"Wow, Gao Wen got first place again, all perfect scores."

"He's too amazing… We're just elementary school students, how is he already learning college math?"

"Waaah, being Gao Wen's deskmate is too much pressure!"

...

In the elementary school classroom.

The young, small Gao Wen looked at the pile of certificates he could barely hold, expressionless.

How boring.

He hoped for something challenging to spark his interest.

His father was a scientist, and his mother was a university professor.

He once suggested to his parents that he could go straight to university, but they refused.

His mother said with a smile:

"Your dad and I know you're smart and can learn anything quickly, but… life isn't just about learning knowledge. You have many other things to learn."

"Like how to make friends, how to get along with others, how to care for other people's feelings, how to empathize with their difficulties… You can't learn these things from textbooks. You can only learn them by truly experiencing and understanding."

"Although you've learned all the knowledge in elementary school, and you always get first place, but… are you really the best in your elementary school?"

Little Gao Wen looked up:

"That's what our teacher says, and the principal too. I've won all the major competitions for the school."

His mother stroked his head:

"But actually, you're not."

"Your excellence is only in academics. Are you the fastest runner in your school? Do you have the most friends? Are you the kindest, most caring, and most helpful student?"

Little Gao Wen shook his head.

He knew he wasn't.

His mother smiled:

"That's right. Learning is only part of life, and the answer to life isn't just a test paper."

"Kindness, enthusiasm, getting along with others, helping others, sports, health, gentleness, thoughtfulness, empathy… these aspects make up a complete person."

"Ren wai you ren, tian wai you tian (There are people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens – meaning there is always someone better)."

"Son, you must remember this."

Little Gao Wen nodded.

He was always quick to understand.

If all those things were taken into account, he certainly wasn't the best in elementary school, he was probably… at the bottom.

Therefore.

His highly educated parents never forced him to grow prematurely. They cared more about things outside of academics.

They wouldn't be proud if their child entered a university's program for gifted children early; they only hoped he could become a truly kind, helpful, and useful person to society.

...

One day, he was yawning again in biology class. The teacher brought in a frog to explain its characteristics, including… that frogs and many other animals hibernate in cold weather.

Hibernate?

He suddenly became interested.

He hated cold weather and loved warm, sunny days.

If humans could hibernate… wouldn't they be able to skip winter entirely?

That was too interesting!

Surely many people had the same idea!

Sleeping through decades, even centuries!

How cool!

He was so excited that he ran home quickly after school:

"Dad, Dad!"

He excitedly told his father his life plan:

"What do you think? Isn't it a great idea? I've decided, this is my… rensheng de fangxiang (direction in life)!"

His father listened silently.

He smiled:

"Oh, hibernation, that's a good idea. But… the technology has already been cracked, and it's very advanced."

"What?"

Little Gao Wen felt like the sky was falling:

"Re… really?"

"Yes."

With that, his father took a dust-covered biography from the back of the bookshelf, *Father of Hibernation: Xu Yun*.

"It's just that you're still in elementary school, and you don't have access to this kind of knowledge. Besides, the hibernation craze has passed, so there's not much discussion about it anymore."

"People generally only think about hibernating when the economy is bad. The economy is so good now, so the hibernation industry has declined."

"Here's the book. Take a look."

...

After reading Xu Yun's biography, Little Gao Wen was amazed and felt that Professor Xu Yun was the most amazing genius in the world!

However.

The biography stated that even a genius like Professor Xu Yun couldn't overcome the biggest side effect of hibernation—

Memory loss.

"The great Professor Xu Yun."

Little Gao Wen clenched his fists and gritted his teeth:

"I will definitely help you overcome this problem! This is my… rensheng de yiyi (meaning of life)!"

After that.

The great Professor Xu Yun became Little Gao Wen's most respected idol.

He only hoped he could achieve something to help Professor Xu Yun complete the final piece of the puzzle!

In the classroom, Little Gao Wen spent his days thinking and searching for ways to restore memory.

By summarizing his own vague memories of childhood, he slowly discovered that the more painful, profound, and intense the memories, the better he could unravel and connect the many completely forgotten things.

Emotions seemed to exist independently of memories.

So how to stimulate them?

He thought of the biology class where teachers used electric shocks to demonstrate the frog's conditioned reflexes.

That's it!

Conditioned reflexes!

Many circuses train animals to perform using the same principle, right?

Why couldn't this be applied to the field of memory!

Why are circus animals so obedient? Isn't it because the painful memories of being whipped during conditioned reflex training are too deep?

Maybe it's possible!

It really is possible!

Little Gao Wen was full of fighting spirit. The moment he understood, he didn't even wait for the elementary school graduation photo and ran straight home:

"Dad, Dad!"

He excitedly told his father about his *Brain Electrocution Memory Activation Plan*:

"Isn't this amazing! I can help Professor Xu Yun complete his regrets!"

However...

His father smiled and looked at him with approval:

"Your thinking is still so great, but… the biography I gave you only wrote about Professor Xu Yun's deeds, not other people's."

"Actually, brain-nerve electroshock helmets have already been developed by the Dragon Science Academy."

"What!?"

Little Gao Wen exclaimed:

"It's already been researched!"

He felt a void in his life.

He recalled what his mother said…

Ren wai you ren, tian wai you tian.

So…

It was true.

Thus.

At the crucial juncture of graduating from elementary school, Little Gao Wen became lost once again, not knowing where his future lay.

...

Eighth grade, the schoolyard.

Gao Wen sat on the edge of a flowerbed, sighing as he used his pile of awards as a cushion.

"I can't feel the value of life."

"Stop showing off!"

Next to him, his best friend held a test paper with a score of 23 and roared at Gao Wen:

"Do you know what will happen when I get home? My dad will spank me until my butt blossoms!"

Gao Wen didn't care.

He continued to sigh:

"I can't find… the value of life."

He looked at the sky and said leisurely:

"I always feel like there's an invisible big hand, a black hand… playing with me, always one step ahead, snatching away anything I'm interested in."

"You--!"

His friend barely restrained himself. He wanted to punch Gao Wen, but this guy was just too annoying:

"Why don't you say it's because you only study what other people have already studied? If you're so capable, go study something that no one else can figure out!"

"Some time ago, I was bored and scrolling through videos online, and I found that the great man Einstein had proposed the concept of the cosmological constant, and then denied it."

"Einstein denied it, so no one is researching this stuff! And I haven't heard of any results after all these years… Why don't you study that?"

Gao Wen couldn't muster any energy.

He turned his head and squinted at his friend:

"This thing… really… no one's researching it?"

His friend snorted:

"Why don't you go home and search it up?"

"This time, be careful, make sure no one is researching it or has made any breakthroughs before you start."

Gao Wen nodded:

"Okay… Even though I'm not interested in that direction at all, one has to do something valuable in life, right?"

When he got home.

He turned on his computer and began searching for research on the cosmological constant.

Nothing.

Nothing!

There really was nothing!

Ever since Einstein proposed this idea hundreds of years ago and then immediately denied it, there had been no follow-up!

Gao Wen's eyes widened.

There was light in his eyes:

"Maybe… this is something specially left for me, something that belongs to me… rensheng de jiazhi (the value of life)!"

Gao Wen spent his middle school years researching the cosmological constant.

Even though he didn't like mathematics.

But if he could solve a major historical problem, he still thought it was worth it.

Finally…

Before the high school entrance exam, he finally made some progress!

His palms were sweating with excitement!

He put on his backpack and ran home at the speed of light:

"Dad! Dad!"

He took out his manuscript and handed it to his father, who was already a national academician:

"Look! I've really found the value of life this time… The cosmological constant, I haven't completely solved it yet, but! I've already made some progress! I feel like I can do it!"

However...

His father took it and read it, then looked up with a smile and flicked his forehead:

"Have you been staying up late, secretly playing on your phone and reading the news?"

"Huh?"

Gao Wen was stunned.

What did those two things have to do with each other?

Of course, he would use his phone to look up information, but… not about the cosmological constant. He had searched the internet thoroughly at the very beginning, and no one was researching that stuff.

"Hmm?"

This time, it was his father's turn to be puzzled.

Of course, he knew his son wouldn't lie, and even if he secretly played on his phone, he wouldn't scold him. He was just worried about his eyesight.

His father pushed up his glasses:

"You really haven't been reading the news?"

"No, I don't have time."

Gao Wen urged:

"What news is it? Tell me quickly."

His father smiled.

He said calmly:

"It's not big news, just that a few days ago, when they were developing Shan Xi Xi An, they dug up a tomb, and a book inside was surprisingly well-preserved. The title of the book was—"

"*An Introduction to the Cosmological Constant*."

"The stuff written inside is similar to yours, even a little more thorough than what you're thinking… but it's useless. These things are logically inconsistent and wrong. Anyway, it's not very realistic, probably the work of some amateur scientist who self-published it… Eh? Son, what's wrong with you?"

At this moment, Gao Wen.

Stood there dumbfounded.

Like a statue.

He had really lost it!

He had confirmed that no one had ventured into this field when he started researching it…

But coincidentally!

Just when he had made some progress, they managed to dig up *An Introduction to the Cosmological Constant* from an ancient tomb!

What a despairing plot!

At this moment.

He seemed to see a black hand opening its mouth in the haze, mocking his foolishness, mocking his manipulated destiny.

"Hey, don't be so sad."

His father comforted Gao Wen:

"If you're interested, you can continue to study it. Math is very interesting too."

"Forget it."

Gao Wen said weakly:

"I wasn't interested in math to begin with."

He muttered softly.

...

High School.

Gao Wen was looking at the stars in the school observatory.

The school observatory was not open to students.

But.

Gao Wen was an exception.

He was the school's pride, and a source of pride for the principal's reports. He was a big shot at the school, with countless honors, and had to be treated well.

But...

Gao Wen looked at the dark universe and felt that his life was as empty as the universe.

No direction, no meaning, no value, no dreams.

He was a little frustrated.

Why did he feel like his fate was always being played with?

He clearly liked the field of hibernation the most and was willing to devote his entire life to it.

But...

All the problems in the field of hibernation had been solved, leaving him nothing to do.

When he was disappointed, he cheered himself up and tried his hand at the field of mathematics, which he didn't like very much...

But he was still intercepted by a book from an ancient tomb!

Too ridiculous.

"Is my life being arranged?"

He looked at the starry night sky again:

"Is there someone… chasing after me, targeting only me?"

Heh.

He laughed at himself.

How could that be? He was too arrogant.

What made him think he was so special?

"To be frank, there's no invisible hand at all. It's just that I was born too late, and everything that could be researched has already been researched by others."

"But… that's also a good thing. It's a good thing for humanity and for the world. If I could really travel back in time, I really want to express my respect to Professor Xu Yun in person."

Hmm?

His eyes widened.

Wait a minute.

Go back… to the past…

Time machine!

Time-space shuttle!

"Surely no one is researching such a fantastical thing!"

Gao Wen stood up from the chair in the observatory.

He clenched his fist.

Perhaps…

Heaven is about to assign him a great task.

This was the moment he had been waiting for!

"If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do something big."

Gao Wen's eyes were firm:

"Time-space shuttle, this is… wo de mengxiang (my dream)!"

...

The time-space shuttle could be said to be the most difficult and ultimate invention in the world.

The difficulty was too great.

Gao Wen continued to try amidst failures, and continued to try amidst failures.

"No… I always feel like something is missing, and some places are too strange."

He scratched his head.

Perhaps his theory wasn't the problem.

Rather, he lacked the most critical link, the most critical item, which prevented him from continuing to move forward.

"Sigh, the current technology can't keep up with my progress."

Gao Wen, who was in his thirties, looked at the sunset outside the window:

"Hibernation, then."

He decided to hibernate until the future two hundred years later to see if the time would be ripe to continue researching the time-space shuttle.

...

As a result, he never expected that a super disaster would occur in 2400, shattering his awakening plan.

When he finally woke up, he found himself in an unfamiliar city.

The city was very depressing.

Blue-eyed mechanical androids patrolled the city day and night, deducting points for various uncivilized behaviors.

But it didn't matter.

Gao Wen didn't care about any of that.

He just wanted to research the time-space shuttle.

Finally, with his intelligence, he managed to rise through the ranks and enter the city's top research institute.

"I want to research the time-space shuttle."

He requested solemnly.

"No."

The director directly denied his request:

"Don't work on such unreliable research. Be steady and pragmatic. We cannot accept failure."

"But!"

Gao Wen argued:

"How can we be afraid of failure in scientific research? Because of this city's point deduction system since childhood… Everyone lacks the drive, the courage to try, and the courage to make mistakes. How can we do scientific research like this?"

The director shook his head:

"No means no. Get out."

Gao Wen was furious.

Bang!

He slammed the door to the director's office shut!

Whoosh—

In the hallway, a mechanical android's eyes turned from blue to yellow. It walked up to Gao Wen and recited:

"Identity verification, Gao Wen."

"Behavior verification, damage to public property, excessive door closing noise, total deduction of 8 points. Senior talent reduction of 50%, final deduction of 4 points."

"Gao Wen, current personal score, 91 points!"

"Please be sure to maintain civilized words and deeds, take mechanical androids as an example, and build a better future for humanity together."

The mechanical android left after deducting the points.

His timid friend then dared to trot over, looking at Gao Wen with lingering fear:

"What are you doing! You've offended the director. How are you going to clean this up?"

His friend stamped his feet and glared at Gao Wen.

"Without the director, how will our lab's funding be resolved!"

Humph.

Gao Wen snorted lightly:

"It's simple."

He clenched his fist and fire ignited in his eyes:

"Wouldn't it be enough if I became the director?"

...

Two years later, Gao Wen became the director with his talent.

He stood with his hands behind his back, facing the research institute:

"I want to research the time-space shuttle. Who agrees? Who opposes?"

Below the stage.

No one dared to raise their hand.

They were afraid of making mistakes, afraid of having points deducted, and afraid of failure.

Everyone knew that the time-space shuttle was a bottomless pit. Once they joined the plan, they might waste their entire lives…

Even if the experiment failed, points wouldn't be deducted.

But they wouldn't be added either!

Who didn't want to rely on stable results to earn personal points and increase their scores?

After all, more points meant other benefits!

Gao Wen, who was already the director, closed his eyes.

At this moment.

He was extremely disappointed.

Was this the spirit of scientific research in this era?

It was rotten to the core.

Bang!

He punched the door panel!

"Rotten to the core!"

Whoosh—

Outside the door, the eyes of a patrolling mechanical android turned from blue to yellow. It walked up to Gao Wen and recited:

"Identity verification, Gao Wen."

"Behavior verification, damage to public property, excessive door banging noise, loud noise, total deduction of 10 points. Top scientist reduction of 80%, final deduction of 2 points."

"Gao Wen, current personal score, 4223 points!"

"Please be sure to maintain civilized words and deeds, take mechanical androids as an example, and build a better future for humanity together."

Gao Wen took a deep breath.

He looked at the mechanical android that had just deducted his points.

This world…

Showed no hope at all.

It was time to leave.

Even the City of Sin, with its mixed population and rampant gangs, at least… they had courage, drive, and passion!

...

"You also understand the cosmological constant?"

In the City of Sin.

Gao Wen met a young man and saw him working out equations on the wall, equations that looked familiar.

The young man turned around and looked at Gao Wen:

"You understand it too?"

Gao Wen stepped forward, took the chalk from his hand, and modified a few formulas, making everything much clearer.

The young man's eyes widened:

"You… you are?"

"My name is Gao Wen."

He extended his right hand to the young man, his eyes shining with admiration:

"What's your name?"

"Chen Heping."

The young man shook Gao Wen's hand:

"You are truly a genius!"

Gao Wen smiled:

"I see you are extraordinary as well. How about… researching the time-space shuttle with me?"

He looked at the stunned Chen Heping and squeezed his hand:

"Let's work together to change this terrible future!"

...

"Heping, they say they want to choose you to be the godfather."

Chen Heping laughed:

"I can't do that! Big Brother Gao Wen, you have to do it!"

"No."

Gao Wen shook his head:

"Heping, you are more suitable for this position than anyone else. Being a godfather isn't just about brains. You also need to know how to deal with people, be both smooth and principled, and manage things well both in public and in private… I don't have that ability."

"Besides, even in terms of intelligence, you are far above me. You are the real genius… I am really grateful to you, Heping."

Chen Heping picked up a beer glass, gulped down half of it, and handed it to Gao Wen:

"What are you thanking me for? I should be thanking you. It was you who brought hope to our City of Sin and brought the possibility of subverting the future!"

However...

Gao Wen shook his head and smiled:

"You don't understand. You helped me realize rensheng de mengxiang (the dream of life)."

"For so many years, I always felt like I was being controlled and played with by an invisible black hand."

"It may sound inexplicable, but I really felt that that invisible black hand was manipulating my life, manipulating my fate, making me frustrated and intercepted everywhere."

"But! I don't have to worry about that anymore!"

Gao Wen took the beer glass from Chen Heping, drank it all in one gulp, and exhaled:

"Thanks to you, our time-space shuttle is finally about to be completed! My direction, meaning, value, and dream in life will all be realized at this moment!"

"And that… is all thanks to you, Heping."

...

Soon after, Chen Heping fell ill from overwork, had a sudden illness, and passed away.

Gao Wen wailed in grief.

He had found a kindred spirit. He had never cried like this in his life, not even when his life had been manipulated so many times, but at this moment… he really couldn't help it.

But.

After crying.

He had to wipe away his tears and stand up.

He was the godfather of the City of Sin,

He was the hope for humanity to reverse the future,

He hadn't completed the time-space shuttle yet, hadn't realized his dream in life.

"Big Face."

He stroked the head of the teenage Big Face Cat next to him and instructed:

"Your father was a hero. You must learn from him and become as great as him."

Big Face Cat wiped his nose and nodded:

"I will definitely… carry forward the Face Gang!"

Behind him, San Pang nodded wisely:

"I think that's possible."

...

August 28, 2624.

This was a historic day.

Under the command of Godfather Gao Wen, the City of Sin would launch a blitz on Donghai City to steal time-space particles!

As long as they had time-space particles…

They could start the time-space shuttle, travel back to the past, and completely reverse this terrible future!

Gao Wen stood in front of the time-space shuttle, stroking its cold shell, and recalling his confidant who had passed away more than a decade ago but remained unforgettable every day…

"Heping."

He murmured:

"We are finally going to succeed."

"Today, after we steal the time-space particles, our dreams, ideals, and value in life… will all be realized."

"Thank you, you are the one who truly freed me from that invisible black hand and allowed me to control my own destiny. This time… my life will never be manipulated again!"

Bang.

The door to the underground laboratory was pushed open.

A familiar loud voice came:

"Godfather! I just recruited two new brothers! Brought them over for you to see!"

He turned around.

He saw a tall young man and an even younger little girl.

The young man walked over and shook his hand:

"Hello, Gao Wen."

Gao Wen was slightly stunned.

He clearly didn't know this young man. Why did he know his name?

"You are?" he asked softly.

The young man smiled:

"My name… is Lin Xian!"

.

.

.

(This side story is an entertainment-oriented side story, and does not belong to any world line, any dream, is unrelated to the main text, and is mainly for entertainment.)

(This work will be completed in another 400,000-500,000 words. This is the last side story before the ending. I hope you all like it.)

(Finally, as usual, I beg for monthly tickets!)