Liu Di pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized something. "Could it be... you're a human who returned from the future timeline?"
Wen Zhizu paused. "You could say that."
Liu Di did not understand.
Again, you could say that?
What did you could say that even mean?
Hesitating, Liu Di picked up a white stone again, preparing to place it.
But Wen Zhizu spoke once more. "What have humans used computers to simulate? Mathematical formulas? Mechanical blueprints, architectural drawings?"
"And there's something you should know."
"In 2014, scientists at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Center of the European Nation linked 8,000 computers together, used our universe as a sample, created a simulated universe 350 million light-years across, and digitized 13 billion years within it. Countless unexpected outcomes emerged during that time."
The stone in Liu Di's hand hung in midair again. What Wen Zhizu had described was a real event.
If Wen Zhizu truly was from the future, then 2014 was a past they had both experienced.
Liu Di's expression gradually changed. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"I merely wish to reveal a tiny, insignificant little secret that cannot change anything."
Wen Zhizu suddenly stared at Liu Di, a trace of pity in his eyes. "The Earth you live on, the Solar System, the Milky Way Galaxy, even the entire universe, are all fake. They are products of electronic simulation."
"Of course, that includes you, your family, your friends, Little Liu, Kun Sang, and Gu Fan."
"And your enemies—the alien civilizations, The Watcher, Eshi—they are all batches of self-aware programs."
"You are merely Lifeforms who believe yourselves to be alive."
The white stone in Liu Di's hand remained suspended in the air. Then thunder exploded in his mind, and his expression shifted endlessly like a storm-ravaged sky.
"Ha!"
After a