Chapter 159 - 158: Fearless

Li Qingsong’s plan for the Blutuk People captives was simple.

He would build a city just for them, providing an environment and all the resources they needed to survive. He would let them reproduce naturally while also heavily promoting education, constantly training specialists in various fields to aid his own technological advancement.

Li Qingsong believed this to be both necessary and highly beneficial. The reason was simple: no matter how many Clones he could control, their thought processes were all identical. Fundamentally, they were all extensions of his own mind.

This could easily lead to cognitive blind spots, severely hindering technological progress.

However, introducing another intelligent civilization with a different cultural background and mindset could solve this problem through the friction between their differing perspectives.

These Blutuk People were perfect for this purpose.

One aspect of this was critically important: ensuring the loyalty of the Blutuk People. Or rather, their loyalty wasn’t what truly mattered; what mattered was ensuring they lacked the capacity for disloyalty.

’As long as you continuously contribute to my technological progress, I couldn’t care less whether you love me or hate me, whether you’re loyal or wish you could flay me alive and rip out my bones.’

It didn’t matter.

To achieve this, Li Qingsong decided that no one from the Blutuk Race would be allowed to work in the primary or secondary sectors. They would be restricted solely to the tertiary sector.

The primary sector is agriculture, and the secondary sector is industry.

Li Qingsong would be responsible for all the food, water, industrial goods, medicine, and other supplies the Blutuk People required. He would produce everything himself and supply it to them.

Furthermore, regarding education and knowledge in agriculture and industry, the Blutuk People would only be granted access to information on cutting-edge research. Knowledge of practical applications would be strictly withheld from them, and its study strictly forbidden.

This way, a Blutuk scientist might become an expert in breeding advanced food crops but be completely clueless about how to actually plant them in the soil.

The Blutuk People might know how to design high-end machine tools but would be entirely ignorant of how to produce a single screw, including the industrial systems, power grids, assembly line processes, and quality control involved.

’Think working in a factory tightening screws is tiring? Think it’s a hassle to control robots harvesting wheat on an agricultural base?’

’Even if you Blutuk People wanted to do these jobs, I wouldn’t let you. Every last one of you can get to school and study.’

’Those who excel will become researchers. Those who don’t can go be waiters, chefs, station ticket agents, amusement park mascots, or makeup artists in salons.’

In this way, he would have a firm grip on the Blutuk People’s very lifeline, completely eliminating any possibility of disloyalty.

Li Qingsong didn’t pay much mind to the Blutuk People who had fled and were now scattered due to the recent chaos.

He would accept any who were willing to return. As for those who were unwilling or unable, they could just starve to death out there when their resources ran out. It made no difference to Li Qingsong.

However, if they dared to harass him, tried to raid his resources, or gathered on some other planet in an attempt to produce their own supplies and survive independently—that would be utterly unacceptable. Li Qingsong would dispatch a fleet to annihilate them without hesitation.

’From this day forward, you Blutuk People will depend on me alone for your survival. Relying on your own strength to live is the most unforgivable sin. Even the mere thought of it is a grave offense.’

Having settled on a plan for the Blutuk People, Li Qingsong turned his attention to the intelligence he had gathered—both from interrogating the populace and from searching their various electronic devices.

This information plunged him into deep thought.

Regarding the matter of the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity, Li Qingsong concurred with the Blutuk People’s assessment.

There was indeed a high probability that it would pursue them to the Solar System.

The Blutuk People’s strategy had also been the only one that offered any hope of survival.

’Now that the Blutuk People have very likely led this Intelligent Mechanical Calamity to the Solar System, what should I do?’

’Annihilate this Intelligent Mechanical Calamity, just as I did the Blutuk Civilization?’

After a comprehensive assessment based on the Blutuk People’s technological data, Li Qingsong concluded that it was highly unlikely.

As a Third-level Strong Core Civilization, the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity’s technology was far too advanced, its combat strength too immense.

Even with his ability to link with the Cloned Consciousness, it was highly improbable that he could advance his technology to that level in a short amount of time.

This left Li Qingsong with only one option.

Run.

The Blutuk People had chosen to flee, and now, it seemed he had to make the same choice.

’Do I really have to leave the Solar System?’

Gazing at the familiar planets of the Solar System, at the warm, blazing Sun, Li Qingsong’s heart filled with a deep reluctance to leave.

This was his home, the place that had given birth to Human Civilization, the place that had given birth to him.

According to the intelligence he’d obtained from the Blutuk People, this vast galaxy was filled with hidden dangers.

Leaving aside aberrant forms of intelligent life and the various Celestial Calamities, even conventional intelligent civilizations had almost no chance of coexisting peacefully.

A trace of uncertainty, a flicker of fear, crept into Li Qingsong’s heart.

It was just like when he had first been accepted to college and had to leave his hometown, heading off alone to start a new life in a strange, big city.

But...

If he stayed in the Solar System, he wouldn’t just be endangering himself; he would also be bringing disaster upon the Solar System.

The war with the Blutuk Civilization had already all but destroyed Earth’s ecosystem. In the future, never mind whether he could win a war against the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity, the utter ruin of the entire Solar System’s ecology was a certainty.

’In that case... I have to leave. I have to go.’

’Always staying at home, staying in my comfort zone—it isn’t good for my growth.’

’If I want to become truly strong—strong enough to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of Human Civilization and truly save it—then venturing out into the wider world is the only way.’

’It’s a place of infinite danger. I might end up just like the Blutuk Civilization, vanishing without a trace in some forgotten corner of the Cosmos. But... what doesn’t kill me will only make me stronger.’

Li Qingsong’s resolve hardened. The uncertainty and fear in his heart vanished, replaced by sheer determination and fearlessness.

Now that he had decided to leave, certain things had to be done immediately, and as quickly as possible.

Namely, he had to fully assimilate the Blutuk Civilization’s technology and advance his own to the Middle to High Level Stage of a Second-level Electroweak Civilization. At a minimum, he needed to master Interstellar Navigation Capability to even have a chance of escaping.

But even though Li Qingsong now had a clear outline of the technological path ahead, he faced a problem.

The overall framework was clear, but the specific technological details still required immense manpower and brainpower to research.

And his current population was, once again, insufficient.

’In that case... I’ll start by assimilating the Blutuk People’s biotechnology.’