Chapter 61: The Time Limit for the Destruction of the Earth

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Gao Qi was surprised by how well President Yu treated her. Not only had he invested in her projects, but he also promoted her to the position of Regional Director. Surprisingly though, his ultimate request was for her to rekindle her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Zhao Yu. And she was expected to be the one to initiate it.

“President Yu, could you tell me why you’re doing this?” Gao Qi asked, her face filled with puzzlement. Zhao Yu was just an ordinary guy in her eyes, so why was she asked to go through all this hassle for him?

“I can’t reveal that…” President Yu replied, shaking his head. He paused for a moment, mulling over how to best explain the situation. He finally spoke up, “Have you ever heard of the ‘Milk Tea Girl ?”

“Sure, I have.” Gao Qi nodded. “The Milk Tea Girl, an ordinary girl from a typical family, was chosen by a millionaire corporate chairman to be his wife. She became an admiration for countless young girls. Even among the high society, she holds a central position. Top celebrities entering such circles tread with caution to avoid any missteps. It’s quite an enviable situation.”

President Yu flashed her a knowing smile, “If you manage to get back with Zhao Yu, 1 assure you that your status will surpass that of the Milk Tea Girl!’1

This statement left Gao Qi stunned. She couldn’t comprehend how Zhao Yu could possibly hold such immense influence. Regrettably, President Yu never disclosed Zhao Yu’s true identity.

After President Yu departed, Gao Qi couldn’t resist opening the chat group titled ‘Youth Fades, but not Charm’. She first noticed Zhao Yu s profile picture; it was grey, indicating he was offline.

…..

Scanning through the group chat, she saw hundreds, possibly thousands, of new messages. What struck her most was that the group was also discussing Zhao Yu.

Frantically, Gao Qi typed, “Do you all know about this?!”

“Indeed. I initially thought President Liao truly appreciated my abilities. Only later did I realize that he wanted me to introduce him to Zhao Yu…” came one response.

“I experienced the same thing. 1 even asked them about Zhao Yu’s occupation, but nobody would tell me…” replied another.

“Can any of you tell me why Zhao Yu is being treated so deferentially by these influential people?!” someone questioned.

After a moment’s hesitation, Wang Qian added to the conversation, “I’ve heard that Zhao Yu is an orphan. Could he be the secret illegitimate child of some ultra-wealthy individual, recently discovered?!”

“Isn’t that a bit too far-fetched?!” came a skeptical reply.

“I’ve been reading a city-based novel recently,” Li Wenbo chimed in, “The protagonist’s situation is somewhat similar to Zhao Yu’s…”

“What’s the novel about?” Gao Qi asked curiously.

“In the novel, the main character is a cultivator, capable of creating elixirs that grant eternal life. I suspect Zhao Yu disappeared these years to become a cultivator. He only recently returned, revealing his talents, and has since attracted the attention of the elite. After all, who wouldn’t want a shot ar immortality?”

“The likelihood of that is pretty high. The rich do fear death above all else…” came the last comment.

In Xia du, a top-secret meeting was held underground.

The meeting convened nine council members, with an additional thirty plus think tank members. Chief Engineer Yang, and Liu Ning, present as observers.

“Liu Ning, now describe in detail your conversation with Zhao Yu on Blue Moon,” commanded a voice from the group.

“Yes…”

Liu Ning didn’t take this request lightly. Wearing a cloak of nervousness, she meticulously narrated the events that had unfolded on Blue Moon.

Once she concluded, Colonel Chu sought further clarification, questioning her to ensure no detail was missed. Assured, he turned his attention to the think tank members, “What are your thoughts on this matter?”

“There appears to be a logical inconsistency!11 responded the first of the think tank members to speak. A young man named Zhuge Tao, a descendant of the historically renowned Zhuge Clan, and a rare youth to have entered the esteemed think tank ranks at such a young age..

“If, as Zhao Yu suggests, the universe adheres to the law of the dark forest, then why haven’t they destroyed Earth?” he questioned.

Colonel Chu gave a nod of acknowledgment, inviting him to elaborate.

“The aliens, as I understand, propose that they offer the technology, and we contribute the resources. Together we construct a laser defense system around Earth to protect against the approaching alien fleet. However, there seems to be a flaw in this plan…”

Adjusting his glasses, Zhuge Tao continued, “The alien fleet has set its sights on Earth. They had all the freedom to leave. So, why would they choose to aid Earth?”

Chief Engineer Yang couldn’t help but interject.” Is it possible that the dark forest law that the universe follows is fake? They lied to us, afraid that we would abandon them and contact the alien fleet?!”

“It’s possible!”

Zhuge Tao acknowledged him with a glance before continuing, “Currently, I have two hypotheses. Let me share them, and you can judge which seems more plausible…”

Colonel Chu harbored his own suspicions but saw no need to voice them. As a council member, it wasn’t his role to preempt his subordinates.

Furthermore, he wanted to benefit from their diverse perspectives, hoping to see a more comprehensive picture.

“The first hypothesis centers around Zhao Yu s claim, “The universe adheres to the Dark Forest law, and civilizations are engaged in a fight to the death! ”

“The logic falters when considering why the moon aliens would seek to establish contact with Earth, and even more so, why build factories here?”

Chief Engineer Yang, seeming somewhat lost, asked, “Isn’t rhe cooperation with Earth to acquire resources?”

“If it’s merely for resources, why not wipe out Earth’s inhabitants? The whole planet would then be theirs!” Zhuge Tao retorted calmly before continuing,

“Hence, their alliance with Earth isn’t solely about resources. Their actual objective seems to be to spur Earth’s technological advancement…”

“I suspect that the moon aliens are primarily a fleet. For unknown reasons, their spacecraft, capable of traversing light-years, conducting ultra-iong-distance jumps, and teleportation, has suffered damage…”

“Forced to land on the dark side of the moon, they discovered Earth’s civilization. However, due to their severely impaired weapons system, they didn’t reveal themselves. Instead, they captured some humans as a means to understand and study Earth…”

“Simultaneously, they established an underground base to urgently repair various spaceship facilities…”

“After more than five years of development and repair, they’ve managed to regain control of weapons, conventional spacecraft, projection touch watches, and other technologies…”

“However, they lack the technology to traverse light-years. This is what compels them to collaborate with Earth, to promote our scientific advancements. The objective is to complete the missing segments of their technology…”

Chief Engineer Yang scratched his head in confusion, “Their technology far outstrips ours, so why would they want to collaborate with Earth?”

In his understanding, their magnetic levitation technology, their star-destroying weaponry, and such were leaps and bounds beyond anything Earth had developed. Why, then, would they feel the need to cooperate with us?

Zhuge Tao didn’t respond directly, but posed a question, “What do you think has been crucial for our advancement from primitive times to now?”

Chief Engineer Yang caught off guard, pondered for a moment, then replied, “Could it be scarcity of resources leading us to innovate, lest we perish?”

Zhuge Tao turned to the eager Liu Ning and nodded, “If you have an idea, feel free to share it.”

Liu Ning looked somewhat apprehensive, “Can 1 speak up?”

Surrounded by many wise individuals, she couldn’t fathom why none of them were speaking up. They all seemed utterly calm, maintaining an almost serene composure.

Zhuge Tao glanced at the silent intellectuals, and offered a comforting smile, “No worries. It’s not as if you’re risking your livelihood. Even if you’re mistaken, there’s no harm done. Besides, we’ve been around each other so long, our thinking tends to align. Fresh perspectives are always welcome.”

Relieved, Liu Ning finally spoke, “I believe the key to our development from primitive times lies in our ability to use tools…”

“No, it should be communication…” Chief Engineer Yang interrupted, shaking his head, feeling his previous input was somewhat off, “Perhaps, it’s related to societal structures?”

“Or could it be geography?”

Colonel Chu, not having the patience for this discussion, interjected, “There are four types of factors that foster the development of civilization: geography, politics, economy, and technology. But these are just textbook concepts, Zhuge Tao, what is your perspective?”

“My view is that it’s all about population!”

Zhuge Tao replied with a knowing smile, “Be it geography, politics, economy, or technology, with a sufficiently large population, you’ll eventually get there. The more people, the more possibilities…”

“Therefore, I believe the cornerstone of civilization’s development is population…”

“Returning to the previous question, it’s known that these moon aliens arrived here due to a fleet crash, hence their numbers would understandably be limited…”

“A significant amount of their technology is likely stored on their ships. This might explain the disparities in their technological capabilities…”

“The key missing technology that would allow them to traverse light-years back to their home planet is something they can’t compensate for on their own…”

“So, if they wish to return home, they’re forced to momentarily violate the Dark Forest Law’, and reluctantly cooperate with Earth to advance our technology…”

“We can deduce that the moment their mother ship is fully repaired, it would be

the end of Earth as we know it!”

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