Chapter 371 The End of the World 2

“So… I have no lingering attachment to this place. Even though you said today would be the last time we’d see each other, a million falsehoods can’t compare to a single shred of truth.”

She paused.

She turned her head and looked at Jiang Ran, who was also standing at the end of the world.

“Jiang Ran, fly to Switzerland. Go save this world that has no future.”

“You said you’d either fix the Positron Cannon or build a Time Travel Machine to save me… and that’s enough.”

“Our adventures in the Virtual World have been fun, but I’d much rather see the real you, and stand by your side for real.”

“Mm.”

Jiang Ran nodded.

“I’ll make that day come as soon as I can.”

He raised his wrist and glanced at it. The time was already 11:58.

In two more minutes, the worldline would kick him back to 2025, ending his journey to the future and separating him from the Virtual World’s Cheng Mengxue forever.

These were his final two minutes with Cheng Mengxue.

Cheng Mengxue noticed the gesture. She then looked up, gazing at the wheel of stars spinning hundreds of millions of light-years away.

“What’s the date, on your end?”

“October 25th, 2025,” Jiang Ran replied.

“Did you make it to East Sea University, where Xu Yan is?”

Jiang Ran nodded.

“It was a winding road, but I eventually made it to East Sea University—the one we always wanted to go to. I saw Xu Yan, too.”

“Haha, so did Xu Yan win an award at the university film festival?”

Cheng Mengxue asked curiously.

“She went to East Sea University a year before us and swore she’d make an incredible movie and take home the trophy from the university film festival… Did she get her wish?”

“Heh.”

Jiang Ran gave a helpless smile.

“It’s a shame, really. A sad story. The short film she made did win the grand prize, but… for various reasons, the award was later revoked.”

“So, her university club career ended just like that. In the end, she wasn’t able to win the university film festival award.”

“But she did get her wish of joining a top film and television company. She has a long road ahead of her, and I’m sure that with time, she’ll achieve her dream of becoming a great director.”

Finally, Cheng Mengxue glanced at the dial on Jiang Ran’s watch.

Time was running out. Soon, they would be separated on opposite sides of a twenty-year river of time. And once the Butterfly Effect took hold, they would both simply vanish.

“Is it… noon on your end, too?” Cheng Mengxue asked.

“No, it’s nighttime for me.”

Jiang Ran gazed at the countless stars against the black void.

“It’s almost 11 PM where I am. Back in the dorms at East Sea University, they’re about to lock the gates and turn out the lights.”

“Oh, then you really should get back.”

Cheng Mengxue turned to face Jiang Ran.

She knew these would be her last words to him.

“Jiang Ran.”

“Yes?” Jiang Ran turned to face her as well.

“Hehe…”

Cheng Mengxue giggled.

“Good night. Sweet dreams.”

VMMMM!

VMMMM!

VMMMM!

A wave of dizziness washed over him, and the world began to spin.

Two seconds later, Jiang Ran opened his eyes to the night sky above East Sea University.

He looked up at the sky—the sky of East Sea City…

The light from those stars had traveled for hundreds of millions, even billions, of years, journeying from the far side of the universe to enter his eyes.

Perhaps those very stars had already burned out, having long ago become non-luminous white dwarfs or been swallowed by black holes.

But the distance in time was too immense.

Even though they had already died, humanity would still have to wait billions of years to receive that “signal” and finally observe the stars dimming in the sky.

But then again…

Billions of years was such a long time.

Compared to the lifespan of a star, the twenty years between 2025 and 2045 were utterly insignificant—a fleeting instant that could be disregarded.

Therefore, on a cosmic scale…

…the Jiang Ran of 2025 and the Cheng Mengxue of 2045 were, at this very moment, gazing at the same star at almost the same time.

“Good night,”

he whispered in reply.

…

「The next day.」

Jiang Ran packed his bags, headed to Pudong International Airport, and boarded a direct flight to Zurich, Switzerland.

East Sea was a full 9,000 kilometers away from Zurich.

It was the longest journey of Jiang Ran’s life; the flight alone would take thirteen hours to get there. It was so far, it felt like traveling to the end of the world.

‘It really is the end of the world, in a way.’

On the plane, Jiang Ran put on an eye mask and closed his eyes to rest.

‘It’s just the end of the Virtual World of 2045. And at the same time… the end of Pompey and Professor Noah’s plan for the future.’

ROAR——————

The turbine engines roared as the Boeing jet, carrying hundreds of passengers, soared into the sky, bound for Switzerland, the “Land of Watches.”

Thanks to his excellent English grades and conversational skills, Jiang Ran encountered no trouble in the foreign country. Everything went smoothly.

After checking into his pre-booked hotel, he looked up the route to Zurich Polytechnic Institute, planning to head over to Professor Noah’s lecture hall early and wait.

As he watched the scenery along the way, Jiang Ran didn’t feel the “desolation” or “gloom” that Fang Ze had described.

‘This place is gorgeous.’

Not only were there the picturesque Alps, but also lush green forests and lakes as clear as mirrors.

It made him wonder…

‘…was he just an uncultured bumpkin, or had Fang Ze never actually been to Switzerland?’

As for the city of Zurich itself, while it was Switzerland’s largest, it was a far cry from East Sea. In terms of modernity, it wasn’t even in the same league.