When I awoke, the house was utterly deserted. Everyone was either at work or school. Even Xiao Yudidi and Xiao Hui had likely returned to base via the secret tunnel in the basement, using their personal flyers, given the tight schedule for the Earth-Class Underwater Fortress equipment. They were probably checking on production progress.

The clothes laid out for me were by the sisters’ beds. Dressed and presentable, I made another thorough inspection from the fourth floor. Reaching the second floor, I saw Mom pulling open the door to the easternmost room, a vegetable basket in hand.

“Zhao Qian? When did you get back?”

“Mom, I got back late last night, so I slept upstairs. Where’s Dad?”

Mom turned back and opened another door. “Your father is only working day shifts recently. Susu specifically instructed the branch company leadership to arrange his schedule that way.”

I walked into the new home as I spoke, “It should have been like this long ago. At his age, Dad deserves to relax and enjoy life at home.”

Mom set the basket down and sat on the sofa. “The older people get, the more restless they become. If you make your dad stay home every day, he’ll suffocate.”

I said, “Mom, are you happy with this house? I must say, after the renovation, the sudden spaciousness is almost overwhelming.”

Mom said with a hint of pride, “Those children are truly filial, and so efficient. We discussed the renovations for a whole day, and the next day they had already relocated the residents of the adjacent building. Then the machines rolled in, demolished everything in a day, and by the next morning when we checked, the house was half-built. I’ve never seen speed like that. Ah, you never leave your roots; being able to live in a spacious new house without moving far from our old spot—that was your father’s and my dream.”

I replied, “Mom, your daughter-in-law has realized your dream for you and Dad. From now on, you two don’t need to toil anymore. You won’t worry about food or clothing; just live comfortably and happily.”

Mom cheerfully picked up her vegetable basket. “It’s all thanks to our capable son; how could we parents not be happy? Since you’ve been away so long, don’t go anywhere for lunch. I’ve made plans with someone to go to the market to buy groceries. Your dad will be back for lunch too. Let’s celebrate properly.”

“No problem. I’ll stay home with you this morning, but since we suddenly moved into a new house, have the neighbors said anything?”

Mom said, “Your father and I just told them it’s a house we bought ourselves. People who couldn’t buy one just assumed your father pulled some strings at the property development company. They didn’t say much besides being envious.”

After Mom left for the market, I carefully observed the new home. It was about two hundred square meters. The kitchen and living room were the most drastically altered, which was clearly done with the consideration of having more people around. Entering my bedroom, besides feeling much larger, I noticed no other changes from before.

The photographs were still arranged on the table, smiling faces gazing at me with deep affection. Under the bed were all sorts of delicate slippers, and the love letters tucked under the mattress were enough to serve as a pillow—a testament to how much they missed me during this time.

Lying on the comfortable bed, I pulled out the passionate words the women had written in their longing, sending a wave of heat through my heart. To have even one of these girls would be the greatest fortune in life; how much more fortunate was I to have over a dozen? I resolved to treat them even better from now on.

Reading the sweet words and contemplating the vast future prospects, happiness can make one hazy. I ended up falling asleep again until Ouyang Qian’s call startled me awake.

“Hubby, you came back last night? Sister Jingjing just told me.”

I lay lazily in bed, clutching my phone. “Yeah, I got home just before dawn. I’ll come see you at school this afternoon.”

Ouyang Qian said considerately, “Don’t bother if you’re short on time. Besides, I won’t be at school these next few days anyway. Sister Jingjing is taking over Peach Blossom Financial Investment Company the day after tomorrow, and she wants me to take over the People’s Shopping Group tomorrow. But there are so many things I haven’t grasped yet.”

“Haha, that’s not some earth-shattering issue. You still have the Village Head and Yu Qinghai to help you. Come over for lunch; Mom just went out to buy groceries.”

“Forget it, hubby. I’m planning to have a working lunch with Sister Jingjing. There’s too much to do; I’m really worried I won’t be able to handle it. I need to focus and study hard.”

“You can do it, Qianqian. If you run into anything you can’t solve, call me or any of your other sisters for help anytime.”

“Mm, I understand. Are you resting, hubby? You sound like you just woke up, hehe. Who are you holding?”

I laughed. “A pillow. No one else is home; it’s just me.”

“Hehe, then keep sleeping alone. Sister Jingjing is in the restroom; I’m sneaking this call to you. If she sees me, she’ll definitely tease me. Su Xue has been mentioning you every day lately. Maybe you should call her; otherwise, she’ll probably cause trouble for you next time we meet. I really don’t want to taste chili oil.”

Ouyang Qian’s reminder sent a shiver of fear down my spine, and I instinctively touched my lower regions before quickly calling Su Xue. This girl dared to smear chili oil on a condom; if she found out I was back and I hadn’t told her, who knows what other tricks she might devise to mess with me.

“Junior Brother! You finally turned your phone on! Qianqian never tells me what you’re up to or why you haven’t visited us in the dorm for half a month. Hmph, have you forgotten us?”

Su Xue’s voice was as mischievous and commanding as ever. To ensure she could work in Nansha with peace of mind, my family had blocked my phone signal. Except for receiving signals from a few of them, no one else could get through. Given Su Xue’s and my current covert relationship, none of the women were given special privileges.

“Senior Sister, didn’t I tell you before I left that I was going to the South Sea for business? As soon as I got back, I called you. I’m being a good guy, right?”

“You’re smart enough, or else I wouldn’t have let you off so easily. Did you bring me back a gift?”

Su Xue thought we were traveling. They had been eating nothing but plain rice mixed with boiled fish every day down there. What gift could there be? I did have a huge pile of fish bones, but I casually replied, “Yes, I’ll bring it when we go out to eat next time.”

Su Xue’s voice softened. “Junior Brother, hurry back to school. It’s not fun at all when you’re gone. I just finished class. I’m skipping the next elective course; I’m going to Sister Xiaoya’s place. I’ve learned quite a bit about management recently, and Sister Xiaoya praised me endlessly. I can’t get complacent; I must keep working hard.”

I asked Su Xue, “Do you like hotel management?”

“Mm, it’s okay. It’s definitely more acceptable to me than other professions.”

I said, “Alright then, you go keep busy with Xiaoya. I’ll make sure she gives you a bonus at the end of the year.”

The phone call had barely ended when another one came in—it was He Yuqing. I certainly was busy today. “Secretary He, how is the research progressing?”

Hearing my voice, He Yuqing seemed to pause for a moment before she responded, “I thought I wouldn’t be able to get through? Why did I suddenly hear your voice?”

“Hehe, I just got home. How is the research into African prehistoric civilization going? Anything new?” Besides the South Sea incident, this was what weighed most heavily on my mind.

He Yuqing quickly regained her composure. “My grandfather and I have carefully studied the materials we brought back. It’s largely consistent with our initial assumptions. Where are you? Why don’t I come over? It’s inconvenient to discuss this over the phone.”

“I’m at my house—the one you’ve visited before. Though it looks a bit different now. Call me when you get downstairs, and I’ll come down to get you.”

Shortly after, He Yuqing arrived by taxi. She couldn't believe her eyes as she followed me upstairs and sat down in my grand living room. She said, “Only you could pull off a change this miraculous. Why aren’t any of your girlfriends here?”

“Come, have a drink. They’re all busy. Tell me about your research progress; I’m eager to know.”

He Yuqing placed her drink on the table. “We’re stuck on deciphering the mysterious glyph-like script in the Pyramid stone chamber. The main issue is the lack of comparable reference materials. However, the murals in the secret underground passage of the primitive dwarves are invaluable. They confirm our previous speculation: in the distant past, humanity experienced a glorious period of highly advanced civilization.”

I listened intently as He Yuqing continued, “After my grandfather examined the materials we photographed, he analyzed that this human civilization might be a continuation of an ancient civilization, or perhaps it was an extraterrestrial invasion. Regardless of the case, for now, we are calling them the Lunarians. During the zenith of their civilization, these humans built one magnificent metropolis after another on Earth, creating a brilliant prehistoric culture. Their most outstanding technological achievement was the construction of the Lunar Spacecraft.”

“This spacecraft embodied the Lunarians’ most advanced technology, and it was highly likely the transportation for prehistoric humans reaching out to the galaxy, making its significance extraordinary. But just as the ship was being built, discord arose within the Lunarian leadership. This conflict intensified until one day, someone led an army in a rebellion, sparking a massive war across the Earth.

“Since the prehistoric Lunarians’ technology surpassed our contemporary level, they were even more proficient in the use of nuclear weapons than we are now. During the war, city after city, once glorious metropolises on Earth, were destroyed by nuclear bombs. The rebels, relying on various bases across the Earth, attempted to destroy the Lunar Spacecraft before it was fully completed, hoping to use it as leverage to force the Lunarian leadership to yield. Of course, they did not achieve their goal.

“Ultimately, they launched a massive nuclear assault on the Lunar Spacecraft. Under the rebels’ intense firepower, the spacecraft’s anti-gravity system was damaged, forcing it to abandon its original manufacturing base and rapidly ascend into space. Because it lost its anti-gravity system, its immense mass and volume could not be sustained in the atmosphere by its own energy source for long.

“The departure of such a massive celestial body from Earth’s atmosphere inevitably caused violent fluctuations in the global environment. The Lunar Spacecraft lifted off from the Northern Hemisphere, and its ascent caused an extreme shift in Earth’s gravitational field. Vast amounts of seawater surged from the Southern Hemisphere toward the North, resulting in catastrophic floods across the Northern Hemisphere. Most of the highly civilized prehistoric Lunarians and the primitive humans in their ignorant state perished in this deluge. The great flood also dispersed and submerged many relics of civilization. Even the surviving structures and Lunarians after the flood gradually withdrew from Earth’s evolutionary stage as their surrounding environment vanished.

“Although the rebels successfully sabotaged the Lunar Spacecraft, they could not overturn the outcome of their defeat. Under the organized counterattack by the Lunarian forces, they were soon eliminated in batches. However, the Earth was already riddled with scars, and the drastic changes in gravity and climate rendered it uninhabitable for the Lunarians. The Lunar Spacecraft, which had by then reached the outer layers of Earth’s atmosphere, became their best option.

“However, the Lunar Spacecraft was severely damaged by the rebel attack, and repairing it in outer space was a massive and complex undertaking. Yet, the Lunarians, relying on their advanced technology and confidence, mobilized all their resources for the in-space repair of the Lunar Spacecraft. Every day, large numbers of tools, such as space shuttles, transported repair materials from Earth or other planets toward the Lunar Spacecraft in orbit.

“This arduous task was ultimately successful. All the Lunarians boarded the Lunar Spacecraft, preparing to circumnavigate the cosmos in this super-vessel. But something happened later; the Lunar Spacecraft never actually left Earth’s outer atmosphere. Instead, it remained in its current orbit, becoming a satellite of Earth.”

I laughed, “This is simply a scientific reenactment of the myth of Nüwa repairing the heavens.”

He Yuqing said solemnly, “Don’t laugh. This is a very serious scientific inference, not baseless, sensational guessing on my part.”

I replied, “Though I laughed, I believe it. Other people might not laugh, but they’ll call us both crazy.”

He Yuqing nodded. “You’re right. Some people look serious on the surface, but they don’t actually believe what you say. The annihilation of the rebels by the Lunarians didn’t happen overnight either; it probably occurred concurrently with the repair of the Lunar Spacecraft. A contingent of rebels found refuge somewhere in the African rainforest—the place we visited last time, I mean. Because the Earth’s gravity and atmospheric conditions had already changed, the rebels had to undertake localized climate modification to survive. Just as their project was nearing completion, the Lunarians discovered the rebels’ whereabouts, sent troops to eliminate them, and then returned to the Lunar Spacecraft.

“It’s worth noting that the rebels likely attempted to engineer the existing humans. Under the drastic change in Earth’s environment, it was the pre-existing primitive humans who survived to adapt to these new living conditions. The portrait we saw of a Lunarian dissecting a native is probably proof. Their research was likely wiped out before completion; otherwise, those natives wouldn’t still be unevolved to this day.”

I countered, “That’s not certain. Even if that particular rebel faction didn’t successfully modify the primitives, how can you guarantee the fate of the other scattered rebel groups across the Earth? The prehistoric Lunarians were technologically advanced; surely the rebels had their share of scientists, right?”

He Yuqing asked, “Do you think present-day humanity are descendants of the Lunarian rebels?”

“I can’t be certain of that, but scientific theories are built on hypotheses. Since you study archaeology, you must know some notable figures in the field, right?”

“Who?” He Yuqing asked with interest. There might be people she didn’t know in archaeology, but it was unlikely there were people she didn’t know about.

“Peng Cun!”

“Peng Cun? A famous physicist, archaeologist, and architect before the Cultural Revolution. Unfortunately, he was born at the wrong time and ended up confined in a cowshed. As far as I know, he did research into prehistoric civilization, but there were no apparent breakthroughs.”

I said, “He once said something: ‘Humanity can never truly see itself because its vantage point is too low. If humanity were to meet itself, it would mark the beginning of a new cosmic era.’ He also proposed that external factors were the primary cause of the abrupt mutation from ape to man, adding, ‘Ultimately, man created man.’ He even emphasized that the first ‘man’ he mentioned was not humanity itself, stating he had the ability to see himself, but the time wasn't right.”

He Yuqing was astonished. “I thought you were just promiscuous; I didn't realize you were so studious. I only know fragmented ideas from Peng Cun’s concepts because he never systematically articulated them, only mentioning them casually to others or dropping half-sentences in his research notes, leaving people confused. Moreover, I couldn't decipher his statement, ‘I have the ability to see myself, but the time is not yet ripe.’ That’s why I lost interest in his research; I personally felt he was a bit unreliable, as if his mind was clouded by the Red Culture of that era.”

He Yuqing’s first sentence made me feel a bit awkward, but having more than ten girlfriends, calling me promiscuous wasn't entirely inaccurate. I continued, “Is there anything truly reliable in this world? Take your research, for instance. If you asked others to comment, they’d say you’re crazy—Lunarians, Lunar Spacecraft, prehistoric civilization… Things others disbelieve or doubt become scientific truth in your mind. Don't you think Peng Cun had his own set of theories?”

He Yuqing became highly interested. “Zhao Qian, tell me in detail everything you know. I am very interested and willing to learn from you; please don’t hold back.”

“Hehe, I only have so much knowledge, compiled from a few books I read. You don't agree with Peng Cun’s ‘ability to see oneself’ because you don’t understand another matter.”

“What matter? I only know Peng Cun definitely isn't talking about his reflection in a mirror. If he were, he’d be making a fool of everyone. Given his rigorous scientific standing, he wouldn’t make such a joke, but I can’t grasp the meaning, which is why I gradually lost interest in his research.”

“Have you ever seen a dead person?” I asked He Yuqing.

He Yuqing replied faintly, “Yes. Is there a connection?”

“There is. Suppose one day a dead person you once knew suddenly stands before you again. I’m not talking about a zombie or a ghost, but a truly living person who speaks to you, has lunch with you, and interacts with you just as they did in life. What would you think?”

“You’re joking, because that contradicts all known theories!” Faced with such a possibility, even He Yuqing, who considered herself progressive and open-minded, struggled to comprehend.

“All theories are established by people. Before a certain theory is established, how can you declare it false?”

“In any case, I can’t understand. What you’re describing sounds like transmigration or rebirth from an online novel.”

“Let’s not talk about online novels. Have you read Einstein’s works?”

“Yes.”

“How much do you know about the Unified Field Theory?”

“Unified Field? To have a unified field, there must be a unified force—unifying electromagnetism, gravity, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force. The indispensable process for a unified force to emerge is proton decay, which is currently impossible under Earth’s physical conditions. However, if humanity ever finds the unified force, it could break through three-dimensional space and establish a new theoretical framework!”

“How do you know that humanity in the future hasn’t found the unified force, broken through three-dimensional space, and achieved time travel?”

He Yuqing shot to her feet. “Are you trying to tell me this theory is about ‘the future influencing the past’?”

Hehe, isn't it? At least for now, it is. Xiao Yudidi and Xiao Hui are from ten million years in the future. They are using some of their future knowledge to alter the current spacetime. Isn't that the future influencing the past?

Perhaps in the distant future, humanity has traveled through time more than just the occasional visit by Xiao Yu’s parents. Maybe others traveled to ancient Earth before them, altering ape genes and creating that brilliant prehistoric civilization.

I said calmly, “What if I told you we currently possess the environment for a unified field? Could you accept that theory?”

He Yuqing became agitated, grabbing my arm and rambling incoherently. “You mean you’ve broken through three-dimensional space and can travel through time? I get it now, I finally understand! That high-tech stuff you have—how could it exist on Earth now? So that’s why! That’s why… You’re from the future. You’re not one of us contemporary people. No wonder you can fly and have such amazing abilities…”

I shook He Yuqing’s body. “Wake up, my esteemed Secretary. I am who I am. What ‘from the future’? I come from the dilapidated building that once stood right here. I grew up here, then joined the army, started working, chased girls, and made a lot of money. The people you’re talking about are someone else.”

He Yuqing slumped back onto the sofa, touching her forehead. “It’s too messy, too messy. Someone else… Oh, in any case, someone has broken the spatial barriers. Just let me think for a moment; my brain needs to cool down. If that’s the case, all the previous theoretical viewpoints we established might have to be overturned! What should I do? What should I do?”

I ushered He Yuqing into my room. "My bedroom is quiet. You can take your time thinking it over there. I won't bother you while you watch TV first."

Not long after, Mom returned from grocery shopping. I put down the remote and accompanied her into the kitchen to prepare lunch. Mom asked me, "Which daughter-in-law is coming home for lunch? They don't come down to eat when you're not home."

I replied, "They're all so busy, how could they have time to come back for lunch? You, don't worry about them. Let's just eat our own."

Mom huffed, "How can I not worry? Do you know Er Pang from Building 6? The one you studied with. He already has a son. The other day his mother was bragging to me about how smart and cute her grandson is. You, hurry up and figure out how to get that marriage certificate. I don't care which one you marry, just have a big, fat boy first. Given how vibrant those girls are, any one of them would give birth to a child a hundred times better than Er Pang's. Then we'll see what Er Pang's mom has to say."

I casually picked up a cucumber, took a bite, and said, "Mom, it’s not up to me. I try every day, but they're cautious around me. Why don't you talk to them yourself?"

Mom sighed, "How can I, as a mother, bring up the topic of having children? It's understandable that they are cautious of you; you aren't officially married yet. It would be too embarrassing for them to become unwed mothers. That's why I’m telling you to hurry up and pick one of them to marry and get the certificate. I think Susu and Xiaorou are good options. Discuss it with them tonight and see which one is more willing to marry you and have a baby right now."

Heh, Mom probably favors the assets of those two women; there would certainly be no worry about the baby going hungry. However, I suspected the chances of persuading them to bear my child in the short term were slim.

But I didn't want to dampen Mom's spirits too much, so I said, "I'll try, but the chances aren't high. They all have jobs, and having a baby will definitely take up time. Besides, they all talk about dieting constantly; having a baby will certainly affect their figures, so I’m not confident about this."

When Mom heard me say that, she stopped washing vegetables and began counting on her fingers, recalculating which girl had the best chance of giving birth to my child. After much calculation, she declared, "I think Zhou Ni, the one who just arrived, is perfect. Yes, her! Absolutely! She comes from the countryside; she doesn't care as much about daily attire and figure as those other girls. Plus, she's honest and completely obedient to you. Go find her; she will definitely agree. Trust your mother on this."

I said to Mom, "Mom, Zhou Ni and I haven't reached the stage of having your grandson yet. Besides, do you know how old she is? Only nineteen. Is having a baby not a joke?"

This time, Mom was stumped. She reluctantly started cooking, clearly unhappy. It was probably Er Pang's mother saying a few too many things that made Mom so anxious. But having a baby isn't an overnight affair; before the meal was even ready, Mom had forgotten about the issue and was asking me what I had been doing the last couple of days, forcing her to cover for me with Dad with a string of lies.

Soon Dad also got off work. As the three of us sat down at the dinner table, I remembered something else. "Crap, I left He Yuqing in my room!"

"Who?" Mom asked. "Is there someone else here?"

I nearly ran to open the door. "Yes, I have a friend staying here; she ate with us last time. You know her."

He Yuqing was sitting at my desk, writing furiously. I stood behind her. "Stop writing for now and come eat."

"Oh, almost done. Can you wait just a little longer? It's been difficult to organize everything from scratch; the volume of data is enormous. If I don't record it now, I'm afraid I'll forget later."

"If you can't remember something, I can tell you. Eat first; my parents are waiting for you."

He Yuqing threw down her pen in a panic. "Oh my goodness, I completely forgot about Auntie and Uncle! Look at my terrible memory; I thought I was at my own home."

It seemed He Yuqing had returned to normal. I smiled and followed her into the dining room. Mom didn't seem overly surprised by He Yuqing's appearance; she probably would have believed me even if I had said He Yuqing was another daughter-in-law. Of course, my relationship with He Yuqing was strictly innocent, assuming you don't count the time I carried her around Africa while butt-slapping.

At the table, Dad asked kindly, "Xiao He, I heard you and Zhao Qian were university classmates?"

He Yuqing nodded. "Yes, Uncle, but I studied Archaeology, while Zhao Qian studied Financial Management."

Mom asked He Yuqing, "Dear, how old are you?"

He Yuqing replied, "Twenty-one."

"Oh, only twenty-one. Still a bit young," Mom mused, nodding thoughtfully before continuing to eat.

Dad commented, "Archaeology is a very obscure field. Why would a girl like you study it? Finding a job will be a problem in the future."

He Yuqing laughed. "Uncle, you might not know, but it's not entirely true. The knowledge required in archaeology is vast, covering various disciplines. Besides, even if I can't find a job, I have fellow student Zhao Qian to help. He's quite capable."

Dad looked at me with suspicion. "Is that so? How is Zhao Qian capable? Does he fight?"

He Yuqing quickly explained, fearing Dad would misunderstand me. "No, Uncle, I mean academically. Zhao Qian is incredibly knowledgeable. I specifically came to ask for his guidance today."

Naturally, any father beams with pride when his son is praised. "Hehe, Xiao He, you're too kind. I'm quite satisfied with Zhao Qian's studies recently, but he still has a long way to go before his knowledge is truly respectable. Come to think of it, you're his senior; you should teach him properly if you have the chance."

He Yuqing ignored Dad's polite formalities and asked me directly, "Classmate Zhao Qian, I wanted to ask your opinion on Professor Peng Cun's theory that 'external factors were the main cause during the mutation process from ape to human.' Is the 'ape' he refers to the hominids we know from millions of years ago?"

"I don't have definitive proof for that, but I imagine the time frame, even if not millions of years, must be tens of thousands of years, right?"

"That settles it. Then what about the human modification diagram, or perhaps dissection diagram, we saw in the African cave paintings? What timeframe do you think that belongs to?"

"Around five to six thousand years ago," I estimated.

"According to your view, humans underwent at least two major physical modifications during their evolutionary process, correct?"

"Heh, perhaps ten or twenty times. But I think the first crucial one was the transformation from ape to human. If there were a second or third modification, I think it would involve the refinement of DNA, genes, and chromosomes. And that modification is still being studied by various countries."

He Yuqing continued to inquire, "Do you think the type of humans we discussed this morning involved genes and chromosomes during their modification of primitive Earth inhabitants? I suspect the modification shown in the cave paintings was the last known external interference."

"I can't be certain about that, but the genetic technology of prehistoric humans must have been extremely advanced. With our current understanding of DNA, it might be difficult to explain. Currently, we know that the total DNA in the genome of eukaryotic organisms has 4 billion or 3 billion base pairs, arranged on a single chromosome, enough to encode over three million proteins. Yet, mammals actually have no more than 150,000 types of proteins, and only about 2%–3% of the DNA sequence is used for encoding proteins. This results in coding gene regions, non-coding gene regions, and silent gene regions. I focus on the silent gene regions because if an anomaly occurs there, DNA might pull genes from that silent region and insert them into the chromosomal double helix. If successfully encoded, that would result in a new human we've never seen—or perhaps an old human, one we are only seeing for the first time."

Dad and Mom looked completely bewildered and soon returned to their room after finishing their meal. He Yuqing then became direct. "Do you think the Lunarians might have transplanted their genes into primitive humans, but due to some inherent incompatibility, most genes couldn't be properly encoded? Only under specific mutated circumstances would humans exhibit certain Lunarian markers, like various types of special abilities—which should be abilities the Lunarians originally possessed."

"That's probably the idea. These things are too complex and span too long a period; I don't see the point in researching it. I know a Professor Chen; he's an expert in gene research. If you need anything in that area, you can contact him directly."

He Yuqing replied, "I'm not researching genes; I just want to understand the relationship between the Lunarians and modern humans. After listening to you explain so much, I have a clearer idea. Do you think the modification Professor Peng Cun mentioned and the modification we saw in Africa were done by the same group of people? The time gap between them is huge. If it was the same group, then the starting time of prehistoric civilization would have to be pushed back significantly, possibly millions of years."

"Who can say for sure? Only by experiencing it firsthand would one have a definitive answer. If I get the chance, I will help you find out."

He Yuqing said excitedly, "Can I come along? If we can truly break through the time barrier, I have so many questions I want to clarify."

"Temporarily, we still cannot move freely across multiple spaces. Although we have the theory and the equipment, what we lack is the key to unlocking it. If our conditions are met one day, don't worry, I won't leave you behind."

He Yuqing patted her chest reassuringly. "That's good. Keep your word. I'm full now. I'll go back to your room to think a little more—you don't mind, do you?"

"Whatever. I'm going to tour the companies this afternoon. If you have nothing else to do, feel free to stay here."