Chapter 28: Plunged into Panic

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Hao Xiaoyu gazed up at the star-filled sky and the bright full moon hanging high above, then asked softly, “Little Meow, do you think Chang’e really lives in the Moon Palace?”

Hearing this, Bao Xiaotong could not resist teasing her. “Chang’e? Without Warm Sunshine, she’d probably have frozen to death long ago.”

Gazi Ye Qing suddenly chimed in, “There’s no such thing as Chang’e. Haven’t you heard that the moon is actually hollow? Supposedly, it was built by aliens.”

Chang Wang raised his head and gazed at the moon overhead before turning to Chen Miaomiao with an inquisitive look. “The moon is hollow? Miaomiao, do you believe that?” He looked as though Chen Miaomiao were an all-knowing expert capable of answering every question.

Having spent years livestreaming online, Chen Miaomiao replied with great seriousness, “I don’t believe that. The moon is a celestial body formed by nature. Still, we can’t rule out the possibility that extraterrestrial life has made use of it.”

“Are aliens really real?” Hao Xiaoyu asked again.

“Of course they are!” Ye Qing answered with absolute certainty.

Hao Xiaoyu continued staring intently at the sky and murmured, “Do you think they might be watching us too, right now?”

Bao Tianxi spread his arms dramatically and declared loudly, “There’s no way to know! They say the starry sky we can see accounts for only four percent of the universe. With all that boundless space left, what do you suppose is hiding out there?”

“Black holes, of course,” Hao Xiaoyu answered quickly, her voice filled with confidence, as though she knew all the secrets of the cosmos.

“It’s dark matter. Black holes are merely one form of dark matter,” Chen Miaomiao corrected her at once. Her clear voice carried the certainty of someone deeply convinced by her knowledge.

Just then, Monkey Meng Yang ambled over and dropped himself onto the ground. His face full of curiosity, he asked, “Everyone says black holes have enormous density and incredibly powerful gravity, like supercharged vacuum cleaners that can suck in all matter. Is that really true?”

Chen Miaomiao, who had always been fascinated by cutting-edge science, nodded emphatically. “Exactly. They can draw in nearby dust, gas, planets, and even every form of radiation—including light.”

“Nothing can escape?” Meng Yang still sounded half doubtful.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a sparse meteor shower suddenly appeared in the distant sky. Meteors dragging long red tails plunged toward the dark earth like arrows loosed from a bow. The sight instantly brought back memories of that terrifying night when Yao Kui had met with disaster.

“That’s right. Because black holes possess immense mass and extraordinary gravity, even light cannot escape them,” Miaomiao replied firmly.

“It’s unbelievable! What exactly are they? And how can we ever detect them?” Iron-Hand Gu Dajun asked, tilting his head toward the glittering heavens, his face filled with puzzlement.

Chen Miaomiao patiently began to explain. “Generally speaking, black holes transmit energy in the form of gravitational radiation, which propagates outward as waves from a source of radiation. Although human beings cannot observe black holes directly, we can detect them by means of the gravitational waves around them—the ripples produced by the curvature of space-time.”

“Won’t one of them suck Earth in too?” Hao Xiaoyu asked anxiously, a tremor in her voice.

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“No. They’re very far away from us,” Miaomiao reassured her.

“How far?” Meng Yang immediately pressed.

“That would have to be measured in light-years,” Miaomiao replied.

“How long is a light-year?” Hao Xiaoyu asked curiously.

Miaomiao gave them an exasperated look, as if silently asking why they had so many questions. Nevertheless, she patiently explained, “A light-year is the distance light travels through a vacuum in one Julian year—approximately 365.25 days. Because the word ‘year’ appears in its name, people often mistake it for a unit of time.”

With that, she casually activated the Supersense wristband once more, apparently hoping to obtain more information about the mysteries of the universe and satisfy everyone’s endless curiosity.

A dazzling beam of light flared before them. In an instant, the vast and limitless starry sky was somehow compressed into the space within arm’s reach.

Under Chen Miaomiao’s practiced adjustments and manipulations, Supersense opened one mysterious region of the universe after another. Simulated black holes appeared clearly before them, drawing everyone’s unwavering attention and repeated gasps of astonishment.

“It’s real!” Hao Xiaoyu exclaimed, her eyes filled with shock and curiosity. “People are always talking about traveling through time and space. Does that mean we could achieve it simply by entering a black hole?”

Confronted with this grand astronomical display, Chen Miaomiao suddenly felt the limits of her own knowledge. She scratched her head with slight embarrassment and said, “To be honest, I don’t understand it completely. I only know a little.”

“I’ve heard that black holes were derived from Einstein’s general theory of relativity and are celestial bodies that exist in theory. There may be wormholes inside them capable of allowing travel through time and space.” Monkey Meng Yang sounded as though he knew a thing or two.

“Yes. A wormhole is like a space-time tunnel linking distant regions of the universe,” Miaomiao said as she fiddled with Supersense. “But don’t take everything I say as gospel. I’m no master of astronomy. For questions this complicated, you’d be better off visiting the Lijiang Astronomical Observatory and asking Professor Shen Xingyun…”

Time flew like a white colt glimpsed through a crack in a wall. Before they knew it, more than a month had passed. During that time, no one saw the slightest trace of the wild man, and despite all their efforts, the treasure-hunting expedition had found nothing.

Seeing that their provisions were nearly exhausted, Guo Zhenhu knitted his brows and decisively proposed that they return to Kunming first. Bao Tianxi thought it over and agreed that continuing to waste time without the slightest clue was indeed pointless. Though deeply unwilling, he ultimately had no choice but to order the expedition to turn back.

Meanwhile, in a special ward at Kunming First Hospital, Young Master Yao had finally clung to life after being dragged back from the brink of death. Yet he had lost one of his legs forever.

To help Yao Kui recover as quickly as possible, the Yao family had spared no expense, pouring an enormous fortune into his treatment, but the results were negligible. Since the hospital knew he was a son of the Yao family, it naturally dared not show the slightest negligence. At the same time, fully aware of the family’s immense wealth, the hospital continually urged them to keep him there for further treatment.

As a result, money flowed away like water, yet his condition never improved. Instead, vast sums were spent on importing all manner of expensive medicines from abroad.

After finally escaping the hospital’s coercive grip, the Yao family searched everywhere for renowned physicians. Yet after undergoing a succession of treatments, Yao Kui’s condition grew steadily worse. He discovered that his hair had begun to fall out, his formerly healthy complexion had turned green, the muscles throughout his body were slowly wasting away, and his skin had become hard and coarse. Even more frightening, he frequently suffered hallucinations, with the objects before him twisting and changing shape. Worst of all—something he found utterly unbearable and deeply loathed—his voice had become shrill and feminine.

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The doctor wore a grave expression as he held the diagnostic report and spoke cautiously. “After several rounds of consultation and research, we have reached a conclusion. This is an exceedingly rare and bizarre disease, resembling the ancient Halaha virus spoken of in legend.”

“What? The Halaha virus? Why have I never heard of it?” Yao’s mother asked, frantic with worry.

“Yes. Cases of this illness are extraordinarily rare in existing medical records, and it is also known as the Phantom Plague. Based on the current evidence, the genetic mutation may have been caused either by a radioactive additive containing some unusual energy in the flying car, or by the viral effects of an ancient underground mineral,” the doctor explained.

“What will happen in the end?” Yao’s mother asked urgently, her eyes reddening and her voice trembling.

The doctor pushed up his glasses. His expression heavy, he spoke slowly. “The cause of the disease is extremely complicated. In the early stages of infection, the patient experiences frequent hallucinations. Everything before his eyes becomes distorted and deformed, making it impossible for him to distinguish reality from illusion. As the illness worsens, his behavior is also severely affected, and he becomes abnormally manic.”

Yao’s mother grew even more grief-stricken.

The doctor looked at her and continued. “In the middle and later stages, the virus will relentlessly attack the patient’s brain, causing him to lose all awareness of the real world. At that point, he will become completely immersed in an illusory realm created by his own imagination and will be utterly incapable of communicating normally with others.”

“Doctor, what will happen to him in the end?” Yao’s mother asked once more, no longer able to suppress her grief. Her voice broke into a near-plea.

The doctor lowered his head slightly. After hesitating for a moment, he spoke with difficulty. “Eventually, the functions of his body will gradually decline, while his metabolic processes accelerate abnormally. His lifespan may very well continue to shorten.”

Upon hearing this verdict, Yao’s mother could no longer hold back. She burst into loud sobs, tears spilling from her eyes as she was overcome with grief.

Seeing this, the doctor hurried to comfort her. “Mrs. Yao, you need not despair completely. The disease progresses relatively slowly, and it is not directly contagious. It can only be transmitted through blood and bodily fluids. For the time being, he must live separately and should avoid eating with everyone else whenever possible. Of course, we will do everything in our power to find a treatment for this strange illness. There is still hope. If we make any breakthrough, I will inform you immediately.”

Because the flying-car accident had been so suspicious and unusual, the police quickly launched an investigation.

Zheng Hongwei, who simultaneously served as director of the Chinese division of the International Space-Time Special Police Alliance and chairman of the Chinese branch of the World Anti-Poaching Committee, personally took charge of the case.

Zheng Hongwei was about thirty-two years old. Of medium build and upright bearing, he had a square, resolute face and bright, penetrating eyes that revealed a keen insight into people and things, as though they could see through every outward appearance.

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