Das Jianghu von Feng Qingcheng und Mo Xibei

Kapitel 13

Jin Dun nodded: "Yes, it's all related to Leibniz 300 years ago."

Chu Xunfeng glanced at the golden shield: "There's just one thing I don't understand. Why are the men in blue following me and Saviel? What is our connection with them?"

Jin Dun stared coldly at Chu Xunfeng: "You really don't know?"

Hermann glanced at him and echoed his cold voice, "Why do I need to know?"

“The Book of Changes,” he pronounced each word carefully, “because the original text of the Book of Changes.”

"The original text of the Book of Changes, what does that have to do with us?" Chu Xunfeng asked, puzzled.

"Because the Book of Changes was stolen by Saviel. The man in blue wants to get the original Book of Changes."

“How could that be?” Herman exclaimed. Saviel had always been one of the best children, and an outstanding student at the Intelligence Academy. How could she be a thief? She was a prodigy among prodigies.

“Not only is it possible, it’s certain.” Jin Dun sneered.

"Didn't the Book of Changes return to its original form long ago?" Chu Xunfeng tried his best to calm himself down.

"The original copy of the Book of Changes was stolen. It was Saviour who did it; she had a copy of the original Book of Changes on her person."

“Savill has always been by my side; there’s no way she could have stolen the Book of Changes.” Chu Xunfeng was a little agitated.

“Think about it again,” Jin Dun said coldly to Chu Xunfeng. “I originally thought that the man in blue had stolen the original copy of the Book of Changes.” Jin Dun recalled the scene when he first arrived in Xianyang.

“When I arrived in Xianyang that day, it was around 11:30 PM. The city was deathly quiet. As I approached the museum, a slender figure flashed by and disappeared. I immediately felt something was off. There were still people moving around in the museum that night. Later, I realized that the slender figure was actually Xavier. She had returned the original copy of the *I Ching* to the museum after making it. The original copy had been stolen 24 hours earlier. At the time, I thought it was the man in blue.” Jin Dun recalled the scene of tracking the man in blue.

"Why not the man in blue?" Chu Xunfeng asked. "Wasn't he following us because of the original copy of the Book of Changes?"

"The man in blue did indeed want the original copy of the Book of Changes, but Saviel made his move earlier than him. So he kept an eye on Saviel, hoping to take advantage of the moment when Saviel returned the Book of Changes. However, he didn't expect that I would arrive just in time. After I re-encrypted the original copy of the Book of Changes and patched the system vulnerability, he was no longer able to get his hands on it."

"You seem to have quite a bit of confidence in yourself," Hermann snorted.

Jin Dun paid no attention to Herman's words: "Because the original *I Ching* has been re-encrypted, the Global Investigation Bureau has sent undercover agents to protect it, making it extremely difficult to steal. Therefore, the man in blue was following Saviel, trying to steal the copy of the *I Ching* she had obtained. At Xianyang Airport, I noticed something strange. I clearly saw that Saviel bought ticket number 23, while you booked ticket number 24. According to the order, I should have received ticket number 25. However, I received ticket number 26. That means someone booked ticket number 25. At such a quiet time, it's impossible for anyone to book a ticket, especially one for number 25, in the row behind Saviel. So I started paying attention to the man in blue next to me on the plane. In other words, that's when I first learned of his existence."

How did you know the man in blue was following Saviel?

"Remember when the plane was being interfered with by the magnetic field? Actually, it was the man in blue who was controlling it remotely. I still don't understand how he controlled it, but one thing is certain: it's related to calculation. He can even control consciousness with calculation. A group of people in Xianyang City had the same dream, and this dream was controlled by calculation." Jin Dun recalled the struggle he experienced on the plane to break free from the other party's calculated control. Thinking of that terrifying, magical consciousness that wanted to completely possess and drain him, he felt a chill run down his spine.

"He's the one who caused the magnetic field interference?" Chu Xunfeng exclaimed in shock. "He can interfere with magnetic fields? What if something goes wrong? Wouldn't he also die in the crash?"

"The interference was intended to take advantage of Saviel's confusion and switch her handbag with yours. There are only two possibilities for why he dared to do that: first, the Book of Changes is too important to him; second, he can control the magnetic field interference very freely."

"He wants to exchange Savill's handbag?" Chu Xunfeng was shocked. "You mean Savill's handbag contains a copy of the original Book of Changes?"

“Yes, he was carrying a bronze handbag just like Xavier’s, which is why I noticed him,” Jin Dun said. “Afterwards, I checked the blue-clad man’s registration form at the airport. The form showed that he was born in Leipzig, Germany, in 1763, the place where the Leibniz Memorial Museum is now located. He’s like a ghost that hasn’t died for over 300 years.” Jin Dun said slowly, “How could such a person not arouse suspicion? How could he not be the center of the whole incident?”

“There’s nothing in Koshaville’s handbag…” Chu Xunfeng said.

"Is there a camera?"

"yes."

"Can I take pictures with the camera?" Jin Dun asked.

"Nonsense. Do you think taking photos is a meal?" Hermann glanced at the golden shield.

"Can it be holographically compressed?" Jin Dun asked.

Chu Xunfeng was speechless.

“Savill photographed the original text of the Book of Changes and compressed the information.”

“SHIT, are you sure?” Herman said.

“It’s not that I’m sure, it’s that the man in blue is sure, which is why he’s been following you.”

Chu Xunfeng remained silent, as if he were recalling something.

"The man in blue guessed that Xavier had the replica in her handbag, so he tried every means to get his hands on it."

"Did he get his hands on it?" Herman asked.

"Got it," said Jin Dun.

“Now that he’s got the camera, why is he still following us? It doesn’t make sense,” Chu Xunfeng said.

“Although he switched the bag, I switched it back.” Jin Dun said this without changing his expression. That time, when he deliberately leaned against the man in blue, he took the opportunity to switch the bag back. In addition to his meticulous thinking, this world-renowned detective had also learned a lot of petty thievery. Although the man in blue was shrewd, he did not expect to fall for his trick.

"So you've been using me and Saviel all along, meaning we're your bait." Chu Xunfeng immediately realized Golden Shield's intentions.

Jin Dun rubbed his earlobe sheepishly: "You can interpret it that way, but you must understand! This matter concerns the future of all humanity!"

Chu Xunfeng sneered, "I don't need to deal with those grand topics."

"Later he discovered that the handbag hadn't been switched, so he continued to follow you."

Chu Xunfeng recalled the day he wanted to take a picture of the child, when Xavier snatched his handbag away.

His heart ached. She'd been carrying her bag constantly lately, even when she was following the man in blue. It seemed... it seemed...

But he couldn't accept the fact that Saviel was a thief: "But why would Saviel steal the Book of Changes? What motive would she have? What use would it be to her? She had no need to..."

“For her father,” Jin Dun said. “Professor Nie Longping has always wanted to consult the original *I Ching*, but the Federal Bureau of Antiquities and Resources is controlled by Professor Park Woo-seok’s disciples, and the world’s major museums are under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Antiquities and Resources. Park Woo-seok has always been at odds with Professor Nie, and he refused on the grounds that it did not comply with relevant regulations. The *I Ching*, as the catalyst for 'mathematical logic', is the source of Leibniz’s 'binary' theory. As an authority on 'mathematical logic,' Professor Nie’s interest in the original *I Ching* is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. For him, the original *I Ching* is a telescope to peer into another world. He once swallowed his pride and asked Professor Park Woo-seok to help him obtain the original *I Ching* to verify his theories. For a madman like Nie Longping, this is an unprecedented thing.”

“You mean Saviel stole the original copy of the Book of Changes for her father?” Herman said. “Then you can’t blame Saviel. You can only blame those outdated rules. Professor Nie should have been given whatever he wanted to see. If he didn’t see it, who else would? I don’t think there’s anything remarkable about Saviel stealing the original copy of the Book of Changes.” Herman saw that Chu Xunfeng’s face was ashen.

Jin Dun sighed: "This is the prejudice of Earthlings. We know perfectly well the fragility of our planet's ecosystem, yet we recklessly squander the resources that have formed on Earth over nearly 5 billion years. It's not that we're too generous, but we worry that these resources will be enjoyed by our own kind. We know that war destroys our beautiful home, yet we organize our best scientists to develop destructive weapons such as biochemical and quantum mechanics. We refuse to believe in warm smiles and only want to maintain balance by destroying each other and creating nightmares. This blue planet has already turned gray, the ozone layer has been completely destroyed, the South American rainforest, the lungs of the Earth, has rotted, and desertification is sweeping the globe..."

Herman was somewhat impressed by this cold-faced detective. Although he had ruthlessly exploited Chu Xunfeng and Xavier and seemed sinister, he also possessed a warm and caring heart.

"There are countless common problems that all of humanity urgently needs to solve; Pandora's box has been opened. Yet humanity continues down the wrong path, acting recklessly, engaging in constant conflict, exploiting one another, and widening the gap between rich and poor… The Earth Federation appears to have achieved a balance, but the powerful nations that hold real power are each pursuing their own agendas. If they truly shared the same goals, the Earth wouldn't be in such a precarious state as it is now…"

“Yes,” Herman began to respect him a little; what the detective said was indeed true.

"The water, air, sunlight, and land we depend on for survival are now filled with a foul stench; there is no clean land to be found. Mount Everest is covered in white plastic, and New Zealand's North Island is shrouded in dust. Two-thirds of the water surface has become a dumping ground for various countries' sewage. Disasters caused by the destruction of the ecological balance are becoming more and more frequent. Industrial and vehicle exhaust fumes and carbon dioxide emissions from industry are endangering human respiration. Pick your nose; the Los Angeles Times says there are at least 32 kinds of industrial toxins."

Hermann, an activist with the European Green Alliance, was deeply moved when Jin Dun discussed this topic: "Stephen Hawking once posed a painful question to netizens worldwide through Yahoo!: In a world rife with political, social, and environmental chaos, how will humanity navigate the next 100 years?"

She hadn't expected that this seemingly strong detective had such a rich inner world beneath his cold exterior.

"Yes, I don't know where human civilization is headed. This world has gone astray. If this continues, this blue planet of the Milky Way will not only be destroyed by the Alpha G life, but it is now committing suicide!" Jin Dun's eyes were filled with sorrow. This tough man could no longer hide his vulnerability when talking about these human tragedies.

Chu Xunfeng paid no attention to this. To him, it seemed a distant matter. The extinction of humanity was not much more important than his princess's life, and the catastrophe facing Earth was far less terrifying than the misfortune brought by this man in blue. What he was thinking about now was how his German princess could possibly have become a "thief." How could that be? He stubbornly hoped for some miracle.

"I still don't understand how she could steal the original copy of the Book of Changes. Isn't the museum director supposed to be blacklisted by the thirteen worlds?"

"The thirteen-level blockade is just a facade; the real protection lies in the fingerprint password on the 12th layer and the quantum password on the 13th layer."

“Fingerprints are unique. As a characteristic fingerprint pattern, only the owner should be able to decipher it,” Chu Xunfeng said. “But Saviel…”

“That’s right,” said Jin Dun.

"How did that get involved with Saviel?"

"Fingerprints are static, but people are dynamic."

"What's the meaning?"

"Fingerprints are indeed unique. Apart from 21 people who have no fingerprints, no two identical fingerprints have been found in the entire human race so far. However, the statue of Pythagoras can be copied, and the museum director's fingerprints can also be forged. People are alive."

Jin Dun extended his long index finger. "Everyone's fingers have oil and sweat. When you press your finger on a sensor, the oil and sweat from your fingerprint are left on it. It's just that the human eye can't see it. The most primitive method is to place it above a reagent containing iodine. When the iodine is heated, the alcohol evaporates, and the iodine sublimates into vapor. Since the oil in the fingerprint on the paper is an organic solvent, the iodine vapor dissolves when it rises to the test tube, thus revealing the fingerprint. Then, by scanning it with a high-powered ion camera, analyzing it on a computer using RTX, and recombining it, we can also replicate the fingerprint. After DNA extraction, with the help of atomic life sciences, I can even create the fingerprint of the target's son. In addition, I can give three more methods to replicate someone else's fingerprint."

Hellman was stunned. He had always believed that using fingerprints to identify a person was foolproof.

"What about quantum cryptography? Isn't it the ultimate lock in the universe? If humanity's intellectual treasury is encrypted with quantum encryption, even God couldn't crack it. Isn't that what those scientists are always bragging about?"

Jin Dun's cold face remained as gloomy as ever, and he did not answer Chu Xunfeng.

"Quantum cryptography is unbreakable. Heisenberg's uncertainty principle has already demonstrated this: the position and momentum of a subatomic particle cannot be measured accurately at the same time. Any attempt to eavesdrop on the quantum flow will alter the quantum state and thus be detected by the alarm."

Jin Dun touched his nose and said, "I thought you were just a liberal arts student. You know quite a lot!"

"If you're really bad at math and physics, why would you dare to study philosophy? Besides, after spending so much time with math and physics geniuses like Saviour, even Su Dongpo would become Zu Chongzhi. The education Chinese children receive from childhood to adulthood is different from that of Westerners; there are very strict requirements for quantity from a young age."

Hermann blushed upon hearing these words. It seemed that Chu Xunfeng's status as one of the academy's top students was not due to his Eastern identity.

Jin Dun said, "Dialectics is the eternal truth; the spear and the shield will always coexist. Nothing is unbreakable, just as nothing is truly indestructible."

“However, for microscopic particles, it is impossible to simultaneously and accurately measure their position and momentum, nor is it possible to simultaneously and accurately measure their energy and time. As long as the accuracy of one quantity is increased, the accuracy of the other data will decrease. It is impossible to calculate the particle's…” Chu Xunfeng hurriedly defended Saviel.

"That's how it is in theory."

"That?……"

"That's a theory. God wouldn't dare say that the world he created is perfect, let alone humanity. Can technology reach the level of theory? Can it create a vacuum? Can it reach absolute zero? No. The unbreakability of quantum cryptography is based on Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. This theory itself is just a conjecture, not a theorem. I won't discuss the doubts about this conjecture now, but only the specific problem of code breaking."

He pondered for a moment, searching for the most suitable analogy: "Suppose a photon represents a quantum bit. When we want to obtain information from this beam of photons, we must use another quantum bit to change its state. However, after information exchange, the photons become chaotic, and the sensor will detect the information disorder and sound an alarm. Directly interfering is not advisable; this is where the unbreakability of quantum cryptography comes into play. But we can think of another way. Quantum cryptography systems use pulsed light sources with rotating magnetic fields. The photons produced by this type of light source are uniform and fine, only 1% the intensity of ordinary pulsed light sources. Although weak, they are very stable. Directly stealing photons is also difficult, but pulsed light sources can produce some extra photons because the rotating magnetic field created by humans cannot achieve such uniformity. We can decrypt the information by stealing extra photons, and then use the decryption software of the 'Siemens S7300X spy.' This software has a precision of 10⁻¹², and the difference in the radius of the Milky Way is within 10⁻⁵, which can easily achieve photon decryption."

Seeing their puzzled expressions, Jin Dun thought for a moment and said, "You can explain it like this: the pulsed light source of the rotating magnetic field is like the source of a stream, and the quantum flow emitted by the pulsed light source is like a clear and calm stream. Now we need to know the elements that make up the water in this stream. Because this stream is so thin and calm, any direct action would be like launching a torpedo into the stream, which would inevitably cause strong interference and awaken the stream's owner. The method we used earlier was that there is another trickle at the source of this stream. We stole a bottle of water from that trickle and then deciphered it. That's one method."

Chu Xunfeng and Herman were both astonished. Herman asked, "Is there another way?"

Note:

① Operations between logical variables are called logical operations, which are usually used to test true or false values. The most common logical operation is loop processing.

Part 10

Amphibian Imaginary Numbers (Part 1)

"Yes, because direct interference is impossible, I can add a photon to the quantum flow, defining its speed and direction. Since the information of a single quantum bit is extremely weak, and it's injected along the direction of the quantum flow, its impact is negligible. This photon gradually acquires the same properties as other photons in the quantum flow. Then, decrypting this defined photon is decrypting the entire quantum flow. It's like injecting a stream of pure water; this pure water mixes with the other stream water and gradually becomes diluted, acquiring the same components. Analyzing this pure water then decrypts the entire stream."

Hermann's clear eyes widened in surprise: "Wow, amazing! What else?"

A glint flashed in Chu Xunfeng's eyes: "But Saviel doesn't have the skills of a top detective like Golden Shield."

Golden Shield coldly replied, "Savill is from the Intelligence and Information Academy. Under her father's guidance, what in the world can stop her?"

Upon hearing this, not only did Chu Xunfeng tremble, but Herman was also speechless.

"The Book of Changes was stolen at 22:00 on November 16th. Were you with Savill at the time? It was returned at 23:00 on November 17th. Were you with Savill then?"

These two questions were like bombshells, leaving Chu Xunfeng utterly dejected once again.

On the night of November 16th, he had an argument with Saviel under the yellow sand, and Saviel went home alone in a huff. Later, he encountered that mysterious, snow-white child under the moonlight, who tormented him for two hours. When he returned to the hotel, it was already around 11:00 PM. Saviel was not at the hotel at that time, and he was indeed not with Saviel during that period.

After Xavier returned, she ignored him completely, no matter how many kind words he said, even when he mentioned that the original copy of the *I Ching* had been stolen. In reality, she was the culprit. Now it seems she wasn't angry with him, but rather using an excuse to photograph and manipulate the original *I Ching* in her room. No wonder she later stood smiling at the door, looking charming and without a trace of anger; by then, she had already "completed her mission."

The following afternoon, Saviel went with him to the museum to examine the original copy of the *I Ching*. It was merely a scouting trip, to check the site conditions so they could return the copy that evening. She had her handbag with her when they left. He wanted to use his camera to photograph the child and the computer to record the historical moment of creating the "Four Cycles of Calamity." However, Saviel snatched the handbag from him—something completely unlike her usual self.

Saviel carefully and meticulously examined the scene at the museum, circling it three or four times. They didn't return to the hotel until 9 PM, only to discover the child was missing. They parted ways to search for the child, and by 11 PM, when the original copy of the *I Ching* was returned, Saviel was no longer with him.

"No wonder!" Chu Xunfeng breathed a sigh of relief. He was worried that something might happen to Saviel, so when he rushed out of the hotel, he bumped into her. It seemed that she had taken the opportunity to return the original copy of the Book of Changes that she had stolen.

"How foolish, I was still worried about her back then." Chu Xunfeng chuckled dryly. "She stole things behind my back. I was so stupid, haha..." He suddenly remembered that last night they were together, and the apologetic look in her eyes when she asked him, "Xunfeng, if I do something wrong, will you stay with me forever?" No wonder she was so gentle with him that night, like lovers separated by life and death, tears streaming down her face, as if she would never see him again. It turned out that everything was arranged by her.

"Xunfeng, Xunfeng." Herman held his hand, Chu Xunfeng's hand was trembling, and he gripped Herman's heart tightly.