Author: 九天抚彗星/ Jiǔ Tiān Fǔ Huì Xīng/ Nine Heavens Stroking the Comet
Chapter 1: The Beginning of Everything
The cigarette burned quietly, wisps of grey smoke curling in the air as Liu Xiao lazily nestled into the corner sofa of the café.
His fingers slid across the trackpad, refreshing the webpage on the laptop resting on his knees while he silently scrolled through the chat messages in a WeChat group.
It was a tranquil, almost boring afternoon—utterly ordinary and dull. Though it was already late October, deep into autumn, the world outside the window remained bathed in the unrelenting glare of a strangely intense sun.
Liu Xiao turned his head to glance out the floor-to-ceiling window, then at the glaring solar halo hanging high in the sky. His lips twitched.
"Today's sun is weirdly fierce!"
Muttering to himself, he typed the words into the group chat before swiftly switching screens and clicking the "Send Resume" button.
This was Liu Xiao's last summer break—if it could even be called that. At 23, he had just finished what he considered the happiest phase of his life as a student and was preparing to step into the fabled "real world." He was ready to contribute to human progress, ready to join the monotonous, nine-to-five workforce.
"Yeah, same here. It's been rainy for days, and the weather forecast said it would keep raining today, but now..."
"+1"
"+1"
After skimming the messages in the WeChat group labelled "Gaming Group," he paid it no further mind.
He still had countless resumes to send out, countless dream jobs waiting for his attention. If he didn't finish sending them today, these companies might miss out on hiring an elite talent, lose the chance to recruit a future business tycoon, and ultimately forfeit their shot at an IPO or becoming a Fortune 500 company.
Liu Xiao felt it was his responsibility—no, his mission—to prevent such a tragedy.
Of course, that was assuming these companies even bothered to reply to his applications.
...
"Planet 9322210182, affiliated intelligent lifeforms..."
Huh?
What was that sound?
A clear, mechanical female voice echoed directly in Liu Xiao's mind.
Instinctively, he reached for his ears, only to realize he wasn't wearing earbuds. Puzzled, he looked around—the voice had sounded as if someone were whispering right into his ear.
Yet, there was no one nearby.
The closest person was the café's only waiter, at least ten meters away, and very much male.
Oddly enough, the admittedly handsome waiter was also glancing around with a confused expression.
As if he, too, had heard something.
Just as Liu Xiao scratched his head, deciding not to dwell on it, the mechanical, halting female voice spoke again.
"Galactic Order Statute 30102: All lifeforms receiving Spirit Voice shall undergo Origin Displacement..."
What the hell? Galactic Order? Spirit Voice? Origin Displacement?
Liu Xiao's face blanked in utter bewilderment.
"Who the hell is shouting? Can you shut up?!"
Not far away, a burly man in his forties with a crew cut roared as he stood up, glaring around.
But the café was silent except for the soft melody of a French tune playing in the background.
After scanning the room and realizing not only was no one speaking, but there wasn't even a single woman present, the man's anger turned to awkwardness.
The waiter tactfully turned off the music.
"Given that Planet 9322210182 has not undergone large-scale lifeform conscription before, this displacement will commence at Order Epoch 0.0021ε, corresponding to planetary time: 30 minutes from now..."
A long cylinder of ash crumbled from Liu Xiao's cigarette onto his fingers.
"Did you... hear that voice?" the waiter asked hesitantly, addressing the customers.
"You heard it too? That stuff about a planet? Lifeforms?" The previously furious man now looked uncertain.
The waiter nodded firmly.
Liu Xiao noticed the other customers in the café nodding in eerie unison.
His gaze shifted outside the window. Under the scorching sun, people who should have been rushing about were frozen in place.
Though their expressions varied—some sneered, some looked terrified, others bewildered—one thing was certain: every single person he could see had heard the same message.
"Guys, I think I just encountered a ghost! I heard a weird voice, but there's no one around me."
Someone suddenly posted in the WeChat group.
"Was it something about a Galactic Order?"
"You heard it too?!?!?"
"Damn it, I seriously think you're all messing with me..."
"Holy shit!"
"Me too!!"
"Is this some game's early launch?"
"...F*ck off!"
Instantly, all the lurkers were jolted into the conversation.
"Reporting from Qiantang—I heard it too. A woman's voice, kinda unnatural, not very pleasant either," Liu Xiao typed.
"Same in Beijing!" someone replied instantly.
"Guangzhou too!"
"Chengdu too! I just asked—my grandpa didn't hear it!"
"Nanjing same... Wait, your grandpa didn't hear it?"
"Yeah, he's right next to me. He's sure he didn't hear anything."
"..."
"Everyone, I think something big is about to happen. This isn't something current technology can achieve," a self-proclaimed expert in the group chimed in. "What we received wasn't sound but some kind of short-wave high-frequency resonance. Otherwise, it wouldn't have such a widespread effect. I think..."
While reading the flood of messages, Liu Xiao dialed his father back in his hometown.
The call connected quickly.
"Dad, did you hear a woman's voice just now?" Liu Xiao asked urgently, gripping his phone.
"You heard it too?" His usually unflappable father's voice trembled slightly.
"Yeah. I asked friends in other cities—they all heard it." Liu Xiao could feel his heart pounding harder than ever before. "Dad, the voice said we have 30 minutes before some kind of 'displacement' happens."
A brief silence followed on the other end.
"Son, 30 minutes isn't enough for you to come home. I'll go find your mom now, and we'll head to your grandma's together. No matter what happens, if you get the chance, come to your grandma's to find us. We'll stick together as a family."
His father paused, then added solemnly, "If something really happens... remember, your mom and I have always been proud of you. We love you forever."
"Okay, Dad. I love you too. Don't worry, I'll take care of myself. I'll call Mom now. Drive carefully! Maybe it's just some high-tech test, like spam messages."
After hanging up, he took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart, then called his mother.
His mom, however, didn't seem to grasp the severity of the situation. She laughed it off, asking when he'd visit so she could cook his favourite dishes.
In a way, Liu Xiao envied her obliviousness. He checked the time—20 minutes left.
"Planet 9322210182, all affiliated intelligent lifeforms. Under Galactic Order Statute 30102, those who receive the Spirit Voice must participate in dimensional displacement. Given that Planet 9322210182 has not undergone large-scale lifeform conscription before, the first displacement will commence at Cosmic Epoch 0.0021ε, corresponding to planetary time: 30 minutes from now." The group's expert typed out a long message. "This is what everyone heard, right? I'm not sure if the wording is exact, but it should be close."
"Spot on, genius!"
"That's exactly what I heard!"
"Everyone, turn on the TV! It's all over Weibo and news sites—this thing has exploded!"
Liu Xiao quickly asked the waiter to turn on the TV while pulling up news sites on his phone.
Headlines in bold fonts immediately filled the screen:
"Mysterious Voice Heard Simultaneously Nationwide! Government Urges Public to Stay Calm, Seek Shelter Indoors!"
"First Official Contact from Alien Civilization! The Extraterrestrials Are Finally Here!"
"Origin Displacement! Intelligent Lifeforms!"
Before Liu Xiao could click on any articles, the TV broadcast began:
"Breaking news: Ten minutes ago, citizens nationwide reported hearing an unidentified voice. The source and authenticity remain unconfirmed. We urge the public not to panic. Do not leave buildings. Avoid elevators. If outdoors, seek shelter immediately. Await further instructions."
"Breaking news..."
The news anchor repeated the announcement, his voice noticeably shaking.
Fear stemmed from the unknown. The government's response was swift, but against the inexplicable, it felt futile.
Liu Xiao returned to the WeChat group.
"Planet 9322210182 probably refers to Earth. 'Intelligent lifeforms' aren't just humans—cats, dogs, they might count too. If you have pets, check if they're acting strange," the group's expert analyzed.
"'Galactic Order Statute 30102' is likely some alien legislation. 'Large-scale lifeform conscription' and 'Origin Displacement' seem related—it's probably forcing intelligent life to do something. 'Cosmic Epoch 0.0021ε' translates to 30 minutes."
"Genius, I still don't get it even with your explanation. What's actually happening?"
"Yeah, all this talk about pets and galaxies—my brain can't process it!"
Liu Xiao mostly understood the expert's points. He kept reading.
"Simply put, a civilization superior to Earth's is forcing all intelligent life on our planet to do something under their laws!"
The expert's message appeared swiftly.
"Got it!"
"Roger!"
"I understand now, but I feel like we're all screwed!"
Time ticked away.
Liu Xiao lit another cigarette.
Inside the café, the TV looped the same emergency broadcast. Everyone was on their phones. New customers trickled in—people who'd heeded the government's warning to seek shelter—sitting down with panicked expressions.
Liu Xiao heard muffled sobs and desperate mutters of "What do we do? What do we do?"
Calmly, he packed his laptop and belongings into his backpack.
Then, silently, he watched the wall clock.
Ding!
His phone buzzed—a text from his father:
"Mom and I are at Grandma's. Don't worry! No matter what happens, stay safe!"
He replied with a brief acknowledgment.
Liu Xiao smiled faintly.
As the second hand made its final sweep...
The 30-minute countdown reached zero.