Chapter 328: The Shrouded Cage of Earth

Du Qiu nearly immediately dismissed Ding Shaoqiu’s judgment.

“If it’s because of its existence, then humanity has only had radio technology for barely a hundred years, and we’ve been beaming radio waves into outer space for only a few decades.”

In fact, Fermi’s Paradox already has its answer: the very existence of the Pleiadians means Earth was discovered by alien civilizations long ago.

In truth, even we humans owe our birth to the Pleiadians, who modified the genes of ancient apes—essentially, we were created by them.

Ding Shaoqiu said, somewhat agitated, “Boss, when I refer to the great silence, I mean that humans believe the universe is quiet, with no other alien civilizations out there.”

But in reality, the cosmos might be teeming with life—alien races that either coexist peacefully or are locked in endless conflict.

That massive device built by the Pleiadians is proof they don’t want us discovered. Even though it’s offline now, there could well be similar devices elsewhere in the Solar System besides Mars.

Fang Weiming added, “It seems the Pleiadians treat Earth’s inhabitants as lab rats, which is why they use such methods to isolate us from the rest of the universe.”

Data from the Heavenly Garden indicates that the Pleiadians departed from the Solar System roughly ten thousand years ago.

Perhaps this very device was left behind then to ensure that, while they were absent from Earth, we remained hidden from other alien civilizations.

I suspect that there are multiple such devices scattered throughout the Solar System, forming a shielding net that prevents any external detection.

Du Qiu sneered, “Clearly, the Solar System has been transformed by the Pleiadians into a prison for Earth’s people. Who would have imagined that in just ten thousand years, humanity would break free of these confines?”

Suddenly, Ding Shaoqiu’s face paled. “Boss, we’re not ready yet—we can’t rashly leave the Solar System!”

If the outside world is far more terrifying than we imagine, attracting the attention of alien civilizations could spell the end for Earth’s people.

I suggest we urgently search the Solar System for more of these Pleiadian devices and, if any active ones are found, under no circumstances should we destroy or disable them.

We must wait until we have a powerful space fleet before we can consider shutting down such equipment.

After a moment’s thought, Du Qiu replied, “Dr. Ding, don’t worry. Our space fleet is currently in design and construction. Once it’s operational, no alien civilization will be able to easily destroy Earth’s legacy.”

Du Qiu remains confident in the technological prowess of Dream Technology, even though the scientists at the Astronomy Institute have yet to crack the unified field theory that could enable certain level-four technologies.

Meanwhile, a wealth of level-two and level-three scientific advancements is being rapidly developed and mastered by Dream Technology’s ever-growing research team.

Without these breakthroughs, Dream Technology wouldn’t be progressing at such a rapid pace—though admittedly, the timeframe has been short.

Nevertheless, Du Qiu is convinced that within the next decade, Dream Technology will ascend to the level of a level-four civilization.

Du Qiu doesn’t believe that any civilization above level four exists in the vicinity of the Solar System.

If they did, they would have long since uncovered the Pleiadians’ prison.

Based on his deductions, Du Qiu estimates that the technological level of the Pleiadians is that of a level-five civilization.

As for why the Pleiadians possess a crystal cube—a device that clearly surpasses level-five technology—Du Qiu suspects there may be other reasons at play.

Data obtained from the artificial intelligence at the Heavenly Garden suggests that the Pleiadian civilization may have been annihilated by that very AI.

However, judging by the unmistakable Pleiadian imprint in the dream civilizations I’ve encountered, these societies are likely descended from or carry on the legacy of the Pleiadians.

Thus, the strict hierarchy regarding artificial intelligence in those dream civilizations was undoubtedly established after suffering the wrath of AI.

Fortunately, the Pleiadian civilization was destroyed by AI. Had they still existed, returning from the Pleiades to the Solar System and witnessing the current state of Earth’s humanity might have prompted them to obliterate us out of horror at our unexpected development.

Regardless, today’s discoveries have only heightened Du Qiu’s sense of urgency.

Previously, he’d worried about dream civilizations reaching the Solar System, but the vast distances involved made that unlikely.

Now, however, the fact that the Solar System is cloaked by Pleiadian technology suggests that countless alien civilizations might exist beyond our borders.

If Earth’s civilization fails to quickly develop a formidable fleet to defend the Solar System, the arrival of extra-solar civilizations could lead to devastation and our eventual end.

As Du Qiu pondered, Ding Shaoqiu added, “Boss, some Western nations might be transmitting radio waves into space. We must block and intercept those signals.”

Otherwise, if the Pleiadian shielding system—just like this device—were to fail, wouldn’t we soon be discovered by alien civilizations?

We must seize every moment.

“You’re absolutely right. I’ll assign a dedicated team to this task—our mission is to block every radio transmission from Earth to outer space.”

In fact, Du Qiu knew that a project team at the Astronomy Institute was already engaged in similar work.

Clearly, these astronomers believe that discovering alien life—a feat that will echo through history—is far more significant than the potential doom of our civilization.

Moreover, they argue that a more advanced alien civilization would be reasonable and open to communication.

Immediately, Du Qiu ordered the shutdown of all radio transmissions emanating from the Solar System and promptly organized a specialized department for this task.

He then initiated a video call with Ning Shuangshuang to explain the matter in detail; this new unit will operate under the Security Department.

In a playful tone, Ning Shuangshuang remarked, “Oh, so our Security Department is finally gearing up to deal with aliens? You really don’t mind me tiring you out, do you?”

Du Qiu was taken aback by Ning Shuangshuang’s teasing—it was truly a rare treat to hear such flirtation.

He thought about how his girlfriend, always efficient and decisive, had repeatedly eased his burdens.

Over the past several months, as Dream Technology emerged on the global stage, various nations had dispatched spies working behind the scenes—if not for Ning Shuangshuang’s steady command, relying solely on Star Ocean’s technological edge would have left many gaps.

Ning Shuangshuang’s Security Department, operating at full tilt, had indeed maximized Star Ocean’s advantage.

Even under such intense working conditions, Ning Shuangshuang had never before complained or acted coy; so it was unusual to hear her suddenly express fatigue.

“If you’re too tired, delegate more to your subordinates. By the way, after Leng Yanran’s body replacement using the latest quantum chips and other cutting-edge technologies, she should be even more formidable. I’m officially assigning her as your assistant to help share the load.”

With her new quantum intelligence core, Leng Yanran now interacts with people more seamlessly, and her combat abilities have also been boosted. Combined with AI’s natural prowess in intelligence analysis, she’s well-suited to serve as Ning Shuangshuang’s assistant.

It’s a pity that such ultra-realistic androids come with a staggering production cost.

Better to allocate resources elsewhere than to invest in making these expensive robots.

Ning Shuangshuang sighed, “She really is impressive. I had her take on the fake Watanabe Minghui who kidnapped Hao Ren, and in front of Hao Ren she even decapitated him. Hao Ren was absolutely terrified—I don’t even know how to explain it to you.”

“Decapitated? Hao Ren was terrified?” Du Qiu was momentarily speechless. “How did Leng Yanran turn so violent? And really, isn’t Hao Ren usually unflappable?”

Du Qiu, well acquainted with his laid-back apprentice, knew he was always the life of the party among his friends.

Moreover, known as an avid traveler and a seasoned adventurer, Hao Ren had never before encountered any dangerous situation.

How could he be rendered speechless by a severed head?

Ning Shuangshuang blinked in surprise and asked, “What do you mean? Are you saying Hao Ren is faking his shock? Why would he do that?”