Finale (Part 2)

The light was so intense that even with his eyes closed, all he could see was white. His sense of touch vanished; there was no ground beneath his feet, as though he were floating in midair. His hearing vanished as well. The time machine's roar gradually faded, until the world fell completely silent.

Chen Zhao's heart pounded wildly. He had no idea whether he had succeeded. All he could do now was wait.

A long-absent system notification suddenly sounded:

"Detected that the host has activated the time machine..."

"Warning: Using temporal means to return to the past is highly likely to alter the world's causal threads!"

"If the host appears before people who knew him in the past, it may trigger unknowable butterfly effects, resulting in completely unpredictable consequences."

"After the traversal is complete, please choose your actions carefully."

"The system's recommendation to the host is: do not appear before anyone who knows you, especially your younger self. Go somewhere no one knows you and live there, or use methods such as a mask for simple disguise."

"In short, do not let those who know you discover you."

"According to the laws of the Galactic Federation, those who travel back to the past should learn to become obscure ghosts. Stay apart from the crowds and live quietly. Do not alter the course of the world without authorization."

Chen Zhao silently listened to the system messages in his mind, unable to stop tears from streaming down his face.

He had only invented the time machine, but he had no idea how he should act after returning to the past. For twelve years, only one simple yet powerful thought had driven him: return to the past and see Deng Zixin again.

But now, the system had issued a warning.

From an emotional