208: Chapter 208: Publishing Papers

Huaqing University, inside the Professors' Building.

Late at night, the computer screens reflected the exhausted yet excited faces of three people.

Ouyang Baili, Li Mo, and Guan Jingming had been toiling all night over screens full of data, draft papers, and Formula J.

N = A × B × C × D × E × F × G

These seven letters were being combined in this way for the first time in this world, used to estimate the forest of civilizations that might exist within the Milky Way.

"For the data, use all the most authoritative observations and model deductions from the last five years," Ouyang Baili said thoughtfully. "Be conservative—absolutely conservative. Even if we take the minimum value for every factor, as long as the logical chain is Jiang Zhe's, it will hold."

"Minimum values are meaningless; if we're going to calculate, we use the median." Professor Guan took the initiative and hit Enter.

The computer ran a complex Monte Carlo simulation to handle the probability distribution of each parameter in the formula rather than single values.

The numbers on the screen flickered rapidly and then slowed down; finally, a number froze in the center of the screen.

Within the Milky Way, the number of existing civilizations was approximately 80.

As the result appeared, the room fell into a dead silence.

In just this corner of the Milky Way, there could be as many as 80 technological civilizations!!!

Furthermore, Professor Guan had specifically selected civilizations capable of hiding their own stars—meaning civilizations that possessed J-Spheres—rather than the industrial or modern civilizations with basic technology that Jiang Zhe had suggested.

If the values were expanded slightly, that 80 would likely increase several times over.

"Jiang Zhe's data was practically conservative to the point of being narrow-minded; if we really calculated it his way, there would be at least 1600 civilizations of various sizes in the Milky Way!!!"

"Professor, expand it further to the observable universe!" Li Mo couldn't help but say from behind him.

Soon, the median estimate for the number of civilizations in the observable universe was completed: approximately 320 billion!!!

It wasn't Jiang Zhe's 80 billion, but 320 billion, based on more refined data and more rigorous models.

The result they calculated was four times higher than Jiang Zhe's casual estimate!

Ouyang Baili couldn't help but say, "Even the conservatives think the radical Jiang Zhe is too conservative. How did he calculate such a small number when there are clearly so many!!!"

Li Mo and Professor Guan looked at each other, nodding in disbelief.

"A paper, we must write a paper!" Professor Guan took a deep breath, his eyes burning. "Three core points. First, the introduction and parameter definition of Formula J; this is the new framework."

"Second, the significance of J-Spheres as technological markers and observational filters—searching for abnormally dimming stars rather than bright ones."

"Third, and the most important inference: deriving the [Dark Competition] hypothesis from Formula J. The ultimate technological goal of all civilizations in the universe must be to become the first to achieve transcendence over the universe itself before the Heat Death or the Big Rip, thereby being defined as the First Observer!"

"This is an ultimate race that all civilizations in the universe are forced to participate in, even without set rules. It is a race against the life and death of the universe itself!!!"

After seeing this conclusion, all three lost any sense of sleepiness. They divided the labor and worked with incredible efficiency to turn a night's worth of calculations, deductions, and thoughts into a paper.

The paper was titled: "Hypothesis on Intelligent Life Forced to Participate in the 'Dark Competition' Based on the Concepts of Formula J and J-Spheres."

In the author section, they didn't hesitate. First Author: J.

Second Author: Li Mo, Third Author: Ouyang Baili, Fourth Author: Guan Jingming.

Regardless of the paper, as long as it was proposed by Jiang Zhe, he had to be first!

Placing Li Mo second was something they had agreed upon earlier, letting Li Mo be in the middle.

As dawn broke, the paper was finally finished. They chose to submit it simultaneously to internationally recognized astrophysics and theoretical science platforms as well as corresponding domestic academic exchange portals.

When the submission was successful, the exhaustion hit the three of them like a tidal wave, draining their strength almost instantly.

"No, I can't hold on anymore." Ouyang Baili swayed and finally collapsed onto his large bed.

For some reason, he suddenly pulled out his phone again and sent the link to the paper to Professor Stephen at the University of Cambridge with the message: "The Nth batch of material from the madman you wanted," before letting the phone drop onto his chest and falling into a deep sleep.

"Me too... about the same." Professor Guan Jingming took off his glasses, his body going limp as he lay down next to Ouyang Baili.

Li Mo, caught in the middle, had eyelids that were already fighting to close. He gave a muddled "Mm," and his body involuntarily fell back, leaning right between the two professors.

A second later, faint snoring sounds echoed in the living room.

The three grown men were squeezed together on the large bed in an awkward and inexplicable posture, sleeping heavily.

Li Mo's head was pillowed on Ouyang Baili's arm, his leg draped over Professor Guan, while the two professors subconsciously protected Li Mo in the middle, both their arms resting on him.

As time passed, morning arrived.

Professor Wu and several of his own students, thinking of the three colleagues and students who had worked through the night, specifically bought a hearty breakfast and carried it to the Professors' Building.

Professor Wu had naturally been joking the night before; he knew the recent popularity of Paper J was thanks to Professor Ouyang, Little Li, and Old Guan.

Arriving at the door, he found it slightly ajar and pushed it open gently.

"Baili? Jingming? Little Li? Breakfast is here!"

After saying this, his voice came to an abrupt halt.

Professor Wu and the two curious graduate students behind him clearly saw the scene on the bed in the living room.

Three grown men, clothes disheveled and hair messy, were huddled together, sleeping as if the world had ended.

Especially the way Li Mo was sandwiched between the two professors.

???

Professor Wu took a sharp breath, immediately covering his eyes, then peeked through the gaps in his fingers. "They... they are?"

The graduate student girl beside him was already blushing furiously, unable to stop herself from covering her mouth tightly.

The other male student's eyes widened. "Holy crap?"

Professor Wu couldn't help but shake his head, looking heartbroken. "See no evil, see no evil. Put the breakfast at the door and let's go, quickly. They've been tainted... No, they must have been too tired from staying up all night. Yes, it's just exhaustion from the all-nighter!"

After speaking, he gingerly set down the breakfast bag and slipped away with the two students like a thief, thoughtfully closing the door and even locking it behind them.

At this very moment, on the internet, that paper signed by J had once again caused a massive stir within the relevant circles.

"It's here, it's here! The Nth installment of the J-series papers. This one is a bombshell—it directly estimates the number of alien civilizations!"

"Formula J officially debuts. There might be 80 civilizations in the Milky Way more advanced than Earth, possibly even mastering the creation of J-Spheres?"

"The author order makes me want to cry. God J doesn't even know he published a paper; he's forever on the front lines. (Manual doge face)"

"Dark Competition—this hypothesis is so cool. All civilizations are trying their hardest to be the first to jump out of the pond; is that why our universe is so quiet?"

"So that's what God J meant when he said the First Observer is in the future. It's not that there was a god watching from the start, but that all civilizations are in a race. The winner takes all, and the winner defines the entire past history of the universe!"

"320 billion possible super-civilizations. With that density, I suddenly feel like Earth is streaking in the middle of a city center!"

"The data and models in this paper are much more rigorous than what God J mentioned casually before, but the conclusion is even more terrifying. As expected, the Great One provides the ideas, and the top students are responsible for scaring people to death with the implementation."

"Who said J-Spheres were fantasy before? Look at this formula, these parameter settings, and these observational predictions. Although it's still a hypothesis, the rigor and falsifiability of this framework are worlds beyond many old, worn-out conjectures!"

"Waiting for observatories worldwide to adjust their focus. In the future, will stellar anomalies and those dark stars become the primary guide for searching for extraterrestrials?"