bad seeds - Chapter 16
“When the ‘Matrix’ was at its most out of control, we consulted our superiors, and the orders from above have never changed. The instructions I received were to ‘control and study how to utilize this phenomenon,’” he said, crossing his arms.
"But you know perfectly well how dangerous that is!"
"Na Duo, aren't you known for your imagination? Use your brain. The three of us in charge, along with hundreds of top scientists, have to replace our exorbitantly priced equipment every two weeks, just to kill it? If it has no practical value, why would the country allocate hundreds of millions of yuan to send me to this desolate wilderness to conduct research?"
"Being able to kill the 'mother' is already the greatest value."
"As a scientist, I must be responsible for my work, and I must ensure that every effort I and my team make is rewarded accordingly; as a Chinese, I must also be responsible for my country!" he said passionately.
"I am also Chinese, and I love my country, but in this matter, I feel I must take responsibility for all of humanity!"
"Bullshit!" Liang Yingwu became agitated again. "Na Duo, you don't understand the significance of this research at all. Do you know how much impact low-temperature metal purification technology will have on the world? Once we master this technology, our national strength will at least be elevated to a higher level than it is now, and if it becomes widespread globally, it will trigger the Fourth Industrial Revolution!"
"All I know is that this impact could come at the cost of ecological destruction across the entire planet!"
"I am at least 70% confident that I can control the 'Matrix'."
"Heh, have you forgotten why prehistoric humans fled Earth? Even with their advanced technology, they couldn't do it. So where does your 70% confidence come from?"
"Then tell me what's so good about your suggestion? Detonating a nuclear bomb in Mount Baigong would not only pollute the water sources, but also send us all to a military court!"
"All it takes is a small-yield nuclear bomb, and besides, the Bayin River is flowing water. The higher-ups want you to control and study its potential because they don't understand the situation. As long as you carefully weigh the pros and cons, I believe your superiors will support my argument. Even if I'm sent to a military court, I'm willing to do it!"
"According to your logic, why didn't prehistoric humans just conduct a nuclear explosion here a million years ago, or eight thousand years ago? They were perfectly capable of doing so."
"Millions of years ago, it was because the Earth was already teeming with branches of 'bad seeds,' and the situation was out of control. Doing that globally would only destroy the Earth. But eight thousand years ago, it was because they discovered the budding of a new human civilization here!"
"When faced with two evils, choose the lesser one. I think prehistoric humans would have understood this principle."
"I think you've underestimated the role of emotions in this! This is, after all, their homeland, and we are, after all, their children!"
"These are all just guesses; there's absolutely no basis for them!"
"Then what is the basis for your so-called '70% certainty'?"
...
After a long silence, Liang Yingwu finally stood up, braced himself on the table with both hands, leaned forward halfway, and said:
"It seems neither of us can convince the other?"
“It seems so,” I said.
"But don't forget, I'm in charge here, and I'm still the one who calls the shots!"
—By employing both soft and hard tactics, Liang Yingwu finally began to resemble a bureaucrat.
Chapter Nine - House Arrest
I recalled the expression on Liang Yingwu's face when he said those words to the guards 30 minutes earlier:
"Take this gentleman and lady to tent number three. Take good care of them, ensure their food, lodging and personal safety. Confiscate all their communication devices. Have them guarded 24 hours a day. Do not allow them to move around outside the tent, and do not allow anyone to contact them. This order is effective immediately until we all leave. You relay this to the entire camp."
Exhaustion washed over me. I never imagined that our reunion after going through life and death together would end like this.
The laptops, digital cameras, cell phones, walkie-talkies, and even radios, Discmans, and paper and pens that Ye Tong and I were carrying were confiscated.
As you know, we are under house arrest.
"Could you please bring us two bottles of water?" I then realized that the heated argument had left me with a dry mouth.
The guards brought us two bottles of purified water.
After drinking water, I felt even more sleepy, so I simply lay down on a wire bed in the tent and didn't want to think about it anymore.
"That's a lot."
I turned my head, and Ye Tong was staring at me with her big eyes wide open. Her long hair fell down from her right cheek, covering half of her face. The other half of her face was almost entirely covered by dark circles, except for a pair of big eyes that seemed to never close. However, those dark circles were not scary at all; on the contrary, they were somewhat charming.
"What for?" I replied lazily.
"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! I'd always heard you were a bit dull and unlikable at work, but I never imagined you had such a silver tongue!"
"What's the use of being eloquent? You still don't even have personal freedom."
"This is kidnapping, I'm going to sue him!" Ye Tong said angrily.
“Our situation is irrelevant.” I shook my head. “What do you think about this?”
“I support you! Na Duo, that Liang Yingwu, what is he anyway! He's so arrogant and looks down on everyone, I hate him just looking at him! Count how many words I've said to him since we met?”
"Hehe, actually he's a pretty good person, but he's too serious about things and likes to use his own theories to persuade others."
"He will pay the price for his stubbornness!"
As I looked at Ye Tong, that uneasy feeling resurfaced in my heart.
"I hope your words don't come true in this incident."
What should we do now?
"What should we do?" I forced a smile and said, "Go to sleep!"
On the same day, at nightfall.
When I woke up, the tent was dark. Ye Tong was still lying on the bed fully clothed. When I got up to turn on the light, I suddenly realized that Ye Tong was not asleep. She was staring at me blankly with her eyes open.