dog food from the corner and poured it into Ge Wang’s little bowl, whether the dog felt like eating or not. Ever since watching that wildlife documentary and seeing a bird’s heartbreak, Ge Wang had been listless, though Xie Jing had no idea if the dog had truly understood what it saw.

Then, Xie Jing turned on his computer and launched into a frenzy of catching up on anime. Not just animation—he planned to binge-watch horror films, action movies, science fiction, and even rewatched every single Ultraman series.

With the system’s unpredictable nature, Xie Jing could only prepare as broadly as possible to avoid being dropped into some new world completely clueless.

Life drifted on in uneventful calm. The imaginings of dramatic face-slapping and preening were simply out of reach in this harmonious society. There were no secret agencies, no criminal gangs, no delinquent youths harassing Huang Ling...

The authorities limited themselves to surveillance around Xie Jing’s apartment. At first, it had been two people; now, a full squad of twelve was on the job.

Zhang Zhonghua was appointed with full responsibility for Xie Jing’s surveillance and protection. If not for Xie Jing’s remarkable transformation that day, Zhang might have believed that the man under watch was simply an extreme shut-in, whiling away his days in idle comfort.

Twenty-four hours a day, Xie Jing rarely left home except to eat or occasionally stroll outside. This supposed alien spent all his time at home watching television—everything from Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf to Evangelion, from homecoming melodramas to The Grudge. He seemed to watch anything and everything, occasionally jotting down notes as he went.

What General Zhang did not know was that, at certain times, Xie Jing would use the World Key from Tiga’s universe to return to another world, where he would while away the hours in romantic bliss with a girl.

Time slipped by swiftly. In a month, the country had only managed to decipher about ten percent of the information on the hard drive Xie Jing had provided.

Nonetheless, laboratory research had already succeeded in recreating the high-strength, lightweight materials unique to the Feiyan aircraft—a major breakthrough in materials science. This could reduce the weight of all fighter jets by thirty percent and increase their strength by fifty percent.

And it wasn’t just the materials; research on engines was ongoing. To make a plane as aerodynamically implausible as the Feiyan soar through the skies, the engine had to be extraordinarily powerful.

As for laser weaponry, the top-secret lab had barely launched its project when the nation’s leading laser experts were nearly driven wild with excitement.

Within a mere month, subtle transformations were afoot. The television quietly filled up with an array of survival shows and documentaries on alien mysteries. Even the locations of air raid shelters around the country were being mentioned more frequently, stirring speculation among the observant.

Online forums buzzed with debate—was something big about to happen?

Only two countries on Blue Star had the capacity to strike at the heart of China: the Beacon Nation and the Bear Nation. The Bear Nation, now a shadow of its former self, maintained good relations with China, leaving only the Beacon Nation.

China’s meteoric rise had severely challenged the Beacon Nation’s global standing, leading to growing tension in recent years, though mostly in the economic sphere. As for open conflict between the two giants? Not even the most reckless leader of the Beacon Nation would consider it.

After all, between two such powers, the issue was not who would win, but whether the next world war would be fought with sticks or stones.

Still, the Beacon Nation watched China’s internal developments carefully—air raid shelters being opened, survival knowledge being promoted—these were clear signs that something was afoot.

What, exactly, was the Rabbit up to?

The Eagle was baffled and summoned China’s ambassador for questioning. Afterward, both sides were left thoroughly confused. The hard drive project was so secret that few knew of its existence; the ambassador certainly didn’t.

Meanwhile, the Bear Nation was also growing agitated, as were the Brits and the Japanese. Not knowing what was going on, they dispatched envoys to China while simultaneously launching conspicuous military exercises.

China, for its part, was also in the dark. Aside from General Zhang, the rest of the leadership could only marvel at the flurry of foreign exercises. “Are you threatening us? Well, two can play at that game!”

Thus, during this period, the people of the world witnessed a spectacular sight: every country on Blue Star with any real power seemed to be holding military exercises in a sort of global contest.

Banners fluttered, fireworks exploded, drums thundered, and crowds surged—save for the Gaulish Nation. Determined to give no ammunition to its critics, the proud Rooster did nothing at all.

All the commotion outside could not disturb Xie Jing’s life. As the sole superhuman on Blue Star, he was more than capable of protecting himself and his family. Besides, military exercises were expensive; these countries would soon realize something was amiss.

Now, standing in his room, Xie Jing opened the system interface. Before him, a red warning box flashed incessantly, dominating his vision.

“Time until the next world transfer: one minute! Please prepare yourself!”

Drawing a deep breath, anticipation stirred in Xie Jing’s heart as he awaited the coming journey. After so many tranquil days, the unknown had gained a special allure—something that even the usually lethargic Xie Jing found astonishing.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

“Transfer commencing.”

Light twisted around him, and the familiar wave of dizziness struck. Even with the power of light, Xie Jing’s vision went black as he fainted away.

When he awoke—

He found himself in a vast, endless prairie of lush green grass.

“Where on earth… have I crossed into now?” he wondered, bewildered as he looked down at the armor on his body and the riding whip at his waist.