Chapter 3: The Change in the Heavens I

Bright lights reflected, neon shimmering; above this bustling city that lit up the night, it was difficult to see a single star even without a wisp of cloud.

However, things in this world do not cease to exist just because you cannot see them.

The stars filling the sky are eternal and unchanging, merely obscured by this gaudy, decadent display.

And beyond the Solar System, in the pitch-black deep space of the universe, something resembling an artificial satellite was floating silently; on its somewhat faded shell, the three letters "USA" could be faintly seen.

This is Voyager 1, developed by NASA and launched into space in 1977; it is, to date, the furthest step humanity has taken in exploring the starry sky.

Forty years have passed; it has already left the Solar System and is still continuing forward today, until the day its onboard nuclear battery runs out.

Yet, in the seemingly dead-silent interstellar journey, a sudden change occurred, terminating its forty-year-long mission of exploration.

In the pitch-black deep space, a massive, peerless shadow suddenly swept over and crashed straight into Voyager 1; in terms of scale, it was like a mammoth stepping on an ant! The next instant, this creation that carried humanity's millennial hopes shattered with a boom, turning into countless fragments scattered in the void.

Among them, a copper-plated gold record was fortunately preserved; it recorded peaceful greetings from Earth's civilization, containing classic music from various countries, messages of greeting, and 115 images regarding human civilization.

But its luck ended there; not long after the huge and eerie black shadow swept past, a pair of hands, crystalline like jade, suddenly reached out from the void and grabbed this record.

"Exposing your true form—utterly foolish!"

A voice laughed lowly, and the next instant, the record shattered into countless invisible specks of dust, disappearing into the void forever.

The huge black shadow shuttled rapidly through the interstellar space; facing meteorite clusters with diameters reaching hundreds of kilometers, this shadow did not dodge at all, simply crashing straight through them, leaving a pile of rubble in its wake...

To it, these huge meteorites seemed like nothing more than a child's mud; not only was their scale completely incomparable, but they could not inflict even the slightest bit of damage upon it.

The direction this terrifying existence, the size of a star, was heading toward was precisely the Solar System, precisely Earth!

If one were to say that this Celestial Empire is a nation of foodies, then Rongcheng is definitely one of the centers for foodies.

Once night falls, the major night markets and snack streets are absolutely packed with crowds; all kinds of numbing, spicy, fragrant, and sweet scents dance in the air, and all kinds of boiled, steamed, stir-fried, and grilled foods are available in dazzling variety.

Bai Guagua took a long sniff of the fragrance mixed in the air, a happy smile appearing on her face, her few little white teeth shining brightly. However, she was very sensible and did not ask for anything, satisfied with just a bag of sugar-roasted chestnuts.

The two arrived at a small stall, and Zhang Wei asked, "Boss, how much are the chestnuts per jin?"

"Board chestnuts are 15, hairy chestnuts are 18." Seeing business arrive, a middle-aged woman greeted them happily.

"Are they tasty?"

"Rest assured, absolutely tasty... come, try one."

Zhang Wei peeled one and chewed it, frowning, "No, I have a cold, everything tastes like nothing; here, Guagua, you try one."

Bai Guagua understood the hint, took a chestnut, peeled it in a few quick motions, and swallowed it, saying while chewing, "No, not very sweet."

"Is that so." Zhang Wei frowned, "Then let's try another; I remember the one ahead is pretty good."

Boss:...

The two walked about ten meters to the next chestnut stall and repeated the trick, tasting almost every chestnut shop on the entire street; the two of them had eaten nearly half a jin for free before finally choosing the best-tasting one to pay for a jin.

Bai Guagua held the warm paper bag against her chest, occasionally pulling one out to stuff into her mouth and bite open the shell, her movements quite practiced; the sweet fragrance of the chestnuts made her very satisfied.

"Zhang Wei, we have to change places next time; I see a few bosses' expressions aren't quite right, it's like they recognize us."

After waiting for a long time without hearing a response from him, Bai Guagua looked over in confusion, only to see Zhang Wei's face flickering in the light and shadow of the neon signs.

"Guagua..."

"Hm?"

"In the future, later on..." Zhang Wei's gaze was somewhat deep as he said slowly, "When you grow up and earn money, treat me to everything on this street, okay? No... treat me to all the snack streets in Rongcheng."

Bai Guagua nodded heavily, but immediately reacted, staring with wide eyes as she said, "That's not right, you're the one who grows up first, and you're the one who earns money first."

Zhang Wei laughed, "It's all the same; that's the one thing about you—you're too hung up on details."

The two's shadows stretched longer and longer under the streetlights, gradually merging into one.

Reliance is mutual, regardless of age.

The night in Rongcheng is peaceful, yet also boisterous. Whether it is the steaming fragrance in the night markets, the sights and sounds of the bars and clubs, or the bustling pedestrian streets, every one of them becomes a microcosm of this prosperous nation.

People sleeping in bed have already set their alarms, tomorrow being another day of struggle and hard work; people in the food stalls are already drunk and muddled, preparing to sleep until noon, and many couples are out on dates, preparing to fully enjoy this pleasant weekend...

... A change unprecedented occurred.

As Bai Guagua peeled a chestnut and was looking up to hand it to Zhang Wei, her two clear eyes suddenly widened, blinking rapidly, and she said uncertainly, "Zhang Wei, is there a lunar eclipse?"

"I didn't hear the news report a lunar eclipse." Zhang Wei looked up in confusion and saw a scene he would never forget.

The bright moon hanging high in the night sky, clear and flawless, should have been the same as it had been for ten million years, but at this moment, it was obscured by an irregular black shadow by a third.

It was not like a cloud covering it, nor was it the scene of a lunar eclipse; this black shadow seemed even darker than the surrounding night sky, faintly revealing a kind of ferocity...

On the street, following one exclamation after another, more and more people looked up to watch this unprecedented scene. Everyone was completely unable to understand what kind of phenomenon this was, or what scientific basis could explain it.

In the season of April or May, the city located in the basin had already begun to turn hot, yet Zhang Wei felt a chill on his body; an indescribable coldness, like invisible germs, was drilling hard into his bones, and a layer of dense goosebumps rose on his skin.

"Look, the black shadow is moving!!"

A loud shout came from not far away, as if a basin of cold water had been poured over the crowd that was originally filled with curiosity and excitement. Looking closely, the black shadow was indeed moving, just that because the distance was too far, the movement looked very small.

"What on earth is that ghost thing?"

"Look quickly, the moon seems to have been gouged out with a gap."

"Haha, the Heavenly Dog eating the moon! This damn thing is the Heavenly Dog eating the moon!"

Discovering this horrifying scene, everyone became agitated; bold youths screamed, venting an inexplicable excitement, while timid girls began to cry in panic at this unknown terror.

Within Zhang Wei's line of sight, half-drunk people were smashing bottles and overturning tables and chairs; sober people were holding up their phones, the shutters clicking continuously, the flashlights flashing non-stop. People in the surrounding buildings were startled by the tidal waves of sound from the street and were sticking their heads out one after another to see what was happening...

Chaos began to emerge!

"Guagua, let's go... home!"

Zhang Wei grabbed the little girl's hand, clutched it tightly, and strode out of the crowd.

In the sky at this moment, it was as if a legendary giant monster from the ancient wilderness was devouring the last glimmer of light in the night...

Bai Guagua held Zhang Wei with one hand and clutched the bag of sugar-roasted chestnuts tightly with the other, her bun-like little face full of bewilderment.