Li Zhen and Bai Xiaodang looked at each other in unison—it was a local who spoke. It was a sturdy man, dressed in a white robe. Right now, there was a wall between him and the two of them—across the wall that Li Zhen had scratched with his fingers just now. It's just that now that an area of the wall has become transparent, it seems that such a "window" can appear in any part of the wall.

This seemed to mean that the man had been listening to the conversation between the two just now. However, this does not seem to be the other party's problem...... Because it was the two of them who "sent" themselves to the window of the house.

But what surprised Li Zhen and Bai Xiaodang was not just the sudden appearance of a person, but the attitude of this person at the moment. With a smile on his face, the man calmly looked at a man and a woman outside his house, as if he saw his neighbor knocking on the door and asking with a smile, "Have you eaten?"

This attitude made the two of them not know how to speak for a while. It stands to reason that the first thought should be: is there some conspiracy behind this? However, Li Zhen took two seconds to look at the man's face and realized that this person's attitude really seemed to be that kind of pure friendliness.

This kind of innocent look has not been seen by the two of them for a long time, let alone appear here and on the face of an adult.

So Li Zhen had to say after hesitating and being vigilant for a long time: "You...... Who are we? ”

"Wait a minute." The man said, then waved his hand—the walls turned opaque and milky white again. After more than ten seconds, the man appeared in front of them. He came out of the doorway on the other side, his hands empty. He didn't have any weapons with him, and he wasn't followed by anyone. In fact, when Li Zhen looked at the sky just now, most of the people in the town had already gathered near the central square, and there were indeed few people around.

"You're guests, aren't you?" The man smiled and said, "There have been more guests in recent years, and the two of you should be the fifteenth and sixteenth. ”

Bai Xiaodang raised his eyebrows in surprise: "I'm sorry, you mean - there are outsiders here?" I mean...... Do you know the world outside the Dao? ”

After saying this, she suddenly realized one more thing - she and Li Zhen are both Chinese, and they talk to each other in Chinese. And the man in front of him understood, and. He was talking to them in Chinese, too!

If it is in the outer world. It's not surprising that a Greek can speak Chinese – who doesn't know a few words of everyday conversation? However, this is "Olympus", and the people in it should be isolated from the world for a long, long time, right?

The man smiled tolerantly: "Of course we know the world outside the Dao. If you read it right, you two should be Chinese – my name is John Hutis. ”

He held out his hand as he spoke—this was not the etiquette of the ancient Greeks. Bai Xiaodang was stunned for a moment before realizing what the man named Huetis was going to do. She hesitated, then reached out to shake it.

Handshake ceremony. In the early years, it was quite common in the Empire. It is a more formal meeting etiquette. Lately, however, this has only been done by very old-fashioned people, or in very formal settings. Bai Xiaodang realized. Although Huetis said that they knew the world outside the Dao, the news channel may not be as smooth as she thought.

"I'm Li Zhen." Li Zhen also reached out and shook Huetis, hiding his surprise in his heart. Then he asked, "You just said we were guests—" and he knew that this was not appropriate. So he changed his words, "This is indeed a very magical place, it is not easy to get in, and it should be difficult for you to get out." ”

Huetis was smart, and he knew what Li Zhen was going to ask. But he didn't seem to mind the temptation, and explained with a smile: "It's a question that guests often ask. In fact, some of us will go out of the way—like me. ”

He made a comparison on his chest: "I graduated from Cambridge - a graduate of the class of '94. ”

"Cambridge, England?"

"Cambridge, England." "We're not as mysterious as you think, but we've always had limited contact with the outside world. After all, there are few of us, and we also need some knowledge, and that knowledge can only be drawn from the outside world. ”

"So, are you going to walk around town, or are you going to heaven now? The shuttle had just ascended to heaven, and it would take about six hours to get off. Huetis said.

Li Zhen and Bai Xiaodang glanced at each other, realizing that this way of talking was impossible to get the information they wanted. So he thought for a moment and said solemnly, "We broke in." I don't know what you mean by guest, but the two of us should not be on that list. In other words, we are more like intruders. ”

The look of surprise or panic he had imagined did not materialize. Huetis glanced at the two of them for a few moments and spread his hands: "Oh." Actually, I've known it for a long time - I did hear something just now. But if you can break in, you must be the same people as the guests—"

"You mean, the Mighty." Bai Xiaodang said.

"The Able." Huetis repeated, laughing, "That's a fitting word. However, it does not matter if you are not an invited, and there are records of people who have strayed into this place in the early years. The question is, what are you two going to do? If it's for some kind of friendly purpose, we're welcome to you, and you can even take in two people for a long time. ”

This kind of friendly attitude was beyond the expectations of the two, and it was precisely because of this that Li Zhen always felt that something was wrong. Perhaps because of Zeus's presence, the people here are not worried about the misguided entrants. And the attitude of the human beings here should reflect the attitude of Zeus to some extent - he is not very concerned about the unexpected worldly realm, and he is not even very concerned about the struggle between species and humans.

But Zeus could not have been unaware of the prophecy that the Old Gods would resurrect and destroy the world. In recent years, the world outside has been in shambles, and even the dullest ones should realize that the prophecy is not unfounded...... So how could he still hide here so safely?

The situation here has turned his original plan into a mess. Li Zhenzhi said that he is not a person who is good at planning, and now he can only "watch and do". He knew that Zeus must know more about the Tao than this man. But I don't know if that powerful species will talk to me as calmly as this person does.

So he said, "The purpose of the two of us...... Just wanted to take a look. You know, I still think everything around me is incredible, like an illusion. If I don't offend you, I want to ask - have you never wanted to go out into the world to live? ”

Huetis smiled—the kind of tolerant smile: "The world outside the world? No, it's hard for us to adapt to the outside world. You ...... over there," he tried to gauge the words, "it's too hard to live. ”

Li Zhen looked around. Behind him are vast fields with thriving crops. The pace of life here is indeed different from that of the Anthropocene outside - one is an agricultural civilization in a sense, and the other is a technological civilization. The pace of modern life is indeed fast, and these people who are used to the slow pace of life in an agricultural society do not feel used to it. But he's just trying to get a topic of conversation.

It's a pity that he didn't expect what Huetis would say next.

"You're mistaken." Huetis smiled and waved his hand, the tolerant smile on his face again. "I don't mean humans outside of you. Well...... Life is fast-paced, but we can't accept that kind of life at all — you know, work in exchange for pay, you call this kind of thing equivalent exchange. ”

He thought about it. Waving his hand: "Invite you to come to my house to talk." ”

Li Zhen and Bai Xiaodang wanted to see with their own eyes what the layout of the room was. Therefore, he readily agreed to his invitation.

When you enter the door, you feel that the door frame is very low. When I really walked in, I felt that everything was very weird. The house didn't look like an ordinary home's dwelling, but more like a cabin on an ocean-going freighter—most of the furnishings. Tables, chairs, and beds are all fixed and quite low.

But there's always the smell of humanity – there are stacks of clay-fired flower pots on the floor, and clay-fired dishes and cups on the table. It looks crudely made, like a beginner's work - there is no doubt that they belong to Huetis.

The room was much more concise than Li Zhen had imagined, and for a moment he had the illusion that Huetis was just a passerby.

The three of them sat on low stools. The bench surface is not flat, with some slight undulations and unevenness. Li Zhen realized that this might be based on some kind of "ergonomic" design, so that people can sit more comfortably. Unfortunately, this design is not suitable for the three people in the room, and it only feels a little hard to sit on.

Li Zhen and Bai Xiaodang glanced at each other - maybe this was not originally designed for the human body.

Huetis poured some kind of drink for the two of them in that rough clay cup—a dark green, slightly viscous. This kind of thing is easy to make people have bad associations, Li Zhen took the cup and put it on the table, not wanting to touch it.

So Huetis smiled and explained, "I made it myself." ”

Li Zhen couldn't help but look at the rough cup again, and would rather behave a little rudely than touch it.

He digressed the subject: "You just said - equivalent exchange. ”

"Yes." Heutis didn't force the two of them, rubbing the clay cup in his hand, "We can't accept that way of life—you have to work." You can only live if you work...... It's a scary thing to think about. ”

Bai Xiaodang frowned slightly, and blinked inexplicably: "But this is a natural thing." How do you realize your value without working? How do you get the approval of others? ”

Huetis also blinked: "Why should you be recognized by others?" What kind of work is a matter of course? Do you like to work? Or do you put most of your energy into something you don't really like? ”

Bai Xiaodang was stunned - it was the first time she had come into contact with someone who would say such things so justifiably. In her opinion, there was no logic in the other party, and she didn't even want to discuss such obvious things, so she said bluntly: "It's very simple - don't you need to work here?" What do you eat if it weren't for someone to take care of the fields outside? ”

Li Zhen didn't speak. Because the first thing that Huetis had on him was that he wasn't the kind of person who was messing around—though he had just said something suspicious. However, Li Zhen believes that there is a reason for this.

"I'm sorry, I was abrupt." Huetis didn't mind Bai Xiaodang's tone, but apologized, "I ignored that you are guests—you can't accept our ideas for a while. Outside the fields...... Indeed, we are fed. But that doesn't require anyone to work, there are automatics to take care of them. There are also automatic devices for harvesting and processing them. ”

"Our skill level here is a little higher than you think, and we'...... It's been a long, long time since you didn't need to live like you. Each of us has something we like to do and want to do – like I love to fiddle with these things. Huetis pointed to the pottery, "The difference in our habits, or morals, may be greater than we think." Perhaps it is a shame for you to be unmotivated and unmotivated. In our case, however, it is most shameful for a man to waste his time on something that interests him. ”

Bai Xiaodang was a little stunned when he heard this. It sounds succinct in a few words, but when you think about it deeply, you realize how much difference there is between the two ideas – so big that it's almost ridiculous.

However, Li Zhen's focus is not on this. He grabbed the other party's words and asked, "But what I don't understand is that on the one hand, some of you have to go to the outer world to gather knowledge. On the other hand...... Are you implying that your technology is much ahead of us? ”

"I'm not talking about technology. Mr. Li, but the technique. Huetis replied, "The vast scientific and technological potential of this world has not yet been fully grasped by us. So we also need your technology to compare it - so that we can grasp it more deeply. ”

Li Zhen realized that the other party was leading the topic to the matter that he was concerned about, so he asked more and more cautiously, "What do you mean...... Some of the technology here doesn't have you all? ”

Bai Xiaodang pursed his lips. realized that Li Zhen had asked the key point.

Huetis looked at the two of them with a smile. Shrugging slightly: "Oh." Yes. This place did not belong to us originally, it is a relic of the dinosaur civilization. ”

After he said this, the room was quiet for a while. Because neither Li Zhen nor Bai Xiaodang expected that this sentence would come out of the other party's mouth so lightly. It's as if he's not talking about a civilization that feels incredible. It's someone who lives next door.

Huetis smiled: "Why, aren't you two very interested in this matter?" ”

“…… Yes. Li Zhen forced himself to calm down, "You said that this is the remains of the dinosaur civilization, so ...... That is, it was not created by the Heavenly One? ”

"Which one?" Huetis was slightly stunned, then shook his head, "No...... I just found this place and found a way to open the door. Then they moved here to avoid trouble, and selected some people to live here together. You know, in earlier times, we couldn't have put the techniques here to the fullest use of what we do now—it was still a time of relying on manpower. A lot of things always need someone else to do to feel comfortable. ”

Li Zhen breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. This was not created by Zeus - this is undoubtedly excellent news. Otherwise, if Zeus's power could create such a vast world, he really didn't know how to face that god-like existence.

"So, how much do you know about that civilization?" Li Zhen asked. The question didn't really have much to do with what he was here for, he was just curious. But how many people can resist this curiosity? Everyone has been obsessed with ancient creatures that have long since disappeared when they were children, right? Once it is known, one of those ancient creatures has even established a civilization...... Such a temptation, how can it not make people itch.

Huetis doesn't seem to want to hide it on the subject. He patiently replied, "We know a lot. I know what they look like, how long they have existed, why they have left the earth, and where they have gone. ”

Another thunderclap exploded in Lee's heart, and he was stunned for a moment because of Huetis's phrase "What did they leave the earth for?" Does this mean...... The person in front of him also has insight into the secret of "the last day"?

But if that's the case, how can he sit here so peacefully, ignoring the wind and rain of the outside world??

The shock in Bai Xiaojing's heart was far greater than Li Zhen's. Therefore, she could no longer remain calm, so she stood up with a thud and asked in a slightly trembling voice, "Who are you?" ”

Huttis smiled and said, "Here, everyone calls me John Hutties." ”

Li Zhen looked at the man in front of him seriously, and asked in a deep voice, "What about elsewhere?" ”

Huetis laughed again: "Oh. Elsewhere - outside, you call me Zeus. ”

Bai Xiaodang tensed up. But she didn't act rashly – because the other party had been showing kindness. It is not clear whether it is "hypocrisy", but the use of force at this point will only make things worse. What's more, in the face of such an existence, her force seems insignificant.

Li Zhen laughed: "Hehe......"

Huetis shrugged: "I'm telling the truth. ”

"I believe it." Li Zhen sneered and said, "It's strange that you and your son like to do this—it's fun for you to pretend to be human?" ”

Zeus was also laughing: "Pretending to be a human? No, Mr. Lee. You've unleashed your powers when you're out there, but Enoch is still Enoch, and nothing has changed about him - you should realize that this is who we are. We, like your ancestors, are the closest to human beings...... Or that you are the closest to us. At first, you didn't ask me what my name was when I met outside – in fact names are just names and don't mean much. ”

"Okay. Zeus, then you have been waiting for us here, and you know what I have done to your son. ”

"Yes. It's glad you didn't kill him – even though he's an outcast. Zeus said, "I know a lot of things, Mr. Li, and I also know what your purpose is here." You want to get a portion of my power to make yourself strong, and then you want to fight that being, the Old God. ”

This time, Li Zhen couldn't calm down anymore. He stood up abruptly and roared, "Shut up!!" ”

Just for a moment, his forehead was already covered with cold sweat.

Zeus, however, laughed loudly: "Don't worry, Mr. Li." Here, it doesn't know the way. He drew another large circle: "The ancient gods cannot invade this realm, there is no such thing as this place for it. ”

And Bai Xiaodang turned his eyes to look at Li Zhen, and his face was inexplicably surprised.

She was not only surprised by Li Zhen's gaffe, but also surprised by what Zeus said. Li Zhen described the Old Gods at that meeting as terrifying, and any attendee would have thought that Li Zhen had succumbed to that power.

In fact, as a capable person, she really can't see the hope of defeating the other party. In such a situation, someone has to make a rational decision—she thinks that Li Zhen's decision at that time was reasonable.

He plans to keep some of them—the new humans he calls them—and migrate them to Mars, just as the dinosaur civilization did many, many years ago. Such a class can at least preserve the spark of civilization without completely extinction.

Li Zhen mentioned "a certain reason" many times at that meeting. Bai Xiaodang didn't know what the reason was, but since Li Zhen would rather say the existence of the ancient gods, he was reluctant to mention "that reason"...... She could imagine how terrible that thing would be.

There were many, many people who wanted to fight against the Old Gods, and before that, she herself had occasionally had such thoughts in her heart. However, when I came here, I saw the remnants of a civilization from the previous generation - they could even create a world out of thin air - and even that civilization was completely destroyed...... She finally realized the unimaginable power of the ancient god who was now in the middle of the ocean.

So she was even more surprised - it turned out that Li Zhen's previous "submission" was just an illusion? What is he planning to do?

And this plan may not be as simple as Zeus said, to gain more powerful power to fight against the ancient gods. The other party should have only pointed out the tip of the iceberg, but this has already made Li Zhen lose his temper.

She looked at Li Zhen in disbelief - this man should know best how powerful that being was. But even so...... He still doesn't want to give up??

Li Zhen took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

"Don't provoke it." He whispered, "Even if you were Zeus, you wouldn't understand how terrible it was. You've got one thing wrong - I'm not here to fight it, I'm just trying to get more say in the world outside. ”

However, Zeus looked at Li Zhen meaningfully, and only said "oh" after a long time.

"I don't care about the details." "I just want you to know that whatever you want to do, you're going in the wrong direction," he said. (To be continued......)