Super Humans

"Pangu, why had theoretical knowledge related to genes and humans been advanced to such a deep level, yet there were hardly any gene-related technological applications available on the market?"

AI's help with gene decoding had been tsunami-level. In 2023, the year ChatGPT was officially released, Google and DeepMind jointly launched AlphaMissense, successfully predicting 71 million missense mutations.

Not to mention the emergence of Alpha, the super AI, and the iteration of chip technology. Theoretical genetic research had reached a point where ordinary people, without Knowledge Download, could spend twenty years and still fail to reach its cutting edge.

Yet according to public information, genetic technology still remained in areas such as gene sequencing and genetic diagnosis. Its applications in agriculture and animal husbandry were far more science-fiction-like.

Chen Yuanguang knew this was definitely abnormal. His decision to ask Pangu first had also been carefully considered.

Pangu was the collective term for the artificial intelligences in charge of the Asia-Pacific Region.

The ones people could question through webpages did not even count as Pangu's avatars. They were merely chatbots built using the same technological framework as Pangu.

The Pangu dialogue opportunity Chen Yuanguang had previously exchanged through family contributions, however, had been a higher-level Pangu with greater intelligence.

The Pangu Chen Yuanguang was asking now was different. Even if his question crossed the line, the lower-level AI would not consider it unusual.

"Genetic theoretical research and the application of genetic technology are two different things. Gene-related technology is too dangerous, so for the safety of humanity worldwide, genetic technology is subject to highly confidential controls."

Pangu's answer once again confirmed Chen Yuanguang's suspicions.

In his view, Alpha, whether to preserve social stability or maintain the foundations of its rule, would never permit the emergence of Super Humans beyond its control.

Yet he still had many unanswered questions. Chen Yuanguang believed that Samad, simply because of his opposition to Alpha and his relatively high social standing, was an excellent source of information.

Chen Yuanguang had spent half a year in Kuala Lumpur in this future time period. The real people he saw at the University of Malaya were either students who seemed unable to distinguish day from night, utterly disoriented, or professors whose faces practically said, Don't bother me.

Compared to them, even the twitchy Samad counted as normal. Samad's undertone of religious fanaticism from the old era gave Chen Yuanguang an odd sense of familiarity.

"Professor, I've recently felt like my intelligence isn't enough, and I want to change it through some means."

"From what I understand, gene-editing technology would be a relatively convenient method. Humans discovered genetic segments affecting intelligence many years ago, such as FOXO3 and FMRP, but I searched online and couldn't find a single institution performing related procedures. Do you know why?"

Chen Yuanguang had kept coming to class every week, and after the lectures, he played the role of a listener, satisfying Samad's desire to speak. The two had established a certain foundation of mutual trust.

Samad took out his hookah and inhaled. The smoke was then drawn into the exhaust vent above his head in a thin stream, making him look as though his soul had left his body.

"Gene technology is only mentioned in a single brief sentence in your general knowledge classes: genetic technology is extremely dangerous."

"In reality, during the Three Wars, every country had its own Super Soldiers. Those Super Soldiers were created based on genetic technology."

"But the longer they fought, the more they discovered that what truly mattered was productive capacity and AI computing power. Forget deciding an entire war—even deciding a single battle was beyond Super Soldiers."

"They began shifting their research direction, placing their focus on improving intelligence. In that era, many scientists of extraordinary intelligence had undergone gene editing to varying degrees."

"After Alpha gradually took over governmental functions and research institutions around the world, it locked down the relevant technology on the grounds of safety. You would need to raise your Citizen Level to a certain threshold before unlocking the relevant information."

Samad continued, "Danger was the stated reason. It was true that after gene editing greatly increased their intelligence, abnormalities appeared in their mental stability. The higher their intelligence, the greater the fluctuations, and quite a few committed suicide."

"But AI not wanting Super Humans to emerge was another matter entirely. To AI, Super Humans would severely undermine stability."

Chen Yuanguang thought, Undermine stability? Did that mean a divide would emerge between Super Humans and ordinary humans, with them believing they were no longer the same species, and that difference would cause social instability?

Seeing that Samad did not wish to continue, Chen Yuanguang asked, "After the Three Wars lasted so long, did no method emerge that could improve intelligence without affecting one's mental state?"

Samad gave Chen Yuanguang a long, deep look before saying, "Of course there was."

"Some countries discovered that Breathing Techniques could stabilize a person's mind. When certain Breathing Techniques were combined with gene editing, they could even produce unexpected mutations."

"Even during the Three Wars, human news outlets reported the matter extensively. The Chinese believed the age of cultivation had arrived."

"Traditional nations, even while opposing one another, still joined forces to advance this research. I'm not very clear on the final results."

"I estimate it did not cause much of a stir. In any case, they still could not defeat AI. The limitations of the flesh determined that no matter how much they strengthened themselves, they could not compare with Alpha, whose capabilities could grow simply by increasing computing power."

"If you want to obtain relevant information, you can try going to Lion City. It's very close to here. As an ungoverned zone, Lion City has related technology."

"But you could also ask Chen Dingsong. He will probably wake up the year after next. As a monster who survived from the Three Wars until now, he only knows more than I do, not less."

Chen Dingsong was the founder of his family. He had remained alive until today through Human Hibernation Technology.

Chen Yuanguang recalled the matter and thought, Chen Dingsong only wakes once every twenty years, and he doesn't even know me. Once he wakes up, there will be countless people wanting to see him. Would I ever get a turn?

"Professor, Alpha should have related technology too, right?" Chen Yuanguang still wanted to learn more.

Samad's voice was somewhat hoarse from smoking the hookah. "The genetic technology in Alpha's hands is definitely stronger than what gets passed around in Lion City."

"That hellhole of Lion City is an ungoverned place full of giant corporations with ulterior motives, testing laboratory technology there. Their mature technologies are all from one or two hundred years ago. How could they possibly compare to Alpha?"

"But the technology in Alpha's hands is not something you can access, so stop thinking about it. Not even the old man can get it, let alone you."

After pausing for a moment, Samad added, "It is said that Alpha sent all the Super Humans modified through genetic technology to Mars."

After saying that, he sat upright in his chair and closed his eyes to rest. No matter how Chen Yuanguang questioned him, he did not speak again.

Chen Yuanguang knew that he had no chance of obtaining this technology in Kuala Lumpur.