Beixing, Countermeasures Research Office.
In Han Qiu's office, he looked at the report in his hand and shook his head at Zhang Minglu in front of him.
"All attempts have failed? A pity."
"It seems your proposal is not feasible," Zhang Minglu said. "Dozens of control experiment groups, with Mind Power levels balanced or even completely identical, were all unable to establish a Mind work."
Han Qiu nodded. "If we had Shadow's test report, that would be good. His data would definitely be more valuable."
"Academician Han, I've already told you, Shadow refused this cooperation."
"I thought he had reached a long-term cooperative relationship with the Countermeasures Research Office."
"A long-term cooperation does not equate to cooperating every single time. Both sides are operating on a foundation of mutual respect and equal footing. He can refuse cooperation we propose, and we can similarly refuse cooperation he proposes."
Hearing this, the corner of Han Qiu's mouth lifted slightly, carrying a hint of playful meaning. "The Countermeasures Research Office, established with the full tilt of national resources, holds an equal footing with an Ascendant? Interesting."
"Are you implying something, Academician Han?" Zhang Minglu frowned.
"Don't misunderstand, Dr. Zhang. Your cooperation was also approved by Head Gao. How could I question it? It's just that for every day we cannot find a method to establish the Mind work, we cannot identify the parasitized forms for a day."
Zhang Minglu said, "Such things cannot be forced by urgency. Moreover, the Mind work is not necessarily our only path. If the decryption department can decipher the alien intelligence's language system, we can obtain more methods."
"Really?"
A playful smile appeared on Han Qiu's face again.
"How can one grasp something humanity has never heard of, something without any concept? I believe deciphering the language is completely futile. Dr. Zhang, you are an intelligent person. You should have a similar thought, right?"
"......"
Zhang Minglu's expression momentarily became complicated. He didn't want to admit it, but Han Qiu was right.
In his heart, he also believed that deciphering the alien intelligence's language was almost impossible. Even if there was a one-in-ten-thousand chance of success, the results obtained would likely hold little meaning.
"If you and I are intelligent people, then the Fire Thief is a thousand times, ten thousand times more intelligent than us. Playing human clever tricks before it is meaningless. 'When humans think, God laughs.' That's probably the principle here."
Han Qiu's words caused Zhang Minglu's brow to furrow deeply. This attitude of submission towards the Fire Thief was absolutely not something someone within the Countermeasures Research Office should have.
"Academician Han, do you know what you're saying?"
"Of course I know. If this is a game, then as players, it's best we play according to the game rule maker's intentions."
"A game?" Zhang Minglu suppressed his anger. "This is an unprecedented disaster concerning all of humanity!"
"Precisely because this game determines humanity's survival, we must follow the rules to clear it. What we should do is comprehend the Fire Thief's intentions and advance along the main road, not rely on our own cleverness to run around wildly and fall off a cliff."
Han Qiu raised the report in his hand. "The reason I believe the Mind work is humanity's only method to identify parasitized forms is because in this current game, the Fire Thief has already given clues."
"...What clues?"
"If I were the Fire Thief, I would know that when this rule was announced and the alien intelligence landed, humanity would definitely ask the question, 'How to identify parasitized forms?' Then, how this intelligence would answer was naturally also within the Fire Thief's expectations."
"You mean to say, the Fire Thief is using this alien intelligence to tell humanity the method to distinguish parasitized forms?"
Han Qiu smiled slightly. "Not telling. This is his way of playing the game, hiding clues within the game's process."
"......"
Although Zhang Minglu deeply disliked Han Qiu's constant reference to the Doomsday Rules as a game, the latter's words were not without reason.
"You mean, all that language humans cannot understand is just a smokescreen? The truly valuable things are only what humans *can* understand?"
"Correct. If humans cannot understand it, it means humans cannot use it. Just like at the very beginning when humans asked its name and origin. Do humans really need to know what this puddle of alien black goo is called or where it comes from? It may seem mysterious in the public eye, but in my eyes, it's no different from the monsters that appeared in previous rules—just another game character manipulated by the Fire Thief."
Zhang Minglu fell silent.
When human strangers meet for the first time, asking for a name and origin is a globally common habit.
Therefore, when an alien intelligence landed, humans also subconsciously made such inquiries.
On this point, he agreed with Han Qiu.
Knowing the name and origin held little meaning. Even if they knew it came from a certain galaxy or pla, with humanity's current spacefaring capabilities, they simply could not go there.
"Then, Academician Han, now that your so-called 'game' is stuck, how do you plan to play the next step?"
The corner of Han Qiu's mouth lifted. "When a game gets stuck, it's either due to a bug, or a key item was missed. Given the Fire Thief's capabilities, I believe it's the latter."
"Academician Han, please stop beating around the bush."
"Fine. At the next meeting, I will propose a question to be asked of the alien intelligence. I hope Dr. Zhang will support me then. As someone highly valued by Head Gao, your opinion is crucial."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Minglu immediately became twelve times more alert. Even if he agreed with Han Qiu on some points, he still felt this person exuded a somewhat dangerous aura. He could not be careless.
"Academician Han, what question do you want to propose?"
"I just said that to clear the game, one must play by the game rules. Each rule is a game. I believe the rule for this game is that there are truly only two meaningful questions: one related to the past, and one related to the future. Rather than drawing a circle to confine ourselves, it's better to prepare for rain before getting wet. Therefore, the question I want to propose is..."
Han Qiu paused and said a very short sentence. Upon hearing it, Zhang Minglu's eyes suddenly widened in shock.
...
Xisiya Empire, border tavern, outside the back door.
Black Star stared at the dense crowd of people in various shades at the main entrance, the corner of his eye twitching repeatedly.
A younger gang member came running, panting heavily, to report, "Boss Black Star, you're finally back!"
"What are all these people doing here??"
"They're all clients."
"Clients? This many!"
Another woman came out from the back door and said to Black Star, "It's all because of the leaked intelligence about the alien entity. Now countless people and organizations from all over the world are coming to join the excitement."
Black Star looked at the woman. "Did you accept all these commissions?"
"Accepting one is accepting, accepting many is also accepting. Money delivered to your doorstep, what reason is there to refuse? Isn't that right, Black Star?"
Black Star slapped a hand over his own forehead. "The problem is, so many people coming at once will definitely attract the attention of the higher-ups!"
"Haven't you already taken care of the local security department?"
"That was before. Now our new Administrator has taken office, probably planning sweeping reforms. And these past few days, the atmosphere has been very tense because of Lijeka's death!"
A flicker passed through the woman's eyes. "Do you think it was those two Beixing people who did it? Or are those two Beixing people just tools used as a smokescreen by the new Administrator?"
Two Beixing people came to buy intelligence on Lijeka, and immediately after, Lijeka was assassinated in prison. To say there's no connection is very hard to believe.
But because Black Star possessed intelligence and knew the brutal nature of the struggle between Lijeka and Yelanka, the woman suspected the two Beixing people were merely a smokescreen, with the true mastermind being Administrator Yelanka.
Hearing this, Black Star said seriously to the woman, "White Star, stop guessing this and that. Whoever did it has nothing to do with us. We are just middlemen, not detectives."
He then sighed. "Ah, forget it. Since so many people are already here, if I don't receive them, the 'Black Star' brand will be ruined. I'll send these people away as quickly as possible. You all stay put and behave."
After saying this, Black Star hurriedly ducked back into the shop to receive batches of clients.
Seeing this, the younger gang member turned to look at the woman. "Big Sister White Star, I think Boss Black Star's worries make sense! What if we really get targeted? Don't let the new Administrator's young age fool you; she seems quite ruthless!"
White Star shrugged. "If we get targeted, we just move somewhere else. Your Boss Black Star isn't stupid; he understands the principle of a cunning rabbit having three burrows. Alright, go continue gathering intelligence."
"Got it."
After the younger member left, White Star returned inside the tavern. Looking at the hundreds of clients, a faint sense of foreboding stirred in her heart.
So many people of unknown origins gathering in the Xisiya Empire were undoubtedly all here for the alien intelligence. What they would bring to this country, no one could predict.
...
The Landing Site at night was as bright as day.
An ample number of powerful floodlights illuminated the entire camp, leaving nothing hidden.
If anyone tried to sneak in under the cover of darkness and wind, they would be exposed under the high-lumen light, with nowhere to hide.
Furthermore, soldiers conducted overlapping patrols 24 hours a day without interruption. Combined with the drones hovering in the air, operating in alert mode, it was nearly impossible for unauthorized personnel to approach the alien intelligence without being detected.
As Sigaochin put it: "For unauthorized personnel to approach the alien intelligence, there is no other method besides breaking through the impregnable fortress we have built."
Even Guan Tong would find such a deployment very troublesome.
At this moment, he was disguised as a soldier, walking and patrolling alongside Sigaochin, communicating through a specially encrypted channel.
This channel was originally the exclusive channel between Sigaochin and Yelanka. Now, to ensure no possibility of the secret leaking, Guan Tong was temporarily added until the end of this rule.
"Guan Tong, you can see how heavily guarded the site is. I cannot temporarily withdraw the soldiers to facilitate your questioning. That simply cannot hide from the Human Consortium's on-site observation team and satellite surveillance."
"Also, you saw what happened to that questioner who spoke out of turn this evening. If you are discovered, snipers might not be able to handle you, but the Human Consortium will definitely hold someone accountable."
Sigaochin paused. "I know you are very capable, but if the entire Human Consortium gets involved, you might find yourself with nowhere to turn."
By now, like Yelanka, she knew Guan Tong's true identity was the Ascendant "Shadow." Besides shock, she didn't feel this changed the situation much.
"How will you avoid all attention to ask your question? Even if you can avoid it, the large number of living dead 'food' you create cannot be hidden. Is taking such a risk for an answer of unknown value worth it, in your opinion?"
Besides Sigaochin's questions, Yelanka's voice did not sound in the channel. She could undoubtedly receive the conversation, but she said nothing.
Then, Guan Tong's voice appeared. "Whether it's worth it depends on the goal. For me, I am willing to take this risk. As for how to avoid detection and complete the questioning..."
He paused. "When the time comes, I will create a domain to block satellites, soldiers, and the observation team. From within that domain, I will complete my questioning."
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