Michael Bolton pulled open the door, and was suddenly dazzled—the person standing outside was actually a stunningly beautiful woman!

She wore a tight-fitting T-shirt and slender jeans that accentuated her exquisite curves with perfect clarity. Her long hair cascaded down to her waist, so black it gleamed like a mirror. With a straight, delicate nose, flawless skin, and luscious red lips—especially those bright, expressive eyes that were gazing intently at Michael Bolton.

The breathtaking beauty before him left Michael Bolton momentarily stunned. After a brief pause, he finally came to his senses: “Excuse me... who are you looking for?”

The woman smiled, like lotus flowers blooming on a lake: “Michael Bolton, right? I’m here to see you.” As she spoke, she glanced down at Michael Bolton’s feet in front of her. “So, aren’t you going to let me in?”

“To see me? You are...” Although Michael Bolton had been momentarily shaken by her appearance, he hadn’t lost his composure. After regaining his senses, he still stood in the doorway, not stepping aside for her.

She had suddenly appeared at his door claiming to be looking for him, but Michael Bolton had no recollection of ever meeting her, which naturally made him more cautious.

“Don’t worry, I’m not a scammer, nor am I here to set you up.”

The girl at the door smiled, as if she could see right through Michael Bolton’s thoughts: “Even though you don’t know me, I know a lot about you. Your name is Michael Bolton, born in 1991, twenty-five years old this year. You have a younger brother named Jason Bolton, and a close friend named Steven Harris. But recently, you suddenly discovered that they’ve disappeared from your life.”

At this, Michael Bolton’s mind thundered as if struck by lightning.

She... she knows about Jason Bolton and Steven Harris! She knows they once existed!

Who exactly is she?

The girl paused here, then looked up to see the shock in Michael Bolton’s eyes, and smiled slightly: “So, are you planning to make me finish talking while standing here?”

Michael Bolton quickly stepped back two paces, making way for the girl, his heart pounding.

The girl walked confidently into the living room, sat down on the sofa without waiting for Michael Bolton to invite her, and looked him up and down with a bright smile.

Michael Bolton sat across from her, his mind churning with thoughts. He studied the girl carefully, trying hard to recall her from his memory, but found nothing.

“My name is Emily Thompson. This is indeed our first meeting, but I’ve known about you for a long time.” The girl smiled gently. “I believe you must have a lot of questions right now. I can answer all of them for you, but whether you believe me or not is up to you.”

Michael Bolton took a deep breath and fired off a barrage of questions: “Steven Harris, and my brother Jason Bolton, why did they disappear? Why has everyone forgotten them, as if there’s no trace of them ever existing in this world? Why am I the only one who remembers them? And... how do you know about them?”

Emily Thompson didn’t answer directly, but instead asked, “Michael Bolton, do you think... gods exist in this world?”

Michael Bolton was taken aback, not sure what Emily Thompson meant by this question. He squinted at her, didn’t answer immediately, and after a long pause, replied cautiously, “I... used to be an atheist, didn’t believe the world was created by gods. But now... I’m not sure. At the very least, the disappearance of Steven Harris and Jason Bolton must be due to some supernatural force.”

Emily Thompson nodded approvingly. “Very good, at least you accepted reality quickly, not as stubborn as others.”

Michael Bolton keenly caught the key point in Emily Thompson’s words: “Others? You mean there are others who have experienced the same thing as me?”

Emily Thompson said, “Yes. Do you know that this world, and the humans in it, were not created by gods? On the contrary, it was humans who created gods.”

Michael Bolton waited quietly for Emily Thompson to continue.

“When humans first appeared, each person was an independent individual, with their own thoughts, doing what they wanted to do. Humans communicated with each other, but never thought that what they shared were their own thoughts, nor did they think those thoughts would change. Humans didn’t know that their thoughts were interwoven in the vast river of history, and didn’t realize that at some point, under certain circumstances, a will unique to themselves was born. It gathered all human consciousness together, and it was called—‘Qian’!”

“So that’s... what you mean by a god created by humans?” Michael Bolton nodded and asked.

“Not created, exactly. ‘Qian’ is the aggregation of human collective consciousness; it is humanity itself. After its birth, it has always protected humans, fulfilling their wishes, but it also discovered that humans have a tendency toward self-destruction, even acting in countless ways to destroy themselves. Humans simply cannot control their own greed and foolishness, as well as all kinds of evil thoughts. ‘Qian’ has always protected humanity, and in order to prolong humanity and delay its own collapse, it has made all kinds of efforts to save them.

In crisis after crisis, it finally discovered that the tendency toward destruction is also a part of human consciousness. As the embodiment of human consciousness, it cannot act against its own nature.”