Fang Tian nodded, and we walked into the park, sitting down on a bench.
It was the least likely place for someone to eavesdrop on our conversation. I returned the notebook and what Fang Tian called the "recorder," a row of pen-like objects, to him.
Fang Tian pressed lightly on the row of tubes, and the strange tune began to play. He looked extremely bewildered. There was so much I wanted to know from him that for a moment, I couldn't figure out how to begin questioning him.
After a brief pause, I broached the topic, asking, "How long have you been here?" Fang Tian replied, "Over twenty years."
I reminded him, "Earth years, right?"
Fang Tian shook his head, "No, Saturn years."
I involuntarily took a deep breath. Fang Tian, this Saturnian, had been living on Earth for over two hundred years! When he first arrived on Earth, the United States had not yet been founded, and China was still in the era of Emperor Qianlong. It was truly unimaginable.
I found it difficult to continue questioning him. Readers, please consider, what could I possibly ask him? Should I ask if Emperor Qianlong had faced any near-death experiences when he traveled to Jiangnan? Should I ask if George Washington really chopped down a cherry tree?
If I were to ask such questions, I would feel like a lunatic.
However, the fact before me was this: such lunatic questions were not madness to Fang Tian; they were perfectly normal because he had indeed lived on Earth for over two hundred years!
After a long while, I forced a smile and said, "How is it back home for you?"
Fang Tian's expression brightened a bit as he replied, "Good, naturally, home is good. Don't you agree?"
When Fang Tian mentioned "home," his expression of longing was deeply sympathetic. You see, his "home," and our "home," had different meanings.
When we are away from home, no matter how far, we are still on Earth. But Fang Tian had moved from one celestial body to another! I couldn't experience the intense longing for home that he felt unless I was no longer on Earth but on Saturn.
Fang Tian sighed and said, "I've been away from my home planet for too long. I wonder what changes have occurred there?"
I stared at him blankly as he placed his hand on mine, saying earnestly, "Since arriving on Earth, I've wanted nothing but to return home. I fear I may never have the chance to return and will die on Earth. You see, when I first arrived, Earth's backwardness made me almost despair to the point of suicide. At that time, I never imagined the rapid scientific progress of Earthlings, which now makes it possible for me to return home."
I said, "Are you planning to take that rocket to Saturn?" Fang Tian replied, "Yes, I am confident I can reach Saturn, assuming Earth's rotation hasn't slowed down."
I exclaimed, "Earth's rotation has slowed down?"
Fang Tian said, "In the past ten years, Earth's rotation has slowed down by 0.008 seconds per revolution, or eight-thousandths of a second. This short amount of time naturally has no impact on Earthlings, but it means my rocket won't be able to stop in Saturn's orbit; instead, it will have to fly past Saturn and into the unpredictable outer space!"
I felt sweat forming in my palms as I said, "So, do you have a way to restore Earth's rotation to normal?"
Fang Tian replied, "I certainly don't have that capability, but if I can retrieve the solar system flight navigation device, I can correct the error and return to Saturn smoothly."
I extended my arm and asked, "Is that navigation device the object currently housed in that metal box?"
Fang Tian nodded, "Yes, that's it. Abertly, I am close to success. But if you expose my identity, I will certainly become a subject of study for Earthlings. Perhaps your doctors would vivisect me alive, or at least, this... is why I've been influencing those who discovered the secret of my blood with strong brainwaves, making them contemplate suicide."
I gazed at him and asked, "Was Dr. Sakaki involved in this?"
Fang Tian shouted, "Sakaki's death had nothing to do with me." I asked, "And Jizi?"
Fang Tian immediately exclaimed, "You said I had no friends, which is incorrect. Jizi is my good friend. I wouldn't have returned if I hadn't known she was safe."
I nodded, "Rest assured, I will do my best to find the killer of Dr. Sakaki and locate Jizi. I believe the Moon Sect is likely involved."
Fang Tian simply said, "She is a good girl, not easy to come by, even on Saturn."
There were countless questions in my mind, and after a moment, I asked, "So, how did you all come here?"
Fang Tian smiled bitterly and said, "Our destination was not Earth but the sun." I was shocked, "The sun?"
Fang Tian continued, "Yes, our spacecraft, resembling a large olive, is wrapped in a thick layer of heat-resistant metal outside, capable of withstanding temperatures of... over eighteen thousand degrees. This allows us to land on the surface of the sun and observe its surface directly through a series of radar devices."
I listened, stupefied. Launching a spacecraft towards the sun, with people aboard, was something Earthlings wouldn't dare to dream of! But the Saturnians were doing it.
I immediately asked, "So how did you end up on Earth then?"
Fang Tian said with a bitter smile, "Our spacecraft was struck by a larger-than-expected meteor
ite while in Earth's airspace, causing it to malfunction. My companions and I crash-landed here, and the spacecraft exploded in space."
I almost jumped up, "Your companions? You mean, there's another Saturnian on Earth?"
Fang Tian replied, "If he hasn't died yet, I think so. He carried the solar system flight navigation device with him. But as soon as I landed, I lost contact with him. Only recently did I find out the navigation device ended up in Japan, becoming a family heirloom of the Inoue family."
I took a deep breath, "Can you fly?"
Fang Tian said, "We Saturnians, apart from the color of our blood, are identical to Earthlings. Of course, we can't fly, but when I first landed on Earth, we still had fuel left in our flying suits, allowing us to fly freely in the air."
I said, "Oh, I see."
Fang Tian asked, "See what?"
I smiled bitterly and said, "Your companion, with the navigation device, landed in a coastal fishing village in northern Japan."
Fang Tian said, "I landed on a cliff plain in Brazil. How did you know he landed in Japan?"
I said, "I was guessing. Your companion must have been injured when he descended from the sky and was discovered by some fishermen, including the Inoue brothers. Your companion probably realized he couldn't contact you anymore, so he entrusted the navigation device to one of the Inoue brothers, instructing him to wait for another extraterrestrial to come and collect it."
Fang Tian stared at me blankly, clearly unaware of my reasoning.
At that moment, I couldn't explain further, so I continued, "He probably also taught his surrogate a simple way to get rich."
Fang Tian nodded, "That's right."
At this point, it was my turn to be surprised. I asked, "How did you know?" Fang Tian laughed, "Here, you consider gold to be the most precious metal, and it can be directly obtained from seawater using a compound as a catalyst, a method you're not familiar with."
I quickly waved my hand, "Don't tell me the chemical composition of that catalyst." Fang Tian said, "Before I leave, I'll send you a letter detailing the chemical synthesis of the compound. You could become the wealthiest person on Earth with it."
I shook my head and continued, "But the other few people are very superstitious. They probably lead difficult lives and begged your companion to take them to the heavens. Of course, your companion didn't agree, but I firmly believe he flew to the sky himself."
Fang Tian's expression turned somber. He said, "That's right. He must have known he didn't have long to live, so he used the fuel in his flight suit to fly back into space. He died in space, and his body will forever orbit the Earth's trajectory without decay. Poor Belezkin. He probably hoped that one day, when I returned to Saturn, I would take his body back to Saturn! I must do that."
I said solemnly, "Your companion, I believe his name is Belezkin?"
Fang Tian nodded, "Yes."
I continued, "The fishermen who witnessed him flying into the sky, and descending from the heavens, they firmly believed he came from the moon. So, they founded the Moon Sect. Today, the Moon Sect has hundreds of thousands of members and has become the largest cult in Japan."
Fang Tian stared at me blankly.
I smiled bitterly and said, "Not long ago, the Moon Sect mistook me for you, the companion of the celestial being they once saw, and they captured me. They wanted me to perform a flight at their believers' grand assembly!"
Fang Tian's expression changed, "What... if they really find me, then... what should I do? I've already discarded that flight suit. How could I fly again?"
I thought for a moment and said, "If you heed my advice, it's better to return to your workplace soon."
Fang Tian said, "I've already planned to do that. As soon as I retrieve the navigation device, I'll leave immediately."
I said, "If your true identity could be known by more people, it might be smoother for you." Fang Tian shook his hands vigorously, "No, no, only you can know, there can't be a second person."
I shrugged, "Then how do you plan to open that metal box?"
Fang Tian sighed, "I've been delayed because I couldn't think of a way."
I furrowed my brows and thought for a moment, "I have a solution. We can still commission the factory that welded the metal box to cut it open. You can take the navigation device, and we can weld the box back together. It'll still be useful for me."
Fang Tian asked, "Would that work?"
I patted his shoulder, "You can rest assured; leave this matter to me." Fang Tian said, "The box is at Mexida's place. I'll go get it right away."
I said, "Good, no time to waste."
Fang Tian stood up, and we both walked out of the park. As we walked, I carefully observed Fang Tian. From his appearance, except for his slightly bluish complexion, he was no different from the people on Earth.
I asked curiously, "Are there countries on Saturn?" Fang Tian said, "Of course, there are seven countries in total, and the situation is more complex than on Earth. There are hostile attitudes between the seven countries, each wanting to eliminate the other.
But because of this, there has never been a war."
Fang Tian said, "Because if two countries go to war, the other five will join forces to divide those two countries! Without war, our scientists have been far ahead of yours."
I sighed, "Have you seen too many wars on Earth?"
Fang Tian nodded, "Of course, because I look Chinese, I've always stayed in China. And because I've never seen a war, I always try to get as close to the battlefield as possible. I've seen too many wars."
At this point, we had walked out of the park. Hearing Fang Tian's words, I couldn't help but stop, my voice almost trembling, "Do you know that most of the wars you've seen... are already recorded in history textbooks?"
Fang Tian said, "Of course, if someone were to discuss modern Chinese military history with me, I believe they would find that what they've studied is mostly false records."
I was greatly interested in his words and asked, "Can you give an example?"
Fang Tian smiled, "Your historians are vague about the fate of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's famous general, Prince Yi, Shi Dakai. But as he was dying, he held my hand and spoke his final words."
I screamed inwardly, "Madman, you're insane." But I had to ask, "Shi Dakai, what... did he say to you?" Fang Tian said, "He said it was a dream, and when the dream ended, he woke up. He said many people had dreamt the same dream. He also said no one knew how he entered that dream, everything was too unpredictable... I believe he said it with another intention, but I didn't delve into it. A dream, isn't that a special adjective?"
I swallowed hard and said, "Where is that?"
Fang Tian replied, "In a temple at the mouth of the You River in Sichuan."
I stood still for a while and said, "Can you tell me everything you've seen and heard during your many years on Earth?"
Fang Tian said, "To tell everything, I'm afraid there isn't enough time. I've been recording everything that happened on Earth to prepare a statement for my people on my home planet when I go back. I can leave you a copy. But I use our language, which is very simple and understandable. I believe you can understand it in a short time."
I quickly said, "Alright, thank you very much."
Fang Tian continued, "Before I leave Earth, I will send you the composition of our language and the method of learning it, along with the chemical synthesis of the catalyst for extracting gold from seawater. I'll give them to you as a small gift."
I smiled and said, "That's not necessary. Having too much gold only ends up being someone's coffin and tomb. It's a common occurrence."
Fang Tian didn't say anything more and continued walking. After a while, he said, "Won't you tell anyone?" I said, "Of course not, you don't have to worry."
Fang Tian sighed, "I've been worried for twenty years!"
I corrected him, saying, "Here, it's been a hundred and eighty years." I looked at him and said, "Do you know that Engineer Kimura once told me about his theory, and it turns out he was right? He said that although you're on Earth, you still live according to Saturn's time."
Fang Tian's expression changed, "What... what does that mean? Does... does he also know about me?"
I hurriedly explained, "No, he was just explaining the concept of that kind of time."
Fang Tian furrowed his brows, "What kind of person is he?"
I said, "He's the one we went to ask to open the metal box."
Fang Tian said, "No, we can't let him help. My life depends on the solar system navigation device, which he can't see. Many parts of that device can't be manufactured on Earth."
I laughed, "You have no reason to doubt Kimura Shin because Inoue Tsugio gave him the navigation device to put it in that metal box."
Fang Tian, upon hearing my words, suddenly froze.
I had been walking briskly with him, but he suddenly stopped, so I took a few more steps forward.
When I turned around, Fang Tian was still standing there motionless, his brows furrowed tightly, lost in thought.
I walked up to him and said, "What's wrong? What's wrong?"
But Fang Tian didn't answer me, and his face gradually turned blue. I felt that something was wrong and reached out to pat his shoulder.
However, before I could say anything, he suddenly turned around and grabbed my hand tightly. He held me so tightly, like someone grasping a lifebuoy in a turbulent sea about to drown. I quickly said, "What's wrong?"
He said something I couldn't understand.
I stomped my foot and said, "Hey, can you not speak Saturnian?"
Fang Tian breathed heavily and said, "Where is Kimura Shin? Quick, let's go see him." I said, "His factory operates at night, so if we go now, we can see him."
Fang Tian let go of my hand and became agitated, spinning around, "Quick! Quick! Is there any way?"
I knew that his sudden anxiety must have a reason, so I asked him, "What's it all about?" Fang Tian repeated the phrase I couldn't understand twice.
I got angry and almost wanted to slap him, but he was so anxious that his face turned almost blue.
I shook my head and said, "Do you want to get to his factory quickly?" Fang Tian hurriedly said, "Yes! Yes!"
To be honest, if I hadn't heard the sound of a motorcycle approaching from the direction we were in, I wouldn't have had any idea how to get to Kimura Shin's factory immediately.
The sound of the motorcycle indicated a low-quality bike, revving up with full horsepower, most likely ridden by a reckless rider showing off.
I positioned myself in the center of the road. The road next to the park was very quiet, with no pedestrians. As soon as I stood in the middle of the road, the headlight of the motorcycle shot towards me. Fang Tian exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing?" I shouted, "We're taking this bike to Kimura Shin's factory!"
As soon as I said that, the motorcycle had already zoomed past me, and I reached out and grabbed the two reckless riders. The bike kept going forward, and I urgently said, "Quick, stop the bike!"
Fang Tian rushed forward to stop the bike, and I used both hands to hit one of the riders' heads with mine. They hadn't even had a chance to curse before they were knocked out.
I carried them to the side of the road, and Fang Tian sat on the bike, saying, "Quick, sit behind me."
I said hurriedly, "Let me drive." Fang Tian said, "No, I'll do it." I pressed his shoulder and said, "No, your emotions are not normal, and it could be dangerous on the road!"
Fang Tian urged, "We need to hurry, you don't know how bad things have become."
As I got on the bike, I asked again, "What's the matter?"
Fang Tian gave me an answer, but it was still that incomprehensible phrase, seven or eight strange syllables that couldn't help me understand what was happening. Fang Tian sat behind me and said, "It's hard to explain everything at once, you go quickly."
I stepped on the pedal, and the car shot forward like an arrow. I drove to a less congested area, but it still took us more than half an hour to reach the factory gate.
Fang Tian was almost frantic all the way, and I repeatedly asked him what had happened suddenly to make him so anxious.
However, Fang Tian was almost incoherent, and I couldn't get a proper answer from him. I couldn't figure it out because there was really no reason to doubt Kimura Shin.
Finally, when the car arrived at the factory, Fang Tian jumped out of the car and grabbed my hand, rushing towards the factory. The security at the factory gate had seen me before, so they didn't stop us, which saved us a lot of trouble. We arrived at the entrance of the factory office building, and Fang Tian breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "Wilson, be careful."
I still didn't understand what he meant and asked, "Be careful of what? Isn't Kimura Shin a dangerous person?"
Fang Tian's answer made me think he was speaking in delirium. He said, "Kimura Shin himself is not a dangerous person, he's long dead, but what's extremely dangerous now is the ideology in his mind!"
What kind of talk was this? Fang Tian's nerves must be seriously abnormal.
I wanted to ask him further, but he started gasping again, saying, "I feel it again, I feel it again, it's terrifying!"
I knew that Fang Tian's brainwaves were much stronger than those of Earth people, and he could influence others' thoughts with his own. Therefore, he could also know some things about others' thoughts to some extent, so there must be a reason for his behavior.
I glanced at him, and he glanced at me, muttering, "I never thought... never thought!"
The despair in his voice made me feel like it was the end of the world, making my hair stand on end.
I didn't know what he suddenly thought of, but the focus was on Kimura Shin because Fang Tian had gone crazy after I mentioned Kimura Shin's different time perception regarding different celestial bodies.
So I thought, as long as Fang Tian saw Kimura Shin, his nervous excitement should calm down.
I didn't say anything more to him, just held his hand and walked towards the elevator. After getting on the elevator, we soon arrived at the door of the "Chief Engineer's Office."
I looked at Fang Tian and saw that his face was even paler. He suddenly took out two very thin, almost invisible nets from his body and handed one to me, saying, "Put it on your head."
I asked curiously, "What is this?"
Fang Tian said, "Don't worry about it. This is something that Saturn humans have desperately researched for a hundred years. I never thought it would be used on Earth too!"
As he spoke, he put the net on his head. The net immediately covered the upper half of his head tightly, leaving his nostrils exposed. The net was transparent, and when it adhered to the skin, nothing could be seen. I followed suit, feeling the net tighten around my head remarkably. Moreover, the net seemed to have an electric current running through it, giving me a slight tingling sensation on my head. Fang Tian said again, "Try not to make any sound, I'll handle it."