When Shen Feng heard the news from the research institute, he initially didn't believe that anything significant had been discovered there. This was because research conditions were no longer what they used to be. The institute's development was mostly focused on weapons, and it was unlikely that weapon research could be more astonishing than nuclear weapons.
After hearing the news from the research institute, Shen Feng immediately asked, "What is this significant matter you are referring to?"
"I cannot say. You will only know after you see it yourself, City Lord, because the Director explicitly told me not to reveal it," the messenger replied earnestly.
Shen Feng shook his head helplessly and said, "Since that's the case, I will go to the research institute to take a look. I hope it's not some trivial matter."
On his way to the research institute, Shen Feng specifically passed by the rooms of his three children. Seeing them all at home quietly reading books, he felt relieved. It seemed the children were fine and were all diligently studying. Perhaps after this incident, they would learn a lesson.
Afterward, Shen Feng arrived at the research institute. Upon finding Director Niu, he asked, "What exactly have you discovered that is so significant? I've only just returned, and you've already rushed to call me here!"
Director Niu replied helplessly to Shen Feng, "City Lord, this matter is truly very important and must be conveyed to you immediately. Please forgive the urgency."
As Director Niu spoke, he led Shen Feng into another room where a scientist in a white coat was already waiting.
After Shen Feng sat down, Director Niu introduced, "This is Mr. Zhang, who came from Yanjing. He primarily researches astronomy, and it is he who wishes to convey an important piece of news to you."
Shen Feng then looked at Professor Zhang and asked, "Mr. Zhang, what is it that requires you to find me so urgently?"
Professor Zhang replied nervously, "City Lord, I have discovered a significant piece of news. Once it is announced, it might cause widespread panic in society. Therefore, I dared not handle it myself and had to quickly seek your counsel."
Shen Feng had not initially thought much of it, but upon seeing Professor Zhang's nervous expression, he sensed something was amiss. If something could cause societal panic, it was no small matter. The world was already in a state of doomsday, and any further panic would be truly dire.
"What exactly is it? Tell me in detail. Professor Niu, please close the door so no one can overhear!" Shen Feng urged.
Professor Niu then walked to the door and asked, "City Lord, do I need to leave?"
Shen Feng replied, "No, you don't need to leave this room. If I receive astonishing news, I will need to seek your advice!"
After the door was closed, Professor Zhang slowly began to speak, "City Lord, it's like this. In the spring, you brought a meteorite to Yuzhou. You should remember this, right? This meteorite is very important. I don't know where you found it!"
Upon hearing this question, Shen Feng began to ponder and said, "If I recall correctly, I brought this meteorite back from the Iranian Plateau. It was obtained through a marriage alliance my disciple made over there. What? Is there something wrong with this meteorite?"
"This meteorite is perfectly fine, but there is something very strange inside it," Professor Zhang stated earnestly to Shen Feng.
As he spoke, Professor Zhang led Shen Feng to another side of the room. Here, there was a glass jar containing a cut section of the meteorite. The exterior of this meteorite was semi-transparent, like glass, while the interior was a mass of silvery metal.
"Are there any rare minerals in the meteorite? That's not a big deal. My sword is made of meteorite components. If I remember correctly, this meteorite glows at night, but no radioactive elements were detected, nor is there any nuclear radiation, right?" Shen Feng inquired.
"I already know that this meteorite glows, as I have been observing it for the past few days. What I wanted to tell you is that there is a metal card inside this meteorite!" Professor Zhang pointed to a corner within the meteorite. Shen Feng leaned closer and indeed found a card made of metal. It was hidden within the silvery-white metal, appearing very out of place.
"Could this meteorite be fake? Otherwise, there shouldn't be a card inside this extraterrestrial meteorite," Shen Feng asked with a frown.
"This meteorite is definitely real. I have analyzed its composition, and it is essentially from space. Humans cannot manufacture meteorites. Therefore, the card hidden within this meteorite leads to one conclusion: it is an alien card," Professor Zhang explained with a serious expression.
"Stop joking. How could it be an alien card?" Shen Feng immediately shook his head in denial upon hearing this, finding it utterly impossible.
Humanity had only just begun to explore space, with no evidence indicating the existence of other intelligent life in the universe. Yet, at this very moment, Professor Zhang was earnestly telling him that aliens existed. Shen Feng's first reaction was disbelief.
It wasn't just Shen Feng who doubted the veracity of the matter; Professor Niu, standing beside him, also began to question it. "From my perspective, this is very likely a prank by some people abroad. After all, many countries want to fabricate evidence of alien existence. This meteorite might have been artificially created, then launched into space via rocket to become space debris, eventually falling back to Earth and being mistaken for a meteorite."
"Since neither of you believes me, I will retrieve this card and let you examine it closely. Then you will believe that what I say is true," Professor Zhang stated with a serious expression, fully convinced of his own deductions.
Subsequently, Professor Zhang opened the glass jar and retrieved the meteorite. It had many glass-like components, with a mass of strange metal inside.
Professor Zhang took a flamethrower from the side and directed a scorching flame at the meteorite. The once hard metal, upon encountering the intense heat, turned into liquid. Within this liquid, a shining card appeared. This card was covered with many strange, tiny characters, appearing no larger than flies, and also featured numerous patterns.
As the metal within the meteorite completely melted, the entire card was revealed. Professor Zhang found a pair of tweezers, picked out the card, and placed it aside to cool.
"The writing on this is not any Earthly script; it is alien writing. Twenty years ago, a meteorite containing such a card was discovered in North America. At that time, everyone believed the meteorite was fake, but after analysis, almost everyone concluded that it was an alien artifact," Professor Zhang stated with a solemn expression.
"Since you claim this is alien writing, do you have a way to decipher its content?" Professor Niu then posed the crucial question. To determine if this was a human fabrication, the content of the card needed to be deciphered.
Professor Zhang cautiously observed his surroundings to ensure no one was eavesdropping. He was certain that conversations within the research institute would not be overheard by others and would not leak to the outside. He then said, "The reason I firmly believe this is an alien card is that when I was in North America, I encountered classified information. Twenty years ago, a meteorite fell in North America. At that time, people found such a meteorite, and ten years ago, someone began deciphering the content on the card. This card is from a planet in the Centaurus constellation, and the aliens have marked the coordinates in the universe."
Upon hearing this, Shen Feng frowned and asked, "According to your statement, aliens have discovered us and sent a card. Is that what you mean? Then why don't the aliens appear?"
Professor Zhang whispered, "I suspect that the meteorite that fell into the Pacific Ocean ten years ago was thrown by aliens with the intention of destroying humanity! Because the first sentence deciphered from the alien text twenty years ago might have been, 'We have sent a gift, please receive it!'"
Shen Feng's scalp tingled. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. If Professor Zhang's conjecture was true, then the aliens were the culprits behind Earth's descent into doomsday. If this information were to leak, it would undoubtedly cause chaos.
"I cannot comprehend this. We have no enmity with aliens, yet you claim the meteorite was thrown by aliens. How can I believe that?" Shen Feng said with distress.
Shen Feng himself was a superpowered individual, standing at the pinnacle of humanity. Most people would not be his match, whether in terms of power or influence. Yet, even he could not help but be astonished by this news. If ordinary people heard this, they would likely feel terrified.
Professor Zhang spread his hands and said, "Currently, I am only speculating about this matter. I have no evidence to prove its truth, only that I have made deductions based on the research materials from North America and the timing of the meteorite's impact. I cannot prove this conjecture wrong; this thought has been in my mind and has not disappeared."
Shen Feng pondered for a moment and then said to the two men in the room, "Do not spread word of this matter, or it will surely cause panic."
"Understood. We will not speak of this even if we die!" the two professors replied immediately.
After hearing the professors' assurances, Shen Feng finally felt relieved. As long as these two did not casually reveal this information, others would not know about the aliens.
"City Lord, if we want to clarify this matter, it would be best to go to North America and search for research materials there. After all, they have been researching this for twenty years, and their knowledge is undoubtedly greater than ours. It is too late for us to find textual experts or linguists to study the alien script on the card now, so it is best to obtain their data. As far as I know, this meteorite originally fell near Salt Lake City, and hundreds of thousands of people are aware of this event," Professor Zhang reminded Shen Feng.
Upon hearing this, Shen Feng nodded and said, "Your suggestion is very valuable. If I have the opportunity, I will go to North America to search for this information."
Subsequently, Shen Feng returned to Fengshen Palace with a heavy heart. He was filled with worry because if Professor Zhang's conjecture was true, it meant that another civilization existed in the universe, and aliens had already discovered Earth's presence.
The aliens had given humanity a gift, and this gift was likely the meteorite that fell into the Pacific Ocean ten years ago. If ordinary people knew about this, they would despair even more, as this gift could very well be an alien weapon, given that Earth had entered a state of doomsday since the meteorite's impact.
Shen Feng found his three wives and told them about the matter, urging them to keep it a secret. While Chang Jianyi and Chu Chaoyan were somewhat skeptical, Li Keyi frowned deeply.
"Let's discuss this later. It's just a guess, so we shouldn't take it too seriously," Chang Jianyi said quickly.
"Yes, yes, it's rare for you to be back. Let's have a reunion dinner," Chu Chaoyan chimed in.