Cyber Heroes

My family won't let me.

Xiangshan never thought that an old professor with silver hair would actually say such things that only a child would say. He chuckled and almost laughed.

Huh? You don't believe it? Professor Jing felt a little funny when he saw this expression.

Xiang Shan nodded: Were you still studying at that time?

I've finished college and am staying in school. Professor Jing stirred the ketchup with French fries.

My parents don't like me playing games either, but as long as I use my salary to buy it, they won't say anything.

Times are different. In your era, playing games is not a particularly outrageous thing. Jing Hongtu said while eating French fries with waning interest: At that time, if I wanted to write science fiction novels, it would be politically wrong.

Well... Xiang Shan scratched his head: There is no need to write only those sharp things in science fiction novels...

Professor Jing shook his head: At that time, 'writing science fiction' itself was a mistake. I remember my first novel, I wrote a few pages of draft paper, and my father burned it.

Xiang Shan nodded: I think I've heard of it...

It seems that there is such a thing.

He looked at Professor Jing and said, A family like yours must be careful...

What nonsense. Jing Hongtu frowned, a little unhappy: Xiang Shan, you don't think I just compromised like this, do you?

Having said this, what else could Xiang Shan do? He shook his head and said, No, no.

My father told me, how is he going to go out and meet people? What about my brother? I told him at that time that if he couldn't accept it, then I could write him a statement to sever ties.

Xiang Shan took a breath: This...

I'm not just for this one thing. Jing Hongtu waved his hand holding the French fries, and dropped a drop of ketchup, splashing a ball of red on the plate: Actually, when I was a teenager, I wanted to That's what I did. When I was watching The Torrent Trilogy when I was a child, I felt the same way - I thought I was living in a big family in the old society! I have long wanted to divide those big families.

Since he lost the external thinking circuit of search engine, Xiangshan spent a few seconds recalling the high school Chinese knowledge of The Torrent Trilogy. He probably remembered that this was a novel written by Ba Jin about the decline of a certain feudal family.

I can imagine your childhood.

Jing Hongtu sighed: It's a pity. My mother hugged me and cried, asking me why I was so ruthless. She is a very traditional working woman, and she doesn't seem to care about those principles at all. She only cares about the needs of the family. A round reunion' - nothing else to ask for! Typical small farmer mentality.

You haven't compromised yet? Then why did you give up on this path? Xiang Shan was a little surprised. From Professor Jing's tone, he lacked approval of his mother's behavior.

No, my mother persuaded me to quit. Jing Hongtu shook his head: I can say that she has the past small farmer mentality. But she is still my mother after all. She only has so few requirements, how can I not satisfy her? Woolen cloth?

In 1991, the World Science Fiction Association held its annual conference in Chengdu. I didn't give up at that time, so I took a train for a day and a night. But after I came back, my father told me that if I had a PEN meeting with those unknown overseas people, then It’s a worldwide embarrassment.”

This is really... Xiang Shan nodded: After all, that era...

Jing Hongtu shook his head: It may not be much better now... At this point, the old man turned his head and looked out the window: But now, maybe things are different.

Xiang Shan followed his gaze. It is now night, and the white tent is hidden in the night, but its outline can be vaguely seen.

An alien traveler... Xiang Shan said: If it contains technology that can help humans get out of trouble...

No, no need. Jing Hongtu smiled: It is enough for it to appear here. This fact alone can bring changes to this lifeless world.

Xiang Shan nodded: Well, what you said this morning is that the way our next generation looks at the universe may be completely different from ours... That's so good. Now, the concept of 'alien' is very important to us. , seems like an easy thing to imagine.”

Yes, that's it. Jing Hongtu nodded: He is a science fiction writer after all. You have raised a good sociological topic - when 'alien' becomes a thing with a specific concept, human society How will it develop? You must know that the fact that 'Ogun' appears is a transformation of the common imagination of mankind.

Shared imagination?

This is an anthropological concept. Jing Hongtu said: We humans have an amazing ability called 'joint imagination.' One person can fictionalize a non-existent concept and convey it to another person . Then, a human group can jointly imagine a fictional concept through language - such as religion, such as God.

To give another more intuitive example. There is no such thing as a 'national border' on the earth. However, everyone feels that such a thing as a 'national border' should exist. So, for humans, national borders The lines really exist. It's just that animals can still travel between borders at will - because for them, borders don't exist. They can't see things that humans can imagine.

Xiang Shan nodded.

And just by saying that the concept of aliens is within reach, I think it can bring about twenty years of peace.

Xiang Shan scratched his head: Teacher Jing, what you said is a bit mysterious...

how?

We have to talk about some materialism. Xiang Shan said: It is the economic foundation that determines the superstructure. If we don't dismantle the technology inside, its impact on human society will be limited anyway, right?

Xiang Shan, you are a typical dogmatist. Apart from taking exams, you haven't studied much in this area, right? Jing Hongtu shook his head.

Xiang Shanguai said sheepishly: I'm doing something wrong in my class. I'm an engineering student, so I can't compare with you liberal arts guys in this aspect...

Jing Hongtu sighed: It is a good thing to concentrate on the academics of this major. But you should also dabble in at least one or two other professional knowledge. I think this will help to form a poetic understanding of the world as a whole...

Pfft... Xiang Shan couldn't help but laugh: I'm sorry, Teacher Jing... Well, although I write some novels, I'm not a poet.

This 'poetic nature' is not the 'poet's interest' or 'the interest in writing poetry' in the daily context, but a way of thinking other than 'loving wisdom'. Jing Hongtu was very patient: This This 'poetic understanding' may not be useful for your research and work, but it allows you to see the various interests in daily life, which can be regarded as spiritual motivation to assist you in moving forward.

Xiang Shan nodded: You continue.

Jing Hongtu pointed to the tent: Then let me say this, Xiangshan, the arrival of this thing may postpone the world war of mankind for decades. It is just the fact that 'it is here'.

Xiang Shan thought for a moment: When Director Hu was talking just now, he really emphasized that now is a time of peace...

Yes, because it fell here, there won't be a big war in a short time.

But we can only postpone it. Xiang Shan was puzzled.

This is already a very terrible thing. Jing Hongtu shook his head: Xiang Shan, the modern society you are familiar with is actually very fragile. In the 1970s - less than thirty years after the war, The West once again fell into an economic crisis. Anyone familiar with history knows what may happen after the economic crisis. However, the birth of information technology and the industrial revolution drove industrial upgrading. As a result, this fragile modern society continued to develop.

In the 1990s, the financial crisis happened again. This time, the big guys devoured Japan's 'future' for more than half a year, and then encountered the disintegration of the Red Alliance - wow, a blank market suddenly appeared, and overproduction was alleviated. Every member of modern society is supported by eating the corpse of Big Brother.

Then the next economic crisis occurred in 2009 - in fact, mankind did not survive this economic crisis well. Countries around the world are shrinking, turning to xenophobia, and directing internal pressure against their neighbors. Carefully recall modern and contemporary history , you will find that the surrounding atmosphere has probably changed around that time.

Until 2021, natural and man-made disasters almost destroyed the world market. In recent years, the atmosphere has been close to the Cold War.

Jing Hongtu took a sip of juice and said: So, Xiangshan, even World War II, which almost destroyed the faith of a generation, can only keep mankind peaceful for thirty years. This 'Alien Voyager' can allow mankind What a great thing it is to have more peace for a few decades. This is equivalent to a comprehensive industrial revolution! If a new industrial revolution occurs in human society in the past few decades, then the history of this 'modern society' , you can get another twenty or thirty years!

This angle is indeed very convincing. Xiangshan could only nod: Well, if the potential benefits of 'Ogun' can tempt the big powers to sit back on the negotiating table, then peace can indeed continue.

This is still feudal thinking and a heroic view of history.