Chapter 291: Global Tech Expo – Metaverse Briefing

The Triplets' hands were still resting on the edge of the Main Control Console, the blue light receded between their fingers like tide pulling back into the sea. Zhao Xing lowered his head to glance at his palm; the crack had already closed, and there was no longer a feeling of foreign objects crawling under the skin.

The Screen displayed an Encrypted Email titled 'Go Home', but none of them opened it.

Zhao Chen pushed the Chair back, and his voice broke the silence: "We can't keep hiding."

Zhao Yang nodded: "What that person said earlier was wrong; we're not the source, but now we have the key."

Zhao Xing stood up, walked to the virtual Projection area, and with a swipe of his finger the Metaverse Interface popped up. The digital model of the Siheyuan slowly rotated, and a layer of pale blue Data Stream appeared over the roof.

"He Yushui sent a message yesterday," he said, "the Global Tech Expo went live today and invited us to be the main speakers."

Zhao Chen was startled: "Now?"

"It's right now." Zhao Xing projected the email content onto the wall, "She said the exhibition hall is already built; we just need to go in."

The three exchanged a glance and asked no further questions. They knew some matters could no longer be delayed.

Zhao Yang took a deep breath, reached out toward the air. A Light Gate opened, and the three stepped through it.

The scene before them shifted instantly.

They stood at the center of a massive circular exhibition hall; above them flowed a river of stars, beneath their feet was a transparent floor through which countless data lines streamed. In the distance, silhouettes of representatives from various nations gradually appeared, dressed in formal virtual avatars, some wearing glasses, some holding clipboards, all staring this way.

A figure approached from the side, wearing a light‑gray long robe, hair neatly combed. She stopped, smiled at the Triplets, and said, "You're here."

"He Yushui," Zhao Xing nodded, "Did you build the exhibition hall?"

"I set up the framework; you filled in the content." She lightly tapped her wrist, bringing up the control panel, "Signal stable, Permission connected. Ready to start at any time."

Zhao Chen scanned the surroundings: "Quite a crowd, huh."

"France, Germany, Japan, and the United States have all sent chief scientists," He Yushui said, "and over a dozen other countries are watching online. This live broadcast has no lag."

Zhao Yang grinned: "Then we have to present something impressive."

He Yushui stepped back two paces, raised a hand and signaled, "The stage is yours."

Zhao Xing took a step forward and stood at the podium. The lights automatically focused on him.

He began, "Greetings, everyone. Today we are showcasing a technology module based on the principle of Spacetime Resonance."

As soon as he finished speaking, a three‑dimensional schematic materialized in the air, layers nested like the ever‑branching roots of a tree.

The German representative frowned, "What kind of material model is this?"

Zhao Chen took over, "It's not a material; it's a Time Slice. We collected Energy Fluctuation data at different temporal nodes."

He moved his finger, switching the display. A device assembled itself in the void, then gradually aged, finally disintegrating into particles.

"If this machine were built with current technology, its lifespan would be three years," Zhao Chen said, "but if we incorporate the bio‑field parameters we cracked yesterday, it could run for over ten years."

The Japanese representative immediately asked, "How do you know the outcome? Have you conducted experiments?"

Zhao Yang smiled and shook his head, "We haven't built it yet. But we have seen the future."

The hall fell silent for a few seconds.

The French representative stood up, "You mean... prediction?"

"Not prediction," Zhao Xing said, "but confirmation."

He spread his hands, and three side‑by‑side screens appeared in the air— the same device operating simultaneously in the past, present, and future. The future version was veiled in a faint blue glow.

"This is the core of tonight's demonstration," he said, "we can link information streams across different spacetime and perform reverse calibration."

The American representative sneered, "Kids, stop playing with concepts. Reconstruct a real project design on the spot. For example, that reactor NASA abandoned last year."

Zhao Yang turned to him, "You mean the 'Alpha Reactor,' right? It was decommissioned in November 2023 because its cooling system overloaded."

The other party was taken aback.

Zhao Yang continued, "The original design lacked three compensatory algorithms. The first is dynamic thermal conductivity regulation, the second is magnetic field offset correction, the third is fuel rod distribution optimization."

He raised his hand, and a three‑dimensional blueprint appeared, each modification highlighted in red.

The American representative quickly accessed the database to verify, and his complexion changed.

Zhao Chen added, "We're not restoring the original blueprint; we're extracting a version that could be repaired in the future. This model has already existed within the time stream."

The German representative whispered, "This isn't a simulation... it's real data."

Zhao Xing nodded, "Next, observe the actual operational effect."

He launched the demonstration program, and the hologram entered "Time Acceleration" mode. The reactor ran smoothly for ten years, with only two routine maintenances during that period.

A murmur rose in the exhibition hall.

The French representative stood up excitedly, "This technology... is at least a hundred years ahead of our quantum computers!"

He turned to his colleague, "We must sign an agreement! Immediately!"

Representatives from other nations also sprang into action; some produced electronic contract templates, others directly requested access to subsequent conference channels.

At that moment, a System Prompt sound rang out.

【Awarded International Tech Dominance, Reward: 【Global Influence Points】】

Three warm currents surged into the Triplets' minds, as if several new memory banks had been added, and their information‑processing speed noticeably increased.

Zhao Chen sensed the change and subtly clenched his fist.

Zhao Xing continued to host, "Next is the public experience segment; everyone can operate a simplified version of the module themselves."

He waved his hand to open a new interface, and a holographic model of the 'Tree of Spacetime' slowly rose, its branches bearing various functional nodes.

Representatives from various nations gathered around; some tried clicking, and the display responded instantly.

He Yushui walked to the backstage area to check traffic monitoring. Everything was normal, but she noticed an anomalous route—a data channel in a corner was sending copies outward.

She frowned and zoomed in to examine.

The screen flickered, and several translucent mechanical tentacles clung to the main conduit, rapidly replicating encrypted files. Their color blended with the background, making them invisible unless closely inspected.

She tried to sever the connection, but the command was lightly rebounded.

It wasn't a system fault; someone was shielding her actions.

She retreated calmly, walked behind the Triplets, and gently patted Zhao Xing's shoulder.

"The exhibition continues." She whispered, "Don't look back, someone is stealing data."

Zhao Xing's eyelids didn't twitch; they just shoved their hands into their pockets.

Zhao Chen pretended to adjust the earpiece, whispering, "Can you see what it is clearly?"

"Mechanical structure, not locally generated." He Yushui said, "It should be a remote-access stealing device."

Zhao Yang curled the corner of his mouth: "Let them copy."

Zhao Chen replied, "Even after copying, they still won't understand."

Zhao Xing said, "By the time they realize decoding requires a biometric key, it'll be too late."

The three stood still, their faces still bearing the expressions from the explanation.

The audience was still experiencing the new feature; some gasped, some took photos to record it, the scene was lively.

The French representative pulled the German colleague aside to discuss cooperation details, while the Japanese team had already begun drafting a technical sharing proposal.

The American scientist who had just questioned stood in the distance, staring at the big screen, their gaze grim.

His assistant beside him whispered something; he waved them off, turned, and left the exhibition hall.

No one noticed that in the shadow at the edge of the exhibition hall, those several tentacles were still working. Their copying speed grew faster and faster, file packages were being packed one by one, ready to be transmitted out.

Zhao Xing suddenly said, "Everyone, pay attention—the next segment is the 'Spacetime Folding Challenge.' The rules are simple—whoever can complete the structural reconstruction with the fewest steps will obtain a fragment of the original code."

The crowd instantly became excited.

Zhao Chen opened a new interface, and a batch of simplified tasks was released.

Everyone was busy answering the questions, their attention completely captured.

Only Zhao Yang kept the corner of his eye on that corner.

He saw the tentacles' movement pause slightly, as if receiving new instructions.

Then, one of them slightly lifted its front end, which split into fine branches, slowly moving toward the main control node.

It was only three meters from the core.