The monkeys were very hungry and wanted to taste the fruit. They first collected many carcasses of small animals on the shore and threw them at the snake tree. The snake tree kept eating them. After an hour, it was finally full and stopped eating the carcasses. It quietly swayed its branches in the wind, as if asleep.
At the top of the tree, more red fruits emerged. Soon, a dozen fruits turned purple, ripened, and fell to the ground. A bold monkey ran over, grabbed a fruit, and scurried back, then cracked it open and ate.
The fruit was exceptionally sweet, and the monkeys became addicted. However, by nightfall, the monkeys that had eaten the fruit began to fall ill with high fever and splitting headaches. If someone were to scan a monkey during its fever, they would find that its neurons were rapidly increasing in number and size, with countless synapses connecting to form a more complex structure within its brain.
The next morning, the monkeys that had eaten the fruit recovered from their fever. They wearily got up and suddenly felt that the world looked different. They began to ponder things they had never considered before, such as the meaning of monkey life, their aspirations, the world, and destiny. As they thought, these monkeys realized they seemed to have become smarter. Was it the effect of the snake tree fruit?
So, the intelligent monkeys went to feed the snake tree with dead animals again, and then picked and ate the fruit. That night, the high fever arrived as expected, and the neurons in their brains mutated again. However, the feverish monkeys were not manic. Instead, their eyes shone brightly as they gazed at the night sky, enduring the headaches while contemplating what those stars truly were and whether it was possible to build a tall tower to reach them and pluck them down as night lights.
The intelligent monkeys became dependent on the snake tree, catching dead fish to feed it every day and becoming smarter by relying on the snake tree fruit.
The monkeys with greatly increased intelligence began to create tools. They used stones to build fish fences by the water and to construct houses that sheltered them from wind and rain. The intelligent monkeys even developed agreed-upon languages. Initially, they used branches to draw on the ground to describe events. For instance, if they caught two fish today, they would draw two small fish. The drawings gradually became simpler, evolving into written characters.
The offspring of the intelligent monkeys were also very intelligent, and civilization began to emerge. In just three hundred years, the monkeys established their first city, cultivated large numbers of animals and plants, and food was no longer a problem. They also possessed spears and bows and arrows that no wild beast could overcome. The monkeys became the first dominant species on the virtual planet. Of course, the snake tree became a sacred tree, and the monkeys cultivated a vast snake tree forest that produced tens of thousands of snake fruits daily.
The monkeys' physiques also underwent drastic changes. Their heads doubled in size, and their necks became thicker. The average intelligence of the monkeys surpassed 180 and was still rising.
Mathematics and physics became the subjects of the monkeys' dedicated research. Since food was not an issue, millions of monkeys spent their days deriving mathematical formulas. Two-year-old monkeys could already calculate calculus, and some elder monkeys had proven Goldbach's Conjecture and the Navier-Stokes equations, pushing towards more profound mathematical theories. Achievements in the arts were equally abundant, with literary works emerging continuously. Some cliffs featured exquisite sculptures and magnificent murals.
Then one day, a type of chlamydia attacked the snake trees.
The snake trees were planted densely, and they were wiped out within a single year. The monkeys were greatly alarmed. They did not understand why the snake trees had suddenly withered and died. Despite their high level of mathematical achievement, they were unaware of the existence of chlamydia.
Without the snake fruits, the monkeys' intelligence began to plummet, and each subsequent generation had smaller brains.
Two hundred years later, the monkeys had returned to their ancestral form.
If you visit the virtual planet today, you can find the ruins of cities in some deep mountains. You can also find millions of exquisitely carved texts on the mountain rocks, but the meaning of these texts has been lost. Some foolish monkeys wander in the nearby mountains, living a primitive life of eating wild fruits and fearing wild beasts. Occasionally, some monkeys pause before the texts on the mountain rocks, but the strange patterns fill them with fear.
On one particular rock face, a partial branch of the universe's ultimate theory is carved, only one step away from completion. The monkey civilization's understanding of space and time had advanced to the point where they could conceive of warp drives and time travel.
Jiang Senlin's letter was finished.
Jiang Ye hissed, "Wife, what do you think?"
"Not bad, the imagination is decent," Cen Yemeng nodded. "But it's not quite a mature science fiction novel yet."
"Our son's brain is indeed better than mine," Jiang Ye sighed. "You and our daughter are both smart, which makes me seem so dull."
"Silly husband," Cen Yemeng chuckled. "Fortunately, our son inherited my genes."
"Yes, fortunately, our son takes after you," Jiang Ye agreed.
"With such an intelligent child, do you want another one?" Cen Yemeng hugged her husband's neck.
"That's a must!"
...
Jiang Ye Star Military Officer University, Accelerated Program Class 1.
The students at the military academy had a different demeanor. All wore military green shirts, sat upright, and stared intently at the blackboard. Their movements were synchronized, as if copied and pasted.
There was no helping it; the rules at Jiang Ye Star Military Officer University were like this. The accelerated program strictly followed military discipline. Classes were conducted like formal meetings. Any student caught dozing off or slouching would be punished with two hundred push-ups. Initially, the students in the class sat in various postures, but after a few punishments, everyone became alert.
The female teacher on the podium, however, was quite casual. She wore a soft red sweater and her belly was noticeably round, indicating she was several months pregnant.
Pei Lu, a lecturer with full divisional treatment, had a rule for her posting at the school: her rank would be increased by half a level from her original rank. This meant that before becoming a teacher, Pei Lu was at the level of a deputy division commander in the military.
"The monthly exam results are out," Pei Lu said, holding her phone. "Oh dear, our class didn't do well. Only one student passed. Guess who it is?"
All the students in the class turned their heads to look at a seat by the window.
Yu Xiangyang sat still, ignoring the attention of the entire class, quietly awaiting the results.
"Why is everyone looking at Yu Xiangyang? Yu Xiangyang, you're quite calm too. Do you feel like you're still the top student this time?" Pei Lu shook her head and smiled. "Things in the world aren't always the same. Those who used to be first might not be first this time."
The students in the class were stunned and bewildered.
If it wasn't Yu Xiangyang, who else could it be?
One or two students' eyes lit up slightly, a flicker of hope igniting in their hearts.
Yu Xiangyang remained seated, his expressionless gaze fixed on the teacher, more composed than stone.