Although he, the one who had proposed it, failed to understand what its drawbacks were, Trisolaris's actions made it clear that turning a civilization into quantum ghosts had serious flaws. Otherwise, why had Trisolaris not used it to solve the survival crisis caused by its three stars?
The Trisolarans were not stupid. Their internal workings were even far more efficient than human civilization's. For that reason, there was every reason to suspect that Trisolaris had recognized drawbacks brought by quantization that he had failed to see.
The plan to turn All Humanity into quantum ghosts could only serve as the final trump card when humanity could no longer avoid destruction.
I understand. I understand. Don't worry, I won't rashly put this plan into action, Lin Feng replied to himself with certainty.
"It is an honor to break your wall. Farewell, Mr. Taylor."
With his wall now broken and Lin Feng's "plan" completely exposed, von Neumann looked at his grim face. Knowing there was nothing more for him to do, he turned to leave.
"Sorry, Mr. Wallbreaker. Please come with us."
Several CIA agents in black suits blocked von Neumann's path. Clearly, they had no intention of letting this ETO Wallbreaker go.
How could I allow that? He's one of us! I can't let a hero who sacrificed for humanity bleed and weep! Lin Feng thought.
At once, the expression on Lin Feng's gloomy face shifted slightly, and he spoke in a low voice.
"Enough. Let him go."
Von Neumann took one last deep look at Lin Feng, who seemed to have been abandoned by the world, then turned and left without looking back.
Lin Feng returned to the presidential limousine and headed home. Shouts and curses rang out behind the car.
"Butcher!"
"You and your father are both vile murderous devils!"
"Feng Taylor! You should be hanged from the gallows!"
"Trash dictatorship! Trash Wallfacer! Get out of the world of democracy and freedom!"
"Feng Taylor! Useless trash!"
The CIA director sitting in the car kept a hand on his sidearm, remaining alert at all times.
At the same time, he kept an eye on Lin Feng's condition. From his perspective, something was seriously wrong with Lin Feng.
Ever since the Wallbreaker had broken his wall, Lin Feng had not said a word. His face was grim, and he looked as though he had lost his soul. He was exactly like Frederick Taylor had been after his wall was broken.
Because he was sitting so close, the CIA director could even hear him muttering things like "I never expected this" from time to time.
The CIA director shook his head slightly and sighed in disappointment. It was over. Another failure...
What Lin Feng meant by "I never expected this" was that the ETO harbored forces that were helping humanity—ETO members who were Wallbreakers in name, but Wallfacers in truth.
At that moment, Lin Feng was considering how he could offer some help to those heroes within the ETO who had gone undercover for All Humanity.
In the original novel, the ETO was eventually wiped out completely. What had happened to those people embedded within it? Had they been eliminated along with the ETO?
The original novel had never said, and Lin Feng could not be sure.
If they had been eliminated, that would have been far too tragic.
They had endured humiliation and hardship while infiltrating the enemy for their own people, only to be destroyed by those same people in the end.
If it had been Lin Feng himself, he would probably have defected long ago. He was simply not a person with such unwavering resolve. Precisely because he could not do it, Lin Feng admired heroes like them all the more.
After pondering for a while without coming up with even a rough idea, Lin Feng's gaze drifted to the CIA director seated beside him.
"Let me ask you something. Answer me honestly," Lin Feng said.
"Of course, Mr. Wallfacer."
"How does the CIA provide help to agents who have infiltrated the enemy?"
Though he did not understand why Lin Feng was asking, the CIA director answered truthfully.
"We provide all intelligence that can be disclosed, help agents rise as quickly as possible into important positions within enemy organizations, and obtain more and more valuable intelligence."
Lin Feng waved a hand. "No. I want you to put it more broadly."
The CIA director fell into thought, recalling the nature of his work.
"Broadly speaking... that depends on the ultimate objective. Is it to assassinate someone, steal intelligence as a planted operative, or serve as a pawn to achieve some particular goal?"
"For an assassination, we find ways to get the embedded agent as close to the target as possible. Theft is comparatively easier. We can have the agent sell some intelligence that can be disclosed, allowing him to quickly rise to an important position in a certain organization..."
"As for achieving a particular goal, that requires a series of arrangements and personnel deployments. It's like creating an avalanche: first, you need to pile the mountain high with snow..."
After hearing this, Lin Feng nodded in sudden understanding.
"I understand what you mean now. What you said is very helpful to me."
That's right! This is it!
Lin Feng firmed up his thoughts and found a direction.
Since those people embedded within the ETO intended to use Trisolaris's resources to find a path to survival for All Humanity, he could act around that goal and help them complete their plan.
Under the CIA director's puzzled gaze, Lin Feng clenched his fist and muttered to himself.
"Mm. That's what I'll do."
Several weeks later, Lin Feng received a summons from the Supreme Court. He had been accused of "crimes against humanity"!
During those weeks, Lin Feng's image appeared on television news every day. He had become a hot topic of public discussion.
The "Global Quantum Ghost Plan" had shocked the world. Lin Feng had become famous just like that, except it was all infamy.
His phone received harassment calls every day, and his email inbox was stuffed with all kinds of spam. If not for the fact that, as a Wallfacer, his residence was protected by the government at the same security level as the president's, people would probably have already come to his door to threaten him.
Public opinion continued to ferment, while governments around the world adopted a hands-off attitude and did little to control it.
Why? Because they did not want quantum ghostification either.
A government institution was not decided by a single person. There were leaders at the top and personnel from various departments beneath them. Even if a small number of people felt that "global quantum ghostification" did not seem so bad, if the majority disagreed, then the government would not agree either.
It was the same everywhere. The majority held the right to speak.
Lin Feng had no particular thoughts about what had happened to him recently. He did not even feel hatred. He had known from the start that this day would come.
In the original novel, humanity had not even thanked Luo Ji, the man who saved them. Would they thank him, Lin Feng? What a joke!
"Find me the best lawyer. I'm going to bitch-slap those people suing me until they don't recognize their own mothers."
"Yes. Please wait a moment. It will be arranged shortly."
On the day the Supreme Court convened, the front entrance was packed with people. Reporters from every major media outlet in the United States clogged the entrance like sardines.
"Look! The Wallfacer's motorcade is here!"
No one knew who shouted it, but a crowd of reporters raised their cameras and began broadcasting live.
The motorcade drove into the courthouse one after another. Lin Feng stepped out of one of the cars, straightened his clothes, and headed toward the courtroom.
Lin Feng walked straight to the defendant's stand, sat in the chair the court had prepared for him, crossed one leg over the other, and gestured to the judge.
"Your Honor, we can begin."
Before you continue