Chapter 1 "Bastard!"

Big Face Cat bared his teeth and swung a palm at the back of Lin Xian's head. "Don't be rude to the Village Chief!"

He was truly exasperated by this little brother of his… Was his EQ a negative number?

Or did he naively believe that his head was hard enough to withstand the Village Chief's punch?

Who starts out trying to be someone else's dad right off the bat!

Does he even consider his age?

Village Chief Yan was several years older than him; where did he get the nerve to act so naturally as if he was taking on the role of a father?

*Thump.*

A muffled sound.

Big Face Cat's fat hand was intercepted halfway. He looked up and saw that the Village Chief had reached out and blocked his palm strike. Big Face Cat only felt a jolt of force, as if he had slapped a steel plate. His palm throbbed and began to swell.

"Da Lian, let him continue," the blue-eyed Village Chief said, her azure gaze fixed on Lin Xian. "So… you're not sure if I'm actually your daughter." Her mind was sharp, and her thinking was quick. She immediately picked up on the uncertainty in Lin Xian's words and analyzed, "You know the origin of this photo, and you know who the little girl in the photo is, but in your opinion, I may not be the same person as the little girl in the photo. I understand what you mean… The girl in the photo is indeed Yan Qiaoqiao, but I may not be the real Yan Qiaoqiao. It's possible that a cuckoo has taken over the nest." Lin Xian's words echoed her own doubts over the years.

Countless nights, she had looked at this family photo and wondered… Was this little girl really her?

She didn't look like her at all. From her face shape to her figure to her features, they were completely different people. If it weren't for the fact that she had indeed woken up from a hibernation pod labeled with the name Yan Qiaoqiao and that this photo was in the storage locker… She herself wouldn't believe that she was Yan Qiaoqiao.

"No!"

Big Face Cat's brain short-circuited. He couldn't take it anymore. He looked left at Lin Xian, then right at the Village Chief. "Your ages don't match up! Is there any need for analysis?" "It's not just that your ages don't match up… Brother, look at this photo. Can your age and this little girl's age be a normal father-daughter relationship?" Even my brain can figure this out. You two are smart people; how can you not understand?" However, the blue-eyed woman, as the Village Chief, shook her head. "Da Lian, your thinking is too narrow. With hibernation pods, such magical devices… age is no longer the standard for determining kinship. As long as the parents sleep in the hibernation pod longer than the child, it's entirely possible for the child's age to be greater than the parents' age."

"The problem now isn't the age difference between us, but… the little girl in the photo doesn't look like me at all, so there's no way to determine if we're the same person." She turned her head to look at Lin Xian. "What should I call you?" "Just call me Lin Xian." Lin Xian smiled. "I'm not here to force a family reunion. This is hard to accept, and with the current level of technology, DNA testing isn't possible. So, naturally… there's no evidence to prove what I'm saying."

"I'm more curious. Are you satisfied with your current life? Are you happy?"

The blue-eyed Village Chief nodded. "Since I woke up from the hibernation pod, my life has been fulfilling and happy." "The former Village Chief Chen taught me a lot of knowledge, allowing me to integrate into the village and into this era. Although I have many unusual traits, these abilities are valuable assets in this era, which has allowed me to gain everyone's approval and become the Village Chief of Face Village."

"Over the years, I've tried my best to fulfill the duties of a Village Chief, solving problems for the villagers, protecting the village, leading everyone to develop industry, and building new houses, etc.… I believe this is the meaning of my life and the value of my existence."

"So… to be honest, the only reason I was curious today was because your appearance is the same as the man in the photo. As for me now, the memories of the past are no longer important. Just like many people in the village, Smith and the others don't have many memories of the past, but that doesn't stop them from being happy."

"It's the same for me. I'm satisfied with my current state. You say there's no way to verify if I'm the little girl in the photo, if I'm really Yan Qiaoqiao. But… what difference does it make?" The blue-eyed Village Chief smiled in relief, turned her head, and looked at the brightly lit homes around her, her expression full of satisfaction. "Yan Qiaoqiao is just a name. Whether I'm the little girl in the photo or not, it doesn't affect what I've been doing all these years, nor does it prevent me from being the Village Chief of Face Village, realizing my life's value, and protecting the people."

Seeing the blue-eyed Village Chief so relieved, Lin Xian felt that it wasn't a bad thing.

In the Seventh Dream, many people were partially or completely disconnected from their past memories and lived completely new lives.

For example, the foreign devil Smith had already become a master of the Dragon Country dialect. If the blue-eyed Village Chief insisted on knowing the past and wanted to know the truth, Lin Xian certainly wouldn't mind telling her. After all, this was a daily repeating dream, and there wouldn't be any irreversible catastrophic events.

However… it was clear that the current blue-eyed Village Chief wasn't that curious about the past memories and the truth.

She didn't seem to care much about who her parents were and didn't have much concept of family affection.

In this respect, she was very different from Yan Qiaoqiao in 2024.

Even if Yan Qiaoqiao completely lost her memory, the emotion of longing for her parents didn't disappear. It was almost instinctive, constantly pursuing the existence of fatherly love, motherly love, and family. But the blue-eyed woman in front of him…

She was also in a completely amnesiac state after waking up from hibernation, but she didn't miss her parents so much, nor did she value family affection so much.

What… was going on?

Big Face Cat saw that the two of them were no longer discussing, and he squeezed over. "Village Chief Yan, I brought this newly recruited little brother here today to ask you if you can let him become an official resident of Face Village and stay here."

"I think this little brother is a good person and has potential. Why don't you let him follow me! It just so happens that I need a helper to drive the truck, and I can teach him how to drive. Let him follow me to drive a truck and deliver goods!"

The blue-eyed Village Chief didn't hesitate and nodded. "That's indeed a good idea, and… even if Lin Xian doesn't have any special skills, our Face Village welcomes any new villagers to join."

"This is the rule set by Village Chief Chen Heping back then. The gates of Face Village are always open to anyone. So… we certainly welcome new members to join, without refusing anyone." As she spoke, she smiled slightly and extended her right hand to Lin Xian. "Welcome, Lin Xian. Welcome to the big family of Face Village. I hope you like it here."

Lin Xian also extended his hand.

He shook hands with the blue-eyed woman and felt the indestructible strength in her arm. "I'm honored to join." He smiled. "I really like Face Village. It gives me a sense of belonging." Then, the blue-eyed woman pointed to the back of the warehouse and instructed Big Face Cat, "It's getting late. Hurry up and send that bear to City Lord Li, along with this truckload of agricultural products… The agricultural products will be traded at market prices, and we won't charge City Lord Li for the bear. It's a congratulatory gift from our Face Village for the happy arrival of his daughter, and also to thank him for taking care of us all along."

After explaining, she left.

Her crystal-blue eyes were like fireflies in the night, streaking with dazzling light into the future construction of Face Village.

"Phew."

Only then did Big Face Cat breathe a sigh of relief, and he punched Lin Xian as if surviving a disaster. "You kid! You really dare to say anything! Who says they're someone else's dad right away? Do you have some strange fetish?" "I can only say that you're really lucky… Maybe Village Chief Yan was tired from hunting, so she didn't punch you in the head at the time. Village Chief Yan's punch isn't a joke… If it hits you in the head, it'll guarantee that your head explodes like a watermelon!" Do you know what it feels like to have your head explode like a watermelon?" Lin Xian chuckled. "Of course, I know." In the First Dream, Big Face Cat's head exploded like a watermelon countless times, each time with juice flying everywhere, which was quite spectacular.

"Let's go, brother, let's go see that bear." Big Face Cat waved his big hand, signaling Lin Xian to follow. "We have to hurry up and move this bear to the truck and then send it to City Lord Li. It's almost time to leave." The two walked to the back of the warehouse and immediately saw the grizzly bear tied up. It was a huge adult grizzly bear, estimated to weigh at least 500 kilograms, definitely a behemoth… However, at this moment, Grizzly Bear-chan was tied up obediently, its limbs tied together, and its entire body curled up into a ball helplessly.

Its mouth and head were also tightly tied with hemp rope, unable to move. It was hard to imagine… that someone could actually subdue an adult grizzly bear with their bare hands and that their packaging skills were so good.

Lin Xian and the four members of the Face Gang took some effort to finally lift the heavy grizzly bear onto the delivery truck. Then, he got in the car with Big Face Cat, sat in the passenger seat, and drove away from Face Village, heading north on the road to Donghai City. The road was dark.

Fortunately, this electric truck was powered by nuclear batteries dug out of the ground, and the electricity was inexhaustible, so it would naturally be used for lighting.

When Big Face Cat turned on the headlights, Lin Xian felt as if he had seen the sun. "You guys really aren't stingy with electricity. All the electrical equipment is designed to be quite wild." "Of course!" Big Face Cat turned the steering wheel. "Anyway, the total population on Earth now doesn't exceed 100 million, and miniature nuclear batteries that have been accumulated for hundreds of years are buried in the ground."

"Of course, if the population of Earth increases in the future, there will eventually be a day when there won't be enough. But, let the people of the future consider the future! Children and grandchildren have their own fortunes!"

Yu Yisui watched Big Face Cat step on the gas pedal. The electric truck with huge headlights broke through the darkness and headed north. Because the villages were relatively far apart and the population was generally sparse on Earth, it was really not easy to encounter a living person in the wild. The whole journey was very quiet.

Except for…

The constant whimper from the grizzly bear in the back of the truck made Lin Xian feel guilty.

"Can't we kill this grizzly bear before delivering it?" Lin Xian pointed to the poor grizzly bear in the back, puzzled. "Do we have to deliver it alive?" "Of course!"

Big Face Cat replied as a matter of course. "The live one is fresher!"

After about an hour's drive, the electric truck entered the range of Donghai City.

It had to be said…

That the town that could bear the name of Donghai (Eastern Sea) in this wasteland era was indeed extraordinary. Whether it was the scale or the planning, it was very close to a small county town in the real world.

Compared to the small county town where Lin Xian grew up, it seemed that Donghai City here was even better. Of course, only in appearance.

Donghai City's prosperity was indeed a bit of a facade. The main reason was that the use of miniature nuclear batteries allowed many fields to progress too quickly, while at the same time, it allowed many other fields to progress too slowly.

The current level and direction of technological development were indeed a bit deformed. But he believed that this was only temporary. Just as Big Face Cat said… future humans would naturally find a way out and a solution. "Human civilization is an endless, self-improving, and struggling civilization. It will never compromise or give up and will always find the most suitable way out."

Arriving at the material exchange station, the procedures and formalities were quite formal. Since there were gifts for Li Cheng himself on the truck, Big Face Cat even went to see Li Cheng in person! "Hahahaha… as expected of Village Chief Yan!"

Li Cheng in the Seventh Dream was radiant and full of energy. He looked at the grizzly bear whimpering on Big Face Cat's truck and smiled. "I'm afraid that Village Chief Yan is the only person in the world who can capture a grizzly bear alive without injury. Da Lian, please help me thank Village Chief Yan when you get back. I'm very grateful for her gift." "It just so happens that my wife just gave birth and needs to recover. Many parts of this bear are great for tonic. I'll have someone boil soup for my heavenly person to drink!"

Li Cheng was still so cheerful and had the aura of a leader. Big Face Cat mentioned that his daughter wanted to come to Donghai City to study. Li Cheng agreed immediately.

He told him to go directly to the school and communicate with Principal Gao. He could even bring his luggage to report to school as early as tomorrow.

"Hmm…

Principal Gao?"

Lin Xian belatedly asked, "Brother Lian, is this Principal Gao… by any chance Gao Wen?" "Yo!" Big Face Cat looked at Lin Xian in surprise. "You have a wide network! How do you know people everywhere you go?" "It's really Gao Wen!" Lin Xian couldn't help but rub his hands excitedly like a fly. "Hurry, hurry, hurry, take me to see Emperor Gao Wen! I've heard of his legends for a long time. This life's Emperor Gao Wen definitely still has wool to shear!"

Soon, Big Face Cat took Lin Xian to see Principal Gao Wen. Gao Wen could be said to be the backbone of the education sector in Donghai City, teaching and educating people, and coordinating the city's educational development. At the same time, he was also a research expert and was equally respected in the city, second only to Li Cheng. Big Face Cat's daughter's matter was quickly resolved.

As long as she packed her luggage, she could report to school tomorrow. But… tomorrow. Sigh.

Lin Xian swallowed the words in his mouth.

Of course, he knew that this dream world couldn't have a tomorrow. The white light would steadily destroy the world at 00:42 tonight.

This world didn't have a tomorrow, would never have a tomorrow, and would never reach tomorrow.

Lin Xian looked at this life's Emperor Gao Wen.

He already had white hair, and quite a lot of it, accounting for at least a third of his hair volume. He was at least in his fifties.

He was much older than Gao Wen in the Sixth Dream… This also meant that Gao Wen had been dug out of the hibernation pod much earlier than in the Sixth Dream.

When he first saw Gao Wen in the Sixth Dream, he had only woken up for three years, and he wasn't very old, still a strong young man. But the current Gao Wen had obviously woken up and lived for more than ten or twenty years, so he was naturally much older.

Lin Xian stepped forward to explain his purpose.

He said that he was also a research enthusiast and wanted to communicate with Gao Wen and see if there were any trendy and epoch-making inventions.

Gao Wen was an academic who was happy to share, so he immediately pulled Lin Xian and Big Face Cat to visit the campus. "Look, this is the water pump I designed. It has already been put into use in various areas of Donghai City. As long as you dig a deep well to the groundwater level, you can easily pump the groundwater up with this water pump." "Wow!" Big Face Cat exclaimed. "This is too convenient! We in Face Village are still at the stage of carrying water. Every household has a large tank to store water. If your water pump is popularized in our village, every household can install one! We won't have to carry water anymore!" As he spoke, Gao Wen took the two to the boiler room behind the school and pointed to the towering boiler and the intricate pipes. "This is the collective heating equipment I researched. In winter, it can burn hot water and let the hot water circulate in the classrooms and dormitories of the school, so that the children don't freeze." "Wow!" Big Face Cat exclaimed again. "Then, when this technology matures, it can be completely spread to the city! In this way, we won't have to be afraid of the cold in winter anymore. Every household will be like steaming buns!"

"It won't be that exaggeratedly hot," Gao Wen explained, "but your understanding is correct. This thing can indeed be gradually promoted."

Afterwards, the exclaiming Big Face Cat acted as a suitable cheerleader, shocked by every invention of Gao Wen.

Only…

Lin Xian's brow furrowed more and more. "This isn't very good, Emperor Gao Wen," Lin Xian complained. "These inventions are all practical, but they don't have any epoch-making nature. They don't match your style and are not enough to reflect your talent!" "Bastard!" Big Face Cat, as Gao Wen's number one fan and as a father who eagerly wanted his daughter to enroll, glared and didn't allow Lin Xian to say anything bad about Gao Wen. "Don't be rude to Dean Gao!" "It doesn't matter," Gao Wen reached out to stop Big Face Cat from exclaiming and walked to Lin Xian's side, smiling slightly. "It seems that you have seen the world. These ordinary inventions are no longer in your eyes."

Lin Xian nodded. "That's right." "With my understanding of you… you must still be hiding a big killer, right? We're all our own people, so don't be so shy. Hurry up and get out anything big."

Gao Wen directly took Lin Xian to the school office and then took out a familiar-looking notebook from the drawer.

It was the memory notebook in the hibernation locker.

Sure enough, the real deal was still in this notebook!

"This is the diary I wrote before hibernation," Gao Wen said slowly. "I hibernated in 2219…" "Skip," Lin Xian gestured.

"The technology at the time was not enough to…" "Skip," Lin Xian gestured.

Gao Wen directly handed the memory notebook to Lin Xian. "Why don't you just read it yourself?" "Accept mission."

Lin Xian solemnly took the light and heavy notebook and was about to open it when Gao Wen suddenly sat up, looked at the clock on the wall, and issued an eviction order. "It's already this late. I'm going to attend the banquet held by City Lord Li. I really like children like you who study science. I've already copied the contents of that notebook to another place, so I'll give it to you. You don't have to return it to me after you've read it." "But I have to lock the door and turn off the lights now. If you want to read it… go somewhere else to read it. I suggest that you don't rush to study. On such a festive day and such a rare opportunity, don't study tonight. Come to the square to celebrate together." As he said this, he pushed Lin Xian out of the office and locked the door.

Big Face Cat outside the door couldn't wait and dragged Lin Xian to the square. "Look at you. We should have gone to the square to eat the banquet a long time ago! This is City Lord Li's banquet for the happy arrival of his daughter! You don't know how rich it is! You're still wasting time here!"

Big Face Cat took small steps quickly.

Lin Xian had to use some parkour skills to keep up. "Anyway, it's a banquet. You can eat it anytime. Besides… didn't you just eat the food made by your sister-in-law before we came?"

"That's not the same!" Big Face Cat ran quickly. "The food from other people's homes is definitely more delicious! I specially saved my stomach!" "I didn't see that." "You'll see it in a moment!" Soon, the two arrived at the central square of Donghai City. It was crowded.

The celebration had already begun, and Li Cheng's speech had also ended. The banquet was overcrowded, and everyone was eating, drinking, and having a great time.

The most lively place was the bonfire in the middle of the square, several meters high. People surrounded the bonfire, singing, dancing, and having a great time.

It seemed that music and dance were symbols of happiness in every era. Lin Xian didn't join the banquet army with Big Face Cat because he was already full from eating the food made by Big Face Cat's wife. Moreover… he was holding Gao Wen's memory notebook and wanted to see what new wool was hidden inside. The square didn't have any extra lights for the atmosphere of the bonfire dance party. The brightest place was the huge bonfire burning fiercely.

In order to read the book, Lin Xian could only find a place near the bright bonfire.

He came to the outer edge of the rotating dancing crowd.

Lin Xian watched the people singing and dancing in the middle and really felt that this was a good era. Even if the super disaster of 2400 still happened and even if the white light at 00:42 would still arrive in a few tens of minutes, at least for the current people, everything was perfect and the best result. Big Face Cat's family was happy and harmonious, and his daughter was very sensible. The three younger brothers still performed steadily and were not chopped up to feed the dogs. Smith was no longer a wronged soul and had a happy life. The former blue-eyed girl seemed to have put down her hatred and killing and become a responsible and responsible village chief. Li Cheng had happily welcomed his second daughter and become a winner in life. The former Li Ningning, who didn't believe in fate and didn't give in, had become the real princess of Donghai City and also become a sister. Emperor Gao Wen was still performing steadily, continuing to shine in the future era after waking up and using technology to change life. Everything was good, everything was satisfied, and everything was hyend… Was there anything left?

Lin Xian felt that, at least for these old friends, this was a world without regrets.

He lowered his head and was about to open Gao Wen's memory notebook when "Lin Xian, I've finally found you!" He turned his head and found another long-lost old friend, with deep brown hair tied up, talking and lively eyes, shallow dimples at the corners of her mouth, and a beauty mark like an anti-counterfeiting trademark at the corner of her left eye… Chu Anqing. "Long time no see," Chu Anqing greeted him first with a smile and pointed to the fiercely burning bonfire in front of her, taking away the power of heaven and earth. "I knew that as long as I stayed in the most conspicuous place in Donghai City on August 28, 2624, I would definitely be able to wait for you."

"Sure enough, look… haven't you come?"

Suddenly, Lin Xian remembered what he had once said to Chu Anqing, "If you really get lost, you should stand still and don't move. Don't leave. That way, I will always come back here to find you." Time turns and the sun and moon alternate.

Some things change, but some things never change.

Lin Xian chuckled and looked at Chu Anqing. "Long time no see. But for you… is it already 20 years since the last time we met?"

Chu Anqing nodded. "It's not wrong for you to say that. After all, from the moment I was born, I have had the memory fragments you left me. I have indeed known you from the memory fragments 20 years ago, but… I have to wait until today, 20 years later, to see you." "Although there aren't many memory fragments about you, only three, each of them is very long and relatively coherent, making them unforgettable for me."

Lin Xian closed the notebook in his hand and stood up straight.

Reflecting the towering flames behind him, he looked at Chu Anqing from afar in the midst of the singing and dancing and the lively cheers. "Do you still remember the events of the last world clearly?" "Of course, didn't we make an agreement? That's why I'm waiting for you here." Chu Anqing smiled. "I said at the end that if I could meet you again next time, I would take the initiative to invite you to dance." "So, now it's the end of the world again…" She reached out her right hand to Lin Xian. "Would you like to dance?"