"This... this is impossible. How can it be so close to Earth?"
Von Neumann spoke in disbelief.
The man codenamed King Wen, known for his constant composure, turned his gaze toward the projection, his eyes filled with astonishment.
"Yes, but the unbelievable things don't stop there."
Qin Shi Huang brought up Shen Yufei's words again, specifically highlighting the "technology of unknown origin" used by the invaders.
"The Lord has determined that a higher interstellar civilization has been channeling technology to that planet." Qin Shi Huang's voice was low and heavy. "Through means we cannot yet comprehend, the Lord has confirmed that the technology possessed by this unknown civilization is not inferior to the Lord's own. They are the true opponents the Lord must face in the future."
As Qin Shi Huang finished, the expressions of everyone present grew grim. So this was the reason the Lord had spared no expense to continuously launch Sophons into the solar system. Those attending were the elites of the human world; every one of them understood exactly what price the Lord had to pay to manufacture a single Sophon.
"Of course, it isn't all bad news."
Seeing the dark expressions on their faces, Qin Shi Huang suddenly changed his tone to one of excitement.
"Stimulated by the news of a potential rival civilization, the Lord tells us that their society and technology have undergone another rapid explosion. Currently, they have managed to stabilize their fleet's cruising speed at a minimum of one-fiftieth the speed of light."
"Meaning, the Lord will arrive at Earth in two hundred years at most?" Mozi asked, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.
"Even less. It's likely to be faster. With a bit of luck, they could arrive in about one hundred and fifty years," Qin Shi Huang answered.
Upon hearing this, almost everyone except King Wen of Zhou cheered.
"You don't look happy," Qin Shi Huang noted, observing King Wen's detachment from the surrounding celebration.
"I am thinking," King Wen replied. "To the Lord, two hundred years is but a fleeting moment. But for humanity, under current technological conditions, it is a vast span of time—a distance they can never reach in a single lifetime."
"The human race is evil," Mozi interjected. He was dressed as a wandering scholar from the Spring and Autumn period, yet he wore a Confucian cap from the Han dynasty, giving him an incongruous appearance. "Every second spent in the cause of destroying humanity has meaning."
The others murmured their agreement, but King Wen remained noncommittal.
"Now, let us get to the main business of today," Qin Shi Huang said, ending the interlude.
He drew his longsword from behind him, much like an ancient European noble dubbing a knight, and signaled each named Wallbreaker to step forward in turn.
"Von Neumann." Qin Shi Huang rested the sword on his shoulder. "You! Wallbreaker Number One! The Wallbreaker for Frederick Tyler!"
"I shall fulfill my mission. In fact, I already have some ideas regarding Tyler's plan," Von Neumann answered.
Qin Shi Huang then placed the sword on Mozi's shoulder. "Wallbreaker Number Two! You are the Wallbreaker for Manuel Rey Diaz."
"I will not fail! With the Sophons' help, I believe I will be the first to complete a Wallbreaking."
Qin Shi Huang did not care to participate in the competition between these lower-level ETO members. He moved the sword to the shoulder of Aristotle, who was dressed in ancient Greek robes.
"Wallbreaker Number Three! Your target is Bill Hines."
"The Wallbreakers have been designated. Like the Wallfacers, you are the elite among elites. The Lord is with you. You will escape the limitations of human lifespan through hibernation and embark on the final journey with the Wallfacers to welcome the Lord's arrival."
As Qin Shi Huang finished, he saw King Wen of Zhou give an indifferent shrug.
"What about Luo Ji?" someone suddenly asked.
The question plunged Qin Shi Huang into silence. He looked up, staring at the rare celestial phenomenon of double suns aligned in the sky, his shadow stretching long on the ground.
"Luo Ji's Wallbreaker is himself. He must find the source of his threat to the Lord on his own."
"Can we find Luo Ji's secret?" King Wen asked. "I actually quite want to try what it feels like to be a real Wallbreaker."
"Just complete your own task. I don't believe it's a good idea to go against the Lord's will by attempting to break Luo Ji's plan," Qin Shi Huang said calmly.
"Is Luo Ji the greatest threat to the Lord among these Wallfacers?" someone asked.
"I don't know." Qin Shi Huang watched the fields burning under the double suns. The fire spread like a prairie blaze, rapidly approaching the pendulum. "But only he faces the Lord directly."
"I think we missed something. Isn't there one more Wallfacer?"
Mozi's body began to burn. The earth, the soil, and everyone present began to ignite as well. This era was nearing its end, but he still asked in confusion.
"King Wen of Zhou is David's Wallbreaker. She was appointed directly by the Lord," Qin Shi Huang replied.
He watched King Wen and Mozi tumbling in the flames. He wanted to say more, but the fire roared. As the suns drew closer, he and everyone else in this world turned into ash.
Meanwhile, in South Africa.
UN Space Force Headquarters.
David gazed out of the window at a flock of Egyptian geese flying past. These waterbirds from the Nile Valley were once considered sacred symbols by the Egyptians. As David watched them, the birds looked back and let out long, haunting cries.
"You are all experts from various fields across the country. I won't say much else. I have only one requirement: use every ounce of power at your disposal to advance the construction of the Mars Fleet."
"Wallfacer, I have a question."
Dr. Igor McKinney from NASA was the first to speak. He was a mathematics graduate from Princeton who had won the Fields Medal at thirty-six before moving into the aerospace field. Had he not refused the American 'Support the Future' hibernation plan, he would have been one of the primary builders of the American Space Fleet a century later.
"Perhaps I'm not the only one with this question. Many share my sentiment, hoping to do something for the cause of human resistance within our lifetimes... But unfortunately, I have scrutinized your design blueprints repeatedly. I must admit your concepts are ingenious; these industrial components are products humanity can mass-produce in a short time. But..."
The old professor, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and with hair already one-third white, spoke to David in slightly stiff Mandarin.
"I do not understand. What is the point of spending such a staggering amount of resources to build a space fleet that still uses primitive chemical propellants and can barely leave the solar system, in a future war against Trisolarans who can reach one-tenth the speed of light?"