"Area 51?"
Ou Zhanpeng was quite surprised, "You mean the legendary base that tinkers with flying saucers and aliens?"
Gong Yiding seemed a bit taken aback, "You actually know about it?"
When he was young, it was the era when UFOs were all the rage, with all sorts of unverified news flying around. However, in recent decades, reports of UFOs had plummeted.
Young Master Ou could hardly believe his ears, "No way? Does such a place really exist?"
Legend had it that Area 51 had been studying alien spacecraft since the last century, and America had led global technology for decades thereafter, with its origins traced back to research conducted at Area 51.
Could it be that the two sides had already secretly commenced high-level technical cooperation, thus allowing the military to acquire artificial gravity technology provided by America?
Gong Yiding tapped his desk lightly, "Don't think America is the only one with secret bases. They have Area 51, and we have Project 858!"
This was a rather sudden turn, and Ou Zhanpeng looked confused, "What is Project 858? Secretly researching black technology?"
"Ah, that's a bit complicated to explain," Gong Yiding leaned back in his chair. "In the last century, there was a period when the entire country was engaged in Third Front construction. Have you heard of it?"
"Yes, I learned about it in history class."
"I'm not entirely sure of the exact timing, but it was when one of our engineering units was digging caves in the mountains and accidentally unearthed an alien spacecraft that had been buried for who knows how long. The site commander had limited knowledge and didn't recognize what it was. But people back then had very high political awareness; they immediately stopped construction and reported the situation."
Ou Zhanpeng gave him a look that suggested he was being kidded, which made Gong Yiding lose his train of thought, "What's with that look?"
"No, that's just too bizarre. Even the cheap tabloid literature sold for three yuan a book wouldn't dare to make up something like that."
"You're saying you heard this from tabloid literature? So, you think I'm making up stories with you? Then tell me, where did this artificial gravity come from? Are you dreaming it up again?"
Ou Zhanpeng was stumped this time. Stories could be fabricated, but artificial gravity wasn't fake, was it? If stories could produce such miraculous equipment, then there would be no need for research; wouldn't it be better for the entire nation to just make up stories?
He quickly straightened up his attitude, "Please continue, please!"
"That's more like it!" Gong Yiding was about to continue when he suddenly got sidetracked, "Where was I just now?"
"Stopped construction and reported the situation."
"Oh, right... After receiving the report, the higher-ups immediately dispatched elite troops to conduct in-depth research. But we were too backward at the time and had no idea what to do. They tried every method imaginable, even using explosives, but they couldn't even open the door. In the end, they had to give up reluctantly."
"The concept of UFOs already existed abroad at that time, but our information was too limited in that era, and no one knew what this thing was. Eventually, they found clues in ancient texts, confirming that it should be the legendary 'Giant Raft'."
"What raft?" Ou Zhanpeng hadn't understood at all.
"Giant Raft. 'Ju Cha', with the radical for wood and the character for 'critique'. It means a raft," Gong Yiding, not feeling like showing off his knowledge, directly pulled up an ancient text on his terminal, "Take a look yourself!"
Ou Zhanpeng read softly, "Thirty years after Emperor Yao ascended the throne, a giant raft floated on the Western Sea, with light emanating from it, illuminating at night and disappearing during the day... as if rising and setting with the stars and moon. The raft constantly circled the four seas, completing a celestial orbit every twelve years, and so on... Feathered beings resided upon it, and celestial immortals rinsed their mouths with dew... What is this?"
"A 'Record of Anomalies' by Wang Jia of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. It's said to be a collection of mythical and anecdotal tales. But looking at the records within, what does it make you think of?"
Ou Zhanpeng pondered for a moment and said, "A massive ship suspended over the Western Sea, rising and falling like stars and the moon, with a twelve-year cycle... This seems to be a spacecraft orbiting the Earth!"
"And these too!" Gong Yiding's finger lightly tapped, and one article instantly transformed into a full page. Besides the 'Record of Anomalies', there were two entries from 'Zizhi Tongjian' (Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance): In the first year of Emperor Cheng's Jianshi reign during the Western Han Dynasty, in August, two moons appeared side-by-side, visible in the east at dawn; in the second year of Emperor An's Yongchu reign, in the autumn of July, Venus entered the Big Dipper.
Su Dongpo's 'Visiting Jinshan Temple' recorded a strange encounter: "At this time, the river moon was just beginning its new phase, and at the second watch, the moon set, plunging the sky into deep darkness. In the middle of the river, a torch seemed to brightly illuminate, its flying flames startling the birds perched on the mountain. Regretfully, I returned to bed, my heart unable to comprehend, neither ghost nor human, what could it be?"
These were famous figures Ou Zhanpeng had heard of, people with names and known histories. Following them were many other ancient records, unheard of before. Analyzing them carefully based on the context, they could all be classified as UFOs.
"These are relatively reliable records; there are quite a few unreliable ones as well," Gong Yiding said.
These things could indeed be dismissed as ancient people's fantasies. However, from a modern perspective, the details within each record withstood modern scientific scrutiny, making it impossible to attribute them to coincidence.
Unless the ancient people who recorded these writings were all time travelers from modern times, possessing modern knowledge, to have fantasized with such perfect consistency.
But that was absolutely impossible!
Ou Zhanpeng vigorously rubbed his stiff cheeks, feeling as though his worldview was about to be completely overturned, "Director, this is too... alas, I don't know what to say."
"I understand. When I first learned about this, I was as surprised as you are," Gong Yiding said.
"Then what happened later? America researched so many advanced technologies, why has there been no movement from our side?"
"What else could it be? We were too backward at the time, there was nothing we could do. So, we had to seal up that cave and classify all the information as top secret. I don't know when research was restarted, only that after the alien appearances, research investment increased," Gong Yiding sighed with emotion. "Time has passed, and our technology is far superior to what it was back then, our perspectives are broader, and our imagination is incomparable. Therefore, in recent years, there have been many achievements, and artificial gravity is one of them!"
Ou Zhanpeng's heart was filled with longing, wishing he could immediately go and see what that spacecraft looked like, perhaps it was a model he had seen in his dreams.
But as his thoughts shifted, many doubts arose, "Hey, Director, something doesn't seem right. If those records are all true, it means that from ancient times to the present, aliens have always been on Earth?"
Gong Yiding suddenly froze, and couldn't help but touch his head, "It seems that way!"
"Then what exactly are the aliens' intentions? They wouldn't just be visiting relatives, would they?"
Director Gong's mind was suddenly filled with confusion, "Hearing you say that, I'm really starting to feel uneasy. Could it be that something about Earth particularly attracts aliens?"
He hadn't felt anything amiss before, but now he suddenly had an uncomfortable sensation of being watched.
He immediately thought of that small planet at the edge of the solar system, "Little Ou, do you think those UFOs might be related to that mysterious existence?"
"Should... perhaps?"