Chapter Two: The Inevitable War

The post was made by Lin Fengqi, a renowned young talent in Huaxia. Although he was not a new human enhanced by the A01 gene serum, through his own efforts he was admitted to the top program at Imperial Capital University, becoming the first ordinary person ever accepted into that program.

During his time at university, he was once interviewed by a passerby; his striking looks quickly made him a viral sensation online. Many entertainment companies flocked to Capital University, offering generous contracts to have him shoot commercials or short videos, but he turned them all down.

He then disappeared for two years, and when he reemerged, he already held several impressive invention patents and had founded a technology company. By the time he graduated, his company went public, and his net worth soared past a billion.

A young scientist and CEO of a publicly listed company, combined with such handsome looks—someone so perfect was destined for fame. Not to mention, he was still just an ordinary person.

To achieve so much with ordinary human genes, his story inspired countless people and he became a symbol of the “striver” faction among regular humans.

“He really is a fitting candidate…” Watching the video of the handsome young man, Chen Nian smiled wryly.

In truth, there was a certain rivalry between this celebrated youth and himself—not a personal one, but a clash of groups. As the top metaverse player in Huaxia, Chen Nian was considered the representative of the “slacker” faction among ordinary people.

The two were about the same age, equally attractive, yet they stood for two diametrically opposed social groups, and so the media constantly compared them. For the media, this was a surefire recipe for traffic—they never tired of it.

Their fans often clashed as well. One of the hottest debates was always about who was wealthier: the metaverse champion or Lin Fengqi. As if being richer somehow proved the superiority of the slacker faction.

But Chen Nian knew full well… chances were, as the top metaverse player, he really was the wealthier one. Not because he was more capable than Lin Fengqi, but because in an age where new humans dominated and no one worried about food or shelter, striving didn’t guarantee a better life than simply coasting. That’s why so many people became slackers, spending their days immersed in virtual worlds.

As a result, his audience was far larger than Lin Fengqi’s. For instance, on this short video app, Lin Fengqi had thirty million followers—most of whom were women drawn by his looks. By comparison, Chen Nian’s main account was nearing a hundred million followers.

As for assets, just the in-game wealth he held in the metaverse might well surpass the value of Lin Fengqi’s company.

…

Of course, even if their fans didn’t get along, Chen Nian still deeply admired Lin Fengqi. He was well aware that, as a metaverse player, he had already reached his ceiling. Lin Fengqi’s journey, on the other hand, was only beginning.

He clicked on the short video. Lin Fengqi, dressed in formal attire, appeared on screen, his expression serious as he began to analyze the alien metaverse incident.

“...I can say with near certainty that this will be the greatest black swan event in human history.

Let me break down the possible implications…

First, one possibility is that this is an invasion of Earth by an extraterrestrial civilization. While our current technology cannot comprehend the form this invasion takes, we need not panic—after all, it’s only a signal carrying a virtual world, not something that can directly destroy the planet.

However, it likely means that extraterrestrial civilizations now know Earth’s location. Even so, we shouldn’t be overly alarmed, because it would take them a considerable amount of time to actually reach Earth.

As everyone knows, Huaxia established the Space Force twenty years ago precisely to prepare for such emergencies. In these two decades, the Space Force has developed a number of advanced weapons. If given more time to prepare, when the aliens truly arrive, Earth’s civilization may well be able to put up a fight.

Of course, this will require all of us to unite and focus on advancing space technology. Our standard of living may decline for a while, but for the future of Earth, it will all be worth it.

…

Alternatively, it could be that the alien metaverse signal was accidentally received by Earth, and it may contain advanced technology and cultural knowledge from an extraterrestrial civilization. If so, then for humanity as a whole, it would be a treasure trove from the heavens.

But let’s not be blindly optimistic. It’s hard for people to trust one another—let alone in today’s global climate.

Does anyone remember twenty years ago, when the A01 gene serum was invented? The fight for that technology, which could change humanity, nearly led to global war.

Compared to alien technology, what was the A01 gene serum?

Can we truly expect humanity to work together to unlock this immense treasure? That’s too idealistic.

Suppose someone were to discover, in the alien metaverse, technology capable of easily destroying other countries—would they use it?

If it were me… I probably would. Not because I’m a bad person, but because I couldn’t guarantee that other nations wouldn’t use it if they got it first. To protect myself, I’d have to strike preemptively.

As for the situation abroad, I think most people are aware that the division between new humans and ordinary people is already irreconcilable, with frequent acts of terror.

If the alien metaverse really is a treasure trove, forget about developing it together with us—there’s a good chance they’ll erupt in civil war first.

…

In summary, whether this is an alien invasion or a human opportunity, it’s a tremendous challenge for Huaxia. Now more than ever, we must set aside all prejudices, unite, and weather this crisis together. That’s all ordinary people like us can do.

Of course, all this is just my speculation. According to official information, the alien metaverse will officially open at three a.m. the day after tomorrow.

What’s truly inside remains to be seen until it opens.”

After watching the video, Chen Nian opened the comments section. The top-liked comment read:

“When will the metaverse function be enabled? If it really contains alien technology, ordinary people like us could go treasure hunting and contribute to the nation.”

Lin Fengqi’s response was:

“Metaverse technology requires linking to brainwaves… In truth, we still don’t know what might happen when humans on Earth connect to the alien metaverse. For safety’s sake, the government has suspended the metaverse function. As for when it will open… at the very least, we’ll have to confirm it’s safe first.”

…

Aside from legitimate comments, there were also plenty of emotional outbursts—people talking about leading the alien overlords, overthrowing the new humans, or questioning why ordinary people should risk their lives for the elite, and so on. Many of these comments had high approval ratings.

Chen Nian closed the short video.

According to Lin Fengqi, global chaos seemed inevitable. Chen Nian felt a measure of confusion, but it was limited. As a terminally ill patient, he had spent years hovering on the edge of death—there was little left that could stir great waves of emotion within him.

Just as he was about to watch some other videos at random, his phone suddenly rang.

“You have an incoming call from official number ending in 0731…”

Chen Nian lightly pressed to answer.

“Hello…”

“Is this Mr. Chen Nian, president of the Firmament Guild?”

“Yes, this is he. And you are?”

“I’m a staff member from Huaxia’s emergency department. We’re reaching out to invite you to attend a metaverse conference.”

“I thought the metaverse function was suspended?”

“We’ve restored it for you.”

“Oh? What’s the theme of this conference?”

“You’re surely aware of the alien metaverse incident. We’re now inviting all highly influential figures in Huaxia to this meeting to discuss their views on the matter.”