518: Chapter 517 The First Voting by the Trisolaran Civilization! 20 to 13!

"Smith cannot be trusted! If he can betray humanity today, he can betray us tomorrow!"

"But do we have a better choice? The success rate of a frontal attack is only 13.4%! If it fails, not only will we be exposed, but we will also stimulate China's technology to leap forward again! By then, we will truly have no chance left!"

"Internal disintegration is the method with the lowest cost, the lowest risk, and the highest success rate! This is the conclusion given by the supercomputer; we should believe in Science!"

Two diametrically opposed viewpoints were clashing fiercely within the minds of the thirty-three executives.

Golden light clusters poured down into the hall like a torrential rain; the entire space seemed to be vibrating due to this intense collision of thoughts.

This was a situation unprecedented in the history of the Trisolaran Civilization.

Their thoughts were transparent, and their decision-making process had always been efficient and unified.

Under absolute rational calculation, there was only one optimal solution.

But this time, two choices had appeared.

One was high-risk and low-reward, but the initiative remained in their own hands; the other was low-risk and high-reward, but it required handing a part of their fate over to a "servant."

"Everyone."

The voice of the Chief Executive sounded directly in the hall for the first time, rather than through a thought cluster.

This signified that the discussion had entered the final stage.

"Since we cannot reach a consensus, we will make a decision using the human way."

"A vote."

This word caused the thoughts of all the executives to stall for a moment.

A vote?

This decision-making mechanism, which they viewed as full of compromise, inefficiency, and even stupidity, was actually going to be used at a moment that would determine the fate of the Trisolaran Civilization.

But no one objected.

Because this was the only way at present.

"Those who agree to execute the 'Saint Smith' plan, emit golden light."

"Those who oppose, remain in darkness."

The Chief Executive's order was issued.

The hall fell into a long silence.

One second... two seconds...

Suddenly, the first golden light lit up.

Immediately following, the second, the third...

Golden lights lit up one after another, dispelling the darkness in the hall.

But there were also some figures who stubbornly remained hidden in the darkness, unmoved.

Finally, the lights stopped increasing.

The Chief Executive's gaze swept across the room.

Twenty golden lights, thirteen patches of darkness.

20 to 13.

"Resolution passed."

The Chief Executive's thought cluster sent the final command to the Trisolaran supercomputer center.

A stream of information containing the new decision crossed the vast distance of four light-years and shot toward that azure planet.

In Smith's living quarters, the air seemed to have frozen, and every passing second carried heavy pressure.

Smith stood in the center of the room, motionless.

His eyes were fixed on the spot where the light screen had just disappeared, his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

He did not know how long he had been waiting.

It might have been a minute, or it might have been an hour.

Just as he was about to be crushed by this endless waiting and anxiety, that familiar spatial ripple appeared again without warning.

The light screen re-emerged.

Smith's heart instantly leaped into his throat.

A concise line of text slowly appeared on the light screen.

"Your plan has been approved."

The moment he saw this line of text, Smith's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and a wave of immense exhaustion washed over him.

His legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the floor, but fortunately, he managed to steady himself by grabbing the table beside him.