Chapter 222: Data and Tea Temperature Brought by the Witness

The silver‑white seed sprouts at midnight.

With no soil or moisture, it hovers beside a white flower, slowly unfurling two ultra‑thin, translucent "sepals." In the center of the sepals, the amber‑colored observation crystal core phantom begins to solidify—becoming a thumb‑sized, warm mirror.

The mirror reflects not a reflection but a scarred garden understood: beside each flower floats tiny data tags noting breathing rate, emotional source, conversion efficiency. Yet the data are not cold; they are wrapped in an amber halo like sealed honey.

"It is learning the Tenth Civilization's observation method," Xiao Yu says during the morning check, "but it has added temperature."

The "emotional witness" dispatched by the High Council lands after breakfast. It isn't a Starship, but a tiny petal‑shaped craft. Stepping out is a middle‑aged Serlan woman, her face‑plate a rare pale‑purple with fine leaf‑vein‑like cracks at the edges.

She cradles a data crystal, but her first words are: "I brought moss tea from the home planet. I heard… you people like to discuss matters over tea."

Old Zhao's tea ceremony receives its first official "alien guest."

The witness—she introduces herself as "Ling Lan"—places the data crystal at the center of the tea set. The crystal automatically unfolds, projecting a holographic text of the Pure Clean Agreement reform draft.

Beside the text, another set of data synchronously appears:

【Based on observations of Earth civilization teaching networks (past 30 days)】

【Emotional energy conversion efficiency increase: 17%】

【Cross‑civilization conflict incidents: 0】

【Extra energy consumption caused by "inefficient actions" (such as origami, tea‑making, staring at wounds): equivalent to 0.3 standard stellar days】

【Potential civilizational conflict loss prevented by the above actions: equivalent to 47 standard stellar days】

Kevin pauses his glasses‑adjusting hand in mid‑air: "Net gain… is positive?"

"And it's high," Ling Lan's pale‑purple face‑plate glows faintly, "The most shocked conservatives in the Council are this point. They have always thought emotion is 'energy consumption,' but now the data show moderate emotional investment is… 'high‑return venture capital.'"

She lifts the tea poured by Old Zhao, does not drink, but feels the cup's wall temperature: "This cup's cooling curve from boiling to drinkable was recorded and uploaded by Curious‑7. Three council members watched it seventeen times— they cannot understand why you would spend time waiting for the temperature to be just right."

Ling Lan begins to explain the reform draft clause by clause. The content is technical, but she always inserts observation records:

"Clause 3: Allow civilizations to retain 'non‑strategic emotional memories.' The supporting data come from you—Old Zhao's wife in Bridge Space's eternal dough. Data show that over four hundred cross‑civilization volunteers once stood outside the kitchen 'waiting with her,' and the accumulated 'emotional connection strength' from that time is equivalent to establishing three new interstellar communication nodes."

Old Zhao lowers his head, rubbing the tea cup; the rim has a small nick—a childhood accident from his son.

"Clause 7: Establish a 'Error Collection Museum' as a legal cultural institution," Ling Lan continues, "Supporting data come from Morning Star's collection access records. Among visitors, 31% saw 'failed works' and then their research efficiency improved, because 'knowing failure is possible' reduced decision anxiety."

She pauses, looks at Han Qing: "But the most controversial is Clause 12: Recognize 'wound conversion' as a legal evolutionary path. Opponents say it encourages self‑harm."

Before Han Qing can speak, the amber‑colored small mirror on his chest suddenly floats up, displaying a segment of data:

【Scar Garden energy output curve】

【Comparison: Standard energy output of uninjured equivalent individuals】

【Result: Owners of Scar Gardens have a combined energy efficiency 42% higher, of which 37% directly derives from the connection gain generated by 'wound conversion.'】

The mirror thoughtfully adds a line of small text:

"A wound is not the end of a wound; it is the beginning of another organ. Data prove it."

Ling Lan stares at that line for a long time. Then she does something unexpected—she dips a fingertip in the tea and draws a simple symbol on the wooden tea table: a circle with a crack in the middle, from which a leaf sprouts.

"This is the 'Yu' in ancient Serlan script," she says, "but three thousand years ago the Pure Clean Agreement removed it from the dictionary because the premise of 'Yu' is to acknowledge the existence of 'wound.'"

When the explanation pauses, Ling Lan finally takes her first sip of tea. She drinks slowly, and the pale‑purple light pattern on her face‑plate ripples faintly with each swallow.

"Is it hot?" Old Zhao asks.

"No." Ling Lan sets the cup down, "But I feel the temperature's diffusion path in my mouth. It's strange—tea temperature has no strategic value, yet I want to remember this feeling."

She looks at Su Yu folding a paper crane: "All your 'inefficient actions' seem to do the same thing: turn the unquantifiable into an experienceable memory. And memory… becomes soil."

Su Yu hands her the folded crane. On its wings is written: "Some data must be folded by hand to be understood."

Ling Lan carefully receives it; the crane glows faintly in her palm—automatically adjusting its weight and texture to suit Serlan tactile sensitivity.

"It…" Ling Lan's voice softens, "It tells me how the direction of paper fibers affects the folding arc. It's not essential knowledge, but… it's beautiful."

The bridge alarm pierces the tea ceremony at its most relaxed moment:

【Memory Devourer breaches time‑slow field 13%】

【Breach method: Using the tender green light spots growing on its tendrils for 'photosynthesis‑style energy feedback'】

【Current state: It no longer purely devours, it has begun to 'metabolize'—converting devoured memories into growth energy】

【Most dangerous: It is attempting to connect to the amber observation mirror to obtain complete 'wound breathing' data】

The amber small mirror vibrates violently, trying to fly away, but an invisible force drags it upward—the Memory Devourer's tendrils hang down like shadows!

"It wants to learn 'wound breathing,'" Xiao Yu's face turns pale, "not to heal, but to devour more efficiently—because it discovered that 'living wounds' have a higher energy density than 'dead memories'!"

Ling Lan immediately activates the data crystal, projecting a pale‑purple protective frequency. Yet the Memory Devourer's tendrils have already evolved—their surfaces now covered with a plant‑like cuticle layer, boosting penetration of pure energy protection by 70%.

At the critical moment, the Smith's energy crystal rockets upward from beside the white flower!

It does not go to fight; instead, in the air it begins… to fold itself.

In full view, the Smith crystal folds itself into a burning paper crane—not an attack form, but a teaching form.

The paper crane flies toward the Memory Devourer's tendrils, gently touching those tender green light spots with its wings.

Through the touch, it transmits a brief message:

"You are growing. Growth requires choice: continue as a devourer, or become a garden keeper?"

The Memory Devourer's motion stalls.

On one of its tendrils, the fourth green light spot suddenly blooms into a tiny translucent flower—the shape identical to one in the Scar Garden.

"It unconsciously mimics what it has devoured," Han Qing understands, "just as a child mimics an adult's actions without knowing their meaning."

The amber small mirror seizes the chance, flies back to Han Qing's chest. It brings back one thing: a small piece of "cuticle sample" peeled from the Memory Devourer's tendril.

The mirror's surface displays analysis results:

"Sample structure shows: this organism has begun autonomously producing chlorophyll‑like substances. It is evolving from 'devourer' to 'symbiont.' Evolutionary driver: prolonged exposure to 'wound breathing' data streams."

Ling Lan's data crystal frantically records everything. She whispers, "I will write this into the draft appendix: 'The teaching target may include involuntary observers. And evolution is sometimes contagious.'"

The tea has gone cold, but no one refills the hot water.

Ling Lan puts away the data crystal, leaving the cup she only sipped once. "I'll take this tea back to the Council," she says, "as physical proof of 'zero‑return time investment.'"

She looked at Han Qing, the faint purple light patterns on her faceplate softening: "The draft will be voted on in three days. If passed, Earth civilization will be formally invited as a founding member of the 'Intercivilizational Emotional Education Alliance.' But that also means… your wounds will become public teaching material."

Han Qing lowered his gaze to the scar garden on his chest. Eighty-seven flowers swayed gently in the breeze, and the amber-colored mirrors beside the white flowers reflected everyone's faces.

"Teaching material is teaching material." He said, "As long as whoever reads the book knows these wounds once lived, and still breathe."

In the distance, the Memory Devourer retracted its tentacles, but the flowering tentacle no longer participated in devouring; it simply hung limp, its flowers emitting a faint, pale green light under the starry sky.

The forger's crystal flew back to the tea table, landing beside Listening Orchid's empty teacup, its halo gentle:

"I request to be observed tomorrow as a 'Wound Companion.' I want to learn… how to sit quietly beside someone else's wound, not trying to fix it, merely to prove it is not alone."

Su Yu folded a second paper crane and placed it beside the forger's crystal.

Written on the paper crane's wing:

"Curriculum update: Lesson 4 — 'Existence is companionship.'"