Moreover, from the looks of it, it didn't resemble a factory at all. The path was smooth and clean asphalt, lined with flowers, more akin to a hospital. I followed the guide to the front door of the factory office building. As I stepped onto the stone steps and pushed open the glass door, the person suddenly asked me, "Are you Mr. Wesley?" I was about to casually confirm that I was Wesley, but my instinct reminded me not to speak recklessly.
At the same time, I felt very strange.
Because I remembered very clearly that when Inoue Tsugio and the engineer were contacted, they did not mention who was coming to see him, let alone my name.
Just now, in the reception room, I only mentioned that I was here to see the chief engineer and did not mention my name. How did this person know the name "Wesley"?
The person pushed open the glass door, and I followed him inside. He didn't turn around but said, "I am a security guard stationed at this factory. Because this place produces some very precise instruments, security personnel are stationed here. Mr. Nelson has already been here before you. He expected you would come soon."
When the person mentioned Mr. Nelson's name, I couldn't help but believe him. I made a non-committal sound, neither confirming nor denying. He still didn't turn around and walked ahead. He stepped into the elevator, and I followed, asking, "Where is Mr. Nelson?"
The person chuckled, "Him? He's gone to the place he wants to go the most."
I suddenly grew suspicious, "What do you mean by that?"
He replied, "I'm just saying. In fact, I have no idea where he went."
I silently criticized Nelson for unnecessarily talking too much to a factory security guard. But I immediately found the man's words very suspicious.
Mr. Nelson is a capable and meticulous person, far above me. Even I thought it was something he shouldn't do, so why would he do it? I suddenly became suspicious of the person, but I couldn't figure out how to interrogate him. While I was pondering, the elevator stopped, and the person had already stepped out of the elevator. He stopped in front of a door in the corridor and knocked twice, saying, "Mr. Kimura, your guest is here."
A deep voice came from inside, saying, "Please come in."
The person stepped aside, letting me push the door open.
When I was in the reception room, I naturally didn't pay attention to this person before I became suspicious of him. After I became suspicious, he kept his back to me until now, and I quickly turned my head to look at him.
At that glance, my heart suddenly jumped!
The person was wearing an extremely fine mask on his face! And if I didn't have such a mask myself, I would never have noticed it!
In that instant, my heart beat faster. Although I didn't know what was happening, I knew something was definitely wrong. I said in a deep voice, "Aren't you going in?"
Before he could finish speaking, I swiftly grabbed the back of his neck, and as he raised his head, my left hand pressed on his throat, preventing him from making a sound.
The person widened his eyes, making "gurgling" sounds in his throat. At this point, I still didn't know what had happened, but I knew I had to deal with this person quickly.
I pushed my knee against the small of his back, tapped the back of his head with my hand, and he slumped down.
I reached into his jacket pocket and found a silenced pistol. I bent down to look through the keyhole into the room.
At a glance, I couldn't help but exclaim, "That was close!"
I gently helped the unconscious person I had knocked out and reached for the doorknob.
Just now, I had looked through the keyhole, and because the keyhole was small, I couldn't see the whole room, but what I saw was enough. I saw a middle-aged man with an angry face, being held at gunpoint in a chair.
I couldn't see who was holding the gun, but I recognized the angry-faced man as the famous Japanese scientist, Kimura Shin. It turned out that he was the chief engineer of this precision instrument manufacturing factory.
I turned the doorknob and pushed open the door.
As I pushed the door open for about a foot, I suddenly pushed the unconscious person forward, and his body tumbled forward, as if someone had rushed into the room.
As soon as I pushed him in, I heard a "thud," the sound of a silenced pistol firing, and with the door providing cover, I could see inside clearly. There were three people, all armed, so I fired three shots in quick succession.
I'm not boasting, but those three shots were indeed impeccable!
With "thud, thud, thud" sounds, there were also "clap, clap, clap" sounds.
The first two were, of course, the shots I fired. The three shots hit the right forearms of the three armed men. With their right forearms bleeding profusely, their fingers naturally moved, and the last three sounds were the sounds of their guns falling to the ground. Finally, there was a "thud" sound, and the person I pushed in fell to the ground.
Originally, he was just knocked out by me, but now, he had been shot by his companions and died tragically.
Kimura Shin immediately stood up, and I raised the gun in my hand and said to the three people, "Back up, stand in the corner!"
The three of them turned pale, looking at the gun in my hand. One of them seemed to want to pick up the pistol on the ground with his left hand, but my gun muzzle stretched forward slightly, and he immediately gave up the attempt.
The three of them backed up to the corner, and Kimura Shin grabbed the phone, saying, "Are you the new security guard? Shall you call the police, or shall I?" I quickly walked over and took the receiver from him, saying, "No need to rush to call the police."
Kimura Shin looked at me with great astonishment, and I smiled, saying, "I'm not a security guard of the factory, I'm your guest."
Kimura Shin exclaimed, "Ah," and said, "You're the person Mr. Inoue mentioned on the phone." I said, "That's right, I'm the one. How long have these four people been here?"
Kimura Shin said bitterly, "They've been holding me for half an hour. They said they were waiting for someone named Wesley, but who knew what kind of person Wesley is."
I kept smiling and said, "Wesley is not just anyone, he's me."
Kimura Shin exclaimed, "Ah," his expression embarrassed to the extreme. I asked the three of them, "Which side are you guys from?"
None of the three spoke.
I sneered and said, "Fine, then I'll notify the police."
One of the three hurriedly said, "Wesley, it's better to settle our matters privately." I placed my hand on the phone and said, "Fine, but I want to know which side you guys are from and how you knew I would come here."
The person said, "We knew the moment you fell into the hands of the Moon God Society. Our people have been following you since you left Mr. Inoue Tsugio's house. If it wasn't for the order from Uefune to capture you alive, you would have been dead long ago."
When I heard this, a chill ran down my spine. Just moments ago, I thought I had escaped all the tracking, only to realize they were waiting for me. If I hadn't been quick on my feet, I would have fallen into their hands by now!
I forced a smile and said, "Thank you for sparing me. Are you going to retrieve that box from me?"
I had already concluded that they were spies hired by a certain country's embassy, which was why I was so straightforward. The expressions on the faces of the three men changed, but the same person replied, "Yes."
I sighed and said, "With your extensive capabilities, you should know where the box is now!"
The person said, "We only follow orders and don't know anything else."
I said, "Okay, I can let you go. When you see Uefune, tell him that I'm also trying to find the whereabouts of that box, whether he wants to capture me alive or assassinate me, it won't benefit him."
The person said, "We will relay your message."
I pointed to the dead body on the ground and said, "Can you take him out of the factory without being noticed?"
The person quickly said, "Yes, we can!"
I waved my hand and said, "Leave the gun here, you can go."
The three of them visibly breathed a sigh of relief. One of them helped the dead man up. I still kept a close watch on them until they left the room and entered the elevator.
As for how they would conceal their injured arms and hide the dead body, that was not my concern. Since they were spies, they would naturally have a way.
I turned around, and Kimura Shin seemed very dissatisfied, asking, "Why didn't you notify the police?"
I said, "Mr. Kimura, this matter is related to international disputes. Notifying the police would put the Japanese government in a difficult position."
Kimura Shin said, "Oh," and asked, "What is it all about?"
I said, "It's a very complicated matter, but ultimately, it's about the 'extraterrestrial object' of the Inoue family." Kimura Shin looked at me for a long time and said, "I have a very good relationship with Mr. Inoue. He told me on the phone that I can trust you completely."
I nodded and said, "That's correct."
Kimura Shin paced back and forth for a few steps, and from his expression, it seemed like he had something important and secretive to tell me but hesitated to do so. After pacing for a while, he said, "What do you want to know?"
I was sure that this statement was not what he really wanted to tell me. What he truly wanted to say hadn't been said yet. I could see it from his expression.
At that time, of course, I didn't know what secret he held in his heart, so I said, "I want to know what that 'extraterrestrial object' really is."
Kimura Shin asked, "Why do you want to know?"
I took out the identification Nelson had given me and let Kimura Shin look at it, saying, "I have been commissioned by the international police. I not only want to find out what it is but also to retrieve the lost 'extraterrestrial object.'"
When Kimura Shin heard my last sentence, his expression suddenly changed, and his hands involuntarily shook.
That tremble caused him to drop the credentials I had given him, and he kept apologizing as he picked them up and handed them back to me.
In that moment, I was filled with great doubt!
Why was Kimura Shin so surprised when he heard that the international police wanted to retrieve the lost "extraterrestrial object"?
Of course, it was impossible for me to answer immediately.
I pretended not to notice his unusual expression and continued, "The reason is a secret, please forgive me. Mr. Inoue mentioned your special opinion on the extraterrestrial object, so I came to understand it further and ask for your cooperation."
Kimura Shin thought for a moment and said, "Strictly speaking, I still don't know what the 'extraterrestrial object' is. But through my various experiments..."
When I heard this, I immediately interrupted him and repeated his words, asking, "Various experiments?"
Kimura Shin said, "Yes... yes... before it was put into the box, I studied it for a long time."
I felt that Kimura Shin's attitude still seemed suspicious, but I restrained myself from saying anything. I simply asked, "So, what is your preliminary conclusion? What is it?"
Kimura Shin said, "I have already told Mr. Inoue that it is a very precise navigation device used for space flight. As for how it is used, I don't know. I admit that my knowledge is too limited."
I tilted my head and looked at him. The "extraterrestrial object" looked like a sophisticated instrument from the photos, but it had existed for nearly two hundred years. How could that be?
I asked, "Mr. Kimura, haven't you noticed that the 'extraterrestrial object' has been passed down in the Inoue family for one hundred and eighty years?"
Kimura Shin exclaimed, "Of course, I know."
I continued, "So, are you saying that, one hundred and eighty years ago, there was already such scientific capability to manufacture such sophisticated instruments and apply them to space travel?"
Kimura Shin replied, "Of course not, not one hundred and eighty years ago, even now it's not possible."
I found it increasingly difficult to understand his words and asked, "What do you mean?" Kimura Shin suddenly stood up and said, "Advanced beings on Earth cannot create such sophisticated instruments. Can't advanced beings on other planets do the same?"
When I heard Kimura Shin speak like this, I was deeply moved and couldn't help but stand up as well. "Mr. Kimura, are you saying..." I originally didn't want to stop in the middle of my sentence.
But if I continued, it would certainly be, "Are you saying that thing is from another planet?" This would be too absurd and unbelievable, so I stopped abruptly.
However, Kimura Shin continued without hesitation, saying, "Yes, I mean, this thing was not created by Earthlings at all. It comes from another planet, a product of the science of beings from another planet."
I was speechless for a while.
To hear such a startling conclusion from a renowned scientist and engineer, what else could I say? Of course, I couldn't immediately believe this astounding conclusion.
After a while, I asked, "Do you really believe this?"
Kimura Shin said, "I have no choice but to believe."
I asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Kimura Shin said, "I once used high-speed cutting tools to cut off a piece of metal from the 'extraterrestrial object.' That kind of metal doesn't exist on Earth or hasn't been discovered by humans."
I took a deep breath and said, "Is that really possible? Have people from other planets really visited Earth?"
Kimura Shin said, "It's possible. The 'extraterrestrial object' is proof. Also, do you know about Dr. Nagoka's story?"
I shook my head and said, "I don't know. Who is Dr. Nagoka?"
Kimura Shin said, "Dr. Nagoka is an outstanding physicist and chemist in Japan. In October 1924, he conducted a successful experiment..."
He had only mentioned this much when I began to smile. What I learned in school was not completely forgotten. I said, "This experiment is very famous. Dr. Nagoka discovered that the atoms of mercury have similarities with the atoms of gold. So, he used high-voltage electricity to split the atoms of mercury, turning it into gold. Isn't that right?"
Kimura Shin nodded and said, "Yes, this experiment is a significant success recognized by the scientific community. He proved that metals can be transformed under certain circumstances. You must know that some of today's scientific achievements are based entirely on this principle!"
I said, "Of course, I don't intend to undermine the significance of Dr. Nagoka's experiment. But I remember our topic just now was about people from other planets visiting Earth."
I politely reminded him, but inwardly, I chuckled, thinking Kimura Shin must find it hard to justify his argument, so he changed the subject. Little did I know Kimura Shin was dead serious and said, "Yes, I haven't deviated from the topic. Do you know why Dr. Nagoka concentrated on studying and thought of changing the arrangement of molecules to turn mercury into gold?"
I awkwardly smiled and said, "Who knows."
Kimura Shin leaned toward me and said, "Dr. Nagoka's initial motivation was curiosity. He wondered why, throughout history, alchemists in Rome, China, and beyond, used mercury as a raw material for alchemy, tirelessly researching it. Although they had no results, they still firmly believed."
I was someone deeply interested in unexplainable things.
When Kimura Shin mentioned Dr. Nagoka, I almost couldn't help but yawn.
But now, I asked myself, why did ancient alchemists, regardless of their origin, always associate mercury with gold and stubbornly believe that mercury could be turned into gold?
There was no connection between mercury and gold; they were two metals with completely different colors and shapes.
I widened my eyes and looked at Kimura Shin.
Continuing, Kimura Shin said, "At that time, Dr. Nagoka found it strange. He knew there must be a reason for it. So, he focused on studying mercury and finally discovered the similar atomic composition between mercury and gold, which led to the success of his experiment."
When Kimura Shin finished speaking, he looked at me again.
I took a deep breath and said, "What's your explanation, Mr. Kimura?"
Kimura Shin said, "It's not my explanation; it's my late father's insight. My father was a close friend of Dr. Nagoka. He said that in ancient times, people from other planets visited Earth. Rome and China were the most advanced civilizations at that time, but the science of people from other planets was even more advanced. They had already discovered a simple method to turn mercury and other substances into gold and demonstrated it to the people on Earth. So, people on Earth stubbornly remembered this!"
Kimura Shin's words were imaginative.
At the same time, his words were convincing.
I involuntarily followed his line of thought and said, "So, people on Earth also wanted to produce gold using this method, but due to the level of scientific knowledge, they never succeeded."
Kimura Shin said, "Yes, it wasn't until Dr. Nagoka that success was achieved for the first time."
I said, "So..."
I only said two words before stopping. I tried to keep my head cool because I realized I had been drawn into a fanatical state by Kimura Shin's words.
Kimura Shin seemed to have sensed my thoughts. He took a deep breath and said, "Do you not believe it? I'm not asking you to believe it; I'm just asking if it's possible?"
I nodded sincerely and said, "Of course, there's definitely a possibility."
Kimura Shin responded, "That's good. We can continue our discussion."
I said, "I have a few questions. Could you please explain further?"
Kimura Shin replied, "I'm not an expert in this field, but I'll do my best to explain."
I asked, "Why did people from other planets come to Earth once and then never return?"
Kimura Shin thought for a moment and said, "There are three possibilities. First, they may have returned, but we are unaware of it. Second, they may have attempted to come but encountered mishaps, like the unexplained explosion over Tunguska in the 19th century, which some scientists believe was the result of a spacecraft accident from another planet."
I nodded, and Kimura Shin continued, "And third, we don't know where the alchemy-teaching extraterrestrial being came from. It's possible that they come from a very distant planet and are still on their way back!"
I chuckled and said, "Do they have such long lives?"
Kimura Shin looked at me strangely and said, "I can't believe you don't even know the basics of relativity. Time almost doesn't exist when you travel at high speeds!"
I remained silent.
Kimura Shin continued, "Moreover, people from other planets have a different concept of time. We measure a year on Earth by its orbit around the Sun. Our lifespan is about sixty years. People from other planets may measure a year by their own planet's orbit around the Sun. Their lifespan could also be sixty years, but the difference is huge, you know?"
I indicated my lack of understanding as the questions seemed to be piling up.
Kimura Shin explained, "You don't understand? The time it takes for Neptune to orbit the Sun is 165 times longer than Earth's orbit. So, even though they live for sixty years, the people of Neptune effectively live 165 times longer than Earthlings!"
Kimura Shin's words sounded astonishing, but they also seemed logical.
I sat quietly for a while as Kimura Shin continued, "Due to genetic influences, the lifespan of people from other planets living on Earth would be based on their original planet's time. Mr. Wei, I suspect figures like Pengzu, who lived for eight hundred years according to Chinese legends, and Dong Fang Shuo, who allegedly ate peaches every three thousand years, might be from other planets!"
Kimura Shin's words became more and more absurd. Just as I was about to burst into laughter, a sudden realization hit me like a ton of bricks.
In that moment, I remembered Fang Tian!
Comparing Fang Tian's diary with the writings on the 'extraterrestrial object,' it was certain that Fang Tian had a connection with it. Inosuke, once said Fang Tian was an 'extraterrestrial person,' but he said it jokingly because of the age issue. But Kimura Shin's words shocked me.
Kimura Shin said that the lifespan of people from other planets is based on their original planet's time. If Fang Tian came from Neptune, his lifespan could be 165 times longer than that of Earthlings, as Neptune's orbit is 165 times longer than Earth's.
Kimura Shin's words were mere hypotheses.
His hypothesis couldn't be proven because no one had ever tested a person from another planet. However, his words couldn't be completely dismissed as absurd; the possibility existed.
So, Fang Tian could really be an 'extraterrestrial person'!
With Fang Tian gone for many years, he hasn't aged a bit; his blood is blue, something impossible for Earthlings; he has superhuman brain waves, capable of inducing suicidal thoughts in people; he possesses a small, strange weapon that can kill in a second; his scientific knowledge leaves even the best scientists dumbfounded...
There are too many strange things about Fang Tian, and none of them can be explained by common sense.
But when I understood that he came from another planet, not from Earth, all my questions seemed to be answered.
Originally, I thought Kimura Shin was a person with a rich imagination, and I didn't intend to refute anything he said.
However, when I thought of Fang Tian, I almost believed Kimura Shin's conjecture was correct.
I sat in the chair for a long time, unable to speak. My cheeks felt hot, my body felt warm, my mind was in chaos, and I didn't know what I was thinking. Suddenly realizing that to people from other planets, humans on Earth are not much smarter than animals, that feeling cannot be described in words. I don't know how long I stayed like that.
(1986 note: This is the first time Weslie encountered aliens in the story, so his reaction was quite shocked. Later, after seeing more, he became accustomed to it.)
Kimura Shin remained still, just like me. Naturally, he firmly believed in his own deductions, and his feelings were the same as mine.
After a while, I stood up and said, "Mr. Kimura, thank you for your help." Kimura smiled, "It's nothing." I originally wanted to tell Kimura about everything related to Fang Tian, but then I immediately thought it was better for fewer people to know about such things. So, I changed my mind and said, "Mr. Kimura, it's a pity that Mr. Inoue insisted on burying the extraterrestrial object underground and refused to allow further research. Otherwise, you would definitely have made new discoveries."