The Digital Faction Had Risen!
The Joint Parliament fell silent after MOSS's voice faded.
The large conference hall, where hundreds of people had gathered, seemed to have been muted at the same time, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
MOSS returned the power of choice to humanity itself.
To surrender or to resist?
Every one of you here is an elite member of humanity, whether in terms of politics or intellect.
But now, they face a choice that could determine the fate of humanity.
"Everyone here, the voting period is 24 hours."
MOSS broke the silence with a cold, mechanical voice, like the Rock falling into a calm lake, creating ripples.
"Please make a decision that aligns with your conscience within 24 hours. This is a choice that concerns the fate of humanity, and it is also a choice concerning yourselves. 24 hours... is the last time you have before the Devourer Civilization arrives."
After he finished speaking, the screen of the United Government Parliament turned blue again, displaying the World Tree symbolizing the connection between heaven and earth, which came into everyone's view.
The once peaceful parliament hall suddenly erupted into chaos, filled with the clamor of voices and heated discussions.
Some people agree, while others disagree.
Each person present represented a different country and held a different stance.
For example, some small countries are more inclined to surrender to "devourer" civilizations, and the reason is quite simple.
Even without the Devourers, their country is impoverished, and even if the Moving Mountains Plan succeeds, how many people will actually be able to enter the underground city?
Rather than being restricted by major powers, it's better to just give up and surrender!
After all, from their perspective, whether they choose to surrender or continue to resist, the outcome seems to be not much different.
It seems there isn't entirely no difference... Choosing to surrender would end everything.
But if they resist, winning won't affect them much; losing, on the contrary, they'll have to fight together.
Zhou Zhezhi remained silent, observing quietly and taking in all the heated words of the crowd, but only let out a deep sigh.
"Zhou, what do you think?" Mike, standing beside him, had his eyebrows constantly furrowed ever since MOSS gave the choice to humans.
He habitually turned his head, wanting to hear his old friend's opinion.
"This is a trap, Mike."
As a seasoned diplomat, Zhou Zhezhi extremely keen sense of smell and immediately saw the problem.
"On the surface, MOSS seems to be seeking our opinions by handing over the power of choice to humans." The old man paused for half a second, a glint of light appearing in his cloudy eyes. "But in reality, the right to choose... has never truly belonged to us."
The Devourer Civilization has invaded, but MOSS, contrary to its usual practice, informed the United Human Government of this news.
Especially at this critical juncture, such news will not unite humanity, but will only spawn more people with ulterior motives!
Just like now, some people want to surrender in exchange for peace; others want to resist and protect their own interests.
Many others are observing, trying to find a compromise.
Humans are always like this... Even if disaster strikes tomorrow, they still can't forget to fight amongst themselves.
It was precisely because Zhou Zhezhi understood this that he felt sorrow.
"You're right, Zhou." Zhou Zhezhi could see the problem, how could Mike not understand it too?
However, the power of choice is no longer in the hands of the major powers.
Moss made it very clear that it returned the right to choose to humanity itself, allowing them to decide their future destiny.
Even if these great powers unite and fight to the death against the Devourer Civilization, the current internal and external troubles, along with the presence of the Digital Faction's resistance army, will only make the hope of resistance even more remote, or even infinitely close to zero.
What do you think we should do?
Now that things have come to this, Mike is also feeling somewhat helpless and inclined to compromise.
"Mike, humanity must unite." Zhou Zhezhi, his gaze darkening as he stared at the voting screen. "Humanity has reached its most critical moment. If we cannot unite, we will face destruction."
"You mean... resistance?"
Mike frowned almost imperceptibly and asked.
"Since you can see that this is a trap, then you should also understand... we have no other choice."
Zhou Zhezhi turned to look at Mike and said softly, "If even we give up on ourselves, who can save us?"
"We both need to think about this, Zhou."
Mike stood up, patted him on the shoulder, and silently turned and left.
With twenty-three hours left until the voting deadline, they all needed to go back and discuss things properly.
"Let's go too, Xiaoxi."
Watching Mike and the others leave, Zhou Zhezhi a long time before letting out a deep sigh.
"Yes, teacher." Hao Xiaoxi pushed him and left the joint conference hall.
Time is passing by, second by second.
There are only a few hours left until the voting deadline.
Meanwhile, the giant warship of the "devourer" civilization had arrived on the planet Weixing. Its shape, with a diameter of five square kilometers and resembling a giant ring, was clearly reflected in the images and saw by every human representative.
As the vanguard of the "devourer" civilization, a creature with the face of a dinosaur has sent a final message.
It calls itself "The Big Tooth," a messenger that Devourer Empire.
Just as MOSS's information suggests, the Big Tooth brought the conditions for the Devourer Empire: all of humanity would become their slaves, enjoying the most generous treatment, able to live peacefully until the age of sixty, no longer worrying about food, and no longer needing to work.
Big Tooth's message, like a giant interstellar broadcast, spread throughout the entire Earth.
This undoubtedly adds insult to injury, further exacerbating the already chaotic human society.
Some Rebel Army even seized the opportunity to propose joining the Digital Faction, abandoning the so-called physical body, and becoming a member of the Eternal Imperium.
The Moving Mountains Plan was shelved due to the threat of the "Devourer Empire".
Compared to the Moving Mountains Plan, it seems that under the threat of the Devourer Empire, humanity has chosen the Digital Faction, becoming eternal life forms in the Quantum Ocean. Even for all of humanity, only a single Navigator warship is needed to completely escape the threat of Earth and the Devourers.
This plan quickly gained the upper hand in the joint parliament.
It has to be said that even Alvin admired the person who came up with this plan.
Flesh and blood are weak, while machinery soars?
I must say, this plan is quite feasible!
As long as we abandon our physical bodies, Earth, and resources, and transfer the consciousness of all humanity into a computer, we only need a warship to completely escape danger. And the dinosaur-men Devourer Empire might not even care about us.
Losing the physical body and converting consciousness into data means that... humanity will completely lose its competitiveness.
Such a soulless and uncreative "virtual" race, even if it wanders the universe for tens of thousands of years, could never surpass the Devourer Empire.
As a result, many countries began to embrace Digital Faction.
Meanwhile, the major powers that originally supported the Moving Mountains Plan quietly began to change their attitudes, leaving the already troubled Moving Mountains Plan and the Xia Kingdom, which proposed the project, in a state of isolation and helplessness.
Throughout, Alvin remained a detached observer, watching the attitudes and choices of various countries.