Final Ending

"Potatoes!! These are potatoes!!!"

Alfred threw himself into the potato field, and the few in charge of planting the potatoes immediately showed displeasure, with the eldest white man among them about to pull Alfred away when Lu Yuanming immediately stopped him.

At the same time, Lu Yuanming asked Alfred, "I'm curious, Mr. Alfred, as soon as you heard we were growing potatoes, you ran over here, shouting and screaming. I know this is related to our future food supply and logistics, but is it really worth such surprise?"

Alfred wiped away a tear, stood up, walked over to Lu Yuanming, and then knelt down solemnly, "I really start to believe that you're the Messiah. Even if not in the religious sense, you are truly humanity's Messiah... After countless tests and confirmations, we've finally determined that aside from humans, no other life forms on Earth can undergo dark matter transformation, or soulification, if you will, you understand?"

"Yes, you've said, except for sentient beings..." Lu Yuanming paused mid-sentence, then hastily asked, "Plants can't either!?"

"You get it now?"

Alfred looked towards the two acres of potatoes as if gazing at light and hope, and then said, "New York City was the first city on Earth to dimensionally collapse into the Dark Matter World, followed by the surrounding cities, then cities around the world. According to Dr. Tang Zhe'an's dimensional collapse model calculations, the closer to the edge of New York City you go, the more distortion and overlap phenomena occur, whereas the more central urban areas tend to be safer. All major human settlements will dimensionally collapse into the Dark Matter World in a similar way, until the entire Earth completely falls into dark matter. This will tear a rift in the Material Universe into the dark matter, starting at the speed of light spreading to the surroundings, then accelerating beyond the speed of light with no upper limit. The result of the dimensional collapse model calculations is that the universe will encounter a fourth end beyond the big crunch, the heat death, and the big rip: the Great Darkening."

Lu Yuanming listened, and Alfred continued, "But if all of humanity undergoes dark matter transformation, it may seem as if we've died once in the material world as our bodies transform into dark matter. This could actually be a new beginning, the vast universe becoming the Dark Matter World, right? That is probably what you and many others think. But what about food?"

"We can't bring down all the food crops, and although we can find supplies in the replica cities of the Dark Matter World, these supplies are very limited. Yet we still need to eat and drink in the Dark Matter World. Water is available there, but what about food? Once the found food is consumed, we'll only be able to eat those monsters, and if we ever eat those monsters..."

Lu Yuanming's heart tightened. He'd thought about trying to eat the flesh of those monsters, but upon hearing Alfred's words, he immediately knew it was a bad idea, so he quickly asked, "What happens if we eat the flesh of those monsters?"

Alfred's face turned slightly pale as he said, "You become a monster, or something even more terrifying than a monster. It's not a certainty, but you must never consume the flesh of these monsters unless absolutely necessary! This is a lesson in blood, remember it!!"

Lu Yuanming took note of this. He then looked back at the potato field, "So the plantable vegetation in this Dark Matter World is so precious?"

Alfred immediately said, "Absolutely, our despair was because regardless of our arrangements, planning, and brainstorming, the final outcome would always be that either all of humanity would rush out of the cities in search of food crops in the Dark Matter World before starving or perish in an internal war fought over the last piece of bread. Without food, that's the absurd end. But now it's different. With these potatoes, humanity has hope! Mr. Lu, you might really be humanity's Messiah!"

Lu Yuanming showed an awkward yet polite smile, waiting a few seconds before asking, "Is there anything else you can tell me, Mr. Alfred?"

Alfred thought for a moment before saying, "I've told you almost everything I know... Oh, one more thing, about the 'civilization graves'. According to our limited explorations of the Dark Matter World from the Material Universe, we've found something close to us, a massive area similar to an urban conglomerate. Although the architecture of that city looks bizarre and grotesque, considering that aliens and humans may have nothing in common, we can assume that it's likely the urban conglomerate of another alien civilization that has completely collapsed into the Dark Matter World. Based on Dr. Tang Zhe'an's model calculations, we've roughly located the planet of this alien civilization, which has also raised some questions. Is it possible that dark matter actually tears apart planets and the Material Universe? But, there's also a chance that the calculations of distance and direction are wrong; without exploring that alien civilization grave, we won't know the truth."

Lu Yuanming curiously asked, "Why does the position of this alien civilization determine whether dark matter can tear apart planets and the Material Universe?"

"Because it's on Mars," Alfred shrugged, "Can you believe it? If it's really on Mars, it means that there was once a civilization on Mars capable of collapsing into the Dark Matter World, at least comparable to human civilization, right? Also, if a Martian civilization really did collapse into the Dark Matter World, the Earth and the Solar System would have long been annihilated."

As Lu Yuanming pondered this, he truly felt that the idea of a Martian civilization having once existed on Mars was absurd, so he did not inquire further. Instead, Alfred said, "Mr. Lu, instead of contemplating so much right now, you'd better immediately establish your power. That is what you most need to do at this moment."

Lu Yuanming felt quite surprised and asked, "But haven't I already established the organization, 'Heaven on Earth Afterlife Team'?"

Alfred twitched his lips upon hearing this, but still patiently replied to Lu Yuanming's question, "Mr. Lu, please forgive my bluntness, but you have not really established an organization. You've simply gathered these people together and performed miracles before them. At most, Father Edward, that religious fanatic, has secured some followers for you with the most basic organizational framework. That's not an organization; it's merely a crowd. As long as there is enough food and sufficient armed force, they stand with you. But once a large group of people arrives or an organized team emerges, no matter how fondly they remember you, they will kneel before others."

"The essence of an organization is its system, rewards and punishments, and a hierarchy of management from the top down, which create cohesion, organizational interests, and organizational vitality... And your so-called organization lacks all of these."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuanming immediately admitted the point, because not to mention those common people, even if a hundred organized and disciplined modern soldiers appeared before him now, as long as these soldiers did not slaughter upon sight, he supposed even if they were armed only with clubs, he would likely not dare to confront them. Perhaps if they ordered him to lay down his weapons, he would obediently do so.

Alfred clearly saw this and continued, "Leaving aside a modern civilization's organization, let's consider the most basic concept of organization. Have you established a top-down management system? Have you set up a reward and punishment mechanism? Have you built a logistical and military framework? Have you established the ideals and core foundation of the organization itself? Without these, Mr. Lu's team will always be as loose as sand."

Lu Yuanming understood Alfred's meaning and still maintained the belief that sincerity was the greatest weapon, "But the reason I founded the organization was only to survive and to save whoever I could. If truly capable people come down, along with billions of humans, then let them take charge. I will not be stingy in contributing my strength."

Alfred looked at Lu Yuanming seriously. With his extensive life experience, he confirmed several times that these were Lu Yuanming's true feelings. He felt both sigh and joy in his heart, then immediately said, "There is a saying in Country Z, 'A man does not wish to harm the tiger, but the tiger is intent on harming man,' right?"

When Alfred spoke this proverb, he surprisingly used the Z language, which made Lu Yuanming widen his eyes in slight astonishment.

Alfred then said with a smile, "In Mr. Lu's memory, time is still in July of 2023, but for us, it is already February of 2028. Our think tank has made a prediction that in no more than five years if this dark matter dimension crisis had not occurred, the title of the strongest nation would be snatched away by your Country Z. Therefore, now, whether it is the president, members of the president's cabinet, or those hoping to run for president, they are either well-versed in Z culture or are regarded favorably by Country Z society. Coincidentally, I am one of those well-versed in Z culture."

"So, doesn't Mr. Lu understand yet? When there are few people, Mr. Lu controls both the military power and the supplies of food and fresh water. Coupled with your sincere attitude toward others, you will be invincible. No person or force can oppose you. However, once the population increases, especially when the majority of humanity arrives in the Dark Matter World, so many ethnic groups, countries, and religious branches on Earth, along with terrorists, criminal organizations, and those ambitious individuals trying to fish in troubled waters, even if everyone knows that Mr. Lu is the only savior of our species, the true Messiah, they would still kill you if needed, because that is human nature. If they cannot have you, they will not let their enemies have you. What should Mr. Lu do if that time comes?"

Lu Yuanming thought deeply about Alfred's statement, and as he did so, he could not help but tremble all over.

This reasoning was very much aligned with human nature. When there are few, everyone can set aside ethnicity, skin color, religion, nationality... all conflicts, for the sake of hope and an organization. But once the number reaches billions, especially after a catastrophic sudden descent into the Dark Matter World, internecine and civil wars will become inevitable, and he would inevitably become the target of power-hungry individuals and well-organized major powers. What Alfred said could well become a reality. Everyone rationally knows he is the only savior, but once the real battle starts, or for their own country and ethnicity to become the leader of humanity, they would cling to him and not let go. If there was a chance he could slip from their control, killing him could indeed become a possibility.

Alfred smiled and said, "I believe Mr. Lu is not the kind of person who, once in power, would purge his contributors, so please let me join your organization. I will help you build it, I will pave the foundations for this organization. According to the last information I knew before my death, the scientists calculated several times and determined that the collapse of New York would occur approximately in about nine months to a year, and the collapse and dimensional reduction of the entire human civilization would happen in about three years. Let me help you, Lu... no, Messiah, let me become your disciple, and help you truly become the Savior of mankind!"

After speaking, Alfred knelt down before Lu Yuanming.

"I, Alfred Austin, will strive to the utmost of my ability until death for our cause," he said.

This last sentence was still spoken in the Z language Chinese.