Chapter 328: The Symphony of Creation

Yang Xiao froze. He hadn't expected that the young man in front of him was researching the same field as him.

"While I was in school, I often read your papers, especially your discussions and theories on the relationship between soul and magnetic fields. I strongly agree with your views..." Chen Ling shook Yang Xiao's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you here."

"Just a humble opinion," Yang Xiao said, a little embarrassed. "Perhaps we can discuss it more thoroughly sometime... Were you also invited by Dr. Lu?"

"No, my hometown is right here in Shennongjia. I was asked to be a guide this time."

"What a coincidence!"

"Indeed..."

Chen Ling immediately changed the subject, looking at the female doctor behind him. "And this is..."

Yang Xiao finally collected himself. Meeting a young man who resonated with his research in such a tense and unknown environment had made him overly excited, causing him to forget about the female doctor standing nearby. Fortunately, she didn't seem angry, simply observing the scene quietly.

"Su Zhiwei," the female doctor said, shaking his hand.

"What a poetic name," Chen Ling smiled. "It sounds more like a poet's name than a scientist's."

Chen Ling's compliment brought a faint smile to the female doctor's face. "Thank you for the compliment. Many people have said that."

"May I ask, Dr. Su, what field do you specialize in?"

"String theory."

"String theory?" Chen Ling looked puzzled.

While Yang Xiao's magnetic field theory was still within his comprehension, the words "string theory" certainly went beyond his understanding. What exactly did it study?

"String theory is an an unproven hypothesis that can be used to explain all interactions in the world," Yang Xiao said, apparently knowledgeable about the subject. "String theory posits that the fundamental elements comprising the world are not point-like particles such as electrons or quarks, but rather extremely tiny, string-like 'strings.' The different vibration modes of these strings determine the properties of different elementary particles... If this theory is true, it would mean that the contradictions between 'Relativity' and 'Quantum Mechanics' would be reconciled, leading to a true unified theory of the universe."

Chen Ling was utterly bewildered by Yang Xiao's explanation. He wasn't a true scientist, after all, and found it hard to grasp the meaning.

"Have you ever played a guitar or a guzheng?" Su Zhiwei asked.

"I've played the guitar."

"Then you can understand it as this world being composed of individual guitar strings... When we pluck a string, it produces different sounds. These sounds of varying frequencies are what we now know as microscopic particles like electrons, photons, neutrinos, and quarks... In other words, particles themselves don't truly exist; they are all 'performances' of these 'strings.'"

"One could even say that the universe exists because countless 'strings' are playing a symphony of creation."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ling finally understood. He looked at Su Zhiwei with some shock; after all, the theory sounded far-fetched and incredibly imaginative to him, yet this was precisely how physics explored the world. The idea that the universe is a "symphony of strings"—this theory, much like Su Zhiwei's name, imbued science with a mysterious poetic quality.

After Yang Xiao came into contact with the Scarlet Star fragment, he gained complete control over his magnetic field theory and could even converse with souls... If Su Zhiwei were to become one of the Nine Monarchs, what kind of ability would she possess?

Chen Ling knew too little about string theory to imagine it yet, but he was certain that such an ability would be incredibly powerful.

Just as he was about to ask for more details, hurried footsteps sounded from outside the tent.

"The rain has lessened! Put on your biohazard suits and prepare to depart!"

Someone shouted outside, and Yang Xiao and Su Zhiwei stood up simultaneously. Through the lights of the camp, they could see that the rain was gradually subsiding, though the wind still howled relentlessly. The dim mountains in the distance seemed to be waiting for their arrival.

Chen Ling noticed Yang Xiao unconsciously rubbing the hem of his clothes, his palms already damp with sweat. The young scientist, who had rarely ventured outside the laboratory, could barely conceal his nervousness at that moment.

A hand patted Yang Xiao's shoulder, and he turned to look.

"Dr. Yang, don't be nervous," Chen Ling said with a slight smile. "With me guiding you today, I guarantee you'll return safely."

"...Thank you," Yang Xiao said, feeling a warmth in his heart as he nodded slightly.

Soon, military personnel brought three biohazard suits and showed them how to put them on. The other research scholars were also dressing in their respective tents, their expressions extremely solemn.

Just then, a quarrel broke out from outside a tent.

"No... I didn't agree to go on an adventure!" Dr. Wu, with slightly curly hair, retreated step by step into the rain, his expression somewhat panicked. "Old Lu, you told me back then that I'd just be accompanying you to meet other friends. You never said there might be danger!"

"Old Wu, calm down. There won't be any danger this time. It's just a meteorite fragment, not some alien UFO. You won't have to carry a gun and fight... Our protective suits can withstand bacteria, germs, and radiation; it's very safe."

"No... Why did you call me for something like this? I, Wu Tongyuan, am just a mathematician. I don't understand anything about physics... You're all leaders in your respective fields, so why bring an outsider like me? To be a mascot? I can't help with anything!" Dr. Wu scratched his head, seemingly unable to comprehend Lu Xun's arrangement.

Lu Xun was about to say more, but Dr. Wu waved his hands repeatedly.

"Never mind, Old Lu, I'd better go back. Even if I went with you, I'd just be a burden... As for meeting friends, can't we just have a get-together next time?"

Witnessing this scene, a look of surprise appeared in Chen Ling's eyes.

It seemed that experiencing something firsthand was different from hearing stories from Dr. Yi. He hadn't expected such an interlude before the Nine Monarchs departed. This also made Chen Ling realize that the Nine Monarchs before him were no longer flat blocks of color accumulated in a photograph, but living, breathing people, each with their own personality and beliefs.

Lu Xun looked at Wu Tongyuan helplessly. After a moment's hesitation, he walked closer and whispered something into his ear.

Wu Tongyuan paused, then looked at Lu Xun with suspicion.

"Old Lu... you're not tricking me, are you?"

"Given our friendship of so many years, am I that kind of person?" Lu Xun sighed. "This is all for your own good... Whether you go or not, think about it yourself."

A look of struggle appeared on Wu Tongyuan's face. He looked at himself, then at the dark, storm-swept mountains in the distance, and finally gritted his teeth.

"I'll go, I'll listen to you!"

"Put on your protective suits; prepare to depart."

Wu Tongyuan quickly returned to his tent to put on his protective suit. The other research scholars also gathered their respective equipment and headed straight into the distance with the military personnel. After only a couple of steps, Lu Xun seemed to remember something and turned to look at the eight people behind him.

"It's not easy for all of us to gather like this. Exploring that fragment means we'll face hardships together... Before we set off, how about we take a group photo as a memento?"

Seeing no objections, Lu Xun asked someone for a camera. During this time, the eight research scholars spontaneously stood in front of an off-road vehicle, their postures and expressions somewhat stiff, seemingly not very enthusiastic about taking pictures.

Lu Xun held the camera, looked around, and then handed it to Chen Ling, who was nearby.

"Director Chen, could you please take a picture for us?"

Chen Ling stared at the camera in his hand, momentarily frozen... but he quickly nodded.

"Okay."

As Lu Xun joined the group, the positions of the nine people began to adjust. Chen Ling, holding the camera, half-crouched and aimed at the nine individuals in front of the off-road vehicle. They were all wearing their protective suits, holding their exploration equipment, and looking neatly at the camera.

The wind and rain ruffled their clothes and dampened their faces, but they all refrained from blinking.

"A little more to the left, yes..."

"Dr. Yang, your shoulder is a bit bent; please adjust it slightly."

"Okay... I'll count to three, then everyone smile."

"Three... two... one."

"Cheese."

Click—