Calculate

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

……