Outside the convention center, teams of bionic soldiers had surrounded the place, making it clear that those inside would not be getting out.
In the empty square, Bai Zhongqi, dressed in the white garb of the Chancellor, raised his head to look at the grey sky that threatened rain.
Linyin walked up gently and asked, "Your Majesty, if it comes to combat, it would be better to leave me and the Universe Army personnel here. Those idiotic council members deserve a thousand cuts, but they have a point about one thing—the situation is extremely critical. If we want our civilization to continue, we must be prepared for what comes next."
Bai Zhongqi remained standing there, no longer exhibiting the tense seriousness from the conference room, but now there seemed to be a sense of ease. He smiled faintly and turned to look at Linyin, saying, "Have the people of Iridium Star ever deserted their homeland to let it succumb to a sea of fire?"
Linyin's lovely eyebrows furrowed, and her lips pressed lightly together as she said, "But..."
Bai Zhongqi approached her, closer than they ever seemed to be before. The jade-like visage of the young man once again bore his trademark gentle smile. Although not a true human, Linyin felt moved in her heart upon seeing his smile.
"No civilization can survive without pressure after abandoning their homeworld. It's possible to find a new home, perhaps even to become a higher-level civilization, but the scar of losing one's home will always remain."
In Bai Zhongqi's tender smile, there was a hint of sorrow. He reached out, cupped Linyin's cheek, and said softly, "This is something I don't want to bear—forgive my rashness and weakness. But if I were to leave, or if some people were to leave, how could those who remain fight wholeheartedly?"
Linyin couldn't help but grasp the hand on her cheek; his fingers were a bit cool. She felt overwhelmed and said urgently, "Only if the seeds escape, if you leave, can those who stay behind fight without any reservations, and fight to the death."
Bai Zhongqi withdrew his hand, his eyes filled with earnestness, "Perhaps for a civilization that has existed for hundreds of years, such an effect might be achieved. But the Star Alliance has only been around for just over a year. Those who are left behind will ultimately feel abandoned. We must fight. Evacuation might be for the preservation of our civilization, but staying is also for the preservation of our civilization. It's about enduring with dignity and without distraction, for a great civilization that can rise from the ashes of warfare, for more seeds that can root and sprout in the future."
He turned around, his hands slipping into his trouser pockets, his demeanor somewhat slack as he said, "Everyone is the same; we are all seeds of this civilization. Living in meekness is agony; clinging to life is sinful. What I choose is to live with dignity, to give everyone a chance. Those who live carry glory, those who die hold greatness. This is the civilization I want, nothing more."
After speaking, he strode towards a nearby hydrofoil.
After a few steps, he added another sentence.
"I don't know if staying to fight is the right choice, but I do know that leaving is definitely the wrong choice, so that settles it."
————Dividing Line————
In the building complex of the Star Alliance Scientific Research Institute on Spratly Island, two researchers with anxious expressions said to Linyin, who was still bent over the experimental table, "Director Linyin, we need to evacuate quickly. The entire facility must be cleared out, and all personnel are to evacuate to Country C."
Linyin was methodical in her work, but an impatient expression appeared on her face. She turned her head, and her indescribable bosom trembled slightly as she spoke, "This is truly bothersome. Right now, there is still no clue in the research on Teizene's Shield Sharing Technology. Leaving means starting over."
The researchers replied helplessly, "But the Teizenians will arrive in just over three days, war will break out, and we all need to enter the shelters. The Chancellor has issued an evacuation order for the entire Spratly Islands; every resident must retreat to the mainland within three days."
Linyin sighed, abandoning the thought of staying. "Get a few people to help me. I have an experiment in progress, and although we can relocate, my experimental data must not be destroyed."
Gazing at her equipment, her eyes blazed with passion, "We are warriors just the same. Whether we can defeat the enemy depends on our progress over these three days."
Linyin felt her face becoming oily. As a girl who loved beauty, she hadn't washed her face or slept for several days; she had confined herself in the lab, frantically conducting experiments and proposing various models, all in search of the key to decipher Teizene's Shield Sharing Technology.
Her teacher, Mo Laitong, the director of the Star Alliance Scientific Research Institute, also arrived. Looking at his somewhat haggard student, he felt a twinge of pity.
"Linyin, take a break for a while. I've called up the most efficient team in the institute. After we complete the relocation, we will tackle this topic together. Don't put too much pressure on yourself," Mo Laitong said with concern.
Linyin shook her head, "I'm not tired. Now is about seizing these three days. Resting now would be foolish. I'll take some drugs."
Mo Laitong looked at his usually obedient and lovely disciple being so obstinate, realizing how strong her determination was.
Linyin then brought up an unrelated topic, "Teizene has given us endless 'surprises', from the reconnaissance ship incident, the star energy engine, to the current Shield Array. I think that most civilizations in the Galaxy have been deceived by a civilization that seems simple, crude, and barbaric. Just calculating the information we have on Teizene's civilization into the rating formula, their level is at least 20, and we probably know even less. So, I infer that their actual civilization level should be around 21-23, meaning the actual gap between us may not be big."
Mo Laitong sighed, "Civilization ratings are very misleading. In the First Universe, we don't use such a method to measure our adversaries. Now, even if our civilization can reach level 24, how does that help? Our civilization is small, we lack the necessary population to support a civilization, and Earthlings have not yet truly become part of that population... Alright, let's not talk about these unproductive things. Linyin, even just resting for an hour or two would help. We'll finish the evacuation quickly. Well, good luck."
Linyin felt her teacher's care; she was very grateful and nodded her head vigorously. The tablet in her hand still displayed various experimental data, now feeling extremely heavy.