I fabricated myths to guide the revival of spiritual energy.

Hongyashan Astronomical Observatory, 1 a.m.

Li Mo's hands were still trembling.

He had played that 0.43-second video over and over again a full thirty times. Each time it was played, his belief in physics, built up over twenty years, crumbled.

The displacement trajectories of those seven stars cannot be explained by any known mathematical model. They are as if they were arbitrarily tugged by a lasso, full of... a "human" sense of randomness.

"Humanization"—this is the word that most terrifies Li Mo.

The universe should be cold, objective, and lifeless. If the universe exhibits "randomness," it can only mean one thing:

There is an unseen hand that is manipulating this starry sky.

"Never mind... we have to report it."

Li Mo gritted his teeth, grabbed the secure phone on the table, and dialed the number he usually only dared to send text messages to during the Chinese New Year.

That was his mentor, Professor Wang Jianguo, a leading figure in Chinese astrophysics.

The phone rang for a long time before being answered. A frail voice, gruff with the urge to wake up, came from the other end: "Who is it? In the middle of the night..."

"Teacher, it's me, Xiao Li. I'm at Hongya Mountain." Li Mo's voice was dry, as if he were swallowing sand. "I detected a set of... abnormal data. The Big Dipper has moved."

There was a full five seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

Then came Wang Jianguo's suppressed roar of anger: "Li Mo! Are you drunk? Or have you gone mad from staying on the mountain? Stellar displacement? That's a scale of tens of thousands of years! You're telling me you saw it all night?"

"Teacher, it's true! I have video footage, I have spectral analysis! Just now, at 0:45, for 0.43 seconds! This wasn't atmospheric disturbance, because the background stars were completely still; only the Big Dipper moved!" Li Mo practically shouted into the microphone, tears welling in his eyes. "This violates the laws of physics, but I really saw it!"

"...Send the raw data to my email now."

Wang Jianguo hung up the phone.

Li Mo slumped in his chair, listening to the howling wind outside the window, feeling as if the whole world was drifting away from him.

……

At the same time, in a sheltered mountain hollow three kilometers away from the observation station.

A dark green single tent was hidden in the darkness. Inside the tent, a camping lamp emitted a dim, yellowish glow.

Gu Qing sat cross-legged on the moisture-proof mat, holding a notebook in her hand, writing and drawing on it.

In front of him, the system's semi-transparent panel still floated, and the data on it was undergoing subtle changes.

[Current Script: The Twinkle of the Stars (Completed)]

[Settlement in progress...]

[Primary Observer (Li Mo) Confidence Contribution: +12 points (Deepened Fear)]

[Secondary Observer (Wang Jianguo) Credibility Contribution: +3 points (Doubt and Shock)]

Current Credit Balance: 20 points

"Indeed, only by breaking through conventional wisdom can we extract the most trust."

Gu Qing put down his pen, his gaze turning deep as he looked at the slowly rising numbers.

As a "behind-the-scenes director" who has just acquired the system, he is quickly analyzing its underlying logic. This is not just a cheat code, but more like a set of rigorous business rules.

The system gave him three core concepts, which will form the foundation for his future world-shaking endeavors:

First, there's the script.

It's not as simple as just fabricating a ghost or deity to convince people. If Gu Qing were to directly manifest a Buddha flying in the sky, modern people's first reaction would definitely be "holographic projection" or "mirage".

A good script must be logical. Like peeling an onion, it should first present the phenomenon, then provide clues, guide people to discover and deduce on their own, and finally let them come to their own conclusion: "So the myth is true."

They will only believe in the truth that humans themselves deduce.

Second, is [faith].

This is currency, and it is also energy.

There are two sources of confidence: one is "belief" and the other is "emotion".

It's difficult to get someone to believe in mythology; but it's easy to make someone feel fear, awe, or awe towards the unknown.

Li Mo didn't believe the "twinkling of the stars" was a miracle; he only felt immense fear and a collapse of his understanding. But it still gave Gu Qing confidence.

"First, break through their defenses with fear, then fill the gap with miracles." Gu Qing wrote this sentence in his notebook.

Third, there are the actors.

That's the most interesting part.

The system does not provide actors; all living beings in the world are potential actors for Gu Qing.

Li Mo is an actor because he is the first to discover the truth, and his horrified report is part of the script.

Wang Jianguo is an actor, and his authoritative endorsement will be key to the spread of the myth.

In the future, those wealthy people who are obsessed with cultivating immortality, special forces soldiers who risk their lives to explore ancient ruins, and scientists who go bald trying to explain spiritual energy... they are all actors.

"I only have 20 points of faith right now."

Gu Qing looked at the panel and frowned slightly.

What can you do at 20 PM?

Manifesting a flying sword? Not enough, you need at least 500 points.

Manifesting a monster? Not enough, you need at least 1000 points.

To manifest a Taoist priest who can generate thunder? That would require at least 5000 points.

"Although few, it's enough to plant a seed."

Gu Qing slid his finger through the air and opened the system's [Shop Exchange List (Beginner)].

This contains only basic props, mostly used for "scenery".

Basic Fog (range 500 meters): 5 points of Faith.

Faint Aura (Untouchable): 2 points of Faith.

Immortal Matter (a small piece): 10 Faith Points.

Magnetic field disorder in the designated area: 8 points of information.

Gu Qing's gaze swept across the list, finally settling on an inconspicuous option.

【Antique-finished traces (Master level): 3 points of credibility】

A slight smile curved his lips.

"Myths cannot be baseless. If you want people to believe that the gods have returned, you must first make them believe that the gods have been here."

Gu Qing stood up and walked out of the tent.

The wind outside was still biting cold, and the night sky over Kunlun Mountain returned to its deathly silence, as if nothing had happened.

But he knew that Professor Wang, thousands of kilometers away in Beijing, probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

"System, locate."

Gu Qing silently recited in his heart.

A three-dimensional topographic map unfolded before his eyes. He looked at a valley not far from here—an ancient riverbed in the Kunlun Mountains, which had long since dried up due to tectonic movements and was buried under thick loess and gravel.

"Let's just leave it there."

Gu Qing wrapped his down jacket tighter, picked up an entrenching tool, and walked into the depths of darkness.

He's going to plant a lie.

Or rather, it sowed the seeds for what would soon be regarded as "truth" by the whole world.

……

Time: 3:00 AM

[Location: Professor Wang Jianguo's home in Beijing]

Wang Jianguo, dressed in his pajamas, stared intently at the computer screen.

The screen displays the raw data packet sent by Li Mo.

As a leading figure in the industry, he instinctively wanted to find evidence of Li Mo's operational errors. For example, a loose telescope base, a faulty data cable connection, or a bug in the image processing software.

but.

All the data was perfect and flawless.

The redshift of the spectrum changed dramatically at that moment, and the gravitational wave detector even recorded a very faint but real oscillation.

At that moment, Wang Jianguo felt as if he were sitting not on a leather sofa, but on the edge of a cliff.

He shakily took off his reading glasses, picked up his phone, and dialed a number for an important person who should absolutely not be disturbed at this time—the director of the National Astronomical Observatories.

The call was connected.

"Old Wang? What happened?"

Wang Jianguo took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound like a scientist rather than a madman.

"Director, please request access to the backend records of the 'Sky Eye' radio telescope... Yes, just now at 0:45."

"reason?"

Wang Jianguo looked out at the dark night sky and said in a low voice:

"The reason is... tonight, our physics may need to be rewritten."