93: Chapter 13 A Bit of Historical Discussion 93: Chapter 13 A Bit of Historical Discussion “The family won’t allow it,”

Xiang Shan had never thought that a senior professor with a full head of silver hair would say something that sounded so childlike, and he almost burst out laughing.

“Hmm?

You don’t believe me?” Professor Jing, seeing his expression, found it somewhat amusing.

Xiang Shan nodded, “You were still studying at that time?”

“I had already finished university and stayed on to teach,” Professor Jing stirred his tomato ketchup with a fry.

“My parents also don’t like me playing games, but they won’t say anything as long as I buy them with my own salary.”

“Times are different.

In your era, playing games isn’t considered too excessive,” Jing Hongtu said indifferently as he ate his fries, “Back in my day, if I wanted to write science fiction novels, it was a political mistake.”

“Well…” Xiang Shan scratched his head, “Science fiction novels don’t necessarily have to write about those sensitive issues…”

Professor Jing shook his head, “Back then, the act of ‘writing science fiction novels’ itself was wrong.

I remember my first short story, after a few pages of drafts, was burned by my father.”

Xiang Shan nodded, “I seem to have heard about that…”

It seemed there was such an incident.

He looked at Professor Jing and said, “With a family like yours, you also had to be careful…”

“What nonsense,” Jing Hongtu frowned slightly, a bit displeased, “Xiang Shan, you don’t think I just gave in like that, do you?”

Having come this far in the conversation, what could Xiang Shan do?

He shook his head and said, “No, no.”

“My father asked me, how could he face people?

What about my older brother?

I told him at the time that if he couldn’t accept it, then I could write a statement disowning our relationship.”

Xiang Shan gasped, “This…”

“It’s not just about that one issue.” Jing Hongtu waved the fry in his hand, flicking off a drop of ketchup that splattered into a red blob on the plate, “In fact, I’ve wanted to do this since my teenage years.

When I was a kid reading ‘Torrent Trilogy,’ I felt a deep connection—I thought I was living in an old society family!

I’ve long wanted to cut off those family heads.”

Without the aid of the “search engine” as an external thought process, Xiang Shan took a few seconds to recall the high school literature knowledge of ‘Torrent Trilogy.’ He sort of remembered that Ba Jin had written it, a novel about the decline of a feudal family.

“I can imagine your childhood.”

Jing Hongtu sighed, “It’s just a pity that my mother, at that time, held me and cried, asking why I was so cold-hearted.

She was a very traditional manual laborer, seemingly unconcerned with rationality.

All she cared about was ‘the family being together’—nothing else mattered to her!

Typical peasant thinking.”

“You didn’t give in?

So how did you end up abandoning that path?” Xiang Shan was puzzled.

From Professor Jing’s tone, it seemed he didn’t approve of his mother’s behavior.

“No, my mother talked me out of it,” Jing Hongtu shook his head, “I could say she had the typical peasant thinking of the past.

But after all, she was my mother.

She had so little to ask for, how could I not fulfill her wishes?”

“In ’91, the World Science Fiction Association held its annual meeting in Rong City.

I was still not willing to give up, so I took a train that lasted a day and a night to get there.

But after I got back, my father told me, attending a meeting with vague foreign personnel was an international embarrassment.”

“That’s really…” Xiang Shan nodded, “After all, that was the era…”

Jing Hongtu shook his head, “Even now, things might not be much better…” he said as he looked out the window, “But now, perhaps things might be different.”

Following his gaze, Xiang Shan looked out.

Night had fallen, and the white “tent” was concealed within the darkness, but its outline was faintly visible.

“A Traveler alien spaceship…” Xiang Shan said, “If it has technology that could help humans out of their predicament…”

“No, it’s not needed,” Jing Hongtu said with a smile, “Its mere presence here is enough.

Just that fact alone can bring change to this stagnant world.”

Xiang Shan nodded, “Mhm, what you said this morning, that the way our next generation will perceive the universe might be completely different from us…

that was very well said.

Now, the concept of ‘Aliens’ seems to be something easily imaginable to us.”

“Exactly, that’s it,” Jing Hongtu nodded, “It takes a science fiction writer to propose such a great sociological topic—when ‘Aliens’ become a thing with a concrete concept, how will human society develop?

You should know, the appearance of ‘Argon’ is indeed a transformation of the shared imagination of humanity.”

“Shared imagination?”

“It’s an anthropological concept,” Jing Hongtu explained, “We humans have an incredible ability called ‘shared imagination.’ An individual can invent a non-existent concept and convey it to someone else.

Then, human groups can imagine a fictional concept together through language—take religion, for example, or gods.”

“Let me give you a more tangible example.

Originally, there was no such thing as ‘national borders’ on the earth.

But everyone feels that national borders should exist.

Therefore, for humans, national borders do truly exist.

Only animals can still freely move across borders—because for them, national borders don’t exist.

They can’t see what humans have imagined.”

Xiang Shan nodded.

“And just the concept of ‘Aliens within reach’ alone, I think, can bring about twenty years of peace,” Jing Hongtu continued.

Xiang Shan scratched his head, “Teacher Jing, what you’re saying is a bit mystical…”

“How so?”

“We should still talk about materialism,” Xiang Shan said, “The economic base determines the superstructure, doesn’t it?

If we don’t break down the technologies involved, their impact on human society is limited, right?”

“Xiang Shan, this is a typical dogmatic view.

You haven’t studied this area much outside of exams, have you?” Jing Hongtu shook his head.

Xiang Shan felt a bit embarrassed, “I’m speaking out of turn.

As an engineering student, I can’t compare with you liberal arts experts…”

Jing Hongtu sighed, “Focusing on your own academic major is good.

But you should also dabble in knowledge from other fields.

I believe that helps form a poetic understanding of the world as a whole…”

“Pfft…” Xiang Shan couldn’t help but laugh, “Sorry, Teacher Jing…

although I do write some fiction, I’m not a poet.”

“This ‘poetic’ isn’t the kind of mood for poetry or the interest in poem-writing you encounter in everyday language, but a thinking method beyond ‘the love of wisdom,'” Jing Hongtu patiently clarified, “This ‘poetic understanding’ may not be useful for your research or work, but it can let you appreciate the various pleasures in daily life and act as a spiritual motivation to help you move forward.”

Only then did Xiang Shan nod, “Please continue.”

Jing Hongtu pointed at the “tent,” “So let me put it this way, Xiang Shan, the arrival of this thing could delay the world wars of humanity by decades.

Just the mere fact that ‘it is here.'”

Xiang Shan pondered for a moment, “Officer Hu also emphasized during the conversation just now that it is now a period of peace…”

“Yes, because it fell here, there won’t be a major war for a while.”

“But that’s only delaying it, right?” Xiang Shan was puzzled.

“That in itself is a very terrifying thing,” Jing Hongtu shook his head, “Xiang Shan, the modern society you are familiar with is actually very fragile.

In the seventies—less than thirty years after the war, the West once again fell into an economic crisis.

Those who are familiar with history know what might follow an economic crisis.

However, the birth of information technology and the industrial revolution that drove industry upgrades allowed this fragile modern society to continue developing.”

“By the nineties, the financial crisis occurred again.

This time, everyone feasted on Japan’s ‘future’ for a good half a year longer, and then the dissolution of the Red Alliance appeared—suddenly, an empty market emerged and overproduction was alleviated.

Every member of modern society was surviving on the corpse of the big brother.”

“The next economic crisis happened in 2009—and in fact, humanity didn’t get through this crisis well.

Countries around the world were shrinking back, turning to xenophobia, directing internal pressure toward their neighbors.

If you recall modern history carefully, you will find the atmosphere around also likely changed around that time.”

“Until 2021, natural and man-made disasters almost destroyed the world’s markets.

These years, the atmosphere has almost returned to that of the Cold War.”

Jing Hongtu took a sip of his juice and said, “So, Xiang Shan, even something as devastating as World War II that nearly destroyed a generation’s beliefs could only keep humanity peaceful for thirty years.

This ‘Alien Traveler’ can give humanity peace for several more decades; what a powerful thing that is.

It’s equivalent to a comprehensive industrial revolution!

If a new industrial revolution occurs in these decades, then the history of this ‘modern society’ can be extended by another twenty or thirty years!”

From this angle, it indeed was very persuasive.

Xiang Shan could only nod in agreement, “Mhm, if the potential benefits of ‘Argon’ can entice the great powers to return to the negotiating table, then peace certainly can be extended.”

“That’s still feudal thinking, heroic historiography.”