Chapter 224: The Final Battle, Deep Space Fleet and Lin Sen's Stratagem

Sophon Governor: "Just now, through the Sophon surveillance within the Oort Cloud, we have discovered new information about the Deep Space Fleet."

"Several warships chose not to hide within the Oort Cloud but instead directly flew away from the Oort Cloud. We discovered them through the trails of their engines, and they have not slowed down."

"We dispatched Sophons to investigate, and the escape monitoring system was not triggered. For the moment, they are still moving away from the Solar System, heading in the direction of Cygnus. They have escaped."

Science Governor: "How is this possible? According to our simulations, the escape monitoring system is very sophisticated, almost completely sealing off any possibility of bypassing it."

"Moreover, all the members of their fleet were imprinted with Thoughtcontrol. It should be impossible for them to actively escape."

Sophon Governor: "The specific reason is unclear. The warships have already left the range of universal broadcast reception."

"The escape monitoring system didn't trigger the death of the Executive Captain, nor did it impede the Executive Captain's actions. What's more crucial is that those imprinted with Thoughtcontrol seemed even more eager to escape."

"I think, we have always been wrong. Their true plan has always been to escape."

No. 7: "Once again, we have been played by human cunning. The purpose of the escape final battle plan was not a final battle, but escape."

"Science Governor, bring the escape monitoring system's programming into a simulation under conditions where it is not receiving a universal broadcast."

"Run all the Thoughtcontrol codes through a simulation again!"

A few seconds later, the results were out, and all the Trisolarans fell into silence again.

There was a problem with both the escape monitoring system and Thoughtcontrol machine. Among billions of lines of code, one crucial symbol had been "unintentionally" altered in each.

It turned the escape monitoring system into a mere display, and the Thoughtcontrol machine imprinted humanity with the steel stamp of certain defeat.

No. 7 took a deep breath: "This plan is colossal, the key being the meticulous cooperation of so many individuals."

"Lin Sen proposed the escape final battle plan 200 years ago, which indeed helped humanity to shake off the despair."

"We also knew the threat this plan posed to us, but we still thought we had the capability to deal with it, and we underestimated this plan."

"Wade designed the escape monitoring system. This system was designed to be perfect at least we hadn't spotted any flaws. We were always looking for flaws in this system and neglected the system itself."

"Our attention was on Lin Sen, thereby overlooking the designer of the system, Wade."

"Similarly, Hines invented Thoughtcontrol, and we focused more on Hines's other plans, again overlooking the system itself."

"Later on, the imprinter was sealed, and both humanity and we forgot about it."

"Wade's escape monitoring system was sealed, and the escape final battle plan seemed to have been aborted."

"At that time, our level of cunning was very low; we failed to consider many critical factors."

"When our level of cunning improved, we devoted ourselves entirely to humanity's Lagrange War, leaving those early plans lost to history."

"When Ye Chen and Xiang Gaofeng restarted this plan, Lin Sen was still in hibernation, because the system was still in the state it was 200 years ago without having been modified."

"This also led us once again to neglect to scrutinize the system, not even taking a few minutes to run all the codes through a simulation again."

"Looking back now, Ye Chen must've also grasped the Dark Forest theory, and he coordinated very tacitly with Feng Zi, with only us kept in the dark."

"There's another critical element in this plan, deciding who will execute the escape."

"Their method is also very clever, letting the Executive Captain choose themselves, or perhaps they had a candidate in mind 200 years ago."

"That phrase 'the octopus from Hokkaido' must have been referring to Zhang Beihai."

"Escape warships that wish to survive in the dark universe need qualities that are difficult for ordinary people to possess. Only those who see through everything can do so."

"We initially thought that people like Zhang Beihai were fanatical triumphalists, but in reality, they are the true defeatists who see through everything."

"Zhang Beihai's grandfather had his legs crushed by a tank from Country A on the battlefield, and his father was a founding member of the School of Future History, which almost accurately predicted all of humanity's future developments without Lin Sen."

"How could someone raised by his father for 30 years be a fanatical triumphalist? He has the clearest understanding of war."

"Only such individuals could possess the qualities to lead humanity's escape."

"At the same time, Lin Sen also would not let all Deep Space Fleets escape; he understood that such escapes would be too easily exposed and were not of great significance."

"If only a few warships were to flee, the probability of other civilizations discovering them would be very low, and at the same time, it would preserve a seed for humanity.

"The most difficult part of fleeing is not the act itself but choosing who gets to flee. Aside from Zhang Beihai, there were also a few other warships that fled; they are the true seeds of human civilization.

"In our confrontation, they also used the broadcast of their escape to lure us into a trap. It must be said, Lin Sen had planned for every possibility.

"And we, we only had one secret plan with The Waterdrop, and I am still not clear whether Lin Sen has already seen through our plan."

Military Governor: "Lin Sen couldn't possibly have seen through it, right? If Lin Sen had seen through this plan, why would he let Feng Zi set such an elaborate ambush?"

No. 7: "I am not certain of this either; I am judging from the outcome.

"If Feng Zi's ambush had been successful, our Waterdrop would certainly have chosen to self-destruct. We probably would not have attacked the Thick Fog Zone afterward either.

"Because our plan was ruined, they would likely not have carried out the Dark Forest threat anymore, and everything would return to the pre-war state.

"Actually, this doesn't really have much impact on us; we would temporarily withdraw, either waiting for the other ten Waterdrops to arrive, or waiting for half a century until our newest warships reach the Solar System.

"Our technology has already achieved significant breakthroughs; we now have the capability to build massive fleets.

"These most advanced warships need only 50 years to reach the Solar System, and that will be humanity's doomsday.

"In front of my huge fleet, even the 'Starshine' plan would be useless; we have ways to disrupt it.

"The current outcome is that we always thought that by making up our minds to fight one more time, we might win. Lin Sen took advantage of our psychology, luring us step by step, and in the end, humanity captured our four Waterdrops.

"With humanity's current technology, after obtaining The Waterdrop, their technology will also make a huge leap.

"In a way, obtaining The Waterdrop also means a possibility to breakthrough the Sophon blockade. That barrier has already cracked open a gap, perhaps humanity needs only 50 years to breakthrough the Sophon blockade.

"If humanity does not manage it, in 50 years, when our huge fleet arrives, we will have a complete chance of achieving victory.

"But if humanity does manage it, then we can only choose to flee. In the Dark Forest of the universe, humanity will surely strike against us."

Military Governor: "Ah! All of our secrets seem to be exposed before Lin Sen.

"Lin Sen once casually mentioned early in the crisis, to fight a preemptive battle with us, best to obtain our technology, and then face our powerful fleet.

"I never imagined that this was indeed his strategic plan, the preemptive battle is this doomsday battle. To obtain my Droplet Technology, then be equipped to counter our huge fleet.

"To scheme to such an extent, is he even human?"

...

Meanwhile, at Wallfacer Headquarters.

Logic stepped forward, pointing a handgun at his own heart, and said with a resolute gaze:

"If I have done anything wrong, I'm sorry!

"You should understand the consequences of stopping my own heart!

"Now, I will stop my heart from beating, and at the same time, I will become the greatest criminal in the history of both worlds.

"I apologize deeply to both civilizations for the crimes committed, but I will not repent, because this is the only choice.

"Now, if you wish, you may continue to remain silent; I will give you only thirty seconds."

Although the leader had decided to step down, after all, he was still the supreme leader of Trisolaris, important decisions still needed to be made by the leader:

"Let's negotiate with him!

"Perhaps, we shouldn't base our negotiations solely on deterrence.

"Deterrence is just a rigid number; perhaps the time we think is the lowest is actually the most dangerous.

"Humanity has already earned our respect, we can no longer ignore them.

"No. 7 will be in charge of the negotiation!"