5: Go home with my sister

Since that day, Lei Wen's life had been completely split into two worlds.

One was the real world: sunlight, the cafeteria, final exams—everything as usual, filled with the trivial and authentic hustle and bustle of human life.

The other was the world inside the screen: a real alien civilization that was conducting a total mobilization on a "day-by-day" basis.

This secret was like a black hole with astonishing mass, lurking within his mental world.

Keeping a secret inside for too long always leads to moments of distress.

Once, while eating in the cafeteria with a roommate who also liked to play stellar universe, he mentioned it seemingly casually: "Tell me, what would happen if the save file of a game suddenly became reality, and the civilization inside came to life?"

His friend was burying his head in a bowl of spicy pot at the time. Upon hearing this, he looked up and gave him a look like he was looking at an idiot: "Then hurry up and delete the save! Think about those civilizations in the game that are 'xenophobic,' 'devouring swarms,' or 'determined exterminators.' If those guys really came out, the first thing they'd do is break you, the creator, down into biomass!"

One sentence made Lei Wen swallow all the words he wanted to say.

He understood that he couldn't tell anyone about this.

In others' eyes, this would either be a crude joke or the ramblings of someone having a mental breakdown.

No one would believe that behind this small, glowing screen connected a powerful civilization that was about to cross 13 light-years of sea of stars to arrive.

Thus, he became a lonely observer, a silent recorder.

The first thing he did every day upon waking was to open his computer and load the save file named "Faleim Scientific Conglomerate." He no longer called it a "game," but a "window."

He set up an Excel spreadsheet as if he were doing academic research.

"Day 1: Economic model switched to 'militarized.' Consumer goods output -35%, alloy output +50%. Physics research points surged, and the Advanced Curvature Theory project was initiated."

"Day 3: Orbital shipyard at the capital planet completed expansion. Six new Titan-class warship berths added. All civilian shuttle routes suspended indefinitely."

"Day 8: Advanced Curvature Theory research completed. Anti-dark matter energy technology research begun. Preliminary Far-star cruiser blueprints appeared; began consuming rare crystals for the casting of prototype ship components."

"Day 15: Strict resource rationing implemented nationwide. Population happiness declined, but social stability remained above 90% due to the characteristics of the authoritarian regime. The keel for the first Far-star prototype ship was laid."

Every line of cold data represented the efforts and sacrifices being made by the tens of billions of Faleim People in that distant galaxy.

They had abandoned entertainment, compressed their daily needs, and focused the entire will of their civilization on one goal: "Build the Far Star Fleet."

Lei Wen watched all of this, his mood complex to the extreme.

On one hand, he felt a hint of morbid pride in the terrifying execution and cohesion displayed by the civilization he had created.

On the other hand, he felt a deep fear for the target of this fleet's impending arrival—his own home, Earth.

He was like a scientist in a laboratory who had accidentally created an uncontrollable super-virus.

He was both the "father" and the first person to foresee the apocalypse.

Final exam week ended in this dazed state for Lei Wen.

When his classmates were cheering for the upcoming summer vacation, Lei Wen was just silently packing his luggage.

For him, the location no longer mattered; as long as he carried this laptop, he carried the secret of the entire universe.

...

Lei Wen's hometown was a second-tier city called "Tianqiong."

It was a picturesque, slow-paced southern city, named after the dome building of a national radio astronomical observatory in its suburbs.

On the high-speed train home, Lei Wen leaned against the window, watching the fields and towns flashing by outside.

The carriage was lively, with students traveling together, office workers eager to return home, and parents with their children.

Everyone was talking about their lives, planning their vacations.

Yet in Lei Wen's headphones, the soundtrack of stellar universe was playing.

That ethereal, vast melody isolated him from the surrounding hustle, making him feel as if he were in the cold, deep space of the universe.

He took out his laptop and opened that "window" again.

The Faleimland System was still operating efficiently.

In orbit, the hull of the first Far-star cruiser had already taken shape. Its smooth, oppressive lines—even though they were just a bunch of pixels—made Lei Wen feel its beauty and shock.

The high-speed train arrived at the station, and he walked out with the flow of people.

The humid and warm air of Tianqiong City rushed toward him, allowing his tensed nerves to relax slightly.

"Brother! Over here!"

A crisp, pleasant voice rang out not far away. Lei Wen looked up and saw a petite figure in a white dress with twin tails standing on tiptoe, waving vigorously at him.

It was his younger sister, Renee.

...

Renee, who had just graduated from high school this year, was in the most carefree time of her life.

She wasn't tall, had a petite figure, and a cute baby face that made her look several years younger than she actually was, more like a middle school student.

The moment he saw his sister, the part of Lei Wen's heart occupied by the cosmic black hole seemed to be illuminated by a ray of warm sunlight.

"Why did you come? Didn't I tell you to wait for me at home?" Lei Wen walked over and habitually ruffled her hair.

"Hmph, do you think I'm still the same person who just lies in bed all day?" Renee puffed out her cheeks, pretending to be angry as she swatted his hand away. "Ever since Mom and Dad went to work in South America, I've been living on my own! Besides, with Mom and Dad not at home, if I don't come to pick you up, who's going to pick up a silly brother like you?"

Lei Wen's parents, one an internationally renowned geologist and the other a prolific botanist, were constantly traveling around the world.

This summer, they had teamed up to go to the Amazon rainforest in South America for a three-month scientific expedition. Therefore, only the two siblings were left at home again.

Renee used to be a heavy shut-in with social anxiety, who didn't like going out and whose daily life relied heavily on her brother.

After Lei Wen went to college, his biggest worry was that she wouldn't be able to live on her own at home, but at some point—perhaps due to the pressure of high school studies, or perhaps due to a girl's growth—she had gradually changed.

She started going to the market, learning to cook, doing laundry, and doing chores... finally slowly transforming from a NEET girl into a normal person.

However, although she claimed that she had evolved, Lei Wen could feel that the laziness in her bones was still deeply rooted.

Lei Wen didn't bring much luggage; he could manage a computer bag and a backpack with sundries on his own, so the two walked and stopped on the way home, chatting about daily life.

Returning home, as soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by a tidy living room and a faint scent of food.

Like a cheerful little bird, Renee snatched the backpack from his hand and pointed at the dining table like she was presenting a treasure: "Ta-da! Tomato and egg over rice! I just learned it, come and taste my cooking!"

Looking at the steaming dish on the table, which didn't look particularly appetizing, Lei Wen's fatigue and anxiety from the journey seemed to be cured.

He sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and took a big mouthful of rice.

"How is it? How is it?" Renee looked at him with anticipation.

"..." Lei Wen was silent.

Under Renee's expectant gaze, Lei Wen looked troubled. "How much sugar did you put in?"

"Eh? I didn't put any sugar!"

"Then what are these crystal-like things on it?"

"Isn't this salt?" Renee stuck out her little tongue. "I just put in a little extra salt, that's all!"

"Even if it's salt, putting in this much could salt your brother to death!" Lei Wen retorted, but in the end, he said, "You've worked hard."

Renee smiled happily at this, and so—

"Then Brother, try the British specialty I made—Stargazy..."

"No, no, no! I'm not eating it!"

...

At night, the starry sky over Tianqiong City was exceptionally clear.

After showering, Lei Wen returned to his room and habitually opened his computer.

On the screen, the orbital shipyard of the Faleimland System was brightly lit like a steel dragon coiled above the planet, spewing out resources day and night, gestating the power of destruction.

However, the data displayed in the resource reserve bar at the top of the interface was already in critical condition, and many non-renewable resources had bottomed out.

He was just about to start recording data as usual when his bedroom door was gently knocked.

"Brother, can I come in?" It was Renee's voice.

"Come in."

Renee was wearing cute rabbit pajamas, hugging a pillow as she walked in softly, then sat down on his bed with a thump.

This was a habit they had since they were little; they always liked to huddle together and chat before going to sleep.

"What are you playing?" Renee curiously leaned over to look at his screen. "It looks like stellar universe; I started playing this game recently too!"

Lei Wen was startled and subconsciously wanted to close the computer, but it was too late.

"Eh? This save file of yours... why is it so strange?" Renee tilted her head, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion. "Why is there only one star system? Everything around is fog of war. Did you just start? That's not right, looking at your tech level, it's off the charts; you're almost done with the game, right?"

Lei Wen was shocked. He didn't expect to have a fellow game "enthusiast" at home.

"Ah... this is a bugged save file after clearing the game." Lei Wen explained vaguely.

"A bug? There's a bug like this? It swallowed the whole empire and just left the home system?" Renee obviously didn't believe him. She was as excited as if she had discovered a new continent. "Let me see your species! Ugh, why is it an elf species MOD again? The boys in my game group all like to add this kind of portrait MOD."

As she spoke, she leaned against Lei Wen, her soft body pressed tightly against his arm. Her slender, fair hand even gripped the back of Lei Wen's hand, dragging his hand that was holding the mouse to click on the species panel and government panel of the Faleim Civilization.

"Fanatic Materialist, Authoritarian... tsk tsk, you like this kind of cold and ruthless government?" She teased.

"Don't talk nonsense." Lei Wen's voice was a bit dry.

"Just kidding." Renee stuck out her tongue and continued browsing. "But seriously, Brother, have you ever thought about what it would be like if we really met aliens? Would it be like Star Trek, where everyone forms an interstellar federation, or like The Three-Body Problem, a dark forest?"

"Maybe... no, it's nothing." Lei Wen said softly, looking at the Far-star cruiser being built rapidly on the screen.

The room quieted down, leaving only the slight hum of the computer fan.

Lei Wen looked at his sister beside him. She was studying the "save file" on his screen with full focus, muttering and analyzing various data.

She was full of curiosity and enthusiasm for everything in this game world, not knowing that this enthusiasm was directed at a cold and cruel reality.

An unprecedented impulse surged into Lei Wen's heart.

He wanted to tell her.

He wanted to share a part of this secret that was suffocating him with her.

Perhaps, with her understanding of the game, she could help him analyze the behavior patterns of the Faleim People from a different perspective.

Perhaps, just simply finding someone to confide in would make him feel better.

His hand was already on the hinge of the laptop. He only needed to turn it slightly to face the screen toward her, and then tell her in the most serious tone: "Renee, this isn't a game. All of this is real."

He could imagine her subsequent reaction.

Shock, disbelief, and then she might think he was joking, or even worry about his mental state.

Did he really want to do this?

Lei Wen's fingers finally loosened.

"Brother, what are you thinking about?" Renee noticed his distraction.

"Nothing," Lei Wen managed a forced smile and closed the laptop. "Just thinking about... what to eat tomorrow morning."

He couldn't tell her.

At least, not yet.

"Tomorrow morning? I recently learned how to make an English breakfast..."

"No, I want to order takeout."