Chapter 128: The Debate

Old Xiao worked very efficiently. Since he personally agreed to the research on Digital Life, this topic was immediately brought up at the institute’s monthly meeting.

As long as the vote passed, the research team would be formed immediately. Of course, the supervisors Lin Lei had mentioned would also be in place immediately.

“As Dr. White said, even after a hundred years, using conventional methods, we cannot defeat the Layite People no matter what. We must think deeply about some things. Perhaps a hundred years from now, everyone here will have returned to the embrace of truth, but we must lay a solid foundation for our descendants and for the future of civilization.”

At the meeting, Old Xiao spoke thus. He held huge prestige in the institute. Since he raised the sensitive topic of Digital Life, people would at least seriously consider its feasibility instead of instinctively rejecting it.

“Here, Dr. White and I propose putting the research topic of Digital Life on the work schedule. Digital Life can more fully utilize the performance of our spaceship and dig out the war potential of the spaceship to the maximum extent! He will become our capital to fight against the Layite People!”

Old Xiao’s words had just fallen when the thousands of researchers in the institute immediately began to stir. Soon, a tall, thin researcher wearing black-rimmed glasses that covered half his face stood out.

“Dr. Xiao, although Digital Life possesses power ful functions, it is equivalent to the life of another race. Is handing our military power to a different race really a reliable move?! Or do you think our descendants will be too cowardly to charge at the front and will only use Digital Life as death squads pressed to the front line? If they suddenly turn against us, what should humanity do?”

His tone was very sharp and spared no mercy, but it showed the attitude of all the researchers present toward Digital Life.

Old Xiao himself did not understand Digital Life very well, so regarding the definition of whether Digital Life counted as a different race, he could not give a precise answer.

Lin Lei walked to the front of the stage at this time. Now was the time for debate. Only by truly convincing these proud, high-IQ researchers could he get their full help in the future.

“First, I want to affirm one point: the Digital Life we create is not a different race! They are our creations, standing on our Earth Civilization, and they have an inseparable relationship with our culture, our way of thinking, and even our living habits!”

“Evidence for this can be easily found in various interstellar civilizations. The Digital Life created by each race can be easily distinguished from each other. They, like their creators, are unique!”

“The Digital Life of the Aostarian inherited their noble characteristics, and the Digital Life of Yuxing also has the simple characteristics of the Yustarian. And in the future, the Digital Life created by us Earthlings will surely fight to the end with us for the development of Earth Civilization!”

Hearing his words, the atmosphere in the venue became even more intense. After all, the successful facts of many interstellar civilizations were right there, so the crowd quickly split into two factions.

At this moment, Lin Xin stood up. Her clear voice crossed the noise of the venue and reached the ears of every researcher.

“As far as I know, in the past 100,000 years, there have been 368 riots by Digital Life in the Galaxy, and as many as 172 civilizations were destroyed in these riots. Dr. White, how do you guarantee that the Digital Life you speak of won’t destroy Earth before the Layite People do?”

These riots were real, and they were the root of everyone’s fear of Digital Life. No one could guarantee that their creations would not one day become the masters of this planet.

Lin Lei did not immediately argue. He calmed himself and looked seriously at Lin Xin, who was staring at him intently from across the venue. For some reason, the scene of saving her from the Dark Remnants more than thirty years ago popped into his mind.

At that time, she looked at him just as seriously as she did now. But in the blink of an eye, the little kid from back then had become a grown girl, which filled Lin Lei’s heart with an unspeakable emotion.

He smiled slightly and, facing everyone’s doubts, began to express his views calmly. In this venue, he was the king standing at the peak of the pyramid of wisdom.

“We humans certainly do not fear sacrifice, but we have no reason to insist on a battle we know we will lose. I admit the risks of developing Digital Life, but compared to the crisis of extinction, this risk is worth taking!”

“Looking at the 172 civilizations destroyed over these 100,000 years, ask yourselves, which one of them did not research Digital Life with fear and trembling? They relied on them while setting heavy restrictions on them.”

“I won’t ask about Digital Life; I will ask everyone present: if you discovered that you could be bullied and destroyed at will by your creator, with no freedom of life, even worse than a slave, then, would you rise up and resist?”

“Remember, Digital Life is a living being with self-awareness, not a tool. What we are creating are comrades who can fight side by side with us in the future, not death squads charging at the front!”

“If you treat them with sincerity, then what reason does Digital Life, which has no competition for living space with us, have to turn against us?!”

“And for Digital Life lacking a creator, what would be the consequence? Nothing but destruction. They can’t even find the meaning of their own existence! Only us, naturally evolved under the physical laws of this Universe, Carbon-based Life, can find the meaning of existence in this Universe!”

“We are the foundation for the existence of Digital Life. While giving them life, we also find the future direction for them, instead of letting them get lost in this vast Universe.”

“Above is all my knowledge about Digital Life!”

At this time, the venue was completely silent. Every sentence Lin Lei said pointed straight to the essence of Digital Life. He lifted the fog of understanding that the people present had about Digital Life. The examples he gave were all based on evidence, which made people have to be convinced.

Heler, the genius known as the human-shaped computer, stood out after being silent for a while.

“White, do you have a detailed concept for Digital Life then?”

His question indicated that he basically agreed with Lin Lei’s views, and no one present raised any objections.

Lin Lei secretly let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, these researchers were basically at an age where their thinking was active, and not many would stubbornly stick to their own views.

“I was in a coma for ten years. The long period of complete closure gave me a deep understanding of human consciousness itself. I think I can express consciousness using mathematical methods. But regrettably, my understanding of the operating principles of the Supercomputer in the institute is limited. So, Heler, are you willing to cooperate with me?”

Of course, the so-called ten-year coma was just an excuse, but Lin Lei’s understanding of consciousness was unmatched by anyone on Earth or even by individual intelligent races in the Galaxy.

After all, Lin Lei was someone who had spent thirty years forcibly dismantling and re-architecting a god-level System. The reason he sought Heler’s help was, one, to form an alliance, and two, to avoid being too conspicuous.

Heler pushed up the glasses frame on his nose bridge, blinked, and then bowed elegantly: “The honor is mine!”

He agreed.

Old Xiao seized the atmosphere of the venue at the right moment. He made the final decision at the chief table of the meeting, settling the matter.

Subsequently, twelve researchers joined Lin Lei’s team one after another. Every one of them had reached a master level in their understanding of the Supercomputer of Lorenz Star.

Naturally, Lin Lei welcomed these people with open arms.

The research team for Digital Life was thus pulled together, and the supervision team was quickly formed as well.

This team consisted of only three people: one was Old Xiao, one was Lu Daolin, and the last one was Li Dasong.

Old Xiao went without saying; as a supervisor, it was natural. But the latter two were complete laymen, especially Li Dasong. He was the commander of the Earth Defense Force. Why would he be bored enough to do this kind of supervision work?

“Other than cleaning up Leite spies, there’s basically nothing big happening at my place. My subordinates are responsible for those things. Moreover, this Digital Life matter isn’t small. If it goes wrong, the Defense Force will have to clean up the mess.”

Clearly, he had already considered the worst-case scenario.

Regarding this arrangement, Old Xiao’s explanation was: compared to researchers who are extremely fanatical about technology, for matters concerning the destiny of humanity, there must be a few sober eyes from outsiders to keep the situation from getting out of control.

This was a cautious great wisdom, and Lin Lei could only bow in admiration.