I really don't want to be a novelist

Chapter 124 The Ending of "The Shepherd Boy Seeking Immortals"
ps: The title is wrong and cannot be changed.

Chapter 120 The third chapter "The Bird in the Cage" finale.

……

With this hardcover "The Caged Bird",
Editor-in-Chief Tao read more and more carefully, and saw that Wu Mu, the protagonist in the article, figured out many mysteries under the night curtain, and peeped into some truths about the starry sky.

Feeling some scalp numbness again, he paused for a long time before continuing to read.

In this paragraph,

The protagonist Wu Mu reveals why the previous "observer civilization" and the current behavior are contradictory.

Relatively vaguely expresses a possibility... the sky is full of night, and there is never only one star bright.

If an electromagnetic wave signal is sent, this 0.7PB data is not an 'observer civilization'.

If there is really an observer civilization outside the curtain of the solar system, then what humans are doing now may be exactly the opposite of what was expected.

Human beings are not following the road planned by the "observer civilization" for human civilization in desperation,

Instead, they are ignorantly and fearlessly departing from the established path given to human beings by the "observer civilization"... because now this path is not planned for human beings by the "observer civilization".

"...It turns out that we are not ants walking along the 'words' written in the sugar water, but are being affected by something next to us, and we are leaving the group..."

The protagonist Wu Mu muttered to himself under the starry sky,
However, editor-in-chief Tao, who was immersed in it, felt shocked, and a kind of tingling feeling rushed straight to the tip of his hair.

For the author's exquisite plot setting...and for the plot itself.

Unexpected, but reasonable, unexpected, but very reasonable in retrospect.

And the plot,
Here, it continues to develop.

After realizing some truths, what should human beings do?
Although he wanted to understand some things, he also presented greater despair in front of human civilization in the book.

……

"...Wu Mu looked at the shining stars in the dark night, and after standing for a long time, he took down the birdcage on the branch of the tree, and went back to the dormitory with this gorgeous bird.

It's just that I don't know if there are a few tiny ants trampled to death on the way. "

After this paragraph.

Wu Mu naturally reported the information.

At the end of the report, he ended with a sentence that seemed to be a joke, but no one who saw the report could laugh.

"...I thought about it later, if the tortoise in the mud didn't have beautiful lines on its shell, then it should be used to make soup. It was watched by people."

This passage is an echo of the small story in the report he reported earlier,
It also reveals some of Wu Mu's despair from the words.

further down,
after reporting

"...Professor Wu, do you think there really is an 'observer civilization' outside the solar system?"

"I don't know, but since the Observer civilization says there are, then there should be, and since there are, there should be many."

"The observer civilization is observing us outside the curtain, why?"

"...Maybe it is collecting the differences of different civilizations, it may be an experiment that has taken a long time for us...Maybe a sample of a civilization with a different history and a different culture is valuable to this powerful civilization...We How can a bird in a cage understand its own greatest value?"

"But probably, no matter what, it is contradictory to the 'observer civilization' that sent the data. Therefore, there is a high probability that if there is an observer civilization outside the curtain, it is not the same as the 'observer civilization' that sent the data. Not the same?"

"...Professor Wu, what is the purpose of this 'observer civilization' that sends electromagnetic waves? Why is this 'gift' given?"

"...Sir, if we have already colonized the galaxy, what will happen if we receive this message?"

"...will ignore it, or follow the place where the message was sent...because we have broken through the galaxy and have not seen the curtain."

"If we have not yet born science and have sufficiently sophisticated receiving instruments, what will happen when this information is transmitted?"

"...Of course I can't receive it."

"...Then what is the civilization that needs the technology after receiving this information?"

"...science was born and has developed to a certain extent, but it is still far from reaching the boundaries of the galaxy where civilization is located."

"...Yeah, such a civilization, a civilization that has not been in contact with other alien civilizations, after receiving such a complete system of technological gifts... Our science and our thinking seem to be moving towards a self-designated The direction is approaching."

"...This is probably not a gift, but a weapon of thought. The words given to us or to other civilizations, the two tests, and the gift of complete technology are probably part of the weapon."

"...Maybe after the coverage of science and technology, we have no other possibilities. Maybe this system of knowledge from theoretical science to technology and technology finally points to the 'observer civilization that sent the signal' itself, but the scientific ideology is completely consistent with It is the same as it, and how can a civilization that is already behind it have the possibility of surpassing it.

Perhaps, as at the end of the message from 'Observer Civilization', if we one day meet in the stars.Then probably human civilization will become its vassal. "

"...But these probably all have the same characteristics, which are killing the uniqueness of our civilization. This is contrary to the observer civilization that really exists outside the curtain."

The Chief is silent.

Wu Mu was also silent.

In fact, scientists, physicists, and professors have naturally thought about this possibility.

But because of the observer civilization outside the curtain, there is no choice, if this is the route planned by the real observer civilization for human beings,
Even if it kills the future of mankind, it can only go on.

Only now, Wu Mu's conjecture and deduction put an inequality sign between the civilization that sent the data and the civilization of the observer mentioned in the data,
So people are faced with a choice,

It is to continue to follow the current complete technological route, but it may be shot to death because of the 'outlier ants',

I still choose to try my best to keep that line obscure, and the uniqueness of human civilization has always existed, just like the pattern on the body of a caged bird, 'let everyone watch' to avoid being slapped to death.

"...The weak face the strong, even the demands of the strong need to be speculated and guessed."

The long silence between Wu Mu and the chief ended with the chief's words.

It is a deep despair,

Humans are birds in cages, and it's best to show off your beautiful feathers obediently.

In fact, there is never any choice but to be fiddled with.

It is just to see what kind of choice can make human civilization survive the present, and avoid the crisis that may be close at hand.

"Professor Wu Mu, what do you think we should do?"

"I don't know...it's just that the observer civilization is closer to us."

Wu Mu raised his head, with confusion in his eyes.

Neither the civilization that sent the electromagnetic wave signal nor the observer civilization outside the curtain has ever really appeared in front of human beings.
Just showing some traces makes human civilization so desperate.

"I see, Professor Wu..."

Finally, the chief nodded, and the two ended the secret conversation.

……

"Hey……"

Looking at the plot in the article, it seems that despair spread from the book to the reader, Editor-in-Chief Tao,
Editor Tao watched and sighed.

The civilization in the book has actually begun to fall into despair since it received the electromagnetic wave data.

Probably the human civilization in the book has finally glimpsed the existence of the 'cage' around him.

After a pause, Editor Tao calmed down again.

Bring up some expectations again,

Although so hopeless,

But since the protagonist can understand the real status of human beings once under the night,
It saved mankind from a crisis that was close at hand because of derailment.

Then is it possible to find another wonderful method to break free from this cage containing human civilization?

But the story continues,
But once again beyond the expectations of editor-in-chief Tao.

After finishing the secret conversation with the chief,

The protagonist, Wu Mu, returned to teach at the university. After a few days like this,
It's just a lot more silent than usual.

A few days later, on the campus road of Capital University, Wu Mu met the professor of the School of Physics who was depressed because his controllable nuclear fusion research route had lost value and went out for a trip.

The professor was very happy at this time,

He told Wu Mu that the country had newly established a project team and decided to continue to do controllable nuclear fusion research from other routes.

The country is right to these professors, although we have controllable nuclear fusion technology gifted by alien civilizations, we can’t let our own be left behind.

You can't rely all your own technological system on the technology gifted by alien civilizations, you must have your own independent technological route, even if it has no practical significance, you must master it.

And a large part of the productivity increase in recent years has been spent on this matter.

The physicist in the field of controlled nuclear fusion admires the country's approach.

He said that he felt that he should not completely follow the technological route given by the observer civilization as before,

There must always be something of our own to have new possibilities. Otherwise, is human being an observer civilization or a human civilization?
Wu Mu was silent about the professor's words,

Although human civilization has departed from the path planned by the civilization that sends electromagnetic wave data,
But it's just going the other way.

In the end, Wu Mu left without saying anything.

The physicist felt a little strange, but he was not too entangled in Wu Mu's reaction,

Just go about your own business.

And Wu Mu,
Feeling the changes brought about by the conversation between him and the chief,
Walked home step by step.

The surrounding has been very lively, only Wu Mu is very silent.

Finally, Wu Mu returned to his residence.

Standing by the window, looking at the birds in the cage hanging on the window,

I watched for a long time,

The bird naturally didn't know what Wu Mu was thinking,
Maybe it's a little strange, from time to time, I turn my head and look at Wu Mu,

From time to time, he lowered his head and pecked at the bowl of feed in the cage.

"...caged bird, when will you know that your greatest value is not to be watched by others, but to fly freely?"

Finally, Wu Mu opened the cage,

Throw this beautiful bird out.

"go Go……"

Wu Mu whispered.

I just don't know if this flying bird can survive outside the cage?
Or be captured again and put in a cage.

Wu Mu hugged the empty birdcage, lay on the bay window, and fell asleep.

Outside the window, I don't know when the wind and rain will blow.

……

The whole book "The Bird in the Cage" ends here.

The protagonist Wu Mu in the book did not turn the tide again.

It was beyond the expectation of editor-in-chief Tao, but after thinking about it, it was so reasonable.

For a powerful civilization beyond the curtain of the solar system, which human civilization cannot even see or perceive,

What can be done... And the current human civilization in the book can't even break free from this 'birdcage', it can't even touch the edge of the 'birdcage'.

From the beginning, it was a story of despair,
The ending is no longer a tragedy, at least for the individuals in the current human civilization in the book, it is not tragic.

Even despair is in that distant future.

It's just that some of the human civilization in the book will toss and turn for a long time.

And editor-in-chief Tao felt somewhat uncomfortable watching this ending.

But I also feel that the author wrote such an ending well, or that the whole book ends here,

Although there is no such exciting climax as "Enlightenment" under the night, it raises the whole book to another level.

Maybe it's the bad ending that makes people think of this book for a long time-after all, tragedy is more memorable.

Editor-in-Chief Tao felt that he might be able to think of this book again after a long time.

At least after reading it now, many plots in the book are still echoing in his mind.

Throughout the book,

The two alien civilizations that exist,
The observer civilization that may be outside the curtain, and the civilization that sends the electromagnetic wave signal,

None of them really appeared, but various traces revealed their existence.

But it is such an existence that also brings despair to the human civilization and the protagonist in the book, as if facing an abyss.

And after reading the whole story,
Editor-in-Chief Tao also seems to understand why this science fiction novel is called Bird in a Cage.

from the beginning,
Alien civilization's description of human civilization - 'You are caged birds'

And then to the words of the main character in the finale——'Caged bird, when will I understand that my greatest value is to fly freely rather than to be watched by others. '

For the alien civilizations that send electromagnetic waves, the human civilizations on Earth are birds in cages.

But for the observer civilization outside the solar system, the human civilization in the solar system is also a bird in a cage,

No matter what is the greatest value of human beings to alien civilizations that spread their nets and send electromagnetic waves,
Or the value of human civilization to the observer civilization that may exist outside the solar system,
They have already preset answers for human civilization...and the human civilization in the book is like a bird in a cage with no choice.

Even if you know what your own value is, you can only give someone else's preset answer.

thinking about this,

Editor-in-Chief Tao's uncomfortable mood after watching the whole "Bird in a Cage" gradually faded away.

Immediately afterwards, I became a little excited again.

This is a good novel, this is a good science fiction novel!
It's just a pity...it wasn't published by my own publishing house.

Why did such a good book end up in the publishing house of that guy, Lao Qian?
It's really shit luck... Fortunately, my publishing house also publishes a lot of good novels...

"Seven Days of Hell" and "The Shepherd Boy Seeking Immortals"... well, there are more books published by that guy's publishing house than Old Qian.

Hmm... It seems that these two books are both written by the same author... By the way, I remember that this author still has a book called "Mortal Cultivation of Immortals" that has not been published.
Or publish it for him...

Editor-in-Chief Tao thought about it,
But put it on hold for now.
First, he picked up his mobile phone and called Laoqian from Huating Publishing House.
the phone is connected,
Immediately afterwards, Lao Qian showed off his excited words,

"Old Tao, have you finished reading the book, well written, haha..."

"It's not you who wrote it, what are you talking about?"

"I didn't write it, it was published by my publishing house. What an editor does is to pick up lost things from the bottom of the sea, with a discerning eye. My publishing house published this book because I have a good vision. I don't care about you. .”

"Bah, as long as this book is so well written, even a blind person can read it. It's really shameless for you to have a discerning eye."

"...Let me ask you, this book is so well written, have you thought about giving the newspaper a science fiction award?"

"I've thought about it, but the Galaxy Awards were just judged some time ago, so I'll have to wait until next year."

"Aren't there foreign ones, such as the Hugo Awards?"

"Old Tao, are you serious?"

"...It's just that the Hugo Award is not enough. There are other awards... There are other awards in China."

"... also. It should be considered."

(End of this chapter)