The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Epilogue (Chapter 1037) – The Dream of Heaven (Part 8)
The plane's engines roared at 10,000 meters altitude. In business class, Luo Dingguo leaned against the window, gazing at the gradually clearing west coast of Africa.

"I've said it before: parallel worlds exist!"

A loud voice rang out, and Luo Dingguo turned to look—Professor Tripp, a seventy-something-year-old member of the National Academy of Sciences, nearly two meters tall, was waving his thick arm, his blond hair gleaming blindingly under the cabin lights. His face was broad and ruddy, his chin protruding like a shovel, and his blue eyes gleamed with fanaticism.

"According to Tripp's First Law, the entrance to a parallel world must exist at the singularity of a high-energy particle collision!" His voice was so loud it sounded like it would collapse the cabin ceiling. "And according to Tripp's Second Law, time travelers will carry the quantum imprint of their original timeline!"

Natalie sat next to Luo Dingguo, a slight smile playing on her lips, and said in a low voice, "Professor Tripp and Hong Tianjue have been researching the parallel world theory for more than 20 years and have published hundreds of papers, but unfortunately they have never been recognized by the mainstream academic community."

Luo Dingguo nodded, his gaze returning to the window. His thoughts had already flown to his destination—Monrovia, the capital of the United States of Africa.

In another timeline, Monrovia is the capital of Liberia, a place brought from the West African coast by the American Colonial Society in the early 19th century to settle freed slaves. After gaining independence in 1847, this "Free African Nation" was once highly anticipated, but it later misused the principles of democracy and freedom, resulting in a series of civil wars, corruption, and poverty, ultimately becoming one of the least developed countries in the world.

But in this "heavenly world," Monrovia has become the core of the United African Republic—a large African nation with a territory of 380 million square kilometers and a population of over 1.5 million!

Of course, this African superpower is also following the American scripture, only it is the "Head of State's Heart Sutra" sent by MacArthur, the second head of state of the United States!
"Haha, I'm going to win the Nobel Prize in Physics this time!" Professor Tripp patted Luo Dingguo on the shoulder, so hard that he almost jumped off his seat. "Young man, once we find the entrance to the parallel world, you'd better write a good article about my contribution in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's newspapers!"

Luo Dingguo forced a smile: "Definitely, definitely."

"We have arrived in Monrovia, the capital of the United States of Africa."

A gentle female voice came over the cabin intercom, and Luo Dingguo snapped back to reality, looking down through the porthole.

Beneath the clouds, a modern city unfolds. Skyscrapers rise like a steel forest, their glass curtain walls reflecting blinding sunlight. Wide streets crisscross, bustling with traffic yet orderly. In the distance, dozens of cargo ships are moored in the harbor, cranes busily loading and unloading containers, while further out at sea, an aircraft carrier flying the flag of the United States of Africa cruises slowly, its blue flag with a gold star fluttering in the wind.

“That’s the ‘Opama’,” Natalie leaned closer, her blonde hair brushing against Luo Dingguo’s ear, “the United States of Africa’s first aircraft carrier.”

Luo Dingguo squinted, carefully examining the warship. It was a standard 60,000-ton medium-sized aircraft carrier, with several carrier-based aircraft parked on its flat deck. He recalled the information he had read before—this aircraft carrier was built by the Monrovia Shipyard, its electromagnetic catapult system and radar came from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and its carrier-based aircraft were the "Africa One," designed by the United States of Africa. Although the engines and avionics still had to be provided by the United States of America, its technological level was only about 4.5 generations, roughly equivalent to the "Rafale" from another world.

But with an aircraft carrier and a Rafale fighter jet, shouldn't this major African country at least thank me?
Luo Dingguo was speechless. He had only brought up China, so how did the butterfly effect bring up a whole bunch of real powers? Was it because the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, a yellow-skinned nation, was so powerful that a bunch of white powers dared not slack off, and even African blacks were caught up in it?

"So, Monrovia is more modern than you imagined, isn't it?" Natalie asked softly.

Luo Dingguo nodded, but couldn't help thinking to himself: This isn't Africa; this is clearly another Shanghai!
The plane began its descent, gradually lowering its altitude, and the details of the city became increasingly clear. Luo Dingguo saw a huge square in the city center, with a monument standing in the center. Atop the monument was the flag of the United States of Africa—a blue background with thirteen gold stars, symbolizing the thirteen constituent states at the time of the nation's founding. Surrounding the square were government buildings, banks, a stock exchange, and even an opera house, their architectural styles blending classical European and African elements, appearing both solemn and vibrant.

“That’s Liberty Square,” Natalie pointed out the window. “There’s a flag-raising ceremony every Sunday, and the Führer sometimes attends in person.”

"The head of state?" Luo Dingguo raised an eyebrow.

“Opama,” Natalie said softly, “the fourth head of state of the United African States, who served for 24 years and is considered the most outstanding politician in sub-Saharan Africa.”

Oupama Luo Dingguo suddenly thought of something, his brow furrowed, that name... it sounds so familiar!

The plane landed smoothly on the runway at Monroe International Airport. As the cabin door opened, a wave of heat hit him, but instead of the expected dusty smell, the air carried a faint scent of sea salt. The airport interior was opulent, with gleaming marble floors and crystal chandeliers hanging from the dome. Passengers lined up orderly to pass through customs. Luo Dingguo noticed that the passengers were of diverse skin colors—Black, White, Asian, and even a few Arab businessmen wearing headscarves. They spoke different languages, but all adhered to the same rules: no one cut in line, no one made a sound, and even the wheels of their suitcases were carefully handled to avoid scraping the floor.

"Welcome to Monrovia!" Professor Tripp opened his arms wide, his loud voice drawing the attention of several travelers. "The jewel of Africa! A model of the free world!"

Luo Dingguo remained silent, but his gaze was drawn to a giant portrait above the customs passage—a portrait of President Opama. He was a light-skinned, thin-faced black man in his sixties, wearing a military uniform, with a faint smile on his lips. Below the portrait were written in English, French, and Chinese: "Unity, Development, Dignity!"

“Let’s go,” Natalie gently tugged at Luo Dingguo’s sleeve. “Professor Tripp has already arranged to pick us up at the airport.”

A black luxury car was parked in the parking lot outside the airport. The driver was a local black man in uniform. Upon seeing Professor Tripp, he immediately stood at attention and saluted: "Professor, the car is ready."

“Excellent!” Tripp patted the driver on the shoulder, then turned to Luo Dingguo with a grin. “Look, this is the efficiency of the United States of Africa!”

The car drove out of the airport and sped towards the city along the wide highway. The scenery outside the window made Luo Dingguo feel a little dazed—neat green belts, modern overpasses, and multinational company logos hanging on the high-rise buildings along the roadside: Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Huaxing Communications, German Siemens Electric, United States of America General Motors, American Empire Tesla Motors, and Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Wheat Motors.
"Aren't there any slums here?" Luo Dingguo couldn't help but ask.

“Of course not,” Professor Tripp snorted. “Opera demolished all the shantytowns in his first year in office, and now low-income families live in government-provided apartments—the rent and utilities are cheap, but they must abide by community management regulations.”

What about the crime rate?

“Almost zero,” Natalie replied. “There’s a police post every two hundred meters on the street, and surveillance cameras in all public places. Robbery? Theft? Drug use? If you’re caught once, you’re sent to a labor camp; the second time, you’re exiled to the border to clear land.”

Luo Dingguo remained silent—truly befitting a head of state!
The car drove into the city center, where shops lined both sides of the street, offering everything from cafes and bookstores to luxury boutiques. Pedestrians were well-dressed, and white, black, and Asian people mingled together without any visible racial barriers. Several black students in school uniforms walked past the car; they had light-colored skin, well-proportioned figures, and elegant manners, and were engaged in a lively discussion.

“Those are students from our Monroe University,” Professor Tripp said, noticing Luo Dingguo’s gaze, his tone tinged with pride. “Genetically optimized humans, each with an IQ over 130, are the future of the United States of Africa!”

Luo Dingguo's heart skipped a beat. He recalled the Genetically Optimized Human Law promoted by President Opama—the United States of Africa was the first country in the Heavenly Kingdom to pass this law. These students were products of this policy; they possessed optimized genes, received the most rigorous education, and were the epitome of the "new Africans" that Opama spoke of.

“The United States of Africa places great importance on education. Schools here require students to board from the fourth grade of primary school,” Professor Tripp continued. “From primary to secondary school, it’s all free, but students must be subject to military-style management—getting up at six in the morning and lights out at ten at night. Those who violate the rules are punished by running five kilometers. African workers trained in this way are very disciplined and are in no way inferior to workers of other races.”

Luo Dingguo looked at a bookstore on the street corner, with "Quotations from the Head of State", "Constitution of the United States of Africa" ​​and "Professor Tripp's Parallel Universe Theory" displayed in the window.

"Your leader certainly values ​​education."

“Of course!” Professor Tripp proudly raised his head. “He said that Africa’s future lies not in minerals, but in the human brain!”

The car finally stopped in front of a modern hotel. The doorman quickly stepped forward, opened the car door, and bowed politely: "Welcome to the Menrovia International Hotel."

Luo Dingguo looked up at the thirty-story glass building and silently exclaimed: This is not Africa. This is clearly a black utopia.

At this moment, Professor Tripp whispered in Luo Dingguo's ear: "Headmaster Opama has also sponsored our research. If our theory is feasible, in a week, we can at least blast a hole that allows us to see into Monrovia, the other world!"

(End of this chapter)