The next day, after the money hit his account, Cao Ge slung his bag over his shoulder and left the house.
He exited the community, found a real estate agency, and inquired about the rental situation in various districts of Beijing. Eventually, with the help of a housing agent, he rented a detached house.
Without any delay, he immediately moved into the luxurious community with his luggage and settled in.
The area was a villa community with a very serene and beautiful environment, which pleased Cao Ge immensely.
Even more coincidentally, he discovered that his neighbor was Wei Cheng, the husband of Shen Yufei, a member of the scientific frontier.
Wei Cheng didn't have a strong presence in the Three-Body World, but he was indeed a math talent with enormous potential. Since he was developing artificial intelligence, Wei Cheng might be able to lend a hand.
Cao Ge stood in the yard, peering through the iron fence at the slovenly man in a red top and gray casual pants, pacing ceaselessly in the next yard with a full beard on his face.
"Maybe I can find an opportunity to recruit him into my company," Cao Ge thought to himself.
Just as he was pondering how to recruit the man into his company, Wei Cheng next door suddenly shouted and then mumbled to himself as he walked into the house, as if he had been struck by inspiration and then continued with his calculations.
"Bang!"
Shaking his head at the loud door slam, Cao Ge stopped thinking about it.
He headed straight out the door.
Since the Earth Three-Body Organization has not yet been taken down by the government, it was pointless for him to think too much.
After leaving the house, Cao Ge went to the Administration for Industry and Commerce to register his company, which he named Galaxy Science & Technology Co., Ltd.
With the company registration complete around five, an exhausted Cao Ge returned home.
While he lay on the sofa with his eyes closed, resting, his phone rang again.
Maintaining his supine position, Cao Ge stretched out his hand, pulled the phone from his pants pocket, pressed the answer button, and held it to his ear.
"Hello."
"Brother Cao, I've got a big issue here, and I might need you to come over," Da Shi said on the other end of the phone in a very serious tone.
"What's the big issue? Can't you say it over the phone?" Cao Ge said, tiredly.
"It's too complicated to explain over the phone, Brother Cao. You'd better come over. I'll send someone to pick you up right now," Da Shi said.
After a moment's thought, Cao Ge agreed, "Okay, but I've moved. Please come to Shanshui Community to pick me up."
"Alright, I'll send someone to you immediately," Da Shi replied.
Cao Ge hung up the phone, tossed it on the sofa, then got up from the sofa, took a sip of the cola on the table, and refreshed himself.
About half an hour later, Da Shi called to say he had arrived at the entrance of Shanshui Community.
After a brief conversation, Cao Ge grabbed his bag and left the house.
When he reached the entrance of the community, Da Shi's car had just pulled up in front of him.
"Brother Cao, I haven't seen you in a few days, and you've moved here? Did you rob a bank?" Da Shi said in surprise as he glanced at the lavish community behind Cao Ge.
"That kind of illegal activity is not an option. Otherwise, the next time we meet might be behind bars," he joked.
"Officer Shi, you can't go around saying that. People who don't know might think I've actually done something criminal."
"Didn't I study computer science? I developed a piece of software and sold it for some money, that's why I moved here," Cao Ge explained.
"Oh," Da Shi appeared to understand.
"Right, you said you needed me for something. Why are you still in the mood for small talk?" Cao Ge walked past Da Shi, opened the passenger door, and got in.
Seeing Cao Ge get into the car, Da Shi also entered, started the engine, turned the steering wheel, and drove away from Shanshui Community.
"So, what do you need me for?" Cao Ge leaned on the passenger seat and looked at Da Shi as he asked.
"Do you still remember Wang Miao?"
"Yes, Professor Wang who specializes in nanotechnology. I recall once, when I attended the Science Frontier Conference, I had no ride, and he gave me a lift," Cao Ge replied.
"That's right, it's that Professor Wang. He's run into some trouble."
"What happened?" Cao Ge asked, frowning in confusion.
The question arose because Da Shi's words were very strange.
"I'm not entirely sure myself. All I know is that he seems to have encountered some weird stuff. He says he's seeing a countdown in front of his eyes, and even claims the whole universe is winking at him."
"What countdown? How can the universe wink at him? Officer Shi, what are you talking about?" Cao Ge asked, his brow furrowing even more.
Although Cao Ge knew what Da Shi was talking about, he still pretended not to understand because Da Shi hadn't made himself clear.
Meeting Cao Ge's puzzled gaze, Da Shi said, "I already told you I don't understand it, which is why I'm asking you to take a look."
"In any case, you'll understand once you get there."
Having said that, Da Shi fell silent and stepped on the gas, speeding towards the operations center.
Half an hour later.
Da Shi led Cao Ge into the operations center, then into an office that had been converted from a storage room.
Shocked by the folders scattered all around, Cao Ge walked into the office.
"Professor Wang, I've brought Brother Cao to see you. If there's anything you don't understand, ask him directly. Tell him about what you've encountered; perhaps, all this bizarre and weird stuff can be explained," Da Shi said to Wang Miao, who sat on the sofa with a dejected mood.
As Cao Ge approached, he looked at the lethargic middle-aged man in front of him and was quite taken aback. Was this the same renowned scholar Wang Miao he had met before?
"Professor Wang, what have you been up to these past few days? How did you end up like this?" Cao Ge glanced at Officer Shi, then turned back to Wang Miao with curiosity.
Wang Miao didn't answer him, but instead held his head in his hands, looking despondently at the ground.
At that moment, Cao Ge noticed an unopened lunch box on the office desk.
"Ah, there's food! Thank goodness. It's been a busy day, and I haven't had dinner yet. Let me eat a bit first." Seeing that Wang Miao didn't feel like talking and feeling quite hungry himself, Cao Ge sat down and unceremoniously began eating without asking to whom the food belonged.
In his view, since he had sacrificed his dinner time to come here and provide technical guidance, a bowl of food was certainly entitled to him.
"Officer Shi, if Professor Wang won't talk, then you tell me."
"Alright, I'll do it," said Da Shi, glancing at Wang Miao's dispirited form and then bravely beginning to speak.
But before he could start, Wang Miao on the sofa took the initiative to speak.
"I can see a countdown. This countdown isn't on a wall or on paper; it's in my eyes," Wang Miao said despairingly, as if to convey the absurdity.
"You're saying the countdown is on your retina," Cao Ge considered and then responded.
"Exactly, on my retina, and it keeps ticking down."
"Right, Brother Cao, let me add something. This countdown disappears as soon as Professor Wang stops his nanotech experiments," interjected Officer Shi suddenly.
Cao Ge thought for a moment and then asked, "When did this countdown first appear?"
"The countdown started after Professor Wang was involved with the Science Frontier, and the method to stop the nano experiments was suggested by Shen Yufei," continued Officer Shi, chipping in.
"After you stopped the experiments, did the countdown continue?"
"No, it didn't."
"When I stopped the experiments, the countdown in my eyes disappeared," Wang Miao said, looking somewhat dispirited.
"Brother Cao, do you think it's possible, with current technology, to project a set of numbers onto a person's retina in such a way that the person wouldn't notice it?"
Cao Ge glanced at Officer Shi and then said, "As far as I know, it seems impossible."