Is There Life Inside a Wormhole?

At Yuezhou University's academic lecture hall, Li Banfeng took a seat to watch an academic debate. Such debates were rare at Yuezhou University, and quite unusual in all of Huan Country. A normal academic symposium typically involved inviting a few industry experts as distinguished guests to deliver reports in their areas of expertise. Even if there was a discussion segment, it was guided by a moderator to share experiences from the research process. Today, however, was completely different. There was no presentation segment; they jumped straight into open discussion. The two primary guests held completely opposing views on numerous academic issues, and their exchange seemed poised to turn into a full-blown argument. The main topic slated for discussion today was the gravitational tidal forces experienced while traversing a wormhole. Li Banfeng found a seat in the back rows of the auditorium. Teacher Song was not sitting anywhere near him. Having produced substantial research in the field of wormholes, she was one of the symposium's guest participants, seated in the front row and ready to join the discussion. Up on the lecture platform, the undisputed domestic authority in wormhole research, seventy-two-year-old Professor Yan Youjun, spoke first. He had prepared no presentation slides, nor any speaking notes, because in his eyes, today's topic did not merit any preparation whatsoever. "The tidal forces experienced by a traveler passing through a wormhole must be sufficiently small—this is the fundamental prerequisite for a traversable wormhole. Frankly speaking, I see no point in debating such a topic. Xiao Yu, what do you say?" Yan Youjun took a sip of tea, smiling benevolently as he looked at forty-eight-year-old Yu Yaoming. At forty-eight, one could hardly be considered young in most disciplines, but before Yan Youjun, Yu Yaoming was obliged to keep to his place as a junior. "Not just him," a female student sitting to Li Banfeng's left said in a low voice, pushing up her glasses. "In domestic wormhole research, any academic stance that contradicts Yan Youjun's understanding is considered absurd, childish, and unworthy of debate." Li Banfeng did not look at the girl, nor did he respond. He continued listening to the old professor's explanation. The so-called tidal effect was the difference in gravitational pull experienced by different parts of an object in a non-uniform gravitational field. To use a simple example: if a person plunged headfirst toward a black hole, their head would be closer to the black hole while their feet were farther away. The head would experience a greater gravitational pull, and the feet a relatively smaller one. Once a certain distance was reached, the difference in gravitational pull would be enough to tear the person to shreds. That was the tidal effect. "The same holds true for wormholes," Yan Youjun said, taking another sip of tea. "Under extreme circumstances, the tidal effects of a wormhole are no different from those of a black hole, and the vast majority of wormholes cannot possibly meet the conditions for traversability. Based on this common knowledge, I truly see no necessity in debating this topic. "Of course, many people present may not possess a clear concept of what a wormhole is, so allow me to provide some basic background. A wormhole is a narrow tunnel connecting two different regions of space across the universe, also known as a spacetime tube. It is a conduit capable of achieving long-distance spatial travel in a short time—" Listening to Yan Youjun's lecture, the female student murmured to Li Banfeng again, "Look how sickening he is. He knows full well it's common knowledge, yet he deliberately drags it out in detail, as if he were explaining the quadratic formula to a mathematician, treating him like an absolute beginner. Yan Youjun loves using this tactic to belittle and humiliate others." It was indeed a grating tactic. At first, Li Banfeng had thought Yan Youjun was explaining things simply and clearly, which seemed quite accommodating to an outsider like him. Yet after covering the basic theory, the professor proceeded to recount the history of wormhole research, from the earliest concept proposed by an Autrilian physicist early in the last century to the subsequent connection between general relativity and wormholes. Yan Youjun repeatedly wielded basic knowledge to lecture a scientist who had already achieved considerable distinction in the field, like an elder patronizingly explaining the uses of soy sauce to an executive chef. "Wormholes have long ceased to be a novel field of research. Countless predecessors have already pointed the way for us. Our duty is to seek new results along the correct path, rather than squandering our precious time on meaningless squabbles. "Even an undergraduate in the physics department could clearly define the concept of tidal effects. If such an issue still requires an academic debate among professionals, I find it shameful and laughable!" After nearly half an hour of lecturing on basic knowledge, the old professor finally stated his stance. In his eyes, Yu Yaoming was nothing more than a clown who had failed to grasp the fundamentals. The female student beside Li Banfeng spoke up: "If I remember correctly, you didn't pursue further studies after graduating with your bachelor's degree, did you?" Li Banfeng gave a dry laugh. "You still remember me?" She smiled. "How could I forget you? From high school until now, how many times have you turned me down?" Her name was Fang Yufei. She and Li Banfeng had been high school classmates. In their sophomore year of high school, she had confessed her feelings to him, only to be rejected. After the college entrance exams, Fang Yufei had offered to visit Li Banfeng's home, but was rejected again—mainly because Li Banfeng had been sleeping under a bridge and was in no position to host guests. Both went on to enter Yuezhou University, though in different majors. During their college years, Fang Yufei confessed to Li Banfeng three more times, only to be rejected every single time. Even today, in the middle of this academic symposium, Fang Yufei could still recognize him. Her feelings for him were quite peculiar, but to pick out a Homebody Cultivator above the clouds from a crowd was something mere emotion could not fully explain. Fang Yufei smiled at Li Banfeng. Having not seen him in over two years, she was as beautiful as ever. Back in high school, she had been the class beauty, and during university, the only person in the School of Science whose looks matched hers was Lu Xiaolan. Yet she was different from Lu Xiaolan. Lu Xiaolan had narrowly scraped through every exam, occasionally even requiring He Jiaqing's assistance. During her undergraduate years, Fang Yufei had topped the entire School of Science in academic performance. After taking the postgraduate exams, she became a graduate student at another renowned university in Yuezhou. Such an outstanding young woman had never lacked suitors. Right now, there was one sitting beside her named Han Yuelong. He came from the same department as Fang Yufei, though under a different advisor. Fang Yufei's advisor was Yu Yaoming. Han Yuelong had only attended this symposium today so he could spend more time near her. Han Yuelong did not know Li Banfeng, but listening to their exchange, he sensed their relationship was far from ordinary. Thus, he made a pointed dig at Li Banfeng: "You only graduated with a bachelor's? Then you'd best not attend symposiums like this. There's a time and place to join in the fun, and there are far too many things here that you won't understand in the slightest." Li Banfeng said nothing. Had Teacher Song not given him private tutoring recently, there really would have been plenty here beyond his grasp. Fang Yufei turned her eyes toward Han Yuelong. "You claim he doesn't understand, but what can you understand? Do you know more than he does?" Han Yuelong bridled. "I'm already in my third year of graduate school, and this is my research direction. I'm an insider at the very least. You're comparing me to an undergrad?" "An insider?" Fang Yufei chuckled, shaking her head. "You are no insider. In this entire lecture hall, true insiders are exceedingly rare—fewer than you could count on one hand." Han Yuelong grew irritated. Although he was actively courting Fang Yufei, her words stung his pride. "Then by your standards, what level must one reach to be considered an insider?" Fang Yufei looked toward the lecture platform, her eyes filled with reverence and adoration. "Listen to an insider expound it. This knowledge was never meant for the likes of you, but it is enough to benefit you for a lifetime." After Yan Youjun's lengthy sermon finally drew to a close, forty-eight-year-old Professor Yu Yaoming at last had his chance to speak. "The core of today's discussion is whether the condition that a traveler must experience sufficiently small tidal forces when crossing a wormhole is truly an indispensable prerequisite for traversing one. "Professor Yan just stated that if the tidal forces are excessive, a human approaching a wormhole would be torn straight into shreds, reduced to fundamental particles. That sounds like common sense. "However, we are overlooking another question: what state is that person in when approaching the wormhole? "What form does their life take? Under conditions where space itself is severely distorted, would their physical body still be subject to tidal effects?" Yan Youjun took the microphone from the host, cutting Yu Yaoming off mid-sentence: "Do these claims of yours have any theoretical foundation, or are they purely wild flights of fancy? If they are merely your imagination, I have no reason to waste my time with you." Yu Yaoming smiled. "Professor Yan, this is merely a hypothesis I formulated during my research. Naturally, I conducted extensive mathematical derivations regarding this hypothesis. While certain parts of the theoretical derivation still present issues, the overarching logic is crystal clear. For instance—" Yu Yaoming had just projected his mathematical derivations onto the large screen when Yan Youjun interrupted him once again: "Do not presume that mathematical proofs can resolve everything. You could use mathematics to prove that this world is two-dimensional, but what meaning would there be in proving such a hypothesis?" Fang Yufei's face darkened. "Ignorant old fossil, cutting people off over and over. Look how utterly ill-mannered he is!" Han Yuelong said in astonishment, "Professor Yan Youjun is a titan of this field, internationally recognized! How can you call him ignorant?" With a mocking smirk, Fang Yufei retorted, "He is merely recognized by a bunch of laymen. He has lived all these years in vain; he knows nothing about wormholes." Han Yuelong said, "Now that goes too far. So many experts came today specifically for Professor Yan, and you say he knows nothing? Are all these experts blind? Are they all fools?" "Yes," Fang Yufei nodded, looking first at Han Yuelong, then at Li Banfeng. "They are all blind. They are all fools. The same goes for you, and the same once went for me." Her gaze lingered on Li Banfeng. "I once thought you were so special, so distinct from the rest. In reality, you are no different from them—equally ignorant, equally foolish. I feel ashamed of myself, for knowing so little about wisdom, about life, about this world, that I once believed you were extraordinary, squandering so much emotion and fantasy on you. "Fortunately, you are lucky. You came to the right place today. Use your eyes to witness, use your ears to listen, and take a good look at the power contained within true wisdom." Han Yuelong felt Fang Yufei was behaving strangely today; she seemed far too agitated. Li Banfeng paid little attention to Fang Yufei's state. He was studying Yu Yaoming's slides with great focus. On the screen, Yu Yaoming displayed his derivations section by section. "Among the forms of life known to us, there is a maximum limit of tidal force that can be endured. Exceeding that limit damages the molecular structure of our bodies. "This is a basic assumption derived from our existing knowledge, because none of us have ever truly approached a wormhole. No one knows what changes we would undergo near or inside one. "Under an alternative hypothesis, we might transform from carbon-based life into silicon-based life. Our life form might break free of current molecular structures, or even atomic structures, thereby adapting to the extreme conditions around a wormhole. "Or perhaps our structure itself does not change, but under the influence of a certain energy, a localized negative energy density appears, creating a relatively stable environment near the wormhole—" Yan Youjun chuckled, cutting him off yet again. "Professor Yu, did you think through what you were going to say before coming here? Let's not babble about atomic structures just yet; even if molecular structures changed, could that still be called life? "If you burn a living person to ashes, do you think they could come back to life?" "That analogy is inappropriate," Yu Yaoming said, continuing his presentation. "Burning a living person to ashes involves no change in the nature of space itself. Yet a shift in the fundamental nature of space brings adaptive evolution to both the environment and life." "Evolution, you say? With current human science, we cannot even fully reconstruct the evolutionary history of life, yet you claim life would evolve near a wormhole? When making such claims, don't you feel like a comedian?" Yan Youjun found it preposterous, and he was already preparing even harsher words. Several experts watching the debate below grew uneasy. They cast their gazes toward the symposium's organizer, Vice President Lu Jianpeng. "Old Lu, is it really appropriate to let things get so hostile?" "This doesn't look like an academic symposium anymore—the two of them are practically on the verge of physical blows! Where is the academic atmosphere in this?" "I believe this is precisely the atmosphere an academic discussion ought to have," Lu Jianpeng said, thoroughly satisfied with the current state of affairs. "How were academic symposiums run in the past? Five or six experts taking turns giving presentations, doing interviews afterward, showering each other with flattery. "Once it was over, the ones on stage felt pampered, while the audience below had nearly fallen asleep. After everyone dispersed, the field remained the same, the status quo remained the same—what results could ever come of that?" Those around him held their tongues. They noticed that Vice President Lu's tone was exceptionally sharp today, as if infected by the atmosphere on stage. He was indeed stirred up. This had been his original purpose in holding the symposium: he wanted to shake up the landscape of wormhole research and draw greater attention to the field. On the platform, the clash between Yu Yaoming and Yan Youjun grew increasingly ferocious. Every single point Yu Yaoming made was rejected by Yan Youjun, and every rebuttal from Yan Youjun met a counterattack from Yu Yaoming. "Professor Yan, biological evolution is fundamentally the process of changing to adapt to an environment. I conducted specialized research in biology for this very purpose; the rate of biological evolution under extreme conditions is astonishing—" Yan Youjun interrupted him once more: "Spare us your talk of research! You started out studying biology; your bachelor's degree was in the biology department. Halfway through your master's, you switched to astronomy, and during your doctorate, you pivoted to quantum physics! "In academia today, everyone constantly babbles about breaking down disciplinary boundaries, tossing unrelated subjects together to pull the wool over the eyes of experts from every field, pumping out papers and raking in awards! Do you call that doing real scholarship?" In the audience, Fang Yufei gritted her teeth. "The old fossil has resorted to personal attacks. That's all he's capable of!" Han Yuelong asked from beside her, "Yufei, do you care this much about Professor Yu? Just because he's your advisor, you can't bear to see him suffer the slightest grievance?" Fang Yufei nodded. "Yes. He must not be wronged, especially not by these fools. These fools are so ignorant that every challenge they mount against Professor Yu is a desecration of wisdom." Nearby attendees overheard her words and turned to stare in her direction. Han Yuelong broke into a cold sweat. The symposium was tense enough as it was, and Fang Yufei's state was deeply alarming. "Yufei, stop talking—" "And what if I talk?" Fang Yufei sneered. "You are one of those fools yourself. You have no concept of what true wisdom and power are." She had intended to mock Li Banfeng as well, but Li Banfeng was listening intently to Yu Yaoming's arguments, clearly intrigued by his perspectives. Yu Yaoming said to Yan Youjun, "Professor Yan, I have outlined extensive mathematical arguments here. Please examine them before we move on to the next phase of our discussion." Yan Youjun shook his head. "I will not look at these baseless deductions. The foundation of your proofs consists entirely of assumptions plucked from thin air." "Then at the very least, allow me to present my perspective in full. Please cease interrupting me so frequently." "I interrupt because I must! You establish an absurd viewpoint and use an absurd line of deduction to misdirect others' thinking. This is textbook deception—textbook academic fraud!" Teacher Song shook her head. Yan Youjun had begun slapping labels. She observed Yu Yaoming's reaction. For the time being, his temperament still appeared normal. "Professor Yan, if you claim I am committing fraud, then point out specifically which of my premises or pieces of evidence constitute fraud." "You need not explain further. Just tell me: do you genuinely believe organisms can adapt to the tidal effects around a wormhole through self-directed evolution?" "Yes," Yu Yaoming nodded. "I even believe life exists around wormholes, and within them as well." "Did everyone hear that? He says there is life inside wormholes!" Yan Youjun smoothed his white hair and broke into laughter. Yu Yaoming did not laugh. From start to finish, his expression remained earnest. "The interior environment of a wormhole is far more stable than the region surrounding it. Provided we enter safely, I believe we too could live within a wormhole." "We could even live inside a wormhole?" Yan Youjun laughed even louder. "Do you also think there is life near black holes?" Yu Yaoming nodded again. "I believe it is possible." Yan Youjun chuckled. "Did you also fantasize that a few giant dragons guard the entrance to a black hole, devouring anyone foolish enough to enter?" "I do not think they would necessarily be dragons. I believe they could be other forms of life, perhaps even forms familiar to us. Some might be identical to us, having built civilizations within black holes." Yan Youjun nodded. "Why don't you write science fiction instead?" Yu Yaoming replied gravely, "If this were a literary salon, I would gladly discuss creative writing with you. But this is an academic discussion. All of our explorations must rest upon academic theory." "You still remember this is an academic discussion?" Yan Youjun's smile vanished, though the sarcasm and mockery in his voice remained. "Then please provide an example—a single instance of life evolving near a wormhole—to support this absurd assertion of yours." "You want an example?" Yu Yaoming raised the fountain pen in his hand. "I say this fountain pen may possess certain characteristics of life because of its proximity to a wormhole." "A fountain pen has life characteristics?" Yan Youjun burst out laughing once more. Many in the audience, including the host, laughed along with him. Han Yuelong sighed. "How did an academic symposium turn into this? Professor Yu has grown too fanatical; this has become a total farce." "Professor Yu isn't fanatical in the least, and this is no farce!" Fang Yufei glared at Han Yuelong. "Listen carefully to Professor Yu's theories. This is one of the few chances you will ever have to shed your ignorance." Han Yuelong did not want to speak to her anymore. In his eyes, Fang Yufei had become just as fanatical as Yu Yaoming. Fang Yufei looked back at Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng was studying the formulas on the large screen, listening with genuine concentration to Yu Yaoming's explanations. A pen having life; all things having life—Li Banfeng had heard this concept before. His wife had said it, and the projector had said it too. This notion had already been proven to him; the projector and the sickle were living examples. Yu Yaoming's view was not absurd at all. Yet the others present did not share Li Banfeng's thoughts. Murmurs and hushed chatter rippled through the hall, everyone suspecting Yu Yaoming had lost his mind. Holding the fountain pen, Yu Yaoming looked at Yan Youjun. "I say this pen possesses characteristics of life. Do you not believe me?" Yan Youjun laughed for a long time. "When you believe even a pen has life, how am I supposed to converse with you?" "What a pity." Yu Yaoming flicked his wrist and hurled the fountain pen. The pen shot toward Yan Youjun, piercing straight through his forehead. Sitting on the sofa, Yan Youjun's smile slowly froze as blood trickled down from his brow. The light in his eyes vanished instantly, his body slumping back against the sofa. The host froze. Every expert and professor froze. The auditorium fell dead silent for a few seconds, followed immediately by shrill screams. This was an academic exchange! This was supposed to be an academic debate! Han Yuelong shouted at the top of his lungs, "What—what is happening? Someone's been killed? What happened to Professor Yan?" "He's dead," Fang Yufei said calmly. "A stubborn traditionalist like him was a stumbling block to scientific progress. He deserved to die, long ago. He had to pay the price for his stupidity and arrogance!" Standing on the lecture platform, Yu Yaoming looked down quietly at the audience. Amid shrill screams, the spectators rushed frantically toward the auditorium exits. Several security guards tried to maintain order, but they were powerless against the stampeding crowd. "Yufei, run!" Han Yuelong grabbed Fang Yufei, trying to pull her away, but she shook him off with a violent jerk. "Get out of here, you fool," Fang Yufei said, sneering at him. "I told you, you know nothing. You have no idea what true wisdom and power look like. Today you've witnessed it." Han Yuelong said no more to her, swept along by the surge of people toward the exit. Fang Yufei turned toward Li Banfeng. "You should leave too. It really is dangerous here. Get out quickly. I know you're slightly better than those fools; perhaps you felt the shock of true wisdom, perhaps you now know what real knowledge is. "Yet just like them, you know nothing of true power. Professor Yu is furious right now. The power he is about to unleash is beyond your comprehension. To you, such power is like the wrath of a god, capable of destroying heaven and earth. "You are a mortal. You have yet to find the path to transcend mortality. I possess some power myself, so while I can still protect you, get out of here immediately." She reached out to pull Li Banfeng, only to find him gone. Nothing remained before her but a faint blur of afterimages. Where had Li Banfeng gone? How had he vanished into thin air? Utterly astonished, Fang Yufei searched around for his silhouette. Up on the platform, the host had already fled in terror, and the other experts and professors had scattered, leaving only Yu Yaoming and Yan Youjun's corpse. Yu Yaoming bent down to pick up the fountain pen when a voice sounded faintly beside his ear: "Don't move. That's a murder weapon. Best leave it where it lies." "Who's there!" Yu Yaoming looked toward the sound, but saw no one. "You are under arrest. I have a few questions for you—" Before the voice could finish, Yu Yaoming snatched up the fountain pen and flung a spray of ink toward the source of the sound. The pen was extraordinary, and the ink was specially formulated; if the intruder was using some kind of cloaking technique, the ink would mark their location. Yet the ink left no trace in the air, simply splashing across the red carpet of the platform. "If you don't feel like answering questions, fine, but don't go slinging ink around. It makes gathering evidence a real hassle. "Also, your slides were quite fascinating. Mind lending them to me? If you have more detailed materials, lend those to me too." Realizing something was terribly wrong, Yu Yaoming stowed the pen and leaped toward the ceiling of the lecture hall, attempting to flee. *Thump!* Li Banfeng materialized on the ceiling and kicked Yu Yaoming straight down into the audience seats. Yu Yaoming crashed heavily, stumbling and falling to his knees, unable to stand. Li Banfeng grabbed him by the hands and pinned him firmly into a seat. The entire process was blindingly fast; Yu Yaoming could not even see Li Banfeng's figure, let alone break free of his grip. He possessed certain abilities, but judging by his physique, he was likely not a cultivator. Adjusting her glasses, Fang Yufei actually caught sight of Li Banfeng. Her glasses were unique—a piece of advanced equipment of tremendous value—yet her mind could hardly process what she was seeing. Li Banfeng had injured Professor Yu. To Fang Yufei, Professor Yu was a godlike existence. Once he could no longer stomach the stupidity of mortals, he would unleash power capable of destroying the world. She was willing to be Professor Yu's steadfast follower; under his guidance, she had found that path to transcend ordinary mortals. Yet in a single instant—in just one split second— Li Banfeng had subdued Professor Yu. Who in the world was he? The lecture hall was in total pandemonium, and no one seemed to notice Yu Yaoming's plight. Fang Yufei wanted to flee as well, when Teacher Song suddenly appeared before her. "You're Fang Yufei, aren't you? I remember you. You used to be a student at Yuezhou University as well." Fang Yufei darted sideways to slip past Teacher Song, but Teacher Song pressed a hand down atop her head. "You saw him? I shouldn't have overlooked you. I didn't expect you to be sitting beside him." Teacher Song's lips did not move, yet Fang Yufei heard her voice ringing clearly in her mind. "The person you saw was not Li Banfeng. Remember, he is not Li Banfeng. He is a stranger—a stranger you have never met before. You do not know him at all." Fang Yufei felt a tingling numbness spread through the crown of her head, as if an electric current were coursing through her. "You do not know him..." The words were repeated several times, and Fang Yufei sank into unconsciousness. *** *P.S.: Teacher Song once said that no one could tap her phone calls.*