Huating Publishing House, the editor-in-chief's office gradually quieted down.

It's just that there is still a slight noise outside the office, and many editors are busy with their work.

Editor-in-Chief Qian sat in front of the computer, put his hand on the mouse, and slowly swiped.

Re-read this "Caged Bird" from the beginning,

At the beginning of the story, it is a two-line narrative, one is the protagonist Wu Muzheng, who can't sleep for the appointment ceremony of the associate professor on the second day.

On the other hand, there are astronomical monitoring stations in various places, which have monitored electromagnetic wave signals with certain laws hidden from outside the sky, and the researchers, monitors and relevant personnel of various astronomical monitoring stations are also sleepless at night.

In the end, a huge amount of 0.7 petabytes of data was received.

On the second day, when the protagonist Wu Muzheng was slightly excited to participate in the appointment of an associate professor in the Department of History of Capital University, he became a relatively young associate professor at Capital University.

Cryptographers, linguists, and mathematicians have been working intensively on decoding and translating the data received from the electromagnetic signals received from the telephone.

And because this huge data contains the 'word dictionary' of the 'extraterrestrial civilization', the entire decoding and translation work is carried out very quickly.

On the third day.

Because Wu Mu, who was used to getting drunk at the celebration banquet the day before, was still sleeping in the dormitory provided by the school for teachers.

The countries that have already preliminarily completed the decoding and translation of signal data and have obtained some information have decided to convene a high-level meeting.

So the two parallel lines intersected.

People from the state came to invite Wu Mu, a historian and associate professor of history at Capital University, to attend the meeting.

And the content of the later meeting,

It also explained why Wu Mu was able to participate in this meeting that seemed to have nothing to do with him.

One is because the self-proclaimed 'observer' sends electromagnetic wave signals, which are tentatively referred to as the 'observer civilization'.

The second question is barely related to Wu Mu, a historian.

The second is because his late mentor was the most authoritative and top historian in the country, and he was the most frequently mentioned by his teacher, the best student.

During the meeting, it was revealed that the three parts contained in the 0.7PB data sent by the observer civilization were revealed.

At the same time, it was decided to set up a relevant team to master the controllable nuclear fusion technology gifted by the observer civilization as soon as possible.

Issuing policies and forming teams to study the first question raised by observer civilization,

The second question can only be left to historians, anthropologists, sociologists and even philosophers like Wu Mu.

thereupon

The whole world was turned upside down.

Breakthrough in controlled nuclear fusion technology, the advent of the era of large-scale construction, human exploration of the extraterrestrial sky,

and even a substantial encouragement of basic theoretical research...... It has brought the trend of great development of science and technology and the trend of foreign development to the whole society.

When I get here,

The author has re-separated the two intersecting lines and written,

On the one hand, there is the great development of society,

On the one hand, the protagonist Wu Mu is still teaching and researching history in the university, but the affairs around him have been changing.

As a result, he writes about the special feeling of separation and connection between Wu Mu and the changes in society as a whole.

Meantime...... It also made Wu Mu feel that he was out of touch with society, and even his own value was a little confused.

This confusion lasted until years later.

In the book, countries rely on the controllable nuclear fusion technology donated by the observer civilization,

A large number of fusion reactors have been built in various places, providing abundant and even extremely abundant energy for the whole society.

Under the stimulation of these low-cost and almost unlimited energy sources in a short period of time, the productivity of human society has made a leap under the trend of great scientific and technological development, large-scale construction, and large-scale development of the whole society.

In turn, the leap in productive forces has further stimulated the trend of thought of great scientific and technological development, large-scale construction, and large-scale development.

The whole society has ushered in great changes,

Small, controllable fusion reactors have been installed in spacecraft to replace traditional chemical energy sources and stabilize space-to-earth travel

Build a permanent base on the moon, a large-scale scientific research facility.

At the same time, in the theory of controlled nuclear fusion technology, some novel technical directions have also brought new ideas and inspiration to many scholars, and many theories and technologies in basic fields and even application fields have been born.

And on the other side,

Wu Mu, who rarely thinks about the civilization of observers, may seem meaningless in the face of the historical research he is currently engaged in.

After once again teaching a class with only a few students,

I walked out of the university with a sense of confusion.

……

Before, Editor-in-Chief Qian also saw this.

He asked Ji Zhuo to read the manuscript once, but he didn't urge him again.

After watching the previous plots that tickled the itch, he was really afraid that the rush would affect the quality.

Seeing this, Editor-in-Chief Qian, who was already unhappy, slowed down a little more and savored the next plot.

……

“…… China's space department will plan to carry out the third launch mission of the year to Mars this Sunday, and the spacecraft will carry the 01 and 02 modules of the semi-permanent survival base on Mars jointly developed by the aerospace group and other departments and units...... According to the plan, the 01 and 02 Mars base modules will be deployed at predetermined positions on the surface of Mars to form interconnected living spaces totaling more than 30 square meters......

This will be part of China's Mars research station for a long time to stay on Mars...... At the same time, in the subsequent launch of the fourth, fifth, and sixth Mars launch missions of the year, small controllable fusion reactors, living and survival scientific research materials, and the first batch of personnel stationed in the Mars scientific research station will be carried to the Martian scientific research station......"

The huge screen at the intersection broadcast the latest news, Wu Mu raised his head and looked,

I suddenly realized that I had come to a prosperous intersection all the way.

The people at the intersection were bustling with smiles on their faces.

The leap in productivity has benefited everyone, even if most of them have been invested in external exploration, technological development, but the ones that remain are enough to make people's lives better than before.

“…… Now this is good, good...... We're all going to Mars. ”

A passing man stopped at the intersection, smiled and raised his head to look at the news on the big screen at the intersection, and said.

Wu Mu turned his head to look, paused, and took a few steps closer to the uncle.

“…… Uncle, how do you feel about your life now? ”

“…… What kind of journalist are you or a member of the government, if you want me to say, life is better now, and it is getting better day by day. ”

“…… You know, a few days ago, I heard that this pension has risen a lot, hey, now this is really a long time and wages are rising, when have you ever seen such a good day. ”

"According to the words of that great man abroad, we are rich in productivity, right?"

The uncle smiled and responded to Wu Mu's words.

"Uncle, do you still know this?"

"Don't you underestimate people, I also read a lot of philosophy books when I was young."

“…… Eh, you say...... It is said on the Internet that there are aliens, and we are all about to land on Mars, are we going to see aliens? ”

The uncle was a little interested and couldn't help asking.

Wu Mu smiled and didn't answer.

That's still a long way off.

Seeing that Wu Mu didn't seem to want to speak, the uncle sighed at the changes now, and continued to wander forward.

Wu Mu turned his head again and looked at the bustling intersection, with the smile on most people's faces,

In order to adapt the whole society to the changes of the times, the state has also carried out a lot of measures to continue education, and there are direct subsidies for this part......

It seems that the whole society is very good, and everyone thinks it is very good.

But why do I still feel a little lost...... Even faintly uneasy.

If there's no problem with society, it's my problem...... Wu Mu was already suspicious of himself in his confusion.

Confused again, he raised his head and looked farther away.

After the intersection is the park,

Wu Mu crossed the intersection and walked into the park in confusion.

There are a lot of people in the park,

Wu Mu walked along the more secluded paths, some of which became more and more deviant.

It wasn't until another figure appeared on the side of the road in front of him that Wu Mu had to slow down a little and prepare to bypass.

It was a little boy crouching on the side of the road, probably seven or eight years old, looking at the adults in the pavilion a little further away.

This little boy is just squatting here and playing something,

Wu Mu turned his head and looked at it.

On the edge of the trail was a small forest in the park, and the boy was crouching under a tree on the side of the road, holding a sugar painting that might have been somewhat melted.

He pinched the bamboo skewer on the sugar painting, held the sugar to be melted on the sugar painting, and drew words on the clay floor.

A group of ants under the tree crawled, climbed onto the sweet water writing on the ground, and used their bodies to help the child write the black word 'king' on the ground.

The boy was playing happily, and the ants were probably happy to have found the candy.

It's just that Wu Mu looked at the ants crawling back and forth along the traces of sugar water on the ground, and felt inexplicably cruel.

The ants may be looking for a way back and a way out, but the whole journey has been fixed on the word 'king'.

Ants,

Do you know what your greatest value is at this moment?

At this time,

An ant doesn't know how,

Detached from the boy's mark of 'king', he crawled to the side, and also climbed to the side with some other ants.

Seeing that the words he 'wrote' were missing a little, the boy who was playing happily was naturally unwilling.

Stretched out his hand to play with the ant that crawled to the side, but his hand seemed to be a little harder,

The ant was fiddled with the candy painting the boy was holding a few times, and then died, embedded in the mud.

The boy turned his head again and went on to play with himself.

Wu Mu stood behind the boy and watched in silence for a long time.

Without saying a word, he left again.

……

"Hoo ......"

Seeing this, Editor-in-Chief Qian actually felt a little numb in his scalp,

Especially when I saw that the kid in the article accidentally killed the out-of-control ant.

Editor-in-chief Qian felt that he couldn't tell what he felt.

With a long exhalation, Editor-in-Chief Qian continued to slide the mouse down and looked down.

……

The plot goes down further,

The protagonist who left the park went straight to a vegetable market that was about to be demolished and rebuilt.

A shop selling chickens, ducks and pork in the vegetable market, a car pulling pigs is parked in front of the store.

The clerk and the owner of the store are unloading the goods, dragging the pigs that are still alive to a fixed place next to the door of the store to kill.

The pig struggled desperately, naturally powerless to resist,

The last stab was stabbed into the pig's heart.

Wu Mu was at the door of this pork shop and witnessed the whole process.

Pig, do you know your greatest value?

On the other side of the market,

It's a small flower and bird market.

After leaving the pork shop, Wu Mu went there,

Finally stopped at the door of a flower and bird shop.

On the shelves at the door, there are several bird cages,

Leaning on the outside of the birdcage, there is a bird with the most bright colors and the most beautiful feathers,

The bird stood on the shelf in the birdcage, turning its head back and forth from time to time, and after a long time it fluttered.

Then peck in the small bowl where the bird food is placed.

Birds, do you know what your greatest value is?

At last

Because Wu Mu had been here for too long, the owner of the flower and bird shop came out.

Wu Mu bought the bird.

“…… Little brother, this bird is beautiful, isn't it? Want to take a look? ”

"It's pretty good."

"But it won't shed hair."

"No, if this bird loses too many feathers and it doesn't look good, you get it back for me, I will pay you the money, and I will stew it and eat it directly!"

“…… Well, how much. ”

In the end, Wu Mu picked up the bird and returned to Capital University.

Walking in the university, I met some familiar professors and teachers along the way.

And they will ask him,

What is the name of this bird?

Wu Mu said,

It's called a little sleepy.

Some people say it's an interesting name.

Wu Mu just smiled.

Hung the bird by the window of the professor's assigned room,

Wu Mu went to the School of Physics again and found a physics professor he had met.

When I got to the physics professor's office,

found that the physics professor was packing his things,

After saying hello, he naturally asked the professor where he was going.

The professor laughed at himself and told him that he was studying controlled nuclear fusion, and now it has lost its effect.

I took a month's leave from the college and was going to go out for a walk, and then come back and think about a new research topic.

Wu Mu asked him,

Now that controlled nuclear fusion technology is so developed, how can he not be needed when it is so hot?

The professor smiled self-deprecatingly, it was because controlled nuclear fusion was mature enough that he was not needed.

The controlled fusion technology that has been given by the observer civilization is now a complete route all the way to the miniaturization of controlled fusion.

And the route of his research is fundamentally two directions from this route, unlike the compatibility of some professors and physicists, so it naturally loses the value of continuing research.

In the end, the physics professor went on a trip to relax.

Wu Mu returned to the accommodation arranged by the school for the professors.

Sitting on the bay window in the living room, looking out the window, the brightly feathered bird in the birdcage hanging by the window chirped from time to time.

didn't even eat dinner at night, Wu Mu just sat like this, looking out the window for a long time,

Late at night,

For the first time, he presented some research ideas for the second issue of 'Observer Civilization'.

In this report,

Contains a story rich in history.

“…… In ancient times, there was a turtle in Chudi, living in a quagmire, living a thousand years old, and a hunter saw the beautiful patterns on the shell of the turtle, and hacked the turtle to death with a knife, and took away the shell. ”

“…… So, what is the greatest value of the Turtle? ”

If there is an observer outside the cage, then for the observer,

Is the greatest value of this bird's 'excellent predatory ability'?

Or his pretty feathers.

Observers have been observing human civilization from beyond the curtain,

That proves that the greatest value of human civilization is intrinsic...... It's always been there.

Like the feathers of a caged bird, it has been beautiful since its wings are full,

It's not a little bit of predation that sprouts when it's older.

After Wu Mu submitted a simple report,

He took his hand and gently moved the birdcage, looking at the beautiful bird in the birdcage,

The bottom of my heart is full of despair.

For observers, what has always been inherent in human civilization is human civilization itself.

And human civilization itself.

Technology is only the way to the development of civilization...... And the unique culture and experience of human civilization is civilization itself.

It's like ...... Pretty feathers and lines on turtle shells......

……

Seeing this, Editor-in-Chief Qian felt that his scalp was a little numb,

Can't wait to keep looking.

According to the expectation of this plot, it is time to uncover the answer to the greatest value of human civilization, right?

Who knows, the plot has changed again here.

Then there are some peaks and loops......