Huayu 05, our science fiction movie universe

Faced with Shi Qiang's impending criticism and accusations, Ye Wenjie remained calm, as if the criticism wasn't directed at her at all.

However, when Shi Qiang looked at her, he smiled. A sharp light flashed in his eyes, which had become more mellow due to years of professional experience, as if a knife was about to cut open the heart of the woman in front of him.

"Compared to before, you seem much more relaxed after being arrested."

Did you anticipate this day, or even look forward to it? Did you hope to be caught, to have your misdeeds exposed, to be condemned by everyone, just like... your father...?

Ye Wenjie suddenly looked up, her indifference vanished, and her eyes were fixed on Shi Qiang's face, which looked rather irritating.

What she didn't notice was that Ding Yi, the renowned scientist who was famous throughout China and even the world, had already moved further away. His gaze towards Shi Qiang and her held a hint of melancholy, as if to say:

Why did you have to mess with this living devil?

If Ding Yi believed he had channeled his intelligence into scientific research, then Shi Qiang's intelligence was definitely channeled into understanding people; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to become the leader of the special affairs department.

Moreover, Ye Wenjie absolutely did not expect, or what many people would overlook, that in addition to being a leader of the special affairs department and a veteran criminal police officer, Shi Qiang also had another identity: one of the best dream thieves in fact, a psychology expert!

"Psychology often talks about the family of origin, and people are often trapped by things they could not obtain when they were young.

Clearly, that incident had a huge impact on you, so much so that you didn't even realize it was still haunting you.

Professor Ye, it must be haunting you, haunting you in the dead of night, even after so many years and so many things have happened.

It has become an imprint on your mind.

"no!"

Ye Wenjie finally spoke, her tone firm, but her words meant that a crack had appeared in her fortress.

Shi Qiang clearly understood this principle and continued to press his advantage, preparing to expand his gains.

"What you're fantasizing about is nothing more than a grand trial and a satisfying counterattack."

What you want to see is those who criticize you collapsing, suffering, and regretting because of the arrival of the Trisolarans.

You want them to regret what they did to you, to regret what they did to your father, and to regret all the damage they caused to your family.

In fact, you can say these things openly and honestly. What's there to be afraid of? Revenge is not something shameful.

Besides, we live in a society governed by law now, and we won't do anything out of line to you because of your thoughts.

"I didn't!" Ye Wenjie repeated.

"You don't have it, not because you don't want to, but because you've realized that your ideas will never come true."

Times have changed, Professor Ye. Even if the public condemns your actions, the government will give you a fair trial based on the law, not a public criticism from the stands.

The key point is that even if you attract the Trisolarans, our only thought will be how to save ourselves. Some may criticize you, but unfortunately, no one will repent for what you've done.

Shi Qiang's last words struck Ye Wenjie's heart like a hammer, making a "crackling" sound.

"I didn't!" Ye Wenjie repeated this sentence for the third time, and this time she added a small sentence at the end, "I did it to save human civilization."

Shi Qiang seemed to have heard this sentence, but also seemed not to have heard it.

"Time has faded everything; those people from back then are no longer here, and that group of people has grown old."

Therefore, the kind of revenge you envision in your mind, the exhilarating vengeance, is likely to never come to fruition.

Of course, you could also say that you're not seeking revenge, but rather that you believe human civilization is beyond redemption and hope to introduce the Trisolaran civilization to transform the region's civilization and save the planet.

But who told you that a high-tech civilization necessarily has high moral standards?
Is this conclusion scientific?

Shi Qiang's last words were shouted at Ding Yi, who was not far away and seemingly looking at the scenery, but was actually listening intently.

"That's not scientific!"

Ding Yi answered almost subconsciously:
"There is absolutely no scientific basis for this. Look at the Eight-Nation Alliance back then. Their technology was not inferior to that of the Qing Dynasty, but their morality was not much higher either."

There are also Africa and South America. Several European and American countries have advanced enough technology, but they haven't done anything wrong in those places.

As for the United States, it used to be technologically advanced enough to attract many people, but now it seems that its morality is just so-so.

In fact, morality is also based on race and class. What we consider morality may not be the morality of another race.

Moreover, even if a civilization is moral, it cannot guarantee that the individuals or organizations within that civilization will also be moral.

Weren't most of the adventurers who embarked on the Age of Exploration in Europe just bandits and scoundrels?
Actually, I agree with a point of view that a friend named Huang Ji made to me before. We earthlings now know to respect other people's fate and not to interfere in other people's lives. Trying to force things to grow is not advisable.

Would those truly morally and technologically advanced civilizations not understand this principle?

Ding Yi was about to launch into a long-winded discussion about the idea that "high-tech civilizations inevitably have high moral standards," but Shi Qiang waved his hand, interrupting him.

He had noticed that Ye Wenjie's psychological defenses had been further breached, but at this point, he had to loosen the reins and not push too hard.

"Of course, it's also possible that Mike Evans deceived you regarding the Three-Body issue, but that wasn't your intention, was it?"

“He never revealed his true inner thoughts to me, and I never imagined that his sense of mission towards other species on Earth would develop to such an extreme degree of hatred towards humanity.”

"Looking at the current situation of the Earth-Three-Body Organization, the Adventists want to use extraterrestrial power to destroy humanity; the Salvationists worship extraterrestrial civilizations as gods; and the Survivors' ideal is to survive by betraying their compatriots."

So all of this contradicts your ideal of using extraterrestrial civilizations to transform humanity?

Ye Wenjie sighed, "I lit the fire, but I can't control it."

Shi Qiang caught a word in her words.

"You used 'fire' to describe all of this, so you actually know that what you did was wrong, or that there was something wrong with it, and you realize that there is a big problem with your behavior, right?"

You have a plan to eliminate the Adventists within the Trisolaran Organization and are prepared to take action against them.

Ye Wenjie remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

“But your execution is clearly a step ahead of mine.”

"However, we did not find anything more related to the Trisolaran civilization on the Adventists' ships. Evans also said that the Trisolaran world did not teach the Adventists any technology that was above the current level of human technology."

"No, because those technologies are very likely to end up in your hands."

The Three-Body Problem's assistance to our organization was primarily in information and intelligence; even the technological support it provided was mainly focused on providing direction and overcoming difficulties.

"It seems that the Trisolaran civilization does not trust you, which is perhaps why they have stopped contacting you."

Indeed, surrenderers are unwelcome everywhere. How can anyone believe in loyalty when someone betrays their own race and country?

Shi Qiang sighed, then changed the subject and asked:
"So what advice do you have for us regarding dealing with the future Trisolaran crisis?"

Ye Wenjie remained silent for a long time this time, so long that Shi Qiang thought she didn't want to speak, but Ye Wenjie finally said:
"I don't know, I really don't know. In the eyes of the Trisolaran civilization, we might not even be considered barbarians, just a bunch of insects." She added after saying that.

"The world will eventually belong to the Trisolarans."

"Not always."

Shi Qiang finally couldn't hold back any longer. He took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, put it in his mouth, and, without caring whether anyone was around, took a deep drag and exhaled a puff of white smoke.

"So you petty intellectuals have to be reformed."

As he spoke, he glanced at the tomb of his mentor, Li Baoku, not far away.

"Lack of faith, wavering will, weakness, arrogance, wishful thinking, and detachment from reality..."

"Don't be so upset, hehe. That was a mission, but now that's over, you wanted some criticism, right? Well, I'll have a good talk with you."

Shi Qiang flicked off his cigarette ash and said:
"Let's start with the fact that you have no faith. Do you have any faith?"
There are such examples, such as the sudden concern and care for nature in the Greater Khingan Mountains, the adherence to scientific truth, and the obsession with improving and enhancing civilization.

Don't they all sound incredibly sophisticated and high-class?

But in reality? Are those things truly what you care about, what you truly believe in? Is it really because of faith, or because they give you a sense of superiority over others?

Am I the only one who is sober while everyone else is drunk?
Are your actions and persistence truly driven by belief and a heartfelt desire to do so? Or is it because others haven't noticed or realized it, but you have, and so you shout it out to attract attention?

It is said that "one should judge things by their actions, not their intentions, for by intentions there is no perfect person in the world."

But what about you? Shouting out, making a sound, and giving your opinions—is that all you do?

Professor Ye, you are a few years older than me and have worked in many fields. You have taught students and should understand what I mean. You must have taught those students who can only talk but not act.

Have you ever thought about whether you had these same problems back then?

Ye Wenjie was speechless. She wanted to say that she had written a letter to her superiors to report the matter and had even been persecuted for it.

But considering that the other party was the head of a special department, he must have thoroughly investigated my past.

Back then, she had only helped Bai Mulin transcribe the letters once. That was after reading "Silent Spring" and expressing her feelings. To say that she did it out of love for the environment is really hard to believe.

As for the Red Coast base, she did take action; that was perhaps the time in her life when she was most proactive in executing her plans.

However, she herself couldn't say whether her motivation at that time was based on faith or hatred and revenge.

Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, Shi Qiang said calmly, "Those who truly have faith are buried there right now."

He pointed to the tombstone inscribed with "Tomb of My Mentor Li Baoku".

"A person with faith, a person with a firm will, is never afraid of sacrifice."

Not only my teachers, but also the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for this country, and the workers who planted trees in the desert.

They have firm beliefs, strong will, and unwavering convictions. They are reflective and do not blindly follow others.

Looking at your experiences and actions, there has never been a consistent core logic. Your actions are inconsistent; one moment you want to destroy the world, the next you are moved by the villagers, then you are disappointed in humanity, and then you regret it.

You didn't even have a detailed, long-term plan; you just took things one step at a time, and in the end, Evans even took power from you.

This is absolutely ridiculous!

Look at the village before you.

Shi Qiang pointed to the village at the foot of the mountain.

"I still remember what this village was like when I was in elementary school."

Over the years, things have changed dramatically. Roads have been built, and there is now water, electricity, and internet access. Houses have been renovated.

Do you know how these changes came about? They are the result of countless grassroots workers going deep into the countryside day after day to carry out poverty alleviation work, and the educational efforts of rural teachers.

To eradicate poverty, one must first address the mindset. They believed that the originally ignorant villagers could be educated, helped, and guided, and that this led to the creation of this new rural area.

In this process, only a very small number of their contributions may be recognized and reported, while most remain unknown, and some have even sacrificed their lives for it.

This is true sacrifice!
Is cutting the rope between Yang Weining and Lei Zhicheng considered a sacrifice? You sacrificed your love.
No, that was murder! You murdered two people!

Shi Qiang's words, each one a sharp knife, pierced Ye Wenjie's body, leaving the aged woman covered in wounds and shattering her initial composure.

However, Shi Qiang did not stop his offensive and continued to deliver damage.

"Of course, what you went through back then was indeed very pitiful. The tragedy that happened to you makes it difficult for me to say the word 'forgive' so easily."

There's a saying that goes, "Stay away from people who advise you to be magnanimous without knowing the full story, because you might get caught in the crossfire when lightning strikes."

So I won't advise you to be magnanimous, I'll just tell you a story, about a person.

You must know this person, you must recognize him, especially if you lived through that era.

That man lost his wife in middle age and his son in old age. He experienced six rises and falls in his life, survived eleven major disasters, and was wanted by the police four times with a large sum of money offered to buy his head.

He has experienced many ups and downs, but the least known of these is that he was squeezed out of the decision-making team several times.

At the time, he was 36 years old. Because he insisted on his correct opinion, but no one believed him, he was warned, punished, failed to be re-elected, and was sent to a remote area. His wife and children disappeared, he was seriously ill, and he had to recuperate alone. He vomited blood and had a fever, but no one cared about him. He was even issued an obituary by the organization.

In the most severe case, this process even lasted for three years.

In his recollection, "They dipped my wooden idol into a cesspool, then took me out, making me stink terribly. Back then, not a single person came to my door, not even a ghost. My only tasks were to eat, sleep, and defecate. Thankfully, my head wasn't chopped off."

Even in that situation, he still wrote: "Life is fleeting, but Heaven is eternal; year after year, the Double Ninth Festival returns. Today, the Double Ninth Festival has come again, and the chrysanthemums on the battlefield are especially fragrant."

The poem reads: "The autumn wind blows fiercely once a year, unlike the spring scenery, yet surpassing it; the vast river and sky are covered in frost."

So you say you hate, that others can't understand you, that you've been slandered and attacked, but in reality, what you've experienced, that person has already experienced long ago, and he has always been the most opposed to such things.

But clearly, faced with the same situation, he made a completely different choice than you.

He later recalled:

I think some of my comrades may have suffered injustice or been wronged.

There are two attitudes toward those who are wronged and aggrieved, and toward those who are subjected to inappropriate punishments and wrongful actions (such as labeling oneself as an "ism", dismissing one from office, or transferring one from office).

One attitude is to become negative, angry, and dissatisfied; the other attitude is to see it as a beneficial education and a form of training.

You know, that's just how the world is. It's impossible to be completely fair, not now, and never will be.

So you see, this is faith. (End of Chapter)