Chapter 411 – “That wasn’t just my vision—that is the future of our nation.”
Xu Jinning had already eaten breakfast before arriving, but under Grandpa Xie’s enthusiastic invitation, she ate a bit more.
The Xie family had someone specifically assigned to cook for Grandpa Xie, and the breakfast smelled quite delicious.
“Grandpa, we have something to tell you,” Xie Ting’an said to Grandpa Xie after they finished breakfast.
Grandpa Xie slowly put down the newspaper in his hand and took a moment to observe his grandson and Xu Jinning. Then, he slowly stood up and said, “Come with me to the study.”
Xu Jinning and Xie Ting’an exchanged glances before following Grandpa Xie to the study on the second floor.
Once the three of them were inside, Grandpa Xie signaled for Xie Ting’an to close the door and then said, “This place is completely secure. Whatever it is, go ahead and speak.”
He then slowly sat down on a chair and gestured for Xie Ting’an and Xu Jinning to sit on the sofa.
Xu Jinning was somewhat surprised by Grandpa Xie’s reaction, but she wasn’t entirely taken aback. She had long noticed that Grandpa Xie was a wise and perceptive old man.
Even though she and Xie Ting’an had concealed their emotions and expressions well, in front of Grandpa Xie, they were as clear as day.
Perhaps when she first arrived, Grandpa Xie hadn’t noticed anything unusual, but later, he must have realized that her visit carried significant importance.
That was why he didn’t say anything and just brought them to the study.
As Xie Ting’an had mentioned earlier, the study was a place that belonged exclusively to Grandpa Xie, where he handled important matters.
Even Xie Ting’an couldn’t enter the study at will unless there was something important to discuss with Grandpa Xie.
This was a rule of the Xie family, even without Grandpa Xie needing to say it.
Now, with Grandpa Xie leading them to the study without hesitation, it was evident that he had already formed some suspicions in his mind.
Xie Ting’an understood this now as well.
Since that was the case, he didn’t make any further introductions and directly said, “Grandpa, last year, I was the one who put that notebook in your study.”
As soon as Xie Ting’an said this, Grandpa Xie immediately looked up, his gaze falling sharply on Xie Ting’an. After staring intently for a few seconds, he said, “I know.”
Xie Ting’an thought to himself, well, he had actually suspected that Grandpa might have figured it out.
But since Grandpa never asked, he just assumed Grandpa didn’t know.
“No one besides you would dare to enter this study.”
“I also don’t believe that something can just appear out of nowhere. Everything in this study, no matter where it’s placed—don’t be fooled by the fact that I’m old now—I remember everything clearly.”
“If something new appears that doesn’t originally belong in the study, I would still know.”
“In this house, aside from me, you’re the only one.”
“So naturally, that notebook could only have been placed there by you. However, the contents of that notebook weren’t written by you, were they? If I’m not mistaken, the contents of that notebook…”
Grandpa Xie’s gaze shifted to Xu Jinning, his meaning clear.
At this point, Xu Jinning couldn’t sit still any longer. After all, she had come today to be honest with Grandpa Xie about everything.
“Grandpa, you’re right. The contents of the notebook were written by me. I had Brother Ting’an give it to you.”
“You wanted to use my hands to pass it on to the government?” Grandpa Xie asked.
“Yes. The only high-ranking person I could access and trust was you. At that time, the nationwide swine fever outbreak was about to happen, and I didn’t have much time to hesitate.”
When the words “nationwide swine fever” came out of Xu Jinning’s mouth, Grandpa Xie was fully convinced that she was the one who wrote the notebook.
Because when he realized the significance of the notebook, he had immediately handed it over to the government.
Although the government later implemented a policy last year prohibiting pig farming, it was only said to be a preventive measure against swine fever.
There was no mention of a nationwide outbreak of swine fever. So, the only people who would know about this would be those who had seen the notebook or, more precisely, the person who wrote it.
When Grandpa Xie first received the notebook, he had already suspected Xu Jinning. But it was just a suspicion, without any solid evidence. It was simply an instinct, perhaps honed from his days as a reconnaissance soldier in his youth.
Now, it seemed that even though he was older, his abilities hadn’t declined much.
“Girl Ning, do you realize what the contents of that notebook mean? Do you understand how extraordinary and important such a notebook is?”
The notebook recorded future events—events that were crucial not only for the country and its people but also on an international scale.
Knowing even a small detail about the future can sometimes lead to significant changes, causing a large butterfly effect. Let alone knowing in advance about major events that will happen in the future.
And it’s not just one or two events happening in the next year or two—it’s about the next several decades.
Foreknowledge is invaluable to a nation and its people.
One could say that the value of that notebook is immeasurable. Any country possessing such a notebook could change the future of international affairs and its own destiny.
The person who produced that notebook would undoubtedly be a great contributor to the nation and a remarkable individual.
“Girl Ning…” Grandpa Xie slowly stood up and gave Xu Jinning a respectful salute. “Let’s set aside everything else for now. On behalf of the nation and its people, I want to thank you first.”
Xu Jinning quickly stood up, shaking her head. “Grandpa, there’s no need for that.”
Grandpa Xie took her hand and gently patted it. “It’s necessary. You have no idea how important that notebook is.”
“Grandpa, I’m sure you’re curious about how I knew all those things, aren’t you?”
After a moment, the three of them sat back down, and Xu Jinning continued, “Grandpa, do you remember the article I wrote not long ago about my vision of the future…?”
Grandpa Xie’s heart began to beat faster, and he even tightened his grip on his cane slightly.
He knew that what Jinning was about to say might completely overturn his understanding.
Sure enough, the next moment, Xu Jinning said, “The reason I was able to write such a detailed and vivid depiction of the future isn’t because of my imagination. It’s because…”
“I came from that era.”
At these words, Grandpa Xie’s pupils slightly contracted, and he felt a sense of grounding in that moment.
“From the future?” he asked slowly.
“That’s right. You could say that. I came from that time—the year 2023, several decades from now.”
“Because I experienced it, because I saw those things with my own eyes, witnessed the changes of the era, and the rise of our nation, I was able to write that article so naturally.”
“That wasn’t just my vision—that is the future of our nation.”
