Summer, C.E. 55
Five-year-and-six-month-old Nangong Wentian crouched in the corner of the back kitchen, facing a set of "equipment" more complex than what he had three months ago.
Two old batteries salvaged from a dump, a thin copper wire—stripped from a discarded motor, a broken bowl filled with water, and two carbon rods scavenged from a flea market.
His hands were steadier than they were three months ago.
"What are we making today?" Xiao Guang squatted beside him, his eyes sparkling. At ten years and three months old, he had become a regular visitor to this "grease-stained laboratory."
Nangong Wentian didn't answer directly. Instead, he stripped the insulation from both ends of the copper wire, wrapping the exposed metal around the two carbon rods. Then he placed the rods in the water, keeping them apart and not touching.
"See these black rods?" He pointed at the carbon rods. "If we connect electricity to them, bubbles will form in the water."
Xiao Guang leaned in closer. "Bubbles? Like the ones fish blow?"
"Different." Nangong Wentian picked up the two old batteries. "These are bubbles made using electricity."
He deliberately used the English word. It was strange for a five-year-old to know the word "electricity," but Xiao Guang didn't understand, mistaking it for some odd pronunciation.
"How do we make them?"
Nangong Wentian didn't answer. Instead, he began connecting the circuit. This was a simple electrolysis setup—using batteries in series to increase voltage, carbon rods as electrodes, and ordinary tap water as the electrolyte.
He needed to confirm one thing: whether the basic chemical principles underlying Minovsky Physics were valid in this world.
The Minovsky Particle was the core technology of the UC Era, but its foundation was built upon existing physical and chemical laws. If electrolysis of water didn't work here, it would mean the entire UC technological system might be invalid.
Therefore, this experiment was crucial.
"Don't touch here." Nangong Wentian pointed at the exposed copper wire. "It'll tingle."
Xiao Guang obediently pulled his hand back, but his eyes remained fixed, unblinking.
Nangong Wentian took a deep breath and connected the final wire.
Instantly, fine bubbles began to form in the water. Around the carbon rods, countless tiny bubbles rose and burst at the surface.
"There are bubbles!" Xiao Guang exclaimed in a hushed, excited voice. "They're really there!"
Nangong Wentian stared at the bubbles, his heart racing. Electrolysis of water—the most basic chemical experiment—should hold true in any world. But the moment he saw it confirmed with his own eyes, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
Hydrogen and oxygen. Decomposed from water.
This proved the chemical laws of this world were completely consistent with those in his memory.
"What are these bubbles?" Xiao Guang asked.
Just as Nangong Wentian was about to answer, he noticed one bubble near a carbon rod was slightly larger than the others. Before he could react—
Pop!
A soft sound, and a small flame flickered up from the water's surface, extinguishing instantly.
Xiao Guang flinched backward in fright, almost losing his balance. Nangong Wentian also instinctively recoiled, but his eyes remained locked on the water.
That was the flame of burning hydrogen.
He was so focused on observing that he forgot hydrogen-oxygen mixture would ignite upon encountering the tiniest spark from the carbon rod. Though only for an instant, it truly burned.
"It's... it's on fire!" Xiao Guang's face turned pale.
"Shh—" Nangong Wentian raised a finger to his lips, lowering his voice. "It's fine, it's already out."
He quickly disconnected the wires, and the water surface returned to calm. A faint, charred smell lingered in the air but soon dissipated.
Xiao Guang covered his mouth, his eyes wide as saucers. After several seconds, he whispered, "Was that... fire just now?"
"Yes." Nangong Wentian gazed at the water, a slow smile spreading across his lips. "It was fire."
The first combustion.
In this world, he had personally created the first combustion.
Though it was only a fleeting spark, though it nearly caused an accident, it proved—
The foundations of Minovsky Physics were valid.
The basic chemical principles of GN Particles were valid.
The roots of the three great systems were all present.
"Why are you smiling?" Xiao Guang stared at him in alarm. "It almost caught fire!"
Nangong Wentian reined in his smile and turned to look at him seriously. "Xiao Guang, don't tell anyone about what just happened."
Xiao Guang was taken aback. "Why?"
"Because..." Nangong Wentian thought for a moment, searching for a reason a ten-year-old could understand. "Because we were playing with fire without adult supervision, and we'd get scolded."
Xiao Guang pondered this and nodded. "Right, Sister Mary said children shouldn't play with fire."
"So we weren't playing with fire." Nangong Wentian pointed at the crude setup. "We were conducting an experiment. But adults wouldn't understand—they'd just scold us. So we can't say anything."
Xiao Guang thought again and nodded emphatically. "Got it! This is our secret!"
"Right, our secret."
A look of mysterious excitement spread across Xiao Guang's face, as if he had joined some remarkable organization. He leaned in and whispered, "So what is this experiment for?"
Nangong Wentian looked at the bowl of water and fell silent for a while.
"To prove something."
"What?"
"To prove... that this world is just as we thought."
Xiao Guang scratched his head, not understanding. But he didn't press further. Instead, he crouched down and stared at the bowl of water. "Can you make that fire again?"
"Yes, but we have to be careful." Nangong Wentian pointed toward the kitchen door. "Go keep watch by the door. Cough if someone comes."
Xiao Guang nodded solemnly, tiptoed to the doorway, and peered out with half his head.
Nangong Wentian reconnected the circuit. This time, he was more cautious, covering the parts that might spark with a damp cloth. Bubbles rose again, but there was no combustion.
He stared at the bubbles, countless images flashing through his mind—
Minovsky Particles flowing within an I-Field, GN Particles surging from a Solar Furnace, a Beam Saber slicing through MS Armor...
Those were things of the future.
But now, he had taken the first step.
"Anyone coming?" he asked.
"No!" Xiao Guang replied without turning his head.
Nangong Wentian pulled a small folded paper box from his pocket, carefully extended it to the water's surface, and collected some of the bubbles. He knew it was hydrogen, mixed with oxygen, but it was good to collect it anyway.
"What are you doing?" Xiao Guang couldn't help but glance back.
"Collecting those bubbles."
"What can it do?"
"It can be used in the future... to start a fire."
Xiao Guang's eyes lit up: "Like a lighter?"
"Something like that."
Xiao Guang excitedly turned back to continue keeping watch, but his shoulders were clearly trembling—he was giggling.
Nangong Wentian looked at his back, a complex emotion welling up in his heart. This ten-year-old child didn't yet know what he was involved in. He simply thought it was "fun," "mysterious," "like an adult."
But one day, he would find out.
Nangong Wentian carefully placed the paper box containing the collected hydrogen to the side and began disassembling the device. The battery had to be stored properly, the copper wire hidden, the carbon rods dried...
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the window.
Xiao Guang immediately coughed loudly twice.
Nangong Wentian moved even faster, swiftly stuffing everything into the old wooden box, closing the lid, then standing up as if nothing had happened and walking over to the stove, pretending to look at the large pot.
The back kitchen door was pushed open, and someone walked in.
It wasn't the cook Tanaka, but a stranger—wearing gray work clothes, a badge pinned to his chest, holding a folder in his hand.
Nangong Wentian's gaze lingered on the badge for a moment. He didn't recognize the pattern on it, but he could clearly make out the small text below—
"Orb Energy Agency."
The stranger glanced at the two of them, his gaze resting on Nangong Wentian for a second before shifting away to scan the back kitchen.
"Kids, is this the back kitchen?" he asked.
Xiao Guang nodded nervously.
"Where's the cook?"
"I... I don't know..."
The stranger frowned, turned, and walked out toward the front courtyard.
The footsteps gradually faded away.
Xiao Guang let out a long sigh of relief, slumping weakly against the doorframe: "That scared me..."
Nangong Wentian also relaxed, but he stared in the direction the stranger had left, a thought flashing through his mind.
What was someone from the Orb Energy Agency doing at the orphanage?
He quietly followed, hiding behind a corner to watch.
The stranger was talking to Sister Mary in the front courtyard. It was too far to hear what they were saying, but he saw Mary shake her head, point toward the back kitchen, and shake her head again.
The stranger nodded, turned, and left.
Mary stood at the doorway, watching him walk away, then sighed and turned back inside.
Nangong Wentian quietly slipped back into the kitchen.
Xiao Guang was still leaning against the doorframe. Seeing him return, he whispered, "Is that person gone?"
"Yeah."
"What did he come here for?"
Nangong Wentian shook his head. He didn't know, but he remembered the badge, remembered the words "Orb Energy Agency."
Maybe one day, this information would be useful.
"Xiao Guang," he said, "you absolutely cannot tell anyone about what happened today."
Xiao Guang nodded solemnly: "I know! This is our secret!"
"Right, our secret."
Nangong Wentian walked back to the old wooden box, lifted the lid, and looked at the simple equipment inside.
The first combustion.
Even if it was just a tiny flame for a moment, even if they were almost discovered, even if no one knew its significance—
He knew.
The physical laws of this world matched his memories. The knowledge in his mind wasn't an illusion.
It could become reality.
It just needed time, effort, and step-by-step accumulation.
He closed the lid of the wooden box and stood up.
Outside the window, the man from the Orb Energy Agency had already walked away, his figure disappearing into the afternoon sunlight.
Nangong Wentian gazed in that direction and murmured softly, "Someday, I'll come back."
Xiao Guang didn't catch it clearly. "What?"
"Nothing." Nangong Wentian turned around. "Let's go, it's time to eat."
The two walked out of the back kitchen. Sunlight spilled over them, casting two uneven shadows on the ground.
One was ten years old, the other five.
One was naive, the other clear-headed.
But at this moment, they walked side by side, like true companions.