Chapter 360: The Significance of the Civilization Union

In the pitch-black universe, countless schemes intertwined into a net, as if every breath of civilization was filled with strategy and trickery, making the chains of suspicion as firm as the core of a star.

Interactions between different civilizations seemed to only yield cold silence and endless precaution, as if the very meaning of civilization contact was nonexistent.

However, sociologists had long recognized that the essence of the chain of suspicion was actually a high wall of rationality built before civilization contact, stemming from fear of the unknown and an adherence to self-preservation.

But when true contact occurred, regardless of its form, regardless of the stages of development the civilizations were in, the chains of suspicion would collapse and disintegrate in an instant.

That forced both parties to continue contact, which inevitably led to profound and rapid changes on both sides, and this was a long process that required the settling of time.

During the contact process, even the most insignificant detail could become the spark for unpredictable change.

Just like the story of the wolf, the child, and the grandmother told by Evans to the Trisolarans, it seemed simple and harmless, yet it acted like a mirror reflecting the vast cognitive gulf between civilizations.

It was this story that made the Trisolarans resolutely abandon all contact with the previous Earth-Trisolaris Organization.

The contact of civilizations could not be simulated by even the most advanced computers, which couldn't capture one ten-thousandth of its situations; it transcended the limits of data and algorithms, displaying the deepest and most complex mysteries of the universe.

And today, the interaction between Lin Sen and the Unknown Civilization was so straightforward that it defied everyone's imagination, as if inviting an old friend over for a casual visit, natural and effortless.

Even more thought-provoking was the revealed intent of the Unknown Civilization. Was their true wish to climb the mountain of the Dark Forest between civilizations? Could there really exist a being in the universe that, undaunted by life and death, eternally strove toward a certain goal, fearless of any challenge?

The response of the Unknown Civilization convinced Lin Sen that it was undoubtedly the Mountain Civilization. The existence of the Mountain Civilization seemed to indicate that the peak of the Dark Forest was indeed climable.

There was a time when Lin Sen's belief in humanity's ability to scale the summit of the Dark Forest was much weaker than his confidence in humanity's triumph over the Trisolarans at the dawn of the crisis.

Yet, the emergence of the Mountain Civilization was like a beam of light illuminating the path through the mist, making his belief as strong as the conviction of defeating the Trisolarans back then.

When Lin Sen learned that the Unknown Civilization was the Mountain Civilization, Lin Sen might have also guessed the real thoughts of the Mountain Civilization.

Why wouldn't the Mountain Civilization choose to have their main fleet directly attack the Solar System?

To some extent, because of the Trisolaran Civilization, humanity was fully exposed to the Mountain Civilization, while they remained completely unknown to humanity, which was the Mountain Civilization's greatest advantage.

However, the Mountain Civilization chose to abandon this advantage, opting to reveal themselves to humanity, a move that puzzled humanity.

Now, Lin might have understood that the Mountain Civilization and Lin Sen were of the same kind; there was some resonance between them. They both desired to establish a Civilization Alliance to embark on a grand voyage, thus ushering in the Age of Discovery for humanity and allowing civilization to truly evolve.

This was not just the pursuit of a technological leap but also a sublimation of the spirit, allowing civilization to truly evolve into a higher existence on the cosmic stage, to scale that unreachable peak and witness the magnificent view from there.

But they understood that every civilization has its chains and has limited potential. Excellence in one area often means limitations in another, like the two ends of a scale, forever seeking that delicate balance.

Human Civilization, adept at calculations and with technology that changed rapidly, continuously climbed the peaks of intelligence.

Yet deep within civilization, there surged undercurrents of contradiction, shadows of self-destruction and ghosts of weak will that lurked like dancers on the verge of intelligence and madness.

They displayed endless creativity while facing the threat of self-implosion.

The Dinosaur Civilization were the genuine warrior race of the interstellar realm; their sixty million years of interstellar life soaked every inch of soil in the smoke of war.

Their emotions were suppressed to minimum by cold rationality, executing the logic of survival with mechanical precision.

But because of this, the flame of technology was extinguished in their world, leaving only the lonely spark of war burning.

The Trisolaran Civilization, created in subtleties and also defeated by them.

Their calculation of resources was faultless. Yet, this extreme pursuit of detail also locked their emotions deeply beneath cold logic, making technological progress slow and arduous.

The Mountain Civilization, they were the embodiment of perseverance, never speaking lightly of giving up. But behind this tenacity, there was also a hidden pain of lacking strategy, or one might say too conspicuous, never leaving themselves a way out.

Climbing the Dark Forest was about more than determination; what was even more crucial was the need for a strategist who could guide the way, allowing them to cautiously stagger through the universe.

Faced with the limitations and challenges of their respective civilizations, joining forces might be the only way for them to break free from their own chains.

Civilizations are not incapable of remolding themselves and removing those seemingly fatal flaws. Rather, each correction to a flaw is like moving a speck of dust on a delicate scale, where the slightest carelessness can disrupt the unique advantages upon which a civilization's survival depends, causing an imbalance and collapse.

The union of civilizations is by no means a cold product of iron-blooded conquest, nor is it an act of hegemony where the strong forcibly bind the weak to their chariots of war.

If one truly seeks to assimilate different kinds of civilizations through forceful integration, that might not necessarily bring long-term benefits to a civilization.

On the contrary, such actions often conceal more threats and risks, much like the civilizations of ants and dinosaurs, which ultimately only lead to disaster.

It might be better for a civilization to naturally divide into multiple branches, then undergo the rites of passage through time and space, gradually and naturally merging in a way that is more profound and authentic.

The essence of a civilization's union is a subtle and fragile balance of deterrence. It is like a slender thread in the universe, sustaining peace and coexistence among different civilizations, yet it can easily be torn inadvertently, rendering all efforts futile.

In this vast universe, undoubtedly countless intelligent life forms understand the profound significance of the union of civilizations. However, why are there so few civilizations that have truly realized this ideal? Perhaps there are such civilizations, but they must also be submerged in the endless darkness.

What is the reason? It's because they lack a "collaborator" who can jointly maintain a balance of deterrence.

For Mountain Civilization, the emergence of Human Civilization is like the brightest star in the night sky, bringing them the light of hope.

Similarly, the resilience and wisdom of the Mountain Civilization show Humanity the infinite possibilities of a civilization's union.

This will be the best collaborator for both sides, but real cooperation must be the result of inward reflection and self-selection by both parties.

For both parties, they will be the best collaborators. But true cooperation is not easily achieved at one stroke; it requires the wisdom of introspection and the courage of self-choice from both sides.

Both sides need to carefully select a qualified "collaborator," which is undoubtedly a challenge, as well as a strategic and intelligent game. In this game, an unqualified collaborator is not nourishing rain that enriches the life of a civilization, but rather could be a latent poison that brings immeasurable risk and crisis to the union of civilizations.

As the educational philosophy of Confucius goes, "Without anger, there is no opening; without frustration, no release." In the interactions between civilizations, such wisdom is equally necessary. Only when both sides are in a state of puzzled contemplation and eager for knowledge without full understanding, is it the opportune moment to initiate the union of civilizations.

A subtle revelation, an apropos guidance, could spark dazzling intellectual fireworks through the collision of two civilizations' thoughts.

However, the choices between civilizations are cruel; if one fails to meet the standards of cooperation set by the other, what may follow is destruction. This is a war without gunpowder, where every decision is crucial to a civilization's survival.

Therefore, the Mountain Civilization would not choose to directly attack the Solar System. Such conquest, while a victory in objective terms, would not make Human Civilization willingly become a subjective, introspective, and proactive collaborator.

The Mountain Civilization understands that real union requires resonance and alignment between two parties, the sediment of time, and the collision of wisdom.

And the Mountain Civilization's restraint from attacking the Solar System represents their waiting for a response from humanity. They will also, with an almost cold-blooded attitude, scrutinize Human Civilization.

If in such a situation, Humanity still chooses silence, burying themselves in war preparations without proactively extending a bridge for communication with the Mountain Civilization, then such a Human Civilization might truly be unsuitable to become a member of the Civilization Alliance.

The Mountain Civilization will then spare no effort to eradicate Human Civilization. In their eyes, Humanity, having just stepped into level 1.4 of civilization, might be just a speck of dust in the universe; they would have no fear.

The seemingly sincere Mountain Civilization may hide a coldness beyond anyone's imagination. Looking back at their history, in their quest to unravel the mysteries of the Planet Core World, they were once so frenzied that they completely disregarded the life and death of the people in the Core World.

What kind of resoluteness and coldness is that? They succeeded, but what was the cost hidden behind this success?

The reason why a theory is just a theory is that it always has a certain probability of deviating from reality.

If the Mountain Civilization's exploration had not been successful, they would have faced the destruction of their entire civilization.

Such decisiveness, such coldness, is more dangerous and more frightening than Humanity's selfishness and narrow-mindedness.

PS: This book does not feature a large-scale war between Humanity and the Mountain Civilization, nor does it include scenes of defeating the Mountain Civilization and subjugating them, apologies to readers, but that would be too difficult to retract in writing.

Humanity conquered the Dinosaur Civilization and won over their hearts with many reasons; however, a key reason was that the war was kept within a certain limit. Although the loss of a hundred thousand warships was grievous for the Dinosaurs, it was within their acceptable range.

But this does not apply to the Mountain Civilization; currently, they are still stronger than Humanity, and even 30 years from now, if Humanity could defeat the Mountain Civilization, it would likely result in a Pyrrhic victory.

The Dark Forest is a prejudice, so too is war even more so a prejudice. A war between Humanity and the Mountain Civilization is unlikely to produce the same scenario as that against the Dinosaurs.

So, now is the time to discuss the Civilization Alliance, but Humanity will also not give up the contest for the right to speak within the Civilization Alliance. We can flex our muscles a bit, but there won't be a large-scale war of civilizations.

However, it just feels as though this book is written like a Trisolaran fanfiction; how has the Mountain seemingly become the little darling, while Trisolaris has become the overbearing wife?