Chapter 17 Wallfacer Retirement_1

The other two Wallfacers, Rey Diaz and Tyler.

Rey Diaz was the most resolute Wallfacer; his plan to use Mercury to collide with the Sun sought to force the Trisolarans into negotiation. It was the only plan that dared to confront the Trisolarans directly and the aspect Lin Sen admired most about him.

He was a madman, ready to win at any cost.

He was a strong man, a simply strong man.

Perhaps his greatest love was only his motherland; he would rather die under the rocks thrown by his own people, letting his body dissolve into blood and water, to forever rest peacefully in that land.

Tyler was the most diligent Wallfacer, yet he had many flaws, and it was he who put the Wallfacers in the most awkward and dangerous situation. In this regard, he was far inferior to his old rival, Rey Diaz.

His plan was not entirely without merit, after all, the ball lightning was the most powerful weapon ever seen by humanity. He was a conscientious and responsible Wallfacer, but his plan was too straightforward and was the first to be broken.

Feeling helpless and bewildered after his wall was broken, he who believed he was of the light, had a heart like a devil's, and this devil was now exposed for all to see. He couldn't accept it; the him from the original timeline had chosen suicide.

As for Logic, there is no need to mention him; he was a reluctant Wallfacer. All that befell him was not by choice. Fate had pushed him into the storm; he was the most innocent of all.

Logic might not have been great; he was the kind of person who, when placed in a certain position, would do what needed to be done there.

Fate chose him for everything, and his maturity came after nearly 60 years of wielding the sword (as will be introduced later).

...

Hines left; he hadn't interacted much with Lin Sen and would soon enter hibernation, waiting for a breakthrough in future computer processing power.

Only Rey Diaz and Tyler remained below.

It was then that Rey Diaz finally turned his eagle-like gaze towards Logic. Although Lin Sen was also important to him, it was Logic who captured his keenest attention. Clearly, the strong man had recovered, but his body still seemed deflated like a punctured ball.

After hiding his plan for so many years, it was "accidentally" broken by one of his own before it could even begin. He felt like beating the heck out of that person. "I'm really curious about your true plan, being able to come up with something like the Mercury-Sun Collision Plan and yet dismiss it with contempt."

Suddenly, Rey Diaz felt very helpless. At the beginning of the Trisolar Crisis, he had already been preparing for the Wallfacer Project. That was 3 years before the PDC even proposed the Wallfacer Project.

Back then, he had anticipated that the PDC would be established and that the Wallfacer Project would soon be proposed, and he knew he would inevitably be chosen as a Wallfacer. Everything happened as he had foreseen.

He had thought that if the Wallfacer Project could succeed, it would surely be because of his plan, as he had been preparing for it three years earlier than the others, during the precious years that he was not under heavy surveillance by Sophons. (Sophons would not monitor everyone, they could only focus on certain individuals, and at the time, Rey Diaz was just a president of a small country, not under the heavy surveillance of Sophons.)

Logic still indicated for Lin Sen to reply, because it was better for Lin Sen, as a non-Wallfacer, to come forward and speak some words.

Lin Sen also met Rey Diaz's gaze and said, "Indeed, I dismiss it with contempt. It's not a good plan. The feasibility of such a plan has no solid data to support it, nor can it be calculated in detail; perhaps even gathering all the asteroids would not be enough to bring down Mercury.

Furthermore, the variables are too great. The period required to redirect the asteroids is too long; both humans and the Trisolarans could easily detect the plan's true objective. Once it's discovered, there are many ways to interfere. Such a discovery would lead the initiator of the plan to a most tragic end.

Last, this method may not even be effective against the Trisolarans. The disasters they have undergone are beyond our imagination, probably far worse than this.

Nevertheless, they have survived, and even if the Solar System turned into a sea of fire, it might still be much better than their Trisolaran Star System, after all... this is the Stable Era!"

"Maybe you're right, but your plan is indeed very good. You truly are a born Wallfacer." Rey Diaz had always been persistent, even knowing the plan wasn't credible, he hadn't really given up; after all, everything had just begun.

Such integrity commanded Lin Sen's respect. No one knew the extent of the agony Rey Diaz was enduring, only Lin Sen did—anyone else would have crumbled under such pressure, but Rey Diaz persisted unwaveringly.

Logic suggested with a smile, "Tyler had suggested to me before that he wanted to find a manor like mine. I invited him to live at my estate. There is a secluded wing, serene and peaceful, a fine place to rest.

Your plan requires waiting for a breakthrough in computer processing power, so you might as well take a break for now.

I invite you to be my Wallfacer neighbor, would that be alright?"

Some things require quiet contemplation. There you will find the tranquility you need, as well as Tyler whom you've battled for decades, perhaps even the answer to the Wallfacer Project.

If you come, my place might soon be called the Wallfacers' Manor!"

One phrase in particular struck a chord with Rey Diaz, "the answer to the Wallfacer Project." Was this a hint at something?

"This might also be an option. I feel it is time for me to rest for a while," Rey Diaz pondered for a moment before replying slowly.

Thus, three of the four Wallfacers faded from public view—one in hibernation and two in seclusion at the Wallfacers' Manor—while Logic stepped into the spotlight, along with Lin Sen.

...

The actions of Logic and Lin Sen constantly attracted the attention of the Trisolarans. For their analysis of the two humans, the Trisolarans could only rely on themselves; the Earth-Trisolaris Organization couldn't be trusted.

The Trisolarans were even more fearful of the ETO obtaining more information; any attempts by ETO to monitor Logic and Lin Sen were denied access.

Perhaps they were also intimidated by Lin Sen's statement that "Evans is a man who has declared war on two worlds."

Joint Council Hall of Trisolaran Governors.

The Trisolaran Governors were also closely monitoring the Wallfacer hearing.

In the eyes of the Trisolarans, Logic was spewing lies; he had initially just been using PDC resources to live a superior bucolic life, and it wasn't until Lin Sen arrived that he changed.

Yet he managed to package himself as a "terrifying" Wallfacer, but his analysis on the anti-deserter movement indeed sent chills down the spine of the Trisolarans.

Regarding Tyler's breakthrough, after computer simulations, Trisolarans concluded that ETO's plan to break through had a 95% probability of aligning with his strategic plan.

Nevertheless, he also pretended not to have been broken through, and his level of threat surged dramatically. Meanwhile, the Trisolarans were now grappling with the dilemma of whether to let ETO break through.

The most inscrutable was still Lin Sen, since most of what Logic said had been briefed to him by Lin Sen in advance.

The Trisolaran Science Governor estimated through model computations that Tyler's threat level was at 37, Logic's at 62. (Understanding the Dark Forest would place Logic at a direct 90, but the current 62 was because he could comprehend it at any moment)

Lin Sen's threat level, on the other hand, fluctuated between 38 and 83, and each time the model computed it, the result was different.

It was yet another result that the Trisolarans couldn't understand—why the threat level of one person could vary so greatly.