Chapter 204: It

The minor incident of his mother pressing him to marry was like a pebble dropped into a deep pool—no ripples formed before Qin Feng cast it from his mind. His focus remained fixed on the post-disaster reconstruction of the New Era, technological breakthroughs, and the exploration of World Rules.

With official pressure temporarily lifted and his heroic resistance to the tsunami earning him immense prestige, the New Era attracted more top global scientists and engineers to join. The Science Council's size continued expanding, its discussions growing ever more cutting-edge—and occasionally, shockingly radical.

Under Li Wen's leadership, the Rule Analysis team delved deeper into the dangerous yet captivating direction of "consciousness influencing micro-probabilities." Though progress was slow, the occasional bursts of insight made even Qin Feng take notice.

The Anomalous Phenomena Research subgroup intensified systematic monitoring of the White Shadows and the Abnormal Energy Field that appeared during tests. They discovered that when the Lingxiao platform operated at certain specific power levels and frequencies, it acted like a "probe," subtly "disturbing" the surrounding spatial structure and briefly revealing normally unobservable "background noise" or Historical Echoes. This provided an unprecedented window into studying multidimensional space and cosmic informational backgrounds.

Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.

That day, after finishing a brainstorming session with the Rule Analysis team on the "possibility of maintaining macroscopic quantum states," Qin Feng felt mentally drained. He wandered aimlessly to a man-made beach in the New Era's central living zone, intending to catch the sea breeze and relax his tense nerves.

The setting sun spilled golden light over the glittering sea and the white sand, creating a picturesque scene. Many researchers and engineers, having finished their day's work, came here to unwind, filling the place with vitality.

Qin Feng found a relatively quiet corner, sat down, closed his eyes, and let the salty sea breeze brush against his face.

At that moment, a familiar voice—slightly girlish, sweet, and full of surprise—sounded beside him:

"Mr. Qin? Is that really you?"

Qin Feng opened his eyes to see Lin Wan'er standing nearby, holding a brightly colored beach ball, her face lit with just the right mix of surprise and delight. Today she wore a light yellow swimsuit, covered by a sheer sun-shielding shawl that subtly outlined her graceful figure, radiating youthful energy.

Since the last time Qin Feng had directly exposed her feelings and gently rejected her in the lounge, Lin Wan'er had seemed to sink into a slump. Qin Feng had assumed she had come to terms with it and returned to the entertainment industry—yet here she still was, in the New Era, seemingly having integrated into its life?

"Miss Lin," Qin Feng nodded, his tone flat. "Still here?"

"Mm-hmm!" Lin Wan'er nodded vigorously, walking over and sitting beside him on the beach chair. She casually set the beach ball aside, hugged her knees, tilted her head toward him, her eyes sparkling. "I think it's great here! So much cleaner than the entertainment industry, and I get to meet so many interesting people and things! Lately, I've been learning marine ecology from a biologist!"

Her tone was light, as if she had completely moved past her earlier embarrassment. Her demeanor had grown natural, like an ordinary girl meeting an acquaintance.

"Is that so? That's good," Qin Feng replied indifferently, closing his eyes again, with no desire for further conversation.

Watching his cold demeanor, Lin Wan'er blinked, but instead of being discouraged, she leaned closer, lowered her voice, and spoke with a tone of mystery and shared secrets:

"Mr. Qin, have you noticed? The New Era… has been getting bigger lately!"

"Hmm?" Qin Feng opened his eyes again, puzzled. Bigger? What did she mean?

Seeing he finally reacted, Lin Wan'er smiled faintly, proudly, and pointed her finger toward the construction zone of the expanding Port and the newly planned floating platforms on the periphery:

"Look over there! And there! I come here for walks every day—I feel the city's edge is extending outward a little each day! Like… like it's growing on its own!" She gestured with her hands, her voice brimming with wonder and admiration. "And I feel the air here is getting better too, and the energy towers' glow seems brighter! Isn't our city secretly absorbing the sea's energy, and then… uh… 'developing'?"

As she voiced her girlish fantasies, her eyes shone like stars.

Qin Feng stared at her earnest expression, paused in surprise, then couldn't help laughing softly and shaking his head.

Bigger? Developing?

The girl's imagination was certainly rich.

Yet her observations weren't wrong. The New Era was indeed expanding continuously. Alongside post-disaster reconstruction, Qin Feng had approved new expansion plans to accommodate more population and facilities. The improved air and brighter energy towers resulted from newly installed large-scale air purification systems and upgraded energy cores.

To Qin Feng, these were natural technological advancements and urban development. To Lin Wan'er, they became romantic proof that the city was alive.

"It's not developing," Qin Feng said, unusually explaining. "Just normal expansion and technological upgrades."

"Oh…" Lin Wan'er nodded, half-understanding, but her eyes didn't dim. Instead, she rested her chin on her hands, gazing at the distant city silhouette, gilded by the sunset, murmuring: "Still, I feel like it's alive—breathing, growing…"

Watching her lost in her own world, Qin Feng suddenly found this unworldly, slightly naive perspective oddly refreshing in an environment saturated with complex theories and grand ambitions.

He fell silent, following her gaze toward the maritime realm he had built—and was still expanding.

The sunset's glow stretched their shadows across the soft sand.

For a moment, the atmosphere grew unusually quiet—and peaceful.

After a long while, Lin Wan'er seemed to return from her reverie. She stole a glance at Qin Feng, who still had his eyes closed, and her cheeks flushed slightly. She whispered:

"Um… Mr. Qin, I won't disturb your rest anymore. I… I'm going to find friends to play ball."

Saying this, she grabbed the beach ball and hurried off like a startled fawn.

Qin Feng opened his eyes, watching her retreating, vibrant back, his gaze flickering slightly.

Bigger? Developing?

He turned his gaze once more toward the vast sea and endless sky.

More than the New Era's "growth," he cared about the expansion of his own domain and the boundaries of his understanding.

And when he would finally touch the wall of World Rules that bound everything—and shatter it… completely.

That, was his ultimate "growth."