Chapter 8: Trisolaran scientists collectively commit suicide

Trisolaran civilization, Academy of Sciences.

"Physics!"

"Physics does not exist!"

Sharp, shrill thought whistle tore apart the absolute silence of the Academy of Sciences.

That was the greatest scientist of the Trisolaran civilization, No. 3056, who, after his faith completely collapsed, emitted a desperate howl.

This thought wave, like a nuclear bomb dropped into a calm lake, instantly triggered a chain reaction.

Not just him.

Within the entire Academy of Sciences, all Trisolaran scientists, whether physics grandmasters, molecular biology titans, or chemistry elites, at this moment, their thoughts all fell into stagnation and chaos.

The scientific edifice they built their whole lives,

that impregnable hall of logic,

Before the concept of 'light-particle lifeform',

was ground into the most primitive powder.

Heaven, collapsed.

"Wrong…… we were wrong from the beginning……"

A scientist responsible for high-energy physics research, its thought process began to flicker violently, data streams chaotic beyond bearing.

"The curvature we pursued, the water droplet we pride ourselves on, before a god capable of flesh-light-speed and tearing space with bare hands, is merely a joke!"

"We have mis-pointed the tech tree; we are wanderers lost in the universe!"

A plague named despair, spreading faster than light speed, permeates the thought cores of all scientists.

They exhausted the civilization's wisdom, spent countless generations' blood and sweat,

All they pursued, before the display of the sky curtain, appears so ridiculous, so primitive.

If beings like Ultraman truly exist.

Then what are they, the Trisolaran civilization?

And what of the research they pride themselves on?

A terrifying thought simultaneously sprouted in the minds of countless Trisolaran scientists.

Suicide.

Since the path is wrong, existence is laughable, what necessity is there to continue?

The sky curtain's video, like a precise scalpel, completely shattered their long-held belief.

Scientists are not afraid of hardship; they fear most a broken Dao heart.

Most fear that a lifetime of research is merely a wrong path, merely a detour!

Such a terrifying fact makes it impossible for them to bear!

……

Trisolaran fleet, command center.

That administrator who previously mocked Ultraman's mis-pointed tech tree has now gone completely mute.

Its thought form stiffened, as if frozen at absolute zero.

A lifeform composed of light particles?

This conclusion, like a red-hot iron awl, pierced all its cognition.

It cannot process, nor comprehend.

"Am I…… wrong?"

Its thought fluctuation, for the first time, carried bitterness and trembling.

"Perhaps, the race named Ultraman is walking the correct path?"

Once this thought arises, it can no longer be suppressed.

Not just it.

From Ultraman disregarding the dark forest law and exposing its home, to rubbing out tens of thousands of degrees temperature by hand, then to flesh light-speed travel, hand-rubbed wormholes.

The pride of the Trisolaran civilization was trampled again and again, ground to dust.

And now, the sky curtain, with an inconceivable conclusion, tells them that the other party is not even a 'player' of the same dimension.

The huge impact turned into a despair wave capable of submerging the entire civilization.

In order to escape the tyranny of three suns,

spare no effort crossing the four-light-year dead sea of stars,

preparing to seize a blue planet.

But this damned sky curtain tells them that in the universe, there exists a 'god'.

How can they accept this?

The Leader felt the despair permeating the entire civilization.

He had just recovered from the backup life-support device, the cracks on his thought form not yet fully repaired.

But he forcibly suppressed the surging urge to dehydrate deep within his thought core.

As Leader, he cannot collapse.

At least, not now.

Survival is the civilization's first need,

This axiom is firmly kept in its heart.

As Leader, it bears the duty to shoulder the responsibility for the continuation of the entire Trisolaran civilization!

Thus,

He immediately issued the highest order, the thought wave carrying an irresistible majesty, echoing in the mind of every Trisolaran.

"All units, calm your thoughts, maintain basic operation!"

Immediately, he had no hesitation, personally projecting his thought, descending to the very center of the chaos, the Science Academy.

Inside the Science Academy,

Countless scientists have already begun the dehydration procedure,

preparing to turn themselves into a pile of inorganic fiber.

The Leader's thought form, like a black sun, suddenly appeared above the Science Academy.

He was not angry, nor did he rebuke.

He merely used a cold, emotionless thought wave,

hurling a series of questions at all the scientists on the brink of collapse.

"All you cowards intending to escape, listen up!"

"This Ultraman civilization is merely the tenth in the survey."

"Besides the Land of Light, there will be nine other different civilizations."

"Are you just planning to finish this in one go and abandon this mess?"

"Aren't you curious about the other nine civilizations?"

"As the top scientific elites of our Trisolaran civilization, if even you are just a bunch of cowards who want to commit suicide upon seeing the gap......"

"Then our Trisolaran civilization truly has no need to continue!"

This question caused some of the scientists undergoing dehydration to pause momentarily.

The Leader's relentless questioning did not cease.

"Judging from the sky-screen footage, we still only half-understand this Ultraman civilization."

"Aren't you curious what kind of environment could give birth to such a pure light‑source lifeform?"

"Aren't you curious what physical laws, still unknown to us, govern the light particles that make up their bodies?"

"Aren't you curious about their social structure, civil ideals, and what technological achievements beyond warfare they possess that we cannot imagine?"

"Is there really not even a shred of their scientific technology and existing ideas that could be useful to our Trisolaran civilization?"

"We, why should we flee?"

"Why not learn… and surpass?!"

A barrage of questions, like thunderclaps, exploded in the core of every scientist's mind!

Yes.

Curiosity.

Competitiveness.

This is the most primal driving force behind the Trisolaran civilization's development to date.

The exploration of the unknown is an instinct etched deep into their genes.

They have long existed in the purgatory star system of three suns, with nowhere left to retreat.

The outcome could not be worse.

But while death is simple, giving up the exploration of the unknown is more painful than death for a scientist!

Only by learning, researching, and surpassing

will they have a better future.

will the Trisolaran civilization also continue to thrive.

Every word of the Leader struck precisely at the scientists' "itch point".

The scientists preparing to commit suicide saw their dehydration process slowly halt.

Their chaotic thought data streams began to regain order.

The despairing silence was replaced by a fervor called "quest for knowledge".

The Leader hovered silently, looking down upon the scientists as the "flame of life" reignited below.

He successfully quelled this massive upheaval that could shake the foundations of civilization.

But deep within his own thought, a greater surge arose.

He soothed others—but who will soothe him?

The civilization known as Ultraman was like an insurmountable giant mountain, weighing heavily upon his thought.

The Leader's thought form slowly turned toward the giant light screen still hanging in the sky.