179: Chapter 179 Do you have any other sons?

"Can that Monitoring Station on the Moon you just mentioned be dismantled? What's inside?"

"It can be dismantled. It's already abandoned. The Advanced Civilization likely changed their monitoring methods after humans first landed on the Moon! That Monitoring Station is empty inside, but traces of massive radiation can be detected!"

Gao Yuan got the gist of it.

"How many minerals can be mined on the Moon?"

"If the minerals are used on the Moon, the impact isn't very large. But if they're transported back to Earth, it cannot exceed fifty quadrillion tons at most! Otherwise, it will affect the Earth-Moon balance!"

Gao Yuan was shocked by this data.

In the Real World, global iron production didn't exceed 2 billion tons. Even adding all other minerals, it didn't exceed 5 billion tons. This meant that based on the Real World's production levels, mining could continue on the Moon for at least a hundred thousand years.

Moreover, Gao Yuan's current mining output was nowhere near that high. Even if he mined at full capacity, relying solely on the Jakarta spaceport operating at full load, he could mine for over five hundred years.

Then what the hell was he worried about?

It was only in a world as developed as the Future World, which had already been mining for centuries, that this concern existed.

In the Real World, he wouldn't need to have any scruples for at least a century or two.

And in a century or two, he would definitely have already left the Solar System. This meant he didn't need to worry about this problem at all. Having received the answer, Gao Yuan felt relieved.

Gao Yuan continued to ask: "Then how much do you know about the Advanced Civilization monitoring humanity?"

"We only know that the other party's level of technological civilization is very high; they can control stars at will!"

If the Real World was equivalent to a Semi-Planetary Civilization, then the Future World was at most a Planetary Civilization, while the civilization that created the Solar System was at least Stellar-level.

Gao Yuan felt immense pressure. Could he really break through their blockade?

Even if he broke out, would there be a chance to return? Or would he only be able to wander the stars, or even be caught and instantly killed by the other party?

Gao Yuan didn't know.

For the first time, he felt a sense of powerlessness.

It was like a farmer raising a flock of sheep. Just as the sheep in the Future World intended to escape the pen, the farmer repaired it! There was no longer any chance.

Now he was a sheep in another pen, trying to find a way to escape. Even if one or two sheep successfully escaped, it wouldn't actually help. Most sheep were still in the pen, and as soon as the farmer repaired it, the sheep that had escaped could never go back.

Of course, it was more likely that even if he escaped the pen, he wouldn't be able to escape the farm and would be caught directly by the farmer or taken out with a shotgun.

Gao Yuan felt a bit annoyed thinking about this.

"Go find Gao Qiu! I have something to discuss with him!"

"Officer Gao is very busy. I can only notify him, but I can't guarantee he will come!"

"Just go!"

Ten minutes later, Gao Qiu finally arrived.

"Finished learning? Scared? Feel like there's no hope?"

Gao Yuan was stunned. Truly, nothing escaped this old fox's eyes.

"Grand Marshal, do you really think I can succeed?"

"I can only say there is hope!"

Gao Qiu was more serious than ever before.

"Against a civilization that can design the Solar System, even if I'm lucky enough to escape it, so what? The difference in strength is too vast!"

Gao Qiu looked at Gao Yuan: "Do you remember a story I told you when you were little?"

"What story?"

"The story of the farmers. In ancient times, two old farmers were imagining the luxurious life of the Emperor. One said: 'I think the Emperor must eat white steamed buns until he's full every day!' The other said: 'More than that, I think the Emperor must use a golden hoe when he works the fields!'"

Gao Yuan frowned. Did this old, cliché story have some deep meaning?

"Gao Yuan, if you were to create an intelligent life form, what would you make it look like? Just draw it!"

Gao Yuan hesitated for a moment, summoned a virtual screen, and began to draw with his finger. As he drew, he looked at the 'person' inside and was a bit dazed. Although the 'life' in the image was abstract, overall, it was at least eighty percent similar to a human!

Gao Yuan became thoughtful.

"See, this is your fixed perception. You believe that intelligent life must have a brain and flexible hands! Even if you add wings, it hasn't escaped the scope of Earth's life! A person can never surpass their own cognition! And we humans can be said to have been created single-handedly by that unknown Advanced Civilization! Think about it, is it possible that we actually look quite similar to them?"

"But didn't you say they are Anaerobic Life forms?"

"Yes, oxygen is a deadly poison to them. Even the oxygen on Earth is within their scope of cognition. What does that suggest?"

"What?"

Gao Yuan was a bit confused.

"It suggests... they themselves might not even be as strong as us!"

"Huh? How is that possible?"

"Why do they need to conduct experiments? Because they can't stand oxygen, while we can live perfectly well in it. Isn't that a point of strength for us?"

Gao Yuan was a bit dizzy; the logic was sound in its own way.

"Grand Marshal, but they can set up the Solar System. War depends on technology! It's not a contest of physical bodies? Even with the technology of your world, it's impossible to build a stellar system!"

"Indeed we can't, but so what? Put it this way: humans are very developed now, but if a highly venomous snake appeared in a crowd, do you think they'd be afraid?"

"Afraid..."

"If this snake also had the ability to escape at any time, do you think they would panic?"

Gao Yuan roughly understood.

"So, as long as I escape and find the planet where this civilization is located, then we have a chance!"

"Exactly! I can't guarantee we'll definitely win, but at least there's a chance, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes..."

Gao Yuan was convinced.

Of course, this was also self-consolation; after all, no one wanted to do something destined to fail.

Gao Qiu patted Gao Yuan's shoulder.

"Work hard. Our Gao Family... is destined to become a great family that resounds throughout the universe!"

"Grand Marshal, do you have any other sons?"

"Hmm? No, just you and Gao Gan!"

"Gao Gan is a hundred years older than me. In that hundred-year gap, you never had children with other women?"

Gao Yuan expressed doubt.

"What are you trying to say?"

"You wouldn't happen to have sons in other worlds too, would you?"

Gao Qiu froze for a moment, then laughed: "How could you have such an idea?"

"Because, even now, you haven't come to see me in your true body!"

The expression of the Gao Qiu in front of him changed abruptly.

Shock, followed by gratification, and then a bitter smile.

"Gao Yuan, how did you find out? Even Gao Gan didn't realize this body of mine is fake. What flaw did I show?"

Gao Yuan actually wasn't sure. He had just been bluffing, but he hadn't expected to uncover another huge secret.