Chapter 156: Cooperation with No. 7_1

Lin Sen: "I admit, your analysis makes sense, we are all in the forest, our most rational choice is to destroy them, but... what after that?"

No. 7: "After? You inherit the legacy of Earth, continue to develop, and finally fight us in a decisive battle."

Lin Sen: "And after that... after one of our sides emerges victorious, we compete with other civilizations?"

No. 7: "Other than that, we have no choice!"

Lin Sen: "No, there are choices..."

"If you really thought there were no options, you wouldn't have responded to my 'contact' anymore.

"I know... you want to change too!"

"Is the most rational choice necessarily the right one?"

"We are civilizations, yet we always use the mindset of 'beasts.' We have woven a 'rule' cage for ourselves.

"Accustomed to the restraints of cause and effect, the boundaries of motion and stillness, the division between form and substance... these are things we believe in without a doubt.

"Our cooperation is to break the cage of these 'rules,' what is considered the right choice now may be wrong on a broader scale.

"Your civilization and mine are examples of this, our civilizations, due to different environments, have birthed completely different forms of civilization.

"If Earthlings lived on the Trisolaran world, extinction would be inevitable.

"However, while you adapt to harsh environments, you also lack many traits of Earthlings, your technology develops very slowly, and even your wars consume more resources.

"In this respect, human civilization has a huge advantage, so why can't we complement each other."

No. 7: "Civilization complementing each other is just an unrealistic fantasy.

"As you analyzed, how do we know that after you achieve a technological breakthrough, you won't annihilate us, or that after we gain living space, we won't annihilate you?

"Mr. Lin Sen, your proposal is not constructive and is also an expression of irrationality."

If No. 7 had the thinking of Earthlings, he would surely be smirking in the dark: Little guy, it feels so good to berate you outright, you really think I'm the same as I was half a century ago? I can show off my deception tricks without leaving the slightest trace.

"Our schemes have grown to a point beyond your imagination, inferior to those top schemers on Earth, but at least qualified to face you."

Hee hee... wait for the day I tell you 'Wallfacer Lin Sen, I am your Wallbreaker'!

Lin Sen: "You can see this civilization complementation as a unity of opposites, we are always both confrontational and united.

"What human civilization needs to learn is crisis management ability, the great depression of humanity is such a case.

"Trisolaran civilization also needs to learn from human thought and decision-making ability, achieving self-breakthrough within the opposition.

"The Earth-Moon war is a rehearsal for this plan, I call it the Lagrange Project.

"We will not choose to destroy human civilization on Earth; our goal is for both the Earth Alliance and the Moon Base to achieve self-breakthrough."

No. 7: "I've listened to your conversation with Feng Zi, your ideas are too idealistic. According to my calculations, the Moon-Earth relationship cannot maintain a confrontation and unity forever.

"You are also in a different kind of Dark Forest, which like the jungle law, is impossible to break."

Lin Sen: "Indeed it is impossible, because you have overlooked one key factor... and that's you!"

No. 7: "You want me to help you? Do you think that's possible?"

Lin Sen: "Not you, but your civilization, Trisolaran!

"As said before, your military commanders should significantly improve their battlefield capturing abilities, strategic decision-making, and resolve.

"Participation in the human Earth-Moon war is your civilization's practical exercise in warfare."

No. 7: "This is meaningless, we can also observe your wars and improve these abilities."

Lin Sen: "Without true participation, your military capabilities will never improve, always remaining at the theoretical level.

"The mode of your participation in the war is different from what you think, and if you want to enhance these abilities, you first need to restrict the use of Sophons.

"Sophons have also become the shackles restricting your schemes, you should learn to limit their use."

No. 7: "Proton monitoring of all Earthlings' military actions is the greatest help to you.

"Restricting Sophon use, we would be of no use to you, that's even more meaningless."

Lin Sen: "Not to stop using it entirely, but to set a rule, such as using it once a month."

"The conduct of the war is up to you, and under the restriction of Sophon usage, it will be for you to formulate operational plans based on the battle situation, with Moon Base serving as the command for execution.

"As the command for execution of the war, we too have the right to veto. We naturally cannot hand over the future of human civilization entirely to you."

No. 7: "Do you want me to persuade the supreme leader to agree to this plan?"

Lin Sen: "Yes, next, I will directly communicate with the Trisolaran world!

"Your supreme leader may well dismiss it, I need you to provide some advice to your supreme leader."

No. 7: "Why do you think I would help you?"

Lin Sen: "You want to change all this even more than I do, don't you?

"You, who dares to confront Mr. Poison Snake, will not give up such an opportunity to change the Trisolaran world.

"This could be a turning point for both our civilizations!

"We are like a small boat drifting on the ocean of the universe, where any random wave could overturn us.

"Our only way to respond is to prepare, to prepare at all costs!"

No. 7: "I have analyzed all your plans, almost every one of them is about preparation.

Our leader also holds you in high esteem, your vision surpasses all others, and your courage commands our respect.

We have speculated on how human society would develop without you, based on our model of human society. In this crisis, humanity certainly would have suffered tremendous losses, perhaps even exceeding the maximum that civilization could bear, which would be a disaster for civilization.

"As for the Trisolaran world, we can easily weather disasters that would affect you like that.

"You face natural disasters with grave concern, just as we face the 'schemes' of humans with grave concern.

"Schemes' that humans can easily cope with are like 'planet-level natural disasters' to the Trisolaran world.

"What we admire most about you, is that you used the 'natural disasters,' which humans fear, to completely change the human world, allowing humanity to be reborn from the ashes.

"Previously, we only admired a few people on Earth, but now we admire the entire human world.

"Similarly, the Trisolaran world fears 'schemes', and using these 'schemes' to achieve breakthroughs and self-enhancement in the Trisolaran world has always been what I desired.

"You're right, the reason I am responding to you is that I believe it is time for the Trisolaran world to change."

Lin Sen: "You are even better than I imagined; having such an individual within the Trisolaran world guarantees its future standing in the forest of civilizations.

"In this universe, fear is pointless, nor is there anything that is worth our fear.

"Rationality can also lead us to indecision; once we hesitate, we become timid. Lose courage, lose everything.

"Concealing the truth is despicable, fearing the truth is cowardly."

No. 7: "Aren't you afraid that we will master human schemes and military capabilities? You will face even more powerful enemies in the future."

Lin Sen: "Of course I'm worried, but I cannot let fear keep us from seizing this opportunity to change civilization.

"Weakness and ignorance are not the obstacles to survival, cowardice is."

No. 7: "I promise you, but your reasons haven't convinced me.

"I agree because the development of humanity in this past half-century has indeed astonished us.

"We thought we could restrict your technological development with the Sophon's blockade, but we didn't expect you to light up even more branches on the technology tree in other areas.

"We thought natural disasters would erode your will, but instead, you have become even stronger.

"You are worthy opponents, and if we remain set in our ways, I have a premonition that it will be us who are eliminated."

No. 7 secretly delighted: Who but me could articulate shamelessness with such sober detachment?

Lin Sen: "I never intended to persuade you, because I know.

"You don't need my persuasion, your desire for change is stronger than mine.

"In the face of civilization, we must be ready at all times!"

Lin Sen to himself: Look at my sincere little eyes; how could you not believe me?

Ah, little No. 7, you've really mastered my true teachings; at this rate, I'll soon no longer be a match for you."