Chapter 43: Unstoppable Momentum (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to everyone!)_1

Jiang Yu, combining his knowledge in sociology, was very much in agreement with the "two lines" theory proposed by Kong Xiang.

Social development up to this day seems to be driven by coincidences, but these coincidences are actually patterned and predictable.

For example, the emergence of agriculture can be explained as a process of experience accumulation and technology accumulation.

But essentially, it was because reasons such as the gradual end of the glacial age led to the gradual increase in human tribal populations, for whom hunting and gathering could no longer suffice for sustenance.

Thus, for survival, people had no choice but to find other means of sustenance.

Agriculture was forced out under such circumstances; the Yangtze River basin entered the era of agricultural civilization later than the Yellow River basin, the underlying reason being that the Yangtze River region was lush with vegetation and rich in food.

People didn't face significant survival pressures, so there was no rush to enter the agricultural era.

As for the second line mentioned by Kong Xiang, Jiang Yu believed it existed, too.

The second line was more complex than "survival behavior" and laid the foundation of modern society. Jiang Yu thought that besides the economic, wealth, and technology bases, power should be added.

Over ninety-nine percent of the events happening in modern society could be explained using one or more of these four items.

It could be said that mastering their sociological concepts is akin to grasping the essence of modern society, which would allow for a profound interpretation of most of human behavior.

Kong Xiang's theory occupied three pages of the "Poison Apple Project," but it was the last page that contained the argument about the "extremization of private property."

Combining human nature with the patterns and tones of modern society, Kong Xiang believed that humanity's economy and technology were already on the edge of being out of control.

He took the economy as an example, which was originally a great invention improving human life, but had now completely degenerated into a tool for a few people to exploit the majority.

The economy no longer benefited humanity but instead harmed most people.

Since the exploitative system built by the West, regions like Africa and South America had been transferring wealth to Europe and America, and that's why the economic damage to humanity had not yet spread globally.

When the majority in the West also started to be deeply harmed by the economy, there would be a global tide of rebellion against the economic model.

This didn't mean that the disaster was about to end; on the contrary, it indicated the arrival of an even greater disaster.

Kong Xiang believed that up to now, no new system was ready to replace the economic system, so for a long time into the future, there would only be piecemeal repairs to the existing economic system.

That also meant that "private property" would remain mainstream for a long time.

The benefiting class, to consolidate their wealth, would certainly magnify dogmas like "the sanctity of private property is inviolable."

Genetic Modification Technology and Brain Implant Technology would accelerate the benefiting class's process of extremizing "private property."

Kong Xiang concluded from human nature that the fruits of these two technologies were like a poisoned apple, which the benefiting class would scramble to consume despite knowing its toxicity.

People were well aware that if they didn't partake, it didn't mean others wouldn't.

Instead of losing at the starting line, it was better to join the fray.

Hence, Kong Xiang reached another conclusion: As long as the two technologies of genetics and brain implants were quietly disseminated in the early stage, the era belonging to these two technologies would be unstoppable in coming.

It was like a chariot racing forward; once it started, it couldn't be stopped.

After reading through Kong Xiang's entire theoretical system, Jiang Yu was silent for a long time.

Jiang Yu lamented that Dean Kong's destructive power was comparable to that of an army corps!

The two technologies, Genetic Modification and Brain Implant, were only ancillary to Kong Xiang's theory.

Jiang Yu lit a cigarette, suddenly wondering if Sixteen hadn't been attacked by Genetic Missiles or the armed forces of the Adventists— could it have been deliberately orchestrated by Evans?

Considering that once the dissemination of genetic and brain implant technologies began, they couldn't be stopped.

The more Jiang Yu thought about it, the more he believed it was possible that Evans had people edit footage of Sixteen taking control of the research base into a promotional video.

The existence of Sixteen was the best advertisement for the Genetic Modification Project!

No wonder the guards at the perimeter of the research base retreated so calmly. It turned out that Evans, having failed to remedy the situation at the outset, decisively gave up on the research base.

So it was highly likely that the artificial intelligence "Athena" had not been completely controlled by Sixteen. While serving Sixteen, it also acted as Evans's eyes.

Should he warn Sixteen?

After some thought, Jiang Yu still decided that he should give a warning.

Compared to the Adventists, Jiang Yu had a better impression of Sixteen.

He took out his phone, inserted the small device given by Sixteen, and indeed Sixteen's contact information appeared in his phone contacts.

Jiang Yu used a text message to tell Sixteen that he had analyzed from the Poison Apple Project that "Athena" might have an issue and advised Sixteen to conduct a thorough check.

After sending the text, Jiang Yu stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and hurried back to bed to sleep.

The next day, after waking up naturally, Jiang Yu first visited Ye Wenjie to report on the armed personnel's retreat and then the two of them casually discussed the environmental degradation in Mongolia.

Jiang Yu's lament was not ostentatious but was genuinely anxious about such developments.

This coincided with many of Ye Wenjie's thoughts, and the old and the young talked at length from this starting point.

At the end of the conversation, Jiang Yu told Ye Wenjie that he was going to meet with Kong Xiang.

Ye Wenjie immediately objected, saying that Baluo's escape had already exposed Jiang Yu's intentions, and that it would be dangerous to contact Kong Xiang at this time.

Jiang Yu had his excuses ready: "From start to finish, Baluo thought I was a member of the Adventists and got involved in the incident by accident trying to save them.

"And since the signal transmitter was found on Lisha, the Adventists must think Lisha is a traitor.

"As for me, Dean Kong might have concerns, but he'll definitely wait and see what happens.

"If I completely cut off contact with Dean Kong at this point, it will only confirm his suspicions."

There was really no need for such complications. Baluo's escape could actually prove that Jiang Yu had taken great risks to save his comrades from the same faction.

He just needed to... cough cough... he just needed to explain to Kong Xiang clearly why he didn't expose anything while with Ye Wenjie.

After all, in Baluo's view, Jiang Yu's undercover mission had already failed.

Ye Wenjie said, "But your presence at my side is always a major doubt."

To Jiang Yu, whether it was a doubt or not didn't matter; after all, he was at Ye Wenjie's side on Dean Kong's orders.

He had completed his task well, so how could that be a point of suspicion?

Jiang Yu said with a smile, "I'll just say I happened to meet you at the airport in Mongolia. Dean Kong probably won't look into it too deeply."

After some thought, Ye Wenjie wasn't afraid that Kong Xiang would commit violence in school. At worst, she would bring people to rescue Jiang Yu if necessary.

Yang Dong, on the other hand, had been engrossed in the Three-Body Game this whole time and only logged out when Jiang Yu was about to leave.

Jiang Yu asked for her specific birthday. The "Ye Luo Club" also had to be arranged.

Yang Dong mentioned she had encountered a very interesting civilization in the game and wanted to show it to Jiang Yu.

They agreed on a time to play the game together, Jiang Yu said goodbye, and quickly went to the Institute of Social Sciences' office building.