When Diao Chan emerged from the ruins, Xiao Yao was waiting for him on the 777th floor.
Diao Chan held a leather suitcase in one hand and a fish tank containing Zhao Meiyou’s brain in the other. He handed the suitcase to Xiao Yao. "Everything is in the case. I’ll leave the rest to you."
Xiao Yao took the suitcase, his expression steady. "Rest assured, Vice Dean."
"At a time like this," Diao Chan smiled, "just call me Diao Chan."
"Alright... Diao Chan," Xiao Yao said. "The backlash from the Dean's original brain against the created brain should have been successful. Ten minutes ago, the idols throughout the Metropolis suffered a sudden power failure; Qian Duoduo must have been affected by the counter-shock. All magnetic fields have been shut down. So far, the plan is proceeding smoothly."
"Good." Diao Chan nodded. "Go now. Be careful."
Once Xiao Yao had walked away, Zhao Meiyou spoke up. "So, uh, can you tell me the final part of your plan now?"
"Zhao Mode, you still have the heart to worry about that?" Diao Chan looked at him with surprise. "I thought after seeing Qian Duoduo, you’d be wallowing in despair for a good long while."
"Screw you," Zhao Meiyou cursed. "My wife and I are doing just fine."
Diao Chan was genuinely shocked. "What did you two talk about?"
"Private couple talk. You’d get styes in your eyes if you heard it," Zhao Meiyou said. "So, how exactly are you going to pull this off?"
According to what Xiao Yao and Diao Chan had said before, the Metropolis was being swallowed by the ruins. It would eventually become a new quantum field threshold. Since Qian Duoduo was linked to the magnetic fields of the city's idols, the entire city was under his control. They had to interfere with Qian Duoduo’s brain to disrupt the magnetic field, thereby gaining a chance to save the city.
Zhao Meiyou could guess a few things. The process of the ruins swallowing the city was likely irreversible, meaning they couldn't peel the Metropolis away from the quantum field threshold. The most likely solution was to take advantage of the sudden failure of the magnetic fields—while the Metropolitan government was in chaos—to evacuate as many people as possible.
But that raised another question: with so many people in the Metropolis, how would they evacuate? And to where?
"What was in that suitcase you gave Xiao Yao?" Zhao Meiyou asked.
"You guessed it?" Diao Chan led him toward the Lower Districts. "Those were things my mother left behind."
When Liu Qijue and Xiao Xiansheng first found Diao Chan within the cycles, they had discussed the future of the Metropolis. Their final conclusion was that the city itself likely had no future.
But humanity was different.
How could they abandon a city while maximizing the preservation of civilization's achievements?
They simultaneously thought of the Metropolitan Prohibitions.
The first article of the Metropolitan Prohibitions: Space exploration is forbidden.
As his memories returned, Diao Chan gradually recalled that during the time he took over the Diao family's affairs, he had discovered a base built by Madam Diao in the lowest levels of the Metropolis.
That base housed the Metropolis's last spacecraft.
They had spent a long time locating the base and slowly repairing the ship.
"All core cultural and civilizational information has been uploaded to the ship," Zhao Meiyou heard Diao Chan say. "The ship's capacity is in the tens of millions. It can take a huge portion of the city's population."
"As for what's in the suitcase," Diao Chan’s voice was flat, "it’s the core power codes for the spacecraft."
Zhao Meiyou didn't ask how Diao Chan had obtained the suitcase, just as Diao Chan wouldn't pry into what he had experienced in the ruins. "Alright, so there's an escape route. But what about the Metropolis? You can't just leave it be."
He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly alarmed. "Holy crap, you guys didn't build a nuke or something, did you?"
"Of course not," Diao Chan said. "But it's close enough."
"We built a quantum bomb."
Years ago, when Zhao Meiyou first created a quantum bomb at the Ancient Capital Research Institute, its detonation caused the entire institute to peel away from the physical dimension, becoming a new ruin. Everyone caught in the blast became an archaeologist.
"Liu-ge somehow got a hold of your data from back then and mimicked a similar bomb. Xiao Yao has already gone to the bottom level to start the ship. Once we launch and clear the blast radius, the bomb will detonate."
"What do you mean, 'mimicked a similar one'?" Zhao Meiyou felt his scalp tingle. "With something like this, a miss is as good as a mile. Are you sure it'll work?"
"Of course it'll work," Diao Chan said. "The reason I said 'similar' is because the power of this quantum bomb is fifty times that of the one you built."
Zhao Meiyou: "..."
"It couldn't be helped." Diao Chan shrugged. "The Tower of Babel was built too high."
They were also heading toward the bottom level. Zhao Meiyou didn't know what methods Diao Chan and the others had used, but it seemed almost all the citizens were evacuating in an orderly fashion. Looking closely, however, most were residents of the Lower Districts, with some from the Middle Districts. Almost no one from the Upper Districts was heading down. Diao Chan was right; the Tower of Babel was built too high.
As for those above the 900th floor, they were likely scrambling to repair the idols. Without the magnetic field to control the city, and separated by such a vast distance, it was unlikely anyone would notice what was happening at the very bottom.
Soon they reached the lowest level. Unlike the pitch-black darkness of Zhao Meiyou’s last visit, almost all the streetlights were lit, making it as bright as day. He saw the massive spacecraft. With one look, he knew Diao Chan was telling the truth—this ship was indeed a million-class vessel. "Not bad. You pulled off such a huge operation without the government noticing?"
"The government rarely comes to the bottom. The only important place here is the Skydoor, and only you and Qian Duoduo ever use that." Diao Chan looked at the long queues in the distance and suddenly called out, "Zhao Mode."
"Yeah?"
"I think there's something you should know." Diao Chan paused. "Even though the current Qian Duoduo has completely merged with Buddha, within that chaotic fusion, a part of his original self still exists."
"Liu-ge said before that Qian Duoduo must have struggled a lot. I'm not sure if he discovered this ship at the bottom and simply said nothing—that would be incredibly difficult. The government holds his highest authority; according to his programming, he cannot hide such information. Yet, he forcibly defied that command."
"I don't know how he did it." Diao Chan took a deep breath. "If his true self was strong enough to break through his directives, even by a tiny fraction, then after he completely merges with Buddha, there is a chance he can excavate his original self again."
"I know," Zhao Meiyou said, sounding puzzled. "Otherwise, what do you think my wife and I were talking about in the ruins?"
"...What did you talk about?"
"Private couple talk, can't let you hear it." Zhao Meiyou thought for a moment. "But I can tell you one thing—Qian-ge told me not to give up on him."
He laughed as he finished. "Listen to that. How could I ever give up on him?"
"Zhao Meiyou, did you not understand what I was saying?" Diao Chan interrupted him. "We are going to detonate a quantum bomb. After the explosion, the entire city will be severed from the physical dimension. This place will become a new ruin. And because this bomb is so powerful, whether anyone inside the ruin can survive is one thing, but even if they do, without external intervention to open the ruin, the people inside might never come out again."
"You have to understand," Diao Chan said, emphasizing every word. "A quantum field threshold is no utopia. After this is over, I will completely destroy the technology. That means there will never be anyone in reality who can open this ruin again."
"I know," Zhao Meiyou replied, still sounding unfazed. "So you guys go your way, and I'll stay behind to save my wife. Is there a conflict?"
Diao Chan looked like he was about to choke on those words.
He wanted to scream at Zhao Meiyou's brain, *Are you suicidal?* But as a best friend, he suddenly understood why Zhao Meiyou was doing this. Zhao Meiyou could not abandon Qian Duoduo.
If, after so many cycles, there was still one thin thread of attachment to this reality for him, Qian Duoduo was that vital spark.
As for civilization, ideals, and everything they had shed blood for back then, Zhao Meiyou had done enough. At the Ancient Capital Research Institute, he had already offered everything an ordinary man could offer. If the fusion experiment hadn't interfered later, he should have been resting in the earth long ago, enjoying his posthumous honors.
"Besides, there's still you and Xiao Yao. I'm not worried; everyone will have a good life in the future," Zhao Meiyou said lazily. "Jue-jue went off to be happy with his man, so why don't I deserve a little bliss?"
Since it had come to this, Diao Chan simply said, "So you're staying."
"Yes, I'm staying." Zhao Meiyou’s voice softened, peaceful yet undeniable. "Diao Chan, you said it yourself—there's a chance for a happy ending for me and my wife. Besides, I can guard the gate for you guys inside the ruins, making sure nothing comes out to mess with reality again."
Listen to that—how selfless. Looking for death while still thinking of benefiting humanity.
Diao Chan had nothing left to say. He cut the line and boarded the ship, entering the laboratory in the core area. As soon as he entered, Zhao Meiyou saw a cat sitting on the control console. "This little guy looks familiar... Holy crap, isn't that Zhao Bu Jiao? Diao Chan, when did you steal my cat?"
"You have the nerve to call this your cat?" Diao Chan said expressionlessly. "Calculate for yourself how long it's been since you returned to that doghouse of yours."
"I've been busy." Zhao Meiyou wasn't the least bit ashamed. "And Zhao Bu Jiao has strong survival skills. Are you planning to take him to the sky—?"
His voice took a strange turn as he watched Diao Chan inject Zhao Bu Jiao with something and then immediately begin a dissection. Then, the most bizarre thing happened—the cat's body began to knead like liquid, growing larger. Its head was opened, and it was completely empty inside.
"I knew Zhao Bu Jiao wasn't the brightest," Zhao Meiyou murmured, "but I didn't realize he literally had no brain."
"Strictly speaking, Zhao Bu Jiao isn't a cat." Diao Chan worked busily on the cat's head. "This is one of Liu-ge’s creations. In Site A173, he used quantum matter to create the 'concept' of a cat and released it into reality. When you don't know the truth, Zhao Bu Jiao is a cat. But once you know his true form, he isn't."
Zhao Meiyou said, "Schrödinger's cat?"
"Exactly." After saying this, Diao Chan did something Zhao Meiyou never could have imagined.
He placed Zhao Meiyou’s brain into the cat's body.
Zhao Meiyou became the cat.
He stared dumbfoundedly at his own paws. "...What the fuck?"
"Zhao Mode, I don't need to explain what Schrödinger's cat is to you." Diao Chan ruffled the fur on his head. "Aside from your brain, you are now essentially a quantum existence. This will increase your survival rate after the bomb detonates. Moreover, you've retained your original brain, which is an eigenstate outside of the superposition... Meaning, if your will is strong enough and you're lucky enough—perhaps one day, you can emerge from the ruins on your own."
"But you'd better not come out," Diao Chan added immediately. "God knows what you'll look like by then. It'll probably be another mess."
It took a long time for Zhao Meiyou to recover. "...Diao Chan, you're too damn good to me."
"Cut the crap." Diao Chan’s expression was cold. "I won't actively open the box, and I won't hold a funeral for you."
"That's enough," Zhao Meiyou sighed. "That's more than enough."
"One last thing," Diao Chan said. "The Qian Duoduo who told you 'don't give up on me' in the ruins... that was likely his own consciousness."
The cat on the table tried to jump down but fell flat on its face upon hearing this.
"You didn't guess?" Diao Chan was stunned. "And you were still going to save him?"
"I thought it was just a collection of fragments of Qian-ge in my own mind... so it could be considered a part of him." Zhao Meiyou scrambled up. "Wait, that was the real Qian-ge? How did Liu Qijue pull that off?"
"When we got off the train, Liu-ge essentially handed the autonomy of each station over to us. In other words, at that moment, we were equivalent to him; we could control the ruins and reconstruct many things from reality." Diao Chan explained, "But you are different. Because your brain and Qian Duoduo’s are bi-directionally linked, it’s possible that a part of his consciousness was also permeating the quantum field threshold at that time."
"Weren't you afraid of accidents? What if Buddha noticed?"
"With those 2023 suicides preceding it, Buddha was likely already crippled. The only thing that could endure was Qian Duoduo’s original consciousness..." Diao Chan realized something. "Holy shit, go save him then. It looks like the probability of his original self existing is quite high. Maybe your suicide squad really will turn into a wedding procession."
Zhao Meiyou didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Qian Duoduo’s mainframe was connected to the core of the Metropolis and the magnetic fields of the four idols, and he had already merged with Buddha. Zhao Meiyou couldn't even forcibly take the mainframe by cutting the power. He could only wait for the quantum bomb to explode and then search for his lingering consciousness within the ruins. If he was lucky enough, perhaps he could retain a part of his self, just as Liu Qijue had once voluntarily dissolved into the ruins.
"I'm off." With everything said, Zhao Meiyou waved a paw at Diao Chan. "I'll leave the rest to you guys."
Diao Chan walked him to the ship's airlock. The cat took one last look back. Nearby, a child cried out in wonder, "Look! That cat is smiling!"
The cat gave a "Meow" at the child, flicked its tail, and vanished into the brilliant daylight.
***
After the seas had changed into mulberry fields, the *New Compendium of Human Civilization* recorded that in the middle of the second millennium, Earth experienced a massive cataclysm. Humanity narrowly escaped total extinction, saved only by a group of determined individuals who staked everything on a final voyage, preserving the spark of civilization.
As long as a spark remains, it can eventually start a prairie fire.
Many years later.
"Mr. Diao and Teacher Liu both said we shouldn't come here..." A boy stood behind a door, looking hesitantly at his companion. "This is the ship's main control room. What if something happens?"
"Nothing will happen, don't worry!" The girl in the room waved her hand dismissively. "My dad said the scouting team has already found a suitable habitable planet. We'll be living on the surface soon!"
"But... but what does that have to do with us coming to the control room?"
"It has everything to do with it! I'm going to be a scientist like Mr. Diao when I grow up! And then I'll marry Teacher Liu!" The little girl puffed out her chest. "Scientists aren't afraid of difficulties! What's a mere control room?"
"I still don't get why we had to come here..."
"Oh, you wouldn't understand. You'll get it when you're older!" The girl ignored him and patted her friend. "Are you stacked up yet? I'm going up."
They were a bunch of toddlers who had to pile on top of each other to reach the massive control console. The girl, seemingly the most agile, climbed up first and then loyally pulled her companions up one by one. Finally, she waved to the boy outside. "Come on! You're the last one!"
The boy finally summoned his courage, grabbed her hand, and scrambled up, immediately plunging into a deep sea of stars.
The girl had clicked on a page, and the console displayed a vast expanse of constellations.
Faced with this absolute, pure beauty, the children were all struck dumb. Someone finally shouted, "I recognize that star! It's the Central Star!"
In the distance was an extremely hot central star. Its surface, at 250,000 degrees Celsius, was filled with brilliant light. A golden phantom burned and expanded silently, like billions of years of good times.
"That is CM Tauri, the central star of the Crab Nebula, approximately 6,300 light-years from Earth." A smiling voice sounded behind them. "What are you all doing here?"
The girl's eyes lit up, and she turned around, shouting, "Teacher Liu!"
"You lot again. The central fountain you broke last time hasn't even been fixed yet." Xiao Yao smiled. "If you want to see the stars, go to the rooftop of the Museum District. The view is better there."
"Teacher Liu, Teacher Liu!" The girl tugged at his sleeve, asking repeatedly, "My dad said we'll be back on the ground soon. Is it true?"
"It's possible." Xiao Yao patted her head. "Diao Chan is still in hibernation. We'll have to wait for him to wake up and assess the situation before we can be sure."
"Yay!" The girl raised her hands high. "I heard my dad say that looking at stars from the ground is different. Stars on the ground are like sequins, nail polish, and salt in a rice bowl!"
Xiao Yao laughed and nodded. "Yes, that's a very fitting metaphor."
"Teacher." The boy raised his hand and asked, "I heard that when people on the ground die, they aren't processed for recycling. Instead, they are buried or cremated. Is that true?"
"It is true." Xiao Yao nodded. "Why do you ask?"
"Because I find it strange. Isn't burying a body a waste? There are clearly many useful parts left."
"Because many years ago, the Earth was so fertile that bodies didn't need to be used as recycled resources. Burying the dead was more about conveying an emotional value."
"I know this!" another child raised their hand. "We learned an ancient poem a few days ago: *Hearing 'Plucking Willows' on a flute this night, whose heart would not yearn for home's distant light?*"
"Yes. Nostalgia, the sorrow of parting, the weight of life and death—human emotions are very diverse." Xiao Yao nodded. "As you grow up, you will slowly come to understand these things."
Once the children had dispersed, Xiao Yao walked to the massive star map they had opened. He stood in silence for a moment and then tuned into a specific channel.
According to the ancient seasons, it should be spring on Earth now.
*Whose jade flute sends a secret song through the air,*
*To drift on the spring breeze, filling Luoyang everywhere?*
*Hearing 'Plucking Willows' on this lonely night,*
*Whose heart would not yearn for home's distant light?*
"Dad, Father, I am doing well now. Diao Chan is doing well too." He paused and said softly, "If the development of human civilization is also a series of cycles, I think we are about to see the dawn."
Cities are built and destroyed, destroyed and reborn. Cause and effect loop, seemingly unavoidable.
But what is precious is that life goes on, unceasing.
"...And the Dean," Xiao Yao murmured. "I wonder how the Dean and His Excellency Qian are doing."
He stood before the vast star map for a long time until his terminal lit up. A staff member told him that Diao Chan had just awakened from hibernation.
"I understand." Xiao Yao hurried out. "I'm coming right now."
The door closed again, leaving only the stars shining in the darkness.
After an unknown amount of time, the channel Xiao Yao had tuned into suddenly flickered to life. A page popped up on the screen.
The main page was blank, devoid of any source code, save for a tiny paw print in the bottom left corner.
And in the very center, a single word was typed:
"Meow."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 副院长 | Vice Dean | Diao Chan's title at the Institute. |
| 量子炸弹 | Quantum Bomb | A weapon that severs reality to create a "ruin" or quantum field. |
| 巴比伦塔 | Tower of Babel | Metaphor for the Metropolis's height and hubris. |
| 薛定谔的猫 | Schrödinger's Cat | The quantum state Zhao Meiyou enters to survive. |
| 本征态 | Eigenstate | A quantum physics term used to describe Zhao's stable consciousness. |
| 叠加态 | Superposition | The state of being in multiple possibilities at once. |
| 冬眠 | Hibernation | Cryogenic sleep used for long-term space travel. |
| 《人类文明新编》 | *New Compendium of Human Civilization* | A future historical record. |
| 此夜曲中闻折柳，何人不起故园情 | Hearing 'Plucking Willows' on this lonely night, whose heart would not yearn for home's distant light? | Lines from Li Bai's poem "Spring Night in Luoyang Hearing a Flute." |
| 折柳 | Plucking Willows | A traditional Chinese metaphor for parting/farewell; also a pun on Liu Qijue's name. |
| 故园情 | Nostalgia / Longing for home | A central theme of the ending. |
