This World Has Gone Mad, A Historic Scene

Almost everyone could scarcely believe their eyes. This so-called humanoid UFO was actually Huang Tian?! The prover of the Navier-Stokes equations, the hottest contender for the Fields Medal, the once-in-a-century genius recognized by the international mathematical community, Vice Dean of Jingda's School of Mathematics, Deputy Director of Jingda's Center for Applied Physics and Technology— Why had he suddenly flown back from outer space?! Weren't you supposed to be on Jingda's campus doing research and giving lectures?! "This world... has gone mad..." someone murmured in the provisional command center. "Could this be an alien in disguise? Is the real Professor Huang Tian still at Jingda, or doing research at home?" "Let me ask you: what reason would an alien have to disguise itself as Professor Huang?" "Uh, maybe... maybe—" "Stop making wild guesses. This... person? If we can call him a person for now, is eighty percent likely to be Professor Huang Tian." The broad-faced middle-aged man swallowed hard, forcing himself to remain calm as he gave orders. "However, just in case, send someone immediately to contact Jingda and the property management of Professor Huang Tian's residential community to see whether he's on campus or in the neighborhood." "Yes, sir!" Someone called out in acknowledgment and was just about to head out when suddenly, an illusory phantom slowly materialized in the command center. "No need to go through all that trouble." The phantom was none other than Huang Tian, who had projected a thought upon hearing them. *Hiss—* Looking at the Huang Tian suspended midair in the drone feed, and then at the second Huang Tian who had suddenly appeared in the command center, everyone sucked in a breath of cold air and leaped to their feet, their chairs clattering noisily. Louder than the chairs was the buzzing in their heads. Their minds reeled in a daze, their jaws dropping wide enough to stuff a fist inside. "You... I—" Even having weathered countless storms in his life, the broad-faced middle-aged man was utterly stunned in this moment. Only with great difficulty did he recover his wits, asking nervously, "You... are Professor Huang Tian?" Huang Tian smiled and nodded. "Naturally." *Hiss—* Upon receiving a definitive answer, the sound of everyone sharply drawing in their breath echoed in unison through the command center once more, seemingly raising the room's temperature by a fraction. "Are... are you an alien?" The broad-faced middle-aged man weighed his words carefully. Huang Tian gave a light chuckle and shook his head. "I know you have many questions. In time, you will naturally come to know the answers. Right now, I need to see your superior." The broad-faced middle-aged man fell silent, then nodded. "I will report this up the chain immediately!" Huang Tian nodded, and promptly dispersed like wind. The command center fell dead silent for a heartbeat, before erupting into an uproar! "It really is Professor Huang!!" "Did he become an immortal? How can he project an avatar? And fly in the flesh?!" "I'm leaning toward him mastering some kind of black tech, like nano-mech armor or bio-armor. That sort of armor only covers the body in a razor-thin layer, which is why we couldn't see it with the naked eye." "Even if that's true, how do you explain the avatar?" "Simple: it's a projection technology way ahead of its time. What just appeared in the command center was an illusory phantom, not a physical body." "What you're saying... seems to make some sense? But I still think it's supernatural power! Because Professor Huang said he isn't an alien, and if he isn't, there is no way the kind of black tech you're talking about could be built with Blue Star's current level of materials science!" "All right, all right, guessing gets us nowhere. Didn't Professor Huang say we'll learn the details in the future? We just have to wait a while, and my guess is it won't be long—" While the command center was in turmoil, Huang Tian had already flown down from midair, touching down in a small garden. He strolled leisurely out of the garden, turned along a pathway, and arrived on the main thoroughfare. It was afternoon. Though not yet the evening rush hour, the road was already busy with traffic. Horns honked from time to time, and electric scooters nimbly weaved their way through the flow of vehicles. Crowds of pedestrians walked along the sidewalks—some on phone calls with faces full of impatience, some clutching cups of milk tea and sipping noisily, while young folks giggled and chased one another playfully. Taking a few casual strides, Huang Tian turned into a newly opened milk tea shop by the curb, bought a cup of warm milk tea, and resumed his leisurely stroll, taking occasional sips. As dusk fell and an orange glow bathed the long avenue, a black car pulled up slowly beside Huang Tian. A sharp, capable young man stepped out and saluted him. "Mr. Huang Tian, please—" Huang Tian finished the last of his milk tea, tossed the cup into a trash bin, and got into the car. The car made a turn on the avenue and drove away into the distance. That departure lasted a full month. During the first three days of that month, nations across the world were making major moves. Secret hotlines were dialed and connected in rapid succession. Dark undercurrents surged, and tensions ran high. However, out on the ocean, a sudden tsunami poured like a bucket of icy water over everyone's hearts, completely dousing their wild ambitions and restive impulses. On the other side of the ocean, in a conference room, sat over a dozen people dressed in suits and ties. Before them stood a large screen displaying a video: a roiling sea, colossal waves surging, a raging hurricane howling, as though doomsday had arrived. A balding middle-aged man stood beside the large screen, explaining to the room: "...In recent memory, the most destructive tsunami was undoubtedly the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which impacted multiple countries and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. "And during that event, the tsunami's speed reached only 750 kilometers per hour, with a peak wave height of around thirty meters. "Yet the one in this video moved at nine hundred kilometers per hour, with a front spanning nearly one thousand kilometers, and peak wave heights exceeding eighty meters!!" The balding middle-aged man shook his head with a heavy heart. "I have to say, if it had actually made landfall, wiping out a whole nation would have been child's play." Everyone held their breath. "And what is even more terrifying is how this tsunami subsided." The balding middle-aged man dragged the video progress bar to the end. "Look here. In a mere five seconds, it... completely subsided! "It was as if a god of the sea had brandished his trident and commanded the ocean to be at peace. Other than that, I cannot imagine how it could transition from such ferocity to absolute tranquility in an instant—" A look of profound existential doubt washed over his face. "Too bizarre! Too staggering! Where on earth did the colossal energy of this tsunami discharge to? It couldn't have vanished into thin air, could it?" At this point, a round-faced man spoke up: "Mr. Seth, if—and I say if—your hypothetical conjecture is correct, and there really is a sea god controlling the tsunami, do we possess the capability to kill him?" The balding Mr. Seth froze for a second, then couldn't help but chuckle. "Haha, a sea god, haha... Apologies, I don't mean to mock you. I just think it's a great question, cough cough—" He coughed twice, wiped the smile from his lips, and his expression grew increasingly solemn. "If this tsunami truly was controlled by a so-called sea god, then I believe we are completely powerless to fight back." The round-faced man frowned. "Please elaborate." Mr. Seth said with emotion, "Setting aside how much energy is required to trigger a tsunami—which pales in comparison to the power needed to quell one in an instant—if a sea god could bring such an apocalyptic tsunami to peace with a wave of his trident, then even if a high-yield hydrogen bomb detonated right in front of him, he could calm that just the same. "Yes, as with hydrogen bombs, so too with all other weapons. In short, none of the weapons humanity has developed to date can harm that sea god." Having said that, he noticed the grim faces around the conference room. Stunned, he squeezed out a smile. "Relax, how could there possibly be a sea god in this world? Why worry—" Mid-sentence, he came to a sudden halt, asking in shock and suspicion, "Could there... really be one?!" He immediately thought of the tsunami that had erupted out of nowhere and subsided in seconds. If there really was a sea god, or some other deity, in the world, everything would be explained perfectly. Yet, gods? How could such "things" possibly exist?! He opened his mouth to ask, but the blonde-haired old man sitting at the center waved a hand. The round-faced man spoke up, "Mr. Seth, thank you for your presentation. Please head back. We will remit a consulting fee to you. Furthermore, please keep today's matters confidential for the time being." Mr. Seth pursed his lips, questioning reality even more. "Alright, alright..." As he slowly backed out of the conference room, just before the door closed, he turned back and said earnestly, "If there really are supernatural forces in this world, please do let me know. I am deeply interested in this subject. Thank you." Without waiting to be urged along, he walked away. Inside the conference room, the atmosphere was even heavier than before. The round-faced man said slowly, "A few days ago, a humanoid UFO descended from outer space to Blue Star, landing in Dongxia. According to our satellite reconnaissance, we can essentially confirm that it was a person, not a craft or weapon. Moreover, whether this person is an extraterrestrial or an individual with superpowers from novels and movies, he has close ties to Dongxia... "When we sent inquiries to Dongxia, their side offered only vague, ambiguous answers. But just as global tensions were escalating, Dongxia suddenly shared a set of coordinates with us—and those coordinates marked the exact location where this tsunami broke out! "This is a deterrent. "He is warning the world not to act rashly. "He possesses the power to wipe out human civilization at any moment." Heavy, labored breaths echoed through the conference room. After a long silence, the blonde-haired old man asked, "What have our intelligence operatives uncovered?" "I am very sorry, sir. We only detected anomalies in some of their supercomputing centers, but we cannot be certain if they are related to this matter. Otherwise, we found almost nothing," said the man sitting second on the old man's left, ashamed. "As expected." The blonde-haired old man shook his head. "Had we encountered something like this, we would maintain absolute secrecy as well." He pondered for a moment, looking around the room. "Now, who can tell me what we should do?" No one answered. Some stared up at the ceiling, some twirled pens with heads lowered, and others gazed blankly into space, minds drifting. The blonde-haired old man was rendered speechless. He knew they didn't want to bear responsibility, and indeed, they were powerless. Against a "person" who possessed the mighty power of a god, what could they possibly do? The blonde-haired old man waved a hand rather wearily. "That will be all for today's meeting. We reconvene tomorrow. I will await your answers." Yet the next day, the day after, and for three days running, no one offered a single useful suggestion. At most, they advised waiting to see how things unfolded; at a time like this, doing nothing was better than doing anything. Helpless, the blonde-haired old man could only follow their advice and act as though nothing had happened. Even the Beacon Nation reacted this way, and other countries acted as if struck by amnesia, tacitly avoiding any mention of the matter. Yet while the surface remained calm, undercurrents still surged beneath, and intelligence operations proceeded in full swing. In the blink of an eye, a month passed. Dongxia suddenly issued an announcement: a historic press conference would be held on June 7, with Huang Tian as the keynote speaker. Once this announcement came out, to say nothing of the reactions from various nations, netizens were utterly bewildered. "A press conference? Why is God Huang the speaker?" "'Historic'? I don't think I've ever seen that word used for any press conference before." "It means it must be something huge! At the very least, it concerns our development for decades to come, right?" "If it's that momentous, why is Professor Huang Tian presenting? I don't mean that math isn't important—it's very important, the foundation of countless disciplines—but its impact on the world isn't as swift or intuitive as technological inventions. So I really can't fathom what this press conference is supposed to be about." "True. Even if he solved all the remaining Millennium Prize Problems, there'd be no need to hold a dedicated press conference like this. Well, if he really solved them, maybe it would warrant one, but it still shouldn't be tagged with a label like 'historic'—" Amidst all the chatter and debate, June 7 arrived. On that day, reporters and camera operators from major media outlets filed orderly into a clean, bright conference hall, took their seats, and whispered among themselves in hushed conversations. At the same time, live streams popped up across every major video platform, and countless curious netizens flooded into the channels. "It's starting, it's starting!" "Where's God Huang? Hasn't he come out yet?" "Today, I don't care about the news; I only care about my hubby!" "Simps get outta here!" "Sending hearts, sending hearts~" "I'm so curious what's about to be announced. What on earth deserves being called 'historic'? Could it be that controlled nuclear fusion has been cracked?" While streamed domestically, simultaneous live broadcasts were also initiated in other countries worldwide, complete with dedicated translators providing commentary—a requirement stipulated by Dongxia. Time ticked by. Five minutes later, at precisely ten in the morning. Huang Tian stepped into the hall under dazzling camera flashes and took a seat behind a long table. Facing the assembly of domestic and foreign journalists and the countless netizens watching the live stream, Huang Tian offered a slight smile. "Good morning, everyone." After a brief greeting, he was concise and to the point. "I know everyone is wondering what major event this press conference is meant to announce. Now, allow me to unveil it for you—" With those words, a dragon's roar abruptly rang out. Five dragons of five-colored cloud vapor roared forth, soaring and circling through the hall before flicking their tails and diving in unison toward Huang Tian. As they plunged, they intertwined and rapidly shrank, finally bobbing and frolicking in the palm of his outstretched hand—