Chapter 1242: Chapter 59 Equality (Monthly Ticket Bonus!)

Gauss.

The reason Lin Xian thought of that stammering, frail man at this moment… was purely because of the question he raised at the Genius Club gathering and Einstein’s response to it.

When Lin Xian attended the gathering for the first time, the president–a man wearing an Einstein mask–asked all the geniuses to introduce themselves and share what they believed to be the most essential quality of a genius.

Gauss’s answer at the time was [Equality].

He believed that from the moment of birth, humanity faces immense inequality. Some people are born with limited intelligence, while others are as brilliant as geniuses.

But…

Shouldn’t the responsibility of those blessed with genius-level intelligence be to make the world as balanced and equal as possible?

Gauss’s goal, and his future plan, was to strive for a world where everyone is equal.

At that gathering, the question he posed was–

“If humanity is to be enhanced in terms of physical capabilities, neural responses, and brain activity, in the current year of 2024, which direction should research begin?”

Faced with this question, Einstein offered a definitive, negative response, stating that breakthroughs in genetic enhancement would not be possible before 2100.

Looking back at this question now, perhaps what Gauss was hoping for… was precisely such a negative answer.

On closer reflection.

Mastering genetic enhancement–does it truly have the power to make the world equal?

To make everyone extraordinary?

That’s impossible.

In fact, it might even have the opposite effect, further widening the gap between the rich and the poor.

Originally.

The gap between the rich and the poor lay only in their lifestyles and wealth. But if genetic enhancement technology were to emerge, the rich could all become superhuman–scaling walls and leaping over roofs, strong as gods, akin to time-traveling assassins who could easily overpower a hundred ordinary people.

Does that sound equal?

Clearly not.

Someone as intelligent as Gauss surely understood this. That’s why he anticipated the negative response–he might have even wanted genetic enhancement to remain a distant prospect.

At the second gathering.

Gauss posed yet another critical question–

“In what era can humanity completely bolster its immune system to the point where it won’t fall ill, won’t contract viruses, can cure all diseases, and become immune to all pathogens?”

It was this question that led Lin Xian to associate the “Hibernation Suppression Virus” with Gauss.

On the surface, it sounded as though Gauss was full of ambition, hoping to ensure the health and immunity of every human, thereby achieving equality.

But in reality…

He was concealing something!

Under the guise of concern, he was probing for genuine answers!

When he posed this question, it already signaled his intention to unleash the “Hibernation Suppression Virus.” He was merely so adept at disguising his motives that everyone considered him harmless and non-threatening.

At the time, Einstein’s response was:

“It’s never possible.”

“There’s no such thing as a virus that can never be eradicated. Viruses, like humans, continually evolve and mutate.”

“The good news is that almost all viruses weaken in terms of toxicity and transmission over time and successive infections. The bad news is that in their journey of spreading and reproducing, new viruses are inevitably born.”

The key!

The key lies in Einstein’s answer!

While Einstein may have rebuffed Gauss, deep down, Gauss must have been grinning with satisfaction.

He knew…

His virus would undoubtedly spread across the globe, remaining active until it lost its toxicity and transmissibility, effectively halting humanity’s ability to hibernate.

In hindsight, from a god-like perspective, Gauss’s plan becomes entirely transparent.

From the very beginning, his target was [Hibernation].

He believed unwaveringly–

“Death is the most fundamental form of equality for human civilization, but the emergence of hibernation technology disrupted this equality.”

Regarding this belief, Lin Xian actually discussed it with Big Face Cat in The Second Dreamland.

There’s an old saying about wealth not lasting beyond three generations.

No matter how exceptional a genius may be, no matter how powerful a leader may become, no matter how wealthy a tycoon may be, there will always come a day when they pass away…

When these individuals die, power and wealth are redistributed. Even in the field of research and academia, it takes the death of those holding influential positions for younger generations to ascend and gain control over discourse and authority.

However, in a world with Hibernation Pods, the fundamental equality brought by death ceases to exist.

Like Jask’s SPACE-T Company in The Fifth Dreamland, which ruled Mars for centuries–a company led by the world’s richest man, likely holding his title for several hundred years.

This creates a severe inequality. Jask’s brilliance illuminates the world for centuries, while countless other young talents who should have shone in history are suppressed, reduced to obscurity, or completely forgotten.

Thus.

Gauss created the [Hibernation Suppression Virus].

His considerations were meticulous.

First, in the name of equality, he designed the virus to be harmless to the human body. If someone never entered a Hibernation Pod, they wouldn’t notice anything and wouldn’t experience any adverse effects on their health.

Second, the virus has a three-month incubation period–so lengthy and symptomless that it’s virtually undetectable. Combined with its harmlessness, worldwide transmission is only a matter of time.

Finally, his commitment to equality extended to himself. Leading by example, he injected himself with the virus first, willingly relinquishing the chance to hibernate and live forever, choosing instead to die within his natural lifespan in the present era.

…

The more Lin Xian thought about it, the clearer his mind became.