Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 1168
He found that he was slightly convinced by theory!
"Don't you think that only such a social system can be called 'perfect'?" Lu Qingchen accelerated his speed, and his smile gradually became colder. "Every civilization is always swarmed by tremendous worthless garbage. They are lazy, unmotivated, unintelligent, and incapable of managing their time and emotions effectively. However, encouraged by the ideas such as natural rights and general equality, they somehow believe that they are naturally endowed with all the rights of a human. So, they become greedy, ravenous, and condescending!
"They do not have the great dream of exploring the boundless sea of stars and pushing our magnificent civilization to the end of time and space. They also lack the distinguished qualities to put their goals, large and small, into practice. Courage, determination, honesty, integrity… They have none.
"They even mess up their own meaningless lives and can't handle the most basic studies and work well. They wallow in alcohol, drugs, gambling, games, and crass entertainment products every day, living their entire lives in ignorance. Meanwhile, they waste precious food, air, water, and other resources!
"It's quite a shame. Although I admit that a lot of elites who have noble minds are among the ordinary people whose spiritual roots haven't awakened and that they are more than qualified to live in the real world, the ratio of the remaining useless garbage will be no lower than fifty percent. At the very least, that is the ration that I've calculated from the game 'Civilization'.
"Perhaps they are just the flawed products that are the price that must be paid for the evolution of mankind.
"It can't be helped. The civilization of mankind was a 'premature infant' that was hastened in a laboratory in the first place. A hundred thousand years ago, our ancestors were still collecting fruits in the jungle and shrieking in fear at the fire caused by lightning strikes. A hundred thousand years is not enough to make all of us evolve to the era of the grand universe at a high speed. Some people are bound to be left behind and eliminated.
"The treatment of those 'flawed products' marks the greatest difference between the Imperium and the federation, the Immortal Cultivators and the Cultivators.
"The Imperium does not treat garbage as humans at all but consider them to be the humblest slaves and fundamental capital goods. I have to say that you're wrong. However worthless they are, the garbage are human beings who have feelings. Faced with tyranny, they will hate and resist. At the very least, they will slack off, without any spirit or enthusiasm. The overall efficiency of the utilization of resources in the Imperium will be further reduced.
"The federation and the Cultivators, with their politically correct ideology, deceive themselves by turning a blind eye to the worthless garbage. They are even under the illusion that those people can be reshaped by education.
"How is it possible? You cannot build a wall with mud. Some genes are not adapted to the era of the grand universe. Allowing the garbage to be mixed among the constructors and defenders of the great federation is not mercy but irresponsible hypocrisy, which will only ruin my beloved motherland, the last hope of the civilization of mankind!
"Since the approaches of both the Imperium and the federation are unfeasible, what is my solution?
"My solution is to send the garbage, the flawed products, and the stragglers on the path of evolution into the virtual world and only keep their brains and part of their reproductive system in the real world. It will be easier for management and reduce the resources that they waste to the minimum without causing them any pain. Since they are fond of narcotizing themselves and daydreaming in their filthy, smelly rooms without any courage to face reality, let them dream in the virtual world and live their entire lives comfortably and carefreely! Let the people who are really audacious and wise have most of the resources and face the darkness and cruelty of the real world. Isn't this the best ending for everybody?
"Asking someone to shoulder responsibility that is beyond their capabilities is both immoral and idiotic. Our evolution has been too fast. A large proportion of our compatriots are essentially monkeys in human skin. Why does the Star Glory Federation have to force them to become the warriors to defend the civilization? It is impossible, stupid, and cruel!
"The virtual world—or rather, the Spiriters' Realm—will be the best destination for the pitiful, pathetic, and poignant compatriots of mankind. The garbage from both the federation and the Imperium should live inside the Spiriters' Realm!
"Please note that it is not a moral judgment to call them garbage. I do not mean to despise or criticize them at all. I am merely stating a fact.
"The sun is round, the rivers always flow, and at least fifty percent of humans are useless garbage. Clearing them from the real world and sending them to an illusionary one that is less difficult and more merciful will make both the entire universe and their own lives more beautiful. These are all undeniable facts. Both the Cultivators and the Immortal Cultivators should honor facts, shouldn't they? What do you think, General Ming?"
Heiye Ming was lost for words.
The black jellyfish was slowly moving upward and had already reached his abdomen. It was constantly piercing countless black tentacles into his body and crawling into the depths of his soul along with his thoughts, making it impossible for him to maintain his normal thinking, or rather, giving him a brand-new thinking system.
"Then, how—how do you decide the 'flawed products' that should be banished to the virtual world and the 'superior bloodlines' that are qualified to live in reality?" the old Immortal Cultivator asked.
It meant that he was already more or less convinced.
Although Lu Qingchen was still nowhere to be seen, his confident voice was coming from all directions. "I will not be the one who makes the decision; they will decide for themselves.
"In my utopia, the souls of everyone will live inside the Spiriters' Realm at the beginning in a virtual world that is not very cruel but still plagued by a lot of problems. Maybe you can call it 'the first test world'.
"Different people will live different kinds of lives in 'the first test world'. They will encounter problems and troubles and emanate intense feelings while overcoming them. Their minds and qualities will be revealed during the process, too.
"Through a complicated and meticulous algorithm, those who have potential will be given a special invitation. Let me see… This could be written on the invitation. 'Do you want to know the meaning of life? Do you want to be… truly alive?'
"If they give a positive answer, they will immediately be moved away from the dull, boring, monotonous 'first test world' and find themselves in the second test world that is made up of all kinds of thrilling adventures and battles. It is also the real test world!
"In this world, they may experience a space battle as cannon fodder, fight the most brutal and horrible monster in the whole universe in a group of three to five, or happen upon all kinds of uncanny, illogical, and unreasonable events that they can only crack with wisdom and precise reasoning.
"In different fields of test, their souls will be polished and cleansed, and their minds will be purer and stronger.
"In the end, after they pass all the test procedures, they will earn a 'real' body through their valor, resolution, patience, devotion, and wisdom. They will also learn the truth of the civilization of mankind, and they will be qualified to live in the real world and defend the 'real' civilization of mankind!
"Think about it. Wouldn't the people who are screened out in such a way be the smartest, the strongest, the most distinguished, the most responsible, and the most visionary ones? Isn't such a talent select method and configuration of resources ten thousand times better than the current systems in the federation and the Imperium?"
His mouth dry, Heiye Ming stammered, "Not—not about the spiritual root and the strength of the body, but all about the mind?"
"A powerful mind and soul will also stimulate the brain to grow a spiritual root," Lu Qingchen replied. "Do you not understand such simple logic, General Ming?
"Besides, as the training technology further advances, one day, artificial spiritual roots, mechanical cores, or even synthesized Nascent Souls will no longer be dreams. By then, a strong body will be an everyday item. What really limits us will only be the resources and the mind to drive the body.
"Resources are so precious that they must be given to the minds that know how to cherish and make use of them!"
Taking a deep breath, Heiye Ming asked, "What about those people who are not qualified to take the test or fail the tests?"
"Basically," Lu Qingchen said, "we will give everybody a few test chances during their growth by means of dreams. As long as they are strong-willed, even the most unwise and weak people will slowly grow up after a few tests. We do not care about their strength but only focus on the sturdiness of their mind!
"If they are really too worthless to be educated, like I said just now, we will find an appropriate opportunity to throw them into a virtual world to daydream and enjoy themselves. Or maybe we do not need to waste our computational ability. It won't hurt at all if they just live in the plain 'first test world' until they die. The place is not under the scourge of demon beasts or faced with the threat of the Imperium, the Covenant Alliance, and the threats of alien species. It is much more wonderful than reality.
"All in all, living in the virtual world is not a punishment or torture but for their own good. The real world is so dark and cruel that only the real brave and noble people are qualified to face it."
Heiye Ming struggled to lick his lips. "What about offspring?"
"Right, offspring. Reproduction, the most important issue for mankind," Lu Qingchen said casually. "In principle, I do not bear to deprive any compatriot of mankind of their right to have children. But you also know that on a lot of occasions, resource insufficiency and population booms are the roots of all tragedies.
"If there are abundant resources, in the spirit of humanity, we will be willing to allow everyone to have their offspring. After all, it is just a brain and a reproductive system, and they won't cost many resources.
"But if the resources are running out, there will be nothing we can do. The noble warriors living in reality are of course more entitled to leaving descendants, who will be stronger and more likely to pass on the essence of the civilization of mankind.
"As for the useless garbage living in the virtual world, there is no need to worry about them. I've got everything figured out for them. Virtual offspring will be created for them through artificial intelligence. After all, they have no idea that they are living in an illusionary world, and they will not know that the fruit of their love after ten months of pregnancy is merely a 'Deviant Spirit' jumbled up from databases and algorithms. No. They will never, ever, ever find out the truth."
Chapter 1810: Perfect Country |
As a seasoned Immortal Cultivator, Heiye Ming thought that he had seen the cruelest and most evil things in the world. His heart had been hardened to such a point that he would have absolutely no mercy to an inferior species like the 'hominoids'.
However, after hearing Lu Qingchen's arrangements for the hominoids, the old Immortal Cultivator could not help but feel that a certain area deep inside his heart trembled for a while. "Virtual partner, virtual offspring, virtual life. For those 'people', is there anything that is real?"
"It's their own choice," Lu Qingchen said. "You can't have all the best things in the world. Now that you've chosen an easier and more comfortable time, you have to pay a small price for it.
"If they will never find out that the world they are in is virtual, is there any difference between reality and illusion?
"If they are capable of discovering the falseness and weirdness of their world and pass multiple tests, proving that they are qualified to live in the real world, they will naturally be given a real partner, a real child, and a real life.
"This is free choice and a fair deal. You can't expect them to live an easy and comfortable life in the real world. Don't be so greedy, General Ming.
"Of course, cutting off the bloodline of a person by brute force can indeed be very cruel. Besides, there are infinite mysteries about genes. Who knows whether or not the seemingly trash bloodlines entail certain interesting possibilities of evolution? Therefore, we will try to keep the seed of every human and carefully preserve them. When the resources are tremendously abundant, those seeds will be fertilized as the new members of the Spiriters' Realm.
"In such a case, the resilience of the civilization of mankind will be greatly improved. In the eras when the environment is harsh and the resources are few, we will shut down most of the Spiriters' Realm, reducing more than ninety percent of the consumption of computational ability and resources. The enormous 'bank of human seeds' and part of the elites will be the only things left behind to continue the fight in the real world.
"After we discover new worlds that are full of spiritual energy, or if we grasp a new method of energy utilization and reenter a resourceful era, we will be able to unfold hundreds of Spiriters' Realms quickly and awaken everyone in the 'bank of seeds', starting a new round of filtering and evolution.
"Think about it. Isn't such a civilization of mankind much stronger to resist crises?"
Heiye Ming pondered for a moment and said, "But the newly incubated children will not have a father or a mother. Their parents are already 'shut down' by you during the last period of resource drought!"
"That's a minor problem that can easily be fixed." Lu Qingchen chuckled. "Since offspring can be virtual, parents certainly can be, too. We will retain their parents' databases and operation patterns and slightly optimize the algorithms to turn them into more perfect nurturers, ensuring that the new generation of mankind develops toward positivity, resolution, and optimism. The evolution of the whole civilization will be accelerated!"
The solution dazed Heiye Ming for a long time again. "What about the resource problem in the real world? Although the hominoids are humble, foolish, greedy, and lazy, under the careful education of the Imperium, they are capable of most heavy and gruesome jobs. Building, mining, herding, and even fighting on the frontline all require the participation of countless hominoids.
"If the civilization of mankind is a great ship that is sailing forward unwaveringly in a vast ocean, the Immortal Cultivators are the captain, the helmsmen, and the sailors of the ship, while the hominoids are the burning fuel in the engine compartment. Although the captain and the sailors are important, they can achieve nothing without fuel.
"But in your 'perfect kingdom', you have exiled all the hominoids into the virtual world. Who's going to accomplish the fundamental work in the real world? Are you going to let the carefully-chosen elites mine or fight as cannon fodder?"
"Fully-automatic machinery," Lu Qingchen said. "By 'machinery', I am not just referring to spiritual puppets, mining spiders, Grand Illusionary Soldiers, or other metal and crystal products. I'm also talking about highly-controllable demon beasts as well as mutants whose primeval cells have been activated and whose genes have been strengthened based on the flesh and blood of humans.
"Both the spiritual puppets and the mutants will be stronger, smarter, and more loyal. They will always be dutiful and hardworking. None of them will ever slack off or hesitate to carry out their orders.
"Most importantly of all, no ethical or moral issues will be involved in the whole process. However you exploit and savage them, it will not be 'evil' at all because despite their similarity to humans in appearance, what is hidden inside their brains is not a real soul but just an artificial intelligence that we call a 'Deviant Spirit', exactly the same as the artificial intelligences that are at the service of the lesser bloodlines in the virtual world."
"It's impossible!" Heiye Ming blurted out. "Artificial intelligence can't be so advanced. It can only be an aid. Besides, its cost is too high. That's why we have to use so many bloody hominoids!"
"That's only the opinion of the Imperium because you started on the wrong path at the beginning," Lu Qingchen said. "You've looked down upon the ordinary people since the very beginning and regard more than ninety-nine percent of your population as 'hominoids'. Therefore, you seem to boast infinite, cheap human resources that can be blatantly exploited. Naturally, you are not motivated to develop the technology in the fields of artificial intelligence and mechanical automation.
"This is a vicious cycle. The less attention you pay to the development of automation and artificial intelligence, the higher the cost to use the spiritual puppets and the human mutants will be, and the more you will be forced to exploit the 'hominoids' cruelly.
"Then, after you invest tremendous resources into the exploitation of hominoids, and a whole set of social customs, business patterns, and law and political systems are established, even fewer people will research the technology of automation and artificial intelligence.
"You've been walking on the wrong path for a thousand years. Barely anything can be changed with the strength within the Imperium. The Grand Illusionary Soldiers are already your limits. You do not need to develop artificial intelligence of a higher level.
"But the Star Glory Federation is different. We don't have so many hominoids that we can oppress, and we have crystal processor technology that is on par with the Imperium's. Therefore, from the very beginning, we have been pursuing automation and artificial intelligence.
"According to our deduction, as long as the resources of the whole civilization are dedicated to the study of this field, in another thousand years at most, most of the highly-repetitive fundamental work that has standard procedures—such as mining, fighting, herding, fighting, planet modification, and sailing route maintenance—can be accomplished by spiritual puppets and human mutants. Even the work that cannot be completed by them will be done through remote control with telepathic thoughts!"
Heiye Ming watched the black jellyfish swallowing his chest and throat and slowly crawling toward his head. He could not help but moan, "What kind of world is that?"
