Chapter 269: Technology Trends: 2025 Report Interpretation

The door opened a crack.

Zhao Jianguo stood in the courtyard, holding half an unfinished sugar cookie in his hand. He had just come back from outside, seeing the triplets sitting under the eaves drinking tea, their clothes already changed to dry, the rain on their faces wiped clean. They said nothing, just staring at that door.

The door moved by itself.

The wind wasn't strong, it couldn't move the iron door hinge, but it opened anyway.

Chen Jianguo walked in.

He wore a dark gray jacket, his trousers washed pale, his feet in old cloth shoes, looking no different from ordinary people in the Siheyuan. But he held a small blue board in his hand, walked to the center of the courtyard and stood still, then pressed it.

A Light Screen suddenly lit up in the air, blue-white lines rapidly unfolding to form a huge chart. The characters were large, the title reading "2025 Global Technology Trends White Paper".

"Quantum computers." Chen Jianguo said, "They'll become widespread next year."

Zhao Xing lifted his head sharply.

Zhao Chen's hand trembled slightly, the teacup almost tipped over.

Zhao Yang stood up directly, pointing at a certain structure on the chart: "This! We've seen it in our dreams!"

"Not just once or twice." Zhao Xing also stood up, voice a bit tense, "The old man wrote this algorithm on the blackboard, and he also said…… we mustn't let anyone else develop it first."

"I also remember." Zhao Chen caught his breath, "We were in a very cold room, the walls covered in code, red light running on the floor."

"That's the laboratory." Zhao Yang whispered, "I've entered it three times in my dream."

Chen Jianguo didn't turn back, only saying: "The 'computing power leap' mentioned in the report refers to this system. Once implemented, ordinary computers will struggle even to boot."

Zhao Jianguo walked over, one hand resting on Zhao Xing's shoulder, the other hand separately supporting the two children. He asked nothing, just stared at the chart.

On the chart, a dynamic demonstration showed a data stream passing through a crystal array, speed increasing, finally becoming a pillar of light shooting straight to the horizon.

The triplets closed their eyes simultaneously.

Their temples began to throb, beads of sweat seeping from their foreheads.

Zhao Jianguo quickly pulled a piece of bubble gum from his pocket and stuffed it into his mouth. As the sweetness spread, he felt a familiar surge rise from within—it was the signal of the check-in system activating.

A soft hum.

A line of text appeared before his eyes: 【Detected future technology context, unlocking 【Pre-research Mode】】.

The three children almost opened their eyes at the same second.

Their breathing steadied, and their gaze was no longer confused.

"My head…… is clear." Zhao Chen rubbed his forehead, "Those images just now can now be separated."

"Like a folder." Zhao Yang blinked, "I can choose which segment to view."

"It can also be saved." Zhao Xing grinned, "Next time the old man talks about something new, I can remember the full version."

Chen Jianguo finally turned around, glanced at them, then looked at Zhao Jianguo: "Your family's three are twenty-three percent higher than the estimated synchronization rate."

"What does that mean?" Zhao Jianguo asked.

"It means they're not just receiving information." Chen Jianguo put away the data disk, "They are living buffers, able to store future knowledge intact and release it when the time comes."

"Sounds impressive." Zhao Jianguo scratched his head, "But what does this have to do with quantum computers?"

"Because of this algorithm." Chen Jianguo called up that chart again, "It shouldn't appear in 2025. At least in this timeline, humanity would still be ten years away from breaking the bottleneck."

"But we dreamed of it." Zhao Xing interjected.

"Exactly." Chen Jianguo nodded, "It shows someone leaked the technology route in advance. And the target of the leak is now."

The courtyard fell silent for a few seconds.

Zhao Jianguo lowered his head to look at the children's faces, then lifted his gaze to the sky.

The clouds were low, a gray haze pressing on the rooftops.

Just above the utility pole, the air suddenly twisted.

Like ripples parting water, a slender metallic object probed out of the void. Its surface smooth, silver-gray, its tip splitting into three finger-like structures, lightly touching the electric wire.

A spark flashed.

It retracted a bit, then extended forward half an inch, as if probing the current's strength.

Zhao Jianguo narrowed his eyes.

"What is that?" he asked.

Chen Jianguo did not answer.

He stared at the rift, his expression growing grave.

"They've made a move." He said.

"Who?" Zhao Jianguo pressed.

"Those racing against time." Chen Jianguo said quietly, "They don't want us to develop the quantum computer first, so they sent someone to interfere with the reality node."

"Just with an iron rod?" Zhao Jianguo doubted.

"That's not an iron rod." Chen Jianguo shook his head, "It's a mechanical tentacle from a remote projection, used to gather environmental parameters. Once enough data is collected, it can simulate the entire community's power grid; the next step would be to implant false signals."

"Then what?"

"Then it makes all equipment go berserk." Chen Jianguo looked at him, "Including your wheelchair control system, including the terminals the children use, all would become launchpads for attack."

Zhao Jianguo fell silent.

He recalled yesterday Xu Da Mao clutching that smoking robot as he fled.

Back then he still found it funny, now he couldn't laugh.

"So Xu Da Mao……" he murmured.

"He's not the mastermind." Chen Jianguo interrupted, "He's merely a tool being used. The real problem isn't the person, but the information itself."

"What does that mean?"

"It means." Chen Jianguo fixed his gaze on him, "As long as this algorithm exists, someone will want to steal it. Whether they're a janitor, a neighbor, or even your own father."

Zhao Jianguo remained silent.

He turned his head and glanced at the triplets.

The three kids were looking up, watching that slowly moving metal arm. Their expressions were calm, even a bit curious.

"Dad." Zhao Xing suddenly said, "Can I talk to it?"

"Don't." Zhao Jianguo grabbed him, "Stay away."

"I don't mean with words." Zhao Xing shook his head, "I mean, can I leave a piece of code where it passes? Like sticking a little note."

"No." Zhao Chen immediately objected, "What if it follows the code to find our server in the dream?"

"Then encrypt it." Zhao Yang suggested, "Three-layer encryption, self-destruct after completion."

"You three don't go scheming." Zhao Jianguo pulled them back two steps, "This isn't for you to handle."

Chen Jianguo stood still, not moving.

He watched that tentacle slowly retract, disappearing into the air's wrinkle. The crack closed quickly, leaving no trace after a few seconds.

"It's gone." He said.

"Just left like that?" Zhao Jianguo didn't believe it.

"First time was just reconnaissance." Chen Jianguo put the data disk into his pocket, "Next time it comes, it might be a physical invasion."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Watch." Chen Jianguo said, "Keep an eye on where the rift appears, record frequency and time. When it extends a second time, we'll know the other side's access point."

"Then what?"

"Then find a way to trace back." Chen Jianguo glanced at him, "If you're willing, you can help."

"What can I do to help?"

"You're a transmigrator." Chen Jianguo said, "Your very existence is an anomaly. The system gave you sign-in ability, not for you to fix a light or make a part."

Zhao Jianguo froze.

He had never heard such a statement before.

Zhao Jianguo said, "You mean..."

"I am saying." Chen Jianguo's tone unchanged, "You are the real variable. They couldn't predict your appearance, nor that you could bring future things."

"For example?"

"For example, the bubble gum in your pocket right now." Chen Jianguo said lightly, "That gum only hit the market in 2038."

Zhao Jianguo's hand stiffened.

He truly didn't know where this gum came from, only knowing that whenever he was tense, the system would give him one.

He lowered his head, felt his pocket, the gum was still there.

"So you're saying..." his voice dropped, "I'm not just a dad, but also a weapon?"

"No." Chen Jianguo shook his head, "You are the key."

As soon as his words fell, the triplets all lifted their heads.

"Dad." Zhao Xing pointed at the window outside, "That crack... opened again."

Everyone turned their heads to look.

Outside the eaves, the air twisted again.

The metal arm extended again, this time longer, reaching up to the courtyard wall. Its tip opened, revealing a small hole, and began to spin.

As if scanning.

Zhao Jianguo grabbed the teacup on the table and threw it hard.

The cup shattered in mid‑air, water splashing everywhere.

The thing tilted slightly, dodging the shards, and kept spinning.