Calculate

Chapter 1

Part 1 of "Calculation"

Quote:

...Leibniz publicly promoted a system that was optimistic, orthodox, absurd, and superficial; another system, slowly unearthed from his manuscripts, was profound, coherent, Spinoza-esque, and possessed astonishing logic, fabricating an absurd "possible world"—his secret philosophy that he kept hidden away...

— Bertrand Russell, *A History of Western Philosophy*, Volume 3, Chapter 11, "Leibniz"

Prologue: 17th-century silver coins

Global Investigations Bureau Senior Detective Kim Dun sat there quietly, dressed in white, looking refined and scholarly, with a stern face. His short hair with sideburns and neatly trimmed mustache were very striking. His deep eyes shone brightly as he stared unblinkingly at an ancient silver coin on the table: the obverse of the coin depicted a majestic duke; the reverse depicted a creation story—darkness shrouded the water, with light radiating from its top…

The ancient silver coin came from the room of the missing scientific giant, Professor Nie, and hung on the window frame in front of his desk. The professor left three clues after his disappearance: first, his maniacal laughter the night before his disappearance; second, the words "Newton's New Clothes" written in his book "Principia Mathematica"; and third, this ancient silver coin.

Research has shown that this silver coin was designed by the 17th-century German philosopher and mathematician Leibniz. It was a commemorative medallion designed by Leibniz in 1697, symbolizing the binary system, and presented as a New Year's gift to his patron, the Duke of Augustus. Leibniz designed this coin to draw attention to his creation of the binary system through the Duke's name. However, it mysteriously disappeared during Leibniz's lifetime. Why did it reappear in Professor Nie's book more than 300 years later?

As Jin was engrossed in the secrets hidden within the silver coin, the voice of Director Habis interrupted his thoughts: "Global Emergency Room 306 meeting. NASA has received an SOS distress call from the X-planet astronauts."

His obsessive-compulsive nature led him to carefully put the silver coin away. He then called the detective at the scene: "Put the silver coin back in Professor Nie's study as is. It's personal property. Although the investigation bureau can take possession of a missing person's property under official pretexts, I don't want to undermine Mr. Rousseau's 'The Social Contract'!"

He stroked his earlobe, a shimmering light in his eyes, his neatly trimmed mustache remaining perfectly still: The professor had disappeared, and his daughter still had the leisure to travel and enjoy life in Xianyang? He frowned: Xianyang, wasn't that where the Book of Changes was originally unearthed? Didn't all 50,000 people in that city have the same dream?

Note:

① Its full title is *Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy*, Newton's most important scientific work, completed at the end of 1686. *Mathematical Principles* is epoch-making; it is a complete system of cosmology and scientific theory mastered by humankind, the cornerstone of modern science, from which humanity understands the world. This is why later generations have praised it: with this book, humanity began to stride forward steadily, from a "lost child."

②Rudolphus Augustus, Duke of Hanover, Germany, and patron of Leibniz. The Duke was very interested in Leibniz's binary system and believed that "all numbers can be created from 0 and 1," which provided a basis for the Genesis account in the Christian Bible, and proved that the one and only perfect God created the world from nothing.

Part 2

The Original Book of Changes (Part 1)

Xianyang is located in the heart of the Qin Chuan Plain in China.

Because the Wei River flows through the south and Mount Zong stretches to the north, both mountains and rivers are located on the sunny side, hence the name Xianyang.

It was once a world-class ancient capital, where Emperor Qin Shi Huang established his capital and founded the first centralized multi-ethnic regime. The Records of the Grand Historian also records that the mausoleum of King Wen of Zhou is located in Xianyang.

Due to the deterioration of the global environment in recent years, especially the increasingly rampant "dust storms" in northern Mongolia, this once prosperous and culturally rich ancient capital, the first stop on the ancient Silk Road, is becoming increasingly desolate, with most areas of Xianyang now shrouded in yellow sand.

This month, however, a momentous event occurred in this increasingly declining city. The original copy of the *Zhouyi* (Book of Changes), the most "mysterious" of the Six Classics in Chinese Confucianism, was unearthed in Xianyang.

Three versions of the *I Ching* have been unearthed and circulated. The first version tells of an eight-year-old boy who, while playing, wandered deep into a tomb and saw an old man in a tall hat and wide robe, wandering alone under an ancient locust tree. The boy vaguely heard the long-browed old man say, "The celestial signs warn that a sage has not yet appeared; the situation is perilous. A heavenly book is presented to warn them..." Popular belief holds that King Wen of Zhou, seeing his descendants had strayed into a path of destruction, used the child's words to warn the people, and further revealed the *I Ching*, a "heavenly and human learning" that "sages emulate," hoping that humanity could find answers in this divine handbook... and gain a glimmer of hope for human survival...

In recent years, environmental degradation and the opening of Pandora's box by technology have led to a surge in various diseases and disasters. Recently, bizarre events have also occurred. Due to excessively high global temperatures, a black bear in a Siberian zoo is unable to hibernate properly; it remains in a semi-conscious state during its hibernation period, frequently venturing out for a stroll. Besides bears no longer hibernating, even migratory birds are no longer flying south. Snowfall in Siberia, once a frozen wasteland, is now only one-tenth of normal, necessitating artificial snowmaking and snowfall for the Winter Olympics in St. Petersburg. Global temperatures have reached record highs for this time of year since meteorological records began in 1840; one-fifth of Antarctica has melted, and major cities near the sea, such as New York and Shanghai, are in grave danger. Therefore, the first version has gained widespread acceptance.

The second version relates to the widely circulated, mysterious celestial body known as the "Bi Yi Xing" (比翼星). It claims that intelligent life from that planet has arrived on Earth in a ship, causing a tremor upon landing in the ancient Loulan region of western China. Earth's civilization was originally a spark of galactic inspiration spread by them. This time, they traveled a long distance to find the core of Earth's civilization, unearthing the original text of the *I Ching* (周易), the ancestor of all classics. It is said that they come and go without a trace, like ghosts. Furthermore, a citizen of Xianyang claimed to have seen a child wandering aimlessly under the moonlight on the edge of the desert. Local speculation suggests that the beings from that world might be small in stature, thus being mistaken for a child…

In the past two months, the Earth's magnetic field has been disturbed by a mysterious magnetic field, causing the crashes of seven civilian airliners. News of extraterrestrial invasions has been coming one after another, and the Academy Party prefers the second version.

The third version claims that the discovery of the *I Ching* was due to a nuclear explosion in western China; the powerful shockwave stirred up the earth, allowing the artifact, buried for millennia, to resurface. However, this claim has not been definitively confirmed, and a government spokesperson denied any nuclear explosion in western China. Nevertheless, many citizens did feel tremors that night and faintly heard muffled thunder.

The local newspaper, *Huaxi Jinbao*, also touted it as a miracle: the night before the original *I Ching* was unearthed, Xianyang was hit by a fierce storm with thunder and lightning. The entire city trembled in the heavens and earth, nine dragons coiled, and phoenixes cried in the sky. Ancient mythical beasts circled over Xianyang all night. That night, the weather suddenly changed, with strong winds and heavy rain. The next day, the museum director received news that a dark brown ancient text of unknown origin had been unearthed from a tomb accompanying the "King Wen's Mausoleum." When the director arrived, the area around King Wen's Mausoleum was quiet and peaceful, a magnificent scene reminiscent of "no one seen by the Wei River Bridge, only a reclining unicorn caressing the high tomb." The mausoleum was dry and clean, without a drop of water, showing no signs of wind, rain, or thunder!

The discovery of the original *I Ching* was already strange, but even more terrifying was the dream the editor-in-chief of the *Huaxi Jinbao* newspaper had after its excavation. The dream was vivid and unforgettable, seemingly foreshadowing something: In the dream, he saw Xianyang City slowly rise from the ground, floating in the air like a mirage. Then, the entire city suddenly collapsed from the sky, leaving behind ruins piled high with famous formulas and theorems… Simultaneously, a hurricane swept through, breaking down all the ruins into binary 0s and 1s. These frantic numbers began to combine, forming ancient Loulan-style buildings that resembled both squares and circles. A new city was instantly established, with pavilions, terraces, and flying eaves. Crickets chirped in the grass, centipedes hissed on the moss, manta rays swam in the stream, and dew clung to a child's face… What terrified him was that his wife and son also had the same dream, and those who had the dream could accurately describe its details. What horrified the editor-in-chief even more was that the day after the dream, a peddler in Xianyang suddenly went mad, shouting everywhere that the city was about to be destroyed. He saw another city where crickets were chirping, there were square and round buildings, and children with dew on their hands...

Various rumors have circulated. But the only certainty is that, according to research by experts in ancient Chinese books, the ancient text unearthed from the tomb is the legendary "Book of Changes"! Lost for thousands of years, its value is immeasurable.

It was early winter in Xianyang at this time, and the nights after the sandstorm were especially chilly.

All things rest, all sounds are still, and a bright, cold new moon hangs over the border.

Having not seen the bright moon for decades, Xavier and Chu Xunfeng were immersed in the tale of "the moon of Qin and the pass of Han"...

The scene was much more desolate than when Xavier and his father Nie Longping arrived in Xianyang twelve years ago.

It was in this vicinity that Xavier once found an ancient silver coin with some illegible characters engraved on it...

Saviel always felt like something was watching them from behind.

But every time she looked back, she only saw endless yellow sand, no human figures and nothing unusual.

She spotted a dark shadow wriggling in the yellow sand ahead: "What's that?"

Chu Xunfeng was lost in the grandeur of the vast desert sands, swaying his head and lost in ancient musings: "Listen to the tranquility in this wind and sand, feel the heartbeat in the cycle of reincarnation. This is the true culture of China. Don't miss the opportunity to appreciate the charm of Eastern culture..." Xavier's scream didn't bring him back from his poetic reverie. Stroking his sparse beard, he slowly asked, "What's the commotion?"

“Single eyelids, you see?…” Xavier’s voice trembled.

By the moonlight, they saw a mollusk crawling in the yellow sand, meandering towards them, its speed increasing.

"What is that?" Chu Xunfeng was quite curious, and he even tried to walk closer to take a look.

Xavier grabbed Chu Xunfeng tightly, "Watch out, it's a snake!"

Chu Xunfeng broke out in a cold sweat, his palms felt chilly, and his first reaction was: "Dimples, run, run..."

At that moment, he regretted dragging Xavier to admire "Qin Shi Ming Yue Han Shi Guan" (The Moon Over Qin and the Pass of Han). This boundless, lifeless yellow sand was rumored to be haunted by ghosts and lurking with poisonous snakes.

“It’s too late. It’s much faster than us. We have to stay still and wait for the snake to move.” Xavier stared intently at the approaching snake shadow, took off her light purple coat and held it in her hand to block the snake’s attack.

Saviel, who studied "intelligence analysis," inherited her father Nie Longping's traits: rigorous thinking and a clear mind. She was an outstanding and legendary student at the Leipzig University School of Information Science. At the age of 12, she led the German team to victory in the Mathematical Olympiad in Athens, Greece, defeating the then-dominant Chinese team, who had consistently ranked first. In handling emergencies, she was far more capable than her boyfriend, a philosophy major and a campus poet who spent his days indulging in romantic musings.

The snake slithered incredibly fast, closing in on the two of them in an instant. It was nearly 3 meters long. Chu Xunfeng could hear the hissing sound of the snake's molting skin rubbing against the sand. Chu Xunfeng clenched his fists, sweat pouring down his back. He unconsciously stood in front of Xavier to guard against the snake's attack.

When it was still a few meters away from the two people, the snake suddenly raised the front part of its body, and the sides of its upper body and neck swelled to nearly twice their size. It opened its mouth and made a "hissing" sound. Its tongue flicked in and out in the moonlight, making it look extremely sinister and terrifying.

“King Cobra!” Xavier exclaimed.

The king cobra is the most venomous animal in the desert. It burrows into the sand and attacks any living creature with its potent venom. A bite from it is an instant death. Snakes this long are rarely seen, so it seems these two are doomed today.

"Hide behind me!" Chu Xunfeng shouted at Saviel, his nerves on edge. This was the first time he had ever yelled at Saviel so loudly.

Saviel had never been reprimanded like this before. Taken aback, tears instantly streamed down her face. "No..."

"Get to the back..." Chu Xunfeng, who was usually quiet and gentle, was furious.

After being scolded by Chu Xunfeng, Xavier burst into tears, feeling a pain in her heart worse than being bitten by a poisonous snake. This was even more painful than failing to complete the task her father had given her: "You've been looking for an excuse to scold me for a long time, haven't you? I shouldn't have come to Xianyang..." Neither of them knew that Professor Nie had already disappeared.

Chu Xunfeng sighed. At such a critical moment, she actually had the mind to talk about such trivial matters. Women are truly unreasonable. He kept a close eye on the cobra. As soon as it got close, he would wrap it with his clothes and suffocate it to death.

The king cobra did not attack the two. Instead, it turned its head back and hissed louder and louder, as if it were showing off to something.

Only then did the two notice an animal closely following the cobra. Its gait was clumsy and unsteady, its waddling manner seemingly disdainful of the ferocious snake. When the cobra hissed intimidatingly, it raised its claws and circled the snake three times to the left and three times to the right. The cobra seemed quite afraid of this creature; wherever the shadowy figure moved, its swollen head turned in that direction, but it dared not attack. It seemed the cobra hadn't intended to attack the two, but had been driven here by this animal.

"Honey badger!" Xavier exclaimed excitedly. Honey badgers are the natural enemies of cobras, named for their love of honey, and they also love to eat snakes. Even if they are poisoned by snakes, they can just sleep it off and it's as if nothing happened! Moreover, they are extremely bold and can handle most cobras.

Suddenly, the honey badger pounced fiercely, its movements incredibly swift. It bit the snake's neck in one swift motion. The king cobra hissed and struggled on the ground, its three-meter-long body coiling around the honey badger, which held on tightly to its neck.

"Amazing, amazing!" Chu Xunfeng clapped his hands in praise. He wanted to go forward to see if the cobra was dead. Suddenly, he noticed that Saviel beside him was in tears. He had been a little "vulgar" in his haste: "I didn't mean to complain about your coming to Xianyang, I was just so worried about you..."

Saviel kept her head down, ignoring him. Her slender body trembled slightly, as if she were still sobbing! After removing her outer garment, she appeared even more graceful and elegant. Her pouting lips were lively, pink, and alluring. Chu Xunfeng was captivated, unable to resist exclaiming, "What a beautiful woman! What beautiful eyes!"—He had a deep affection for the *Chu Ci* (Songs of Chu) and often liked to use phrases like "XXXX, XXXX." He completely forgot that just moments before, they had been in a life-or-death situation, and he was furious with Saviel.

"I really don't blame you for coming to Xianyang. I just think, how could you possibly let me touch the original copy of the Book of Changes? Do you think I'm some pretty boy?" Chu Xunfeng blinked his single eyelids, touching his face with a self-pitying look, his eyes revealing a wicked glint. "Of course, you can't blame the museum. After all, it's a unique copy in the country, and it will oxidize as soon as it's exposed to light!"

Saviel chuckled, her face flushed, and she said with a hint of playful anger, "I know you were just worried about me, otherwise I would have thrown you to the cobras." She glanced back and snuggled tightly against Chu Xunfeng. "Let's go back. I heard there are vengeful ghosts wandering on the edge of this desert! If we run into them, they're even scarier than these cobras..."

The honey badger pinned the cobra to the ground, remaining motionless while emitting a "whooshing" growl.

"I'll kill Buddha if I see Buddha, I'll kill ghost if I see ghost. Those evil spirits and crooked paths better not run into me." He straightened his back, adopting the heroic posture of "drawing his sword and looking around in bewilderment," and then pulled her tightly into his arms. Saviel struggled for a moment, then her body went limp. "You didn't come here on purpose to take me for yourself, did you?" Saviel's eyes flickered. Chu Xunfeng pretended to be serious and said, "Faced with the cold moon of the border and the brave and invincible Badger Brother, how could I think of romance? What kind of person do you take me for?" His gaze was fixed on the distance, seemingly piercing into the depths of the golden armor and iron horses of the imperial cavalry, his face showing concern for the country and its people. However, his arms tightened their embrace, and he thought to himself, "No wonder the King of Chu likes slender waists. These delicate hands are indeed tempting." His heart fluttered, a surge of hot blood rushed up, and his body seemed to swell up like a cobra. Saviel strictly adhered to her father's teachings, insisting that couples should not live together before marriage. Even a kiss was hesitant and coy, more reserved than the most classical Eastern woman—a truly unusual situation in Germany. Seeing all the international students in pairs, Chu Xunfeng lamented his own misfortune—his goddess, bound by worldly constraints, had kept him on edge every day, and had never broken her vow of celibacy.

The two were so engrossed in their lovemaking that they completely forgot about the fight between the snake and the badger before them: "Don't believe those rumors from the martial arts world, about vengeful ghosts wandering around..." Chu Xunfeng wanted to step forward and check if the honey badger had dealt with the king cobra.

The cobra's final, piercing scream startled the two men; it sounded like a dying cry, indicating that the honey badger had won the battle.

"Yes, Chinese newspapers love to play the supernatural game, saying that when the Book of Changes came out of the mountains, there were howling winds and torrential rains, dragons swimming in the rain and phoenixes singing in the sky, just like Greek mythology, which is not very credible."

Chu Xunfeng blushed. It was true that Chinese media loved sensationalism, but he always retorted to any attack on his motherland. He argued forcefully, "Dimples, you don't understand. An ancient and extraordinary book like the *I Ching* would naturally cause nature to pale in comparison, and mythical beasts to dance. When a peerless hero like Genghis Khan was born, his hands were stained with blood..."

"Alright, alright!" Xavier pouted her cherry lips. "Single eyelids, what are you doing studying philosophy? I think you'd be better off studying literature. Your head is full of whimsical ideas..."

“Being too rational can make your thinking rigid. Great philosophers' thoughts are always unrestrained. Einstein arrived at the theory of general relativity by wandering through the world, and Newton understood universal gravitation by eating an apple. If only you had a bit of my way of thinking.” Chu Xunfeng saw that Saviel's lips were pouting even more. He stopped arguing with her and went forward to see if the honey badger had killed the snake.

"Don't go near it!" Xavier grabbed Chu Xunfeng.

Chu Xunfeng broke free from her hand, stepped forward, and bowed. "Brother Badger, what skill you have!" Although he was terrified of venomous snakes, he was completely unconcerned about the adorable honey badger.

The honey badger remained firmly gripping the cobra, motionless. The cobra had stopped hissing and was clearly dead for some time. Seeing that the honey badger ignored him, Chu Xunfeng stepped forward, intending to kick it.

"Don't touch it!" Xavier cried out.

“I can’t handle a king cobra, so why would I be afraid of a little badger?” Chu Xunfeng ignored Xavier’s warning and stepped forward to give the honey badger a light kick. Of course, he didn’t want to hurt it.

"Heavens!" Saviel was furious with Chu Xunfeng. She knew that honey badgers were extremely vengeful and would never forget a grudge. Although they were not big, they were stubborn and exceptionally brave. Getting involved with one was just asking for trouble, unless you killed it.

After being kicked, the honey badger spat out the cobra in its mouth and lunged at Chu Xunfeng's leg with reckless abandon, roaring and biting down on Chu Xunfeng's boot, refusing to let go.

Chu Xunfeng kicked it away, and the honey badger rushed over and bit the boot.

"Wow! You're serious?" Chu Xunfeng felt a faint pain in the soles of his feet, as if the thick leather boots had been bitten through by a honey badger.

"Hurry up..." Chu Xunfeng realized how powerful the honey badger was. He kicked the honey badger away, grabbed Saviel's hand, and ran back.

After they had gone, a ghostly figure slowly emerged from behind them. His steps were light and ethereal, like a floating soul under the moonlight, without any visible physical form... His pale face and long, flowing hair were vaguely discernible, making him eerie and terrifying...

After a moment's thought, he pulled a black box from his pocket and, like a well-behaved child, diligently worked out a math problem assigned by his teacher... After wandering around in the moonlight for a while to find his way, he walked towards the dimly lit area of Xianyang City, gradually disappearing into the darkness...

The two were exhausted from running, but the honey badger still followed aggressively. It roared like thunder, looking as if it wanted to tear the foot that Chu Xunfeng had kicked it to pieces.

"If you come again, don't blame me for killing you."

"Take off your boots and give them to it, hurry up..." Xavier was furious at Chu Xunfeng's unreasonable behavior.

The honey badger grabbed the boot in its jaws and started tearing and thrashing about, but it didn't attack the two men. It seemed that it only hated its direct targets.

Chu Xunfeng couldn't help but burst into laughter when he saw how short-sighted the honey badger was.

The two quietly kept their distance from the honey badger, afraid of offending this "daredevil" again.

"Luckily, I have my leather boots." Chu Xunfeng, true to his bad habits, quietly hugged Xavier from behind and teased her.

A blush crept onto Saviour's face; she had been utterly exasperated by Chu Xunfeng. "Stop being such a scoundrel! Let's go back!"

Chu Xunfeng shook his head and hugged him tighter: "Did I act like a hooligan? No! We finally found a quiet place to tell you an Eastern legend."

"I don't like legends, I only like logical reasoning, empirical things, syllogisms, quintic equations... Let's go back! Too much has already happened tonight."

"We won't return until the moon rises above the willow branches."

“Then I’ll go back alone! I have single eyelids.” Xavier broke free from his hand.

"Go back, you dimple." Chu Xunfeng was a little annoyed; she really didn't understand romance. He didn't turn around, but stretched out his arms, making a gesture of embracing the moon. And he let out a long, drawn-out whistle:

"If a girl is born, she can marry a neighbor; if a boy is born, he will be buried and forgotten among the weeds."

Have you not seen the headwaters of Qinghai, where countless bones have remained uncollected since ancient times?

New ghosts are troubled and old ghosts weep, their cries echoing in the damp, overcast sky…

Chu Xunfeng deliberately pronounced the words "white bones" and "ghostly wailing" in a long, drawn-out manner, like the lingering, poignant weeping in the long night in "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio".