Chapter 9, Pessimism

Ji Hua's expression darkened, while Horton continued to maintain a calm demeanor

The voting began again, and Ji Hua pressed the support button without hesitation. Moreover, Ji Hua noticed that even Minister Houghton had pressed the support button.

Specific affairs are always complex and trivial, yet they are equally important. How to coordinate subordinate departments to effectively manage these intricate matters is the true test of a leader's capability. In this regard, the head of state is undoubtedly qualified

Ji Hua continued, saying: "If it were me, I would try to stabilize him through communication as much as possible while secretly preparing, whether for assassination or for building a spaceship to escape Earth. In any case, I would not place all my hopes on communication. The same applies to the Aquarian civilization; it is uncontrollable, and we do not know what it will do to us. Therefore, the only thing we can do is to prepare as best as we can. We need to build as many and as strong underground fortifications as possible, disguise ourselves as much as possible, evacuate the populace as much as possible, and preserve our scientific and industrial capabilities to the best of our ability, making the worst-case scenario preparations. Even if the final outcome proves that our efforts were in vain, it is still better than facing the extinction of our civilization due to insufficient preparation. Even if the final outcome proves that our efforts were in vain, it is still better than facing the extinction of our civilization due to insufficient preparation.

Gazing at the sun on the horizon, Ji Hua felt a moment of confusion in her heart. However, this confusion vanished in an instant, and Ji Hua's spirit became resolute once again: "Since the future is uncertain, I will follow the path that I believe is right."

Minister Horton pressed the call button and then said: "Jihua, you are undoubtedly a pessimist and have an extreme aversion to risk"

Ji Hua felt a slight sense of relief in her heart

The meeting is still ongoing. After determining the overall strategy to be followed, the leader said: "We will now proceed to the next agenda item. I invite the heads of each department to speak and discuss how to implement this strategy"

Regarding the uncontrollable aspect, I believe there is no disagreement among us. "Ji Hua said slowly, "I would like to ask everyone a question: if we were to learn that there is a button on a person who cannot be analyzed according to human logic, and pressing this button would lead to the destruction of the Earth, what would everyone do?

Ji Hua did not know whether this was a good or bad thing for herself. Ji Hua had no particular desire for power, but since she was in this position, she had to bear her responsibilities. However, Ji Hua was unaware of whether she would have a positive or negative impact on the future direction of human civilization.

Ji Hua said: "Regardless of whether this approach is useful, at the very least, when the worst outcome occurs, we will not regret our lack of preparation."

We must look beyond superficial matters, disregarding the goodwill within the signals and the data we have analyzed. As long as we acknowledge two points: first, the Aquarian civilization is more advanced than ours; second, the Aquarian civilization is uncontrollable. These two points are sufficient, and there is no need to concern ourselves with anything else. My reasoning has been presented.

The meeting was convened at 8:00 PM and the discussion lasted for a full four hours, concluding at midnight. However, the meeting did not end there. After a brief break, discussions resumed the next morning at 9:00 AM.

The expert was taken aback, unsure of what to say

Ji Hua fell silent, no longer insisting. Because the words of the leader were irrefutable

Ji Hua not only has the ability to mobilize resources for research and investigations that he deems necessary, but he can also communicate directly with the leader. Ji Hua understands that this is the leader's recognition of him, but the extent of this recognition is difficult to ascertain. From the leader's perspective, appointing an advisor is not a significant matter; it is possible that this advisor may play a role in future developments. After all, this advisor had previously proposed ideas in meetings that no one else had considered. Even if this advisor does not prove to be useful, the leader incurs little loss.

Ji Hua insisted: "The survival and extinction of civilization should not be measured from the perspective of risk management. We are not conducting business; we are wagering the future of civilization."

An expert immediately retorted: "However, the Aquarian civilization is not human. They possess military capabilities that are incomparably stronger than ours. Their level of technology is at least one tier above ours"

Ji Hua understood that on this night, the participants probably did not sleep well. The preparation of various materials, the coordination among different departments, the contemplation of various ideas, and so on, would occupy most of the participants' time. Even though each of these participants held a significant position in human civilization and had a large team of secretaries supporting them, they could only find a little time to rest in the gaps.

The venue was enveloped in silence, with no one speaking except for Ji Hua

The meeting concluded on the morning of the third day. The participants ultimately reached a consensus and each was assigned specific tasks

Ji Hua understood that both he and Horton only had differing opinions, but neither of them had any selfish motives. The current situation clearly indicated that supporting this strategy was more beneficial for civilization, so neither of them hesitated

In contrast, Ji Hua had a good sleep. This is because Ji Hua currently has no specific tasks to attend to, and after the discussions of the scientific team concluded, the topics related to Ji Hua were essentially nonexistent.

The results of this vote were similarly tallied five minutes later

Ji Hua fell silent for a moment, then said: "Yes"

Under the leadership of the Führer, a department head stood up and began to outline what his department planned to do in the upcoming period and how to accomplish these tasks. The other department heads also expressed their views, starting discussions on inter-departmental collaboration and coordination. Meanwhile, the scientists provided guidance from a theoretical perspective based on their expertise.

The leader glanced at the results and calmly stated: "There are a total of 673 people present, and all votes are valid. The number of votes in favor of Ji Hua is 307, accounting for 45.62%. The number of votes in favor of Horton is 315, accounting for 46.81%. There are 51 abstentions, accounting for approximately 7.58%. With 351 votes against 307 votes, those supporting Horton hold the majority." There are 51 abstentions, accounting for approximately 7.58%. With 351 votes against 307 votes, those supporting Horton hold the majority.

After the debate had lasted for several minutes, the Führer said: "Horton, Ji Hua, please stop your argument. Continuing like this is pointless and does not help to resolve the issue. Therefore, let us all present here conduct a vote to determine which specific policy we should implement."

Minister Horton stated: "Although your points are quite reasonable, I still hold a different opinion. My view is that each matter should be considered on its own merits, and you, Jihua, may be a bit too pessimistic. I still believe that comprehensive preparedness is unnecessary; perhaps the Aquarian civilization may develop hostility towards us due to our actions. Moreover, even if the Aquarian civilization has demands, does that necessarily mean there will be conflicts with our human civilization? Another point we need to consider is whether our comprehensive preparedness would be of any use when facing an advanced civilization like the Aquarian civilization, which is at least one level beyond us. Furthermore, even if the Aquarian civilization has demands, does that necessarily mean there will be conflicts with our human civilization? Another point we need to consider is whether our comprehensive preparedness would be of any use when facing an advanced civilization like the Aquarian civilization, which is at least one level beyond us. — Comprehensive preparedness would bring immeasurable and severe losses to our civilization, yet we are uncertain whether such actions would be effective."

A brand new institution was established after the conclusion of the meeting, which the leader named the "Extraterrestrial Civilization Research Institute." The Extraterrestrial Civilization Research Institute oversees all matters related to the Aquarius civilization and possesses authority that supersedes all other departments. All departments are required to unconditionally cooperate with the work of the Extraterrestrial Civilization Research Institute. The institute is accountable solely to the leader, with Minister Houghton concurrently serving as the head of the institute. Meanwhile, Ji Hua has become an advisor to the institute; although Ji Hua is not responsible for the specific affairs within the institute, he possesses significant authority. The Extraterrestrial Civilization Research Institute is accountable solely to the leader, with Minister Houghton concurrently serving as the head of the institute. Meanwhile, Ji Hua has become an advisor to the institute; although Ji Hua is not responsible for the specific affairs within the institute, he possesses significant authority.

The leader is always able to identify the key issues in the shortest amount of time, and then decisively arranges the necessary actions. Under the leader's direction, the topics of the meeting progress very quickly, with almost every ten minutes resulting in a new topic being confirmed before moving on to the next for discussion. However, despite this rapid pace, the meeting still lasted for a considerable amount of time

"This is not a sufficient reason," Minister Horton shook his head, "The benefits of comprehensive preparedness are still unclear, yet it requires us to incur significant costs in advance. From a risk management perspective, such behavior is unwise"

The team of scientists assumed the role of the brain during this meeting, with the scientists responsible for proposing which path to take, while the department heads determined how to proceed along that path

The leader continued, saying: "In light of the extremely narrow margin of votes between the two parties, I propose that we adopt a strategy that emphasizes both communication and preparation for potential conflict. After all, from a probabilistic standpoint, this approach minimizes our risks. I will initiate a new round of voting on this matter, and I ask everyone to make their choice."

Thus, a quick and efficient voting process commenced, and the results were tallied just five minutes later

Ji Hua said: "The majority does not always mean correctness"

During the ongoing debate between Ji Hua and Minister Horton, everyone in the venue remained silent except for these two individuals

Ji Hua immediately said: "Then let us set this person who holds the doomsday button as Superman, for he possesses power that surpasses all military might of humanity."

The leader stated: "However, from a probabilistic standpoint, the majority implies a greater likelihood of being correct. Since we are engaging in a gamble, we naturally ought to place our bets on the side with the higher probability."

The number of supporting votes is 661, accounting for 98.22%, while the number of opposing votes is 6, accounting for 0.89%. There are also 6 abstentions, which similarly account for 0.89%. The overwhelming majority supports the implementation of this strategy, therefore we will adopt a strategy that emphasizes both communication and preparedness, making these two aspects the focus of our work