162: Morpheus's "bait" and "academic trap"

The storm stirred by the "Mirror Hall" plan in public opinion, though not entirely quelled, had its destructive power significantly reduced in the face of Homeland's continuous, forceful countermeasures and its unwavering internal cohesion. Morpheus Li, like an experienced hunter, did not become disheartened when he realized a strategy was ineffective. Instead, he swiftly and coldly adjusted his hunting plan. He realized that harassment targeting Homeland's periphery and public confusion could no longer shake its foundations. He had to strike at the core, attacking its most crucial and reliant area—academic research itself. A more insidious, cunning, and highly targeted new plan—the "Academic Snare"—was born.

The core of this plan was no longer to spread rumors that were difficult to disprove, but to meticulously forge an irresistible "academic bait." Its maliciousness lay in targeting not Homeland's defenses, but its brain and engine—the research team's thirst for knowledge and spirit of exploration. Morpheus intended to plant a time bomb in Homeland's most confident domain, one capable of corroding its direction from within.

Morpheus utilized the Prophet Foundation's deep knowledge reserves and top-tier forgery techniques to meticulously craft a "bait" so convincing it was almost real—a fragmented private research manuscript, allegedly from a brilliant but short-lived and reclusive theoretical physicist named Elias Vahn decades ago. This fictional "Dr. Vahn" was endowed with the legendary aura of being a recluse, conducting advanced research, and dying unexpectedly before his findings could be published, increasing the manuscript's mystery and credibility.

The manuscript's theme was incredibly alluring: "Preliminary Theory on Consciousness Interface in Macroscopic Quantum Systems." The title alone was enough to make any researcher at the forefront of consciousness science's heart race. Its content was even more meticulously designed, filled with genius insights and astonishing conjectures:

Theoretical Alignment: The core framework proposed in the manuscript showed astonishing, almost perfect alignment with Homeland's internal hypotheses, derived from the phenomenon of Excellence's abilities, regarding how consciousness might interact with some form of macroscopic quantum entanglement or a global information field (i.e., the constant ripple). It seemed to offer a theoretical shortcut, opening a new window for understanding the essence of Excellence's abilities.

Technological Direction: Even more enticing, the latter half of the manuscript vaguely outlined a "technical path" for how to "safely" establish, maintain, and even "guide" the exchange of information between consciousness and this macroscopic quantum interface. Some concepts mentioned, such as "frequency tuning," "information entropy filtering," and "consensus reality anchoring," remarkably coincided with, and even appeared more "mature" and "systematic" than, the difficult explorations Evelyn's team was undertaking to help Excellence stabilize his abilities and avoid information overload.

Perfect Disguise: The forgery of the manuscript reached a peak level. The paper was aged, the ink composition matched the characteristics of the era, the handwriting mimicked the style of a deceased scholar, and even deliberate wormholes, water stains, and missing page numbers were created to make it appear more authentic. Its argumentative style was full of personalized, leaping thoughts and unfinished derivations, perfectly fitting the characteristics of "private notes," avoiding the logical scrutiny that a systematic paper might entail.

This "poisoned apple" was passed through an extremely complex, untraceable chain, first "accidentally" appearing in an inconspicuous small auction house in Europe specializing in obscure scientific ancient books. Then, after several transfers, it finally "just so happened" to flow into an academic ancient book exchange network community frequently visited by Professor Davidson, a reputable senior theoretical physicist who had a long-term cooperative relationship with Homeland.

Sure enough, when Professor Davidson, during a routine literature search, accidentally browsed this community, the abstract of this manuscript immediately caught his attention. Out of academic sensitivity, he managed to obtain a scanned copy. Upon initial reading, Professor Davidson was so shocked he nearly jumped out of his chair! With his profound theoretical physics background, he immediately realized the immeasurable value of this manuscript! The ideas within it were decades ahead of their time, many conjectures were breathtakingly bold, yet they seemed to vaguely point towards a possible truth.

Excited, Professor Davidson did not hesitate for a moment. He immediately realized that this manuscript could be of landmark significance for Homeland's cutting-edge research. He followed the confidentiality agreement, sending the scanned copy of the manuscript, along with his astonished preliminary analysis report, to Homeland's external academic liaison office via the highest-level encrypted channel.

A copy of the manuscript was swiftly presented to Wang Jianguo's office, and Evelyn was urgently summoned. In the brightly lit confidential meeting room, the two began an all-night, meticulous study.

Upon first reading the manuscript, even a calm scientist like Evelyn felt a huge shock and temptation. The penetration of thought and theoretical imagination displayed in the manuscript were astounding, and many long-standing problems that had troubled them seemed to find unexpected, extremely elegant solutions here. It was like a gleaming theoretical lighthouse suddenly appearing in the fog, pointing to a shortcut that seemed to lead directly to the other shore. For a moment, Evelyn even felt an uncontrollable excitement, thinking that a research breakthrough might be imminent.

However, as the study deepened, Evelyn's powerful academic discernment and profound understanding of the Prophet Foundation's technological underpinnings began to take effect. She forced herself to calm down, adopting the most rigorous critical eye, examining every deduction word by word, tracing the origin of every hypothesis.

Gradually, problems began to emerge, and they became increasingly clear:

Fatal Logical "Leaps": At several crucial nodes that supported the entire theoretical edifice, the manuscript's author made extremely subtle "leaps" that did not conform to strict mathematical logic. It cleverly bypassed key steps requiring extensive complex calculations and empirical support, using analogies or metaphors that seemed ingenious but could not withstand rigorous scrutiny. Such leaps, to laymen or those eager for quick results, appeared to be "strokes of genius," but in the eyes of a rigorous scientist like Evelyn, they were castles built on sand, lacking a solid foundation.

Hidden "Cornerstone" Trap: More fatally, Evelyn keenly identified that several "fundamental assumptions" cited in the manuscript as self-evident premises were, in fact, erroneous theories from the Prophet Foundation's early explorations that had been disproven or were highly controversial and never publicly disclosed! These assumptions were like rotten wood cleverly disguised as granite, buried beneath a brilliant theoretical surface. Building upon them would inevitably lead to the collapse of the entire edifice.

Dangerous Ultimate Orientation: What sent shivers down Evelyn's spine most was the ultimate value implied in the manuscript's conclusion. It seemingly objectively discussed the interaction between consciousness and information, but its deep logic subtly led to the conclusion that the limitations of the physical body are shackles on the sublimation of consciousness, and true evolution lies in shedding the biological shell to achieve an eternal existence in a "pure informational state." This idea, which completely negates the mind-body unity and pursues so-called "digital ascension," runs entirely counter to Homeland's core values of technology serving humanity and promoting harmonious development of spirit and body. Yet, it is identical to the ruthless technological singularity rhetoric pursued by the radical faction of the Prophet Foundation represented by Morpheus!

The Nature and Crisis of the Trap

The truth was revealed! This was by no means a forgotten gem of genius, but a meticulously packaged "academic snare" containing potent poison! Its insidious intentions escalated layer by layer:

Primary Trap: To lure Homeland researchers into investing vast resources down a fundamentally wrong technological path, ultimately exhausting their efforts, achieving nothing, and wasting valuable time and development opportunities.

Deeper Trap: More terrifyingly, if this theory, built on erroneous foundations and dangerous values, were accepted or even advocated by some researchers, it would trigger profound ideological confusion and directional divergence within Homeland, undermining the team's cohesion and shared beliefs.

Ultimate Trap: What if... what if Excellence, during his growth, inadvertently came into contact with these toxins packaged as "advanced theories"? Could it have unpredictable, catastrophic effects on his as-yet-unformed worldview and the healthy development of his abilities? This was the most chilling possibility.

Evelyn immediately reported her detailed analysis and grave judgment to Wang Jianguo. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, not only from fear but also from anger at the opponent's cunning and viciousness.

Wang Jianguo's face was so grim it could drip water after hearing the report. Without hesitation, he immediately issued a series of clear and resolute directives:

Highest Taboo: Immediately designate this manuscript and all its copies as Code Vermilion. Strictly prohibit its dissemination, citation, or in-depth research in any formal or informal research channels or academic discussions. All known physical and electronic copies are to be immediately destroyed, and relevant records encrypted and sealed.

Personnel Decontamination: Immediately conduct a top-level confidential discussion and psychological evaluation with Professor Davidson, who had come into contact with the manuscript. Evelyn herself will discreetly and respectfully explain the significant theoretical flaws and potential risks discovered in the manuscript (omitting The Foundation's background), dispel any potential misinformation he may have received, and reiterate confidentiality protocols. Ensure his complete understanding and cooperation.

Turn the Tables: The intelligence department will act secretly, releasing strictly controlled, vague information through carefully designed, seemingly accidental channels on specific academic darknets. The content will imply that while the manuscript's ideas are astonishing, an anonymous top expert has discovered "insurmountable internal logical contradictions" and "fragility of fundamental assumptions," and its value is currently questionable and under re-evaluation. This aims to mislead Morpheus into believing that Homeland only suspects, but has not fully seen through his entire conspiracy, thereby confusing the opponent and buying time.

Internal Immunity: Within the core research team, immediately organize a targeted "academic discernment capability enhancement" training, led by Evelyn. This manuscript will be used as a negative example (with its source omitted), thoroughly dissecting common methods of advanced academic fraud and hidden ideological traps, thereby improving the entire team's immunity to such "academic phishing."

The Invisible Battlefield and the Pure Lighthouse

This silent, high-stakes academic battle unfolded and was decisively resolved without Excellence's knowledge. He remained immersed in his world of wonderful exploration. At this moment, he was excited about another "great" project: he was trying to apply his newly understood concept of "energy channeling" to improve the old, sometimes unevenly heated oven in the cafeteria. He firmly believed that by "sensing" and "guiding" the distribution of heat, he could make the baked bread more golden and crispy. The results, as one might expect, after his "efforts," the first batch of experimental products—several small loaves of bread—were half charred black and half raw and cold, much to the exasperated amusement of the cafeteria uncle. Excellence scratched his head, looking at his "masterpiece" with a puzzled expression, but soon rekindled his fighting spirit.

However, it was this seemingly mischievous child, his boundless potential and pure essence, that was the true reason behind all these turbulent undercurrents. After the tense meeting, Evelyn passed by the laboratory and saw Excellence deep in thought, staring at the burnt bread, her eyes filled with complex emotions. She knew that the burden on her shoulders was heavier than ever before. She not only had to guide the healthy development of Excellence's abilities as a scientist but also had to be a loyal "gatekeeper," using her wisdom and courage to discern the sugar-coated bullets from the darkness, protect this pure land of knowledge exploration, and ensure that Excellence's path of growth would not be contaminated by any toxic ideas.

Although Morpheus's "Academic Snare" was exposed, it undoubtedly sounded the most jarring alarm. The attack had escalated to the highest level of ideology and theory, and future confrontations would be even more treacherous and difficult to guard against. Homeland's guardians must meet this invisible war, which concerns the future, with deeper wisdom, stronger resolve, and tighter unity. And Excellence's untainted innocence and ever-growing power are the most precious light in their hearts, ultimately piercing through all fog.