Did the world end today?

Chapter 441 Rational Choice

Chapter 441 Rational Choice
“Developing without observation sounds like some kind of idealistic idea.”

After confirming that the message had been delivered, Lin Xu carefully examined the connection between the two worlds and finally came to this seemingly "unbelievable" conclusion.

"So in a sense, this world is idealistic?"

"Or is it centered on the world of the Destiny Stones?"

Jiang Xingye's expression was slightly puzzled.

She frowned, pondered for a moment, then shook her head and said:
"But that certainly doesn't make sense. If the development of the world is based on observation, then who is observing our world?"

"This world is clearly evolving. What about your future self?"

"Do not."

Lin Xu explained:
"Although I mentioned idealism, I was just using the concept."

"In fact, the 'development' here is not development as understood from a low-dimensional perspective."

"The world is constantly changing and developing."

"But from a higher-dimensional perspective, such development is meaningless."

"Because that's just the flow of time—and in the fourth dimension, time is a reversible parameter."

"Therefore, the true concept of development should be 'development that has been recognized'."

“Development is unconfirmed when we do not observe it.”

"These unconfirmed developments are completely reversible."

"But once it's confirmed, it's like paint drying on a canvas; it can never be wiped off."

"So that's why the conflict of 'events' leads to the collapse of the world."

"You can't paint on a canvas that's already dried; that would only result in utter chaos."

"understood."

Jiang Xingye nodded thoughtfully.

"Or rather, it's more appropriate to describe it as film, rather than canvas."

"An unconfirmed development is like an unexposed film. Once it has been exposed, a second exposure can interfere with even the image from the first exposure?"

"That's about it."

Lin Xu replied:
"However, neither analogy is entirely appropriate, but this theory at least explains why I was able to enter that world at the end of the world, and then enter it again now, before the end of the world, and in physical form."

"Because only that 'part' of the film was actually damaged; the rest of the film remained intact, unobserved, and still usable."

"delicate."

Jiang Xingye sighed:

"All of this design reveals a rigorous logic—your ability could never be something that comes naturally."

"It must have come from some special device, but how did such a device manage to extend its influence to us?"

Seeing her puzzled expression, Lin Xu took a slight breath and then raised his left hand.

"What if I had such a device?"

"Bracelet?"

Jiang Xingye looked at Lin Xu in astonishment and asked:
"This is it?"

"Theoretically speaking, that's it."

Lin Xu nodded and replied:
"But I'm not sure whether its functionality is inherited from this bracelet, or..."

"Is it, in itself, just a receiver?"

“We obviously don’t have the capability to disassemble and study it, which is why I’m not disclosing information about this device.”

"My purpose is to avoid unnecessary trouble."

"But now."

“My concerns have completely disappeared.”

“My authority is high enough that no force can force me to risk researching this bracelet.”

"So, I don't need to hide it anymore."

"clear."

Jiang Xingye's eyes held a hint of admiration, but also a touch of teasing.

"You're quite good at hiding things—but actually, it doesn't have much to do with you."

"This is clearly a bracelet with special identification functions; after all, I can't see anything unusual about it."

"It was designed specifically for you, right?"

"That's obviously the case."

Lin Xu replied:
“You can’t even see the numbers on the bracelet.”

"Yes."

Jiang Xingye shifted his gaze from the bracelet and immediately followed up with a question:
"So, our ultimate goal is actually to create this bracelet using our own strength?"

"Not only that."

Lin Xu lowered his sleeves again, covering the bracelet on his wrist.

"To be precise, we need to manufacture this bracelet and the massive underlying system behind it."

“I have a feeling that we are actually getting closer step by step.”

"Limiter array is the first step, dimensional upgrading is the second step, cross-world communication technology is the third step, and boundary defects may be the fourth step, or it may be the last step."

"In short, we still have many steps to take."

"When all these prerequisite technologies are completed, everything will form a closed loop."

"However, for us now, this is still a long-term goal."

"At least, it is absolutely impossible to accomplish this using only our two existing worlds."

At this point in his speech, Jiang Xingye's expression changed slightly.

Do you believe that there is a limit to the level of technological development in every world?

"Yes."

Lin Xu replied:
"Moreover, there is clearly an upper limit."

"Although we can access a lot of advanced technologies from other worlds, even now, I can still enter other worlds through higher dimensions and obtain information in a more efficient way."

"However, there is one premise that we have always overlooked."

That is, information loss.

"When I don't know where the information you and I receive comes from, I believe that the information we may have is unlimited, and we can survive the apocalypse by simply 'numerical crushing' it."

"But now, more and more clues have shown that all the information actually comes from ourselves, from future humans."

"And it is clear that the future technological and informational limits of humankind should be the line that 'just crossed the apocalypse'."

"In this situation, the information loss of a single world would necessarily make it impossible for it to survive the apocalypse by receiving information."

"Just as when an industrial civilization exports advanced productivity to an agricultural civilization, the agricultural civilization cannot fully absorb it in a short period of time."

"Information and technology can be biased, have omissions, and even contain errors."

"The two can be very similar, but it is almost impossible for them to become 'exactly the same' in a short period of time."

"The only way is to prolong the time and wait for the latecomers to break out."

“But we don’t have time, so we can only ‘expand the space’ or, in other words, open up more ‘horizontal time’.”

"So, just as you said, all of this was meticulously planned." "And my goal is actually quite clear."

After Lin Xu finished speaking, Jiang Xingye fell silent again.

After a long silence, she finally spoke and asked:
"You want to find that coordinate that you haven't been to yet?"

"Yes."

Lin Xu replied:
"Since it exists, it should be selectable."

“Once we’ve been there once, our fleet can follow the path I’ve created to get there.”

"This will open up a second 'lateral time' for us, and our efficiency will increase by at least 50%."

"I know."

Jiang Xingye interrupted Lin Xu.

“I just feel that this coordinate is completely isolated, and it seems to be completely different from your previous situation.”

"Wouldn't it be risky to go there rashly?"

"probably not."

Lin Xu explained:
“I don’t intend to leave anything there or do anything; I’m just going there to map.”

"You know, the world is waiting for me."

Jiang Xingye said no more; she simply tightened her grip on Lin Xu's hand.

Sometimes, I really wish I could take your place.

"But it's alright, at least in other worlds, I'll be there for you."

"No, you don't understand."

Lin Xu laughed heartily.

"Although I did choose you in every world."

"But to me, you are the only one in this world."

three days later.

Under the leadership of the Countercurrent Task Force, a social psychological support program was officially launched.

This plan will certainly not be presented to the world under this name directly; in fact, its publicly known name is the "Global Coordinated Development Plan".

The most crucial, essential, and first part of this plan to be made public was Lin Xu's "Global Support Fleet Talent Selection Project."

The public announcement of the project was like an ice cube being thrown into a pot of boiling oil, instantly stirring up a huge uproar and flames, but then, after rapid cooling, the pot of hot oil quickly stabilized.

The way the riots were quelled was dramatic, yet it did not deviate from the pattern of any previous large-scale riots.

On the first day the project was announced, the "protesters" who were still observing remained on the streets, opposing "Fleet Civilization" and demanding that Fleet Civilization completely hand over power and withdraw from all key projects.

Furthermore, since the project information has not been thoroughly and clearly interpreted, most protesters view the project as appeasement of "Fleet Civilization," or even collusion with it.

As a result, the stable threshold was breached in a short period of time, and a large-scale bloodshed occurred for the first time.

The more developed a region is, the larger the scale of bloodshed and conflict.

Those businessmen and capitalists who were originally dressed in suits manipulated puppets or joined the melee after their sanity collapsed, ultimately sending themselves to prison.

Subsequently, numerous support activities erupted, this time affecting even ordinary citizens.

They seem to have forgotten the opposition between capital and them, and are only willing to believe that those who challenge the stronger are allies of the weak.

Clearly, this is a lie.

Because everything changed immediately the day after the project was announced.

Those who first defected were precisely the "higher-ups" who held more resources and had more information channels.

They quietly withdrew from the demonstrations and began making connections to try and repair the damaged relationship.

Caught in the middle of the riots, the people were bewildered and isolated. The only good news for them was that they were not held accountable.

It was all a farce; they did it, they seemed to have succeeded, but they gained nothing.

Only at this moment did they realize that they had been tools of certain people all along.

And the fate of tools
It is discarded after it is used up.

They were plunged into despair—but thankfully, they were not abandoned by everyone.

On the third day, a more detailed interpretation was released.

They were shocked to discover that this "selection" was initiated by the "reverse current" working group.

The very purpose of this working group is to eliminate "injustice".

As expected, the entire selection process was extremely fair.

From the establishment of a global candidate pool to resource-equalizing training, to fluid intelligence assessment, and finally to the selection and verification led by high-dimensional technology.

While this approach still cannot achieve 100% or absolute fairness, it is clearly the best that humanity can achieve at this stage.

Once the registration portal was opened to everyone, those who had been abandoned realized that the very people they had betrayed were the ones who would never abandon them.
-
Of course, such "not giving up" is not, to some extent, pity or "great love," but simply a rational choice.

But it was only after recognizing the underlying logic that "this is a rational choice" that they finally realized what a true "community of shared interests" really means.

Some people rationally chose to abandon them, while others rationally chose to save them.

The root of this difference lies in the fact that the two sides want different things.
The seeds of new ideas are slowly sprouting, while some old and decaying soil is weathering away and disappearing.

However, at this time, neither Ni Liu, Bai Mo, nor Lin Xu had realized this.

They are making final preparations for a new round of "exploration challenges".

"If things don't go well, you can come back immediately."

Standing opposite Lin Xu, Bai Mo spoke:
“I have a general understanding of your situation. If you travel through time in physical form, no one can guarantee that your consciousness here has a ‘backup’.”

“We cannot risk losing you to meet the world’s needs—our screening will last at least three months, and could be extended further.”

"We still have time, and there's no need to be reckless."

"Especially not like..."

Bai Mo didn't continue, but Lin Xu knew she was referring to Zhang Liming.

"Do not worry."

Lin Xu said, feigning nonchalance:
"The coordinates have been entered. Theoretically, this crossing should be natural, smooth, and painless."

"As for going back, I believe that my future self will not betray myself."

"Alright, get the limiter ready."

"If the bracelet fails, I will most likely return through the higher-dimensional channel created by the limiter."

"Who knows, there might be two of me in this world."

"That's going to be interesting."

He looked at Jiang Xingye, and asked with a strange smile: