Chapter 392: The Bird Under the Spotlight (Extra for your monthly votes)_1

Cheng Xin immediately asked Jiang Yu, "What trajectory?"

Sophon also asked him, "How much intelligence does the Solar System State actually have?"

Jiang Yu first answered Cheng Xin's question, "If you want to know more intelligence, go figure it out yourself! Each piece of our intelligence is hard-won and we can't just publish it so easily!"

Then he said to Sophon, "You probably don't know, but when we opened the 'Black Square,' there was still one Black Cuboid Person alive. Also, our battle with Venus ended with negotiation and intelligence exchange."

Cheng Xin sat up straight, "What time is it now that you still want to conceal information? We should be united in purpose now..."

Jiang Yu interrupted Cheng Xin with a cold laugh, "United in purpose? When has the PDC ever been united in purpose? What else can they do besides hold us back?"

"Think about the reminder I gave you before. Did you take it to heart?"

"You didn't, and instead you've been brainwashed by PDC. I no longer trust your ability to make choices!"

Cheng Xin hastily said, "You can't give up on all the people in PDC just because of my mistake!"

Logic suddenly spoke, "Alright, we came here today to attend Sophon's tea party, not to argue.

"And remember, we are Wallfacers; we don't need to explain our actions.

"However, since you've brought it up today, I must explain that if Jiang Yu had given up on everyone in PDC, then he wouldn't have let me go to Sydney!"

Cheng Xin first showed a look of surprise, then she closed her mouth and didn't dare say anything further on the matter.

At this moment, she finally understood how ignorant she was.

Logic steered the conversation back on track, "The two strikes we have witnessed both involved destroying stars with light particles. Is this the common method of strike? Will the future strike on the Solar System be the same?"

Sophon began to prepare the tea, "Dark Forest Strikes all have two things in common: 1. Arbitrary; 2. Economical."

Cheng Xin followed up, "Please explain."

Sophon said, "This isn't regular interstellar warfare, it's just eliminating potential threats in passing.

"By arbitrary, I mean that the release of coordinates is the only basis for the strike, because close-range detection is more expensive than the strike itself for a supercivilization, so they just launch the attack.

"By economical, I mean that only the most cost-effective strikes are carried out, using tiny and cheap projectiles to induce the destructive energy within the target star system."

Cheng Xin then asked, "Induce the energy of the star?"

Sophon nodded, "So far, that's what we've seen."

Cheng Xin quickly asked, "Is it possible to defend against it?"

Sophon laughed and shook her head, as if explaining a child's naivety, "The whole universe is in darkness, we are in the light.

"In the Dark Forest, we are like a bird tied to the treetop, illuminated by a spotlight; the strike could come from any direction.

"Believe me, Humanity has no chance of surviving the strike.

"Flee."

Jiang Yu suddenly laughed, "If she took your advice, I'd write my name backwards!"

Sophon smiled slightly, "Please don't ask any more questions; this is all I can tell you."

After speaking, she distributed three bowls of green tea to Jiang Yu and the others.

Cheng Xin still had many preplanned questions she hadn't asked, and she was very nervous as she took the tea, but she knew it was no use to ask anymore.

Logic, on the other hand, was quite at ease, holding the tea bowl in his left hand, turning it three times with his right before starting to drink.

He drank very slowly; not until the clouds outside were tinged with the golden color of the sunset did he finish his tea.

Gently placing the tea bowl back on the table, he then asked, "Can't I ask anymore either?"

Cheng Xin was initially surprised, then eagerly looked towards Sophon, noting from the beginning that despite the amiable friendliness shown to her, Sophon was full of awe for Logic.

Whenever Sophon faced Logic, that reverence was unmistakably revealed in her eyes.

Sophon didn't immediately answer Logic's question, but seemed to ponder for a few seconds before saying, "You may only ask one question, and I can only respond with yes, no, or I don't know.

"This is out of respect for you from my world. The answer I give will certainly be true, even if it may harm the Trisolaran World.

"But there can only be one question, please consider it carefully before you ask."

Cheng Xin looked anxiously at Logic, but he was almost without pause, decisively said, "I've thought about it: If from a great distance in the universe, certain dangerous characteristics appear in the Trisolaran World.

"Then, is there such a thing as a safety feature, or what you might call a safety declaration, that can indicate to the universe that a civilization is safe and poses no threat to other worlds, thus avoiding a Dark Forest Strike?

"Does Earth have a way to send out such a declaration to the universe?"

To this question, Sophon looked down in thought and did not reply for two or three minutes, then finally said with certainty, "Yes!"

"How?" Cheng Xin blurted out.

Sophon shook her head while pouring more tea for Logic, "There's nothing more I can tell you."

Jiang Yu, who had not participated in the topic, suddenly said, "Then may I ask a question?"

True to his word, he hadn't touched the tea Sophon had brewed for him.

Sophon again shook her head, "You cannot."

Jiang Yu slammed the table, nearly toppling the tea bowls, "Who are you looking down on? We're both Wallfacers, so why do you answer Teacher Luo Ji's question, but not mine?"

Cheng Xin was startled by the bang, "Calm down a bit."

They were there to extract as much intelligence as possible; if things became tense with Sophon, they would lose the opportunity.

But Jiang Yu just laughed and said, "That's the confidence the Solar System State has earned!"

Then he asked Sophon again, "Tell me, why can't I ask a question?"

Sophon replied, "Too dangerous! Any intelligence given to you would be far too dangerous."

Cheng Xin couldn't tell if it was her own misconception, but Sophon's demeanor toward Jiang Yu was different from her reverence for Logic.

It seemed, it seemed very cautious!

Yes, extremely cautious, constantly on guard against Jiang Yu.

Indeed, they had always treated Jiang Yu as an enemy, an enemy that demanded their full attention!

Jiang Yu nodded in satisfaction, "That answer is not bad!

"I won't beat around the bush any longer, this might be our last time sitting down and talking, so let's exchange some intelligence."

Sophon was very firm, "No! We will not provide you with any intelligence you wish to obtain!"

Jiang Yu smiled, "Don't you want to know the true meaning of the Ninth Plan? Don't you want to know my real Wallfacer plan? The secrets about the universe we've obtained from the Black Cuboid People? The First Epoch Life Forms' understanding of life?"

Sophon didn't immediately refuse, and after some thought, she asked, "What intelligence do you want to exchange?"

Jiang Yu was prepared, "Detailed intelligence about the Dark Forest Striker who implemented the Dark Forest Strike on the Three-Body Star System!"