Chapter 134: Savior Turns Tyrant? Luo Ji Ousted, Cheng Xin Ascends!

On the sky screen, golden subtitles slowly unfurled.

【Year 1 of the Deterrence Era, AD 2214.】

【Luo Ji's deterrence succeeded. The Trisolaran First Fleet was forced to change course, and the Droplet hid in place.】

【Between human civilization and Trisolaran civilization, a peace based on terror balance was established.】

【It is called the Deterrence Era.】

The scene advanced.

Inside the United Nations Hall, Luo Ji stood on the podium.

Below, dense crowds of representatives from all nations rose and applauded.

The applause lasted a full seven minutes.

Luo Ji had changed into a clean dark formal suit.

His cheeks were gaunt, his eye sockets deep, but his presence when standing there made all political leaders dare not meet his gaze.

Subtitles appeared on the sky screen.

【Year 1 of the Deterrence Era. Luo Ji handed over the Cradle System to the United Nations and Fleet International.】

The scene flashed.

A sealed underground conference room.

The UN Secretary-General and several top commanders of Fleet International sat around a long table.

In the center of the table lay a black small terminal, which was the control core of the Cradle System.

No one reached out to touch it.

The Secretary-General's hand hovered above the terminal, paused for three seconds, then retracted.

He turned his head to look at his deputy beside him; the deputy's face was paler than his.

The timer began in the lower right corner of the screen.

Eighteen hours.

After eighteen hours, the Cradle System was returned to Luo Ji's hands.

The sky screen's subtitles coldly gave an annotation.

【Within the eighteen hours after the UN senior officials took over the Cradle System, not a single person dared to actually touch the control terminal.】

【Because they realized that once their fingers touched it, they would become the next Luo Ji, a person capable of destroying both civilizations at any moment.】

【No one wanted to become that person.】

【And during those eighteen hours, the Trisolaran civilization did not take the opportunity to destroy the nuclear bomb chain.】

【Later historians unanimously agreed: this was the Trisolaran civilization's greatest strategic blunder.】

In the Trisolaran Universe, on the street outside PIA.

Cheng Xin stood by the road holding a cup of coffee, looking up at the sky screen.

Around her, passersby hurried by, most stopping to gaze at the image in that starry sky.

"Mutual annihilation……" Cheng Xin whispered the phrase.

Her brows furrowed slightly.

"This peace is built on the fear of both civilizations annihilating each other."

Her voice was very soft, as if she were speaking to herself,

"Is this really peace?"

She shook her head.

But immediately, her gaze softened.

"No matter what…… Mr. Luo Ji indeed bought humanity a breathing space."

"For this, I am sincerely grateful."

The sky screen continued to advance.

The scene switched to subsequent developments in the Deterrence Era. Holographic documents flashed across the screen.

【Under Luo Ji's deterrence, the Trisolaran civilization was forced to "friendly" transfer some technology to humanity.】

【The most critical of these——the gravitational wave broadcast system.】

【This system can directly broadcast coordinate signals into deep space, being more efficient and harder to defend against than the nuclear bomb chain.】

However, the next line of subtitles made the hearts of all myriad-world viewers clench.

【But humanity considered that the nuclear bomb chain, this "mutual annihilation" device, was too dangerous.】

【After the gravitational wave broadcast system was completed, humanity greatly reduced the scale of the deterrence broadcast system.】

【The reason was "civilization should not be built on the foundation of mutual destruction."】

When Cheng Xin saw this line of subtitles, she gave a slight nod.

"That's right."

She said softly,

"Mutual destruction is not the posture civilization should have."

"Humanity and Trisolaran civilization should make use of this peace to get to know and understand each other."

"Perhaps one day, deterrence will be unnecessary, and the two civilizations can coexist."

Her eyes were full of sincere expectation.

Wandering Earth Universe,

Navigator International Space Station.

Liu Peiqiang stared at the line of subtitles on the sky screen reading "Greatly reduced the deterrence broadcast system," and remained silent for five seconds.

Moss

Here

What do you think? Reducing the deterrent launch system.

Moss's answer had no pause.

Mr. Liu Peiqiang, my database contains records of 4,700 similar decisions in human history.

Among them, 93.6% of cases indicate that, as long as the enemy has not yet eliminated its threat capability.

Unilaterally reducing one's own deterrent force ultimately leads to catastrophic consequences.

Liu Peiqiang didn't speak.

In short,

Moss added,

The hidden danger of this action is extremely great.

Cybertron

Optimus Prime looked at Luo Ji standing in the UN hall, receiving applause from the whole world, as his blue optical sensors flickered.

Finally, peace has arrived.

His voice low and relieved: "Luo Ji deserves this honor."

Beside him, Megatron gave a cold chuckle.

Peace?

His metal fingers tapped the armrest.

No, it won't be that simple.

Optimus Prime turned his head.

Megatron stared at the words on the screen—"Significantly reduce the deterrent launch system"—his scarlet optical sensors rolling with contempt.

What are these carbon-based lifeforms doing? Luo Ji built the deterrent system with his life, and they just dismantle it?

He stood up.

Too naive. Too foolish.

Do they think they can be safe under Luo Ji's wings?

Do they think the enemy will lay down their weapons just because you show goodwill?

Megatron's voice was icy.

Four million stellar cycles of war tell me one thing.

You can survive not because of the enemy's mercy, but because your gun is bigger than theirs.

The screen continued to advance.

【Early Deterrent Era.】

In the screen, Luo Ji walked out of the UN headquarters building.

Both sides of the street were filled with cheering crowds.

Flowers were thrown from all directions, landing at his feet.

Children held up signs bearing Luo Ji's portrait; elders bowed to him.

A black sedan stopped at the roadside.

The car door opened.

A woman holding a little girl stepped out of the car.

Zhuang Yan

Luo Ji's steps stopped.

He looked at the woman standing by the car door, and the child in her arms who had grown up a lot.

Zhuang Yan smiled as she walked toward him.

Luo Ji opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

He quickly walked over and tightly embraced both of them.

Subtitles appeared on the screen.

【His wife Zhuang Yan and daughter returned to Luo Ji's side.】

【In the early years of the Deterrent Era, Luo Ji enjoyed all the glory of being hailed as 'the savior of humanity.'】

【He is the god of the whole world.】

But the screen did not linger too long in this warmth.

The screen gradually dimmed. When it brightened again, the tone changed.

It changed from warm tones to cold gray.

【However】

【The days of peace passed day by day.】

【Humanity began to forget fear.】

The screen switched quickly.

The timeline jumped rapidly on the screen.

Year 5 of the Deterrent Era.

Year 10.

Year 20.

Year 30.

The flowers on the street had disappeared.

The poster of Luo Ji's portrait was covered by a new advertisement.

Young people walked past the square where he had once given speeches, and no one looked up.

And the expressions on the faces of those who had once shouted "Long live the savior" were quietly changing.

A middle-aged woman posted on the community forum: "Have you ever thought about what we'd do if Luo Ji's switch failed? We'd all have to die with him?"

A university professor spoke emphatically on a TV program: "Deterrence is essentially a nuclear blackmail, tying the fate of all humanity to one person's heartbeat. Is that reasonable? Does it conform to the basic ethics of civilization?"

A young artist displayed a painting in the gallery.

The image showed Luo Ji's profile against a backdrop of a burning Earth.

The title was "Tyrant".

The sky-screen subtitles slowly appeared.

【Humans cannot tolerate living in the fear that "as long as this person dies, we're all doomed."】

【People saw Luo Ji as the Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads itself, not the wielder.】

【His very existence constantly reminded humanity of the humiliating history of being deterred by the "Lord."】

The image continued to switch.

A shabby room.

Luo Ji sat alone by the window; outside was a gray sky. His face had aged considerably.

A photo lay on the table.

A photo of Zhuang Yan and her daughter.

The sky-screen subtitles appeared.

【Luo Ji's wife Zhuang Yan, not long after the establishment of deterrence, took their daughter and left him forever.】

【Later generations speculated that Zhuang Yan could not bear to see Luo Ji gradually turn into a cold machine.】

【A person who was always ready to destroy two civilizations was no longer the man she knew, who would recite poetry to her in the snow.】

Luo Ji turned the photo over and pressed it face-down on the table.

His hand rested on his chest.

There was embedded a miniature device, the terminal of the cradle system, which had been implanted into his heart.

His heartbeat was the switch.

Each beat,

kept telling the Trisolaran civilization four light-years away:

I am still alive; do not act rashly.

The sky-screen subtitles continued.

【To ensure the absolute reliability of deterrence, Luo Ji had the cradle system implanted into his own heart.】

【He was no longer a politician, nor a scholar.】

【He was a living human bomb.】

【Humanity gave him a new title—Sword Bearer.】

The image jumped again.

More time passed.

The 40th year of the Deterrence Era.

The 50th year.

Luo Ji had grown old.

He wore a wrinkled gray coat, his beard stubbly, his hair white and disheveled.

He no longer had the youthful charm; his back was slightly bent, like an ordinary elderly wanderer.

No one recognized him.

Or rather, those who did recognize him took a detour.

A child on the street pointed at him and shouted, "Mom, that old man is scary!"

The mother pulled the child's hand and hurried away: "Don't look at him, stay away."

The sky-screen subtitles coldly summed up.

【The new generation of humanity, raised in peace, has forgotten the threat of Trisolaris.】

【They cannot understand Luo Ji's decision back then.】

【In their eyes, Luo Ji is an "anti-human" madman, a terrifying dictator who gambled the lives of all humanity.】

【The god humanity needs is warm, radiant, and omnipotent.】

【Not a gloomy old man in tattered clothes, silent and withdrawn, like a grave keeper.】

The image finally froze.

A holographic interface of a global vote.

The header read—

【National referendum: Should we elect a new Sword Bearer to replace Luo Ji?】

Vote result: In favor, 97.8%.

The sky-screen subtitles' last line appeared.

【In the 54th year of the Deterrence Era, humanity decided—to transfer control of deterrence from Luo Ji's hands.】

【The reason: a "tyrant" is unfit to wield the sword for humanity.】

The myriad-realm public screen fell silent for two seconds.

Then it exploded.

Dragon Ball world, King Kai's planet.

Wukong stood on the grass, his hands clenched into fists.

"Fifty-four years." He

He spoke this number, his expression unusually solemn.

"He guarded for fifty-four years."

"From a young man guarding, he became an old man."

"His wife and children are gone."

"The whole world forgot him."

"Then they voted to replace him."

Wukong turned his head, looking at Piccolo.

"Piccolo, I used to think Earthlings were just occasionally stupid."

His voice was somewhat hard.

"Now I think they are truly stupid."

Piccolo did not rebut.

Naruto world.

Sasuke stood on the stone statue's head of the Thousand Hand Pillar, his cloak fluttering.

His Copy Wheel Eye locked onto the hunchbacked old man on the firmament, wearing a tattered coat, walking the street avoided by everyone, Luo Ji.

Sasuke's pupils contracted sharply.

He recalled some things.

A teenager burdened with his clan's hatred walked alone onto the path of revenge.

He killed those who should be killed, did what should be done.

Finally he wanted to protect peace in his own way,

gathering all darkness and hatred onto himself,

becoming the enemy of the world, letting the remaining people unite through shared fear.

Revolution.

Dictator-style peace.

This was Sasuke Uchiha's idea at the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War.

And Luo Ji—did it.

Did what Sasuke couldn't do.

Then he was thrown away as trash by the people he had guarded for fifty-four years.

Sasuke's hand gripped the Grass-Cutting Sword.

He typed on the public screen.

The speed was fast, the force strong.

【Naruto World—Uchiha Sasuke】: I once said, to gather all the world's darkness onto myself, using fear to exchange for peace.

【Naruto World—Uchiha Sasuke】: Luo Ji did it. Fifty-four years. He alone bore the weight of two civilizations on his shoulders. His wife left him, his appearance aged, his name changed from hero to tyrant.

【Naruto World—Uchiha Sasuke】: Then the people he desperately protected, without even a thank you, want to kick him out.

【Naruto World—Uchiha Sasuke】: Humanity, you don't deserve to have him.

Galactic Human Federation, flagship of the Fourth Fleet.

Grand Marshal Sidney slammed the coffee cup in his hand onto the table, brown liquid splashing over the rim.

"Ridiculous."

She stood up, walked a few steps in the command hall, her face turning ashen.

"One person used fifty-four years of his life to guard civilization for you, and you just throw him away? And still call him a tyrant?"

She turned to the public screen and typed.

【Galactic Human Federation—Grand Marshal Sidney】: If Luo Ji were in the Human Federation, he would be the lifelong holder of the federation's highest military medal. His name would be engraved at the top of the federation's monument; anyone who dared to show him disrespect would be made to regret his birth by a court-martial.

【Galactic Human Federation—Grand Marshal Sidney】: You humans of the Three-Body Universe, you are not worthy to be his citizens.

On the firmament, the picture finally froze.

The old man in a gray tattered coat sat alone in an empty room.

Outside the window was a brightly lit city, people laughing, singing, celebrating the impending 'New Swordbearer Era'.

No one remembers that these lights can stay on because this old man's heart is still beating.

The last line of subtitles emerged from the darkness.

【New Swordbearer Candidate, selected through global auditions and UN deliberation, finally confirmed.】

【Her name is—】

【Cheng Xin.】

……