Chapter 182 Top Secret Files
Zhou Jue hung up the phone, stepped on the gas, and headed straight for the command center. When she pushed open the door to the command center, Qi Si and Chen Jianguo had already arrived.
"Commander Qi, Uncle Chen." Zhou Jue quickly stepped forward and greeted them one by one.
“Xiao Jue is here, have a seat.” Chen Jianguo pointed to the chair next to him: “Qi Si just came back from a meeting in Beijing and brought back some news.”
He paused, seemingly considering his words, but Qi Si finally took over the conversation.
"It's not news, it's an 'old book,' a book we were skeptical about before, but it turns out to be true."
As she spoke, she took out something wrapped tightly in yellow cloth from her briefcase. When the cloth was opened, what was revealed was not a document, but an ancient thread-bound book with yellowed pages and curled edges. There was no title on the cover, only an ancient talisman drawn in cinnabar, resembling mountains and rivers.
"What is this?" Zhou Jue asked curiously.
"The Records of Strange Things in Mountains and Seas." Qi Si gently stroked the cover, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions that were hard to describe. "It's not the kind of mythological stories sold in bookstores. It's a rare copy that our predecessors found in a hidden compartment of a Taoist temple from a previous dynasty in the early days of the People's Republic of China. It doesn't record any rare or exotic creatures, but rather some 'beings' that may exist on this land, slumbering since ancient times, and even 'immortal sects'."
Zhou Jue's heart skipped a beat.
“In the past, we thought this was just the imagination of the ancients, an extension of myths and legends. Although we had tried to explore it, we found nothing, so we always had doubts.”
Qi Si shifted his gaze from the book to Zhou Jue's face: "After all, the things recorded in it are too unbelievable. What 'There is a celestial palace in the western Kunlun Mountains, which can only be entered by those who have ascended to immortality', what 'There is a Guixu on the shore of the East Sea, which is flooded for thousands of miles and contains a dragon court', and what 'There is a sword tomb hidden in the deep mountains of Sichuan, where ten thousand swords sing in unison, waiting for their master to return'... I have never even heard of these things, let alone seen them."
“Our generation, including our parents’ generation, lives in a world without spiritual energy, so this book has always been sealed as a top-secret file.”
She sighed and continued, "Faith is about respecting what our ancestors left us, while doubt is about how it is completely out of step with the reality of our lives, until... you met that Listening Sea Beast this time."
The command room was silent. The appearance of the Listening Sea Beast did not prove a myth, but rather pried open a crack in the door, revealing the bizarre, unknown, and dangerous ancient world behind it.
Qi Si's expression turned extremely serious: "Cheng Gan and the others only used a tiny bit of spiritual power while carrying out their mission, which awakened an ancient divine beast that had been sleeping for countless millennia. This time, it was because of you and that old tree that we were able to escape danger and even benefit from it."
"But what about next time?"
"What if next time you go to another world, instead of Earth? What if the next 'being' to be awakened isn't as 'understanding' as the Listening Sea Beast? What if they wake up from their slumber to find the world drastically changed, spiritual energy depleted, and they can only sit and wait to die? What do you think they'll do?"
A chill ran down Zhou Jue's spine. She remembered the initial despair of the Listening Sea Beast, its madness in wanting to drag the entire fleet down with it.
“They will stop at nothing to survive.” Chen Jianguo voiced the most terrifying answer for Qi Si: “They might devour the entire city’s inhabitants to prolong their own lives. They might even fall into evil ways and cultivate the most insidious techniques. At that point, it would be an utter catastrophe for ordinary people!”
“We must consider the worst-case scenario,” Qi Si said firmly. “Therefore, this meeting established two supreme guiding principles.”
"First, 'silence.' When going out on missions, especially to areas marked on the 'Records of Strange Things' where 'beings' are suspected of slumbering, the use of any form of spiritual power is strictly prohibited unless absolutely necessary! We can no longer risk rashly awakening those 'beings' whose good or evil we do not know."
"Second, 'Striving for the lead'." A startling light flashed in Qi Si's eyes: "None of us know when the spiritual energy of Blue Star will fully recover. Maybe in a hundred years, maybe in ten years, maybe... it'll be tomorrow. If that day really comes, and these ancient beings awaken collectively, while we are still as weak as we are now, what do you think will happen?"
She looked at Zhou Jue and asked, word by word, "Would you rather become their slave, or their livestock?"
No one can answer this question, and no one dares to answer it.
What kind of beliefs would those beings who survived from ancient times hold? Would they believe in equality for all, or the survival of the fittest? Would they uphold the law, or believe in "killing and plundering, where strength reigns supreme"?
It's obvious even to a fool that the latter is more likely.
"Therefore, we must seize the moment!" Qi Si slammed his fist on the table with a dull thud. "We must create a sufficiently large time gap before the spiritual energy fully recovers and before those 'beings' awaken! We must improve our own strength as quickly as possible, not only our top combat power but also a sufficiently large core force! Only when we have a sword in our own hands, and a sword sharp enough, can we stand tall and speak to them in that new era, instead of kneeling!"
"All fear stems from insufficient firepower!"
These words sent a jolt through Zhou Jue.
"They're available domestically, but what about abroad?" she asked instinctively.
"Good question." Qi Si gave her an approving look. "We have the Classic of Mountains and Seas, and the Records of Strange Things. Does the West not have its own Theogony, its own Atlantis? The spiritual energy revival is global. When that happens, it won't just be our family's 'ancestor' who awakens.' Nobody can say for sure what the future world will be like. So, we're walking on two legs now, advancing cultivation and high technology simultaneously. We have to grasp both and make sure both are strong!"
Zhou Jue took a deep breath and nodded. Fortunately, they still had the apocalyptic passage and that precious advantage of time flow.
"Commander Qi, I have an idea." Zhou Jue shared his previous considerations: "Previously, we only selected students and soldiers as the main force for cultivating immortality, but there are still a large number of adults in society who haven't been tested. Could we set up spirit-testing stones in major hospitals and medical examination centers? Anyone who comes for a medical check-up can be tested at the same time, and the results can be directly uploaded to an encrypted system. Once someone with good talent is discovered, after a strict political review to confirm that they are not just a walking 500,000, they can be immediately recruited and trained."
“That’s a great suggestion.” Chen Jianguo’s eyes lit up.
“But in that case, the matter of cultivating immortality will probably become impossible to keep secret,” Zhou Jue raised another concern.
"Keep it a secret?" Qi Si laughed, a hint of coldness and boldness in his smile. "Why keep it a secret? This kind of thing will be made public sooner or later. It's just not now. What we need to do now is to 'boil the frog slowly,' gradually sending signals to the people so they can prepare themselves. The main concern is still those hungry wolves from abroad."
She looked out the window, her gaze distant: "The little bit of high technology we've released has already made them uneasy, putting pressure on us internationally every day. If they find out now that we've started 'nationwide cultivation of immortality,' I'm afraid they'll be desperate and launch a war at any cost."
"Don't worry." Qi Si withdrew his gaze, his tone full of confidence: "Our latest generation of electromagnetic railguns and the initial theoretical demonstrations of our space carriers are already complete. Give us a little more time, just a little bit of time... and by then, even if we slap the secrets of immortal cultivation in their faces, they'll only dare to protest, not dare to fight back!"
These words stirred Zhou Jue's blood; she felt as if a great nation was running at full speed and accumulating strength behind her.
At the end of the meeting, all the heavy topics had been discussed, and the atmosphere became slightly more relaxed. Zhou Jue then thought about his trip to the military dog camp.
"...That's how it is. I can now understand the speech of animals that have gained sentience. I tried it today at the military dog camp."
She looked at her leader and said, "Therefore, I think it is entirely feasible to incorporate animals that have developed intelligence into our combat system and train them into 'spirit beasts'."
Chen Jianguo slapped his thigh: "Great! When you told me about this this morning, I felt that this matter had potential!"
Qi Si listened and showed interest: "Come on, take me to see. I'm also very curious about just how powerful a group of animals that can cultivate immortality are."
The heaviness in Zhou Jue's heart caused by the old dog's "merits" was greatly dispelled by the enthusiastic atmosphere.
Yes, dwelling on the past is useless.
Striving to create a stronger future is the best way to honor the heroes who have passed away.
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