99: "I'm here!"

"I am here!"

"That is not it."

Facing Lei Wen's question, "white flower"'s answer was calm and firm. Beside that massive holographic Star Map, she pulled up the raw signal waveform diagram just received by the [Archimedes] radio telescope array.

It was a series of peaks and valleys filled with traces of artificial modification. It was completely different from the rigid periodic pulse signals of pulsars, which resemble the heartbeat of the universe, and it was worlds apart from the chaotic broadband noise seen during stellar flare eruptions.

"This is a narrowband signal, locked at a frequency of 1420 MHz, which is the radiation frequency of hydrogen atoms in the universe. This is considered by many theoretical physicists to be the universal benchmark frequency most suitable for interstellar communication."

"Although the signal strength is weak, after deducting background radiation and distance attenuation, the signal-to-noise ratio is still astonishingly high. This means the transmission source not only possesses extremely high-power transmission equipment, but it has also been directionally focused."

"Most importantly," "white flower" converted that waveform diagram into an audio signal and played it back through the miniature holographic projection camera clipped to Lei Wen's collar.

Beep... beep-beep... beep-beep-beep... beep-beep-beep-beep-beep...

A rhythmic sound echoed in Lei Wen's office.

"Prime number sequence." Lei Wen understood instantly. "2, 3, 5, 7, 11... This is the most common calling card of intelligent civilizations."

"Correct, Father." "white flower" continued, "No physical process of any celestial body in nature can naturally produce such a sequence containing only prime numbers. This is a registered letter sent to the entire universe."

Lei Wen's brow did not relax upon discovering an alien civilization; instead, it furrowed even tighter.

He was all too familiar with this scenario.

In the early stages of the game stellar universe or in Earth's science fiction novels, such signals usually signify two things:

Either the civilization sending the signal has just mastered high-power electromagnetic wave transmission technology, is in the early stages of a technological explosion, and is filled with curiosity and naivety about the universe.

Or this civilization is shouting at a pitch-black forest full of unknowns: "I am right here! Come find me!"

Sounds like suicide?

"Can you decipher the content?" Lei Wen asked.

"Very simple." "white flower" replied, "The other party seems afraid that the receiver might not understand, so they used the most basic mathematical logic language as the encryption method. This kind of encryption is equivalent to plaintext for any civilization that has mastered binary computers."

"I have completed the decryption and am converting the information into visual images and audio."

Following "white flower"'s operation, that string of dull data streams on the screen began to rapidly reorganize and deform.

First, a series of basic mathematical formulas and physical constant definitions appeared, such as pi, the Planck constant, and the spectral structure of hydrogen atoms. This was to establish a "benchmark dictionary" for communication between the two sides.

Immediately after, rough but clear images composed of dot matrices began to scroll across the screen.

That was a world located in a red dwarf star system.

A dim red star hung in the sky, occupying a huge field of view. The planet's surface was covered with a strange dark purple vegetation. Due to the weak luminosity of the red dwarf, the plants here had evolved black or purple leaves capable of absorbing more infrared light.

Then, the masters of this civilization appeared on the screen.

It was a bipedal humanoid creature, but with significant differences from Earth humans.

Their height was generally around 1.2 meters, appearing somewhat short and stout; their skin was grayish-green, covered with fine scales or a cuticle, which was likely to resist the radiation from the red dwarf's frequent flares; their heads were large, with no obvious nose, only two breathing vents, and their eyes were enormous, occupying one-third of their face, with pupils that were vertical like those of felines, which was likely an evolutionary result to capture more light under the dim red dwarf illumination.

They had four hands; the upper pair appeared strong and powerful, while the lower pair was slender and dexterous, seemingly specialized for precision operations.

The image continued to change, displaying their social structure.

Lei Wen saw large-scale city clusters, rotor-driven aircraft similar to helicopters flying in the sky, saw their sea vessels and jet planes, saw their chemical rockets shooting straight into the sky and what looked like relatively primitive satellites. The overall appearance was similar to Earth in the 1970s and 80s. Finally, he saw a scene of countless such creatures gathered in a huge square, cheering and jumping for joy in front of a giant curved radar in the center.

That must have been the scene when they transmitted this signal.

And following the images was a translated text message.

Although the grammatical structure of this message was somewhat stiff, the emotions contained within it were so fervent, sincere, and even... naively heartbreaking.

【To the unknown brothers and sisters in the starry sky:】

【Greetings.】

【We are the Kari People, from this purple home revolving around a red sun.】

【After thousands of orbital cycles of exploration and strife, we have finally unified our will and lit the torch named science. Today, we have exhausted all our strength to send this greeting toward the deep sea of stars.】

【We live alone in this small corner, looking up at those billions of stars, our hearts filled with infinite curiosity and longing. We yearn to know, in this vast universe, are we alone?】

【We love peace and advocate for art and mathematics. If you have received this message, please do not be afraid; it is proof of our friendship.】

【We look forward to your reply, looking forward to the day we meet you in the sea of stars.】

【May the stars guide our path.】

The message ended.

The office fell into a deathly silence, with only Lei Wen's slightly heavy breathing audible.

What a familiar scene.

If not for the "invasion" warning from the Faleim Civilization seven years ago, and if not for Lei Wen's sudden appearance that forcibly changed the course of Human Civilization, perhaps Human Civilization now would be doing the same thing.

Like an ignorant child, lighting a bonfire in a dark forest and shouting loudly: "Is anyone there? I want to be friends with you!"

Not knowing at all that what might be drawn over is not a friend, but a pack of hungry wolves.

"What a young and vibrant civilization." Lei Wen looked at the cheering Kari People on the screen and let out a complex sigh.

"According to the signal strength and attenuation rate calculations," "white flower" added, "this signal was transmitted about 6 years ago. This means their current technological level is roughly equivalent to Earth's 1970s and 80s. They have just mastered radio communication, may have just launched a few satellites, and perhaps haven't even been able to send their own space station into space."

"D-21 Galaxy System, 5.4 light-years..." Lei Wen muttered to himself.

On the scale of the universe, this is face-to-face distance. The nearest star to the Solar System, Proxima Centauri, is 4.2 light-years away. This D-21 Galaxy System (perhaps it should be called the Kari Star System now) is Earth's second neighbor.

If Human Civilization's antimatter technology has a breakthrough and possesses a mature antimatter-catalyzed fusion engine, it would only take a few decades to fly there.

At this moment, Lei Wen suddenly realized one thing.

The role reversal.

Once upon a time, facing the Faleim Civilization, Earth was that primitive native that could be destroyed at any moment.

If not for Lei Wen's special relationship with the Faleim Civilization, the fate of Human Civilization would only be enslavement or extinction.

And now, facing this Kari Civilization that has just learned to shout into the universe, Earth—or rather, the Human Federation—has become that "advanced civilization" possessing absolute technological superiority, hiding in the dark and observing the other party.

Humans hold weapons that can easily destroy a planetary ecosystem, possess an Interstellar Fleet capable of crossing galaxies, and have the behemoth that is the Faleim Civilization standing behind them.

The Human Federation could even dispatch a fleet for an expedition right now, and like the Spanish conquering the Americas back then, use strong ships and powerful guns to blast open the doors of the Kari People, turning them into vassals or slaves of humans.

This feeling of holding the fate of another civilization in one's hands is both intoxicating and deeply terrifying.

"Father, how should we respond?" "white flower"'s question interrupted Lei Wen's train of thought.

"Respond?" Lei Wen sneered, "No, we will not respond."

"Why?"

"You know about the dark forest, right?" Lei Wen slowly uttered the term.

Although in the worldview of stellar universe, the universe is not an absolute dark forest; various civilizations can form a federation, and there are interstellar cooperation organizations like the Galactic Community.

"We are not yet sure if they really love peace as they claim."

"Packaging oneself as a pure white flower in a broadcast is a survival instinct that every civilization possesses."

Lei Wen stood up and paced back and forth in the command room.

He was thinking about how, as the Director of the Interstellar Affairs General Bureau and the de facto guardian of Human Civilization, he should handle this sudden neighbor.

Ignore them?

No, that would be too wasteful. A sample of an intelligent civilization so close by is simply an invaluable treasure for humans to study alien sociology, biology, and the laws of civilization evolution.

Completely destroying them is also unnecessary. If the Kari Civilization is truly as it sounds in the broadcast, then they currently pose no threat to Earth, and such wanton killing goes against Lei Wen's bottom line.

Ultimately, Lei Wen made a decision.

""white flower", classify this intelligence as [Top Secret]. Only the heads of state of the five permanent member nations of the Earth Council, besides myself, have the right to know. It is strictly prohibited to disclose this to the public."

"Yes, Father."

"Also, contact Grey Wind."

A moment later, Grey Wind's familiar figure appeared on the screen.

She was just coming out of a Stardust Girls concert. It was evident that she had bought quite a lot of merchandise from the Stardust Girls group and had even managed to get an autographed photo.

"Yo! Boss, more work?" She asked excitedly, "Who are we hitting this time?"

"Not hitting anyone, this time I want you to be a peeping tom." Lei Wen said half-jokingly.

He sent the situation and coordinates of the Kari Star System to Grey Wind.

"I want you to detach a reconnaissance ship with the highest stealth capabilities and head to the D-21 Galaxy System."

"Your mission is to conduct comprehensive surveillance and reconnaissance on the Kari Civilization, provided that you are absolutely not discovered by the other party."

"I want to know their true social structure, technological level, resource distribution, and whether they are truly as harmless as they claim."

"At the same time," Lei Wen added, "you must establish a hidden monitoring outpost on the periphery of that star system. If any other more powerful civilization is attracted by their broadcast, we must know immediately."

"No problem! Leave it to me!" Grey Wind made an OK gesture, "Stealth games! I'm best at those! I guarantee I'll even find out what color underwear their leader is wearing today!"

"Be serious." Lei Wen rubbed his forehead helplessly.

"Yes, Commander!" Grey Wind gave a not-so-standard military salute, then giggled and cut the communication.

After arranging all of this, Lei Wen looked back at the screen displaying the Kari People's signal waveform diagram.

That greeting, full of hope and naivety, now seemed so desolate in his eyes.

They thought they were sending an invitation of friendship.

But they didn't know that they were actually letting out a childish cry toward the abyss.

And humans now are not children who will blindly approach when they hear a cry.

Humans have grown up, become cold, become cautious, and have also become more powerful.

"Welcome to the real world, Kari People."

Lei Wen said softly.

"I hope you can live a little longer."

Meanwhile, on the other side of Earth, inside the Earth Science Research Center in Xiamen, the theoretical verification of the antimatter engine had entered the final stage.

And in the lunar starport, the keel of the third human flagship—the [Enterprise]—was being laid, and the formation of the accompanying Human Third Interstellar Fleet was also in full swing.

The pace of Human Civilization would not stop because of any minor episode.

Now humans know that the universe is not empty.

But precisely because it is crowded, more power is needed to establish one's own living space.