Qiongzhou Island, Wenchang temporary control center main hall.
Liao Changtian stood on the stage and roared at all the scientific research and technical personnel: "I have a document here."
"Before today, no more than 10 people in the whole country had seen this complete document."
"The country has now decided to declassify it because this is the last chance left for humanity."
"This document is 29.7cm long, 21cm wide, and 5.6cm high, with a total of 1428 pages and 2.33 million words, excluding charts and graphs."
"And the task I'm about to give you is very simple!"
"Before nightfall tonight, compress the contents of this document into a single Chinese character, word, symbol, or something else."
"In short, the goal is to make sure that Mars Boy can understand all the contents of this document as soon as he sees it!"
"Did you understand?"
The scientific and technical personnel in the audience stared wide-eyed, mouths agape, and the hall fell silent.
"Director, did I hear that right?" A technician raised his hand and spoke up. "We need to compress this 2.33 million words into a single word, and we need to make sure that Mars Boy can grasp the content of 2.33 million words just by seeing that word?"
“Yes.” Liao Changtian nodded. “It’s very simple, just like a primary school student’s sentence compression exercise.”
Elementary school Chinese classes often include exercises in sentence compression, requiring students to eliminate irrelevant adjectives and modifiers from sentences, keeping only the main clause and the most concise information.
Even elementary school students can do it; it's really simple.
Damn, this is not simple at all!
How can you compress 2.33 million words into a single word?
Can you take any page from these 1428 pages and compress it into a single word?
"Director, this is impossible!" a researcher cried out from below.
"Don't tell me it's impossible!" Liao Changtian roared. "We're not discussing whether it's possible or not, but how to compress it! We must have results before sunset, results that Mars Boy can understand! This is the last chance we give Mars, and us humans!"
"This is too difficult..." The scientific and technical personnel below complained endlessly.
"You're telling me it's difficult?" Liao Changtian's face turned terrifying. "Our soldiers are preparing to go to Antarctica to fight the US to the death. Do you think they're facing difficulties?"
“Not a single one of our people is going to seek refuge in the ‘safe’ United States right now. Do you think they are in a difficult situation?”
"Do you think parents who are still going to work on time and sending their children to school on time on this last day so as not to cause trouble for the country are having a hard time?"
"Don't fucking tell me it's difficult!"
"Our soldiers are ready to fight to the death on the battlefield, so you must fight to the death here for me!"
"Results must be given before sunset!"
The hall was silent. Every scientific and technical staff member gritted their teeth, their eyes turning bloodshot!
...
When Liao Changtian opened the door to the lounge and went in, Xiao Yimin was having tea with Yang Jiandong.
"Why are you here too?" Xiao Yimin asked, somewhat surprised. "Shouldn't you be in the main control room right now?"
“There’s no use me just sitting there. I can’t think of any other way.” Liao Changtian also sat down and took the tea that Xiao Yimin poured for him.
“But you’re driving your men crazy.” Yang Jiandong laughed. “I peeked into the lobby when I passed by just now, and it looks like a mental hospital now.”
"A group of people trying to compress over 2 million words into a single word—I'd go crazy too," Xiao Yimin laughed.
"There's no other way," Liao Changtian said, taking a sip of tea. "I can't think of any other solutions, so I can only try to squeeze every last drop out of them."
"Why didn't you know such a document existed?" Yang Jiandong asked Xiao Yimin.
“This was work completed during the term of the previous director,” Xiao Yimin replied. “Before today, no more than 10 people nationwide had seen that document.”
"Hey—do you really think such a method exists?" Yang Jiandong asked curiously, "How about compressing a document of over 2 million words into a single word, then letting Zhang Fan on Mars take a look at it, and he immediately understands the contents of the 2 million-word document?"
"Only a madman would believe such a thing exists." Xiao Yimin shook his head.
"So I drove them all crazy first." Liao Changtian nodded.
“Minister Zhao Li is unable to come today due to other commitments, but he gave me a written situation report,” Xiao Yimin said slowly.
"Oh? Has the big boss made up his mind?" Yang Jiandong put down his teacup and looked at Xiao Yimin.
"Our enemy has made a grave mistake, and mistakes must have consequences; they cannot go unpunished. Evil must be punished, and justice must be served," Xiao Yimin said. "This is no longer a war caused by human conflicts over territory and resources; this will be the first time in Earth's history that humanity has launched a full-scale war to uphold justice."
"Is the US not afraid?"
“Of course they’re afraid, terrified. But…” Xiao Yimin said, “they’re clinging to a sliver of hope, waiting for a chance to turn the tide, which is why they refuse to surrender.”
"Final Judgment Day?"
“Yes.” Xiao Yimin nodded. “In their view, as long as they can hold out until that day, the rest of the world will be turned into a mess by the ‘Sun God’. As long as they can survive, the United States will become the only superpower in the post-war world.”
"I bet the US won't last 24 hours after the war starts," Yang Jiandong said. "Our soldiers, despite being several generations behind in weaponry, once routed the US on the Korean Peninsula. Now our weaponry is on par, but the fighting spirit of the US soldiers is generations behind ours!"
"But the United States is unaware of its own limitations, and it can be expected that they will put up a stubborn resistance."
"People always die in war," Yang Jiandong shook his head.
"Tonight at 8 PM... I hope a miracle really will happen..."
Bang!!!
The door to the lounge was kicked open rudely.
Xiao Yimin, Yang Jiandong, and Liao Changtian were all startled, and the tea in their cups spilled onto their clothes.
"You guys!" Xiao Yimin was about to get angry, but he choked on his words.
A group of research and technical personnel with bloodshot eyes were staring fiercely at the three of them.
"Found it!" the lead researcher exclaimed. "We've found a way to compress over two million words into one that Mars Boy can understand!"
Xiao Yimin, Yang Jiandong, and Liao Changtian all stood up abruptly.
"Speak!" Liao Changtian said viciously, "If you try to fool me with nonsense, I'll beat you to death!"
"First of all, there is no single word, phrase, or symbol in the world that can express information containing more than 2 million words."
"And then?" Liao Changtian already knew this.
“Our previous thinking was all wrong; it was your approach, Director, that gave us inspiration.”
"Me?" Liao Changtian looked bewildered.
"Yes, we don't need to tell Mars Boy all of these 2 million words. We just need to give him a 'key' and let him find it himself!"
How do I find it?
"This is it!" The researcher placed a drawing board on the table. "This drawing is the 'key' to our compressed 2 million-plus words! We'll let 'her' tell Zhang Fan!"
The researchers began to explain their ideas in detail to those present.
"Can that kid Zhang Fan understand the information contained in the painting?" Xiao Yimin was somewhat skeptical.
“As long as he is Chinese,” Yang Jiandong said firmly, “as long as he is a Chinese person who has been influenced by five thousand years of Chinese history and culture, he will definitely be able to understand it!”
Liao Changtian stared intently at the painting and said, "China's land area is too small, and the 'pixels' are insufficient, making it difficult to complete this painting."
"Don't worry about that, just do it." Xiao Yimin patted Liao Changtian on the shoulder. "Before you got this document, the top leadership had already communicated with the heads of state of Asia and Europe."
"Tonight, the entire Eurasian continent will become your canvas."
Liao Changtian checked the time; there was still an hour until sunset.
We need to hurry.
Humanity's fate hangs in the balance!
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