Chapter 92 First Exchange_1

Lin Sen: "That's one way to put it, but it might also be to your advantage. We have a saying, 'If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.' I don't expect our interaction to eliminate the barriers in our hearts, but understanding your enemy is essential to truly defeating them."

No. 7: "I could completely ignore you, as we only have some deficiencies in strategy, but we hold the absolute advantage."

Lin Sen: "No... I think you're mistaken, the advantage has always been ours. Ever since Logic grasped the concept of the Dark Forest, we've held the absolute advantage. The more determined you are to come to the Solar System, the more serious your survival crisis must be, and that you are at the brink.

"Even if I don't mobilize deterrence, you still have to hope that no one else figures out the Dark Forest before your arrival, which further diminishes your chances of victory.

"Most importantly, from that moment, I've stopped considering you as the real enemy; we are neighbors. We both need to prove to the other who is more qualified to continue on, and that's why I'm reluctant to employ the deterrence of the Dark Forest.

"This is also the chance I'm giving you; you have to prove that you can outsmart us strategically. If you continue to remain aloof and don't respond to us, I will employ the Dark Forest deterrence directly before you arrive, which would mean you are not yet qualified to face a more powerful enemy.

"We have survived long wars, we are ready. And you?"

No. 7: "Indeed, it seems we have no choice. Even without my appearance, you would have forced us to communicate with you!"

Lin Sen: "Yes, in the face of the Dark Forest, communication might be the best option. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and our immaturity has led us into a new state of play.

"We are both trying to get information about the other. You can monitor us comprehensively while we know nothing about you, resulting in information asymmetry, so exchanging information is extremely beneficial for you.

"But you are weaker in strategy, and the information I give you could be a trap, making it extremely disadvantageous for you.

"In the end, it's a matter of who plays the better game. This is a move you would have to make sooner or later. At least making it now is still safe.

"Are you willing to take part in this game?

"If so, we can start exchanging information right away. Can you tell me about your identity?"

Lin Sen directly pressured No. 7 to explain the game with no room for evasion. It was then that No. 7 truly felt the difficulty of dealing with Lin Sen, who would not let go once he had found a weak spot, but No. 7 had been mentally prepared before coming.

No. 7: "Is this what the game is about? I can feel that I like this sensation.

As for my identity, revealing a bit is fine, thanks to your 'Fishing Net' operation, which not only captured the First Emperor of Qin and the technology we sent, but also caught the Strategy Governor and the Sophon Governor.

One was sentenced to death, the other dehydrated forever, the Strategy Governor being someone I regard as the deepest connoisseur of strategy in the Trisolaran world.

Because of this, I've become an important member of the Sophon Surveillance Team, and now my permissions are greater. I can communicate with you independently, precisely for this reason."

No. 7 did not reveal having become the Strategy Governor, necessary caution was essential. But this answer was sufficient for Lin Sen.

Lin Sen: "I think you are in no way inferior to your Strategy Governor predecessor. Your level of strategy amazes me; you've surpassed a large part of humankind. If Trisolaris had a few more individuals like you, humankind would have no hope of overcoming you."

It was both praise and further probing. In fact, Lin Sen was deliberate; only in this way could it be authentic. There was no need to release too much goodwill from the start—No. 7 wouldn't have believed it. A little goodwill hidden within full malice might be accepted by No. 7.

No. 7: "Now it's my turn to ask you. How did you know about the identity of the First Emperor of Qin? From your actions, it seems you knew his identity before I revealed any information about him to you. How did you find out?"

No. 7 didn't continue the previous topic but returned to the main subject, also expressing its own doubts.

Lin Sen: "How about this, can we trade intelligence?"

No. 7: "No, I have already told you my identity, now it's your turn to answer my questions."

Lin Sen: "It seems you are very cautious, alright, I'll tell you!

Four years ago, I began to have my suspicions about Habsburg's identity, and I deduced that you might teach quantum computer technology...

Combining recent investigations, I found that several of Habsburg's transactions involved critical components of photolithography machines, and that's what led me to zero in on him."

No. 7: "Mr. Lin Sen, you are too cunning. You know that's not what I'm asking. The conversation between you and Logic that deceived me is known only to myself.

I hope we can be frank with each other. According to your analysis, you could only know that Habsburg is related to the transfer of quantum computer technology; you should not know that he is the First Emperor of Qin. However, that conversation suggests you do know.

Unless you have an intimate understanding of the higher-ups in ETO, knowing their identities, either individually or the majority of them, which is absolutely impossible.

I didn't want to contact you initially because you are too dangerous. The key reason I contacted you again was the conversation you had with Mozi, which convinced me you must have secrets?

Others may not have seen anything, merely thinking you are too strong, but I am different. In this world, only I and Mozi know that some aspects of your answers are exactly the same as what he told me alone.

A person can see through others' hearts, but certainly not to this extent, even Mozi's willingness to go to the future, perhaps, was to see what this ability of yours really is.

Now, can you tell me what it is?"

Indeed, the secret of the First Emperor of Qin might not be enough to make this TEO reappear; Mozi's arrival is yet another bait to lure No. 7 onto the hook.

From an outsider's perspective, it is only natural for Lin Sen to use the process of elimination to identify Habsburg as the First Emperor of Qin, but to an insider, unless Lin Sen has a very clear grasp of the ETO higher-ups, it is supposed to be impossible. The more impossible it appears, the more mysterious Lin Sen becomes.

Most mysterious of all is the conversation with Mozi; Lin Sen almost regurgitated Mozi's words back to him exactly as they were. This is not just mysterious, but terrifying.

Lin Sen: "I can't tell you that, and I don't want to make up a lie to deceive you. Although we can't achieve sincerity between us, we still need to maintain basic respect."

No. 7: "Is our first conversation going to end like this?"

Lin Sen: "You really impress me, even knowing how to use reverse psychology.

"Alright, to build better trust, let's talk about something else. I actually know many of your plans, you've sent over twenty Whirlwind Stomps, and are likely to send even more Sophons, no less than ten in number.

"They are here to kill me and Logic; we are currently alive primarily due to the existence of the insurance safe, but you fear even more that the PDC will find out the information within the safe.

"So you want ETO or Sophon robots to sneak in and sabotage the insurance safe while Logic and I hibernate.

"You know the Wallfacers will hibernate, and the security measures of the insurance safe will inevitably weaken.

"This is your only chance."