146: Chapter 66: The Cupcake 146: Chapter 66: The Cupcake “`
October 17, 2029, night.
Even though it was already winter back ho, the temperature in Indonesia was still high enough to cause heatstroke.
Xiang Shan continued his routine, preparing a plate of cream cake and a glass of soda with ice, and sat down in the canteen to read the printed docunts.
Although there was a dedicated data room, the reading area there prohibited eating.
Strong-slling drinks were also not allowed.
Soon, scholars started using the mysteriously appearing chocolate wrappers every day to debate the rationality of this regulation—after all, long periods of intense thinking can be quite draining.
But Xiang Shan still felt uncomfortable consuming substances like sugar and caffeine in that place.
Anyway, after nine o’clock, the canteen was very quiet.
And there was an unlimited amount of self-service food available.
Although the local soda was too sweet, it beca palatable after diluting it with a lot of ice.
The military-style grilled cake might not be “tasty,” but it could at least prevent the pain of thinking on an empty stomach.
Xiang Shan comfortably flipped through the papers.
He wasn’t the only scholar doing this.
Now it seed like there was an unspoken agreent, and the canteen was very quiet after 9:30 PM.
After a couple of hours, a worn-out Yawgmoth ca in, grabbed so bread at random, then sat down opposite Xiang Shan.
His movents were feeble, as if he had just “collapsed” into the chair.
Xiang Shan leisurely finished reading the conclusion of a paper and then looked up at Yawgmoth, “Brother, you look pale.
What’s the matter?
Still not going well?”
“I still don’t know why the creators of the Argon- why they put those things inside… How exactly do those things work?” Yawgmoth’s soul seed to be sowhere else as he mumbled quietly, “It doesn’t make sense…
The technology of Argon’s builders shouldn’t be much more advanced than Earth’s.
But how could they create those things?”
Xiang Shan ignored him and continued scanning the papers.
It took a while before Yawgmoth regained so strength.
By that ti, he had eaten half of his bread.
Yawgmoth sighed, “Shan, if I asked you to speculate from a science fiction writer’s perspective…”
“Hey!
That joke’s a bit stale, isn’t it?” Xiang Shan raised an eyebrow, “I’m a bona fide researcher!
Researcher!
I already have a formal title on the Republic’s side!
A whole bunch of papers!
That’s just a hobby!
A hobby!”
“Ha, I do think you have a promising future as a science fiction writer,” Yawgmoth waved his hand, “But if you were to guess as a sci-fi novelist, what would you think?”
“No ti to think.” Xiang Shan rolled his eyes, “Without us folks working day and night to repair equipnt, what would you research?
The protein composition of the air?”
“It’s really nothing like the Traveler.
No matter how you look at it, we can’t glimpse the face of their civilization from the remnants of ‘Argon.’ It’s quite the opposite of the Traveler’s purpose,” Yawgmoth said in a low voice.
“To spend such a great cost, only to bring a pile of unusable scrap tal to the Solar System…”
Xiang Shan shrugged, “I really can’t guess.
It might all co down to the decryption of the copper coin.”
“That diamond wall and copper coin?
That’s not language at all.” Yawgmoth shook his head, “Although the thod of interpretation is not yet clear.
But the existing signs are already very apparent.
The stuff on there is a computer control program, a pre-made code—in fact, isn’t this your area of expertise?”
“We can’t rule out that it’s a ‘language’ just yet,” Xiang Shan snorted, “And that’s not a copper coin, it’s a gold plate with a copper core.”
“Inga and Kanhara hold opposing views.
I trust the professionals.”
Xiang Shan sighed, “Indeed…
Anyway, did you hear?
Kanhara is leaving.”
“Leaving?” Yawgmoth looked surprised, “Why?
Isn’t this one of the most aningful projects for humanity this century?”
“In theory,” Xiang Shan shook his head, “But Kanhara believes there’s no place for him here anymore.
After all, he’s soone who studies living languages.
The original reason he was brought here…”
Yawgmoth interjected, “Was also because regular linguists couldn’t handle that heavy equipnt.”
When they entered Argon in 2028, Xiang Shan, Yawgmoth, and Kanhara Tsun were part of a team of experts.
But it turned out that the physical fitness from the Wudaokou Sports School’s “strive for the country for fifty years” could not withstand the protection suit filled with lead.
As for the frail Harvard nerds, they depended entirely on powered exoskeletons to budge even a little.
Only the linguist who had trained in the cradle of humanity could easily manage the gear.
It was also because of this shared experience that the three beca good friends.
Xiang Shan laughed heartily before continuing, “Right, he could manage the protection suit because he was the only one capable, and also because we needed to be prepared for the possibility of an artificial intelligence or living creature inside that could still communicate.”
Additionally, to avoid the monopoly of communication with aliens by any single individual, there was more than one group of linguists convened at the ti.
Each country sent several, ensuring that these linguists had no direct contact with one another prior to February 2028.
[This was actually not easy; after all, the academic world is only so big, and one international academic conference is enough for everyone to get acquainted.
For those in control of risk managent, this ant a possibility of “collusion.” Before the decision to let Kanhara Tsun explore Argon, even a batch of linguists was secretly placed in an area isolated from interaction with others.]
“`
“But now?
There are no intelligent alien creatures, no alien AI, not even a smart device that can power on.” Xiang Shan said, “Since there’s no one to communicate with, what’s Kanhara doing staying here?”
Yawgmoth nodded, “He once said that he believed his life’s work was in Africa, among the ‘souls of humanity’s distant ancestors.'”
“Exactly.
Without his research subjects, there’s no need for him to stay.” Xiang Shan said, “To us brothers, this place is an opportunity.
But Kanhara’s dream isn’t here—now only Inga’s team is still trying to decipher the secrets of the golden disc with linguistic thods.”
“True,” Yawgmoth nodded and sighed, “Another group has left.”
“What?”
“Another batch of researchers has withdrawn.” Yawgmoth shook his head.
“Of course, that’s to be expected.
Everyone thought they were here to study Zenith Star technology, but when they opened the treasure chest—hey, Orc technology!”
In the mouths of science fiction enthusiasts, “Zenith Star technology” can represent all advanced technologies.
“Orc technology,” however, refers to technology that “looks very primitive, actually is very primitive, you don’t even know how it functions, but it just irrationally works.”
Everyone thought Argon’s technology would be enough for humanity to research until the interstellar age, but what happened?
Part of the technology was rely on par with Earth’s.
No wonder countries are withdrawing their researchers in batches.
At first, the major powers had all recruited frontline researchers—after all, they thought there were imnse benefits here, so they all pulled their various first-rate researchers.
These scientists were all quite promising and many had their own projects.
Previously, everyone thought the gains from Argon might surpass all existing ventures, so they were willing to pay the price and stop their original projects.
But after the exploration of Argon was over, national leaders realized that Argon’s technology wasn’t worth it.
And scholars who thought Argon didn’t align with their research directions naturally began to withdraw gradually.
“My ntor has already left.
He now feels that going back to interdisciplinary cognitive science research has more promise.” Xiang Shan said, “He even thinks that this alien equipnt might be worth a professor’s title—’Work hard, Xiang Shan, if you make it happen this ti, I assure you, you’ll be the youngest professor at Tsinghua.'”
Yawgmoth laughed and said, “After all, is it because the project is flamboyant enough?”
“To not be taken seriously is one thing, but to be this disregarded?” Xiang Shan said angrily, “A project about aliens, and the most critical part of it still needs to be ‘flamboyant enough’ to land you a re professorship?”
“No, I think Mr.
Liu just doesn’t think you’re necessarily going to be credited with deciphering those devices.” Yawgmoth shook his head.
In this past half-year, Liu Zhenghui had returned, and Professor Zhang who ca with Liu Zhenghui had left.
Li Jiahua and Zhang Qiaoyun, two researchers from Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Social Sciences who shared a car with Xiang Shan to the airport, had also left.
Aerospace technology-related engineering researchers—mostly mbers of various national space agencies led by CASC and NASA—mostly stayed on.
It is particularly worth ntioning that old Mr.
Jing Hongtu had no reason to stay, but he was the one who least wanted to leave.
Such senior teenage angst.
“Forget it, once I’ve cracked the secrets of that pile of Argon scrap tal, I’m going to show those guys what a world-shocking discovery really is!”
Xiang Shan picked up a piece of cake from the plate and said fiercely.
……………………………………
Xiang Shan happily pulled a storage device out of the open ‘skull’ and said, “Look, I told you, when dealing with these gangs, don’t be afraid of the trouble or despise the scant information dropped by the lackeys.
Eventually, you can build a sand tower.
Look, don’t we now understand much more about Pine Eagle City’s underground forces?”
Behind him, a few young heroes had just erged from the concealed area.
They were still bewildered, feeling unable to keep up with the old senior’s thought process.
This old senior really just picked a direction at random, attacked whatever he encountered.
In any case, if there was a stronghold, he’d first throw an electromagnetic pulse generator, disabling all calls for backup.
If there were few people on the other side, he’d take it down openly.
If there were many, he’d carry out several assassinations.
Anyway, it was now certain…
The underworld of Pine Eagle City had been thrown into complete chaos.
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