The next day, the opening ceremony of Endymion was held as scheduled.

But speaking of which...

"To build a space elevator in such a wretched place for a ridiculous wish like yours... Only the wealthy could afford such recklessness."

Standing in front of Endymion’s floor-to-ceiling window, looking at Earth outside, Fang Zheng couldn’t help but remark. Hearing Fang Zheng’s words, Leti smiled softly.

"In fact, I never expected science to reach this level. You know, in the original legend, it was said that the Deities changed humanity because they couldn’t stand the Tower of Babel."

"If it was merely out of fear of preventing the evolution and advancements of a lower civilization, then that so-called Deity wasn’t remarkable at all."

Fang Zheng snorted. Previously, he held the same belief, but after entering space, Fang Zheng came to understand how advanced civilizations think. To any high civilization, the evolution of a lower civilization is something worth observing and celebrating. However, high civilizations would not interfere with the progress of lower civilizations unless their actions potentially affected the stability of the entire universe———but to be honest, being able to reach such a level means they are no longer a lower civilization.

Simply put, it’s like humans suddenly seeing cats and dogs able to understand text, able to communicate at the lowest level. But humans wouldn’t just destroy cats and dogs because of that. To truly make humans feel threatened by cats and dogs, at least those cats and dogs would need to form countries, have their own civilization and weaponry, and possess technologies sufficient to threaten humans.

But this idea arises precisely because human civilization isn’t advanced enough.

It’s like the humans and the Na’vi in the movie "Avatar." Human technological levels are higher than the Na’vi, but overall civilizational levels haven’t reached the gap of high and low civilizations. The two sides are more like an upper-lower level difference in the same civilizational strata, rather than a true high-low civilization contrast.

If you must say, then it’s more like humans and ants. Ants also have their civilization, their nests, their language, their division of labor. But humans wouldn’t wage war on ants because of that. What ants need seems trivial and insignificant to humans.

This is the true difference between high and low civilizations.

A truly advanced civilization wouldn’t be interested in the resources on Pandora at all, like the Pioneers in Halo or the Reapers from the Mass Effect World, who have long started using stars as energy sources. Who would care about floating stones on a tiny planet like Pandora?

Would humans and ants fight to the death over a grain of rice?

"... So if just because humanity attempted to build a Tower of Babel they are thwarted on the path of evolution, then that suggests the so-called Deity isn’t supreme at all, at most slightly stronger than humans."

"What an interesting perspective."

Leti looked at Fang Zheng.

"Just a little stronger than humans... Is this the view of a true Deity? You know, we weak humans would stop at nothing just to approach being deities."

"If you stop at nothing, then it proves you’re not at the level to be deities. As for me... never mind, it’s not worth discussing."

Fang Zheng waved his hand.

"The evolution of civilization itself is an accumulative process. To delusionally ascend to the heavens in one step, you must be ready to be shattered. If you wish to become deities, keep waiting, maybe five thousand or ten thousand years. If humankind in this world isn’t extinct by then, their civilization level should reach the ’deity’ level you envision."

"Is that so... That’s a very attractive suggestion, but I’ve already decided."

Leti squinted her eyes.

"I now only seek death... In fact... cough cough..."

Saying so, Leti coughed a few times and weakly sat back in the chair.

"This feeling... it’s really nice, being able to feel one’s life slowly slipping away... Is this death?"

"I really want to record what you look like now and show that green-haired one what truly wanting to die should resemble."

Fang Zheng glanced at Leti, who slightly curled her lips.

"Death... it’s really terrifying... but for me, it’s something I’ve yearned for all along..."

"This feeling, as the strength in my body slowly vanishes, as if I’m slowly walking towards death, with nothing but void awaiting me... this is death... haha... no wonder, no wonder everyone fears it so..."

"...!!!"

At this moment, cheers and applause echoed from the monitor. Looking at the scene before him, Fang Zheng nodded in satisfaction.

"It seems the opening ceremony concluded successfully."

"Is that so..."

Leti closed her eyes.

"Then, let’s begin, all these years... I’ve finally waited for this day..."

Fang Zheng nodded, then opened his personal terminal.

"Kurumi, bring them over."

"Understood, Mr. Fang Zheng."

Not long after, the door opened again, and Kurumi brought two people in.

One was Alisa Minori, who had changed out of her performance outfit and back into her daily clothes. The other was a girl with waist-length black hair, wearing a black tight suit resembling an EVA pilot suit, with a serious expression and tense demeanor.

"Shatorra Sequins? This is your name, right?"

"Yes."

The black-haired girl nodded.

"I’m the captain of the Black Crow Brigade, Shatorra Sequins. What can I do for you both?"

"Well, it’s something important for both of you."

Fang Zheng made a gesture, and Kurumi slightly smiled, stepped out, and closed the door.

"Shatorra Sequins, your father was the captain of the Orion plane that crashed three years ago. On that day, the Orion encountered an accident, but all eighty-eight people, including passengers and crew, survived, thereby being called the miracle of 88 people. However, the reality is not so."

Saying this, Fang Zheng looked toward Shatorra.

"There was one death, and that was your father, wasn’t it?"

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

At this moment, Shatorra frowned, quite displeased, as she looked at Fang Zheng. Fang Zheng shrugged.

"Don’t rush, let me finish speaking first. You know, why didn’t the media foresee your father’s death but reported everybody survived? Because on the list they had, there were 88 people in total on the Orion plane, so as long as 88 people survived, naturally all survived. But no one expected that in fact, when Orion made an emergency landing, there was one more person in the originally 88-people aircraft."

Saying this, Fang Zheng extended his hand, pointing at Alisa Minori.

"Huh?"

Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s words, both Shatorra and Alisa Minori froze.

"M-Me?"

"That’s right."

Fang Zheng nodded.

"Didn’t you say you lost your memory from three years ago? Actually, you have no memories from three years ago because you were born at that time."

"But... this..."

Alisa Minori was stunned.

"How could I have been born three years ago? I’m clearly seventeen years old! And Mr. Fang Zheng, what you’re suggesting, it’s like..."

"You’re not human."

Fang Zheng interrupted Alisa Minori silently.

"Remember when you were attacked by that mage? It’s because of your physical quality; you’re not human, and the one who gave birth to you is her."

At this point, Fang Zheng once again extended his hand, pointing to Shatorra.

At this moment, both were stunned.

"Don’t... don’t joke around!"

Shatorra shouted this time.

"How could I have given birth to a child?"

"Really?"

"Of course! I was only fourteen back then!"

"Then, during the Orion incident, what did you wish for?"

"Huh?"

Fang Zheng stared at Shatorra.

"At that moment, you prayed in your heart, right? What exactly were you thinking then, do you remember?"

"I..."

Hearing Fang Zheng’s question, Shatorra was suddenly taken aback. But the moment she looked into Fang Zheng’s eyes, she trembled slightly.

The next moment, she seemed to be back on that airplane.

The shaking cabin, the clearly visible flames outside the window, the cries of the people.

And that small figure clasping their hands tightly in the seat.

"Please, even if I lose the most precious thing, it’s fine. Please grant everyone a miracle."

"...!"

Shatorra widened her eyes in surprise.

By this time, she had recalled everything.

"Your wish has been fulfilled."

Fang Zheng stared intently at the Shatorra before him.

"You lost your father, your sense of sound, and achieved the miracle of eighty-eight people."

Saying this, Fang Zheng once again looked towards Elisa.

"And she is the part you abandoned for the miracle..."

"..........."

"Is it... me?"

At this moment, Shatorra began to tremble.

"Did I... kill my father?"

"To be precise, the real culprit is this fellow."

Fang Zheng patted Leti’s head.

"For her own purposes, she tried to use Orion to cause an accident, but ultimately her plan failed, and Elisa Minori was also the result of her failed plan."

"It was you?!"

Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s words, Shatorra suddenly glared angrily at Leti sitting in the chair, while Leti just sat there weakly, looking at Shatorra.

"Yes, that’s right, to be honest, that failure was really unexpected..."

"You bastard... it was you... you killed my father...!!"

Looking at Leti, Shatorra suddenly reached out and pulled a military knife from behind her, then charged at Leti with lightning speed, stabbing towards her heart!

However, at this moment...

"No!!"

Suddenly, Elisa rushed over, hugging Shatorra tightly from behind.

"Let go of me! This woman, this woman is the murderer of my father! I want revenge for my father!"

"If your father were alive, he’d certainly hope you wouldn’t kill someone for him!"

"But......"

"Elisa is not wrong."

Fang Zheng finally intervened, then he glared at Leti.

"You really have a nasty mind."

"Oh? I thought letting her get revenge would be a good thing."

"Don’t talk nonsense, trying to drag others down with you before you die, this personality... forget it, I’m too lazy to say anything."

"Eh?"

Hearing the conversation between Fang Zheng and Leti, both Shatorra and Elisa were stunned, while Fang Zheng looked at the two.

"As you can see, Leti is about to die, she has only today left to live, so whether Shatorra acts or not, she’s doomed to die... take it as karma."

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, they were both shocked and looked carefully, only to find Leti’s pale face with no trace of blood, looking as if she was about to pass away in sickness.

"With this... my task is completed..."

Leti’s breathing grew weaker and weaker.

"I can finally embrace... the death I’ve longed for..."

In the end, she closed her eyes.

"Alright, with this, this matter can come to an end."

Fang Zheng glanced at the completely deceased Leti, then walked to the door.

"Next, I suppose you both have things to say, I won’t interrupt."

Having said that, Fang Zheng waved his hand and walked out. Leaving only Shatorra and Elisa, they looked at each other not knowing what to say next.

Finally, Elisa extended her hand.

"I remember... back then, I appeared on Orion..."

"I remember too... back then, I saw you appear on Orion..."

As Shatorra spoke, she held Elisa’s hand.

Then, pure white radiance emerged from the two, enveloping the entire space.

Fang Zheng leaned against the wall, looking at Earth through the window.

"Kurumi..."

"Hm? What’s the matter, Mr. Fang Zheng?"

"I suddenly think, sometimes smoking might be better, you see, at a time like this, I should silently take a cigarette from my pocket, light it, and put it in my mouth to act cool... don’t you think that’s quite manly?"

"Mr. Fang Zheng is already quite manly, and smoking is bad for health."

"Indeed, second-hand smoke is bad for the little girls too."

Just then, the door opened again, and Shatorra walked out, with Elisa Minori behind her.

"Um... Mr. Fang Zheng, thank you very much!"

"No worries, I am your producer after all."

Fang Zheng glanced inside the room to find the place where Leti had been lying now empty of the golden-haired girl.

Which means, Leti’s body had transformed into Elisa Minori’s body.

"How does the new body feel?"

"Feels... pretty much the same as before..."

Elisa shyly stuck out her tongue.

"But there are differences, at least this body of yours won’t age or die, living another thousand years is no problem."

"Eh? A thousand years?"

Hearing this, Elisa’s eyes widened in shock.

"Yes, Leti has lived for over eight hundred years now, she wanted to die because she’d had enough. Just haven’t met me before, if you ever have such a thought, you can come find me."

"Oh... ahahaha..."

Faced with Fang Zheng’s words, Elisa smiled bitterly, not knowing what to say, and Fang Zheng also waved his hand.

"Alright, you’ve been busy all day today and must be tired, go rest, anyway, the inauguration ceremony for Endymion was a complete success, you’re a hit, prepare to be a big star."

With this, the troubles of Endymion could be considered completely resolved.

After sending away Shatorra and Elisa, Fang Zheng went to meet the others.

"Hey, how was the concert?"

Seeing Kuroko Shirai and others before him, Fang Zheng greeted them with a smile, and upon hearing his inquiry, Saten Reiko nodded excitedly.

"It was amazing! Elisa’s song is truly wonderful, I’ve decided, I’m going to be Elisa’s number-one fan!"

"Saten, you’re exaggerating..."

"No way..."

Hm?

Seeing the noisy girls before him, Fang Zheng was momentarily puzzled, then he turned to Kuroko.

"Kuroko, where’s Misaka Mikoto? She didn’t come to the ceremony?"

"Classmate Misaka?"

Facing Fang Zheng’s inquiry, Kuroko Shirai showed a puzzled expression.

"Mr. Fang Zheng, why did you mention Classmate Misaka’s name here? We don’t know her?"

".........Hm?"