I handed over to another world

Security Minister Li Yan placed an encrypted data chip on the table, and the holographic projection began.

The picture clearly shows the abnormal fund flows of some departments. The colors of those fund flows are specially marked in red. It is obvious that these projects have been monitored by the association’s security department for a long time.

“According to the investigation, more than 200 billion Red Dragon Coin proceeds have been transferred to shadow accounts in the past three months.”

Li Yan lowered his voice and said, "The funds ultimately flow to the same place - the private research institute of Zhang Wei, the head of the Science and Technology Committee."

Chen Lin tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his eyes gradually becoming sharper: "Is the evidence conclusive?"

"The evidence is irrefutable."

Li Yan called up another surveillance video. "This is the quantum record from last week. The amount marked as experimental loss is about 40% different from the actual amount, and the difference has been transferred to this coordinate."

The projection switches to a secret facility hidden beneath the Antarctic ice, but that's not Earth.

Chen Lin's pupils shrank slightly - that was the laboratory of the first generation of pioneers on the Blue Sea Star that was supposed to be abandoned.

Ever since Aian disappeared, all traces of this last pioneer began to become less important, which gave people from many departments the opportunity to take advantage of loopholes.

"What's more serious is that,"

Li Yan continued, "Zhang Wei's team is using these crystals to conduct unauthorized consciousness transfer experiments. They seem to want to recreate the ancient consciousness of the Valley Rift."

Chen Lin stood up suddenly, his office chair making a harsh sound on the ground: "Organize a special operations team immediately, I want to handle this matter personally."

"Yes."

Twelve hours later, three "Night Owl" class assault ships quietly landed on the ice field of Blue Sea Star.

Thirty special forces members wearing quantum stealth armor quickly assembled, with real-time tactical data jumping on their masks.

"Team A is responsible for the east entrance, and Team B controls the energy center."

Captain Zhou Rui's voice rang out in the encrypted channel, "Remember, first preserve the experimental data, and kill anyone who resists without mercy."

Chen Lin was watching the holographic projection in the command center of the Red Dragon headquarters.

In the picture, the thermal imaging silhouettes of the special forces were rapidly approaching the target facility, but a moment later the alarm pierced the silence.

"Quantum shield detected!"

The technical officer exclaimed, “This is not our technical specification!”

In the projection, a dark blue energy barrier suddenly emerged outside the base. What was even more disturbing was that the flowing patterns on the surface of the barrier were exactly the same as the crystal patterns in the Valley Rift.

"Break through with force."

Chen Lin ordered coldly, "I just want the results."

Three specially made electromagnetic pulse bombs streaked through the night sky, and the barrier flashed violently three times before shattering like glass.

The special forces took the opportunity to break in, and the tactical lights on their guns illuminated the dark corridor as bright as day.

"The east side has been cleared, and a large number of experimental chambers have been found!"

"West Side Control, God...what are these people doing?!"

The real-time images transmitted back brought deathly silence to the command center - dozens of culture chambers were arranged in the center of the laboratory, with a human body floating in each chamber - they were connected to densely packed tubes, and at the other end of those tubes were connected to the active quantum crystals that were expressly prohibited from research by the association.

"The vital signs scans show...these people are still alive."

The medical officer's voice trembled, "But their brain waves... are completely synchronized."

The most horrifying thing is that the surface of all the incubators is engraved with that familiar mark - a giant crystal pattern surrounded by seven stars.

"Found the main target!"

Zhou Rui's shout suddenly rang out. The picture shook violently, and finally froze in a circular central laboratory.

Zhang Wei had his back to the entrance, concentrating on adjusting some giant equipment.

"Zhang Wei! Security Department of the Red Dragon Association!"

Zhou Rui raised his gun and aimed, "Surrender immediately!"

Zhang Wei turned around slowly, a look of surprise flashed across his face, and then he smiled bitterly.

He raised his hands, his voice filled with helplessness: "It seems that I still underestimated the association's monitoring system."

Zhou Rui took a step forward, pushed Zhang Wei to the ground, and quickly put quantum suppression handcuffs on him.

"You are under arrest for embezzlement and illegal experimentation."

The special forces quickly took control of the entire laboratory, and technical experts began to check the culture chambers and experimental equipment. Everyone's face became more and more solemn.

"Captain, these devices..." a team member's voice trembled, "These are 'knowledge transfer' devices!"

Chen Lin at the command center stood up suddenly and slammed his fist on the console: "It's true!"

"He actually wants to revive the forbidden technology of the pioneers..."

"Bring him back to me. I want to ask him in person what he is thinking!"

In the interrogation room, Zhang Wei seemed unusually calm.

When Chen Lin came to question him personally, he raised his head with a fanatical light in his eyes: "President Chen, don't you understand the value of this technology?!"

"Knowledge transfer can allow human civilization to leap forward by several centuries!"

"What's the price?"

Chen Lin asked coldly, "Why did the pioneer civilization finally give up this technology? Have you ever thought about it?"

Zhang Wei's expression froze. The interrogation records showed that he had discovered in private research that knowledge transfer would cause the recipient's consciousness to be gradually covered by data, eventually turning it into a "knowledge container" without independent thinking.

However, in Zhang Wei's opinion, this change is an acceptable price to pay. After all, once the knowledge transfer technology is applied, a group of super humans who surpass ordinary people will emerge, and then the entire human civilization will most likely evolve again!

"I just...want to break through..."

Zhang Wei's voice became smaller and smaller, with a grayish look on his face: "I am doing this for the Red Dragon Association and for the entire human civilization. This is beneficial to us overall."

A week later, the Red Dragon Association held an emergency high-level meeting.

Chen Lin announced the decision on Zhang Wei: permanently deprive him of his position on the Science and Technology Committee and subject him to a memory reset.

"From today on,"

Chen Lin looked around at everyone and said in a sonorous and powerful voice, "All research projects involving the Forerunners' forbidden technology are suspended. We want to develop, but not at the cost of sacrificing humanity."

After the meeting, Irina stopped Chen Lin in the corridor and said, "You have suspected Zhang Wei for a long time, right?"

Chen Lin nodded: "Ever since I discovered that he was secretly studying the crystals of the Valley Rift, I asked the Security Department to keep an eye on him."

He looked at the starry sky outside the window, "Sometimes I wonder if the pioneer civilization has also experienced such a choice..."

Chen Lin stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the busy spaceport below the headquarters.

At this moment, there was a gentle knock on the office door.

"Come in." He said without turning his head.

The door slid open and the two vice presidents walked in side by side.

Vice President Zhang coughed lightly: "President, about Zhang Wei's matter..."

"sit down."

Chen Lin turned around and gestured, "I know what you want to say."

Vice President Zhang got straight to the point: "President, knowledge transfer technology does have risks, but now is the interstellar age. The threats and opportunities we face are far greater than before. Perhaps... we need to re-evaluate some taboos."

Vice President Xu added: "We are not trying to exonerate Zhang Wei, but are just suggesting that some research be restarted under strict control."

"After all, much of the technological legacy left by the pioneers is available to us."

"Do you know why the pioneers finally gave up on this technology?"

Chen Lin interrupted, tapping the desktop to call up an encrypted file, and the holographic projection showed the last warning left by Ai An: [Knowledge transfer will eventually devour those who seek knowledge].

Vice President Zhang frowned: "But this is just speculation..."

"No, that's the truth."

Chen Lin's voice suddenly became heavy. "We saw victims of knowledge transfer in the Pioneer ruins we found deep in the Blue Sea Star."

The projection switched to a huge underground hall with hundreds of crystal coffins neatly arranged. Inside each coffin lay a humanoid creature, whose heads had been transformed into translucent crystal structures with data light flowing inside.

"They gained endless knowledge,"

Chen Lin whispered, "But he lost himself forever."

The office fell silent.

Finally, Vice President Xu sighed: "We understand, but President, if one day we really need this technology..."

"Then we'll talk about it until that day."

Chen Lin looked at the starry sky outside the window, "Before that, the Red Dragon Association will never repeat the mistakes of the pioneers."

After the two vice presidents left, Chen Lin's eyes fell on a report on the table - it was the data confiscated from Zhang Wei's laboratory. The small line of words at the bottom caught his attention: [Unknown quantum signal source detected, coordinates...]

Chen Lin's fingers slid quickly across the holographic projection and called up the association's highest-level scientific research meeting notice.

He pondered for a moment and added the names of a few core scientists.

Three days later, the fifteen top quantum scientists of the Red Dragon Association gathered in a conference room in Shangdu. Chen Lin stood in the center of the circular conference table, and the holographic projection behind him displayed all the data of the "Knowledge Transfer Program".

"Everyone, today we are going to do a thorough pros and cons analysis."

Chen Lin's voice was particularly clear in the soundproof conference room. "I want you to evaluate every detail of this technology with the most rigorous attitude."

Everyone looked at each other. They didn't expect that the main purpose of Chen Lin bringing them here today was this.

Over the next seventy-two hours, scientists conducted an unprecedentedly in-depth discussion. Heated debates broke out from time to time in the conference room, and the data models on the holographic projection were constantly overturned and rebuilt.

"According to the quantum computing model, the consciousness loss rate is as high as 73%..."

"But if you add a neural buffer..."

"No, that would lead to a decrease in the integrity of knowledge..."

Chen Lin listened silently throughout the whole process and only asked a few sharp questions at critical moments.

He noticed that as the discussion deepened, several scientists who initially supported continued research gradually changed their positions.

The entire meeting lasted a week, and the final report was finally completed in the early morning of the seventh day.

Chief Scientist Lin Wei pushed up her glasses and said in a hoarse voice: "The conclusion is clear - with our current level of technology, the risks of knowledge transfer far outweigh the benefits."

Chen Lin nodded and called up the holographic screen: "Then make this report public to all senior researchers. Including all the original data, simulation results, and..." He paused, "the real image of the Pioneer ruins."

"Is this appropriate, President Chen?"

Lin Wei frowned and said, "Many things in here are top secret to ordinary people..."

"Nothing is top secret or not. They should be shown these things."

Chen Lin glanced at the crowd and said, "What's more, many people will not actually read the entire document. Many of the contents in it are not important to them. What is important is the attitude of the Red Dragon Association."

"Understood……"

Chen Lin put his hands behind his back and scanned the faces of every scientist in the conference room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, after this thorough evaluation, I have decided to approve a limited research program."

There was a slight commotion in the conference room. Lin Wei looked up in surprise: "President, what do you mean..."

"Under Level B protection conditions, form a core research team of no more than 10 people."

Chen Lin pulled up a new authorization document on the holographic screen. "Dr. Lin is directly responsible for this and will report progress to me every week."

He paused, his eyes becoming unusually sharp. "But there are three iron rules: first, human experiments are absolutely prohibited; second, the scope of research is limited to defensive applications; third, all data must be backed up to my private terminal in real time."

Irina nodded thoughtfully: "You want to... master this technology but not use it?"

“In the interstellar age, we must not only guard against known threats, but also prepare for unknown dangers.”

Chen Lin's voice was low and firm. "The warnings left by the pioneer civilization must be taken seriously, but giving up research completely is like walking in the dark with your eyes blindfolded."

He turned to the starry sky outside the window, where countless unknown lights were flickering: "When the real crisis comes, I hope the Red Dragon Association will have more options."

Lin Wei took the authorization order solemnly: "I assure you that I will strictly control the research scale."

Chen Lin finally reminded: "The essence of this technology is not a tool, but a Pandora's box... What we need to do is to find a way to control it, not open it."

When this 3,000-page technical evaluation report was made public within the association, the originally restless scientific research department gradually calmed down.

Many researchers who once secretly supported Zhang Wei fell into deep thought after seeing the crystallized remains of the pioneers.

At the weekly meeting, Chen Lin looked around the quiet meeting room and said: "The Red Dragon Association is never afraid of exploring the unknown, but we value the value of humanity even more."

“Any technological progress should not come at the expense of human nature.”

After the meeting, Irina stopped him in the hallway: "You planned all this a long time ago, didn't you?"

Chen Lin smiled slightly: "Sometimes, letting people see the truth for themselves is more effective than forcibly prohibiting it."

He looked out the window at the starry sky. "However, I did ask the technical department to... slightly modify the video footage of the remains of the pioneers."

Irina raised an eyebrow: "Retouching?"

"It just makes the crystallized features more... obvious."

A hint of shrewdness flashed across Chen Lin's eyes. "After all, intuitive warnings are the most effective." (End of this chapter)