When you gaze at the myriad twinkling stars on a clear night, don't you feel a sense of unreachable disappointment? Are we truly so pathetic? No, absolutely not! We must conquer the universe!" A large TV screen in the hall was playing a video of the world-renowned scientist and aerodynamicist, Qian Xuesen.
A young couple was swept along by the dense crowd, barely touching the ground as they were pushed forward by the surging tide of people.
"I really don't understand why you'd spend a precious weekend at this boring museum," a pretty young girl complained helplessly. Her attire wasn't flashy, but she had a timeless beauty, like a girl next door, making people feel a natural closeness to her.
"Good afternoon, esteemed visitors. This is the final announcement. The museum will close in half an hour. Please gather your belongings and exit as soon as possible..."
Grabbing his girlfriend's hand, Wu Di raised his wrist and checked his watch: "Oh no, it's almost five o'clock!" He mumbled to his girlfriend, "Yanan, I'm really sorry, but what's on display today is the Holy Lance of Longinus! You wouldn't believe how miraculous it is!"
The girl pouted. She really didn't know how she had fallen for someone like him.
Both young people were in their early twenties, having just entered society and still in the internship phase at their respective companies.
They had finally managed to get a weekend off together. Other young couples were at cafes, cinemas, enjoying each other's company and being sweet. But her boyfriend had brought her to a museum for a date. As she thought about it, her eyes welled up slightly, and she felt a bit wronged.
Wu Di, however, was completely oblivious to his companion's feelings of grievance. He was still enthusiastically pushing his way forward. This was no laughing matter; the Holy Lance of Longinus's world tour was only exhibiting in their city for one day. He and his girlfriend had been queuing since morning to finally get tickets to enter.
Actually, it wasn't that Wu Di was particularly fond of history or museums. It was simply that the Holy Lance of Longinus on display today was too famous, and too much mystery surrounded it. This was what attracted Wu Di, making him willing to forgo time with his beautiful girlfriend to come and broaden his horizons.
Like most young people of his era, Wu Di was born into a very ordinary family. They weren't so poor that they couldn't eat, nor were they rich enough to live a carefree life as a lifelong parasite.
After graduation, he joined a small, unremarkable company, starting from odd jobs. Every day was a repetitive cycle of work, without any ups or downs or surprises. If life could be represented by an electrocardiogram, then Wu Di's life was as dead as could be.
The only things that could comfort his lonely soul were the various movies, anime, and novels on Qidian.com that were popular online. And Wu Di's interest in the Holy Lance of Longinus had been cultivated from these sources.
No matter which work it appeared in, if the "Holy Lance of Longinus" was present, it was always shrouded in the deepest mystery.
According to legend, Longinus was originally the name of a Roman, a jailer who escorted Jesus Christ to the Mount of Olives for execution. Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus Christ's disciples, betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and handed him over to Pontius Pilate, the governor of the Roman province of Judea.
Pilate crucified Jesus, but contrary to popular belief. After Christ was taken down from the cross, to confirm if he was indeed dead, Pilate ordered the centurion Longinus to pierce Christ's side with his dagger.
The dagger, enveloped by the Savior's flesh and blood, became an indestructible, dark red divine spear, its tip forked into two prongs.
Because this Holy Lance was stained with Jesus' precious blood, it is said to be indestructible and also possesses miraculous healing abilities, curing Longinus, who had gone blind from piercing Jesus.
Legend has it that anyone holding the spear would command the submission of all within a hundred and twenty feet, and the wielder could even control the fate of the world.
But those who lost it would die instantly. In the ancient Roman Empire, the spear became a symbol of power, and many monarchs with illustrious battle records wielded this spear to win countless battles.
For 2000 years, many great warriors throughout history have continuously explored the secrets of the Holy Lance, leading to many legends.
300 years after Jesus was crucified, this Holy Lance became the weapon of the first Christian knight, Saint Maurice; in the hands of Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor of Rome, it transformed the Roman Empire;
But after the decline of Rome, the Holy Lance disappeared for several centuries of chaos, only to reappear when it found a new owner, Charlemagne, the conqueror who once again unified Europe;
The Holy Lance was smuggled out of the city in the 19th century, thus not falling into Napoleon's hands, which some say was the reason for Napoleon's unfulfilled ambition;
By the mid-20th century, another world conqueror acquired it — Hitler claimed ownership of the Holy Lance in 1938.
This spear did not break Jesus Christ's ribs, which aligned with the prophecies in the Old Testament. Because it was used to confirm Jesus' death and was stained with his blood, it became a religious relic, and later generations also called it the Spear of Destiny.
A weapon used against Jesus later became a weapon that could bring change to the world, making this spear a sacred object with supreme divine power and a protagonist in some unsettling prophecies.
After enduring millennia of warfare, the Lance of Longinus that wounded Jesus had broken into three pieces. These three fragments were reforged by successive kings into three new Lances of Longinus, and the one on display today is one of them.
To witness a real-life divine artifact, the museum was naturally packed with people. Unlike any previous exhibition, this time, the majority of visitors were young people.
Wu Di complained inwardly. His body wasn't strong; long-term lack of exercise and a sedentary job in front of a computer had already given him a premature beer belly. Moreover, he wasn't very tall. From his perspective, the entire hall, apart from heads and backs, offered no view of anything further ahead.
Queuing had taken too much time, and with only half an hour left until closing, Wu Di was unwilling to turn back without seeing the Holy Lance. Fortunately, visitors to the museum were generally well-behaved, forming orderly lines. Wu Di could only grit his teeth and patiently move with the crowd.
The crowd's movement was slow; every minute felt like an eternity. Finally, it was Wu Di's turn to reach the display stand.
Inside the specially made glass display case, the Lance of Longinus lay quietly. This dark red, dagger-like spearhead rested on a velvet cushion, like a sleeping beauty, making it hard to tear one's gaze away.
This was the legendary holy artifact that could change destiny and save the world. Wu Di's eyes were fixed on the Lance of Longinus.
In a mysterious way, the Lance of Longinus seemed to be responding to Wu Di's gaze. He had an extremely familiar feeling, as if he and the Lance of Longinus were meant to be one.
This was originally his. Wu Di subconsciously let go of his girlfriend's hand, placing both hands on the tempered glass cover. He was reluctant to leave, as if he could hold the Holy Lance forever, unless it was the end of the world.
His girlfriend was a bit exasperated, wondering if her looks were less appealing to Wu Di than a cold, inanimate object. However, although Yanan didn't want to interrupt Wu Di's enthusiasm, the tourists waiting in line behind them were already getting impatient.
Just as the somewhat dazed Wu Di was being pulled away from the display case by his girlfriend, reluctantly withdrawing his gaze, a crisp "bang" suddenly echoed. The specially made protective glass shattered, and simultaneously, all the lights in the entire museum went out.
"What happened?" Wu Di was startled awake from his trance by piercing screams. The unexpected power outage plunged the museum hall into darkness, and everyone, like headless flies, buzzed and ran around in panic.
Heaven knew what was going on. Wu Di, amidst the chaos, tightly embraced his girlfriend. Yanan's writhing body calmed slightly in Wu Di's arms. It seemed her boyfriend wasn't as useless as she thought; a woman in love finds reasons for everything.
However, before Yanan could fully emerge from her happy daze, a gust of wind suddenly swept past her and Wu Di in the darkness.
Wu Di initially paid no attention, but as that person ran past him in the dark, he surprisingly felt an extremely familiar sensation from that person. It was the Holy Lance of Longinus, it had to be!
Wu Di's heart pounded. He knew this was no accidental museum power outage; the Holy Lance of Longinus had been stolen. This was premeditated.
The person in the darkness, clutching the Lance of Longinus, ran forward with his head down. He paused, seemingly having spotted Wu Di and Yanan blocking the hall's entrance beside him. A low voice squeezed out of his throat: "Move, or die!"
As the person issued the warning, the sharp weapon in his hand thrust out. This was an international mercenary, rigorously trained; anything in their hands could become a deadly weapon.
Wu Di, of course, couldn't know the background of this mercenary hired to steal the Holy Lance of Longinus, but he could clearly perceive the chilling rush of wind coming from the person's hand. This strike was aimed at Yanan.
Although Wu Di was just an ordinary young man, at this critical moment of life and death, a surge of courage appeared from somewhere. He turned his body, shielding his girlfriend behind him, and the Lance of Longinus pierced his lower abdomen.
The person in the darkness, having struck successfully, was about to pull away. In the depths of Wu Di's mind, a strong sense of unwillingness surged. He reached out and grabbed the Lance of Longinus that had pierced his lower abdomen: "Even as a ghost, I won't let you get away with this!"
The Holy Lance of Longinus was tightly gripped by Wu Di. The mercenary in the darkness froze, about to forcefully pull it free. Suddenly, a storm erupted from nowhere in the museum. The mercenary's hand felt empty; both the Holy Lance of Longinus and Wu Di's body vanished...