Chapter 957: You Won |
“If you choose to continue making preparations and still refuse to give up your plan to destroy the Central Black Hole of this galaxy, then we will activate the Logic Weapon and, at the cost of suffering backlash and death, perish together with you.” the Dark Star Civilization said slowly.
Xiao Yu’s mind tightened slightly. But Xiao Yu’s actions did not stop. Xiao Yu still maintained his tone and responded calmly, “If I give up destroying the Central Black Hole of this galaxy, I will die. If I do not give up destroying the Central Black Hole of this galaxy, and you activate the Logic Weapon, I will also die. Then tell me, how should I choose? Should I choose to believe that the Spokesperson camp will show mercy and spare me, or should I choose to believe that you are unwilling to die together with me, and that while preserving yourselves, you will also preserve me? How exactly should I choose? You tell me.”
Of course, the Spokesperson camp had never said that if the mission failed, Xiao Yu would be killed. Even though the universe civilization had once threatened Xiao Yu, saying they would make him suffer if the mission failed, Xiao Yu did not believe that the universe civilization would really succeed in killing him. The reason Xiao Yu said this was simply to show a kind of resolve, to show that he absolutely could not give up his mission, and thereby force the Dark Star Civilization to abandon its plan of mutual destruction. This was game theory.
For example, in the Earth era, two hostile great powers each held nuclear weapons capable of destroying the entire world. If one side could make the other side believe that it truly had the determination to launch a nuclear strike at any moment, then the other side would inevitably make concessions, because they had no intention of dying together. And how to make the other side believe that one truly had such determination was a very deep art.
Xiao Yu chose to disguise his own situation in order to make the other side believe that he had no choice but to continue doing this.
The dispute between the Spokesperson camp and the rebel camp was, at this moment, presented here in this very direct and sharp way. Whether to destroy the Central Black Hole or not, the choice rested in the hands of Xiao Yu and the Dark Star Civilization.
“I do not believe that if I destroy the Central Black Hole, you will be killed or destroyed or anything of the sort. Likewise, I also do not believe that if I truly destroy the Central Black Hole, you will have the determination and courage to die together with me. So do not come and stop me. I am struggling for survival, and anyone who tries to stop me from surviving will suffer my frenzied counterattack. And clearly, Dark Star Civilization, you do not possess the ability to withstand my counterattack.” Xiao Yu said quietly.
The Central Black Hole was still quietly operating there. Its intense jets were still erupting from its poles, stretching out for thousands of light years. Its power was fully revealed here. But this power was only relative. Before Xiao Yu, it was undefended. If Xiao Yu wanted to destroy it, Xiao Yu could do so at any moment. The only difference lay in whether Xiao Yu had the determination to do it.
Xiao Yu was trying to reveal that determination. After the Dark Star Civilization issued its threat, Xiao Yu still did not stop what he was doing. Xiao Yu still continued his preparations at a steady, seemingly offhand, completely unpanicked pace. Countless ships moved back and forth through space, placing one supermassive chain-reaction Spatial Bomb after another at the calculated nodes.
“Ever since we chose to involve ourselves in this dispute, we no longer had any way out.” the Dark Star Civilization said slowly, its voice carrying an uncontrollable heaviness. “Xiao Yu, we have known each other for hundreds of thousands of years by now, haven’t we… The previous leader of our civilization suffered a crushing defeat when facing you. And under my leadership, when the Dark Star Civilization faced you again, we still suffered another crushing defeat. Last time, after losing, we could choose to flee. This time, after losing, we have nowhere left to retreat. If you still insist on carrying this through, then we can only choose mutual destruction.”
The Dark Star Civilization was using its own way to display its resolve. In this, it was very similar to Xiao Yu. Since this was a contest between two sides, both sides would try to make the other side believe in their resolve and thus force a concession.
As for how to tell whether what the other side said was true or false, whether they truly had no way out or were merely saying so, that required extremely high skill and a certain amount of luck.
Compared to the mission being carried out this time, Xiao Yu’s own life was unquestionably still more important. If the Dark Star Civilization truly had no way out, and if Xiao Yu refused to give up the mission and they truly adopted a strategy of dying together, then Xiao Yu would rather step back and abandon this mission. But the crucial point was that Xiao Yu did not know whether the Dark Star Civilization truly had that resolve. Xiao Yu believed that the Dark Star Civilization was in exactly the same situation as himself. The Dark Star Civilization also did not know whether Xiao Yu truly had no way out.
How should he probe the Dark Star Civilization’s bottom line and make the Dark Star Civilization believe in his own resolve?
Xiao Yu decided to gamble.
There was truly a great deal of luck involved in something like this. At this moment, none of the strengths Xiao Yu prided himself on could help with this matter.
“I do not care whether you still have a way out. In any case, I no longer do.” Xiao Yu said. “I know that the Spokesperson camp is something I absolutely cannot resist, and I still have doubts about the effect of this Logic Weapon. In the Feiyuan Galaxy, there is currently no powerful existence capable of destroying me. And the activation of the Logic Weapon requires an executor. If the universe itself serves as the executor, then perhaps I may still have a slim chance to escape alive. So for the sake of that slim chance, I will not abandon my mission. If you want to activate the Logic Weapon and perish together with me, then go ahead.”
Xiao Yu said this calmly, still not stopping what he was doing. The progress of the project was still slowly climbing. Ninety-three percent, ninety-four percent…
“Likewise, we also know that we absolutely have no ability to oppose the rebel camp. In a situation where we possess the Logic Weapon, it is unlikely that you will make a move against us. If we suffer backlash, then the executor can only be the universe itself. We too will have a slim chance of survival. So if you refuse to abandon your mission, then for the sake of that slim chance, we would rather activate the Logic Weapon and try it. Xiao Yu, this is our final and most serious warning. Stop your mission and leave this place. Otherwise, we will activate the Logic Weapon.” the Dark Star Civilization said.
Xiao Yu’s heart tightened slightly. At this moment, it was as though some peerless ferocious beast were staring at Xiao Yu from the dark. The feeling was like, in the Earth era, walking alone at night and discovering that a starving wolf escaped from a zoo was watching from within the darkness. At this moment, Xiao Yu truly felt a threat to his life.
But Xiao Yu still had no intention of giving up. Xiao Yu would rather believe that this was merely a psychological illusion than believe that it was real. Frankly speaking, both the Dark Star Civilization and Xiao Yu were gambling at this moment, both betting that the other side would make concessions. And Xiao Yu had no intention of being the side that gave way.
“As you please.” Xiao Yu said calmly. “If you want to activate the Logic Weapon and perish together with me, then go right ahead.”
Xiao Yu’s mind had concentrated to its limit. Under Xiao Yu’s control, the intelligence network spread across the entire Feiyuan Galaxy was working frantically, and an endless flood of data was being gathered into Xiao Yu’s mind. In order to seize even a little initiative and detect the signs of the Dark Star Civilization activating the Logic Weapon as early as possible, Xiao Yu had already used all his strength.
The Dark Star Civilization fell silent briefly. And by now, Xiao Yu’s project had already reached ninety-eight percent completion.
“This will be a ten-second countdown. If, when the countdown reaches zero, you still have not stopped the project’s progress, then we will activate the Logic Weapon. Before that, there will be no further warning. Xiao Yu, this is your final chance.” As the Dark Star Civilization spoke, it sent Xiao Yu a number.
“Ten…”
Xiao Yu still did not stop the progress. Xiao Yu remained silent and gave absolutely no response to this countdown.
“Nine… eight… seven… six… five… four… three… two… one… zero…”
The countdown reached zero.
At that moment, Xiao Yu’s mind almost stopped functioning. Massive quantities of data poured frantically into the Supercomputing Centers. Xiao Yu was doing his utmost to analyze any possible tiny sign.
After the countdown reached zero, both sides fell silent. Xiao Yu did not know whether the Logic Weapon had already been activated. Perhaps the Logic Weapon had already been activated, and he had simply failed to detect it.
This region of the universe seemed to have dropped to absolute zero. Time itself seemed frozen. But Xiao Yu’s actions never stopped. Xiao Yu used his actions to show his determination.
A moment later, Xiao Yu received a message from the Dark Star Civilization.
“Very well, Xiao Yu. You won. We did not activate the Logic Weapon…”
Xiao Yu’s mind suddenly relaxed. At that moment, Xiao Yu felt as though he had survived a great disaster. Xiao Yu knew that he had won the gamble.
The Dark Star Civilization’s message continued.
“…Although we did not activate the Logic Weapon, we still do not believe that you truly have the ability and determination to destroy the Central Black Hole. Listen carefully. Hidden inside this Central Black Hole is something you will be very interested in…”
A trace of confusion flashed through Xiao Yu’s mind. Then, immediately afterward, Xiao Yu seemed to receive another message.
“Save me… save me…”