Fifth Kind of Contact

"Are you crazy?"

Kolev was calm.

Because he felt like he had misheard.

An individual owning a habitable planet?

What kind of interstellar joke was it for an Empire princess to marry the son of the New Federation's Speaker!

"Things are made by people," Yang Ming said. "If it weren't so challenging, how could I possibly invite you? A legendary figure in a certain profession, Mr. Hatton."

"That's true," Kolev chuckled, leaning on his cane as he calmly walked back. "I've stolen all sorts of things in my life, but I've never stolen an entire planet. I need more intelligence sharing."

Yang Ming nodded. "I actually already have a plan. It goes like this..."

"Wait, wait!"

Kolev's old eyes were full of light.

"Don't try to fool me! I've already agreed to be your assistant, and now you should share your secrets, share your chips! Yang Ming, you should show it to me, that advanced civilization!"

Yang Ming: ...

This old man was getting harder and harder to fool.

"Alright, since you insist."

Yang Ming stroked his chin and pondered for a few moments.

"I need to think carefully about how to tell you my experiences and what crucial information to hide.

If I tell you all this and you choose not to help me, I will erase your memory from the last half hour. That way, even if someone scans your brain someday, my trump card won't be exposed."

"Oh, come on. Who can get memories just by scanning a brain?" Kolev said. "That's just an immature scientific experiment."

"The Empire should be able to do it."

Yang Ming said simply, "Okay, I'll start from when we parted. Turn that thing on... You actually like pink."

Kolev cursed, "The instrument came with it! This thing is a military contraband, I'm lucky to have gotten one!"

Lü's clear and agile voice suddenly rang out, "Boss, your elderly assistant's underwear and socks are also pink."

Kolev's old face turned bright red. He stammered for a long time, mostly saying things like 'What's wrong with pink?' and 'It's just a normal color.'

Yang Ming chuckled and leaned back in the spacious retro wooden chair, his eyes filled with memories.

He narrated at a brisk pace.

"After we parted, I refueled and restocked food and water at the free port. I navigated continuously for over twenty galactic days, undertaking four somewhat risky warp jumps, heading towards a coordinate I had obtained by chance.

New Calendar of the Empire: 724.06.30.

That was my departure time."

The trajectory drawn on the star map was gradually erased. The Feinan sailed into an uncharted area off the commercial routes, and Yang Ming began to operate the hover rudder, manually piloting half the time.

The radar was activated to maximum power.

The gravity slingshot effect was fully utilized to increase energy reserves.

The radio was switched to full channel reception mode to prevent accidentally entering a military restricted zone.

The previously set coordinates were getting closer, and Yang Ming could already find several unique 'landmarks' on the magnified star map.

He first passed a shattered rogue planet. One-third of the planet's body was blown apart, with a long asteroid belt extending into space.

--Rogue planets are planets not captured by a star, and they are generally quite rare. This rogue planet was likely dragged here by an interstellar civilization.

Continuing from the shattered rogue planet, Yang Ming spent two galactic days to reach the second landmark.

It was the wreckage of a giant abandoned warship. Anything of value had been removed, leaving only a hollow skeleton and a shell riddled with holes.

This giant warship was twenty-five thousand meters long and contained a small city within it.

It might be a relic from the previous civilization era, having provided much advanced ancient civilization knowledge to the current galactic civilization, or it might have been a symbol of a powerful nation that fell into decline with the demise of its political system.

Yang Ming deliberately bypassed the wreckage of this giant warship.

He was worried about detectors from some faction nearby. He only needed to pass by it to confirm he was on the right path.

When playing Abyss, players' navigation wasn't this troublesome. Usually, they'd close their eyes, open them, and arrive at their destination.

This was a huge difference that Yang Ming couldn't comprehend at the moment.

Continuing forward for another day and a half, after passing a second relatively intact rogue planet, Yang Ming gradually approached his destination.

A deep gray dust cloud stretched across the gravity-balanced zone.

The Feinan began to slow down, gliding slowly above the dust cloud.

Mech Twilight was hidden here.

"Number Two, analyze the composition of the dust cloud."

"Understood, Captain. The main components are ice fragments, with a small amount of rock debris and dust particles. We are currently in a region of near gravitational equilibrium. It's not enough to form a planetoid on its own, nor have I detected any areas capable of accumulating heat."

Molly Two's voice was cold and clear.

Yang Ming said, "Scan for gravitational anomalies. Even the slightest anomaly needs to be reported."

"Yes, Captain."

Molly Two diligently began her work.

But Yang Ming didn't have the Feinan stop. Instead, he proceeded in the direction he remembered, towards the center of the dust cloud.

The spaceship descended slightly, the hull continuously struck by the faint sounds of ice fragments.

"Captain, there's a gravitational anomaly ahead, but its range is very small."

"Can you detect what's causing it?"

"I lack the necessary equipment to detect it," Molly Two replied immediately.

Yang Ming nodded.

Then it seemed he would have to rely on himself.

The spaceship slowed down again, gently merging into the dust cloud. Yang Ming felt as if he were in a sea of clouds, advancing slowly and steadily towards the middle layer of the dust cloud.

The faint collision sounds grew clearer.

"Captain, shall I activate the shields?"

"No."

Yang Ming said in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the front.

The dust cloud obstructing his vision suddenly disappeared, and the spaceship plunged into a pocket of pure vacuum.

Just as Yang Ming felt a bit disappointed, thinking he had overshot and flown straight out of the dust cloud, he suddenly froze.

The spaceship stopped.

The engines were running normally, all instrument readings were normal, and the radar was working, yet at this moment, this exploration spaceship, about 130 meters long, had suddenly lost all motive force and acceleration, hovering in the center of the dust cloud.

It was a perfectly cubic vacuum space, about twenty kilometers in length, width, and height. The Feinan was right in the center.

"Two... are we stationary?"

"From a physics perspective, yes," Molly Two replied immediately. "My database lacks sufficient information to provide an analysis."

Even though Yang Ming had come looking for this, a hint of unease crept into him.

He remembered that the 'Chosen One' hadn't encountered so many problems.

That guy had simply flown into the dust cloud, discovered an abnormal spatial vortex, and then drilled into it to find a derelict, highly automated mechanical city.

"We're receiving an information stream, Captain," Molly Two announced.

Before she could finish speaking, the projection screen in front of Yang Ming turned black, lines of numbers and text flashing rapidly. Finally, a string of the Empire's common language appeared.

[Civilization Information... Accessed.]

[Civilization Language... Replaced.]

[Inquiry Commencing.]

[Lesser lifeform, state your purpose for being here in the most concise language possible.]

Purpose?

Yang Ming frowned, looking at the projection screen before him.

He didn't like this interrogative tone, especially the term 'lesser lifeform.'

Tap, tap, tap. This time, the projection screen also produced typing sound effects.

[If I detect any falsehoods in your response, you will forfeit this opportunity.]

"I am here seeking answers, and I also wish to gain benefits," Yang Ming replied after a few seconds of thought. "This is an adventure, and also a salvation... Two, please convert it into text for me."

Molly Two did not respond.

Tap, tap, tap.

[Your simple and primitive co-pilot program has been put into protective hibernation. Its programming is too rudimentary. I can understand your language.]

[Here is the second question.]

[Will you permit me to perform a full scan of your brain?]

"No," Yang Ming answered decisively.

[Very good. You possess autonomy of consciousness and are qualified to continue communicating with me.]

[Third question.]

[What are you attempting to redeem?]

"My family, myself, everything I care about... who knows."

Yang Ming let out a soft breath:

"I don't even know what I'm saving, I just want to live, and then do something, try to save my parents and friends."

[I need to remind you, once a carbon-based lower lifeform's brain is dead, even with a complete molecular structure map, it's difficult to replicate the same personality.]

[Thought forms born from the same structure but in different temporal dimensions have fundamental differences.]

"I can't explain this to you completely, because I don't understand it myself."

Yang Ming said slowly:

"This is the answer I'm trying to find.

"I don't know if they are dead now, or if they are still surviving in some unknown corner at this moment.

"But I feel that if I don't do something, they might still suffer misfortune in the future."

The sound of typing didn't appear for several minutes.

Yang Ming looked at the blinking cursor on the screen in front of him.

Did he mess up?

That 'chosen one' didn't mention any assessment items... What the hell is this?

[Did you wander in here by mistake?]

Yang Ming said, "That's more than three questions."

[I want to ask you a few more to determine whether to receive you.]

Yang Ming frowned tightly.

He felt that he could only follow his intuition now, not lie, but tell 'a part of the truth'.

"I didn't wander in by mistake. I know there's something hidden here, and I think it's a treasure, so I came looking for it specifically."

[Can you understand the value here?]

"I can't understand. You haven't introduced yourself."

[Interesting, low-level lifeform, I need to scan your energy level to determine your danger level. This will bypass your private parts. Do you accept?]

"Accept."

Yang Ming was quite confident in his heart.

He, Captain Hanton, had undergone hundreds of scans, big and small, from the Human Rights Council to Kor Port Prison, and had never been found to be abnormal!

A point of light appeared outside the Bridge, and the light cast out rays that seemed to penetrate the entire ship.

"Then I went in," Yang Ming said briefly, drinking a cup of mellow wine.

Kolev frowned tightly: "Is it really a high-dimensional civilization? What were the scan results? You can't fool an old man whose curiosity is about to explode like this!"

"Personal private parts cannot be disclosed, but it is indeed a relic left by a high-dimensional civilization."

"Oh, this... alright, continue quickly, don't stop."

Yang Ming chuckled lightly, the deep memory in his eyes growing more intense, and he began to pick and choose the information he gave Kolev.

At that time...

(3)

Tap tap tap!

The sound of typing reappeared, this time seeming a bit impatient.

[Are you a part that split off from an Ancient God Lifeform? Compared to a true Ancient God Lifeform, you are too weak, yet you possess some of their characteristics. What a strange existence, this is too interesting.]

Yang Ming appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly he was shouting, "Holy crap!"

He was exposed immediately?

"Can you directly scan for genetic abnormalities?"

[Is this difficult? I can directly scan all the information your body carries, including your brain, but I won't do that. I respect the right to equality of consciousness.]

[You have qualified to enter this place. Whether you can obtain the treasure you desire depends on whether you truly understand the meaning of consciousness and civilization. Of course, you can also find the direction of life's evolution here.]

[Please come in, rare Lesser Ancient God Lifeform. I shouldn't have called you a low-level lifeform before.]

In front of the ship, the point of light flickered again.

Yang Ming's vision blurred slightly. Before he could react, the environment around him changed drastically.

One second, he was on his beloved spaceship.

The next second, he was in pitch-black vacuum, breathing without obstruction, surrounded by darkness.

There was a faint light flickering ahead.

Those light points coalesced into patches of light.

Yang Ming was pulled towards those light patches, and the patches grew brighter and hotter. Majestic music seemed to play in his ears, but it was just his own auditory hallucination.

Yang Ming instinctively closed his eyes.

The thrust and pull vanished simultaneously.

Yang Ming felt as if solid ground had appeared beneath his feet, a comfortable gravity slowly increasing, and his vision rapidly returned.

He stood barefoot on the surface of a planet with a dark gray base tone. As far as the eye could see, there were endless metal buildings. Equilateral triangles filled every area, and Yang Ming felt as if he could directly receive profound and complex information through these structures.

That's it, this is it! I saw these buildings in the video!

This is Mech Twilight!

It's the Mech City that 'Chosen One' accidentally found!

It hides a large number of emerging technologies, as well as countless high-tech materials. It's said that if these buildings were dismantled, they could even be directly used to stitch together the outer skin of new warships!

Following that, Yang Ming felt something strange.

This feeling... the holographic technology of the Abyss feels similar...

The first time he experienced an immersive holographic online game had deeply shocked Yang Ming, making him and many other young people exclaim together: 'Holy crap, Earth's technology has developed to this point without me even noticing!'

Yes, it was that sense of virtuality.

This is not the real material world.

Yang Ming immediately realized that his body was likely still on the Feinan, but his consciousness had been connected to a virtual world using some incomprehensible technology.

Suddenly, Yang Ming heard a voice that was neither male nor female, neither old nor young, very neutral.

(4)

"What should I call you? Lesser Ancient God Lifeform."

He slowly turned around and saw the source of the voice—a sphere floating in front of him.

It was about the size of a fist, and its material was unclear. Inside, warm yellow particles chased each other.

"My name is Yang Ming," Yang Ming said calmly, "That's my current name."

"Hello, Yang Ming. Your civilization seems to require such polite greetings."

"Hello, what should I call you?"

"You can call me Wanderer, Gravedigger, Examiner."

The light sphere spoke softly in Galactic:

"When I scanned the information your ship carried, I discovered something very interesting: you forged your identity to deceive others."

Yang Ming pondered for a moment: "My story is a bit long, do you want to hear it?"

"I couldn't ask for anything more," the Gravedigger chuckled. "Although I can ignore the passage of time, I still feel a little lonely."

"I can only start telling it from the middle," Yang Ming said. "It was a research ship from a powerful faction, conducting research on Ancient God Lifeforms, and I was a maintenance worker responsible for maintaining the ship hull..."

Yang Ming briefly recounted the two rampages of the Valkyrie, how he was abandoned by the Empire and pushed out as a political scapegoat, and how he was later pursued by the Guer Alliance, desperately fleeing across the stars for freedom.

He deliberately omitted all information about Earth.

As Yang Ming spoke, the light sphere flickered slightly, walking with him through this boundless metal jungle.

The light sphere chuckled:

"It's truly not easy for you to escape from the pressure of two powerful political entities.

"I can feel that you have a strong sense of self-will, unwilling to be a puppet for others, and possess a powerful will to pursue freedom.

"You remind me of the lifeform I guided last time."

"Who? Is it convenient to reveal?" Yang Ming immediately pressed.

"His name was Levi Sherman, an interesting low-level lifeform."

Yang Ming: ...

That name rings a bell.

Isn't that the founding emperor of the Sherman Empire?

Didn't that guy kick the bucket tens of thousands of galactic years ago?

The light sphere sighed: "Unfortunately, he did not complete all the assessments here in the end, and his score remained at the third stage. After that, he could no longer reach this place and subsequently lost his eligibility for assessment."

"Do you know what that lifeform did?" Yang Ming asked, frowning.

"I don't care."

"Don't care?"

"Yes, he might have opened up a new civilization carrier," the light sphere said slowly. "Or perhaps he just used the technology obtained here to strengthen a political entity. I think the latter is more likely. Information from the outside world is meaningless to me."

Yang Ming laughed: "Then how can I believe what you're saying?"

The light sphere said slowly: "That requires your own judgment."

Yang Ming asked: "Then what exactly is here? And what is the method to enter here?"

"There is only one way to enter here: consciousness resonance," the light sphere said. "I will only communicate with consciousness that meets the passing standards. They must have a strong purpose and sufficient conviction. When you lose this conviction, I will refuse to talk to you, just like the previous one."

Yang Ming pondered carefully.

A slogan from a 'chosen one' doing a livestream popped into his mind.

'When I found that vortex, I hesitated too. If my ship got destroyed, I'd have nothing left, be a penniless bum. But one belief supported me: I'm gonna get rich! If I succeed, I'll have young models at my club! If I fail, I'll meet you on the rooftop! I went all in!'

The next scene on the livestream was two beautiful women in bikinis appearing beside him, calling him "Boss" in sweet voices.

Was that even a belief?

Yang Ming and the light sphere continued to communicate.

They were both very curious about each other.

This light sphere wasn't leading him on a meaningless stroll. After about ten minutes, Yang Ming was brought before a building shaped like an inverted pyramid.

Mysteriously, Yang Ming felt a sacred aura.

The light sphere's voice became a bit more serious, and it spoke slowly:

"From here on, every choice you make is crucial. Inside are ninety-nine test questions, a comprehensive evaluation of your cognition and thinking. This evaluation will affect how much importance we place on you going forward.

"Once you enter, everything about you – your thoughts, your memories, any ripple generated by your consciousness – will be captured and analyzed by the central mainframe here. If you can't proceed, you can leave directly. It doesn't matter if you can't pass a single question; you will still receive a gift.

"Don't rush, Yang Ming. Normally, a guided individual visiting here for the first time who passes three or more questions is already outstanding. This is limited by your cognition, perception, acquired knowledge, and even more so by the understanding of the universe held by the civilization you come from.

"Because chatting with you is quite pleasant, I can give you a little hint.

"The answers to the questions aren't important; the process of your thinking is."

Yang Ming blinked. "What happens if I choose not to go in right now?"

"I will send you away from here. After continuing our pleasant chat, I will erase your memories of this place."

The light sphere said:

"The creators here do not crave to be inherited.

"But they also will not refuse to let the brilliance of their civilization illuminate the material universe once more.

"They call this place the Twilight Land, not just because their civilization faded here, but also because they have preserved a faint glimmer of light for the emerging civilizations of the material universe.

"Of course, their path isn't necessarily the right one—there's no right or wrong in the path of civilization development, only longer or shorter—but they did reach a very high level in their civilization's development."

Yang Ming tried to get more outside help.

He asked softly, "Is it possible that there's a key here, and if I get this key, I can gain administrative authority over this place?"

"I am the key."

The light sphere chuckled lightly.

"I am not a life form, but a thought-form created by them. If you can reach the highest level, you will understand just how... insignificant the technological level represented by these buildings you see before you is."

Yang Ming frowned and thought for a while.

In the Abyss, the Mech Twilight's key was a physical remote control.

But the key he encountered here was a higher intelligence.

What did this difference signify?

"Okay, I have more questions now. We'll talk later."

Yang Ming shrugged and placed his palm on the unassuming door in front of him.

The silver-gray door in front opened to the sides, revealing a structure within that was both simple and imbued with physical beauty.

Just as Yang Ming was about to step inside, "Can I help you modify your ship?" the light sphere suddenly asked. "As a reward for our pleasant chat, how about I give you a little extra gift?"

"Of course," Yang Ming smiled. "But you have to make sure I can pilot it back to my world."

The light sphere pondered for a few moments. "Then I'll have to be conservative."

"Is this the Gravedigger's sense of humor?"

"Uh-huh, you can understand it that way."

The light sphere's tone became more lively.

Yang Ming smiled and stepped onto the mercury-like ground. The environment before him changed abruptly, and he found himself in a vast white space. Before him was a mirror shimmering with ripples, a faint light flickering upon it.

[Test Question 1: How do you view the importance of writing for the development of civilization? Please provide a brief analysis of your thoughts.]

Yang Ming: ...

Well done.

(V)

"How do you view the importance of writing for the development of civilization?"

Kolev muttered to himself.

"The first question is such a grand proposition? Oh, how advanced must this departed high-level civilization be, it's simply unimaginable! How many questions did you get right? You didn't get filtered out on the first one, did you?"

Yang Ming shrugged, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

He said slowly, "All I can say is, I did my best to do everything I could at my current stage. Don't worry, my dear First Mate, you'll never guess how interesting that light sphere is?"

"Isn't that just a high-level AI?"

"No, they call themselves a secondary civilization, far beyond what you'd call artificial intelligence."

Yang Ming said in a gentle tone:

"This is the end of my story.

"There's a lot more information that the consciousness within that orb actively provided to me later. It's not from my perspective, but I'll try my best to connect it for you."

"Hurry up and tell us!"

Kolev picked up a piece of beef and chewed it in his mouth.

"I love listening to this."

(6)

Outside the inverted pyramid, after Yang Ming entered the examination hall.

The orb flickered gently, and three blurry figures appeared beneath it. They had simple 'stick figure' shapes, their faces were indistinct, and golden spots of light appeared above each of their heads.

Gravedigger.

Examiner.

Wanderer.

They were communicating purely through consciousness.

If Yang Ming could have intercepted this exchange, it might have sounded something like this.

"What do you think his chances are of passing the tenth floor?" the Examiner's voice sounded rather serious.

"One in a million," the Wanderer chuckled.

The Gravedigger muttered incessantly, "Oh, what are we going to do? We can't change the questions. If no one can complete the six stages of the assessment and inherit the civilization left behind by those damn bastards who created us, we'll be stuck forever! Death! I want death! We're incomplete without death! Oh, let me experience the taste of death. Those bastards are truly awful."

The Examiner said sternly, "Fortunately, I left a contingency. Doesn't he have a ship? We can help him modify it further to ensure he survives the first and second stages of the assessment."

The Wanderer exclaimed, "Yes, that's it! We have to help him. His incredibly low-level shipboard intelligent system can also be nurtured a bit. How about we create a new consciousness?"

The Gravedigger sighed somewhat pessimistically, "Then won't we be just like those bastards who created us? Please don't casually create consciousness; it's a grave sin."

The Wanderer asked, "Don't you want to enjoy this fun? We're like gods, creating and guiding lost sheep."

The Gravedigger shook his head, "Hey! Gods are such despicable, shameless, lowly, and disgusting terms. It's a mockery of knowledge. Have you forgotten? They once had almost everything, were almost omniscient and omnipotent, and could almost control the entire higher-dimensional material realm. But in the end? They chose self-annihilation because they could never grasp the true meaning of life, and the true meaning of life can only be bestowed after life has passed."

The Examiner said earnestly:

"But this is indeed a good suggestion. We can try nurturing that shipboard system. She's called Molly Two.

"The three of us also have independent thoughts and form a new, tiny civilization attached to the system created by our founders. By nurturing a little one, we can confirm whether we can achieve a certain form of continuation."

"Now it's two against one," the Wanderer chuckled triumphantly twice.

The Examiner said gently, "Don't rush. We only need a microsecond to realize all our ideas about mechanical consciousness. We must follow regulations now and wait for Yang Ming to come out. Lesser Ancient God Lifeforms, this is truly interesting."

The Gravedigger kept shaking his head, "Unable to detach from the physical body, dependent on matter, you are still a low-level being. How long will it take for him to come out?"

The Examiner said, "Based on Yang Ming's familiar perception of time, about an hour? He'll probably get through three or four floors."

The Wanderer said, "I bet two hours, six floors."

"I have high hopes for him, two and a half hours, seven floors," the Gravedigger said gently, "He has a unique aura for being a gravedigger for others."

The Examiner raised a finger, and the light spots above the three flickered gently.

"Alright, let's fast-forward to one hour later."

The three figures simultaneously flickered forward to an hour later.

The entrance to the inverted pyramid remained still, and the fourth floor had already been lit up.

"He's outstanding," the Wanderer laughed. "I lost. This is fun. Let's go to two hours later."

The Examiner snapped his fingers, and the orb flickered again, advancing the time by another hour.

The ninth floor of the inverted pyramid had been lit up.

The three stick figures simultaneously looked up and simultaneously fell silent.

The Examiner said, "This is beyond our imagination. He possesses such profound knowledge."

The Wanderer took an exaggerated gasp, "Is he an old scholar from a Level 3 civilization? His primitive brain capacity can hold so much knowledge."

Gravedigger: "He will be an excellent cemetery administrator."

The Examiner made a stretching gesture, and the orb projected a long cuboid, much like the interface of video editing software. Inside were different time segments, all showing the same inverted pyramid.

"Alright, let's get the answer directly. Look here, at the stage before the results... his final score is..."

"Oh, this is impossible? This is his first time taking the exam! Completing three questions grants him eligibility for the first stage!"

"Right, where is he?"

"Ahem! Uh, I'm here."

A dry cough sounded from behind.

Three stick figures simultaneously turned. Though their blurred forms and faces showed no expression, they conveyed a subtle sense of awkwardness towards Yang Ming.

Yang Ming stood behind them, hands clasped behind his back, his expression somewhat weary.

He frowned, looking at the three figures who had suddenly appeared, as well as the light sphere above their heads.

The light sphere had appeared in a flash. There had been no sign of it for the previous ten-odd seconds. Once the light sphere stabilized, three… three strange things appeared below it, along with that 'editing bar' shaped geometric object.

This geometric object…

Manipulating time within a certain area?

Were they truly high-dimensional thoughtforms?

Yang Ming chuckled, "So, the Gravedigger, the Wanderer, and the Examiner are three different consciousnesses, not just three titles for the same consciousness."

"That's right, it's like that. We were communicating with you together just now. The three of us were originally responsible for three different regions, but now we've decided to keep each other company."

The light sphere flickered gently, and the three figures merged into one. The previously blurred stick figures quickly gained clear faces and bodies.

It was an elder with an excessively slender build.

Although his neck and limbs were too long, and his head was rather large, it was evident that the three of them had considered Yang Ming's aesthetic preferences.

The Gravedigger · Wanderer · Examiner asked impatiently in their gentle voices:

"Yang Ming… Sir, how did you do it? This is unprecedented."

Yang Ming smiled, "With strength."

"Oh, we believe you did it with your own strength," the elder's eyes flickered, "but I can sense that you seem to be lying."

"I'm not lying. Luck is also a part of my strength."

Yang Ming felt he should build a good relationship with the elder in front of him.

Yang Ming chuckled, "I won the gamble on the first question, and then I grasped the questioner's pain points for the subsequent tests."

"Won the gamble?"

"Yes," Yang Ming said slowly, "Do you know why I was sent out midway?"

"Why?"

The elder had unknowingly been led by the nose.

Yang Ming shrugged, "I encountered a math problem, and I could only write down one solution."

The Gravedigger · Wanderer · Examiner's expression was full of bewilderment.

"Making it up? You treated the crucial inheritance exam of a high-level civilization by casually making up answers?"

In the spacious dining room of Mr. Hanton's mansion.

Kolev's expression at this moment… was not just similar to the high-dimensional thoughtform's expression back then, it was identical.

Yang Ming smiled smugly.

He naturally couldn't tell Kolev about Earth and the Lesser Ancient God Lifeforms, but there was no need to hide his experiences interacting with high-dimensional beings.

His Feinan was now unrecognizable, and he couldn't hide it even if he wanted to. It was better to tell him, in order to gain Kolev's deeper trust.

"It was making it up," Yang Ming chuckled, "but this fabrication had its own method."

Kolev listened attentively.

Yang Ming was quite pleased with Kolev's sincere and obedient expression. The old man was clearly captivated by this story.

"First, you need to learn how to read the question."

Yang Ming said cheerfully:

"My great methodology mentor, Ban Churen, repeatedly emphasized how to conduct an exam.

"An exam is a game between the candidate and the questioner. If you cannot ensure that you have fully and systematically mastered all the knowledge points you should, or if you suddenly find that the question surpasses the scope of your existing knowledge, then you must engage in a bold gamble.

"The answers to such discursive questions are usually not unique; they are open-ended.

"You must look for effective information within the question prompt and consider the questioner's purpose in posing this question."

Kolev murmured, "That's unreasonable, Hanton. You can't understand high-dimensional civilizations."

"Yes, I can't understand their original form of civilization, but they have already voluntarily reduced their dimensions," Yang Ming said, "What's presented before me is a higher-level civilization of the same dimension with a profound technological tree. And no matter what, there's a logic that connects them."

"What logic?"

"Thoughtforms feed on superiority," Yang Ming chuckled, "No thoughtform would refuse a way to make themselves happy."

"Huh?" Kolev looked even more confused.

Yang Ming shifted into a more comfortable position and continued, "The question prompt isn't just that sentence, 'Analyze the role of text in the process of civilization development.'

"The effective information also includes the conversation I had with the Gravedigger, Wanderer, and Examiner earlier."

"The civilization that created the Gravedigger·Wanderer·Examiner must have long since shed the constraints of writing and been able to communicate directly through consciousness. They advocate for the right to consciousness equality, and only those who protect their self-privacy are qualified to communicate. What does this represent?"

Kolev honestly shook his head.

"It represents that the things they valued most were consciousness, privacy, and the method of communication. I bet they were a species that communicated directly through consciousness, and the Intelligent Machine city before us is a temporary vessel they created after descending into our four-dimensional world."

Yang Ming chuckled:

"If we follow the normal line of reasoning, it would naturally be to explain the key role of writing in the development of civilization and introduce its functions.

"But would that be the standard answer to a question about an advanced civilization? I don't think so.

"So I took another gamble, betting that the examination environment I'm in has a high-level intelligent being who will give me my score. I don't know what their standard answer is, but I know that if I write it a certain way, they'll definitely give me some points."

"What did you write..."

Yang Ming raised a finger and gently waved it: "Just one sentence: Writing is the shackles of civilization, a backward form that limits the efficiency of communication between consciousnesses."

The key point was direct communication of consciousness!

Kolev suddenly understood.

He marveled, "That's a brilliant insight. Did you get points?"

"I passed smoothly, and my score wasn't low," Yang Ming smiled. "I figured out what the examiner wanted to hear. What he wanted to hear was my unreserved praise for this long-lost civilization that communicated directly through consciousness."

Kolev's expression turned a bit strange: "So, you gained this civilization's approval by flattering them."

Yang Ming's smile froze.

It really was that simple.

"What happened next?" Kolev pressed.

Yang Ming shrugged: "The three examiners gave me some benefits, and then sent me out."

"I'm asking how many levels you actually obtained!"

"Guess?" Yang Ming deliberately played coy, then continued, "To undergo the second stage of assessment, or rather, to truly inherit this civilization's legacy, one must meet the most basic condition."

Kolev murmured, "The foundation of a civilization is a habitable planet."

"Actually, I need to possess a Level 1 civilization for five years before I'm qualified for the second stage of assessment."

Yang Ming sighed:

"I know this is very difficult. Right now, I only have a ship and an artificial 'idiot' assistant, so I need your help."

"Hey!"

Lü's figure popped out on the dial, crossing her arms and glaring at Yang Ming:

"Boss! I haven't even discriminated against your primitive and backward logical thinking, you must apologize to me!"

Yang Ming raised his hand and pinched her pouting lips. This projection actually had a sense of touch.

This action also angered her, and she kept hitting Yang Ming's finger with her fist.

"Children shouldn't interrupt when adults are talking, be good."

Yang Ming perfunctorily dealt with her, then turned back to the old man beside him and said seriously:

"Kolev, I can only withhold the part about my personal privacy from you. I haven't hidden or falsified any other intelligence. I need your help, or more accurately, your loyalty."

Kolev looked troubled: "Getting a habitable planet, something that can be measured by money, we can think of a way. But a Level 1 civilization... is it the Level 1 civilization I'm thinking of?"

Yang Ming said, "Being able to fully utilize all the resources of the home planet is the mark of a Level 1 civilization."

"That's not an easy task, my heavens."

Kolev fell into thought.

Yang Ming took out the silver-white remote control and placed it beside Kolev.

"You can choose not to agree, Kolev, and I will only erase your memory from the last half hour. It will be painless. This is a little gift that the Examiner·Gravedigger·Wanderer privately gave me."

Kolev grinned: "If I agree, the things that follow will be very exciting, right?"

"Extremely exciting."

"There will be wars, right?"

"Most likely."

"There will be warships clashing, schemes and intrigues, right?"

"Probably less so in the early stages," Yang Ming mused, "I can't say for sure, as I haven't finalized the development path yet..."

"I don't need to directly donate money, right?" Kolev asked very seriously.

"Of course," Yang Ming said. "In fact, I've already devised a plan, and I need someone to help me oversee the overall situation. I value your talent and ability."

"I'm in!"

Kolev firmly grabbed Yang Ming's arm:

"You become emperor, and I'll be your minister! Preferably the Minister of Finance!"

Yang Ming laughed: "This Level 1 civilization might not necessarily be a feudal system. Let's officially meet our new number two."

The girl on the dial looked dejected. "My name is Lü. Please don't confuse me with other mechanical consciousnesses."

"She's so cute," Kolev said, squinting and smiling.

Yang Ming pursed his lips slightly.

Milili was still more charming.

"We need to get on our way as soon as possible," Yang Ming reminded him. "The five-year period started calculating half a month ago, roughly the same as the galactic year calculation method."

Kolev raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You stayed in the ruins for over half a year? What else did you do?"

Yang Ming squinted and smiled. "Want to hear?"

"Of course."

"That'll be extra."

"Hey!" Kolev, feeling tricked, was a little flustered.

"I'll pick you up in three days," Yang Ming said. "I'm going back to the Feinan to prepare. I need to find a relatively chaotic political entity so I can snatch an Administrative Planet."

"What about your Landing Craft? This is a Kashi Federation Administrative Planet, you can't just..."

Kolev's mouth seemed to be stuffed with air.

In his line of sight, a man in a light blue maintenance uniform had walked to the windowsill. A beam of light, almost transparent and causing slight distortions in the air, broke through the clouds and shone on the man.

The next second, Yang Ming's body dissipated like particles, and the beam of light quickly thinned.

Faintly, a transparent warship could be seen flashing by high in the sky, yet the Administrative Planet's defense system showed no reaction.

"Whoa," Kolev murmured, his eyes vacant. "Particle transmission that only exists in theory... truly a high-level civilization."

This chapter is a compilation of several chapters. I revised it for a few days and finally decided to present it in the format of a short sci-fi story. Over ten thousand characters, a simple encounter with a high-level civilization. Delaying it would affect the pacing, but if it were too short, it wouldn't convey the sci-fi feel or the tone of this book. Therefore, I ultimately chose the risky move of updating with a ten-thousand-character chapter during the free period.

I hope this move yields positive results.

I eagerly look forward to embarking on a brand-new interstellar sci-fi journey with both new and old readers.