"Walk faster, see if they dare to stop us."
"What's there to fear with so many of us!"
"Quite a few perspectives, how many live streams are they running? I've already scrolled past over a dozen live streams."
Live streams of this operation appeared on major online streaming platforms.
The content of the footage was essentially the sa: a long line ford by over a thousand people holding hands, step by step advancing toward the outermost periter defense line established by soldiers around the Landing Site.
Their purpose in starting the live streams was to leverage the gaze of hundreds of thousands, even millions, of eyes to make the soldiers on the defense line hesitate to act rashly or use violence to block them.
Public opinion opposing the questioning was strong online, so naturally, many people watching the live streams supported these individuals' actions.
Faced with the steadily approaching crowd, the soldiers on the outer periter defense line were indeed sowhat at a loss.
For previous small-scale raids and forced breaches, they could directly block them according to regulations. If the other side used violence, they would imdiately retaliate and shoot to kill on the spot.
But now, this formation of over a thousand people, all holding hands, seemingly without any intent to violently charge, made things difficult for the soldiers.
The on-site Commander had no choice but to urgently contact Sigaochin, who was at the core of the Landing Site. Upon receiving the report, Sigaochin naturally contacted Administrator Yelanka first, asking for her decision.
Not a few seconds after she finished speaking in the private comms channel, Yelanka gave her reply.
"Order the soldiers on the outer periter defense line to begin arrests. If the other side violently resists, handle it according to the original regulations."
"Administrator, according to the report from the outer periter Commander, these people appear to be civilians from various countries. While we cannot rule out the possibility of bad actors disguising themselves among them, still..."
"Regulations are regulations; they do not change based on the violator's identity."
"Yes."
Sigaochin switched comms channels, notifying the outer periter Commander to strictly arrest those charging the defense line.
Guan Tong, also being in the private channel, found the situation sowhat strange after hearing it.
Wasn't relying on this thod to cross the defense line a bit childish? Not just Xisiya, but the entire Human Consortium would not condone this behavior.
Without the support of the Human Consortium, this re thousand people ant nothing in front of elite soldiers.
The Commander on the outer periter defense line, having received Sigaochin's instructions, imdiately used a loudspeaker to address the approaching crowd.
"You there, disperse and return imdiately! If you continue forward, we will arrest you according to the Human Consortium's blockade regulations!"
Upon hearing this, so in the thousand-strong group showed signs of hesitation. Louis, standing right in the middle, boosted morale by shouting a slogan: "To the Landing Site!"
The few agitators from the Fire Thief Worship Cult heard this and imdiately joined in shouting, stirring up the emotions of the entire crowd.
"To the Landing Site!"
Over a thousand people shouted the slogan as they marched forward, their montum formidable.
Simultaneously, the comnt barrages on various live streaming platforms also flooded with "To the Landing Site."
Seeing that these people were ignoring the warning, the Commander knew conflict was unavoidable and commanded, "Arrest them according to regulations!"
"Yes!"
The soldiers imdiately rushed forward to stop and arrest them.
They did not fire their guns, but they couldn't avoid using rifle butts to strike those who resisted arrest.
These people hadn't expected the Xisiya Soldiers to actually dare to hit and arrest people. The formation of a thousand people was imdiately broken up and divided.
Although their numbers were not small, they hadn't co with the intention of violently breaching the checkpoint, so they collapsed almost imdiately upon encountering the soldiers' charge.
Many of the less resolute simply turned tail and ran. Those who remained would likely all be arrested before long.
At this mont, the Followers of the Fire Thief Worship Cult among the crowd exchanged glances, quietly retrieved handguns concealed on their persons, and fired repeatedly into the crowd.
"Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang bang!"
Gunfire ant people died. The dead included not only those from the town but also Xisiya Soldiers.
This instantly caused the situation on-site to spiral out of control. The soldiers thought the people from the town were shooting at them, while the townspeople thought the soldiers had fired first.
"Who's shooting?!"
"People are dead!"
"Damn it, open fire!"
Soldiers witnessing their comrades' deaths imdiately abandoned arrests, withdrew while raising their guns to shoot. The scene imdiately descended into chaos.
Live streaming platforms instantly cut off the on-site live streams, leaving only screens full of exclamation marks.
Ten minutes later, Sigaochin received the report, her face darker than storm clouds.
She relayed the outco to Yelanka.
"Administrator, the conflict on-site has spiraled out of control. Soone in the crowd was ard with guns. The soldiers had to return fire to ensure their own safety... resulting in over half as casualties. The remaining smaller half have been detained."
"Who fired the first shots?" Yelanka asked calmly.
"The outer periter Commander is investigating the on-site surveillance footage. Additionally, we can request the live streaming platforms to provide backups of the live stream footage for a joint investigation."
"This matter is not that simple. There might be a conspiracy behind it, likely related to so people who have recently infiltrated Xisiya. I will assign the investigation to others... Teacher, that person traveling with you has been staying in the town recently, right?"
Yelanka suddenly asked Guan Tong, inquiring about Uenoshi.
Guan Tong wasn't surprised. After he and Uenoshi entered Xisiya, they hadn't deliberately hidden their movents. As the Administrator, after eting him, Yelanka could quickly find footage of the two traveling together if she made the effort.
However, Uenoshi's appearance had not been exposed.
Ever since Yuzawa Jun's death, as her scales began spreading to her face, she had always covered her face when going out, hardly revealing any skin.
"Yes, she's waiting for ."
"Could we ask her to assist in providing so clues? These people all gathered from the town; perhaps she knows sothing. Soone capable of traveling alongside you, Teacher, must not be an ordinary person."
"Sure. However, she dislikes contact with strangers. If there are any clues, I'll be responsible for relaying them. But I need an interference-free communication channel."
"Of course, I will arrange for the communication channel. Sigaochin."
"Here."
"Do not let these matters distract you. Focus on your primary duties in the Landing Site core area. I will handle the aftermath."
"Yes, Administrator."
After the communication ended, Sigaochin, as Yelanka instructed, focused her attention on the questioning scheduled to begin at ten o'clock.
As with previous sessions, soldiers began unloading the parasitized forms used as food from the vehicles, placing them in the feeding area.
As the ti approached, the Human Consortium's designated questioner got out of a vehicle. This person, probably aware of the fate of the previous questioner who violated regulations, looked sowhat nervous.
"What is the question this ti?" Guan Tong asked Sigaochin.
Apart from the questioner, a few individuals on-site also received the questions in advance.
For example, the current overall commander Sigaochin, and the snipers on the watchtowers. This was to prevent the questioner from privately altering the question on the spot during the questioning.
Given the imnse importance, excessive caution was necessary. Even a single word misspoken by mistake would result in imdiate asures being taken against the questioner.
Faced with Guan Tong's inquiry, she did not conceal it: "There are two questions this ti. The first is related to the connection between human brain neurons and digital chips. The second..."
ntioning the second question, she paused. After receiving the information from the Human Consortium, she found it utterly baffling.
"The second is to ask about the content of the next rule."
"The content of the next rule?"
Hearing this, Guan Tong was slightly taken aback. It was unexpected.
He could imdiately connect the first question: perhaps the Human Consortium wanted to advance a plan similar to "digital life."
But this second question involved sothing that hadn't happened yet.
Could it be that the Human Consortium wanted to use this question to determine if the alien intelligence could foresee the future?
"I also find it baffling," Sigaochin said. "But since it was passed by Human Consortium resolution, we only need to execute it."
"Will the two questions be asked consecutively?"
"The Human Consortium's decision is that it depends on the food consumption for the first question. If the first question consus no more than one-fifth of the food stockpile, continue with the second question. If it exceeds one-fifth, wait until more parasitized forms are transported before asking."
Guan Tong nodded.
"It's ti."
As the clock struck ten, the questioner walked up to the alien intelligence on ti.
"I would like to ask..."
The questioner's voice was steady as they posed their ticulously morized professional question.
"Given humanity's current technology, how can the brainwaves generated by the collective activity of human brain neurons be stably and continuously converted into digital signals expressible with specific classification paraters?"
Most people on-site only vaguely understood such a specialized question, barely grasping its surface aning but knowing nothing about the specific technology involved.
The alien intelligence that received the question, however, quickly sprang into action, beginning to "devour" the food voraciously.
Watching it feed, Guan Tong had a question shared by many.
Where did all the parasitized forms it ate go?
Humans digest and excrete what they eat.
But from the initial deploynt until today, this alien intelligence had consud nearly ten thousand lives in total.
After eating so much, it had never excreted anything from its body, and its overall size, visually estimated, had not grown larger... Why?
In human understanding, even alien life would be constrained by the laws of the universe. And one law of the universe is the conservation of energy.
Each parasitized form's body was a human body. The energy from thousands of human bodies transferred to this alien intelligence, yet it showed no visible change. This undoubtedly violated the law of conservation of energy.
So scientists publishing views online believed the law of energy must be an unbreakable ironclad rule. This Alien Black Sludge must be converting the ingested energy in so way unknown to humanity.
They also called for the Human Consortium to consider asking related questions. However, this question seed to offer no apparent benefit to humanity, so it did not make it onto the candidate list.
"Quick, bring out more!"
The rate of food consumption was extrely fast. It had already devoured nearly five thousand parasitized forms without stopping, indicating the answer to this question undoubtedly required a massive price.
The soldiers continued unloading, wave after wave.
The question asked at ten o'clock continued feeding past eleven, past twelve—two hours had passed, and it still hadn't finished.
This made everyone on-site sowhat panicked. Although they had stockpiled quite a few parasitized forms this ti, if consumption continued at this rate, it would definitely not be enough.
After all this ti, Guan Tong had stopped counting how many it had eaten. Only Sigaochin kept a ntal tally.
The mont it finally stopped, Sigaochin took a deep breath. "27,395. This question actually consud... nearly thirty thousand parasitized forms!"
Nearly thirty thousand...
Hearing this number, Guan Tong glanced back at those super transport vehicles loaded with parasitized forms.
The remaining stockpile was already low, probably insufficient to ask the next question consecutively.
Having consud so much, the alien intelligence now provided the answer to the question.
Reviews
All reviews (0)