Chapter 1

In the tranquil solar system that has existed for hundreds of millions of years, within the asteroid belt between Venus and Jupiter, a fist-sized stone glowed with a golden light, standing out starkly from the countless surrounding meteorites. It lay there quietly, seemingly asleep for many years.

On August 6, 2012, as NASA engineers cheered and celebrated the successful landing of the Curiosity Mars rover, this small stone seemed to be drawn by some force, gradually breaking free from the asteroid belt and drifting slowly toward the distant blue planet.

At this time, in a villa along the coast of Zhejiang, the protagonist, Han Xuan, was enjoying the pleasures of his summer break after his third year of college, completely unaffected by the upcoming internship, and was sound asleep in bed.

The oscillating fan hummed, and Han Xuan occasionally turned over, his ample body causing the small bed to sink suddenly. In his drowsy state, he scratched his belly, creating waves of movement.

As spring turned to autumn, the days passed, and the year slowly approached 2015. With Christmas approaching, the weather had become very cold, but Saudi Arabia, also in the Northern Hemisphere, was still basking in bright sunshine.

Due to work, Han Xuan followed his boss, Han Yong, to Dubai, a place envied and hated by many in our country. After just two years of work, Han Xuan, who got up early and worked late, adhering to the principle of arriving before his colleagues and leaving after them, finally climbed to the position of assistant to the chairman.

Of course, this was how Han Xuan saw it. If his colleagues knew what the fat man was thinking, they would have spit... no, covered his face with saliva.

There was no helping it; after all, the boss was his own father!

It took several months, but Han Xuan's father, Han Yong, finally secured a nearly billion-dollar project. Overjoyed, he took his son and employees on a night tour of Dubai.

On the observation deck of the 162-story, 828-meter-tall Burj Khalifa, which cost $1.5 billion, the fat man leaned against the railing, taking in the technologically advanced beauty of Dubai's night. It gave him a sense of grandeur, much like walking along the Huangpu River in Shanghai.

Behind him, in the bustling crowd, his father and the employees' eyes flickered. They could only see Han Xuan's moon-like buttocks, not the scenery at all.

Sighing, Han's father shook his head, his thin and lonely figure contrasting sharply with his son, creating a great sense of humor.

A certain unscrupulous employee couldn't help but think of the phrase "the neighbor's old Wang."

Looking out from the Burj Khalifa, the lights sparkled, and the roads, like the city's veins, crisscrossed and meandered. The sky was full of stars, and higher up, in the atmosphere, the small meteorite, after three years, finally accelerated due to gravity.

Unfortunately, due to its small size, it was completely invisible to the naked eye as a faint meteor.

At this moment, on the Burj Khalifa, Han Xuan, turning his neck (if you could call it that), looked at his father and opened his mouth to say, "Dad, I want to..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

In the next second, the meteorite hit the ground. With a loud boom, a massive figure fell from the tower.

Time froze at this moment. ...

In Montana, USA, the Missouri River meandered through the landscape. In the north of Great Falls, this vast prairie bordered Canada.

A two-story red-roofed wooden cabin stood by a birch forest. It was late summer, and the birch leaves were just beginning to turn yellow. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, and unknown birds chirped incessantly.

A gentle breeze rippled the nearby lake, and a small boat, about 5 meters long and painted a bright red, bobbed on the water, its oars moving with the waves. Occasionally, a large fish, about half a meter long, leaped out, indicating the richness of the area.

Cows grazed leisurely, and a calf followed its mother, their black and white figures scattered everywhere, with no fewer than thirty or forty in sight. A few Labradors watched the Merino sheep vigilantly, wagging their tails and baring their tongues, preventing any poachers from getting close.

In front of the wooden cabin, a Chinese man in his twenties, dressed neatly with a slight stubble on his face, was filled with anxiety. He reached into his pocket, took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and after a moment's thought, walked a few steps away from the house before lighting it with a trembling hand.

After finally lighting it, he took a deep puff and exhaled sharply, his eyes never leaving the house. Apart from the sound of footsteps, the woman's anguished screams continued to come from inside.

After a long time, the sky gradually darkened, and the cowboys herded the cattle into the pens, the sheep disappearing from sight. The cowboys, usually skilled at their tasks, were clearly distracted today, with grass leaves sticking to their pant legs. Although it was early autumn, the pasture still looked lush.

The protagonist, still in a daze, was like in a dream. Finally, the woman's screams stopped, and the man, who had been frozen in place, came to his senses. The cowboys quickened their pace, securing the cattle and sheep, and gathered at the door of the wooden cabin.

Soon, a nurse in a white uniform opened the door and smiled at the man, who was staring at her intently. "He's very healthy."

"He?" The man's brain was clearly short-circuited. He threw the cigarette butt to the ground, stomped on it a few times, and without hesitation, rushed into the house.

In the room, a young nurse lifted her slender fingers and gently slapped the baby's bottom.

"Wow!!"

The baby's cry suddenly rang out. The doctor and the mother laughed, the baby's cry strong and vigorous, the newborn weighing a full 10 pounds.

The newborn's mind was still unclear, and his eyes couldn't open, but in his drowsy state, Han Xuan still noticed that something seemed different...

The exhausted doctor was cleaning her hands. After washing them, she took the baby, wrapped him in a soft white cloth, and carefully handed him to the woman who had just become a mother.

The young man, who had just entered the room, stared at the baby in a daze. After a while, he came to his senses, approached the bed, and gently stroked his wife's pale face, saying softly, "Feng'er, you've worked hard."

The woman, lying in bed, though pale, still radiated beauty. She moved her gaze from the baby, looked up, and smiled, her black eyes full of joy. "Baby's dad, we have a baby!"

"Look, the baby really looks like me," the man said, still excited, his face flushed.

The mother, holding the baby, glanced at him for a while before rolling her eyes.

If Han Xuan were still conscious, he would have rolled his eyes even bigger, looking at his new father with resentment: "Look at this wrinkled little thing, what can you see!"

The doctor stood quietly by their side, and the young nurse helped tidy up, not wanting to interrupt this beautiful moment.

After the couple stopped whispering, the doctor spoke, smiling. "Mrs. Guo, Mr. Han, the baby looks very healthy. Please take him to the Montana State Hospital in Billings for a thorough check-up in a few days. They have the best equipment in Montana."

The couple finally realized there were others around. The man quickly said, "Doctor Lucy, Nurse Bella and Nurse Dale, thank you so much. You must be hungry after working all afternoon. I'll have someone prepare some dinner."

"No, we've already been here for four days. I need to return to Great Falls tonight to see my one-year-old daughter. I can still see her before she goes to sleep," Doctor Lucy said, blinking and smiling. "I envy you, having such a beautiful ranch. Living here is truly delightful. Asians are generally weaker, so please, Mrs. Guo, rest quietly for a while after giving birth. Nurse Bella will stay to take care of you. Don't worry, she's an excellent nurse."

Nurse Bella, who looked about 20 years old, blushed at the praise, her hands nervously crossed in front of her, unsure where to put them.

After speaking, the doctor bent down and tapped the baby's nose, smiling. "What a beautiful baby, he'll definitely grow up to be a handsome young man."

...

The sun finally set, and the hospital ambulance drove along the forest path, turning onto a wide dirt road, the dark soil pressed flat, extending to the edge of the prairie.

On both sides, the grass was bent by the evening breeze, and rabbits scurried into the grass. The red-cross-marked vehicle soon disappeared on the dirt road.

The male owner stood at the door, took out a pack of Marlboro cigarettes, and threw them to the cowboys waiting at the door.

There were about seven or eight men, all in their thirties, and one boy of about 14 or 15, dressed as a cowboy, who reached out to take a cigarette. At that moment, a large hand reached out from the crowd, grabbing the back of the boy's shirt.

The boy's hair, golden in the light, and his sapphire eyes, shining even in the dark, shouted without turning around, "Old John! I'm a man now! Grab me again and I'll punch you!"

"Good job, little John!" the cowboys cheered, but their voices were low, not wanting to disturb the resting woman.

The burly man responded with a direct action, slapping the boy's head and growling, "Brat, I'll teach you a lesson when we get home!"

"Good evening, boss, have a pleasant night with your wife." Old John then grabbed little John and walked toward the small wooden cabins to the east, the sound of slaps still heard occasionally.

The boy soon stopped talking and obediently followed his father home.

"Thank you for your concern, they are both safe," the male owner said, his joyous expression visible even in the starlight, to the cowboys.

"That's great news, we can rest easy. You should go to bed, boss, you haven't slept for two days and look exhausted."

"We should definitely have a grand celebration in a few days."

"Ha, I can't wait to see the baby, what a wonderful night. By the way, boss, do you want a raise?"

As the cowboys chattered, a 50-year-old old cowboy, with a face etched by time but a straight back, approached the light. He said with a strong voice, "Boss, the cattle and sheep are settled. A few days ago, some damn thieves stole a lamb. We found the body but not the thieves. Tomorrow, I'll take my rifle and give them a taste of bullets."

He then glanced at the young cowboys, "You useless ones who can't even take care of the Merino sheep, go to bed. You greedy guys, the boss already pays you well."

The cowboys didn't get angry, laughing, "Old Barton, just a joke, you're such a grumpy old man."

"Tomorrow, we'll have a shooting contest. I hear you were the top hunter in Montana in your youth?"

Old Barton took out a silver flask from his waist, took a sip, and said, "Of course, I'll show you young cowboys what I'm made of!"

He glared at them, annoyed by their doubt, and herded them like cattle, "Go, go, don't disturb the lady's rest."

He then turned to the still smiling man, "Boss, we'll come see the baby tomorrow. May God be with him!"

"Sure, don't forget to bring a gift for the baby!"

The man at the door smiled, nodded, and watched the cowboys walk away, then turned back into the house. Thinking of what Doctor Lucy had said, he tightly closed the windows and doors to keep the evening breeze out.

The night grew deeper.

Occasionally, the sounds of cattle and sheep could be heard, and in the distance, the howls of wolves from the snowy mountains. The moonlight shone on the snow-capped peaks, casting a silver glow.

By the red-roofed wooden cabin, three Labradors lay by the rose bushes, their nests filled with dry grass, their ears twitching as they continued to sleep.

Inside, the man quickly crossed the living room, climbed the spiral pine staircase, and gently opened the bedroom door.

Nurse Bella raised her hand to her mouth, signaling to be quiet.

The man carefully took off his leather shoes and stepped on the soft carpet.

Looking at the sleeping baby and mother, he couldn't help but smile brightly.

---

The night grew deeper, and the story continued.