Calculate

Chapter 10

Saviel looked up, her bright black eyes filled with tenderness. "We'll be together for all eternity." Tears streamed down Saviel's face. "For all eternity." She choked up again.

Chu Xunfeng laughed and said, "You're so upset about this little injury. How am I supposed to repay you when you bear my children?"

“Oh no!” Xavier gently pressed his wound. “Just lie there, in my arms. Don’t think about anything else…”

"Um……"

As they talked, both of them grew sleepy. Chu Xunfeng was worried that Saviel would be scared being alone in the room, so he suggested that they sleep in the same room. Saviel blushed and agreed, lying down fully clothed on the bed.

Chu Xunfeng saw the curtains swaying gently in the breeze, like ripples spreading across the water. In this winter, if the doors and windows weren't properly closed, wouldn't everyone freeze to death at night? He went to the window and pulled at the curtains. As he gently lifted them, a deathly pale face was pressed against the glass, peering inside. The face was expressionless, but the eyes, reflecting the lamplight, gleamed with a sinister red, exuding a menacing aura. Chu Xunfeng was so frightened he couldn't breathe. When he looked again, the bluish shadow flashed by and vanished instantly into the misty night.

The night was deep, with only a dim light from the room casting a hazy glow on the lawn. A wisp of cool breeze blew in through the crack in the window, and Chu Xunfeng felt a chill. On such a night, with only the cool, watery wind, why did this "Yizhuang" hidden in the greenery have such a ghostly shadow? Thinking of Professor Nie's mysterious disappearance, Chu Xunfeng felt a chill run down his spine.

The shadow seemed familiar, as if he'd seen it somewhere before. He remembered the indistinct blue figure in the video, the Josephus Ring that Saviel had mentioned, the child with the snow-white, genius-like appearance, and his icy, chilling gaze. The man in blue with indistinct features sitting in the back of the plane, the professor who was highly suspicious and acted in the "opposite" way, and the fleeting shadow as he left the professor's room? Was someone following him and Saviel? They were being watched by a ghost…

Worried that Saviel might be frightened, Chu Xunfeng locked the windows and drew the curtains, then casually lay down on the sofa to sleep. Saviel was exhausted these past few days, and now with a protector by her side, she quickly fell into a deep sleep. When Chu Xunfeng leaned over to look at her, he saw long, dark, glossy eyelashes obscuring her eyelids, and tear tracks hidden on her thin face. He gently kissed her cheek, then suddenly heard Saviel murmuring something in her sleep. He leaned closer to listen and heard two words: "The Book of Changes... The Book of Changes..."

Chu Xunfeng, having turned off the light, dared not fall asleep, but instead strained his ears to listen for any unusual activity.

Half an hour later, I couldn't hold on any longer and drifted off to sleep...

What a heartwarming scene! Young lovers, listening to each other's breaths, in the woods of Leipzig, where death lurks at every turn, only true love finds solace in each other's heartbeats...

However, all of this was just a fleeting moment of tenderness after closing one's eyes.

I don't know how long I slept, but suddenly I heard laughter outside.

The laughter grew gradually, from soft to loud, from peaceful to frenzied.

Listen, discern, tremble...

Chu Xunfeng was startled awake by the laughter, and he sat up in alarm.

Wasn't Professor Nie laughing maniacally before he disappeared?

Could it be that Professor Nie has returned?

The laughter grew louder and louder until it finally erupted into utter despair.

Like a gambler who has lost everything, but wins it all back in the last roll of the dice.

It was such a gratifying and triumphant feeling.

Such maniacal laughter echoed from the darkness.

It terrifies people.

Chu Xunfeng turned on the light and saw that Xavier was clutching the blanket tightly and trembling all over.

Chu Xunfeng was unusually calm at this moment, and he held Xavier in his arms.

"Oh no, that crazy laughter seems to be coming from the building across the street, Professor Cole's room."

Chu Xunfeng suddenly realized that the laughter sounded just like a child seeing his favorite toy.

He darted out and turned back to Xavier, saying, "Close the door and don't move. Don't open the door until you hear me."

When Xavier tried to stop him, Chu Xunfeng had already firmly closed the door.

“Be careful, come back soon,” Xavier called from behind.

Chu Xunfeng rushed to Professor Cole's house, where officers from the Global Bureau of Investigation were already filming with infrared cameras—the same two detectives who had been guarding "Yi Zhuang." Hellman was crying in the living room, wearing his pajamas.

The professor has disappeared; that maniacal laughter sounds like a cry for help before he vanished.

This is almost identical to the rumored disappearance of Professor Nie.

In an instant, yet another Professor WAR vanished from the face of the earth.

“Hellman, did you hear your father’s laughter?”

Hermann hugged Chu Xunfeng tightly, still trembling: "I was awakened by the laughter and went to my father's room, but he was already... he was gone." Hermann's face was covered in tears.

Chu Xunfeng gently nudged her, but seeing her doll-like, innocent face, he couldn't bear to do it. Hermann, realizing something, blushed slightly. "What should we do?" she asked, releasing her hand and tugging at Chu Xunfeng's sleeve. "What happened?"

When Chu Xunfeng peeked out the window and looked around, he only saw beech trees baring their fangs and claws in the darkness.

He thought of the man in blue; he must have used some trickery.

That's terrifying, that insane laughter in the middle of the night.

"Why don't you have someone seal off this place?" Chu Xunfeng said. "The perpetrator is nearby, and Professor Cole shouldn't have gone far."

"Oh," the detective glared at Chu Xunfeng angrily, "Do I need you to lecture me? You better stay put and don't move." He was the detective from the Investigation Bureau stationed at "Yi Zhuang".

“Detective, I saw the suspect tonight. He was a man in a blue shirt. I saw him again last night.”

The detective was taken aback by Chu Xunfeng's words, then glanced at him and took out his phone: "Headquarters, headquarters, Special Agent 305 is looking for Detective Golden Shield, Special Agent 305 of the Global Investigation Bureau is looking for Detective Golden Shield."

"Headquarters replied that Chief Golden Shield is temporarily unavailable."

"Please leave a message for Detective Golden Shield: Professor Warcoe is missing. Time of disappearance: 3:00 AM on [Date]. Additionally, Chu Xunfeng, a philosophy student at Leipzig University, claims to have witnessed the suspect."

Chu Xunfeng was taken aback: "So the other party knew my identity perfectly well."

After making the call, the detective shook his head: "Where did the Golden Shield detective go again? He's always disappearing without a trace."

Part 8

The Secrets of the Book of Changes (Part 1)

Golden Shield is on its way to the Federal Headquarters.

At midnight, the Earth Federation convened its second emergency meeting of the 306th Congress.

The storm began with a ripple on the water. Despite the federal high command's best efforts to suppress the "astronauts in distress at Planet X space station" and avoid any discussion of extraterrestrial life on Planet Alpha G, the media's keen sense of smell meant that any unusual development would spark widespread discussion. Reporters, always eager to stir up trouble, embellished the story, vividly describing the Alpha G life. They even released a video depicting the "Alpha G monster's appearance," using Flash IX and Adobe Premiere Pro XI to create a six-legged spider shape that was horrifying and disgusting to watch.

The federal leadership was unable to clarify the matter to the people. Furthermore, some opposition groups seized the opportunity to stir things up, including renewed unrest in previously suppressed Latin American regions, and opinion leaders dissatisfied with the federal system taking the chance to express their views. The entire Global Federation was fraught with crisis and rife with undercurrents.

The Federation has also begun preparations. The Extinction weapon, hidden in the center of the Eurasian Plate, a weapon created and developed over decades by Federation materials scientists and nuclear weapons experts, has quietly unveiled the "Solomon's Seal." The Extinction weapon is the Earth Federation's most powerful weapon. Its theory is that any connection is an energy sphere within a gravitational field. Materials scientists and geologists, after years of research and numerous 3D computer simulations, confirmed Earth's energy detonation point, and nuclear weapons experts provided a sufficiently powerful detonating nuclear bomb. In fact, Extinction is not a single weapon, but rather a series of nuclear bombs installed on Earth, equipped with hydrogen-helium launchers and controlled by the R-Cube central computer. The Extinction's power is sufficient to destroy Planet X 13 times over.

Just in case, the Federation has activated its most secretive and powerful weapon. If Earth experiences any further disturbances, in order to protect this blue planet, Extinction may destroy Planet X first. The black box controlling Extinction is in the hands of Federation Secretary General Mister.

Mister convened a second emergency meeting with representatives from the Atomic Energy Commission, NASA, the World Scientific Association, the Global Investigation Bureau, and the Federal Intelligence Service. As before, except for the complete media segregation, all attendees were identical. Deputy Director Kim, who had rushed back from Leipzig, arrived last in the meeting room.

After Mister saw that everyone had arrived, he stood up and said, "To date, NASA has still been unable to make any contact with the X-star base, and it is highly likely that something has happened."

NASA Administrator O'Pearl nodded: "Unfortunately, we have used all available space communication methods, but we have been unable to make contact with Planet X on all frequencies. An unknown and exceptionally strong magnetic field has been interfering with our communication, and we cannot overcome it with our current audio capabilities."

Mister said, "Yesterday, a strong magnetic field was observed again in an area about 100 kilometers over Central Asia, at 75 degrees east longitude and 45 degrees north latitude. Flight CG3156 from Xianyang, China to Leipzig, Germany was affected. According to the intelligence agency's spectral analysis, it is consistent with the magnetic field interference last month, the magnetic field generated by the nuclear explosion in western China, and the magnetic field interference from the SOS message sent by X-satellite, only slightly weaker. Based on information from all parties, the conclusion is that an extraterrestrial civilization launched a probing attack on Earth."

Kim Doon didn't speak, but glanced at Park Woo-seok. He saw that Park's expression was calm and nonchalant, but his cheeks had a sickly flush that couldn't hide his pale and sickly appearance.

Mr. Mister continued, “The Earth Federation has taken two measures. First, it has mobilized Federation military forces, recalled its space fleet, and readjusted the Federation’s nuclear and optical weapon systems. Military forces from Asia, Europe, and North America have now been assembled, and the Federation is on high alert. However, to maintain harmony within the Federation and prevent excessive public tension, all military operations are top secret. If any abnormal situation arises, a devastating attack on Planet X will be launched immediately. Second, the Matrix Project is being urgently advanced. Originally, this project was supposed to await a national referendum, but given the extraordinary circumstances, extraordinary measures are necessary. Professor Park Woo-seok’s Bill 3099 will be re-examined in the House of Representatives in five days. If passed, the Matrix Project will commence. If not, volunteers will be recruited to join the project.” Mr. Mister looked sharply at everyone present: “What are your opinions?”

Kim Doon didn't say anything, but kept staring at Park Woo-seok to see his reaction.

Park Seok-seok coughed repeatedly, and the others sighed inwardly, realizing that the professor's time was running out. He forced himself to stand up, his face filled with worry for the nation: "...cough...the life forms on Alpha Planet G are composed of O and Fe. According to computer simulations and current data, they are bloodthirsty and greedy. For the sake of the future of this blue planet, I support the Secretary-General's decision."

Jin Dun pondered, "He wants to prove his Alpha G life theory, which is his lifelong research topic. He also wants to promote the Matrix project and become the father of the fourth pole civilization. These two things are perfectly aligned."

Mr. Mister said, "We can no longer back down, nor can we continue to be passively attacked. The strategy of the previous Secretary-General, Mr. Busch, was to strike first. If everyone agrees, we would like to proceed with this resolution."

It seems that Secretary-General Mr. Mister has accepted the view of the "Alpha Centauri G invasion" faction. This is just a routine matter. It seems that Mr. Mister and Park Seo-seok have reached an agreement privately in the past two days.

The conference room was deathly silent. Everyone realized that this resolution concerned the future of humanity. The Matrix Project, in particular, abandoned natural evolution and began programmed evolution. Humanity would thus advance to a new level of civilization. Materialism, spiritualism, and idealism would no longer be debatable; from now on, only humanism would exist. Humans would be their own gods, controlling everything and leading evolution themselves. At that time, all religions on Earth could be abolished; humanity would no longer need faith.

Everyone was deep in thought. The Swiss clock ticked. The atmosphere in the room was extremely oppressive.

After about half an hour of silence, and seeing that no one spoke, Jin Dun stood up: "I conservatively support the first measure. I oppose the second opinion."

Mister asked, "What does 'conservative approval' mean?"

"Star X is the culmination of over a century of Earth's space program. To attack it rashly would be tantamount to humanity destroying its own Great Wall. There are 23 astronauts on board, each a fighter who has dedicated their life to the cause of human space exploration. Without solid evidence, we must not be alarmed by every little thing, lest we destroy humanity's foundation and harm the outstanding citizens of the Federation." The golden shield's mustache trembled in the wind from his excessive excitement; this conclusion was terrifying.

“I have the utmost respect for these astronauts, everyone here, but for the sake of all humanity, sometimes we have to give up some things.” Mister lowered his head. “It’s certainly a sad thing, but now we have to think about the whole planet.”

“What do you mean by conclusive evidence? You know, yesterday a strong magnetic field was discovered in an area at 10 degrees east longitude and 52 degrees north latitude, about 100 kilometers from the North Sea. It's consistent with the strong magnetic field that's interfering with the Earth's magnetic field. We've been in contact with Planet X, and that terrifying magnetic field has been interfering all along.” Park Seok-seok coughed again. “Cough… Is there any doubt about this? Does the Earth Federation really live in a state of being threatened or manipulated? There's an old Chinese saying: ‘Hesitation leads to trouble.’”

Jin Dunqing's cold face grew even darker: "Of course I know about this. I was on the plane from Xianyang to Leipzig at the time, and I detected this strong magnetic field, which was indeed consistent with the interfering magnetic field..."

“Mr. Kim must have felt that intense fear on the plane; in fact, the entire Earth is in a similar state right now.” Professor Park said calmly, his coughing subsiding at that moment.

"On the plane, I discovered a man in blue robes who was controlling the strong magnetic field remotely through calculations. Moreover, he could also manipulate consciousness using calculations."

"A man in blue? He manipulates consciousness?" Everyone was puzzled.

"This man in blue has been tracking Professor Nie's daughter and her boyfriend since Xianyang. Every step he takes is extremely precise, like a human supercomputer. From what I've observed, it seems like everything is within his calculations. He has a strong mathematical background; he was even able to calculate Xavier's position on the plane."

“Then we can check who booked the tickets,” Habbs said.

"I checked, and the registration shows that this person was born in Leipzig, Germany, in 1746, which means he is nearly four hundred years old. I don't know how he managed to fool the ticket seller back then. His birthplace is now the Leipzig Monument. Various documents show that none of his credentials are valid."

"So, he's a complete fictitious ghost, a spirit that has roamed the human world for 400 years," Professor Park Seok-seok chuckled. "Why is this ghost following Professor Nie's daughter? Is he trying to possess her body?"

"His target was Professor Nie's daughter's handbag. As for what was in that handbag, I don't know. But I suspect it's related to the original text of the Book of Changes."

"The Book of Changes is merely one of the classic texts of Confucianism in China, a method used by the ancient Chinese to divine good and bad fortune from the gods. What does it have to do with the entire X-planet incident? Perhaps the disappearance of the original Book of Changes was just a coincidence, but is it related to this matter?" Mister said.

"The Book of Changes (I Ching) is not only a book of divination; within its mystical form lies theoretical thinking and dialectical concepts. It is the first of the Six Classics of China and the origin of Eastern philosophy. To put it more grandly, it is the first of all classics and the source of the Great Way. Great Chinese philosophers Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi were both influenced by it. At the same time, it is also the foundation of the development of Eastern science and technology. The Book of Changes is not merely used for divination, but is also the ancient origin of mathematics," Jin Dun said.

“Oh?” Mister expressed doubt.

"The deeper meanings contained within have not yet been discovered. The hexagrams of the *I Ching* are composed of two types of lines: yang lines "—" and yin lines "—", arranged in a six-line combination for each hexagram, resulting in a total of sixty-four hexagrams. The six lines in the hexagram are arranged from bottom to top, using the numbers 初, 二, 三, 四, 五, 上 to indicate their order. Yang lines are called nine, and yin lines are called six, resulting in a total of three hundred and eighty-four lines. Some say that the *I Ching* is an ancient book, that is, the handwriting of the God who created mankind."

Everyone present was stunned by Jin Dun's resounding words. What use did the man in blue have for the original copy of the Book of Changes?

"Do you think the theft of the original Book of Changes is related to the entire X-planet incident?" Mr. Mister asked.

"There must be a connection."

Jin Dun had actually linked the Chinese classic *I Ching* to Alpha G—this was truly the most absurd, or rather, the most fanciful idea he had ever heard in his life. Professor Park Shu-seok shook his head; there couldn't be a more bizarre claim.

"Can you be sure where the man in blue comes from and what his background is?" Professor Park Woo-seok asked.

"I'm not sure where he came from. He seemed very cold, and his body was ice-cold." Jin Dun recalled the man in blue he encountered on the plane; he looked no different from a zombie.

Jin Dun raised his voice: "One could imagine that a 'possible world' exists on Earth, and the man in blue is a representative of this race. They are skilled in calculation, able to control magnetic fields and even consciousness through calculation. Their thinking is extremely rigorous, which is why the Global Investigation Bureau was unable to arrest him even with five special police officers deployed at Leipzig Airport. His origins are related to Leipzig, Germany, to the *I Ching*, and to Leibniz. According to Bertrand Russell's *History of Western Philosophy*, Leibniz had a secret philosophy in which he spoke of a possible world…②"

What "secret philosophy" and what "possible worlds"? Everyone present looked at him with strange eyes. Jin Dun's words were indeed too "unfathomable" and "full of leaps".

Mister interrupted Golden Shield: "These are all details, Detective Golden Shield. You've been traveling back and forth these past few days. Take a good rest. You still have five days. Hopefully, you can find evidence to convince us."

"No, do you remember the recent news that said many people in Xianyang had the same dream after the discovery of the Book of Changes? The dream was very clear and vivid. According to my investigation, this is indeed true. It is the result of consciousness being controlled by calculation. Computer waves are closely related to magnetic fields..."

"Professor Jin Dun, could you please have five days? We don't have much time left..."

Mister thought he was simply exhausted. As the Secretary General of the Federation, he didn't have much time to focus on these details; he needed conclusions, not speculation. An organization posing little threat to him wouldn't be too much of a problem, but an invasion by Alpha Star G lifeforms would be "a matter of global security, endangering human survival." What the Federation's top brass was concerned with was: certainly not a "mysterious" man in blue, not just people from one city sharing the same dream, and certainly not Leibniz's esoteric philosophy.