Those who face the wall, but are in the Nascent Soul stage.

Chapter 96 We're Comrades Now (Two Chapters Combined)

Teaching is a noble profession, a fact Luo Qing has never doubted. The main social system in his hometown's cultivation world is a dual-track system of sects and immortal dynasties. The essence of a sect is a super-large-scale school, which Luo Qing understands very well.

The system of sect leader, elders, and disciples is similar to the structure of principal, teacher, and student. As for the weapon refining peak and the alchemy peak, aren't they just like the various majors in a university?

This further illustrates the commonality in their thinking.

Humans and the human race are all human beings. Even cultivators still think like humans, and their essence is no different.

But the Trisolarans are not.

The skills of memory inheritance and mind sharing are extremely exaggerated racial talents even in the world of cultivation.

Sai said, "Based on the information we have obtained about the Trisolaran civilization, memory inheritance, thought sharing, and dehydration should be common skills of all previous Trisolaran civilizations. They are inevitable evolutionary choices under the harsh environment of Trisolaris, and are not unique to this round of Trisolaran civilization."

Just as the Trisolaran civilization is studying Earth's civilization, Earthlings are also trying their best to study the Trisolaran civilization. Humans are eager to examine the dozen or so gigabytes of relevant data left behind by the Judgment Day, byte by byte.

Thanks to the divergent thinking of humankind, even from this limited information, we can glimpse the basic outline of the Trisolaran civilization:

A world plagued by disasters and misfortunes, yet it has persevered to this day through the resilience of life.

According to the embedded data in the Three-Body Problem game, the Trisolaran planet experienced more than one extinction event of three stars aligning and three suns appearing in the sky simultaneously, the degree of which was far greater than the four mass extinctions in the history of ancient life on Earth.

Each of these would be a catastrophe on par with the 'end of the world' if placed in the human world.

Yes, the dozen or so gigabytes of Three-Body data that Evans retained included the complete set of virtual reality technology for the Three-Body game. Humans have already recreated the second Three-Body game and arranged for a game strategy team to conduct in-depth research on the content behind the game.

The second part of the "Three-Body Problem" game was subsequently made public online, which directly spurred the development of virtual reality technology, represented by human game pod technology and V-suits.

With the participation of millions of netizens, their collective wisdom and efforts have uncovered various details beneath the game's seemingly simple presentation. The game's popularity has even led to Luo Qing being able to access various "Three-Body Problem" walkthroughs.

Of course, this is a human-reconstructed version of the Three-Body Problem game, which is not the same as the Three-Body Problem controlled by ETO, and they cannot log in to each other.

Given this widespread awareness, some rural romance dramas set in the Three-Body Problem universe are flourishing, and even the old folks in the village have realized that the Trisolarans are living a truly miserable life.

Of course, this kind of misery does not equate to sympathy.

Humanity has simply learned to condemn the Trisolaran civilization less from a moral standpoint.

The Future Historians went even further, proclaiming: In the face of survival, the concept of morality has no universal significance; the universe is immoral!
Some radicals even shouted the slogan: "The Trisolarans are innocent, but the invaders must die!"
This is a good understanding.

Luo Qing thought.

When dealing with anything in the universe, it's best not to apply human emotional templates.

At least in the previous life, anyone who dared to sympathize with the extraterrestrial demons would have been met with a real sword strike from the new Human Emperor.

...

PDC initiated a mandatory investigation into the space 'meteorite shower' incident, but this investigation quickly fizzled out due to various factors. The operator who negligently caused the oxygen tank to fall was subsequently prosecuted for improper operation and dereliction of duty, ultimately receiving a suspended sentence of two years' probation, but was soon released on bail by his colleagues through fundraising.

The space journalist who miraculously survived became a role model in journalism and a star in photography. His series of photographs, "Old Space Travelers Are Dying," won this year's Pulitzer Prize for Journalism.

On the Forbes rich list, a meteorite collector named Robert Haig appeared on the list.

As for Zhang Beihai, he was conducting his daily training like countless other ordinary space force officers, preparing for the hibernation of the 'Support Future Task Force' at the end of this year, and seemed to be unaffected.

Dongfang Mingxi, this young woman belonging to the school of future history, also diligently performs her duties in the space force. Like most members of the space force, she will never see the appearance of a real enemy in her lifetime.

Fortunately, she also did something for the future.

'I can't go to the future, but I can change the present.'

Dongfang Mingxi often comforted herself in this way.

...

In Crisis Era 12 (2019), other 'trivial' things were also happening.

One country took the lead in piloting the use of food coupons and ration cards, along with a basic currency for exchanging daily necessities. Russia, as a former Soviet republic, is also quite adept at returning to a planned economy.

These two countries set a good example for countries around the world that are struggling with economic difficulties. Countries are strengthening the power of their governments, and multi-party systems are gradually being integrated into one-party systems. The era of small government and big society is gone forever, and the era of state capitalism has arrived.

The development of the space exploration era requires strong government support; the power of capital, once seen as a scourge, is no match for the overall needs of humanity. Predictions about the cyberpunk era and the ultimate producer are thus proven false.

With the advent of commercial operation of space elevators, the resulting "space burial" has become a popular and trendy funeral method.

Among the three old friends, Yang Jinwen, Zhang Yuanchao, and Miao Fuquan, all had a strong interest in this, but in the end, only Miao Fuquan had the financial means to spend 200 million yuan to purchase the space burial service.

"I'm not going to hibernate anymore. I'm launching my ashes into space. When Earth is defeated, I can still keep my ashes. That's what escapism is all about."

—That two million was exactly the transfer fee for the 'blind mine' that caused the Taiyuan fire disaster.

Faced with his neighbors' questions about the underground fire, Miao Fuquan took it in stride: "The underground fire has nothing to do with me. It's all that expert Liu Xin's nonsense. Anyone with a sound mind would dare to set fire to a coal seam."

Yang Jinwen, a retired physics teacher whose son and daughter are university professors in the United States, can be considered an unconventional high-level intellectual. He scoffed at Miao Fuquan's purchase of a space burial.

“Mr. Miao, if you knew even a little about space, you wouldn’t think that space burial is a good way to die.”

"Mind your own business. I just don't want to be a slave under the feet of the Trisolarans. I'd rather die than become their ashes. Anyway, Earth is definitely not going to survive."

"How can you be so sure we can't hold on?"

"Isn't this obvious?"

"I didn't expect you to be such a staunch loser."

"Come on, 50 years ago I would have been called a capitalist roader. Don't label me like that. As long as my ashes can fly, who cares about anything else?"

Zhang Yuanchao didn't participate in the discussion; he just secretly hoped that this so-called space burial service, like the 'escape fund' he had been scammed out of, was a fake.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as he wished. Unlike the big swindler Shi Xiaoming's flawed scam, the space burial service was indeed a profitable service offered by the official space elevator company.

The space-based metal urn can be ejected from the solar system at a speed of about one ten-thousandth, a technology that relies on a magnetic ring orbit accelerator in space and the first application of controlled nuclear fusion in a space project.

This speed isn't particularly fast, but it's just enough to allow the urns to be thrown out of the solar system 300 years later. The Trisolaran fleet will most likely not pursue these urns that are being moved to new graves in a flash.

In addition to the 'space burial' service, the Trisolaran fleet observed by humans passing through a second interstellar dust cloud, along with ten accelerating 'probes,' became a hot topic after the news was made public.

Humanity is very cautious in its discussions about these 10 probes that could arrive in 200 years, with a mixture of caution and fear.

Even a truck, with a top speed of 8% of the speed of light, could cause a super hydrogen bomb explosion if it hit the Earth.

—The technology demonstrated by the Sophon is so advanced that humanity is very conflicted about it.

Luo Qing, a Wallfacer, publicly stated on multiple social media platforms: "I will stake out these ten probes, cut them up, and bring them back to Earth."

He didn't hide the fact that he could live for a thousand years. The netizens' reactions were quite amusing: "Only 1000 years?! You should at least live to 1!"

"The lifespan limit for the Nascent Soul stage is one thousand years."

Luo Qing replied in the comments section that he had only increased his strength but not his cultivation level. His Nascent Soul cultivator was almost gilded but had not yet undergone a transformation. There were many things he couldn't say or was unsure about.

The 12 years of the Crisis Era rolled by amidst these historical upheavals.

Luo Qing spent most of his time sitting in his own courtyard, feeling the passage of time. He meditated for a long time, but before this long retreat, he welcomed a special guest.

Luo Qing was initially prepared to refuse, but upon learning who the visitor was, she agreed instead.

"You must be Commander Chang Weisi, the commander of China's Space Force, right? Welcome, welcome, please make yourself at home." Luo Qing's enthusiasm surprised Chang Weisi.

"I hope my unauthorized visit hasn't interfered with your cultivation?" Chang Weisi asked.

"It hasn't even started yet. Cultivation isn't like what's shown in the movies. I plan to go into seclusion for a long time, maybe thirty or forty years," Luo Qing said casually. He still respected this first commander of the Space Force, especially after learning about his resume.

Soldiers, with their special role and responsibility of guarding, always earn his respect.

"Thirty or forty years, that's almost half a person's life," Chang Weisi said with some emotion.

"How old is Chief Chang this year?"

"He's fifty-four, and most of his body is buried in the ground."

Luo Qing casually scanned the area with his spiritual sense and discovered that Chief Chang was suffering from a chronic illness and his energy channels were stagnant, which was not a good sign for longevity.

If treated with current medical methods, this Chief Chang would probably not live past 70. Thinking this, Luo Qing casually released a beam of immortal light, which swept away the pent-up resentment accumulated over the years. The spiritual energy nourished his parched internal organs, helping him extend his life by 30 years.

Chang Weisi felt a sense of lightness throughout his body. He looked at Luo Qing in surprise, who gave him a kind smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Wallfacer." Chang Weisi was momentarily at a loss for what to do. Should he salute? Bow? Neither seemed appropriate.

"It was nothing, Chief Chang. Is there something you need that you came all this way for?" Luo Qing asked.

He was somewhat curious. Due to his special status, people with military backgrounds rarely chose to take the initiative to contact this Wallfacer, while politician Luo Qing had more contact with him.

Of course, Luo Qing rarely interferes with anyone's predetermined fate. Directly intervening in Chang Weisi's physical condition, like he did, is a very rare occurrence.

"Today, the political commissars that will be reinforcing the future have all arrived in Antarctica. If nothing unexpected happens, they will soon enter hibernation. I originally had a letter that I wanted to give to one of the members of the political commissars, but I gave up at the last minute. I thought of a better role."

"Me?" Luo Qing pointed to himself.

“Yes.” Chang Weisi nodded. “Especially after I saw your statement online that you could live to be 1000 years in the future, considering your identity as a guardian of civilization, I think this letter is most appropriate for you.”

"I dare not claim to be a guardian of civilization; I am just a lowly cultivator." Luo Qing waved his hands repeatedly.

Chang Weisi took out a thin, traditional kraft paper envelope from his pocket, like a withered autumn leaf, and solemnly handed it to Luo Qing.

Luo Qing took the letter, resisting the urge to use his divine sense to investigate.

"Whom do you need me to deliver this to?" Luo Qing asked.

“The future commander of the Space Force,” Chang Weisi said, then added with great foresight: “If the future Space Force is still based on nations, then it will be handed over to our Space Force Commander. If nations cease to exist, then it will be handed over to the Commander of the Joint Space Force.”

Luo Qing became even more curious.

When should I give it to you?

"After the political work task force was revived."

"So, the contents of the letter are related to this future task force?"

"Yes," Chang Weisi nodded.

“Although I really want to see it, considering that it might affect the effectiveness of the letter, I won’t. Can you tell me what it’s about? It’s not part of the plan, so you don’t have to tell me,” Luo Qing emphasized the last part of his sentence.

Chang Weisi smiled upon hearing this, "Just take a look, it's nothing."

Just when Chang Weisi thought Luo Qing would open the envelope, the other party simply blinked and then said, "I've finished reading it."

After saying that, Luo Qing added, "A quick scan with spiritual sense will suffice."

Chang Weisi looked at him admiringly, "I admire your reading speed and information processing ability."

"What's there to envy? My information processing ability is not even as good as a computer from 20 years ago." Luo Qing shook his head. Every time he compared himself to those supercomputers with trillions of calculations per second, he felt that his cultivation as an immortal cultivator had been in vain.

The letter itself was unremarkable. Chang Weisi mainly introduced the specific circumstances of each member supporting the future space task force and made a solemn recommendation to the future Space Force Command. Among these introductions, the section on 'Zhang Beihai' was about 50% longer than the others, but it didn't contain any extra information, mainly mentioning 'Zhang Beihai's' slightly unique family situation.

But Luo Qing still sensed something from this veiled information, and his gaze toward Chang Weisi suddenly became more meaningful.

"I hope the future commander of the Space Force will be as meticulous as you," Luo Qing said.

"Probably," Chang Weisi said uncertainly.

The reason for writing it so cryptically was naturally to guard against Zhi Zi. Chang Weisi knew this, and Luo Qing knew it too. The only question was whether the future leader of the Space Force would be able to see this.

"The soul of soldiers in this era is irreplaceable, which is the fundamental reason why the Support for the Future plan was approved and passed. Because of some prophecies about the future historians, frankly speaking, my superiors and I have some doubts about the quality of future soldiers."

As the head of the Space Force, Chang Weisi made no attempt to hide his true feelings when he said this.

"I have a very positive view of the current era, and if it develops in a very bad direction in the future, I will intervene," Luo Qing said.

"I'll have to trouble you with this," Chang Weisi said sincerely. "Actually, there's something you might not know: most countries seem quite calm now and are able to push for social transformation with strong measures. The confidence in this reform actually comes from you. I believe that without you, the world might be going through a very bad period in the future."

Luo Qing asked, "Commander Chang, are you a victor?"

“I couldn’t explain it clearly before, but now I think I am,” Chang Weisi said.

“Then we’re comrades, and I’m a champion too.” Luo Qing extended his hand to Chang Weisi. This was the first time this cultivator had included himself in the meaning of the word 'comrade'.

The two people, living in the same era but separated by different worlds, clasped hands tightly.

"I wish you victory," Luo Qing said.

"must."

After Chang Weisi left, Luo Qing realized that New Year's Day was approaching. Compared to the past, this year's New Year's Day was even more bleak. Winter seemed to be shrouded in a gray veil. The heat of Taiyuan thousands of kilometers away could not affect the cold of Beijing. But in this bleak winter, the seeds of hope and faith were also sown. If there is any bad news in the future, let it come. This era is ready.

Luo Qing entered a state of enlightenment in a daze, and when he opened his eyes again, eight years had passed.

This is a 5-word chapter. There will be a make-up update tomorrow. If I can't finish it, I'll kill him and make bamboo shoot soup!
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(End of this chapter)