Chapter 198 They Have to Pay It Back Sooner or Later

After learning the specifics from the three heads of state, Han Xiao did not continue to participate in their "guess the mole" brainstorming session. He dismissed the remote projection and turned to the front-line research institute.

As soon as he walked into the laboratory hall filled with instruments, he smelled the anxious and flustered atmosphere in the air. Countless researchers were rushing back and forth, decoding the encoded particles with sweat on their brows.

"Your Excellency Black Star, Chief Mabruss has given me secret orders. Please come with me."

An officer who had been waiting for a long time immediately greeted him and led Han Xiao into the corridor.

Before long, the two arrived at a private laboratory. An expert group was also working on decoding, but unlike the simple decoding of encoded particle content outside, this place was also responsible for finding the technical characteristics of the encoded particles. As soon as the door opened, Han Xiao heard the endless arguments inside.

"...The structural deviation value of this particle is obviously too high, forming a typical three-branch ratio with the Marwell reading. It has the characteristics of the Capok warp technology and the Siber space conversion. It is definitely based on the application of the third theoretical model of particle spatial science!"

"It's just similar! You ignored the wrinkles of dimension conversion and the characteristics of nuclear force decay. This is obviously a technology that the three major civilizations have already eliminated!"

Han Xiao turned his head and saw the expert group gathered around the experiment table, arguing over the readings on the instrument.

The same theory can be extended into various applications, all roads leading to Rome. Although some technologies are similar in appearance and final results, there are many differences in the actual usage process. To understand it in a less accurate but simpler way, it is roughly equivalent to the difference between stroke order and calligraphy fonts. For example, the character "hui" has four ways of writing, and there is naturally more than one way to modify particles...

By studying these technical characteristics, the specific technology used in the encoded particles can be reverse-engineered. This is also the focus of the current research, trying to narrow the scope of suspicion through the technology used by the encoded particles.

Han Xiao did not hide his footsteps and strode over. Only then did the expert group realize that there was an outsider. Seeing that it was Han Xiao, they bowed their heads respectfully.

He glanced at the encoded particles suspended on the experiment table and waved his hand.

"Alright, stop arguing, let me see what's going on."

"If you need anything, please feel free to order us."

The experts had no objection and retreated to the side, obediently giving up the experiment table behind them.

Black Star was not only the strongest individual force in the Star Sea, sitting on an equal footing with the three heads of state, but also one of the most powerful scientists. Those engaged in scientific research had always been sincerely convinced by Black Star. Half of the people present were his admirers. They were usually respected senior researchers, but at this time they were willing to act as assistants.

Han Xiao glanced at the readings and conducted a study of the encoded particles from beginning to end. He quickly analyzed the various data in his mind and soon locked on several technologies, his expression changing slightly.

As far as he knew, these technologies seemed to be used by members of the Super Star Cluster Alliance, but the possibility of other forces imitating them could not be ruled out.

'If judged normally, the suspicion of the Super Star Cluster Alliance would further increase, but it may also be a deliberate frame-up... In that case, it is more like an internal traitor of the intergalactic society.'

Han Xiao's mind raced. He released his machinery force, connected the encoded particles, and suddenly used \[Audacious Seeker].

Buzz!

Han Xiao's vision suddenly changed, and he came to a research institute with a completely different style. Many researchers were operating.

A huge device was buzzing and running. One by one, the particles were unfolded in low dimensions, recorded with information, and then restored, turning into formed encoded particles, all injected into three white cylindrical containers.

He could not control the perspective and closely followed the movement of the three white cylinders. He saw the white cylinders loaded into a briefcase and sent to a recess in a material transfer device.

The next moment, his vision shifted again, and he had already arrived at a secret underground base, seeing another material transfer device. Then, a light flashed, and the white briefcase was transferred. Several lifeforms stepped forward to open it, revealing the white cylinders inside.

At this time, the field of vision changed again, coming to a space in the universe. A blue-black wormhole opened in front of him, and then the three white cylinders were thrown into it, passing through the colorful space tunnel, flying out from the other end of the wormhole. Then, the three white cylinders suddenly burst into heat and light, exploding on their own, releasing a wave of energy, and the encoded particles loaded inside were all ejected.

In the last scene of the picture, a World Tree exploration team wrapped in green light appeared in the distance.

The illusion came to an abrupt end, like ripples on a water mirror, and Han Xiao's vision returned to normal.

"It seems that these are the various links from the creation of these encoded particles to their interception by the World Tree..."

Han Xiao's eyes flickered.

Although the illusion provided by \[Audacious Seeker] did not involve specific locations, Han Xiao had basically determined that this was the work of a third party. There was no other reason than the researchers who appeared in the fleeting glimpse in the illusion were all unfamiliar species that he had never seen before, and among the personnel receiving the white briefcase by material transfer, there was a race that should have disappeared in history long ago.

"The Lorks, the intelligent species of the Lork Civilization... The Lork Civilization, the losers of the Exploration Era, destroyed by the three major civilizations, should have been annihilated..."

Han Xiao pulled out the information, lost in thought, constructing various possibilities in his mind.

From this point of view, the Lork Civilization had continued to exist, and their goal should be revenge. Moreover, they were not fighting alone, and had found helpers. Those intelligent species had never appeared in the history of the three major civilizations, so they should be alien civilizations.

Judging from the detail of the information in the encoded particles, this alien civilization should have been lurking and peeping in the explored universe for many years, and seemed to have never been discovered.

'Tsk, another old enemy from the Exploration Era. The three major civilizations are constantly paying for their past deeds...'

Han Xiao subconsciously rubbed his fingertips.

In the World Tree War of his previous life, this alien civilization did not show up, and seemed to have never interfered in the war's direction. Now, however, they had taken the initiative to stab the three major civilizations in the back, perhaps because the alien civilization was in a different situation in different timelines, or perhaps the situation in his previous life did not require their intervention... Of course, Han Xiao was not sure whether this alien civilization had taken action in his previous life; the player community had not mastered the relevant information.

"Seeing that the three major civilizations have the upper hand, they want to undermine our strategy, dismantle our advantages, and help the World Tree fully invade us... There is both revenge by using a knife to kill and the intention of muddying the waters, wanting to hide in the dark and watch the tigers fight, with the snipe and clam locked in struggle, benefiting the fisherman. Tsk, their intentions are sinister."

Han Xiao secretly guessed the alien civilization's motives while pondering a solution.

Although he had confirmed that a third party was playing tricks, he did not know the other party's location and could not follow the vine to find the melon. If he searched ostentatiously, it was likely that the alien civilization would withdraw all its lurking personnel, completely cutting off the clues.

Moreover, without evidence, it would not be easy to convince the three major rogues. Although, with his own status, even without evidence, the heads of the three major civilizations would still value his words, but now that even he was suspected, his credibility would naturally be discounted, and the three heads of state would at most be half-believing.

\[Information State Annihilation] could see the connecting threads, but this thing was a destructive skill. It could not see the specific situation, and did not have the function of tracing back to the source. Even if he erased this batch of encoded particles, the World Tree would probably have others, making it impossible to resolve this situation. After all, this skill erased the "individual," not an entire "concept" or "collective." It would not be the case that after killing one or two people, others would forget the entire human race.

In fact, the effect of \[Information State Annihilation] was very "precise," and would not have too much impact on other information unrelated to the target. Therefore, for a split part in a similar whole, the effect of this move would be rather peculiar.

If he used \[Information State Annihilation] on the encoded particles in front of him, Han Xiao estimated that the result would be that the three heads of state would remember that he had taken some things for research, but would forget that he was researching encoded particles, and the experts present would also not remember what they were researching before. The instrument readings records would also be cleared.

If he "erased" the other encoded particles intercepted by the three major civilizations, Han Xiao felt that the result would probably be that the three major civilizations would forget the existence of the encoded particles, but remember that "something" revealed the secret of the mole leaking information. On the World Tree's side, they would remember that they had given the three major civilizations "something," but forget that what they had given was encoded particles, but they would not forget the encoded particles in their hands.

Han Xiao had made a hypothesis. If he used \[Information State Annihilation] to solve the entire World Tree civilization, the three major civilizations' reaction would most likely not be the dazed "What have we been doing all these years?" but "We painstakingly defeated a galactic civilization, but we can't remember what that civilization was called."

Therefore, \[Information State Annihilation] had a very good effect when dealing with individuals with information differences (such as living beings), but when dealing with individuals in a batch collective (such as a grain of sand in a desert, a gun in a batch of standardized firearms), the information vacuum created could actually be inferred logically... For example, if the expert group forgot what they were researching before, but came to the laboratory hall and saw others researching encoded particles, they could also infer that they were very likely researching this thing before.

However, even if you inferred it logically, \[Information State Annihilation] would still be in effect. You would subconsciously experience memory deviations, rapid forgetting, subconscious ignoring, common sense fallacies, and other situations. It was as if you remembered something, but suddenly forgot it in the blink of an eye, unable to remember it no matter what, a situation that was common. It was also like you believing that the normal temperature of bathwater was eighty degrees instead of forty degrees, a common sense deviation that was difficult to detect yourself, or like the legendary War of '99...

"In short, we have to find a way to catch these lurkers. Currently, we can only use conventional methods to secretly collect information. It's best to place some surveillance intelligence in the quantum network... They will most likely continue to observe the subsequent effects of this trick of using a knife to kill, watching the three major civilizations suffer, so they should not have withdrawn.

Alas, if only we could get the World Tree's information state warning network, this thing is a black technology to prevent territory from being infiltrated."

Han Xiao shook his head, feeling somewhat helpless in his heart.

Compared to the World Tree, the territory of the three major civilizations was simply like a sieve. Others could enter and leave as they pleased, and even leave something inside, and the three major civilizations would not be able to find out for a while. It was simply the standard configuration of a victim.

He touched his chin and pondered to himself.

The goal of both the World Tree and the third party was to cause internal division in the intergalactic society, so the most important thing at the moment was to not let the enemy's plot succeed... The lurkers could not be found for a while, and the suspicion of the three major civilizations could not be dispelled, so it seemed that we could only start with the suspects.

"It seems that the Super Star Cluster Alliance is the most suspected by the three major civilizations, and they happen to have other schemes behind their backs, but I haven't figured out what's going on... If this causes a misunderstanding between the two sides, then it's going to be bad."

Han Xiao was helpless.

In the past, he was always screwing over the Super Star Cluster Alliance, and it was not the first time they were "sitting at home, and the pot came from the sky." But now it was exactly the opposite. He needed to find a way to reduce their suspicion, so that they would not become scapegoats...

When you come out to mix in society, you really have to pay it back sooner or later!