After dinner, the three of them went upstairs to the karaoke lounge to sing.
At the time, karaoke lounges were still thriving. They hadn't yet been replaced by places like nightclubs and bars.
But places like bars were already growing more influential. Plenty of curious young people and stressed-out middle-aged folks liked to unwind in places like that.
The thing was, there were only so many kinds of stress. Places like those made it easy for other kinds to crop up, so they could get a little chaotic.
Han Fei hadn't considered going to one.
Their fun soon came to an end.
They each went their separate ways, home to their own families.
Now.
It was the end of December, 2012.
The New Year was almost here.
Chapter Thirty-Three: A Giant Chrysanthemum Appears in the Sky!
Today.
Was a special day.
The first time humanity had understood the profound terror that came from the boundless universe.
December 31, 2012.
Two days earlier, he'd gone out and had a wild time with Zhao Xin and Liu Chuang. They'd eaten, sung karaoke, and done all sorts of things.
It had helped Han Fei unwind quite a bit.
Fortunately, though the two of them had changed, they were still losers in certain respects. They might have wanted to visit certain places, but they didn't have the nerve, so they hadn't egged Han Fei on to go with them.
They'd kept having fun until the afternoon.
Han Fei told Zhao Xin and Liu Chuang to hurry home.
Zhao Xin hesitated, while Liu Chuang simply said, "No rush. There's nothing worth going back for. It's kind of lonely by myself. I might as well stay here and celebrate the New Year with you, boss."
Zhao Xin looked like he agreed wholeheartedly.
Han Fei laughed and swore at them. "Get lost! This year's different for me. I don't need you two. Go home. And you're lonely by yourself? Want me to call your mothers and see what they have to say about you two?"
At that, both of them seemed a little relieved. Zhao Xin grinned and slung an arm around him.
"Aw, we just didn't want to leave you alone..."
"Get off me. Don't put your arm over my shoulder. And Zhao Xin, don't think I've forgotten that nickname of yours—Chrysanthemum Xin..."
The three of them joked around as they gradually parted ways.
A while later, Qi Lin sent him a message. Her parents wanted to thank him for all his past help, and they wanted him to come over for dinner.
He politely declined.
"What a kind-hearted girl."
Han Fei knew that when they spent time together, they'd talked about things like this now and then. She naturally knew about his situation.
She'd invited him over now because she was kind-hearted.
Still, Han Fei had turned her down.
Aside from a few other reasons, going over at a time like this would have made him feel a little uncomfortable.
Besides, he wasn't that fragile.
Why was everyone acting like this?
Han Fei shook his head helplessly.
Then he headed home.
Eight o'clock that evening.
Han Fei stayed in and watched the various holiday galas on TV.
Aunt Li had prepared dinner and gone home.
Apart from the bodyguards, there didn't seem to be anyone else in the whole compound.
At first glance, Han Fei looked like he was all alone, a little lonely.
But in truth, he wasn't celebrating the New Year by himself.
"Hahaha."
A clear, lilting laugh came from beside him.
Hexi sat nearby, laughing at one of the gala's acts.
She was doubled over with laughter.
Her graceful curves were on full display.
She was even too distracted to eat much of the food on the table, though it was usually her favorite.
"Big hammer, eighty! Little hammer, forty!"
"My name is Hao Jian!"
"I'm selling crutches here! Come on, stamp your feet twice!"
It was clear.
She was having a great time.
Han Fei watched the comedy sketch too.
He enjoyed this rare moment of leisure.
Ever since he'd learned that this was the Super God world, he'd been under a lot of pressure for years.
Every day, he was making plans, trading with others, worrying about being targeted by powerful nations, guarding against assassinations, and fretting over the future. By now, he'd finally established a foundation and gained some means of protecting himself.
But when he thought of the wars to come, he couldn't help feeling worried.
After all.
"War is a matter of vital importance to the state, a domain of life and death, a path to survival or ruin. It must be examined carefully!"
What's more, this was a war unlike any in Earth's history.
The next step might be the first one on a blood-soaked path into the universe.
Or it might be the prelude to a plunge into an abyss of no return.
Thoughts like these always made Han Fei overthink things.
And there might not be much he could do.
The gap between civilizations couldn't be bridged overnight.
He had a Golden Finger—or perhaps a talent—but it depended too much on luck and time. After all these years, what he'd fished up had been a hodgepodge of unrelated things. If he hadn't happened upon Hexi, a clone under a form of control, who'd filled in the fundamentals and brought him the equivalent of a cosmic-level intellect in research...
Then even now, he'd still be an amateur.
He wouldn't have come close to achieving this level, on the cusp of Aerospace Civilization, with some of his technology already at the Aerospace-Class level.
That was how important a cosmic-level scientist was.
They could transform a civilization in a short time.
Earth had taken only about five thousand years to reach the Pre-Nuclear Era, but Earth was special. In an ordinary civilization, well...
After five thousand years, it might still be stuck in the feudal era, or just entering the steam age.
Nuclear weapons?
What were those?
That was how absurd the difference could be.
Thinking of this, Han Fei felt a trace of guilt. But he quickly returned to normal. When it came to survival, such methods were acceptable.
He stole a glance at the silver-haired beauty, who was still smiling as she watched the comedy sketch.
He relaxed a little.
What was done was done.
Feeling guilty about it now was pure hindsight.
Guilt was normal; it meant he had a conscience. But he wouldn't let it drive him to do something irrational or overly sentimental. That was knowing where to draw the line.
After years of honing himself, Han Fei had clearly learned where to draw it.
In the blink of an eye, he was back to normal. He watched the sketch, trading the occasional quip with Hexi to liven things up.
"Hexi, don't call me Chairman anymore. It sounds too distant. Just call me Han Fei."
"Huh? Sure."
Hexi kept her eyes on the television and answered casually.
She didn't seem to care much.
That, in turn, put Han Fei at ease. He forcibly brushed aside the awkwardness he'd felt and focused on the gala.
He had to admit.
The galas back then were pretty entertaining.
At least they weren't all wholesome, uplifting performances.
But.
Beside him.
The smile on Hexi's face shifted slightly.
Because of the angle, he couldn't see the change in her expression.
So he didn't notice that fleeting press of her lips.
"...Let's celebrate the arrival of the New Year together..."
Before long, the gala was drawing to a close.
It was nearly midnight.
The New Year was about to begin.
"Wow! Han Fei, look, look!"
Hexi tugged at his sleeve like a little girl, gazing up at the sky.
Han Fei frowned slightly, but he didn't refuse.
High above them.
Great blossoms burst open one after another.
No words could describe their riot of colors.
Against the night sky, the fireworks became the most beautiful sight of the moment.
Beneath them, countless people stepped into the New Year.
Everything was about to begin anew.
Including... civilization.
"W-what's that?!"
Before you continue