Starting as a Wallfacer, his defection to the Three-Body Problem shocked the world.

After more than a year, Liu Chang's cloning technology has basically taken shape, but it is still far from mastering gene editing technology.

"What are your needs for these clones? I need to know what these things I'm researching will be used for."

Liu Chang pointed to a large group of experimental subjects in the distance, which were filled with nutrient solution. They looked exactly the same and must have been bred using the same set of genes.

"You used your own?"

Lin Xuan was a little curious.

Who knew Principal Liu was more productive than the younger generation!

"Get lost, stop joking around with me like that."

Liu Chang picked up a piece of white paper from the table next to him.

“I don’t know what you’re going to do with these clones, so I’ve designed a few plans that you can take a look at.”

"In the first version of the plan, I wanted to try to improve their mental computing ability. The method was simple and brutal, even a bit unethical. It involved special treatment of their brains. These people would have extremely high talent in mathematical analysis, astrophysics, mechanical engineering, and chemical manufacturing."

“Originally, I wanted to improve their humanistic thinking, but I found that this is very difficult. A person’s humanistic thinking and artistic talent depend on too many factors, including family environment, social awareness, and personal experience. Simply relying on cloning technology cannot achieve this.”

Liu Chang let out a long breath.

"That's a good thing. At least it proves one thing: artificial intelligence really can't replace human functions at the level of consciousness. It's just that I may never have the chance to publish the results of this research in Nature."

"The second type is purely for combat. This type of clone is the easiest to make; you just need to keep increasing its physical attributes."

"The third type is service-oriented clones. I'm actually a bit powerless to do this because, as you know, my aesthetic sense can't keep up with you young people. If you're going to make a third version, you'll have to provide me with a reference target, or help me get her or his genetic sample."

Lin Xuan was quite satisfied with Liu Chang's introduction.

"I can use both of the first two, except for the third one."

"I thought you were going to say you only wanted the third option."

Lin Xuan was speechless.

"When do you need it? You have to give me a specific time."

"why?"

Lin Xuan was somewhat confused.

"Because of the laws of nature."

Liu Chang tossed the paper and pen aside.

"It's really amazing. Do you know what I've been doing this past year? I've been trying to give these clones the same lifespan as normal people, but without exception, I've failed."

"At first I thought it was because my technology was not advanced or complete enough, so I consulted many other experts in biology indirectly, but the results were all the same. It was like an unbreakable sophon blockade."

Liu Chang made a circle with his hand.

"Just as the sophon has blocked our physics, nature has also imposed certain limitations on this technology. I used to think that reverence for nature was just empty talk, but now I see how insignificant humanity is in the face of the laws of nature."

"What is the longest lifespan of these clones?"

Lin Xuan only cared about this one question.

"If we don't randomly add those strange gene sequences, their lifespan can reach up to fifty years. Of course, this is just a simulation I made using the Dream World; the actual lifespan may be even longer."

"What's the shortest?"

"If you need, I can enhance them to the limit of one year lifespan, which means I can breed a batch of clones that will die in a year, but their biological characteristics will be far superior to those of humans."

Lin Xuan smiled.

"This is exactly what I want."

"First, help me breed some first-generation clones. I want to test whether they are really as good as you say."

Lin Xuan did not rush Liu Chang to start the experiment immediately; he gave Principal Liu a month-long vacation.

Performing such an extremely inhumane experiment for a long time must have had a significant impact on his mental well-being; he needs some time to recover.

During this time, Luo Ji stayed at the Hubble 2 observation station.

……

"What are you looking for?" Fitzroy asked Luo Ji. He had been here for more than ten days, constantly using Hubble 2 to observe the universe.

But to everyone else, the observed data consisted of nothing but a dark starry sky.

"I don't know, but I feel like I'm close to finding it."

Luo Ji felt like his head was about to explode. He kept adjusting the Hubble 2's observation direction, trying to find the answer in his mind.

"Soon!"

He told himself that the last leg of a journey is the hardest, but that final push left him firmly stuck outside the door.

"what is it?"

Luo Ji kept recalling Ye Wenjie's words.

"Survival is the first need of civilization."

"Civilizations continue to grow and expand, but the total amount of matter in the universe remains constant."

These two hints are too simple; I can't glean any useful knowledge from them at all.

"Do not underestimate simplicity. Simplicity means solidity. The entire edifice of mathematics is built on axioms that are simple to the extreme but logically rock-solid."

Lin Xuan's voice suddenly came from behind Luo Ji.

Luo Ji had no idea when Lin Xuan had arrived; it was as if he had been standing there the whole time.

"Want to go out for a walk?"

Lin Xuan took the initiative to invite Luo Ji, who nodded slightly.

The chill of winter quickly enveloped the two of them. It was night, and darkness, like a mist, spread around them.

Luo Ji followed Lin Xuan forward, not knowing where the man was going or why he was following him.

It was as if the other person was a guide in the darkness, pointing out the way forward.

"Have you thought of anything?"

Lin Xuan suddenly stopped, and Luo Ji then noticed that, without realizing it, the two of them were now standing on a sheet of ice, with the frozen lake water beneath their feet.

"No."

Luo Ji shook his head.

"I know the general direction, but it's much more difficult than I imagined."

“Darwin summarized a simple law from the vast world of life: survival of the fittest. Now I know the law, but I want to use it to reconstruct the image of the entire universe of civilization. This is the opposite of his path, but it is far more difficult.”

Lin Xuan smiled. Luo Ji had seen that kind of smile before; it was the smile a teacher gave to their students.

He seemed to be saying something.

"Think about it again, you'll get it right soon!"

Luo Ji began to reorganize the thoughts in his mind.

The two mysterious concepts that Ye Wenjie hadn't explained began to become clear.

"The chain of suspicion and the technological explosion."

His eyes grew even brighter!

We're getting closer; we're getting closer and closer to the final answer!

But, there is still one step left!

What's the next step?

Luo Ji was so anxious he was almost sweating. He felt like he was on two parallel lines, infinitely close to the final answer, but never able to intersect.

Just when he was about to give up thinking!

Lin Xuan suddenly stomped her foot on the ground!

Instantly, the ice beneath Luo Ji's feet could not withstand the pressure and shattered!

Luo Ji hadn't even realized what was happening when Lin Xuan suddenly bumped into him, just like in the meeting when he first became a Wallfacer!

"Wow!"

Luo Ji was completely submerged in icy water. He quickly turned to face the sky, trying to keep breathing, but all he could see was a vast expanse of endless stars.

The ice water stimulated his nerves!

It's like being in the dark universe at absolute zero right now!

The surrounding black mist dissipated, and a sea of ​​stars gradually unfolded before Luo Ji's eyes.

Between that darkness and cold, he saw through the truth of the universe.