Chapter 100: Encountering the Old Gentleman Once More

Bai Muqing glared furiously, clenching his fists as if he wanted to strike him down.

“Zhang Mingyang, do you have any idea what people outside are saying about me right now?”

Zhang Mingyang curled up defensively on the bed and nodded, “I know, I know.”

Seeing him like this, Bai Muqing grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up from the bed. “I’m giving you three days to solve this matter, or I’ll make sure you can’t stay at the base any longer!”

With that, he threw Zhang Mingyang back onto the bed and left the room without looking back.

Once Bai Muqing was gone, Zhang Mingyang lay on the bed, exhaling in relief. What to do? I’ll put my life on the line to fix this within three days! It’s all Brother Peng’s fault—why didn’t he check if anyone else was talking?

Sigh…

What should I do…?

Lost in thought, Zhang Mingyang eventually fell asleep.

…

“Where am I?” Zhang Mingyang looked around at the white expanse before him.

“You’re here.”

A voice of an old man came from behind. Zhang Mingyang quickly turned his head.

“Are you the old gentleman I met last time?”

The old man hovered in the air and nodded. “We parted hastily before; I didn’t expect to meet again so soon.”

Recalling their last encounter, Zhang Mingyang immediately asked, “Old sir, you haven’t answered my question from last time.”

The old man descended from the air and stood before Zhang Mingyang. “What question was that?”

Zhang Mingyang replied, “Evolution! Becoming like you!”

“Like me?”

The old man looked at himself and said, “What’s so great about being like me?”

Zhang Mingyang answered, “You can create space and shift dimensions. That’s certainly impressive. Once I’m like you, I can leave the base and no longer be bothered by these trivial matters of men and women.”

Thinking of Bai Muqing’s earlier expression, Zhang Mingyang longed to leave immediately.

The old man chuckled softly. “It’s precisely because you have emotions that you are called human. Without feelings or thoughts, what meaning would life have?”

“Of course it has meaning!”

Zhang Mingyang gazed into the boundless white space. “I could replicate Earth, create a world that belongs only to me—no conflict, no deceit, no emotional entanglements—everything peaceful and harmonious.”

“Haha…”

The old man laughed at Zhang Mingyang’s words. “Have you ever considered if such a world as you imagine truly exists, would you still be able to evolve into someone like me?”

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“What do you mean?”

Zhang Mingyang didn’t understand.

The old man replied, “Have you noticed how human technology has developed rapidly in just the past hundred years or so?”

Zhang Mingyang thought about it. It seemed true—from the invention of the steam engine in the 19th century to the intelligent era of the 21st century, less than two hundred years had passed, yet the achievements in this period surpassed much of human history.

“Old sir, what does this have to do with evolution?”

The old man waved his hand, and a screen appeared before them, playing the history of human evolution—from ape to Homo sapiens, from primitive society through tribes, slavery, kingdoms, feudalism, to modern times, progressing step by step.

The old man asked, “Have you ever thought about when human technology advances rapidly?”

Zhang Mingyang looked at the scenes and pondered, “Is it when the brain developed?”

The old man smiled. “War!”

“War?”

Zhang Mingyang was confused.

The old man explained, “Only war can drive human technology to advance rapidly. The rapid progress in the past two hundred years is precisely because of frequent wars.”

Zhang Mingyang considered this. It made sense—after World War II, numerous local wars followed, and technology advanced swiftly. “But there have been many wars before, why is it only in the last two hundred years that technology has advanced so quickly?”

The old man answered, “Resources.”

“Resources?”

Zhang Mingyang recalled the book *The Resource Game*. His senior brother once said it shouldn’t be called a resource game, but a resource war.

The old man continued, “Modern human history is a history of war and resource competition. It is because of resource discovery that technology has progressed. During competition for resources, technology develops rapidly. Humanity is still confined to Earth, but you will inevitably enter space. Have you thought about who you will be competing with for resources then?”

Thinking over the old man’s question, Zhang Mingyang remembered Beihe Three. If those are real resources, humans will certainly fight for them, and perhaps ‘others’ will too!

At this thought, Zhang Mingyang understood Grandfather Wang’s concerns.

“Old sir, but what does this have to do with the world I imagine?”

The old man replied, “Can a peaceful and ordinary world create the world you imagine in your mind?”

“This…!”

Zhang Mingyang was at a loss for words. A peaceful world lacks vitality, motivation, and imagination; perhaps it truly cannot be achieved.

“Old sir, does evolution really require war?”

The old man shook his head, then nodded. “Humans can certainly survive on Earth indefinitely, but if you want to survive in the universe, without war there are no resources, and without resources, you cannot survive.”

Listening to the old man, Zhang Mingyang fell into deep thought. In today’s meeting, the conservatism of the space agency clashed with the aggressiveness of the science and technology department— which was actually right?

“All right, I’ve said enough. I must go now.”

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Seeing the old man preparing to leave, Zhang Mingyang hurriedly stopped him. “Old sir, why are you telling me all this?”

With a wave of his right hand, the white space transformed into the cosmos. Gazing at the starry Milky Way, the old man said, “Perhaps we will meet again.”

With that, the old man disappeared from Zhang Mingyang’s sight.

“Old sir? Old sir…?”

Zhang Mingyang called out, searching for the old man among the stars.

“Old sir…?”

Suddenly, with a start, Zhang Mingyang sat up on the bed.

“Is this my room?”

Looking at the familiar scene before him, he felt like he had been dreaming again.

“Sigh!”

He rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock on the wall: 8 p.m.—meaning he had slept nearly twelve hours.

“Growl…”

His stomach rumbled from hunger.

He climbed out of bed and went to the washroom, turned on the tap, and splashed water on his face. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he recalled the dream. “Old sir, was that really a dream?”

“Bang!”

A knock came at the door. Zhang Mingyang walked over and opened it.

“Junior brother, just waking up?”

Outside the door, Peng Duli and Tian Wenyuan carried several bags of food and stepped inside.

“Senior Brother Peng, you’re up so early?”

Tian Wenyuan, familiar and casual, pulled over a table and placed the food down.

Tian Wenyuan said, “He wasn’t up early; I woke him up.”

The three sat down. Tian Wenyuan distributed bowls and chopsticks. “I knew you didn’t go to the mess hall to eat. This is what Old Peng bought back for you.”

Looking at Peng Duli, he wore a guilty and apologetic expression. “Junior brother, I’m here to apologize. This matter is my fault. I didn’t expect it would affect you so much. I ask for your forgiveness!”

With that, he stood and bowed deeply to Zhang Mingyang.