318: Chapter 318 The Second World

A black official car sped along the main road, finally pulling up smoothly into the inner courtyard of the Ziguang Pavilion and coming to a slow stop in front of a dignified and antique building.

As soon as the car stopped, Lin Yuan, who was sitting in the back, reached out to push open the door and stepped out with agile movements.

In his line of sight, at the foot of the stairs, a figure who had been waiting there for some time came into view.

Lin Jixian.

The man in his forties, wearing a dark jacket with a perfectly appropriate warm smile on his face, hurried over as soon as he saw Lin Yuan appear from behind the car door.

"Long time no see, Academician Lin!"

Lin Jixian greeted him with a smile, his eyes filled with genuine warmth.

Lin Yuan walked over, raising an eyebrow slightly, his tone casual yet carrying a hint of mild surprise.

"Brother Lin, why are you waiting here in person?"

"Academician Lin, what are you saying?"

Lin Jixian laughed and waved his hand, then turned to the side, naturally ushering Lin Yuan toward the top of the stairs.

"You are now a true national treasure of Xia. Since you're here today, it must be for something major. It is my honor to be able to stand here and wait for you."

"Let's go, Elder Long has been waiting for you inside for a long time."

Lin Yuan's lips curved into a gentle arc, and he didn't say anything more.

The two walked side by side, their paces brisk as they passed through corridor after corridor with strict security checks.

Finally, they stopped in front of a thick, dark wooden door.

Lin Jixian stepped forward and knocked twice. After receiving a deep and powerful "Enter" from inside, he pushed the door open, stepped aside to clear the path, and gestured with his hand.

"Academician Lin, please."

Lin Yuan nodded slightly and stepped inside.

The office was not large, and the layout was simple yet dignified.

Seeing Lin Yuan enter, Elder Long casually set the document he was reading on a small table to the side.

Then, he raised his hand and pointed to the sofa opposite him.

"Sit."

One word, simple and direct.

Lin Yuan walked over with a smile and sat down naturally on the opposite side.

Behind him, Lin Jixian nodded slightly to both of them and then tactfully retreated.

"Click."

The door was gently closed.

Only the two of them remained in the room.

Elder Long's voice was not loud as he asked a casual question, carrying a hint of elder-like concern.

"Have the materials for the new batch of projects all been handed over?"

"Yes, everything has been arranged properly."

Lin Yuan leaned back against the sofa, responding with a relaxed posture.

"Dean Zhou and the others have no problems taking over, so I'm at ease."

Elder Long nodded, not dwelling on this topic any longer.

He narrowed his gaze slightly, his eyes resting on Lin Yuan's face. His tone remained unchanged, but invisibly carried a bit more depth.

"You kid, you never visit without a reason. You aren't keeping an eye on things at the Xia Academy of Sciences today, but made a special trip to see me..."

"Presumably, there must be something important, right?"

"Elder Long has sharp eyes."

Hearing this, Lin Yuan chuckled and said.

"There is indeed something important to discuss."

"The scale of this matter relates to the stability of the national social foundation for the next decade, or even longer."

"It can't be explained in a few words over the phone, so I must come clean with you in person."

As his voice fell, the originally relaxed atmosphere in the office suddenly went quiet.

Then, Elder Long nodded slightly, his eyes becoming a bit more profound.

He didn't urge him, nor did he panic, but simply watched Lin Yuan quietly, waiting for what would come next.

Seeing this, Lin Yuan continued.

"Elder Long, you are also aware."

"With our comprehensive breakthroughs in the fields of chips, communications, and energy, the era of Artificial Intelligence is no longer a concept from science fiction, but has formed a torrent capable of crushing the old era."

"Full-scale deployment, the Internet of Everything, and the complete replacement of traditional models is just a matter of time."

"The general direction is correct; this is an inevitable trend of social progress and civilizational transition. No one can go against the tide, and our Xia nation must be the frontrunner of this era."

"But—"

Lin Yuan paused slightly, his gaze like a torch as he looked directly into Elder Long's eyes.

"Behind the massive productivity brought about by Artificial Intelligence, there follows an unavoidable, systematic, and fatal hidden danger."

"I think, the top level... should have already started to feel it, right?"

Hearing this, Elder Long nodded heavily and said.

"That's right!"

"It's not that the top level hasn't studied this problem; one could even say they are overwhelmed by it!"

"After the gradual popularization of Artificial Intelligence, the demand for low-level and mid-level labor in society has experienced a cliff-like decline."

"A large number of traditional jobs are being replaced by Artificial Intelligence and automated machinery at a speed visible to the naked eye."

"If there is no supporting way out to accommodate and digest this massive amount of released labor..."

"A wave of unemployment is a ticking time bomb capable of blowing up the entire social order!"

Elder Long said, pointing to the document he had just placed to the side.

"Regarding this issue, many top think tanks have submitted special reports."

"Including but not limited to expanding the absorption capacity of the tertiary industry, extending the years of universal education, and implementing a tiered universal basic income guarantee..."

"There are plenty of tricks, one theory after another, and they all sound perfect, but..."

Elder Long said, shaking his head slightly.

"None of them are very satisfactory."

This sentence, uttered from Elder Long's mouth, weighed more than a thousand jun.

Then, Elder Long's eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze returned to Lin Yuan's face.

"However, since you made a special trip to mention this problem that is giving us a splitting headache..."

"Does that mean you already have a solution to break the deadlock in your hands?"

Facing Elder Long's all-seeing gaze.

Lin Yuan nodded calmly.

"Yes."

Elder Long nodded slightly, a very intense appreciation and excitement flashing deep in his eyes.

However, he still didn't urge him, just waited quietly.

Finally, Lin Yuan continued.

"Elder Long."

"Before I talk about my solution to break the deadlock, I need to say one more thing."

His voice was calm, and his gaze was clear.

"Even without seeing the plans, I think the reason why these think tank proposals didn't satisfy you, Elder Long, is fundamentally because—"

"Their line of thinking has never jumped out of the inertia of 'redistributing the cake within the existing framework'."

As soon as these words were spoken.

Elder Long's hand holding the teacup suddenly paused. The tea in the cup rippled slightly.

Lin Yuan continued, his tone unhurried yet highly piercing, like a sharp blade precisely cutting open the core of the problem.

"The existing social framework and economic structure, no matter how much they are optimized, have a ceiling on their total capacity."

"When the giant beast of Artificial Intelligence completely wipes out the vast majority of labor demand, relying on patching up the old framework to fill those unemployment holes will never be enough."

"Because..."

"The framework itself is the hole."

As his voice fell.

Elder Long fell into a long silence.

He didn't refute it; he even slowed his breathing.

Because what Lin Yuan said was exactly the answer he had reached after repeatedly thinking about it during countless late nights sitting alone.

"The framework itself is the hole."

Elder Long repeated this sentence silently in his heart, then slowly raised his head.

He looked at Lin Yuan, his voice slightly hoarse, and said.

"Continue."

Lin Yuan nodded slightly.

He looked at Elder Long, his eyes seemingly hiding a bottomless sea of stars.

Then, he spoke slowly.

"Elder Long."

"Since the old framework of reality no longer works, why don't we jump out of it?"

"First of all, I wonder if you have ever heard of the concept of... 'second world'?"