Chapter 1, Exhibition Hall

At this moment, a gentle broadcast can be heard: "The newly unearthed ancient artifacts all contain a mysterious energy, and no instrument can determine the source and function of this energy..."

After parting ways with his companions, Fang Mingwei let out a sigh and steeled himself to squeeze into the exhibition hall, which had not been this crowded in decades

Professor Fang Mingwei is a learned individual, but last week, for reasons unknown, he assigned an observational report on the theme of this ancient artifact and mandated that all students conduct a physical examination of it

Go deceive someone else

Fang Mingwei is not very old, only eighteen years old this year. In this era of the vast universe where the average lifespan has reached two hundred, he has not even reached adulthood yet

Suddenly, the small beads on that person disappeared without anyone noticing. Even the mysterious individual carrying them was unaware.

The exhibition hall was crowded with people; although it cannot be said that they were jostling against each other, it was not far from that.

Fang Mingwei's gaze did not notice any other objects; from beginning to end, his eyes were fixed on this small bead, as if he could gaze at it forever as long as no one disturbed him

Good afternoon, distinguished guests. The elegant and melodious voice echoed from the ubiquitous electronic speakers: "Today is the last day the exhibition hall is open. Starting tomorrow, several artifacts here will be transferred to the Federal Museum for collection. Please..."

As introduced in the broadcast, there exists a mysterious power within them that current human technology cannot explain. It is precisely for this reason that the bigwigs in the federal capital are interested in them. Similarly, this is also the reason that led to the exhibition hall being overcrowded.

His heart skipped a beat, and a terrifying thought flashed through his mind

Moments later, a deep male voice resonated: "Ladies and gentlemen, please forgive us; an unexpected incident has occurred, and the exhibition hall has lost power." This voice was not shouted loudly, yet everyone in the vast exhibition hall could hear it clearly.

The person's footsteps did not stop, and in the blink of an eye, they had passed by Fang Mingwei. At that moment, the feeling of being suddenly lost returned. Thus, for reasons unknown, he immediately concluded that the small round bead was currently on the person who had just walked by.

I am unsure whether it is worth it; I only know that this is an assignment given by the doctor’s degree program, and if we do not complete it, we will face the consequences. A similarly young voice chimed in, and from the tone, it was evident that the speaker also had grievances regarding this visit

Indeed, this must be the Lord's blessing, Amen

Heaven knows what is going on with this exhibition hall

Patiently moving with the crowd, Fang Mingwei finally reached the large exhibition platform in the center.

Bang ... ...

As this batch of ancient artifacts was just unearthed, their photos and videos had already circulated widely on the internet. However, what truly captivates people is that everyone who has seen them unanimously states that only by witnessing them in person can one truly appreciate their uniqueness

Fang Mingwei originally did not pay much attention, but at the moment that person walked past him, he suddenly realized that there was a sense of familiarity about that individual. This feeling was exactly the same as when he had just seen that small round bead.

The crowd has not yet moved to the exhibition booth, so Fang Mingwei's gaze cannot clearly see the items within. From a distance, it remains a blur

Unbeknownst to him, Fang Mingwei's gaze was fixed intently on one of the small round beads

His home is located on the planet Karim, which is one of the thousands of habitable planets under the jurisdiction of the Grand Alliance.

At the moment when he reluctantly withdrew his gaze, a deep sense of reluctance surged within Fang Mingwei's heart, as if he had suddenly forgotten something extremely important, leaving him feeling lost and disoriented

Just a month ago, a batch of ancient artifacts was unearthed from this planet, which are said to be extremely valuable. The governor of Karim Planet has been promoting this extensively, garnering significant political capital for himself

He also did not understand why he suddenly developed an intense interest in this object. In a vague way, he seemed to have a very familiar feeling towards this orb, as if it were something that was inherently meant to belong to him

A continuous stream of anguished screams echoed through the crowd, accompanied by some hoarse and deep male exclamations among the overwhelming majority of sopranos

Why is there no light? I want the lights, I want to file a complaint

At the corner, Fang Mingwei and others found themselves in a predicament where they could not see their own hands in front of them. Suddenly, someone asked, "What is going on?"

However, today, the people in this exhibition hall have the privilege of enjoying a special treatment, thus gaining a basis for boasting in front of others

Whispers of astonishment continuously reached my ears from the *illustrated* books: "Indeed, they are as renowned as they say; one must see them with their own eyes to truly appreciate their uniqueness..."

The artifacts unearthed this time are said to originate from the indigenous people who disappeared from this planet billions of years ago, which is why they are so striking

Power outage

There are still many people inside, it seems that this item has indeed piqued the curiosity of everyone on Karim Star

As the crowd slowly shifted, Fang Mingwei finally arrived in front of the exhibition booth

Fang Mingwei secretly complained incessantly; such overcrowding would absolutely not occur on Karim Planet. However, this time was an exception, the first exception in the thousands of years of history since humanity transformed this beautiful planet

Ah ... ...

However, although his eyes were firmly fixed on that object, his feet instinctively moved forward with the flow of people

Ah! We have unexpectedly encountered the legendary power outage; our luck is truly remarkable...

Just as Fang Mingwei was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, he heard the sound of someone moving nearby. This person seemed unaffected by the darkness, skillfully avoiding the crowd with each step, quickly making their way toward the door

The small round bead silently approached Fang Mingwei, unnoticed by anyone, nor detected by any instruments. This small round bead flew to Fang Mingwei's ear

The genuine items are placed at the very center of the exhibition hall, while the periphery consists merely of some ordinary exhibits

Although the ruler was not satisfied, he had no choice but to comply unconditionally with the directive from the federal capital.

Upon entering the exhibition hall, in addition to the crowd, what I saw were also the heads of people resembling illustrations in books

The interest of the crowd is certainly not here, and there are hardly any individuals on the periphery who are inclined to appreciate these objects that can be manipulated at will in virtual space

At the very least, Fang Mingwei currently appreciates this statement, although he harbors no ambitious desires in his heart. What he yearns for is merely to step outside and see the world. However, for a young man of his age, this wish still seems somewhat extravagant

However, due to the wishes of the residents of Karim Planet, this batch of antiquities must remain in the largest exhibition hall of Karim for the final week, and today marks the last day of that week

Low murmurs of curses and exclamations of surprise echoed through the crowd. In this society, where technology is extremely advanced, the term "power outage" has long been insulated from human life

Due to the limited number of humans on the planet, each person possesses a vast expanse of private land. Here, there will never be traffic jams, and the air will never be polluted

However, the movement of the crowd is not centered around his will, and soon, he has to walk across the large platform in the very center of the exhibition hall

Because his parents would not support his current wishes, once he loses their financial assistance, Fang Mingwei will be reduced to the status of a recipient of aid

A loud sound of glass shattering was heard, followed by the simultaneous extinguishing of all the lights in the exhibition hall

In today's society, we have entered a completely interconnected era. Within the territories of the Human Alliance, the network is omnipresent, resembling a spider's web. Information has become something that anyone can easily access.

A strong sense of unwillingness towards the books surged in his heart, as if someone deep in his mind was shouting, "This is mine, it belongs to me."

"Ming Wei, do you think it was worth all the effort we put into squeezing in here?" A clear voice complained from outside the exhibition hall

According to a popular saying in the major leagues, this is a place very suitable for retirement, but not for young people who wish to strive for a successful career

There are not many items that can be separated from rocks, but those that can be deemed valuable artifacts are few. A mere small display stand has already encompassed all of them.

What is going on with the darkness?

On it are some things that can be described as peculiar and bizarre, varying in size, and no one can say exactly what they are

Although Fang Mingwei is a thorough atheist, at this moment he still holds a certain degree of agreement with this statement

However, similarly, there is also a lack of a sense of competitive urgency among each other here

For a week, countless people from all over the planet have flocked to the exhibition hall to catch a final glimpse of these ancient artifacts. However, Fang Mingwei has never been accustomed to being crowded with so many people. Yet, seeing that this afternoon is the last opportunity, he can only frown and grit his teeth as he pushes his way in

Except for those humans living on planets with extremely harsh environments, it can be said that the vast majority of people, from the moment they are born until their death, have no idea what it feels like to experience a power outage

However, it is unclear how the Great Federation Museum became aware of this matter. Following the assessment by several inspectors they dispatched, it was decided to incorporate these items into the Great Federation Museum.

Fortunately, everyone exhibited good manners, forming an orderly line as they proceeded towards the interior of the exhibition hall