Chapter 231 The Transition of Leadership in the Trisolaran World
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Trisolaran world, Council of Governors meeting.
"We have been defeated," lamented the Leader. "In the end, we still lost to Lin Sen's strategies, and what's most important is that we allowed humanity to obtain the Waterdrop."
"During this battle, I've made several fatal mistakes, ultimately forfeiting the future of our civilization to humanity, and leading our own into an abyss."
"The leakage of the strong interaction material technology of the Waterdrop means we still have a chance. However, the presence of space-folding technology and curvature propulsion technology in the Waterdrop's power system is far too dangerous for us."
"In the not-too-distant future, humanity might master these technologies of the Waterdrop, and we must finalize our deadly strike against humanity before then."
"I am already old and can no longer lead the Trisolarans. Let us now proceed with the selection of a new Leader."
"I propose the Strategy Governor to assume the position of Leader, the highest authority of the Trisolaran world."
"I hope he can lead the Trisolarans onwards. The future of Trisolaris is in your hands now."
"Let us now vote!"
The Military Governor agrees!
The Science Governor agrees!
The Sophon Governor agrees!
The Monitor Governor agrees!
The Industry Governor agrees!
The Agriculture Governor agrees!
The Culture and Education Governor agrees!
The Propaganda Governor agrees!
...
From this moment forth, No. 7 officially becomes the Leader of the Trisolaran world.
The former Leader stepped down, and his fate needs no further mention...
It marked the end of an era for the Trisolaran world and the beginning of a new one.
As No. 7 watched the departing figure of the former Leader, a rare wave of melancholy and sorrow surged through him.
The war had also revealed to No. 7 the greatest deficiency of Trisolaris.
It wasn't a lack of cunning or wisdom. While there might indeed be some gap in intelligence and strategy between the Trisolarans and humanity, that gap had significantly closed with time and progress.
Nor was it a shortage of resources. The Trisolarans had always sought to precisely control the flow of war, valuing every resource highly to ensure its efficient use and maximum impact in combat. This careful resource management was a key factor that had allowed Trisolaran civilization to survive and develop in hostile circumstances.
The core issue was that the Trisolarans lacked foresight, a unique perspective not purely based on rationality and logic, but an ability to perceive through the corridors of time. The Trisolarans pursued precise control over the moment, focusing on every minute aspect to ensure flawless execution of the process.
In contrast, humans often penetrated the fog of the present, not just engaging with the evolving situation but also envisioning the hidden blueprints of the future deep within the fabric of time.
Humanity's yearning for poetry and the distant, helped them maintain an open and exploratory mindset when facing the unknown, never fixating on immediate gains or losses.
Trisolarans, with their undue focus on immediate details, overlooked the distant future, thus lacking essential foresight and anticipation at critical moments.
Perhaps humanity and Trisolaris should form an alliance!
I, too, long for a ray of light to pierce the Dark Forest.
I also hope that the steely Trisolaran spirit will gradually shed its icy shell to reveal a different kind of brilliance.
I am unsure if Lin Sen can be trusted, but this universe is so utterly despairing that I have no choice but to put my faith in him. He might lead humanity to the opportunity to overcome the Trisolarans, and I await the chance he offers us to break through the Dark Forest.
However, my own thoughts must never be shared with anyone else.
We have always believed that Trisolarans hold an advantage over humans in the exchange of thoughts, as our transparent thinking allows us to freely share our ideas.
Yet, I have come to a profound realization that this so-called advantage is, in fact, our vulnerability.
Even as a Leader, I might be regarded as a heretic, and the mildest consequence would lead to a division within Trisolaris. In contrast, Lin Sen and his kind are free from such concerns.
Whether the idea of an alliance with Lin Sen is genuine or not, they can express their thoughts freely. Even if some in the human world disagree, they would still support him, as humanity is sometimes more unified than Trisolaris.
This is something the metallic Trisolaran thought process simply cannot accomplish; advantages and disadvantages, who can truly discern?
I can only try to gradually lead the Trisolarans, unconsciously enhancing interactions with humanity.
We will set many traps for humanity, and if they cannot escape these traps, it will prove that they don't possess the true capability to break free from the shackles of civilization.
Even though I am the Leader, everything I do is for the Trisolarans. I am a lone wanderer in this world, looking to find a new path for the Trisolarans.
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No. 7 (the new supreme leader) said with firm conviction, "We have to admit, despite being at a disadvantage, humanity still won this war that was critical to the survival of civilization.
"They also cleverly used various strategies to capture our Waterdrop.
"We must face the reality that humans now have the foundation to become an interstellar civilization, they are no longer worms.
"In the battle of wits, there is indeed a significant gap between us and humanity, or rather, we have our own strengths. Humans are adept at macro-level direction control, while we excel in micro-level detailed operation.
"Now, we have temporarily entered a period of peace with humanity, but the huge challenge before us is that humans might quickly break through our technological blockade.
"After seizing the Waterdrop, our blockade has been cracked open. Given human intelligence, they will sooner or later completely open this gap.
"If our great fleet has not arrived at the Solar System before humans develop the Waterdrop propulsion system, it would mean that we have suffered another defeat.
"Therefore, we must carefully plan and develop a series of measures against human development to slow down or misdirect their technological progress, buying valuable time for the arrival of our great fleet.
"At the same time, we must humbly learn from human macro-strategic thinking to better understand and respond to their potential actions."
Military Governor asked, "Supreme Leader, do you have a new plan?"
No. 7 replied, "Yes, the plan is codenamed 'Long-Liver,' aimed at significantly increasing the human lifespan.
"Science Governor, can our anti-aging agent be modified based on human characteristics to significantly extend human lifespans?"
The Science Governor answered, "Yes, Supreme Leader.
"In fact, extending the human lifespan might be easier than extending ours, the Trisolarans.
"Trisolarans have evolved in such harsh conditions that many of our bodily functions have adapted to those extreme conditions, which means our bodily plasticity is actually lower than that of humans in some respects.
"Our cells are incredibly tough, capable of halting metabolism upon dehydration and can rehydrate to recover, but this also does immense damage to us.
"The human living environment is quite favorable, their bodies might be more fragile, but are more plastic than ours, and thus it is easier to develop lifespan-extending agents for humans.
"But shouldn't this be a good thing for humanity?
"They would have more time for learning, and their technologies would advance faster. Should we incorporate other traps in this technology?"
No. 7 answered, "There is no need; this involves advanced applications of genetic technology. As long as they have sufficient computing power, they could break through, and any traps we set would be unnecessary.
"Granting humans longevity might seem beneficial to them on the surface, but in reality, they are not prepared for this technology at all.
"Our goal is to delay humanity's understanding of the Droplet Technology. This technology will cause great social transformation in humans in the short term.
"The key issue lies in the psychological state of humanity. First, those who choose longevity will certainly limit their procreation.
"Second, the mental state of the Long-Livers is one of apathy; time means little to them, so wasting time becomes inevitable, and even if a minority continues to strive, it's futile.
"Longevity will also erode all ambition; why work hard today when there are thousands of years ahead?
"At the same time, we also need to culturally infiltrate them, making them yearn for peace, gradually transitioning to a matriarchal society as they enjoy an abundance of material wealth.
"This will plunge entire human society into a state of extreme apathy. Traditional lifecycles and the stages of life will be disrupted, and their lives will become meaningless.
"Even if human elites see the trap behind longevity, they cannot prevent it. After all, longevity is something all of humanity dreams of, and they cannot resist such temptation.
"If it weren't for Lin Sen's warning, I would almost want to provide them with parthenogenesis technology in the future."
The Military Governor exclaimed, "A very clever strategy indeed. We have always feared our technology leaking to humanity.
"Some technologies are poison-laced candy."
"Human society is different from ours; achieving longevity does not significantly impact our society. We only reproduce before death, and our offspring are a continuation of our lives.
"But humans are different; many of their social structures are built upon lifecycles, and they cannot adapt to such disruption in a short time."
No. 7 continued, "My plan does not stop there.
"Our great fleet cannot follow the route of the First Fleet; it needs to take a detour to the Solar System, avoiding the dust clouds. This detour might take 60 to 70 years.
"In the meantime, the fleet must advance scattered, and the warships' exteriors must be camouflaged to match interstellar space to prevent detection by the human telescope array.
"Military Governor, you need to arrange all warship routes carefully. Preventing detection by humanity is of utmost importance; we must ensure a fatal blow to them this time.
"Also, send some fleets to retrieve the First Fleet, to avoid human suspicion.
"We must try every means to delay the pace of human technological advancement."
All Governors agreed, "Understood, Supreme Leader."
PS: No. 7 has risen to power, and his relationship with Lin Sen is one of cooperation, yet if possible, they would each seize any chance to obliterate the other.
They both might have the same idea: if you can't keep up with my pace, I won't hesitate to destroy you.
The development of civilization is extremely cruel; if the Trisolarans cannot advance further, Lin Sen will not lead them to face the challenges of the Dark Forest.