Chapter 140: Under Control

At this moment, the experts in the Beijing Science Lecture Hall finally fully grasped the concept.

Dark Directive...

Vaguely, this was the truth of how the universe operated.

Jiang Zhe first threw out a potentially existing [Thing], causing humanity to tirelessly chase after this [Thing], yet ultimately never being able to personally reach [that Thing].

When the next generation of scientists appeared, they would continue to chase after this thing.

Until years later, a group of new-era scientists would still, like moths to a flame, constantly chase after the place pointed to by this directive, only to end up with nothing.

This is just like—

There are many signs in the universe indicating: the Observable Universe does indeed exist, and it indeed contains many galaxies that have already moved away from the Observable Universe, it's just that they are too far away for us to reach.

The Observable Universe has been discovered by humanity, yet humanity cannot leave its own galaxy because of the limitations and uncrossability of the speed of light.

Think about it further—the world gave humanity the ability to observe scenes outside the Milky Way Galaxy, yet it also set an upper limit on the speed of light.

The world seems to be telling humanity:

"Look, the outside world is wonderful, but unfortunately, there is an upper limit to the speed of light. Objects with mass can never break the speed of light limit. Naturally, you can never go there, so just look at it, don't bother trying."

When one day...

Someone among humanity suddenly actually reaches outside the galaxy!

After that person arrives, they might be surprised to find that there is absolutely nothing here!

What might exist is likely just a texture, a texture that is rotating and moving, transmitting a series of scientific data about its movement to external beings.

The similarity of this little thought experiment is exactly this.

Jiang Zhe is indeed using the machine to dangle a carrot in front of humanity.

The world is also very likely dangling a carrot in front of humanity.

This carrot can only be [looked at], but can never be [eaten]!

Professor Hua Yunfeng and Old Feng's expressions were not very good.

A deep sense of powerlessness washed over them.

At this moment, more and more viewers fell silent, their expressions becoming increasingly stern.

In a trance, they felt as if they had perceived the truth of the world.

...

Inside a dormitory building at Tsinghua University.

Professor Zhuang Zhou's expression became increasingly serious as he commented: "The universe is indeed like this. It gives us, humanity, observations within limited conditions, letting us witness the beauty outside the world; yet it restricts our technology, or rather, for the next ten thousand years, humanity will be unable to exceed the speed of light; even with tricks, it will be impossible to truly exceed the speed of light."

"Even if anti-gravity is developed, it is impossible to accelerate it infinitely to exceed the speed of light."

"At that time, going to Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Solar System, would still take 4 light-years."

"That's right, the world is dangling a carrot in front of us intelligent humans, it's just that this carrot can only be looked at, not eaten."

Hearing Professor Zhuang's evaluation, the two women beside him also furrowed their brows.

There was always a feeling that humanity seemed to be locked up, confined to a corner of the universe, never able to step outside.

Just then, Jiang Zhe's voice came from the big screen again.

"For another example: I give this powerful machine an active directive: [An element capable of exceeding the speed of light has appeared]."

"This element could be element 120 or element 130—as long as you add this element into an engine and constantly strike it to generate a series of forces, you can exceed the speed of light."

"I can randomly send this directive to one of the physics research institutes around the world—"

"For example: at the Kyoto University of Science, letting a student named [Leng Fei] under Professor Old Feng discover it."

At this moment, in the Beijing Science Lecture Hall, the top student Leng Fei was shocked, "Jiang Zhe actually mentioned me on the live broadcast?"

Upon hearing this, all the experts cast looks of envy and curiosity.

Recently, they all knew: Leng Fei had published the most posts on the forum and answered the most questions for Jiang Zhe's fans!

"I can let Leng Fei accidentally synthesize this [stable element that exceeds the speed of light]."

"The next day, that top student Leng Fei would publish a paper, claiming he had discovered a way to exceed the speed of light, which could violate the Theory of Relativity, and soon after, an engine that could exceed the speed of light could be built."

"So every country would study this element until a [Faster-Than-Light Engine] appeared, and then, over time, you would step into an interstellar civilization."

Speaking to this point, Jiang Zhe suddenly curled his lips, "But have you all ever thought that in the original world, this is not allowed to exist; yet through the directive I gave to the machine, the directive selected one of your scientists, letting him discover the opportunity to exceed the speed of light."

"After that..."

"You might think that all things have mass and will be unable to violate the 'Theory of Relativity'."

"But!"

"I keep issuing new directives, letting you silently accept this—[a new Dark Directive]."

"Hmm, by then, all of you will believe that [exceeding the speed of light] is achievable, is reasonable, and is a sign that exists in reality, and then you will discard the theory that the speed of light cannot be exceeded, believing that it was just a flaw brought about by the incompleteness of theoretical science. Over time, you will indeed do this."

"By that time, many physicists will propose again: modify physics, modify the Theory of Relativity's stance that the speed of light cannot be exceeded."

"So..."

"Gradually, imperceptibly, the future direction of this world is all under my control with a snap of my fingers."

"Wherever I want you to go, you will head there blindly."

"So..."

"You gradually go further and further down the wrong path, until you cannot turn back."

"Suddenly!"

Suddenly, Jiang Zhe's tone intensified, startling many of the attentive audience members.

"Suddenly one day, I don't want to play anymore. I've had enough of playing with this machine."

"So on a certain night, I issue the last [directive] to you—[Death can lead to another world]."

"Then I let those patients who believe they have returned from the dead tell the world personally—[We have seen the world after death; it is a world full of black and white, where there is no worry, and it is free and easy]."

"It won't take long before this news breaks through the global official blockade, and then this world will enter the [Death Craze] I envisioned."

"When the Death Craze continues until only 1% of the world's population remains... I sit behind the scenes, revealing an evil smile, and turn off the button of this machine that changes your perception of the world."

"At that time, perceptions changed, global panic ensued: because you 1% of people killed 99% of the innocent people in the world!"

Speaking to this point, Jiang Zhe couldn't help but grin.

"A reminder: this machine can truly appear in the real world!"

"If utilized by someone with ulterior motives, this machine will become a machine for him to issue directives to you."

He raised his hand and pointed at the non-existent person in the sky, and everyone looked up at the pitch-black firmament.

"At that time, everything you do will be under [His] control."

"What you see, what you want to see, what you think, what you want to obtain, what you do, what you are endowed with—everything, absolutely everything, is completed under [His] directive."

"This means that you, I, and he have always been living in—"

He drew out his voice, his expression stern, and his tone became increasingly serious.

"The 'Dark Directive' I constructed!"