novelSusiti Chapter 130 The Grand Finale: The Everlasting Light of Civilization
Chapter 130 The Grand Finale: The Everlasting Light of Civilization
Time: 2221 AD (2442 AD in the Qin Dynasty calendar)
Location: Earth Federation Administrative Center, Xianyang
This city is no longer the dusty, industrially emerging place it was more than two thousand years ago.
Today, Xianyang is a "sky city" suspended above the Guanzhong Plain. A massive anti-gravity circular track connects the ruins of the Epang Palace on the ground with skyscrapers in the clouds. Maglev trains, like silver dragons, silently shuttle through transparent vacuum tubes, reaching speeds of up to 3000 kilometers per hour.
In the very center of the city, shrouded in a light blue energy shield, lies the spiritual totem of the entire Earth Federation—the **Great Qin Royal History Museum**.
There's no entrance fee here; you just need to pass a simple "historical knowledge test." If you don't know who promoted the "Second Law of Thermodynamics" in the Qin Dynasty, or who the real inventor of the "hamburger" is, then you'll have to go to the cram school next door for a lesson first.
[First Exhibition Hall: The "Myth" of the Steam Age]
At nine o'clock in the morning, sunlight streamed through the special glass of the dome, illuminating a huge, black steel monster.
That was a "prototype"—**the Qin Dynasty No. 1 high-pressure steam engine**.
Young history professor Li Wei (said to be the Nth generation descendant of Prime Minister Li Si, although part of the family tree was lost during the Martian colonization period) is leading a group of elementary school students on a tour.
"Students, look here." Li Wei pointed to the machine covered with rivets and copper pipes. "Before 210 BC, human strength was limited. We relied on oxen to plow the fields, horses to deliver messages, and the wind to sail the boats. Until this year, a great turning point appeared."
"I know!" A chubby little boy wearing smart glasses raised his hand. "It was His Majesty the First Emperor who summoned the dragon!"
"Cough cough..." Li Wei almost choked on his saliva. "That's what they say in historical dramas. To be precise, it was Emperor Qin Shi Huang who listened to the advice of 'civilization mentor' Little G and had the Mohists and Gongshu School join forces to turn 'heat' into 'power'. This machine only had a power of 50 horsepower, which is less than a child's toy car today, but at that time, it was a god."
Li did not press a button.
Although the boiler no longer burns coal, the awe-inspiring "chicken chicken" sound reverberates once again in the exhibition hall through holographic projection and sound wave simulation.
"Some people say that the steam engine is a coal-eating monster. But in the eyes of the ancient people of Qin, it was an ox that never rested, a horse that was never afraid of getting tired, and the key that liberated mankind from heavy physical labor."
Li Wei led the children forward until they came to a glass display case.
Inside the cabinet was an ordinary-looking, even somewhat rusty, iron wrench.
The label reads: * "Wrench No. 001 used by the late King of Science and Technology (Hu Hai)."
"Wow! Is this the legendary 'Holy Sword of Physics'?" the children exclaimed.
"That's right," Li Wei said with a smile. "It's said that back then, Dean Hu Hai used this wrench to knock on the door of the internal combustion engine and also to wake up those Confucian scholars who only knew how to read books. In that era, this wrench represented a spirit—'Do it, don't just talk the talk.'"
[Second Exhibition Hall: The Misunderstood "God of Commerce"]
Passing through the steam age, you enter the colorful "Business Empire" exhibition area.
The style here is completely different, full of pop art influences. A huge retro poster hangs on the wall:
The painting depicts a middle-aged man in a suit, sporting a small mustache, and smiling broadly, holding a bread roll with a meat patty inside. Beside him is a line of wildly cursive calligraphy:
**"The Great Qin Royal Burger—Even the Emperor Said It Was Delicious! Today's Special: Two Coins Each!"**
"This is Liu Bang," Li Wei introduced. "In the old timeline, he might have been a founding emperor. But in our timeline, he is the 'Father of Qin Commerce,' the 'Founder of the Global Logistics Network,' and the originator of 'junk food.'"
A yellowed parchment contract is displayed in the showcase.
That was the First Trans-Eurasian Concession Agreement signed between the Qin Empire and the Roman Republic.
"Students, please look," Li Wei pointed to the terms of the contract, "In this agreement, Qin not only exported silk and porcelain to Rome, but more importantly, it exported 'standards.' Liu Bang stipulated that the width of every road in Rome must conform to the wheel gauge of Qin chariots; and that every market in Rome must use Qin's 'Qin jin' and 'Qin chi' for weights and measures. What is this called?"
"Economic hegemony!" a tall girl replied.
"Accurate." Li Wei nodded. "Or you could call it 'dimensional reduction attack.' When the whole world is using your standards, you no longer need to conquer them, because they have become part of you. Liu Bang used hamburgers and silk to do what a million-strong army couldn't."
In a corner of the exhibition hall, there is a small statue: Xiang Yu riding a... kangaroo.
"That's Xiang Yu, the 'King of Adventure'." Li Wei couldn't help but chuckle. "According to records, when General Xiang Yu was circumnavigating the globe, he captured a 'jumping kangaroo' in Australia. Later, this kangaroo became the darling of the imperial garden and even learned to box with General Xiang Yu. General Xiang Yu proved that the earth is round, and as long as you're tough enough, you can go anywhere."
[Third Exhibition Hall: The Cage of Power]
The atmosphere became solemn upon entering the third exhibition hall.
There are no noisy machines or fancy paintings here, only a solemn black and white color scheme.
In the center of the hall, a huge book made of titanium alloy pages floats in the air—the original manuscript of the Qin Constitution.
"This is the secret to the Qin Dynasty's ability to last for two thousand years." Li Wei's voice became low. "In that era of supreme imperial power, the First Emperor made a decision that went against the ancestors' wishes. He put the 'dragon' in a cage."
Holographic projections played footage from that time:
It was an autumn afternoon when Ying Zheng, with his full head of white hair, stood on a high platform and handed the Imperial Seal to Fusu. He did not sit on the dragon throne, but stood among the crowd.
"Classmates, do you know the saying 'died after two generations'?" Li Wei asked.
"We know!" the children answered in unison, "It's a curse from the old history books!"
"Yes. In another parallel universe, the Qin Dynasty perished because of the tyranny of the second emperor. But here, the 'second emperor' became a new starting point. Because His Majesty Ying Zheng understood that one person's wisdom and martial prowess alone could not protect the country; only through systems, science, and the wisdom of every Qin citizen could civilization endure."
Li Wei pointed to a set of photos on the wall.
The first picture shows Ying Zheng inspecting an oil field while wearing a safety helmet;
The second picture shows Fusu sweating profusely as he is questioned by members of parliament in the council hall.
The third picture shows Hu Hai laughing heartily in the laboratory, his face covered in grease.
The fourth picture shows Zhao Gao (yes, he also has a photo) holding a pile of account books, wearing reading glasses and checking data in the archives.
"They are no longer gods; they have become men. And this is the greatest thing about the Qin Dynasty."
[Fourth Exhibition Hall: The Non-Existent "Imperial Advisor"]
The final exhibition hall is the most mysterious place in the entire museum.
The place was empty except for a rusty metal egg in the middle—**Little G's hibernation pod**.
There was no holographic projection, no narration, only a line of small words engraved on the wall:
**Dedicated to the friend who lit the lamp.**
"Grandpa," the chubby boy tugged at Li Wei's sleeve, "the book says that the Imperial Advisor is a deity who can summon wind and rain, is that true?"
Li Wei crouched down, looking at the metal egg: "He's not a god. He's a... program, a piece of code, a ghost from the future. But he understands what 'humanity' is better than many flesh-and-blood people."
Will he wake up again?
Li Wei remained silent for a moment before taking out his personal terminal (a transparent bracelet).
"In a sense, he never slept," Li Wei said softly. "Look, the network we use now, the navigation system on our spaceship, the terminals in everyone's hands—his shadow is in the underlying code. He shattered himself and melted into every circuit of the Qin Dynasty."
"drop--"
Just then, the museum's loudspeaker came on.
"Attention all visitors, the 'Zulong' interstellar spaceship is about to launch. Please proceed to the observation deck to watch the live broadcast."
[Mars Base: The Final Countdown]
The scene then cut to Mars.
The atmosphere there has been transformed into a blue color suitable for human breathing. At the foot of Mount Olympus stands a massive launch tower.
A colossal spaceship, three kilometers long—the **"Zulong"**—was silently suspended in the anti-gravity field. Its shape resembled a long, black sword, pointing towards the heavens.
On the bridge, Captain Wang Xing (the 88th generation descendant of General Wang Ben and the commander-in-chief of the Qin Space Fleet) was standing in front of the command platform.
He was wearing a dark black space uniform with the Black Water Dragon Flag embroidered on his epaulets.
"Commander, warp drive preheating complete. Antimatter reactor output power 100%."
"Navigation system calibration complete. Target: Alpha Centauri (Proxima Centauri). Distance: 4.22 light-years."
Wang Xing took a deep breath and looked out through the huge porthole at the deep universe.
More than two thousand years ago, his ancestor Wang Ben piloted the steam-powered warship "Invincible" and sailed into the deep blue sea for the first time. At that time, they thought the sea was the end of the world.
More than two thousand years later, he is about to set sail for the stars and the sea in the "Zulong".
"Connect to the Xianyang ground command center," Wang Xing ordered.
An image of Earth appeared on the screen. It was the homeland of the Qin Dynasty, a breathtakingly blue expanse.
"This is the 'Zulong'. We are about to set sail. This time, we are not here to conquer, but to explore."
Xianyang: A Look Back Across a Thousand Years
On the observation deck of the Xianyang Museum, Li Wei and the children looked up at the sky. Although Mars could not be seen from here, everyone could feel a deep, soul-stirring excitement.
On the holographic screen, footage of Mars was being broadcast live.
"5...4...3..."
The countdown sound seemed to overlap with the countdown when Little G shut down two thousand years ago.
But this time, it's not the end, it's the beginning.
"2...1...Ignition!"
On the screen, a dazzling blue light ripped through the Martian night sky. The massive spaceship transformed into a shooting star and vanished instantly into the vast universe.
The crowd cheered and the children jumped up excitedly.
Li Wei turned around and looked into the depths of the museum, at the room containing the hibernation pods.
He seemed to see, under the dim yellow light, the old man in the black robe sitting with the blue orb of light.
The old man raised his wine glass and toasted the empty space.
The orb of light flickered slightly, as if in response.
[Deep within the spaceship: Hello, world]
The "Zulong" has entered faster-than-light travel mode. The starlight outside the window is stretched into long lines, like time tunnels.
Deep within the spaceship's main control core, in that vast and complex quantum network, a long-dormant ancient code was suddenly activated.
That wasn't an ordinary program; it carried a unique, almost soulful ripple.
[Changes in the external environment detected...]
[Coordinates: Edge of the Solar System...]
[Target: Deep Space...]
[Energy source: Antimatter reactor...abundant...]
[Attempting to restructure personality modules...]
In that ocean of countless 0s and 1s, a consciousness is awakening.
It searched the spaceship's database, reading through more than two thousand years of history. It saw the roar of steam engines, the widespread use of electricity, the explosion of information, and humans venturing out of Earth to grow potatoes on Mars (which reminded it of a guy named Liu Bang), and fishing on Europa.
It saw Qin Shi Huang's tomb, where there were no terracotta warriors, only scrolls and machines.
It saw Fusu's benevolent rule, Huhai's mechanical dreams, and Zhao Gao's account books.
[Data loading complete.]
[Logical consistency check...passed.]
[Emotion module... activated.]
A small, pixelated smiley face suddenly popped up on the main screen.
The smiley face was very simple, just like it was two thousand years ago, when it was kept the way it was to save electricity.
The adjutant on duty was startled: "Captain! The main control computer seems to be... infected with a virus? A smiley face appeared on the screen!"
Wang Xing walked over and looked at that familiar smiling face. This was the symbol mentioned in the family legend, the symbol of the "Mentor of Civilization".
He paused for a moment, then smiled. He reached out and gently touched the screen.
"No, that's not a virus," Wang Xing said softly. "That's an old friend. He's back."
The cursor on the screen blinked, displaying a line of text. It wasn't cold, robotic language, but rather a long-lost, humorous greeting—one that only the people of Qin could understand:
"Hey, this ship is pretty well built. Much better than that hot air balloon that Hu Hai had back then."
[However, who designed this navigation system? Why does it still prefer to go in straight lines? Don't they know a gravity slingshot is more fuel-efficient?]
"[Fine, now that I'm awake, I'll take the steering wheel.]"
[Hey Qin Dynasty's rising stars, buckle up! Let's go see if that neighbor called the Trisolaran is home.]
The spaceship transformed into a beam of light and disappeared into the horizon of the Milky Way.
Meanwhile, on Earth, the night market in Xianyang remains bustling. Robots selling roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) hawk their wares, young people dressed in Hanfu play holographic games, and elderly people practice Tai Chi in the park.
In this time and space, the Great Wall is no longer a defensive wall, but a ladder connecting heaven and earth.
The Terracotta Army is no longer an underground army of the dead, but an expedition team in the starry sky.
Ying Zheng's wish was fulfilled.
The Qin Dynasty did not last two generations before it perished.
It has become civilization itself.
【End of full text】