Bai Yi lightly, "Huh? "Yes.

"If," Bai Ling said softly, "now suddenly a high-dimensional civilization appears in front of us, and the other party says, if you are willing to sacrifice yourself, your civilization will flourish tenfold, will you be willing to sacrifice yourself?" ”

“…… Of course not. Bai Yi frowned, "I'm not wronged." ”

"A hundredfold?"

"No, it won't."

"A thousandfold?"

"No, it won't."

"Let's put it another way," Billing paused, "and now that your entire civilization is threatened with destruction, you can save the whole world by sacrificing yourself—a world of your friends, your lovers, your relatives, and everything you love. ”

Bai Ling looked at him, "In order to perpetuate this civilization, you will be willing to ...... Give your own life? ”

Bai Yi suddenly stopped somewhere, unable to answer.

"It's hard to answer." Bai Ling looked at Bai Yi, "Isn't it?" ”

Bai Yi pondered for a while, and said in a low voice, "Aren't all this kind of thought experiments embarrassing, what tram problem, the brain in the tank, the ship of Theseus...... Which is the best answer. ”

"Well," Bai Ling nodded, "So you just experienced a sense of conflict?" ”

"Yes...... A little. Bai Yi replied softly, he looked at Bai Ling a little strangely, "What do you want to say to me?" ”

"I just want to say that people are not as utilitarian and rational as you say, even if they have passed the age when they are easily incited and brainwashed, they are likely to be ready to embark on a difficult road at any time."

Bai Ling said softly, "In psychology, there is a type of research that focuses on human 'altruistic behavior', have you heard? ”

"I think I've heard of it."

Bai Ling nodded, "Generally speaking, people always return a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye. I am good to you, so you must also be good to me, otherwise I will take back all my good to you, so fair.

But the truth is that human beings are often helpful, sharing, humble, and even self-sacrificing...... It's just a one-sided increase in other people's benefits. This behavior may seem irrational, but it greatly increases the chances of survival for the entire group.

"According to evolutionary psychology, the more such altruists there are in a population, the more likely it is that population will survive all kinds of natural disasters. We often see stories in our history that a family or even a nation will survive because of the struggle and sacrifice of a few brave people. ”

"When civilization existed, perhaps not many people were willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of its prosperity. But when everything comes to a critical juncture of life and death, there will be heroes one after another.

"Time, life."

Bai Ling raised his head, "Isn't the history you are talking about also made of the flesh and blood of such ordinary people."

"Those who have always been subservient will be angry for their beloved, and those who deceive me will also be willing to die after giving their last sincerity......"

Bai Ling, who was in front of the stove, had a flame in his eyes and a serene expression.

“…… This is also the choice of ordinary people. ”

The second wave of cold water in the pot also boiled again.

Bai Yi scooped up the water in silence.

Bai Ling looked at his hands and suddenly sighed.

"If there's a real war—"

"I said, I won't." Bai Yi fully understood Bai Ling's concern, and he shrugged his shoulders lightly, "You know, this is not our hometown. This emperor, this empire, is not worth our lives. ”

……

On the way to the hospital the next day, Bai Yi still felt heavy in his heart, as if he was pressed by something, which made people feel relieved.

He knew that this was most likely caused by Bai Ling's sudden thought experiment last night.

But at this moment, he also somewhat understood where Bai Ling's worries in the past few days came from - people who can sense the approach of spring from a young bud can also see a whole frozen winter day from an autumn rain.

But who knows if this is a matter of unfounded concern or a precautionary measure.

The moon was still hanging in the dawn sky, and Bai Yi quickened his pace and walked towards the Tai Hospital—he needed to keep himself busy.

The question that Bai Ling suddenly threw out really made him a little uneasy.

He always felt that Bai Ling seemed to have something unsaid at that time. But after getting along for such a long time, he also has a tacit understanding not to ask.

On the northernmost side of the west firewood room, the ward, which had been empty, was filled with patients for the first time, and several apprentices on night duty were taking turns to guard it. Every other hour, they keep a record of the patient's performance during that time.

In the past few days, they have been killing rabbits with Bai Yi, and suddenly sent four live patients, several of whom were a little like a great enemy, and they didn't dare to slack off.

Those who were sutured last night had already had their limbs fixed with splints or casts.

When Master Bai sent the patient over last night, he also talked to them carefully - after the patient is sutured and repaired, the dressing should be covered in this way, and the sutured tissue should be in a relaxed state.

It's a novelty.

The taste of caring for the patient was not pleasant, especially on the first night after the operation - because no safe means of anesthesia had been found, everyone was forced to carry Bai Yi's needle and thread, and the wound itself was in severe pain, and the patients could not sleep all night, and the low crying never stopped.

Bai Yi soon appeared outside the door of the West Firewood Room.

The apprentices heard footsteps and hurried out to meet them. Bai Yi first went to fetch water and washed his hands, then changed his clothes and entered the ward.

"All four of them have a fever, Master Bai." The apprentices said worriedly.

"It's normal, after all, such a big wound," Bai Yi said softly, "but the body has to deal with all kinds of pathogenic bacteria that invade the body from the wound, it is enough to burn for a while...... Let's cool them down physically, it's a little more comfortable. ”

"Physical cooling", which means putting a cool towel on them, is now understandable by several apprentices.

Bai Yi turned to look at the apprentices' records last night, and then corrected their inaccuracies in the records in turn, and the apprentices wrote them down one by one, nodding their heads from time to time.

After closing the record book, Bai Yi leaned down in turn and talked to each patient - as a doctor, this was the only way he could relieve the pain of his patients now.

After leaving the ward, Bai Yicai continued to advise, "Everything should be done according to the process I said last night, and then the main thing to pay attention to is whether the patient has symptoms of muscle stiffness, less urine, and frequent urination." ”

— are common signs of tetanus.

"What if it shows up?" An apprentice suddenly asked.

Bai Yi was silent for a while, "...... Then you can only inform your family as soon as possible and start preparing for the future. ”

Several apprentices were stunned for a moment, and for a while, no one was speechless.