In a small café where the three o'clock afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, Feng Wuji was rotating a paper cup of coffee with his fingertips. The foam floating on the liquid's surface swayed faintly. There were about five other customers in the shop, each with their gaze lowered to their mobile device screens. What could be heard in the silence was only the low hum of the espresso machine and the traffic sounds leaking from the distance.
Feng Wuji gazed out the window. There was nothing unusual about the steps of people coming and going along the street. They did not yet know. That the world would change in thirty minutes. He himself did not fully understand either. To believe that the message that had arrived last night was reality was not easy for someone possessed of rational thought.
His laptop remained closed inside his bag. If he opened the screen, an unfinished manuscript would be waiting there. His next nonfiction work, a consideration of human cognitive bias and group psychology. The publisher had placed complete trust in him. His previous work had recorded sales exceeding one million copies, and his name had become widely known as a first-rate author.
However, no one knew. Of the existence of the book Feng Wuji had written under a different name. A single volume that integrated psychology and strategic theory. It had become the best-selling practical book in the world, lining the bookshelves of every kind of power holder from politicians to corporate executives to military personnel. Feng Wuji had never revealed that he was its author. Public fame was already sufficient, and further attention would only rob him of his freedom.
The coffee's temperature was beginning to drop. He took a sip. Bitterness spread across his tongue. The time indicated three-fifteen.
Suddenly, the fluorescent lights in the shop flickered.
Feng Wuji raised his gaze. The customers around him also lifted their faces, exchanging bewildered expressions with one another. Someone muttered that it might be a power supply problem. However, immediately after, the scenery outside the window changed.
The sky split open.
This was not a metaphor. Literally, a crack ran through space itself, and light overflowed from within. Feng Wuji stood up from his chair. The other customers in the shop likewise approached the windows. People who had been walking along the street stopped and looked up at the sky.
A figure appeared from within the light.
It was humanoid, but it was not human. Its height exceeded three meters, and its skin appeared to be composed of translucent crystalline material. Within its body flowed a vortex of light like a nebula, and its outline constantly wavered faintly. Its face had organs corresponding to eyes, but there were four of them, each facing a different direction.
The being was floating. As if ignoring gravity, it remained stationary at a height of about ten meters above the ground. And then a voice resonated.
The voice was not something conveyed through air. A sound that resonated directly inside the skull. Those words, which all humanity would have heard simultaneously, were understood in each person's native language.
"Lifeforms of Earth. I am an emissary of the Interdimensional Oversight Authority. Your planet has been selected."
Feng Wuji placed his hand against the window glass. A cold sensation transmitted to his palm. Screams were beginning to rise around him, but his consciousness was concentrated on the being's words.
"Countless civilizations exist in the universe. Among them, species that have reached a stage of evolution gain the right to receive a trial. This trial is conducted in competitive format, and one hundred representatives are selected from each planet. As a result of the competition, the planet and representatives that achieve victory will be sublimated to a higher dimension. The defeated planet will be annihilated."
One of the female customers in the shop collapsed to the floor. A staff member rushed over in a panic. Feng Wuji did not move. His thoughts had already begun analyzing the information. Sublimation to a higher dimension. Annihilation. Competitive format. One hundred representatives. Every element sounded as if it possessed a logical framework. In other words, there was the possibility that room for negotiation existed.
"The selection of representatives is entrusted to the free will of each planet. However, for certain individuals, there will be designated selection. This is a measure to maintain the fairness of the competition."
Feng Wuji's mobile device vibrated. He took it from his pocket and checked the screen.
A message was displayed. The sender was unknown. The content was concise.
"Feng Wuji. You have been designated for selection as an Earth representative. Reason: the influence of the strategic text you authored. One month from now, assemble at the designated coordinates."
He tightened his grip on the device. The confusion around him was intensifying. On the street, people were beginning to run, and car horns were blaring. However, in Feng Wuji's field of vision, only the being's figure and his own device screen were reflected.
The existence of the work he had kept concealed had made him a target for selection. The higher-dimensional being had grasped every piece of information on Earth. Anonymity had been nothing more than an illusion.
"One month of preparation time will be granted. After that, representatives will be transferred to the competition space. The competition is composed of multiple stages, and everything will be tested—strategic ability, physical capability, capacity for deception. Survive and achieve victory. The fate of your planet has been entrusted to the chosen one hundred."
The being's figure began to fade. The vortex of light converged, and the crack in space closed. The words that remained last were a declaration of cold fact.
"Until the competition begins, thirty days in Earth time. Those who neglect their preparations will be eliminated in the first trial."
And then the being vanished.
The sky regained its original blueness. However, the world had changed. Around Feng Wuji, people were crying out, embracing one another, trying to contact someone through their mobile devices. A staff member sat down on the floor, covering their face with both hands.
Feng Wuji picked up the coffee cup. It had already grown completely cold, but he drank it down. He needed time to organize his thoughts.
Another message had been added to the device screen.
"Assembly coordinates: 39 degrees north latitude, 116 degrees east longitude. Date and time: thirty days from now, midnight. Tardiness will not be tolerated. Contact with other representatives is recommended but not compulsory. Act according to your own judgment."
39 degrees north latitude, 116 degrees east longitude. The outskirts of Beijing. About three hours by train from his current position. Access would be easy.
The problem was not there. The problem was what should be prepared in the coming month. And what kind of people the other ninety-nine were.
Feng Wuji shouldered his bag and left the café. The confusion outside exceeded expectations. Cars had stopped in the middle of the road, and drivers had exited their vehicles to look up at the sky. Screams could be heard from building windows, and sirens had begun wailing in the distance.
He entered an alley to avoid the crowds. Elements that would interfere with his thinking needed to be eliminated. In a quiet place, he had to logically analyze the situation that was about to unfold.
One month from now, one hundred people would be gathered. All of them would represent Earth and compete against representatives from other planets. If they were defeated, the planet would be annihilated. If they achieved victory, they would be sublimated to a higher dimension.
Feng Wuji stopped and looked up at the sky. Only clouds were flowing across the blue sky. However, beyond that, countless civilizations existed, each competing for survival.
His work had integrated strategy and psychology. Human behavior patterns, mechanisms of decision-making, laws of group dynamics. A single book that covered everything. That had made him a target for selection.
In other words, the higher-dimensional being expected him to fulfill the role of strategist.
Feng Wuji began walking. He would return home, gather information, and formulate a plan. One month was short, but it was more than enough time to spend idly.
On the other side of the street, breaking news was streaming on a giant screen. Reports stated that governments of various nations were issuing emergency statements, and the United Nations was convening a special conference. Nations had begun consultations regarding the method of representative selection.
Feng Wuji merely glanced at it and passed by. The movements of governments were predictable. First suppress the confusion, next establish selection criteria, and finally organize training programs. It was a standard crisis response protocol.
However, what was important to him was who the other designated selectees were. And what kind of motivations those who volunteered of their own accord possessed.
His mobile device vibrated again. This time it was a normal contact. It was from an editor at his publishing house. He ignored the call. The time to explain had not yet come.
He passed through the alley and entered a residential district. The number of people decreased, and the surroundings grew quiet. Feng Wuji headed toward his apartment.
He unlocked the door and entered the room. The light streaming through the window was soft, illuminating the spines of the books lined up on the bookshelf. The unfinished manuscript was placed on the desk.
Feng Wuji gazed at it. This manuscript might never be completed. One month from now, he would be transferred to an unknown space bearing the fate of Earth. There was no guarantee of survival.
However, even so, he did not stop thinking. Thought itself was his weapon. He might be inferior to other representatives in physical ability. However, in knowledge of strategy and psychology, he had confidence that he would yield to no one.
Feng Wuji opened his laptop. The screen brightened, and the cursor blinked.
He created a new file. The title was "Survival Strategy: Response to Higher-Dimensional Competition."
And then he typed the first line.
"Premise: hostile civilizations have a high probability of being more evolved than Earth's humanity. Strategies premised on physical superiority are invalid."
Only the sound of fingertips striking the keyboard resonated in the quiet room.