Evolution Sandbox

"Are you really not going to reconsider? If it's about the salary, we can still discuss it..."

"I've already made up my mind."

"...Alright, the company's doors are always open to you."

Ten minutes later, Lin Tuo, carrying his backpack, stepped out of the office building. Standing by the roadside, he glanced back at the building, a hint of melancholy in his eyes.

Lin Tuo had majored in advertising design in college. Thanks to his talent, diligence, and a bit of luck, he had made a name for himself early on and successfully joined this industry-renowned company.

Over the past two years, he had taken on several major projects, earning significant recognition. Coupled with some freelance work, he had accumulated hundreds of thousands in savings. If he had continued, his future would have been bright.

However, today, he had finally resigned resolutely.

He had already returned the rented apartment, and his luggage was being handled by a specialized shipping service. Lin Tuo hailed a taxi and left the urban area of Yangcheng.

An hour later, he stood at the foot of Lishan, his hometown mountain.

Lishan was not a particularly famous peak, being part of the Taihe Mountain Range. It stood on the outskirts of Yangcheng. Because it lacked famous scenic spots and had not been developed, it retained a rare, pristine quality.

It was summer, and the mountain was lush and green. On rainy days, mist would rise. Lin Tuo had grown up here since childhood, attending primary and middle school in the town at the foot of the mountain. It had been a long time since he had returned.

Walking along the mountain path, he soon set foot on Lishan and saw a courtyard building halfway up the mountain.

It had two courtyards, front and back, with a classical style and a considerable footprint. Only upon approaching did he notice it had fallen into disrepair.

This was Lin Tuo's old home. He had grown up in this courtyard. Because his parents had passed away early, he was raised by his maternal grandfather, who ran a martial arts school, accepting disciples to train and strengthen their bodies.

In Lin Tuo's childhood, people still came to learn martial arts here. However, as times changed, traditional martial arts schools gradually fell out of favor. His grandfather, disheartened, passed away from grief.

His greatest regret before his death was that the family's martial arts school had finally fallen into his hands, and he had no face to meet his ancestors in the afterlife.

Therefore, Lin Tuo had resolved long ago that once he earned enough startup capital, he would return to reopen the martial arts school and fulfill his grandfather's dying wish. This was also the reason for his resolute resignation.

"Creak." He unlocked the door, pushed it open, walked through the first courtyard, and passed the quiet, desolate training ground. Lin Tuo sighed as he looked at the dense weeds growing between the stone cracks. "Looks like I'll have to do a thorough cleaning, and then renovate."

Planning his future endeavors, Lin Tuo immediately found a broom and began vigorously sweeping the courtyard.

"Cough, cough." As he pushed open a large house in the backyard, he was immediately choked by dust, coughing uncontrollably. He fanned the air, and after it had ventilated, he entered the old house. To his astonishment, the roof had a large hole due to years of neglect.

"No way..." He sighed helplessly, withdrawing his gaze. He was surprised to find the room completely empty, with only a giant desk placed in the center. The tabletop was bare, covered in dust, and he had no idea what it was used for.

"How come I don't remember us having such a big table at home?" he mumbled, his hand reaching out to touch the corner of the table with a touch of sadness.

Immediately, his finger seemed to be pricked by something sharp. As his blood merged with the giant table, the dim old house was suddenly illuminated.

[Beep—Blood medium detected, Evolution Sandbox is restarting]

Before Lin Tuo could react, mysterious information appeared in his mind. What surprised him even more was that in his field of vision, the ancient, dust-covered table had projected an almost invisible energy shield.

It repelled the dust, becoming as clean as new.

Not only that, but on the previously empty tabletop, countless lights and shadows intertwined, transformed, and danced, instantly forming a miniature modern city!

Yes, an entire city, shrunk by who knows how many times, appeared on the table!

"Is this... Yangcheng?" Lin Tuo was first stunned, then realized that the city looked very familiar.

Upon closer inspection, he found that it was exactly the same as Yangcheng, where he had worked and lived for several years!

Skyscrapers, streets, districts, and the cars and pedestrians speeding through the crisscrossing alleys... it was a scene of bustling prosperity.

Wherever Lin Tuo's gaze fell, a part of the sandbox would slightly expand for easier observation. He could even spot the building where his company was located at a glance. People were entering and exiting at the entrance, but they were too small to discern their faces.

[Evolution Sandbox restart complete, current location pinpointed, "Observation Mode" automatically activated. Observation range: 15,000 square kilometers]

[Current location Aether concentration: Low]

Mysterious information continued to appear in his mind. Following that, Lin Tuo was astonished to see a semi-transparent virtual panel appear in his field of vision.

The panel was extremely simple, with "Observation Mode" written in the most prominent position.

At the bottom, it displayed "Aether Concentration," followed by the word "Low."

Other than that, there seemed to be nothing else.

"What is this? Black technology? Observation Mode? Does this mean... I'm observing real-life Yangcheng? The observation range is fifteen thousand... that's roughly equivalent to the area of Yangcheng."

Because he had practiced martial arts since childhood, Lin Tuo quickly calmed down from his shock and began to analyze.

"But... how is this possible? A real city shrunk and placed on a table? Sandbox... is that what Sandbox means?"

"Unbelievable." Lin Tuo's heart was unsettled; he found it utterly preposterous. After a moment of hesitation, he tried to approach this "sandbox" for a closer look.

The entire sandbox indeed encompassed the city and its surroundings, but at the edge, it was as if it had been cleanly sliced. Lin Tuo noticed a transport truck driving on a national highway, directly leaving the sandbox's observation range along the highway and disappearing into thin air.

A layer of dark clouds seemed to hang over the entire sandbox, obscuring the view to some extent. Lin Tuo thought to himself that it was indeed a cloudy day today.

Just then, an Air China passenger jet suddenly appeared out of nowhere from the edge of the sandbox. It flew straight above the clouds, passing over the city like a model.

"Could it be real?" Lin Tuo's breath hitched. He found the dark clouds somewhat obstructive and instinctively leaned down, bending over to approach the city from above, wanting to see the details clearly.

Meanwhile.

In Yangcheng, not far from Lishan, it was noon. Office workers crammed into elevators, heading downstairs for lunch. On the streets, delivery drivers on their scooters swarmed in.

Below the building of Lin Tuo's former company, the manager who had approved his resignation stepped out of the first floor. Suddenly, he felt the city's light shift dramatically. The overcast sky brightened.

Immediately, he heard exclamations.

"Quick, look at the sky!"

"Holy crap, what is that?!"

"Am I seeing things? How did... how... did a face appear in the sky?!"

"Hurry, take a picture! Where's my phone?"

On the streets, countless people looked up, following the changing light towards the sky above the city.

The manager froze for a moment, then also looked up. His eyes widened, his mouth falling open unconsciously, revealing his inner turmoil.

Above the city, the piled-up dark clouds suddenly churned, as if disturbed by some mysterious force. Then, within the clouds, a blurry human face gradually began to "imprint"!

The face, composed of swirling clouds, was lifelike, as if real. Where the eyes should be, two empty sockets gazed down majestically upon the entire land.