Jiang Ye arrived at the excavation site and was stunned by the spectacular sight before him.
In the center of the desert, a large pit had caved in, its bottom densely packed with bones. Each one was incredibly large; rows of ribs were as long as samurai swords, and leg bones and arm bones were longer than spears. There were also numerous skulls, some large enough to house an entire family, others small enough to fit a pig.
When these skulls were alive, the brains contained within might have weighed hundreds of pounds to tons. Compared to them, a human brain was as small as a sunflower seed.
Many workers, clad in white dust suits, were moving around the bottom of the sand pit, photographing and labeling each bone.
Xu Yan, wearing high boots and a long coat, along with a dust mask and goggles, took out a mask and a pair of glasses from her pocket and handed them to Jiang Ye.
"We've found 26 skulls, varying in size, possibly from adults and infants," Xu Yan said. "There's no radioactivity, no bacteria, and no remnants of decay. Age determination is in progress."
"Incredible," Jiang Ye said, putting on his mask and goggles. "I've asked the military, and their database has no record of this type of creature."
"It might be a species unique to this planet, just as we are a species unique to Earth. But honestly, this planet's overall environment is very similar to Earth's. I can't understand why such enormous primates would appear. Based on the bones excavated so far, their structure is very similar to human bones, almost like a magnified version of humans, tens of times larger," Xu Yan said.
"I can see that," Jiang Ye nodded, his eyes fixed on the skulls in the sand pit. "Do you know about the Paleozoic Era?"
Xu Yan frowned. "I've heard of it. It's an ancient era on Earth before humans appeared, right?"
"It's actually a very long period, with repeated cycles of geological change. But from our current perspective, let's consider it an era," Jiang Ye said. "During certain periods of the Paleozoic Era, life on Earth was extremely large. Centipede-like insects could grow to nearly three meters long, ferns were taller than buildings, scorpions were a meter long, and dragonflies had wingspans larger than eagles. It's said there were also giant rats and giant flies, and other disgusting creatures. Can you imagine a fly weighing tens of pounds flying over and landing on your dining table while you're eating? It would certainly whet your appetite, wouldn't it?"
Xu Yan's eyes widened. This was a blind spot in her knowledge. She knew very little about Earth's human history, let alone the Paleozoic Era before it.
"There's no scientific consensus on why creatures were so large back then. Some theories suggest it was due to the high oxygen content in the atmosphere at the time, reaching 35%. Excessive oxygen is harmful to life, and to avoid being poisoned, they had to grow larger. Another theory is that terrestrial animals had just begun to establish themselves on land, and there were no true herbivores, leading to unprecedentedly brutal competition. Larger creatures could avoid being preyed upon."
"If they grew so large, could their bodies support themselves?" Xu Yan asked, not understanding. She tapped her arm. "If we were magnified tens of times, our bones would break under our own weight."
"Of course, there were creatures that couldn't support themselves. Many species went extinct because they evolved to be too large; either their mobility was impaired, or they couldn't find enough food, and they ultimately lost a series of evolutionary battles, becoming fossilized collectively. It seems creatures like Dunkleosteus and Argentinosaurus went extinct due to their immense size," Jiang Ye paused. "What I mean is, although this planet's environment is very similar to Earth's, there are actually quite significant differences. Even a slight environmental change can give rise to vastly different species. Moreover, a planet's environment can change easily, and with minor shifts, strange and peculiar species can emerge."
"I'm starting to admire you. How do you know all this strange knowledge?" Xu Yan's eyes lit up like an electrified light bulb.
"I went to school a few weeks ago, and the teacher talked about it," Jiang Ye shrugged.
"So, what's your guess about these skulls?" Xu Yan pointed to the bottom of the sand pit.
"Ancient creatures that once flourished, but their evolution took a wrong turn, and they went extinct," Jiang Ye said, looking around at the barren land and desert. "And this planet must have undergone drastic environmental changes, leading to the extinction of most species. There might have been several such mass extinctions. Finally, the land became desolate, and we aliens arrived."
"Do you think these giants had language and writing?" Xu Yan gestured towards the sand pit with her chin.
"I don't know. We'll have to wait for the excavation. Perhaps these giants built cities, had music, theater, and literature, fought world wars, or even attempted space travel. As this planet is developed further, if there are any traces, they should be unearthed," Jiang Ye shook his head. "A planet is like a house; landlords come and go. I plan to build a tomb for the previous landlord here."
After half an hour, Jiang Ye explained the Terracotta Army museum to Xu Yan and placed an order to build a large-scale protective museum at the site. The bones in the sand would not be excavated for now; they would be kept in their original state until professional archaeological teams arrived.
The museum was completed in just two days. It essentially involved erecting a structure to cover the burial site, protecting it from water, fire, and sandstorms, and then spraying it with a transparent colloid that would help preserve the bones.
Jiang Ye attended the completion ceremony. He had initially wanted to name the museum "Giants' View," combining the ancient concept of "Jingguan" (a mound built from corpses) with the idea of giants. However, Xu Yan strongly objected, stating that the term had ambiguous connotations, and in forensic science, "Giants' View" referred to the swelling and decomposition of a corpse. After discussion, they finally settled on the more conventional name, "Museum of Giant Remains."
Upon entering the museum, visitors were greeted by a white wall adorned with green jade, inscribed with famous quotes.
"Seeing these bones, I realized our planet is not lonely. — Jiang Ye"
The museum was completed in the morning, and the super skyscraper in Binhai City was completed in the afternoon.
Jiang Ye rushed back without delay, traveling from the third continent to the second, then from the second to the first, and finally directly to the completion site, arriving in the evening. The travel time was noticeably longer than before, making Jiang Ye feel that his territory had indeed expanded manifold.
The building of the skyscraper could be seen from a great distance.
There was no other way; this skyscraper, which cost a staggering 9.8 billion, truly pierced the heavens. The weather in Binhai City that afternoon was cloudy, and the top of the building was completely enveloped in milky white clouds. Such a tall building stood out amidst the cluster of low-rise buildings in Binhai City, making it impossible to miss even for a blind person.
Golden light emanated from within the glass facade, making the entire building appear resplendent as if coated in gold dust, radiating auspicious energy and illuminating the thin clouds in the night sky. The former landmark building in Binhai City, the Ant Real Estate tower, now appeared as insignificant as a dying candle, completely overshadowed by the luxurious new behemoth.
The completion ceremony was not grand, with only a few dozen people from the construction company and the military in attendance. However, the nearby intersections were already crowded with citizens coming to witness the spectacle, some even traveling from the second and third continents to join the excitement. Traffic was completely blocked, and the onlookers were as dense as a wall, numbering at least fifty thousand people.
Jiang Ye named the skyscraper "Macroeconomic Building."