Chapter 1: Prologue to an Encounter

At the headquarters of the Federal Alliance, the atmosphere was unusually tense. People hurried along the corridors, their steps quicker than usual, and the presence of professional soldiers was far more conspicuous. To the uninitiated, it might have seemed that the laboratory had just developed something extraordinary to warrant such a scene. If they knew what was actually happening inside the lab, they would surely faint from shock.

“Mo Tian, hand over your work. You know how vital this technology is—it could shift the entire balance of our Federation.” In the laboratory, a middle-aged man in a general’s uniform addressed a young scientist surrounded by armed guards.

“You bastards—is this how your Federation operates? The project’s barely finished and you’re here to steal it! I begged you for support for so long and you kept dragging your feet. Now that I’ve succeeded, you barge in and snatch it away. And you even kidnapped my family to threaten me! Aren’t you afraid I’ll take you to the Federal Court?” the young scientist shouted in fury.

The general rubbed his temples, clearly agitated. Mo Tian’s reputation as a genius was well known throughout the Federation. When he first proposed his theory of space-time, he had approached their faction for support. They dismissed the idea as too radical and refused him, never imagining he would actually make it a reality. Now, they were scrambling to seize his achievement.

“I don’t care about any of that. You can do whatever you want, but today you must hand over your research and prototype. Otherwise, you know what will happen. Even if you don’t care about yourself, surely you care about your family’s lives,” the general threatened.

Mo Tian laughed bitterly. “You really are ruthless. You think I don’t know? My parents are already gone, aren’t they? You thought my research was useless, but I installed life detectors in hidden places on each of them. Everything you did to them has been recorded. My parents refused to be used as bargaining chips and took their own lives, didn’t they?” Tears streamed down the young scientist’s face as he screamed.

“What? You knew? You recorded everything? Damn it, hand over the footage—give me all your research, or you won’t leave this room alive!” The general’s anger flared.

“You think I’d be unprepared after learning of my parents’ deaths? The so-called research is just a smokescreen to lure you in. I never intended to walk out alive. The walls of this lab are packed with powerful explosives. You can all join my parents in the afterlife!” Mo Tian snarled at the soldiers encircling him.

The general, suddenly realizing the truth, shouted in panic to his men, “Open fire! Kill him, now!”

Mo Tian laughed maniacally. “Now you’re nervous? It’s too late. The detonator is on a timer—that’s why I wasted time talking to you. Come, let’s walk this path together!” His laughter echoed madly.

The words had barely left his mouth when the explosives detonated. A violent shockwave tore through the room, obliterating everyone inside. As Mo Tian’s body was ripped apart, a beam of light shot from his shattered remains, disappearing into a small black hole created by the explosion’s force.

From that day, the Federation lost a young scientist. The incident was swiftly dismissed by the government as an ordinary laboratory accident.

...

Meanwhile, on a planet in a different dimension from the Federation, something interesting was happening in a country called Huaxia.

In the city of Zhanhai, Huaxia, you could get away with not knowing the mayor’s name—a sign you didn’t care about national affairs. But you could never avoid knowing Lin Feng, the son of Lin Chuan Zhi, head of the Lin Group. In Zhanhai, the Lin Group was universally praised as the city’s pride and symbol. Yet mention Lin Feng, and everyone shook their heads in exasperation. Perhaps it was because he had a wealthy father that he stirred up trouble everywhere, always relying on his father to clean up the mess. Thus, Lin Feng became a laughingstock throughout Zhanhai.

In a secluded teahouse in Zhanhai, something astonishing was happening: the infamous prodigal son had just been rejected in marriage. The person who broke off the engagement was none other than Ling Shixuan, the celebrated heiress of the Ling Group.

The Ling Group was another prestigious corporation in Zhanhai, and Ling Shixuan was renowned as a prodigy—graduating with a doctorate from an international university before the age of twenty-two. Upon returning home, she took over the company and, within a year, increased its sales by twenty percent, earning widespread acclaim.

Sadly, this proud daughter of Zhanhai had been promised to Lin Feng at a gathering years ago. The event was meant for the families to let the two meet and discuss a possible engagement, but things took an unexpected turn.

Ling Shixuan, feeling thoroughly disgusted by Lin Feng’s lecherous gaze, was appalled at the prospect of spending her life married to such a man—a man who frequented disreputable places and constantly surrounded himself with different women. Her sense of injustice grew unbearable.

“Dad, why did you promise me to him? Look at his behavior—how is he worthy of me? I refuse this marriage; I won’t marry him!” Ling Shixuan, mustering courage from who knows where, abruptly interrupted the adults’ conversation and cried out in protest.

“Ridiculous! The marriage was arranged by both families—you can’t act so willfully. What’s wrong with Lin Feng? He’s handsome and the sole heir to the Lin family. How is he not good enough for you?” Ling Weihua, her father, retorted angrily.

“I don’t care—I won’t marry him. If he’s so wonderful, you marry him!” Ling Shixuan shot back, furious.

“You... you...” Ling Weihua was too stunned by his daughter’s outburst to speak. Usually, Ling Shixuan was his cherished treasure, and her achievements made him dote on her even more. Years ago, he had indeed wanted to match her with Lin Feng, who seemed promising at the time. But as Lin Feng’s reckless behavior became known, he kept postponing the marriage. It wasn’t until recent financial troubles struck the company and investment funds dried up that he considered using his daughter as a bargaining chip to secure capital.

His daughter was outstanding in every way, but too young and impulsive. No matter how dissatisfied she might be, she shouldn’t have voiced her objections in front of the Lin family elders.