Chapter Two: Global Broadcast
Page (1/3)
Seeing that the two men in black held no malicious intent, Wang Jing agreed to follow them. However, when he descended to the ground floor, he discovered the area was sealed off tightly, and several armored vehicles were parked at the entrance.
“VIP is on board, all departments remain alert!” As Wang Jing climbed into the armored vehicle, one of the men in black spoke into a tiny microphone pinned to his collar.
No sooner had Wang Jing settled into his seat than the vehicle started moving. He peered through the narrow window at the empty, wide avenue—no cars in sight. Every few meters along the roadside, fully armed soldiers stood with their backs to the street.
Wang Jing withdrew his gaze and asked the man in black beside him, “Where are we going?”
“You’ll know when we arrive. It’s not far, we’ll be there soon,” the man replied.
Indeed, before long, the vehicle stopped in front of a construction site.
“We’ve arrived,” the man in black announced, opening the heavy door of the armored car. As the door swung open, a cacophony of noises flooded in.
Stepping out, Wang Jing saw a truck loaded with earth rumbling past, and armed soldiers standing every few meters along the road.
Just as Wang Jing was about to survey his surroundings, the man in black reminded him, “Mr. Wang, please follow me.”
He followed the man deep into the site and saw a massive military tent, with others being assembled nearby.
The man in black led Wang Jing into the largest tent. Inside, he found a hive of activity—computers lined both sides, and clerical staff hurried back and forth, faces busily intent.
At that moment, everyone in the tent turned to stare at Wang Jing by the entrance, and the tent fell abruptly silent, save for the faint whir of cooling fans and the tapping of a printer.
Noticing the atmosphere, the man in black beside him cleared his throat, breaking the silence.
“This way,” he signaled.
Lifting the tent flap, Wang Jing saw a stranger facing a giant display screen, conversing with the important figures Wang Jing had seen on television.
“Professor Song, the person is here,” the man in black said quietly.
The man before the screen turned, approached Wang Jing, and introduced himself with a serious air, “Hello, Wang Jing. I am Song Guohua, a professor at *** University. Time is tight, so I’m here alone, but we can use video conferencing for now.”
Page (2/3)
“You probably already know the situation, so I won’t introduce these gentlemen,” Song Guohua gestured to the five people on the screen.
Wang Jing nodded at the five figures displayed.
“Good, let’s skip introductions. Next, I have a few questions for you. Of course, if you don’t wish to answer, you may decline,” Song Guohua said.
Wang Jing nodded; in the current circumstances, his responses had become instinctive.
“Alright, first question: do you know what world that is?”
Wang Jing nodded, “Yes.”
As soon as he spoke, the five on the screen began exchanging remarks. When their discussion subsided, Song Guohua asked again, “How did you come to know about that world?”
Wang Jing hesitated briefly, then replied, “I saw it in a dream.”
“In a dream?” Song Guohua asked uncertainly.
“Yes, in a dream. I used to have strange dreams often, and that world happened to be one I saw,” Wang Jing explained.
“Can you describe that world briefly?” As Song Guohua posed this question, the five on the screen quieted, their attention fixed entirely on Wang Jing.
“In that world, the sun suddenly aged. In three hundred years it would become a red giant and consume their Earth. To escape destruction, they pushed their entire planet off its orbit, heading toward Proxima Centauri, 4.2 light years away.
Right now, they’re using Jupiter for gravity assist, but because Jupiter’s gravity shifted abruptly, their whole planet is plummeting toward Jupiter,” Wang Jing recalled.
Song Guohua was stunned by Wang Jing’s account, but quickly pressed on, “Did they escape successfully?”
Wang Jing nodded, “They did, but at a terrible cost. Millions died, and a navigation space station was lost.”
Song Guohua shook his head, regretful, then suddenly asked, “Do you know why you crossed into that world?”
Wang Jing shook his head, “I was at home, playing on my computer, struck by lightning, and then I crossed over.”
“Do you know your current condition, and the state of humanity?” Song Guohua asked, unusually grave.
Page (3/3)
Wang Jing looked bewildered, “What—what condition?”
Seeing Wang Jing’s confusion, Song Guohua’s expression became solemn. “Your current state and that of everyone in the world are connected by some unknown cause.” As he spoke, Song Guohua touched his forehead, revealing a small wound identical to Wang Jing’s.
Seeing the mark on Song Guohua’s forehead, Wang Jing’s mind buzzed with confusion.
It was a while before Wang Jing regained his composure. “Are you saying that everyone in the world has a small wound on their forehead because of me?”
“Exactly. And unless something changes, this condition still persists.”
Hearing Song Guohua’s confirmation, Wang Jing reached to pinch his thigh, but Song Guohua quickly stopped him.
“What are you doing?” Song Guohua demanded.
“I wanted to check if I was dreaming,” Wang Jing replied, dazed.
“Do you realize how many people could be injured or even killed because of your actions, just now?” Song Guohua said sternly.
“It can’t be that serious,” Wang Jing muttered, uneasy.
“It absolutely is. If someone driving a car is suddenly pinched on the thigh, they might press the accelerator too hard, or be distracted during an emergency brake—imagine the consequences. Not to mention those working in hazardous jobs, or surgeons operating on patients,” Song Guohua explained.
“Does this mean I can never be injured again?” Wang Jing asked.
“It’s impossible to avoid injury altogether. All we can do is prepare everyone psychologically, and urgently find out why your body is in this condition,” Song Guohua replied.
At that moment, the five on the screen finished their discussion. The president of Wang Jing’s country addressed him: