Final Civilization

Chapter 33: Strategic Discussion

The sky had not yet brightened, the streetlights of Jinghai's morning streets were still lit, and Han Ming drove along Riverside Road to the observation plaza at the Bund.

As it was still early morning, a cool river breeze blew gently, and the plaza was sparsely populated. Han Ming quickly spotted Tao Jie not far away, who seemed to have been waiting for him for a while.

"Sorry for disturbing you so early."

Seeing Han Ming arrive looking somewhat travel-worn, Tao Jie spoke first.

"Where's your boyfriend?"

Han Ming looked around. "So early in the morning, is he comfortable letting you come here alone?"

"He's in the parking lot. I didn't let him come over."

Tao Jie looked at him calmly and said, "I just want to talk with you."

Han Ming frowned slightly and said with a smile, "You have your boyfriend waiting while you meet me alone... won't he... have any objections?"

"He'll understand.""Then he's truly magnanimous."

"I wanted to talk to you about Chen Yufeng's car accident." Tao Jie looked at Han Ming, her expression dimming as she said, "Han Ming..."

"If you're looking for me hoping I won't get involved in this case, and then thanking me for my good intentions, then I can only say, sorry, I'm already involved." Han Ming stated directly.

Tao Jie frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

Han Ming said with a calm face, "I've already investigated the situations of those eight truck drivers. The results match our speculation—these people have either disappeared or left Jinghai with their whereabouts unknown. So this car accident was a meticulously planned and extremely brazen murder. As your friend, and as a self-proclaimed lawyer who upholds social justice, I believe it's necessary to restore justice to the facts and not let criminals escape punishment."

"Han Ming!"

Tao Jie's expression changed, and she said urgently, "You don't understand, this isn't just a lawsuit or a case. You've seen it yourself—this is no ordinary crime at all. The dangers involved are beyond your imagination!"

"Of course I can see this isn't ordinary crime."

Han Ming replied, "Those who can plan such a murder are definitely not ordinary people, and the resources they can mobilize are certainly not small."

"If you know that, why are you still investigating?!"

Tao Jie looked at Han Ming, moved as she said, "Han Ming, I know you liked me once, and I've always considered you a friend. That's exactly why I don't want you dragged into this matter, do you understand!"

"I understand, but so what."

Han Ming said, "If it's not ordinary crime, then don't use ordinary methods. I know darkness exists in this world. Yes, the world may not be perfect—war, plague, disasters, ideological struggles, class corruption never stop—but it's still getting better, civilization is still advancing. Because I believe that no matter how the world changes, there will always be some people resisting, repairing, striving to keep the world moving forward under the light."

"Of course, I don't have such lofty aspirations for myself. But since you consider me a friend, then as a friend, shouldn't I face this together with you?"

"Han Ming!"

"Or maybe you could tell me about the end of the world. I think that topic might be more meaningful to discuss." Han Ming said with a completely serious expression.

Tao Jie looked at Han Ming incredulously. At this moment, seeing Han Ming's persistence, her long-sealed heart loosened slightly again because of him.

After a long while, she sighed and said,

"Alright, if you can still accept what I'm about to tell you next..."

"Did this happen after you went abroad?" Han Ming asked.

He pushed Tao Jie's wheelchair, walking slowly along the riverbank. The empty plaza had only sanitation workers busy at work, the world just awakening.

"Chen Yufeng and I met at a literary society in England. He was one of the founders of that literary society. That literary society was full of science fiction enthusiasts who liked to exchange romantic scientific fantasies. I met some people there—these people didn't just like novels, but also used this channel to invest in some science fiction literature, like film entertainment or investing in some cutting-edge technology companies, and so on."

"Investing in tech companies through novels?"

"It's really just an extension of creativity. Because many people in this literary society come from wealthy families, they like investing in these kinds of technological concepts." Tao Jie said.

Han Ming nodded. "Concept incubation, that's indeed a type of potential investment."

"This science fiction literary society has been continuously launching prize essay contests externally while also sponsoring some folk science fiction literature forums, aiming to dig up new IPs for commercialization. They would release two or three different themed essay contests each year. But later I discovered that among the essay contests they released, there was one theme that never changed, continuously investing considerable prize money to solicit submissions."

Tao Jie lowered her gaze slightly and said slowly:

"That theme was: If the world were to be destroyed in 300 years, and you possessed the ability of immortality and infinite wealth, how would you save the world?"

"When you mentioned the world's destruction last time, was this what you meant?" Han Ming said.

Tao Jie glanced sideways. "If I told you this isn't a science fiction essay contest, but a real strategic issue that exists, what would you think?"

"Strategic... issue?"

Han Ming narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Tao Jie took a breath, her gaze turning toward Jinghai's skyline where dawn light was rising.

"Because the world really will be destroyed in 300 years. At the same time, there really are people in this world who possess immortality and infinite wealth. And such people have codenames similar to the 'Wallfacer Project' in 'Three-Body'... Wallfacers!"

Han Ming didn't speak. Seeing his silence, Tao Jie unconsciously tightened her fingers on her wind blanket and said,

"Do you think I'm talking nonsense? That because I suffered a major life change, being in a wheelchair for so long has caused delusions, mental instability, that's why I'm telling you these things?"

"No."

Han Ming said calmly, "I'm very curious about this. I want to hear you finish."

Hearing this, Tao Jie's fingers gripping the wind blanket slowly relaxed. She continued,

"Wallfacers didn't appear only in this era. Some say 500 years, some say 1000 years—there's never been exact information about this point. But we generally believe that Wallfacers already existed before the industrial civilization appeared."

"That's a long time too."

In Han Ming's heart, a storm raged, but his face remained unperturbed. "How did they appear? With such a long time, don't the governments and official bodies of various countries know about the existence of the world's end?"

Tao Jie said, "No one knows how Wallfacers appeared, just like no one knows how Wallbreakers appeared."

"There are Wallbreakers too?"

"Where there are Wallfacers, naturally there are Wallbreakers."

Tao Jie said, "It's like a game of survival for civilization, while also resembling a civilization game. The outcome of this game determines whether Earth can achieve civilization continuation before the end."

"Them? There's more than one Wallfacer?" Han Ming caught the key information.

"Yes."

Tao Jie looked toward the distant river surface. "In the current world, there exist a total of seven Wallfacers, and simultaneously, seven Wallbreakers!"

"And both Wallfacers and Wallbreakers possess the abilities of immortality and manipulating infinite wealth. No one knows where this ability comes from, nor why they were chosen to become Wallfacers and Wallbreakers."

Han Ming was greatly shocked in his heart—seven Wallfacers, seven Wallbreakers!

And all possessing the abilities of immortality and infinite wealth...

"Then the purpose of Wallbreakers is to kill Wallfacers?"

Tao Jie shook her head. "Yes, and no."

"What do you mean, yes and no?"

"Because Wallfacers and Wallbreakers cannot be killed. Or rather, until the end comes, there will always be fourteen people!"