Chapter 317: Fatal Flaw
Meng Chao’s mind raced. He now had a general gist of what was going on.
He also understood why Gao Ye chose to kill Xie Xiaolei.
In the past, they were business partners. Gao Ye might have been talented in biochemical modification technology, but he was not skilled in managing a company or fighting in the business field.
He needed Xie Xiaolei to manage Spirit Creation Creatures and provide an endless stream of funds for his research.
But now, Spirit Creation Creatures had seized the deal for Subway No.20 and an even wider market was now open before their eyes. As long as Gao Ye believed that his skills were good enough, even if Xie Xiaolei was not around and another manager rose up, they could still keep the company running.
Because of that, Xie Xiaolei no longer had any value, but was a roadblock in Gao Ye’s plan to conduct further research, so making him disappear from the world was the best choice.
But as he continued thinking about this, Meng Chao found that there was still something he did not understand. “I don’t get it. I won’t talk about the relationship you share with Xie Xiaolei after being friends and business partners with him for years and just talk about the fact that killing is a risky move. Was there really a need for you to take this path and continue down with it even though it’s wrong?
“You created Spirit Creation Creatures, and you’re the second largest shareholder. You also have the core skills. No matter how bad you are at communicating, you must have some friends in the field and know a few rich and powerful investors.
“If you really couldn’t compromise in terms of your ideals, you could have just split up. You could take your shares and build your own place. It’s not as if it’s impossible for you to build a second lab.
“If the consciousness transferring technology that you mentioned was really good and beneficial to Dragon City and the people, you wouldn’t be worried about not being able to find any investors. Why did you have to commit such a major crime and put yourself at such a disadvantageous position?”
This question seemed to have struck Gao Ye where it hurt.
He was silent for a long time, to the point that Meng Chao thought he was not going to speak.
Then, he said softly, “No one will invest in it.”
“Why?” Meng Chao asked.
“Because you’re right. The current consciousness transferring technology is not perfect. It’s not as good as I said. It still has a fatal flaw.” Gao Ye sighed. “The human self or soul is an incredibly profound thing. Even if I have been pouring my soul into uncovering what it is over the past ten years, I still can’t see its full form.
“You know that all information faces some sort of interference during the transferring process, no matter what sort of method you use to do the transfer. It still goes through a certain degree of distortion and damage.
“When sending normal information, 1% of distortion and damage is not much.
“But to souls, even if they go through a one in a one hundred thousand degree of distortion or damage, there is a possibility that they will go through a complete change.
“Meanwhile, if the material itself gives birth to consciousness and also determines what sort of consciousness you have, then the human consciousness must come from the human brain. No matter how fully developed a soul is, when it is transferred to a monster brain, it will be affected by the beast’s brain.
“Of course we can use all sorts of biochemical modification technology to modify the biochemical beast’s brain to make them similar to a human brain, but as long as there is the slightest difference, it will inevitably interfere with the human consciousness.
“The worst thing is, with the current technology, after the human consciousness leaves the human brain, we are unable to keep the human brain fresh for long periods of time. I know that we can submerge the human body in nutritional fluid and use something similar to hibernation to ensure long-lasting activity of the brain so that the soul can return, but if the consciousness is repeatedly transferred, it will constantly go through friction and overriding of information, which will definitely result in irreversible damage to the brain. In the end, the brain’s self-defense mechanism will be activated, and the neural ports will all be shut...”
“Wait. I’m a little confused now,” Meng Chao said. “Director Gao, you’re talking about the consequences that will be caused by the current consciousness transferring technology, right?”
“Based on my calculations and experiments, the end result is that once the human consciousness creeps into a biochemical beast’s brain, the human will be subtly influenced ]by the biochemical beast,” Gao Ye said with a sigh. “Around 99% of the biochemical beast’s consciousness would be overridden, but the remaining 1% will include the beast’s murderous instincts, and they will invade the human consciousness, which will affect human thought and their sense of self.
“It’s not difficult to understand this. When your consciousness creeps into a monster’s body and you see through a monster’s eyes, hear through its ears, roar with its throat, tear apart a prey with its claws, and perceive the world through the ways of a monster, your thought process will naturally become different from before.”
Meng Chao thought about it. “Makes sense. But it’s not something that can’t be solved. For example, an engineer who operates huge construction machines every day. They don’t work twenty-four hours a day. Based on your thoughts, normal people should only spend from three to five hours a day to transfer their consciousness to a monster brain for either work or fighting. Once they’re done, they can go back to their bodies and enjoy their lives. If that’s the case, I don’t think their sense of self is going to be affected.”
“I told you that all manner of transferring of information will result in the information being damaged, and repeated transfers will cause the neural ports in the human port to be damaged or shut,” Gao Ye said in a gloomy fashion. “Let me put it bluntly. With our current technology, if a human transfers his soul completely to a biochemical beast’s brain, he will no longer be able to go back.”
Meng Chao spent ten seconds to ponder over what Gao Ye meant by not being able to come back.
“Then, what about his original body and brain?” he asked stiffly.
“Brain will die, or the body will enter a comatose state. I don’t know. The results I told you are based on calculations and deductions,” Gao Ye said.
Meng Chao thought about it. “Then, this human’s soul will only be able to stay in the monster’s body?”
“Yes. He might have to forever live as a monster.”
“Then, his consciousness will be invaded by the monster brain, and his knowledge of his sense of self will begin deviating...” Meng Chao gulped. “And he might even go through amentia?”
“Even if he doesn’t go through the invasion of the monster brain, if a human soul is to forever be trapped in a monster’s body, the possibility of him going through amentia will still be very high,” Gao Ye said. “Now, you should understand why I cannot look for any investors, right? This research goes past the limits of human morality and ethics.
“I know that ever since Dragon City transmigrated, many people awakened to supernatural powers after facing the persecution of viruses and zombies. Because of it, our ethics and morals have changed from what they were on Earth.
“But regardless of how our ethics and morals have changed, transferring a human soul forever into a monster brain will never be acknowledged and understood. Even if I can find a volunteer, no investor will support my crazy research.
“You always run into setbacks when doing research. There is a high chance that the volunteer’s spirit will be sealed in the monster’s brain. As he faces stimulation from the monster’s nervous system, he will probably experience amentia, and his sense of self will become twisted. He will lose all of it in time.
“Once this matter enters the public eye, it will definitely cause the entire city to rise up. The public opinion will tear me and the investor to shreds. The people will believe that we’re demons who toy with souls and deranged lunatics who want to turn humans into monsters
“Tell me. Who will take a risk to invest in such research? Besides, my biggest goal in developing consciousness transferring technology is to let normal humans reach a balance with superhumans.
“If I accept the investment from the rich and powerful mega corporations, before this technology is fully developed, it will end up in their hands. They will either shelf it or will think of a way to break the balance so they can become even more powerful. There will be no balance to speak of then.
“Hence, I don’t want to accept just anyone’s investment. I don’t want any information about this technology going out, either. I must be in control of the direction and resources of Spirit Creation Creatures so that I can carry out secret research. Once this technology is fully developed and the flaws I just mentioned disappear, I will announce it to the public.
“At that time, even if my reputation is destroyed, at the very least, there is a possibility that this technology will spread out and the normal people will have a weapon to keep the superhumans in check.
“What I just said is the missing truth behind the case of the murderous pets in Blessed Paradise. Meng Chao, I didn’t hide anything from you, but I don’t believe that you will spare me. I just hope that my beliefs have planted a seed in your heart.
“After this matter ends, I hope that you will think about how the 1% of superhumans should coexist with the 99% of normal humans of our population. Then, you would think about how we should push human civilization to new heights instead of acting like a brute and treating me like a lunatic, crazy maniac, and a demon, alright?
Gao Ye looked at Meng Chao expectantly.
“Sure. You might not believe it, but I’m a pretty open-minded person. I can accept all sorts of strange theories, and I’m not against turning them into reality. But no matter how bad the future you spoke of is, it’s all just speculation,” Meng Chao said.
“Director Gao, I really want to continue talking to you but unfortunately, we don’t have much time left. How about this? Give me the contact information, address, official website, chat group, or whatever for your organization, and I’ll have a chat with the people in the organization. How does that sound?
“By the way, does your organization recruit new people? They shouldn’t look down on a good youth like me who is talented, outstanding, has an open mind, and worries about the country, right?”
Gao Ye laughed. “Meng Chao, you’re very funny. If it were another time or place, we might have really become friends.”
“Alright, then let me give you a word of advice as your friend. There’s no need for you to put up a resistance. You should surrender and tell what you just told me to the court,” Meng Chao said. “This case is very strange, so I believe that the judges won’t be the only ones interested in it. The news media and all the netizens who love watching the world burn will be very interested in it as well. You don’t have to worry about not being able to find anyone who understands you.
“As for your consciousness transferring technology, you can bring it to the biochemical modification circle in Agricultural University and talk about it. Since you want to plant ‘seeds’, you need to do it in an upright manner and let the sun shine on your ideas. Then, they will be able to grow and become towering trees, right?”
“That’s right. I should surrender. When faced with a youngster as adorable as you, I shouldn’t... push the matter to an undignified result.” Gao Ye sighed. “Look at me. You should know that I don’t fear death nor am I afraid of how the world sees me. I don’t care about the judgment of the court, the dark cells, the bullets of justice piercing me, or my reputation being completely ruined. If I can spread my beliefs, surrendering and speaking pa.s.sionately in court might be the best choice.
“But unfortunately, even if you end up looking at me in disdain, I have no other choice. Compared to surrendering, I have something more important to do.”
Warning bells rang in Meng Chao’s mind. “What is it?”
“The research,” Gao Ye said with a smile. “This will be the first and last time I will use the consciousness transferring technology, and it will be an experiment conducted at full capacity, even going into overload.”