Chapter 16 A Meeting, A Dream

Lin Xian was indeed very interested in the movie *The Great Tree Ridge Grudge*.

After all, he really hadn't seen it. In contrast, he had seen many versions of Disney's *Alice in Wonderland*, and he knew the plot by heart. However, considering that this was her first time seeing a movie since birth, of course he should let her decide.

Although they now had plenty of money to watch both movies.

[But life is like this, even if you are omnipotent, you cannot watch two different movies at the same time.]

"Um..."

She rubbed her chin, her eyes hesitating back and forth between the two movie posters.

Finally.

She pointed to the animation poster on the right:

"Although that *Alice in Wonderland* is a dream, for Duonan Zhang Yuqian, those experiences will transform into wisdom and courage, allowing you to move forward bravely in life, without fear."

Are Americans really immune to *xia huo*? The US-Soviet Cold War was beginning to take shape, with undercurrents surging. "But that's a good thing."

[Einstein's presence in the Alice Woods suburbs is unusual.]

Heads up:

"I feel like I've eaten more candy today than in the past month combined."

According to what she said, she had lived in an orphanage since she was a baby, and hadn't seen Einstein pass by the door in over a decade; the first time she saw Einstein's car was at seventeen or eighteen, around 1945.

And she also completed her mission and task, awakened by her sister, and left the fantasy world...awakening in the real world.

Since then, Einstein had maintained a certain frequency of passing by the orphanage.

Suddenly, she saw a strange rabbit wearing clothes and a hat like a human, hurrying along.

Lin Xian shook his head.

But Lin Xian really needed a bowl of mung bean soup or egg drop soup.

Biting her lip.

Lin Xian spread his hands:

Whether it was staying at the Empire State Building hotel or eating snacks, the concept of "is it worth it" or "is it cost-effective" had long been ingrained in her bones, which was a little distressing.

"Lin Xian, there aren't many people, it feels like we've booked the whole place, what a steal!"

Lin Xian followed behind her, holding two large cups of Coke in his hands, and looked towards the movie screen.

"That night, you took me to a 30-cent hotel. Although that hotel was far less upscale than the Empire State Building hotel, and you had to sleep on the floor, I swear it was the most peaceful and coolest night I've ever slept."

Explosion, white light, mushroom cloud, newspaper, 1952, burning, Einstein. Wei Li said in a low voice:

"Is all of this just a dream?"

More *xia huo* snacks.

Most likely, the scene Wei Libin dreamed of was a real scene that happened in 1952, and now he was indeed piecing together many fragments. "Who turned you into a Qiannian Zhuang? Uh…"

Having said that.

"For the same amount of money, we can have the entire cinema and enjoy this movie alone."

In 1941, the "Manhattan Project" was launched, but Einstein was distrusted for political reasons, so he was excluded from the list.

Lin Xian also picked up a 1952 popcorn from his hand and put it in his mouth.

"I'm really happy, and very blessed. It would be more accurate to say that since I met you, I've been too happy, so happy that I dare not believe it's real."

"Zhang Yuqian is wandering in Wonderland in the fantasy world, and I am in Manhattan, isn't it the same?"

"Do you remember, Lin Xian? The prize I won at the balloon stall at the Brooklyn pier was an Alice doll. I really want to see what a moving Alice looks like."

"Here, you eat first, and poke me when you're done, and I'll grab some for you."

"But now, I've realized my dreams, I have beautiful clothes, I have wonderful memories, and I've met you, who is so good to me. I...I'm really scared..."

Checking something, deploying something, and preparing something there.

After passing through the ticket gate.

At this moment.

"I feel…"

In the end, the cowardly Zhang Yuqian defeated the Queen of Hearts, allowing the fantasy world to regain its tranquility.

Lin Xian echoed and said, "I said that meeting you was the luckiest thing in my life, and I truly meant it from the bottom of my heart. You gave me this life and fulfilled my dreams; but the more wonderful it is, the more afraid I am of losing it all."

Lin Xian closed his eyes.

Unfortunately, there were too few clues and information currently available, making it indeed difficult to deduce the truth. The Third World War was about to begin, and at this time...

Thinking further.

And for what purpose did they turn him into a Qiannian Zhuang? The last ray of light in the screening room dimmed.

Finding that she hadn't crawled into the rabbit hole, but was sleeping in her own yard, next to her stood her sister, calling her to wake up.

Out of curiosity, Zhang Yuqian followed the rabbit and crawled into a tree hole, arriving at the mysterious fantasy kingdom...

But the theory and timing were overwhelmingly in place, and the wheels of history could not be stopped. The atomic bomb was finally created successfully, and two mushroom clouds bloomed in the Cherry Blossom Country.

Dazzling lights came on, making the entire screening room as bright as day, giving one a sense of being in another world.

She continued to pinch Lin Xian's sleeve. In the gentle music of the animated ending song, her eyes flickered and her voice became low and沉again:

Seeing that Lin Xian had the same idea as himself, she smiled happily and grabbed a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into Lin Xian's hand:

"That time was so wonderful, so wonderful that it was like a dream. I remember every single detail clearly and I will never forget it."

"The next day, you took me to Coney Island, and you took me to eat hot dogs. It was the first time in my life that I had eaten something so delicious."

Her right arm continued to hold the popcorn bucket, while her left hand pinched Lin Xian's sleeve, pinching it tightly, as if if she let go...she would disappear.

Every frown and smile of the animated characters on the screen touched her heart; she would laugh softly or frown slightly, as if the one adventuring in the dream was not little Zhang Yuqian but the one holding the popcorn bucket.

And it was so regular, coming every few months.

Then he took a sip of Coke with a straw, sat up straight, and began to eat popcorn one by one, silently waiting for the movie to start.

In 1939, he wrote to US President Roosevelt, proposing the possibility of manufacturing an atomic bomb; he suggested that the US immediately begin researching the atomic bomb. He was the instigator of all of this.

"Whether it's Zhang Yuqian or you, we have all gained something very important and very wonderful in our lives; she wanders in Wonderland, and you stroll in Manhattan, it does sound a bit similar."

Recalling Zhang Yuqian's trembling voice as she woke up from her dream:

"It really is a very pleasant family movie, isn't it?"

The two entered the movie screening room and sat down in the golden seats in the eighth row according to their ticket numbers.

Lin Xian fell into deep thought. Recalling the keywords of Brooke's wonderful dream:

Einstein's strange behavior in Alice Woods was also related to the atomic bomb? "Then let's watch this one. I still have a good eye. Decades later, *Alice in Wonderland* is still an immortal masterpiece; while *The Great Tree Ridge Grudge* has long been forgotten by mankind. People only know the name of the lead actor [Kirk Douglas], but never mention this movie again."

She was really "calculating" when it came to spending money.

He whispered, his voice covered by the screams of the animated characters in the movie, unheard by anyone. "We met on October 28th, and I still remember the scene. You stole a newspaper from a large white child, and I shouted to stop you, and then we ran away together, officially starting the story of being with you."

"You also took me on a roller coaster, you took me on a carousel, you took me on a Ferris wheel, and at night you magically knocked those gangsters to the ground, it was even more amazing than the plot in the movie."

And she was not as happy as one might imagine, but instead worried and frowned; she even pursed her lips, feeling a little lost.

[Whether it's Brooke, Chu Anqing, or the dream from 600 years ago...actually

What they dreamed of was what the first-generation Qiannian Zhuang saw and heard in 1952?]

The more he thought about it, the further and more outrageous it became.

"Let me see, the address of the movie theater, oh, it's right next door, just around the corner, let's go."

She blinked her eyes.

It was just like..."Would Lin Xian disappear when I wake up?"

The showtimes at this time of day did not have many viewers, only a few. She looked up at Wei Li.

Next to her, she opened her eyes wide and watched very carefully.

On the screen, little Zhang Yuqian was eating a cake and turning into a giant, absurd and full of imagination. So far.

Tomorrow, I must soothe my throat tomorrow. Lin Xian asked.

"Afterwards, you bought me a wedding dress, took me across the small bridge in Alice Woods, took me to the top of the Empire State Building to overlook Manhattan, we watched the snow together and made a wish."

"I feel, my current situation is very similar to Zhang Yuqian's."

Lin Xian also turned his head and began to enjoy the movie.

"But...aren't these all things to be happy about? Why are you feeling sad and lost instead?"

Her vision was blurred:

"What's wrong with you?"

Couldn't figure it out. Lin Xian opened his eyes. Was there a possibility…

That day, she was wearing a blue dress and a white apron, playing in the yard.

In 1905, he proposed the special theory of relativity and the famous mass-energy formula e=c2, laying the theoretical foundation for the discovery and utilization of atomic energy. This was the beginning of everything.

"Actually, I wasn't like this before. I didn't have anything before, I was never afraid of losing anything, I wasn't even afraid of dying in the streets because I had no relatives, no worries, no attachments, I was originally a nobody."

Holding the extra-large bucket of popcorn in her arms even tighter: "Okay."

Zhao Yingjun had analyzed that all the dreams of Qiannian Zhuang were interconnected, continuous, and the same story from the same period.

She didn't even want to blink her eyes.

Lin Xian was amused by this habitual thriftiness.

"Although I'm interested in both movies, I still prefer this *Alice in Wonderland*."

Why didn't he just stay in Princeton, what was he doing running to the suburbs of Wei Libin for?

It was precisely the story experienced by the first-generation Qiannian Zhuang in 1952!

Originally wanting to watch a movie happily and spend a wonderful day in Manhattan, how could it backfire?

Shaking his head:

Einstein's life seemed to be inextricably linked to the atomic bomb. Abandoning distracting thoughts. "The possibility is very high." Sweet and greasy.

According to the map, the two arrived at the dazzling movie theater. This was indeed a very key year. "Everyone is indignant." "Right!"

Lin Xian pursed his lips.

American food really contains too much sugar. Even a popcorn is made so sweet that it burns my throat continuously. On the movie screen, Zhang Yuqian opened her eyes. Lin Xian muttered.

Sigh.

Because their dictionaries don't have the words *xia huo*, so they are immune to this mysterious Eastern power?

That afternoon, you took me to the highlands of Alice Woods; it was the first time I looked out over Manhattan from the highlands corridor."

Einstein's behavior was also difficult to understand. Lin Xian nodded:

More than half of this animated movie had passed, and little Zhang Yuqian, after experiencing so many trials and tribulations, became brave and strong, and began to fight the evil queen.

Lin Xian really couldn't muster any interest in this old animation.

As the music started, a beam of light lit up from the front and shone on the screen, and colorful images jumped out, and the animation officially began.

After entering, they bought two movie tickets, and naturally the standard popcorn + large cup of Coke was a must.

It was probably also due to the choice of movie showtimes. Generally, family-friendly animated movies like *Wei Libin's Alice in Wonderland* were mostly watched by parents with their young children during the day.

Since then, Einstein has fallen into deep self-blame, remorse, and depression and fear gradually crushed his spirit.

Just now, this plain yet exciting wonderful journey was just a dream. "Indeed, it's a steal."

I turned my head to look at the boy, who was staring intently and could dissipate into blue stardust at any time, turning into a Qiannian Zhuang to be hammered down. Perhaps, it would soon be revealed. "Atomic bomb."