When Lin Xi repaired a Song Dynasty jade, he accidentally activated the protocol awakening program that had been buried for thousands of years. Chen Xinglan inherited the family imprint and became the "civilized sample carrier" designated by the agreement. They don't know that every move they make is being evaluated and scored by the Interstellar Observatory.
From the abnormal energy fluctuations in the National Palace Museum in Taipei to the wreckage of the spacecraft underground in Zhishan; from the crazy human experiments during the Japanese colonial period to the simultaneous awakening of twelve ancient observatories around the world - all clues point to the same truth: when the Seeder civilization left the earth 30,000 years ago, it left behind a "Returning Home Agreement".
The agreement stipulates that when human civilization develops to the point where it can independently discover observation stations and understand the contents of the agreement, it will be eligible to "return home" - to join the interstellar civilization community. But if the assessment fails, the Engineers will initiate a "pruning process" to eliminate all "irrational" parts of civilization.
On the night of the winter solstice, the countdown reaches zero. Lin Xi and Chen Xinglan stood at the core of Zhishan Observation Station, facing the final question of the agreement:
"Why do you deserve to retain the right to 'pain'?"
"Why do you insist on 'ineffective' love and art?"
"Why did you choose brokenness over perfection?"
Their answers will determine whether seven billion people are eligible to embark on the journey home.
