Zhao Ming straddled his electric scooter, eyes locked on the shimmering mirage ahead, his mind in turmoil. Years of grinding work had nearly paid off his mortgage. Rental income sustained his modest life, insurance premiums almost settled. Yet here he remained - carless, partnerless, trapped in a soul-crushing corporate treadmill, a cog destined for obsolescence.
Across the asphalt, a pulsating gray-black silhouette seemed to breathe with otherworldly energy, its undulating contours whispering forgotten histories. Childhood memories resurfaced - those illustrated science magazines debunking Erich von Däniken's chariots-of-the-gods theories, sparking his UFO fascination. Now cosmic irony placed him before genuine enigma. Some primordial force beckoned.
Clockwork routine demanded office attendance. Absence meant reprimands, jeopardizing hard-earned stability. Yet the anomaly exerted gravitational pull. Gritting his teeth, Zhao revved his scooter toward the undulating gray image.
Reality warped upon contact. Prismatic lightshow. Subsonic rumble like leviathan's roar. When spacetime stabilized, Zhao gasped - before him stretched western style avenue. His English major and Belgian exchange years recognized Western architecture... yet warped. Mist curled through streetscapes like phantom fingers.
Before adaptation came temporal whiplash: A documentary-fast-forward revealed:
The U.S. President and tech mogul Elon reclaim power, chanting "Tax hikes! Layoffs! Expansion!" as they annexed Canada and stretched toward Garland-Rosa/Gaza. Crowds cheered obliviously.AI's golden age dawned - China's sovereign-grade AI surged while Six Tech Dragons rose globally."
President Big Brain" vanished from public view as VP Elon gutted agencies, declassified assassination files, purged corruption. Hope turned to unease when $9 trillion vanished from restructured budgets.
Half-year later:An airborne chimera virus emerged - 100% fatality rate with torturous asphyxiation.
The administration peddled denial, bleach "cures," and blame-shifting.
Ten apocalyptic years left Western alliances skeletal: major cities became necropolises, survivors cowering in scattered enclaves. Contrasting this desolation: Greenland's subterranean ark, stocked for elites, mocked surface-world misery.
Three zones emerged: Red Zones (total infection)Amber Zones (partial collapse)Green Zones (last bastions).
The vision ended with a bone-jarring thud. Zhao found himself in a wasteland - shattered storefronts grinning like skulls. Panic surged when the return portal vanished.
Within minutes, fever seized him, throat constricting. Frantic, he grabbed his emergency blue label softdrink (his 170cm/187lb frame's usual caffeine crutch). Gulping the cold liquid brought miraculous relief - symptoms vanished.
The portal reappeared as faint overpass silhouette. Crossing back brought spacetime compression agony. Familiar office district noise welcomed him - 8:35 AM. Though shaken, Zhao resolved to clock in normally. This secret demanded digestion before action. As he parked at the charging shed, the interdimensional gateway dissolved behind him... but the ordinary world now felt infinitely malleable.