Chapter 391: The Reunion of Lin Sen and Zhang Beihai

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In the year 2593 of the Crisis Era, which is also the year 2074 of the Era of the Divine Vessel.

Zhang Beihai and Chu Yan, two travelers in the river of time, seemed to meet at this historical juncture as if by fate...

Half a year later, Lin Sen also saw this illustrious figure, who shone brightly in any era and was looked up to by all, Zhang Beihai, once again.

It was only their second meeting, but the tacit understanding and deep comprehension between them were as if their spirits had touched countless times before, familiar yet profound.

"Space Force of Huaxia, Zhang Beihai, reporting for duty!"

The Space Force of Huaxia, a name that may have gradually blurred in the long river of time, but for Zhang Beihai, it was a lifelong brand, an everlasting burden on his shoulders, a ceaseless vigil for the future of humanity.

Zhang Beihai's voice, though slightly tremulous from the ravages of time, was filled with an indomitable will, like the sound of a bell piercing through time and space, resonating in Lin Sen's heart and shaking everyone present.

This scene seemed to transport everyone back 24 centuries, to the mobilization meeting of the Wallfacers that decided the fate of humanity.

It was the first time Zhang Beihai had met Lin Sen, and until now, the only time. However, Zhang Beihai knew that perhaps at that moment, Lin Sen had already completely seen through him, silently weaving a vast net behind the scenes, interweaving his own seemingly desperate plan with the Wallfacing plan perfectly.

In the first two hundred years of the Crisis Era, for Zhang Beihai, it seemed like a script carefully directed by Lin Sen, where every action and choice of his coincidentally fit perfectly with his arrangements.

Whenever the night was deep and the world quiet, an indescribable feeling welled up in Zhang Beihai's heart, even terrifying upon reflection: Lin Sen, seeming to emerge from the abyss of the universe, appeared to see through everyone, not only intertwining his own fate but also the fates of Hines, Wade, and all of humanity, into his complicated and precise great net without a sound.

Before coming, Zhang Beihai also learned from Chu Yan how humanity had defeated the Trisolarans, the century-spanning, interlocking feast of wits that was truly harrowing.

Lin Sen had even predicted the Trisolaran Faction's method of attack by deploying The Waterdrop from the early years of the crisis, so from the very beginning, he was preparing the Super Collider, and more cunningly, he hid this plan within a resource exchange program, deceiving everyone's eyes.

At the same time, the research on Intelligent Particle Shield was also ongoing, a project that was pursued openly and uprightly, as if Lin Sen was sure from the start that it would succeed.

Even Zhang Beihai, with his delicate thoughts and keen insights, felt an unprecedented confusion when facing Lin Sen's unfathomable arrangements. He could only vaguely sense the escape route Lin Sen had laid out for him, but as for deeper stratagems and intentions, they seemed as elusive as flowers in the fog or the moon reflected in water.

It was Lin Sen's presence that became the greatest fortune for humanity in this civilization's contest.

However, Zhang Beihai saw far more than that. Everyone thought Lin Sen's various schemes were just for resisting the threat from the Trisolaran world, but behind Lin Sen's plan was a profound self-examination and reshaping of humanity itself.

Lin Sen saw much further than everyone else, his vision transcended the war with the Trisolarans. He was looking at a more expansive cosmic vista, at how human civilization could break free from its cocoon and metamorphose into a high-level civilization within the endless Dark Forest.

Even without the Dinosaur Civilization and Mountain Civilization, humanity and Trisolaris would probably still form a Civilization Alliance, together venturing into the deep sea of the stars—that was his goal.

Perhaps Lin Sen had long realized that even if humanity defeated Trisolaris, even if it managed to escape, to survive and develop in this starry expanse, it would still face harsher and more formidable challenges and tests.

When Lin Sen's gaze met with Zhang Beihai's, their hearts were filled with boundless emotion.

At this moment, Lin Sen looked to be in his forties, but his actual physiological age was already 300 years old. During interstellar navigation, Lin Sen had chosen to hibernate most of the time.

Ye Chen, who was born slightly later than him, now had a staggering physiological age of over 1,200 years. Humanity had already entered the Era of Longevity, and with current technology, it was even possible for people to live nearly ten thousand years.

Logic, Shi Qiang, Shi Xiaoming, Hines, Rey Diaz, Ding Yi, and others, had also been fortunate to live into this glorious era. Their physiological ages were not much different from Lin Sen's, witnessing together the vast changes in human civilization. Only Ding Yi was too engrossed in scientific research, constantly at the forefront of science, and his physiological age was now over 1,000.

They didn't have many demands at this time; they only hoped to follow Lin Sen's footsteps, to witness where this great leader would ultimately guide human civilization.

"Senior Zhang, welcome home!"

Lin Sen's voice was warm and solemn. He slowly raised his arm, repaying Zhang Beihai with a military salute that had weathered 24 centuries, also serving as the deepest tribute to those long and arduous years.

"Before you, how can I presume to be a senior? You are the greatest person who has led human civilization towards rebirth. We have dreamt of it countless times, yet never dared to hope that there really would be a day we could return home and meet you again.

"The achievements of humanity today have far exceeded his dreams, as if our 24 centuries of wandering were just like a dream."

At this moment, Zhang Beihai's heart was full of complex thoughts, without a hint of disrespect for Lin Sen. However, he also understood that his own flight was just part of Lin Sen's plan.

It was as if in that instant, the beliefs and meanings that had supported him until today suddenly seemed less significant. The rapid development of the human mother civilization made their path of escape seem increasingly redundant, even somewhat ironic.

Lin Sen keenly caught the implied meaning in Zhang Beihai's words, and his voice became softer:

"Looking back, humanity's achievements today have even exceeded my imagination, but they were obtained through desperate struggle in dire straits, where every step was as perilous as walking on thin ice.

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"As for your departure, it indeed was part of the plan, but you mustn't belittle yourself."

"But I believe you can understand, I, like you, come from a military family, carrying on our shoulders the same mission and responsibility."

"We won't waver in our resolve because of possible outcomes, because we are soldiers, soldiers who do their duty, warriors fighting for the survival of humanity. No matter the outcome, we must fulfill our responsibilities."

"Moreover, I firmly believe that no one is more suitable than you to execute this plan, because we are of the same kind."

These words acted like a mirror, reflecting the true thoughts deep in Zhang Beihai's heart, and led him to a sudden realization of why Lin Sen could see through him—they were indeed of the same kind, possessing the same soul and pursuits.

At that moment, Zhang Beihai felt an unprecedented warmth and strength, aware that he was not alone.

The last bit of loss and confusion vanished at that moment, along with all the knots in his heart.

Zhang Beihai's voice, though barely tinged with bitterness, became suddenly bright:

"Compared with your splendid achievements, we have failed so much, the development of humanity's deep-sea civilization has been fraught with hardships."

"It's like a leaf boat drifting in the vast ocean of the universe, enduring countless storms and undercurrents, to arrive at this day."

"However, relative to your achievements, this also makes our mission seem less necessary."

"Each civilization's development has its unique path and challenges, and the progress of civilization should not merely be the accumulation of technology, but also the collision and fusion of ideas."

"Perhaps this too is our mission!"

Perhaps it was Lin Sen's speech, or perhaps Zhang Beihai understood his mission better, but the return of the deep-sea civilization had become imperative.

Lin Sen, upon hearing this, looked deep, his voice filled with respect:

"No one can deny your mission."

"On the eve of the Doomsday Battle, your mission was to preserve the seeds of human civilization."

"At the same time, your departure forced the Trisolarans to make a wrong decision at the most critical point of the war. It could be said that you are the greatest heroes in the history of human civilization, and your names will be forever engraved on the monument of history."

"Now, at humanity's most critical juncture, your return will bring new perspectives to the current human civilization, igniting our inner desire for innovation and the drive for transformation."

"During this long voyage of more than two thousand years, human civilization has gradually fallen into a quagmire of rigidity and conservatism in many areas."

"We need your perspective even more, to examine our own problems and find paths for breakthroughs."

PS: The author does not think Zhang Beihai is perfect; he too is a flesh-and-blood mortal.

Deep inside, his self-reliance is as firm as a rock, his admiration for his father, and his firm belief in the study of future history, form the foundation of his actions.

For the future of the Space Force, he did not hesitate to assassinate the old spaceflight authority.

He also must have been in great turmoil when doing these things, but he believed in his judgment without hesitation. Even more perfect is that his actions escaped everyone's notice, even considering that the ETO would not disclose them.

How could an ordinary person in his position not harbor doubts, repeatedly questioning themselves. What if they were wrong? But Zhang Beihai was unshakably convinced that fleeing anywhere was more responsible than staying put.

"No matter the outcome, one must fulfill their responsibility; this is the only opportunity, so I just did it."

In fact, it is not hard to see that while Zhang Beihai shouldered responsibility, he also subtly revealed a slight arrogance.

It is such a figure who led the Deep Space Fleet, developing it over 24 centuries, always believing he was the seed of human civilization. And yet, when he looked back, he found that the mother civilization of humanity had already reached Level 1.7.

At that moment, aside from feeling gratified and joyful, how could he completely prevent a sense of loss from quietly taking root in his heart?

And as for Lin Sen, how could there not be a hint of a complex knot in his heart?

Zhang Beihai, when facing the Divine Vessel Civilization, would not be normal if he could integrate into Divine Vessel Civilization without reservation.