Chapter 1, The Old Man, The Soldier, The Strange Occurrence

"Young Master, a guest has arrived! Come out and take a look," Ah Liang suddenly called to me as he entered the room. I felt puzzled; usually, even if there was something urgent, he would knock on the door before coming in. What was going on today? I was just about to scold him a few words.

It was said to be an accident, as the supply truck driven by my uncle suddenly caught fire without any attack. Such news plunged the entire family into sorrow. It was at this moment that my grandfather realized the importance of Wang Aiguo's letter. He instructed my father and aunt, who were preparing to go to military school, to return home immediately. At that time, my grandfather often cried after drinking, saying

The young man immediately stood up, glaring at me seriously, and said, "Speak respectfully when addressing the leader!" The old man quickly smiled and said, "Xiao Li, please sit down; let’s talk while seated. There’s actually nothing serious going on; I came this time to understand some issues from you." I thought to myself, what scheme is this old fox up to? Is he trying to use both soft and hard tactics to make me admit to some political issue? It seems that the visitor is indeed not here with good intentions. Just as I was contemplating how to respond, the old man stood up, patted my shoulder, and urged me to sit down. Then he signaled to the young man to hand me a cigarette.

It was another sunny and pleasant afternoon, and I was lazily sprawled in the office, casually browsing through the newspaper.

However, I immediately negated my own thoughts. I have also received higher education and hold an advanced degree. I have seen quite a bit of the animal world, and I have not heard of any animals that can float in the sky during the winter. My habitual thinking told me: "This old man must be trying to Photoshop a picture for me and make me admit to the problems at home, right?" I glanced at the old man, and his expression was very serious.

Understood, Chief. Then the young man gently pushed the door open and slowly closed it behind him

Time has passed in the blink of an eye for 20 years, and during these years, grandfather has remained out of touch. However, his words have deeply rooted themselves in the hearts of every family member: "The matter is coming, our time is limited..."

Grandfather was a revolutionary soldier of the older generation, having participated in the Anti-Japanese War, the Liberation War, and the Korean War. Few individuals have managed to survive three major wars unscathed, and even fewer have returned safely from the war-torn Korean Peninsula. Grandfather is from Laizhou, Shandong, and his fellow townsman, Wang Aiguo, sacrificed his life on the Korean battlefield. This man enlisted and fought alongside Grandfather, and they shared a close bond over several years of military service. At that time, amidst great turmoil, many perished or fled; apart from his wife, Wang Aiguo had no other relatives. His wife passed away from illness before he participated in the Korean War, leaving behind a young daughter. Moreover, he possessed knowledge of many remedies, what is now referred to as esoteric arts. Whenever strange occurrences happened in the army, he was often sought out to investigate.

What nonsense! I have never fought, robbed, stolen, or touched anything since I was young, so it's hard to offend these people. Where are they? I said to him in an annoyed tone

I was so astonished that I couldn't close my mouth; this photo indeed resembles a dragon floating in the air. At that moment, I had thought it might be a dragon, but I dismissed the idea as too superstitious. Just as I was about to say something, the old man gently made a gesture for silence. He then took out a piece of paper and wrote: "From now on, our communication will be through writing. Have you seen this photo?"

Take a close look at the photo, and then compare it with that image to understand. Reflect carefully and see if you have encountered a similar scene before, perhaps in a book or in certain landscapes

The scene before me is likely very difficult for me to accept. It is a photograph taken from a low angle in a dense forest. The ground is covered in white snow, blending seamlessly with the sky, creating a breathtaking view. A few stars are twinkling in the sky, and these points are aligned in a line, resembling stars in the night. Upon closer inspection, although some areas of the photograph are blurry, it is still possible to discern that around the points, there seem to be even smaller dots. Following those points to the left, at the end of them, there is a slightly larger dot, which also twinkles like the stars in the sky. Upon closer inspection, although some areas of the photograph are blurry, it is still possible to discern that around the points, there seem to be even smaller dots. Following those points to the left, at the end of them, there is a slightly larger, oval-shaped object, within which there appear to be some small outlines, but due to the blurriness of the photograph, it is truly difficult to identify. However, at this moment, I can be certain that these things, when viewed together, resemble an animal rather than a landscape! The oval-shaped object, within which there appear to be some small outlines, but due to the blurriness of the photograph, it is truly difficult to identify. However, at this moment, I can be certain that these things, when viewed together, resemble an animal rather than a landscape! Rather than saying this object is flying in the sky, it would be more accurate to say that it is an animal drifting in the sky.

At that time, I harmed my own son

I said with a mischievous smile, "Sir, if you want to watch Dragon Ball, I have a complete set of comics and animated episodes. You can take them with you when you leave, and once you've finished watching, just give me a call, and I'll send someone from here to pick them up. This way, you won't have to make two trips. I didn't expect you to have such a childlike innocence, sir." I then saw him take a deep drag on his cigarette and hand me an old black-and-white photograph. The moment I saw the photo, I was stunned, and cold sweat began to pour out of me. ... I didn't expect you to have such a childlike innocence, sir. " I then saw him take a deep drag on his cigarette and hand me an old black-and-white photograph. The moment I saw the photo, I was stunned, and cold sweat began to pour out of me. ... The content of the photograph was beyond my comprehension ...

Thus, I quickly dismissed this idea again, as the photograph was indeed authentic and did not appear to be processed. Moreover, photographs of that material must be extremely rare now. I had seen a few photographs of my grandfather in his youth, which were of the same material, at my grandfather's house. This type of photograph is slightly harder than the ordinary photographs of today, yet its clarity is completely comparable. I still cannot understand what kind of animal would be floating in the sky, and its shape does not resemble that of a bird. Could it be an alien? The trail left by an airplane? Or perhaps a strange natural phenomenon? My mind was rapidly searching through all the knowledge I had regarding such matters. Although it is a black-and-white photograph, the scenes within it are clearly visible. Based on the age of the photograph, it can be inferred that it is likely several decades old. The person who took this photograph must have had some purpose in mind at the time, and it is very likely that it had a certain political background, as ordinary people at that time would certainly not have access to such advanced photographic equipment. The content of this photograph must surely be extraordinary.

I glanced at the photos and was immediately taken aback. The two images before me can no longer be described as strange; to be precise, they are quite eerie! I hurriedly wrote on the paper: "Are you sure these were taken a day apart in the same setting? Can summer really turn into winter in just one day?"

I walked into the conference room and saw an elderly man and a young man, both dressed casually, sitting on the sofa and drinking tea. The elderly man appeared to be in his fifties, slightly overweight and not very tall, yet he was spirited and had sharp eyes. Upon seeing me enter, he began to scrutinize me from head to toe, his gaze making me feel quite uncomfortable. The young man seemed to be in his early twenties, sporting a neat crew cut, with distinct facial features and a robust physique reminiscent of a special forces soldier from a movie. The elderly man smiled at me and gestured for me to sit down. It felt as though they were the hosts and I was the guest.

The old man then carefully handed me a photograph, saying: "This was taken at the same location a day ago. Once you see it, you will understand."

I picked up the pen and wrote: "Does seeing it in a movie count? Other than that, I have truly never seen it."

Xiao Wu, you may leave for now. I need to discuss some matters with Xiao Li. No one is allowed to enter without my permission, understood

"Could you please show me your identification? There have been too many impersonators of military personnel applying here recently," I said with a smile. I just wanted to give the two of them a warning. In my mind, I was actually thinking, on my turf, what makes you so impressive?

"Xiao Li, have you seen this thing?" The old man said as he handed me a picture. The paper was already somewhat soft and had a faint yellow tint, indicating it had been around for some time. As soon as I saw the picture, I laughed; wasn't this just a hand-drawn dragon that appeared in many science fiction movies? However, the drawing skills were quite poor, it was so blurry. This old man is really interesting; could he be asking me if your family helps Hollywood make science fiction movies? Or is it that the military now shows the soldiers the Little Dragon Club?

I waved my hand and said, "No."

Comrade Xiao Li, I must seriously inform you that this matter is of great significance. Li Weimin has complex connections with some confidential issues, and his disappearance is particularly mysterious. We have been searching for him for many years, but he has vanished as if he never existed. He may have a very important connection to this matter! I immediately realized that his group was not here to discuss issues with me, but rather may have some deeper purpose. This reminds me of something my family often recalls that my grandfather used to say: "Things are coming, and our time is running out..."

Just when I was at a loss, I turned my gaze to the old man who was deep in thought. "What... what... what is this?" I stammered, unsure of how to express my thoughts. The old man slowly took out a pen and wrote a character in his hand. Although the character was written very small and quite hastily, as if he feared that anyone other than us might see it, I clearly saw that he wrote: Dragon! The old man slowly took out a pen and wrote a character in his hand. Although the character was written very small and quite hastily, as if he feared that anyone other than us might see it, I clearly saw that he wrote: Dragon!

Fortunately, you all returned early; otherwise, you would not have come back at all... He also asked Grandma to take good care of that plate and the ancient jade, saying: "This plate and the ancient jade are of great significance; any slight mishap would make one a sinner for eternity! The matter is approaching, and our time is limited..." No one understood the meaning of Grandpa's words. Grandpa never explained to anyone, only repeatedly uttering this phrase. A year later, during an outing, Grandpa unexpectedly went missing. Despite the family's efforts to search for him, all were in vain.

No, this is the first time I have seen such a scene. Sir, what kind of dragon are you referring to? I took the pen and wrote it down, but my heart was filled with questions

I am waiting in the conference room. From the looks of it, the visitor does not seem friendly; you should be cautious, young master. Do you think we should inform the old master? Xiao Liang is from the south, but he has been working with my father in the north since he was very young. He has always been loyal and is my father's trusted aide, handling all matters big and small within the company. My father has a volatile temper and would often curse at employees, resembling a landlord, which is why they gave him this nickname. Over time, everyone got used to calling him that, and it has stuck. I can see that he is clearly worried that I might have caused trouble again, so I waved my hand and said, "No need, just remember not to tell the old master about this." Xiao Liang nodded in understanding.

When I was young, I often heard my family say that if it weren't for Wang Aiguo sacrificing his life to save my grandfather in Korea, it would have been my grandfather who perished that time. Because of this, after returning to the country, my grandfather adopted Wang Aiguo's daughter, who is my third aunt. Although my third aunt is actually the oldest, my grandfather insisted on calling her third aunt, and no one in the family objected. My grandmother said that Wang Aiguo left my grandfather a letter and a bundle, which contained a handwritten book, an ancient jade, and a plate. The letter contained various instructions regarding his posthumous affairs, as if he had known he would sacrifice himself. He instructed my grandfather to read that book thoroughly to understand the will of heaven and the affairs of man. He also told my grandfather to place the ancient jade on the first male infant born in the next generation. He specifically advised my grandfather not to let the children enlist in the military. Initially, my grandfather did not take it seriously, but during the Sino-Vietnamese War, under pressure, he sent my uncle to the front lines, and my uncle unexpectedly perished there.

The old man also smiled and said, "I say, Xiao Wu, what are you still dawdling for? Show this comrade your identification." The young man quickly took out a piece of paper from his bag and respectfully handed it to me. I opened it and, my goodness! The signature was from a certain well-known figure in the military, along with their seal. I carefully examined the contents of the paper, and before I could finish reading, beads of sweat began to drip from my palms. Essentially, it stated that my grandfather had absconded abroad with numerous classified documents of the state, and that our family was suspected of having multiple connections with hostile elements. I placed the paper on the table and said to the old man, "Sir, one can eat recklessly, but one cannot speak recklessly! How much effort and blood has my grandfather shed for the country throughout his life? Now you say he is a traitor just like that? What evidence do you have? Can you declare treason based on a single piece of paper? If you brought a book, would that mean our family is also helping aliens attack the Earth?"

I took that hand-drawn illustration again and compared it for a while. Indeed, beneath those small spots, there are objects resembling "feet," and it seems that this object is still twisting in the air. Although the hand-drawn illustration is not very neat, it captures the main scene and records it in a very short time. The person who created this illustration must have a profound skill.

Before I could react, he quickly walked up to me with his head down and whispered, "Young Master, two soldiers have arrived. Have you gotten into any trouble?"