Rebirth

At the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden, invited host Professor Fermor was announcing the winner of the physics prize.

"The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics goes to Dr. Chen Cheng of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Huaxia.

The New Mountain-shaped Controllable Nuclear Fusion Model he created using an entirely new mathematical model has opened a new path toward Controllable Nuclear Fusion for all humankind. It has brought us a great step closer to an age of limitless energy. Perhaps it won't be long before none of us need worry about energy again."

"What's more, this new form of Mountain-shaped Controllable Nuclear Fusion can be miniaturized without producing any less energy than a conventional large-scale nuclear power plant.

In the past, one kilogram of raw uranium could release roughly as much energy as three thousand tons of coal, but we could convert only thirty percent of that energy, never more than fifty percent. This new form of Controllable Nuclear Fusion, however, can achieve an energy conversion rate of over eighty percent.

And that rate can be improved further through better-designed experiments.

Of course, those percentages may sound a little dry. To put it more vividly, at an equivalent yield, the energy it can release and convert is 220,000 times as powerful as the atomic bomb dropped on Japan.

And its efficient mass-energy conversion can be achieved without any risk of radiation damage to the human body."

At that, a knowing smile appeared on Professor Fermor's face. He chuckled.

"Of course, that's for the military to consider. Right now, this is a celebration for the world of physics.

Please welcome Dr. Chen Cheng to the stage to receive his award and share a few words."

Seated among the guests, Chen Cheng straightened his clothes, rose, and greeted the audience and cameras before walking toward the stage.

He accepted the medal from the committee chair, then smiled and bowed to the guests and cameras.

"Before anything else, I need to make one thing clear. Huaxia has always been a friendly nation. We have taken an active part in international affairs and steadfastly observed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty we signed. So I believe—and ask all of you to believe—that my technology will be used only for the benefit of humanity."

Chen Cheng smiled faintly.

"Of course, that was rather serious. As Professor Fermor said, this is a celebration for the world of physics.

I'm deeply grateful to my country..."

"Hey, just look at how much pride Academician Chen Cheng has brought Huaxia! He's so young—he isn't even thirty yet, is he? I think he's the youngest Nobel Prize winner in history, too.

Say, little brother, you just came out of the Chinese Academy of Sciences yourself. You don't look much older, so you must be a genius like Academician Chen. You must know the great scholar Chen Cheng, right? Could you get me an autograph? I'd take it home to give my boy a push. Maybe he'll bring honor to the country like you and Academician Chen one day.

Get me that autograph, and your rides are on me for the next month. How's that sound?"

In the back seat, Chen Cheng watched pedestrians weave through the endless stream of traffic outside. Then he turned and smiled at the driver.

"No need for that. My car had some trouble today, so I left it at the dealership. But if you want an autograph, I'll sign one for you when I get out."

The driver stared blankly for a moment, then cried out.

"Holy cow! No wonder you looked familiar the moment you got in! You're Chen Cheng, the great scholar who was on national television!

I watched your speech that day. That really felt good to hear! Huaxia isn't like they think—we don't invent something and immediately start dreaming up weapons.

I sure got lucky today, driving a great scholar like you. You've got to sign something for me before you go. My boy worships you."

Chen Cheng only smiled and said nothing more. He couldn't help recalling what had happened when he first submitted the complete materials to his superiors.

It was just as his predecessors had said: having a sword in hand and choosing not to use it was entirely different from having no sword at all.

In truth, Fermor's estimate was not entirely accurate. The actual destructive power exceeded the 220,000-fold figure he had given by a great deal, though at that scale of atomic destruction, the difference hardly mattered.

One bomb at 220,000 times the power could destroy a city. One at 300,000 times the power would destroy a city just the same.

The driver, meanwhile, could not contain his excitement and kept talking.

Chen Cheng did not interrupt him.

As he continued mulling it over and turned to look out the window, he saw a heavily loaded truck barrel through a red light straight toward their car.

The truck was going too fast!

In that instant, a series of mathematical formulas, theorems, diagrams, and analyses flashed through Chen Cheng's mind. They all led to one conclusion: he was certain to die.

The entire process took less than 0.01 seconds.

Death gave his brilliant mind no more time to react. Before he could even finish reaching that conclusion, much less warn the driver, everything went black.

"Major traffic accident on Huaxin Road! Major traffic accident on Huaxin Road! Initial reports indicate Academician Chen Cheng is in one of the vehicles involved..."

A patrolling traffic officer made the urgent call over his radio.

A voice answered from the other end.

"Send the Sixth and Seventh Squads there immediately. Secure the scene and see if you can get Academician Chen out first. An ambulance from Union Hospital and a fire brigade rescue vehicle are already on their way."

The entire street was quickly cordoned off. By the time the ambulance arrived, Chen Cheng had been pulled from the badly mangled taxi.

The emergency physician immediately had him carried into the ambulance on a stretcher.

Chen Cheng's torn clothing was quickly removed, and the wounds on his skin were disinfected and treated to stop the bleeding.

The physician then connected him to a monitor.

The readings for all four vital signs—blood pressure, body temperature, respiration, and pulse—were zero.

The physician knew the situation was critical.

"Xiao Liu, notify the hospital to prepare the latest cellular and molecular repair chamber immediately."

Sweat beaded on the physician's forehead as he spoke to his assistant and tried every emergency measure he knew.

With traffic police clearing the way, the ambulance raced back to the hospital. Chen Cheng was immediately placed inside the repair chamber.

The chamber activated, and its powerful cellular repair energy rapidly worked on Chen Cheng's body. The body that medicine had already deemed lifeless suddenly showed a flicker of consciousness.

Chen Cheng abruptly woke. His mind quickly caught up: he had used physics and mathematics to pronounce his own death sentence. Why, then, could he think again?

He did not suspect an error in his mathematics or in the laws of physics established by generations of scientific pioneers. But when he tried to take a deep breath, he suddenly discovered he could not breathe.

What was going on?

Chen Cheng did not panic. Nor did he assume he had arrived in the Underworld.

Judging by the sensation against my skin, I'm in a container full of liquid. Could this be Old Ke's latest medical treatment?

Outside the chamber, the leaders watching closely saw his vital signs briefly stir, then swiftly fall again. One of them said sternly:

"Do everything you can to save him. Whatever it costs, Academician Chen must live. His importance to the country is beyond imagining."

As Chen Cheng speculated, a trace of panic finally crept in. Then a wave of drowsiness washed over his mind.

He felt the liquid around his body drain away, and his body began moving with it. It was no gentle movement; some tremendous force was pushing him.

Then he felt himself lodge in a narrow opening. His body was squeezed tight, but he felt no suffocation. The pressure slowed the flow of blood through him, and his consciousness began to fade again.

Just before he passed out, he was still thinking that once he recovered, he would have to make a suggestion to Old Ke.

Why do I keep feeling faint?

Before he could lose consciousness, another powerful force pushed against his body. Then came the sting of his skin leaving the liquid and meeting the air.

Fresh air rushed into his nostrils. He could feel himself breathing, and he heard the strong, steady beat of his heart.

Then he tried moving his hands and feet.

That wasn't scientific!

How was it possible?

No matter how advanced Old Ke's technology was, I know it can't regrow severed limbs.

Physics and mathematics both sentenced me to death after those injuries. Even if Old Ke's biological repair technology defied the heavens, it couldn't restore my severed nerves to exactly how they were.

He did not have long to wonder. His eyes began to open.

Light first struck his eyes. After blinking several times, he adjusted to it, though everything around him remained blurry.

Before he could make out his surroundings, a handsome man with a sickly complexion appeared above him. The man's face grew clearer as he drew closer. Handsome, with a softness to his features and a kindness within that softness, he smiled when he saw Chen Cheng, the expression lighting his pale face.

Chen Cheng tried to ask what was happening, only to find that his vocal cords seemed not to have recovered. All he could make were the cries of a baby: "Ah, ah, ah!"

The sickly-looking man carried him over to a bed.

By then, Chen Cheng's eyes had fully adjusted to the light. Only then did he realize he was not in the hospital room or laboratory he had imagined. He was in a shabby wooden house.

There was no container of repair fluid, no array of high-tech equipment. The room was bare, even dilapidated. He could practically imagine how serious an infection he would develop if he remained here with his injuries.

Then understanding suddenly struck. Chen Cheng raised one tiny hand and waved it in front of his face. Inside, he nearly fell apart.

How had I become a baby?

Old Ke and the others never mentioned technology like this. Had I been reborn?

While Chen Cheng struggled to make sense of his sudden rebirth, Hughes, who was holding him, smiled at the beautiful woman on the bed.

"Look, Sophia. This little fellow is our son. He will be the future of Thornflower Kingdom."

Hughes carefully laid Chen Cheng beside Sophia so she could see her child more easily.

Just then, a man's urgent call came from outside.

"Your Majesties! The Kolmo traitor Hisslaj has led his First Legion after us! They are less than a hundred li away. Our Imperial Knights have been all but wiped out. We must leave at once!"

Hughes opened the door. The man outside immediately dropped to one knee.

Hughes helped him up, then drew a longsword from his waist. Made entirely of secret gold, it was covered in runes.

He held the sword upright before him and addressed Samlet with solemn authority.

"Samlet, in the name of the fifteenth emperor of Thornflower Kingdom, I command you to become the little prince's personal guard and escort the sixteenth emperor of Thornflower Kingdom away from here."

Samlet dropped to his knees and stared wide-eyed at the King. He wanted to protest, but Hisslaj's army was closing in. Strong as he was, he could not safely escort the King, the Queen Consort, and the prince away together.

When the Thorn Flower sword, the symbol of royal authority, came to rest on his shoulder, he could only obey the King's command.

Sophia lifted Chen Cheng with effort and kissed his forehead.

It was a farewell kiss.

"My dear child, forgive your King Father. I pray to the Moon Goddess that you will grow up safe and well."

At the thought that she and Hughes would not be there to watch Chen Cheng grow up, Sophia could not hold back her tears.

She took a purple crystal pendant from around her neck and placed it on Chen Cheng.

"May this Crystal Pendant keep you safe all your life."

Sophia could hardly bear to look at him and turned her head away. In the end, her hands trembling, she lifted Chen Cheng and reluctantly passed him to Samlet.

Samlet bowed to Sophia and took the swaddled Chen Cheng from her arms.

He secured Chen Cheng against his chest and said to Sophia:

"Your Majesty, I will keep the prince safe for the rest of his life."

Hughes swept his hand around, took up the Sword of Kings, and placed it in Samlet's hands.

"I entrust the next emperor to you."

As Samlet prepared to leave, Sophia stopped him.

"Darling, you haven't given our child a name yet."

"Brown Hopps. His name will be Brown Hopps. He is Thornflower Kingdom's future light of hope."

Samlet then carried the infant Chen Cheng away from the lonely wooden cabin deep in the mountains.

Chen Cheng made no sound. He quietly watched it all. He could see tears in Samlet's eyes as they left the cabin, and he could hear a great many footsteps approaching in the distance.

Inside the cabin, Hughes Hopps held Sophia as they sat quietly by the bed.

"Don't worry, Sophia. With Samlet protecting him, our child will survive. And at last, we can put an end to these endless days of pursuit and hiding."

"Yes, my dear husband."

Sophia nestled gently against Hughes. Together, they quietly fell asleep.

Soon, the pursuing soldiers surrounded the cabin. A stern-faced general in red armor came to the door and knelt on one knee.

"Xisilaijie, commander of the Kolmo Kingdom's First Legion, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

The tens of thousands of soldiers surrounding the cabin all knelt and shouted their greetings to His Majesty.

Xisilaijie waited a long time, but no one opened the door. One of the officers behind him grew impatient. Muttering curses, he stood, drew his sword, and prepared to kick it down.

Before he could move, Xisilaijie stepped forward and severed his head with a single stroke. Then he turned a cold gaze on the officers behind him.

"Anyone who draws a sword before His Majesty dies."

His actions cowed many officers who had hoped to win political favor.

Dozens of minutes later, the door opened from within. Hughes stood there in armor and a crown. Not a trace remained of his earlier grief. He looked at the people kneeling outside without a hint of expression.

Hughes regarded them in silence, then let out a derisive laugh.