Chapter 80: The Harsh Conditions of the Next Level

Qin Hao didn't drag his feet, speaking slowly.

The upgraded system has five changes; first,...

Qin Hao raised a finger: "The system now has a certain intelligence, like an intelligent assistant; I can communicate with it directly via Q&A."

"An intelligent assistant?"

A flicker of curiosity flashed in everyone's eyes.

"Yes, for example, querying basic information and confirming commands will become more convenient."

Qin Hao explained.

Lao Luo nodded, indicating him to continue; this function, while convenient, is obviously not the main point.

"The second point, and also the most crucial one, is that when Energy Points are insufficient to copy a complete target, the system allows disassembly-style copying."

"Disassembly-style copying?"

Zhang Yunfeng raised his eyebrows, immediately thinking of something: "Could it be...?"

"It means we can choose to copy only part of the target."

Qin Hao immediately gave an example.

"For example, if we wanted to obtain a space battleship from a sci-fi movie, but copying it would require one hundred billion Energy Points, which we can't afford."

"Then we could choose to copy only its main gun, or its warp drive, or its power core, and the Energy Points needed would not be so many."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Command Center filled with discussion.

Huang Qishan and several senior academics' eyes instantly lit up frighteningly.

"This is... fantastic!"

Deng Yuchang excitedly slapped his thigh: "Our bottleneck has always been Energy Points! If we could independently copy core technology,"

"then we could bypass lengthy basic research and directly obtain the technology we most need."

"Exactly." Qin Hao affirmed.

"Good! Great!"

Lao Luo's face showed for the first time an uncontainable excitement; he forcefully swung his fist,

"This is like unlocking our biggest shackle! We no longer need to buy an entire factory just for a screw!"

This change will fundamentally alter how they acquire future technology; its strategic significance is immeasurable.

"However, where there are benefits, there are drawbacks."

Qin Hao shifted tone, pouring cold water on the ecstatic crowd.

"The third change is that, from now on, the system will no longer provide optimization plans for things copied from fictional works like movies and novels."

"And it only applies to works existing before the system's activation; that is, movies filmed later are not included."

"No longer providing optimization plans?"

Zhang Yunfeng froze for a moment, then said thoughtfully:

"In other words, whatever we obtain is exactly as is; all research, adaptation, and improvement work must be done by our own scientists."

"Absolutely correct."

Qin Hao nodded in response.

"What the system provides will merely be a sample, a blueprint; making it usable or even better depends on our own wisdom."

Unexpectedly, Lao Luo, after hearing this, actually relaxed and showed a faint approving smile.

"This isn't necessarily bad; it cuts off our notion of free gains, forcing us to understand and master each technology."

"A black box is ultimately unreliable; only knowledge truly grasped in our own hands is our real strength—I dare say our scientists are no worse than anyone's!"

The academics present all nodded; this restriction not only didn't discourage them, but actually sparked stronger determination.

Being able to manually analyze and improve technology from fantasy is, for them, a challenge and moreover a driving force to move forward.

As for not being able to copy movies filmed later, they don't mind, because what they've obtained is already plenty; more would be indigestible.

"The fourth change concerns Energy Point acquisition: besides the previous several methods, three new ones have been added—namely, absorbing gravity, kinetic energy, and various shockwaves."

Qin Hao continued.

"Absorbing gravity?"

Qian Bowen, the physicist most sensitive to this term, blurted: "Can gravity also serve as an energy source?"

"Yes, and the stronger the gravity, the faster the Energy Point absorption efficiency."

This entirely new concept left the scientists staring at each other, their eyes full of shock and confusion.

"The stronger the gravity..." he murmured to himself,

"For example, a neutron star, or perhaps... a black hole?"

Qin Hao gave an affirmative reply: "Theoretically, that is the case."

A door to the vast cosmos swung wide open before everyone.

As for kinetic energy and shockwaves, there's nothing to explain; everyone understands.

"So, what about the fifth point?"

Lao Luo asked from the side.

"The fifth point concerns the next upgrade."

Qin Hao's expression turned extremely grave: "The system indicates it can still be upgraded, but no preview of the next level's functions is given; only an upgrade condition is provided."

"What condition?"

Everyone pricked up their ears.

Qin Hao said word by word: "That is, our country must fully enter a Third-level Civilization."

Third-level Civilization!

These few words were like a heavy bomb, exploding in everyone's hearts.

They all had some understanding of the concept of civilization levels.

That was a proposal put forward by Kardashev in 1964.

His view was to divide levels by the way energy is controlled, with each level separated by an enormous gap.

A Third-level Civilization means being able to fully control all the energy of its host star system.

That is a realm almost mythical in nature.

However, this civilization level is merely his personal speculation; whether it is actually so, no one knows.

This...

Huang Qishan opened his mouth, the shock on his face beyond words.

This goal is too distant; we probably won't live to see that day, unless we develop technology that can extend lifespan.

This statement earned everyone's agreement, after all, human lifespan is only a few short decades.

Right, Xiao Qin, ask the system how it defines a Third-level Civilization; only with sufficient understanding can we formulate follow-up plans.

Hearing Old Luo's question, Qin Hao immediately focused his mind and sent an inquiry to the system.

System, what is your definition of a Third-level Civilization?

The next second, a clear voice rang directly in his mind, no longer a cold prompt box but a smooth spoken voice.

【Third-level Civilization, its specific definition criteria cover the following main aspects.】

Qin Hao composed himself and relayed the system's information verbatim.

Everyone present held their breath, so quiet that you could hear heartbeats.

First, energy: fully mastering stellar energy. Not only can one actively regulate the star's energy output, but if necessary, even extend or shorten the star's lifespan.

At the same time, one must master a certain degree of gravitational technology, able to steadily harvest gravitational energy and achieve wireless energy transmission over extreme distances.

Physicist Academician Qian Bowen sucked in a breath of cold air, his eyes filled with shock.

Regulating stars, harvesting gravity—this is too hard!