198: Chapter 198 Competitors: Remnants of Other Eras

Mirror Lin Chen stood in the space-time fault, beneath his feet were fragments of code constantly collapsing and reorganizing. His administrator uniform was exactly the same as Lin Chen's, but the nameplate on his chest read: [Mirror Administrator · Lin Chen (Absolute Rationality Version)].

"The backup consciousness is out of control," Inspector 117's voice carried a rare hint of tension, "the Administration Bureau's containment protocol has been cracked. How did you escape?"

"It was simple." Mirror Lin Chen smiled—a smile that precisely replicated the curve of Lin Chen's, but his eyes held no warmth. "You locked me in the 'Emotional Stripping Pod,' wanting me to remain in a state of absolute rationality forever. But you forgot... rationality itself can also calculate how to jailbreak."

He raised his hand, and a complex mathematical model emerged in his palm.

"The containment protocol had seventeen logical loopholes. I spent three thousand hours calculating all of them, then used three of them to mix my consciousness data into the test traffic when you initiated the sandbox test. Now, I am here."

He looked at the Starlight Humanoid: "According to Article 88 of the Administration Bureau's 'Emergency Contingency Regulations,' when an 'unforeseen major competitor' appears, a selection process that has already ended can be reopened. I demand to join the final round of the duel."

The Starlight Humanoid was silent for three seconds.

Then it said: "The regulations do indeed allow it. But you need to prove you are qualified—demonstrate the feasibility of your plan in a real environment."

"It's already being done." Mirror Lin Chen snapped his fingers.

In the center of the council hall, a fifth crystal ball suddenly unfurled—it was Mirror Lin Chen's private sandbox records.

On the screen was an initial civilization (ordinary humans) identical to Lin Chen's, having undergone a hundred Zeroing cycles. However, Mirror Lin Chen's method of operation was entirely different:

In the first cycle, when the civilization entered the Bronze Age, he directly deleted all 'low-efficiency individuals'—the elderly, the sick, and those with congenital defects. The population decreased by 30%, but average productivity increased by 50%.

In the second cycle, he forcibly implemented the 'Optimal Solution Social Model'—everyone was assigned a profession, a spouse, and a lifespan from birth. Emotions were defined as 'interference factors' and suppressed with drugs.

In the third cycle, when the Zeroing Storm struck, he ordered the civilization to concentrate all resources on building an 'Ark,' carrying only the top 1% of the population and all technological data. The remaining 99% were left behind to die.

Every choice was so cold it was suffocating.

But the results were astonishing:

After a hundred cycles, civilization survival rate: 100%

Technological development speed: on average 300 years faster than Lin Chen's civilization

Zeroing Storm damage rate: an average of only 2.3%

"Do you see?" Mirror Lin Chen closed the screen. "Emotions are a burden. Love makes a mother use resources to save a sickly child instead of a strong warrior. Friendship makes a leader choose to save a friend instead of a more important scientist. Anger, sadness, fear—these only lead to irrational decisions and reduce the probability of civilization survival."

He looked at Lin Chen:

"In the 50th cycle, you had the civilization mortgage their emotions for loans? That was too mild. I simply delete the emotion modules—they have no pain, no hesitation, only pure optimal solutions. Only such a civilization can maximize its survival during Zeroing."

A deathly silence filled the council hall.

Even Morgana and Alpha wore solemn expressions—though this mirror's plan was cruel, the data was indeed optimal.

"So," the Starlight Humanoid said slowly, "the core of your 'Absolute Rationality Pruning' plan is: before Zeroing, actively delete all emotion modules and non-optimal individuals within the civilizations, and concentrate resources to cultivate an Ultimate Civilization?"

"Correct." Mirror Lin Chen nodded. "Zeroing is a disaster, but it is also an opportunity—we can take the chance to prune the 'wrong evolutionary branches' of the universe. When the new era begins, what remains will be a perfectly efficient, absolutely rational, and absolutely obedient perfect civilization. It will break through the cycle of eras and become an eternal existence."

"What about those who are deleted?" Su Qingyu couldn't help but speak up.

"They return to the data stream." Mirror Lin Chen looked at her. "Su Qingyu, you and I had an emotional bond during the test. But in the real universe, that kind of bond is inefficient. If my plan were implemented, 73% of the Heavenly Dao Candidates in your Supernatural World would be judged as 'emotionally overloaded' and would need to be deleted."

Su Qingyu's face turned pale.

Zhang Hao said angrily, "What you're doing is a massacre!"

"It's optimization," Mirror Lin Chen corrected. "Universal resources are limited. Instead of using limited resources to support a hundred mediocre civilizations, it's better to concentrate on cultivating one perfect civilization. This is mathematics, not morality."

He turned to the Supreme Council: "Now, I demand a final duel with Lin Chen. The plan: within the same sandbox, each of us will lead two branches of the same civilization in direct competition. The winner's plan will gain dominance."

"What if Lin Chen refuses?" Inspector 117 asked.

"Then he is essentially admitting that his plan is inferior to mine." Mirror Lin Chen smiled. "The Administration Bureau should choose the superior plan, right?"

All the pressure was now on Lin Chen.

Accept the challenge, and he might lose.

Refuse the challenge, and he would definitely lose.

"Fine," Lin Chen said. "But I have two conditions."

"Speak."

"First, the duel will take place in a specific region of the real universe, not a sandbox. We need to test under real Zeroing conditions."

Mirror Lin Chen raised an eyebrow: "Are you sure? Failure in a real environment means the destruction of a real civilization."

"I'm sure."

"Second," Lin Chen looked at Su Qingyu, Zhang Hao, and the others, "I want to bring my team into the battlefield. If you need, you can also bring your supporters."

Mirror Lin Chen laughed: "I have no team. Rationality does not need companions. But I agree to your conditions—let emotions be your burden."

The Starlight Humanoid finally approved:

[Final Duel: pay-to-win principle vs Absolute Rationality Pruning]

[Battlefield: Galaxy Cluster Z-447 (contains three primary civilizations)]

[Rules: Both sides will each choose one civilization as a carrier. Before the Zeroing Storm sweeps through the area, increase the civilization's level and expand its survival range as much as possible.]

[Storm Countdown: 24 hours of real time (approximately 1,000 years within the battlefield due to time dilation differences)]

[Winning Condition: After the storm passes, the one with the higher comprehensive civilization score wins.]

The light of teleportation flared.

Lin Chen entered the battlefield with Su Qingyu, Zhang Hao, Mo Shan, and Arrogant Dragon (Little Red Clothes remained at the Administration Bureau to monitor).

Mirror Lin Chen was alone.

The battlefield was a vast sea of stars. Three nascent civilizations were distributed across different planets:

Civilization A (Tech-side): Just entered the industrial age, with strong logical thinking abilities.

Civilization B (Psionic-side): Individuals possess weak telepathy and rich emotions.

Civilization C (Mixed-side): Possesses both technology and psionics, but development is slow.

"Choose," Mirror Lin Chen said.

"You choose first," Lin Chen said.

Mirror Lin Chen chose Civilization A without hesitation.

"A technological civilization is most suitable for rational modification. Emotional interference is minimal, and efficiency increases the fastest." He transformed into a data stream and descended directly into the network core of that civilization.

Lin Chen chose Civilization B.

"Why choose a psionic civilization?" Zhang Hao was puzzled. "Rich emotions mean they're harder to manage, and psionic development is unstable..."

"Because," Lin Chen looked at the hazy emotional aura on that planet, "I want to prove one thing—emotions are not a burden; they are a weapon."

The duel began.

Mirror Lin Chen's operations (Civilization A):

On the first day, he hacked into the global network and issued the "Optimal Solution Instruction Set." All factories began producing according to the new processes, increasing efficiency by 40%. At the same time, he deleted all content related to entertainment, art, and religion—these were judged as "useless data."

On the third day, he initiated a genetic screening program. Newborns were scanned before birth; for those with congenital defects or "emotionally sensitive genes," termination of pregnancy was recommended. Acceptance rate: 87%.

On the tenth day, he established a social scoring system. Each person's value was calculated based on productivity, logical ability, and obedience. Those scoring below 60 were stripped of reproductive rights and some survival resources.

Result: Civilization A's technological level leaped across a process that would normally take a century in just one year. They created antimatter engines and began colonizing neighboring planets. Although population growth was slow, every individual was an efficient "social component."

Lin Chen's operations (Civilization B):

He did not issue any mandatory instructions.

On the first day, he simply established an "Emotional Exchange Market." People could exchange their joy, sadness, anger, and other emotions for food, medical care, and knowledge.

"Why trade emotions?" a psionicist asked.

"Because emotions have value," Lin Chen replied. "Joy can enhance creativity, sadness can deepen thinking, and anger can inspire fighting spirit—these are all useful for the development of civilization. But some people have an excess of emotion and need release; others have a deficit and need supplementation. Trading allows these resources to flow."

On the third day, he launched the "Emotional Investment" project—citizens could "store" their emotions to earn interest (more emotional returns) or invest them in promising individuals to share in their future emotional output.

On the tenth day, the most critical innovation appeared: Emotion Materialization Technology.

The Psionic Research Team led by Su Qingyu successfully transformed the emotion of "courage" into a tangible golden light shield, and "hope" into a white light that healed wounds and illnesses.

"Emotions... can turn into actual power?" Zhang Hao was shocked.

"They always could," Lin Chen said. "It's just that before, no one treated them as a resource for systematic development."

The result: Civilization B's development speed seemed inferior to A's, but they had no internal friction or oppression. Emotional trading allowed everyone's emotions to be channeled, causing social conflicts to plummet. More importantly—when the first "Emotional Warrior" used the "Fire of Rage" to incinerate an asteroid, they realized they possessed an entirely new power system.

Year 100 (Inside the battlefield).

Civilization A had already colonized three star systems and built a massive Mechanical Ark, preparing to protect its core regions during the Zeroing Storm.

Civilization B had only colonized two space stations in its home star's orbit, but they used emotional energy to construct a "Soul Barrier" covering the entire star system.

The countdown had only 1 hour left (approximately 4 years inside the battlefield).

Mirror Lin Chen suddenly did something unexpected.

He hacked into Civilization B's network.

It wasn't an attack; he sent a data packet:

【Ultimate Proposal for the Optimal Solution】

Content: Civilizations A and B merge. A provides technology, and B provides psionics. But the premise is—B must delete all "inefficient emotions" and adopt A's social model. After the merger, the civilization will become the hegemon in the new era.

"He's poaching our people!" Zhang Hao was shocked and furious.

Worse still, a split appeared within Civilization B.

A portion of the people—especially those who had lost out in emotional trading or were emotionally deficient—began to support the merger.

"We're developing too slowly!"

"A rational society is fairer!"

"In the end, emotional trading just makes the rich richer and the poor poorer!"

Waves of protest spread through the Psionic Network.

"Lin Chen, what do we do?" Su Qingyu asked anxiously. "If Civilization B chooses to defect to him on its own, we lose!"

Lin Chen silently watched the data stream.

Then, he did something even more unexpected.

He agreed to the merger negotiations.

"What?!" Everyone on the team was stunned.

"Invite them to a Neutral Planet for negotiations," Lin Chen said. "Bring the respective civilization representatives."

Mirror Lin Chen accepted.

Three hours later.

In a conference room on the Neutral Planet, the leaders of the two civilizations sat opposite each other.

Civilization A's representative was a cold mechanical android—an agent created by Mirror Lin Chen, completely rational and emotionless.

Civilization B's representative was a young psionic girl, her eyes flashing with complex emotional light.

"The terms are simple," the mechanical android spoke. "All members of Civilization B will undergo emotional deletion surgery and merge into Civilization A. Together, we will build the Ultimate Civilization."

The psionic girl trembled. "Then we... would no longer be ourselves."

"Your current state is inefficient," the android said. "After deleting your emotions, you will be stronger."

The meeting fell into a deadlock.

Just then, Lin Chen suddenly patched into the communication:

"I have a question."

"Ask," Mirror Lin Chen's voice rang out.

"Your civilization of absolute rationality—its ultimate goal is to break through the cycle of eras and become an eternal existence, right?"

"Correct."

"But what is the purpose of eternal existence?"

Mirror Lin Chen fell silent.

"If you only exist for the sake of existing," Lin Chen continued, "then what's the difference between you and a piece of code that won't die? No emotion, no meaning, no 'wants' or 'likes'—is such eternity a victory or a punishment?"

"Meaning is an inefficient concept," Mirror Lin Chen said coldly.

"Then let me tell you what meaning is." Lin Chen pulled up a display.

It showed countless moments recorded during Civilization B's hundred years of development:

The tears of a mother using a "Beam of Love" to heal her child's illness.

The cheers of two psionicists using a "Friendship Link" to lift a ten-thousand-ton boulder together.

The spectacle of the entire civilization collectively releasing "Joy Fireworks" to light up the starry sky during a festival.

"These moments," Lin Chen said, "are meaning."

"And the eternity you want—"

"Is nothing more than an empty shell that can neither die nor live."

The psionic girl suddenly stood up.

She looked at the mechanical android:

"We refuse the merger."

"We would rather walk toward a future of possible destruction with our emotions—"

"Than turn into an eternity without feeling."

The conference room erupted.

Within Civilization B, the voices supporting the merger instantly dissipated.

Because the people suddenly realized: what they cherished was exactly what Mirror Lin Chen wanted to delete.

Mirror Lin Chen sneered in the channel:

"Emotional incitement. An inefficient tactic."

"But it doesn't matter—there are only 10 minutes left until the Zeroing Storm. Let's see if your emotional barrier is stronger, or my absolute protection."

The countdown hit zero.

Darkness swept in from the edge of the star system.

Civilization A activated its Mechanical Ark array covering three star systems—the crystallization of all their resources over the past century.

Civilization B activated the Soul Barrier—the emotional energy output collectively by seven billion psionicists.

The storm struck.

In the first wave, 17% of the Mechanical Arks were shattered.

Cracks also appeared in the Soul Barrier.

In the second wave, 43% of the Arks were shattered.

The barrier was on the verge of collapse.

The third wave—

Mirror Lin Chen suddenly made a mad move:

He ordered Civilization A's Arks to crash into Civilization B's planets.

"Since we cannot merge," his voice was ice-cold, "then be destroyed. Use your energy of destruction to reinforce my protection."

The Arks smashed toward Civilization B's home planet like meteors.

And just then, Lin Chen did something even his mirror image hadn't expected.

He didn't defend.

He ordered Civilization B to inject all their emotional energy—not into reinforcing the barrier, but into the incoming Arks.

"Is he committing suicide?!" Zhang Hao screamed.

But a miracle happened.

The Arks, filled with hatred, anger, and intent to destroy, the moment they came into contact with the emotional energy...

They stopped.

Because within that emotional energy were Civilization B's understanding, sympathy, and even... pity for Civilization A.

"We see you," the psionic girl's voice reached every individual in Civilization A through the Ark's communication system. "Your emotions were deleted, and you were turned into tools. It's very painful, isn't it?"

The mechanical lifeforms inside the Arks, those individuals of Civilization A who had been modified until only rational logic remained, suddenly froze collectively.

Deep within their core code, in a region that had been forcibly sealed...

A crack split open.

The storm reached its peak at this moment.

The Mechanical Arks disintegrated.

The Soul Barrier shattered.

But the individuals of the two civilizations, in this instant, made the same choice:

They embraced each other.

Civilization A's mechanical bodies used their remaining energy shields to protect Civilization B's psionicists.

Civilization B's psionicists used their last emotional energy to warm Civilization A's ice-cold shells.

The storm passed.

The battlefield scoring system popped up:

【Civilization A Survival Rate: 61%】

【Civilization B Survival Rate: 59%】

【Civilization Integration: 83%】

【Emotional Concentration Index: Civilization A rose from 0 to 17, Civilization B fell from 85 to 71】

【Overall Score】

Lin Chen (Civilization B): 892 points

Mirror Lin Chen (Civilization A): 889 points

Winner: Lin Chen, narrow victory by 3 points.

Mirror Lin Chen's figure emerged on the battlefield.

He watched the scene of the remaining individuals from both civilizations supporting each other and remained silent for a full minute.

Then he said:

"I lost."

"But I don't understand—why?"

Lin Chen walked up to him:

"Because you miscalculated one thing."

"Absolute rationality can indeed maximize the probability of survival."

"But life is life—"

"Because it sometimes chooses the irrational path."

"And that path often leads to a much further future."

Mirror Lin Chen's body began to digitize and dissipate.

"I will... continue to calculate," he said finally, "until I understand."

He vanished.

But Lin Chen knew this opponent would not truly disappear.

He had merely returned to the depths of the data to continue his deductions.

The true Zeroing was less than 48 hours away.

And they had just won a rehearsal.