184: Chapter 183 Project Proposal Defense and Parenting Challenges

Aurora turned this regular meeting into an ICU consultation.

At one end of the long table, the faceless one sat upright, his golden eyes sweeping across the room like shadowless lamps. Seventeen light screens hovered before him, displaying the Cradle's vital signs, energy consumption, consciousness fluctuation indices, and even this month's potato inventory in the cafeteria. Ashes sat to his left like a silent monitor, emitting only a faint 'beep' when data anomalies occurred.

At the other end, Lin Shen's team sat up straight. Chu Yunshen had a two-hundred-page 'Feasibility Report for the Next Stage of the technology tree system' spread out before him. Beside Zhou Zhe was a model of the optimization plan for The Unfinished Court. Zhao Yan... Zhao Yan was secretly sending messages to Ashes under the table: 'Do your Executive Court meetings always go like this? I feel like those golden eyes are about to reveal my true form.'

The terminal on Ashes' wrist vibrated. He didn't look down, but his fingers tapped out Morse code on his knee: 'You'll get used to it. Last time he judged a quantum ghost civilization, he caused their ancestors' wave functions to collapse.'

Stardust wasn't sitting. He was floating in the middle of the conference room, curled into a glowing donut shape, calling it 'optimizing conference space utilization.' At the moment, the donut was rotating slowly, with Stardust crumbs falling like powdered sugar, automatically formatting into footnotes upon landing on the report papers.

'Begin,' Aurora's voice was devoid of emotion. 'Please state the core of your plan for the next six months.'

Lin Shen brought up the main interface of the technology tree system. A massive tree-like projection unfolded in the center of the room, with dozens of unlockable icons hanging from the branches, most covered by grey 'Pending Review' locks.

'We plan to proceed in three steps,' Lin Shen pointed to three highlighted branches. 'First, strengthening basic science: unlocking the primary application module of the "Quantum Gravity Unified Field Theory." We expect this to increase our existing energy efficiency by 40% and lay the foundation for subsequent space folding technology.'

Aurora's golden eyes blinked—this was him scanning the data. Three seconds later: 'There is a 0.03% probability that this theory will lead to local spacetime curvature anomalies, creating micro-black holes. What is your safety contingency plan?'

Chu Yunshen immediately pulled up Attachment 7: 'We have designed a three-level containment protocol. Level one: the theoretical verification stage will be conducted entirely within the virtual universe "sandbox"; Level two: physical experiments will be conducted in a desolate star sector five light-years away from the Cradle using remote operation; Level three: in case of loss of control, we have prepared a "Spacetime Smoothing Bomb" capable of forcibly pulling the curvature back to a normal state—the blueprints for this bomb have been submitted in Attachment 7.3.'

Ashes suddenly spoke: 'What is the energy source for the Spacetime Smoothing Bomb?'

'Extracted from the "conceptual residue" left behind by the Dream-Devouring Shadow's last attack,' Zhou Zhe replied. 'β-2 has calculated that the entropy value in the residue is just enough to manufacture three bombs, and it will not produce secondary pollution after use.'

Aurora's golden eyes turned to Stardust. The donut stopped rotating and unfolded into a human shape: 'The plan is feasible. The residue of the Dream-Devouring Shadow is essentially "negated possibilities," so using it to smooth out "uncontrolled possibilities" is quite environmentally friendly. I give this crazy idea an A+.'

The first hurdle was cleared.

'Step two,' Lin Shen pointed to the second branch. 'Biological technology leap: unlocking the "Cross-Species Gene Bridging Protocol," aimed at solving the complete removal of the mark in Wang Xiaohua's body, while also serving as a technical reserve for potential alien pathogens encountered in the future.'

This time, Aurora was silent for a longer while. He pulled up Wang Xiaohua's medical file, magnifying the mark temporarily suppressed by the "Buddhist Shield," while a complex waterfall of data flowed through his golden eyes.

'This mark shares homology with the divine remains seed,' Aurora said, 'but it is more... primitive. It doesn't possess a complete consciousness like the seed; it's more like a "program launcher." Are you sure you want to actively activate and study it?'

'Not activate, but reverse-engineer,' Zhou Zhe explained. 'It's like dismantling a bomb without knowing if it will explode. We plan to use "gene bridging" technology to establish a mirror circuit at the cellular level in Wang Xiaohua, guiding the logic of the mark out step by step for analysis. During the entire process, her primary consciousness will be in deep sleep, monitored by β-2 throughout.'

β-2's projection appeared beside Zhou Zhe at the right moment, holding a virtual "Bomb Disposal Manual": 'According to simulations, the success rate is 87.4%. In the worst-case scenario of failure, the mark will be triggered prematurely. At that time, I will immediately initiate the "Consciousness Freezing Protocol," pausing Wang Xiaohua's mind while awaiting subsequent treatment plans—this protocol has been signed and agreed to by her father, Great Strength.'

Ashes: 'What is Great Strength's current status?'

Zhao Yan: 'He's working in the Logistics Department, reporting his daughter's condition three times a day. He says even if there's only a 1% hope, it's worth a try; it's better than waiting for death.' He paused, 'He also asked if it's possible to play some children's songs his daughter likes during the experiment—saying it makes the "atmosphere more warm and cozy."'

The conference room went silent for a second.

Stardust chuckled: 'That's a very... human way of being a father. Approved! Play the "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" variations during the experiment; I'll upgrade the soundtrack to a Starry Sky Symphony version.'

Aurora didn't laugh, but the data stream in his golden eyes softened by 0.5%: 'Ethical procedures are compliant. However, one addition is required: during the experiment, there must be at least one third-party medical observer recognized by the Arbitration Tribunal present.'

Ashes: 'I can take on that role. The Executive Court has received basic conceptual medical training.'

The second hurdle, passed without incident.

'Step three,' Lin Shen took a deep breath and pointed to the third and most sensitive branch. 'Civilization diplomacy expansion: applying to establish formal communication channels with other nodes of the web weaver protocol, with the goal of obtaining contact permissions for at least three "friendly civilizations" within six months.'

This proposal caused the air pressure in the conference room to plummet.

The voice of the Sixth Seat, Flame (connected remotely), exploded in the air: 'Arrogant! A newborn civilization dares to take the initiative to contact other high-dimensional nodes? Do you know that a single diplomatic blunder could trigger a chain reaction of disasters?'

'That is why we need to learn,' Lin Shen responded calmly. 'Currently, humanity's understanding of the galactic civilization society comes almost entirely from one-sided information from the Covenant Network. This is like understanding the world only through textbooks; you never know what to wear, what to say, or whether to discuss business at the dinner table in a real diplomatic situation.'

Stardust nodded on the side: 'Excellent metaphor. I've seen a civilization attend an interstellar parliament for the first time, and because they didn't know that "blue tentacles represent mourning," they sent a bouquet of blue tentacle flowers to an opponent who had just finished a war, almost triggering a second war.'

Flame: 'That is exactly where the risk lies!'

'But risk cannot be a reason not to learn,' Chu Yunshen pulled up a set of data. 'According to the Covenant Network's historical archives, in the past five thousand years, there have been three hundred and seventy-one civilization conflicts caused by "information asymmetry," while nine hundred and fifty-four potential conflicts have been resolved through "proactive communication to build trust." Data proves that the benefits of open communication outweigh the risks.'

Aurora's golden eyes stared at the data for a long time before saying: 'Which node do you want to contact first?'

Lin Shen had long been prepared: 'Weaver node GW-002. It has sent warning messages to us many times before, showing a certain tendency of concern. And...' he looked at Stardust, 'it seems to be an old acquaintance of yours?'

Stardust's starlight body flickered as if suppressing a laugh: 'Oh, 002. That guy is a socially anxious shut-in who has lived in a "conceptual cocoon" of her own weaving for thousands of years. But she's a good person; it's just that she likes to use riddles when speaking. You'll need to be patient.'

Flame wanted to retort, but Aurora raised a hand to stop him: 'GW-002 is a relatively safe contact object. I can approve one tentative contact, but three conditions must be met: one, all communication content must be synchronized with the observation team in real-time; two, you must not actively ask any questions involving military or advanced technology; three, if the other party shows any impatience, terminate immediately.'

'Agreed,' Lin Shen nodded.

All three plans were conditionally approved.

As the regular meeting came to an end, Aurora suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question: 'What are your views on "parenting"?'

Everyone was stunned.

'Parenting?' Zhou Zhe hesitated, 'Do you mean... raising the next generation?'

'In a broad sense, including the cultivation of new individuals, the protection of fragile existences, and the tolerance of potential mistakes,' Aurora's golden eyes swept over everyone. 'The situation your civilization is currently facing—being observed, restricted, and questioned—is very much like the growth process of a "child civilization" under the supervision of a "parent civilization." Do you feel uncomfortable?'

This question was too straightforward, and too sharp.

Lin Shen was silent for a few seconds, then said: 'Yes. But we also understand that all growth requires boundaries and guidance. It's just...' he raised his eyes, looking directly at Aurora, 'a good parent should gradually let go and let the child learn from mistakes while ensuring safety. We hope the Arbitration Tribunal can eventually become such a "parent".'

Aurora did not respond. He stood up, the faceless one's figure casting a long shadow under the lights.

'Meeting adjourned. Submit the detailed plan for the first phase of the experiment in one week,' he said. 'Also—regarding the application to play children's songs, it is approved. Do not let the volume exceed 40 decibels so as not to interfere with the instruments.'

The golden eyes looked at Stardust one last time: 'Consultant Stardust, please stay behind. I need more detailed intelligence regarding GW-002's "level of social anxiety".'

After the meeting, in the corridor.

Zhou Zhe caught up with Ashes: 'Mr. Ashes, do you really understand conceptual medicine?'

Ashes didn't stop: 'It's a required course for the Executive Court. We often have to deal with "civilization hospice care" or "consciousness pollution isolation".' He glanced at Zhou Zhe, 'Wang Xiaohua's case is not the most complex, but the mark in her body... has a feeling of being "deliberately simplified".'

'What do you mean?'

'It's like someone deliberately deleted a complex program until only the core instructions remained, and then shoved it into a child's brain.' Ashes stopped, brows slightly furrowed, 'This is not the consistent style of the Pruning Faction. They prefer using elaborate traps rather than this kind of crude implantation.'

'Then who could it be?'

'I don't know.' Ashes continued walking, 'But I detected a trace of a... "familiar scent" in the underlying layer of the mark. Once the experiment begins, perhaps we can see it more clearly.'

Zhou Zhe watched his retreating figure, and the unease in his heart welled up again.

Meanwhile, Stardust and Aurora were in the observation team's office.

Aurora closed the door, the faceless one's body leaning forward slightly: 'There are no outsiders now. Tell me, has GW-002 been investigating the abnormal activation records of the "Sower Protocol" recently?'

Stardust's starlight body slumped in the chair—he really could "slump," like a puddle of glowing jelly: 'Yeah. Not just 002; several old guys among the Weavers have noticed it. In the last three hundred years, the passive response frequency of the "protocol" has increased sevenfold, and they are all concentrated in... the star sector under your Covenant Network's jurisdiction.'

'Related to the Pruning Faction?'

'No direct evidence, but there are too many coincidences.' Stardust sat up straight, his starlight condensing into a serious expression, 'Especially their behavior of excavating the relics of the chanters and attempting to activate the repentance crystals—once that thing erupts, the "civilization-level regret wave" produced is the perfect catalyst for activating a certain hidden clause of the "Sower Protocol".'

Aurora's golden eyes narrowed: 'What are they trying to summon by force?'

'Not summon, but "open the door".' Stardust's voice lowered, 'Legend has it that the deepest level of authority of the "Sower Protocol" can open a passage to the "previous round of the universe". Buried there are the "backup archives" of all extinct civilizations—including technology, consciousness, and even complete world templates.'

'They want to steal those archives?'

'Or worse...' Stardust looked out the window, the distant galaxy reflected in his starlight eyes, 'They want to let something out.'

The office fell into silence.

After a long time, Aurora said: 'The mark in Wang Xiaohua's body might be part of the "key". And the divine remains seed is the "keyhole".'

'So we must cure that child.' Stardust stood up, 'Before she is fully utilized, safely remove the "key" from her brain—or destroy it completely.'

'Do Lin Shen and the others know about this?'

'Not for now.' Stardust shook his head, 'Knowing too much makes it easy to alert the enemy. And...' he smiled, 'I believe in them. Even without knowing the full picture, they will do what needs to be done to the best of their ability.'

'Because of the "party b spirit"?'

'Because that is something engraved in the bones of human civilization—' Stardust pushed open the window, letting the starlight pour in, '"Once you take the job, you have to finish it. Even if party a is a riddle-maker, even if the requirements change eighteen versions, even if you might end up working for nothing."'

He said softly:

'And this is precisely the best vaccine against the "perfectionism trap" and "infinite analysis hell".'

Outside the window, the Cradle's artificial sun was simulating sunset.

Faint sounds of children's songs came from the direction of the cafeteria, the tune light and cheerful—a variation of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."