Many years later, when Professor Gilbert thought back to that day, he couldn't help but be fascinated.
So close.
So close.
His supervisor almost became the Darwin of the new century, the Mendel of archaeology. He almost became the apprentice of the archaeologist of the new era and dominated the entire archaeology department of the University of Oxford together with his supervisor.
Professor Gilbert had thought about this more than once. If it weren't for the leather shoe that flew onto the podium, which made Professor Vernal look too embarrassed, history would be different …
Although sometimes fists were also part of academic discussions, it was a bit unfair to let an old man fight with a young man.
Earth, North Sea Alliance, England, suburbs of the small city of Oxford.
In an old mansion that looked like it had a history of about 80 or 90 years, Professor Gilbert, who was wearing reading glasses, was talking endlessly.
"Logic, logic … These idiots talk about logic every day, but they don't consider that their logic is a pile of sh * t! What's more, is scientific research based on evidence or the sh * t in these guys' heads?
"Does science rely on mainstream views? Is there such a concept as' mainstream 'in science? Jesus, this is the 22nd century, and I think I'm living in the Middle Ages! I'm really going backwards!
"Look at their arguments against me, I'll find one at random. I got it, this guy called Peterson, right? Don't laugh when I read it … "
"We all have to admit that if a species wants to grow into the overlord of a planetary civilization, it should at least have an average level of intelligence close to that of humans, but such intelligence has hardware requirements. I don't know what it is in other places, but on Earth, it is called myelin. At present, cockroaches have a typical primitive nervous system. Even if the Martians don't know about myelin, they should have brought their own proprietary artifacts, but the reality is obviously illogical …"
As if reading a joke, Professor Gilbert snorted. Although he didn't want others to laugh, he laughed first.
"Look at what he's saying, it's like the universe is his back garden. The rocks and specimens my supervisor dug back from the crater of Olympus are not as good as the foxtail grass he planted in his backyard.
"Until now, we still don't know much about the situation more than three billion years ago. Just by making a reasonable inference based on limited fossil samples, he can already be sure that those Martians have the same 'primitive nervous system' as the cockroaches on Earth? It was even certain that their nervous system did not have a brain structure that was better than myelin sheath or could be replaced. Or could it be that what this idiot saw in his own backyard was the entirety of the universe? God … is there anything more idealistic and arrogant than this? Since when did myelin sheath become the most perfect structure in the universe? "
"The funniest thing is that only species with intelligence close to that of humans can become the overlord of a planet … Since when did humans become the measurement unit of the universe … And we all have to admit that this is some kind of retarded cold joke. How did such retards manage to sneak into our school?"
Professor Gilbert took a deep breath and calmed his breathing, but soon, he became irritable again.
"To put it simply, it's as if they don't understand human language. If your thesis is different from what they believe in, they will insult your thesis as science fiction. The most hateful thing is that after they are humiliated, they will pretend that nothing happened, and they will not be responsible for it.
"But will I keep them in my heart? These idiots are just a bunch of brainless slugs. They're not even as good as the old repeater I left in the storage room! They don't understand science or science fiction. Their brains are full of sh * t. Just living is an insult to the theory of evolution! "
Standing next to Professor Gilbert, Dr. Leonard, who was in his early thirties, looked at his furious father with a dumbfounded expression.
"Dad?"
"What's wrong?"
"I feel like you actually care a lot …"
Professor Gilbert spoke with a straight face.
"No, that's your illusion."
Professor Gilbert's tone eased a little. He looked at his son and continued to speak.
"Put Professor Peterson's thesis aside for the time being … By the way, starting this year, you will be a member of the Department of Archaeology at the University of Oxford. Go buy yourself a decent suit. Tomorrow is the first class in your life, don't embarrass the Vernal school of thought. "
After hearing these words, Leonard couldn't help but raise a bright smile on his face. The corners of his mouth formed a confident arc.
"Don't worry, Dad, I definitely won't —"
"Also, let's talk about rent." Professor Gilbert interrupted his son's confident speech with a cough. He looked to the side and said, "You have a job now. Just pay me 1,000 credits a month."
The smile on Leonard's face suddenly froze and was finally replaced by a helpless expression.
"Sometimes I can't help but wonder if I'm your son or if you picked me up."
"Don't worry, you are my son, and self-reliance is our family's ancestral teaching. I hope you remember this. Go ahead, don't bother me here. In our era, people in their thirties were already married and had a career. It's time for you to learn to grow up. "
Professor Gilbert waved his hand impatiently. He picked up his reading glasses from the table and put them on again.
Leonard made a helpless expression and walked out of the room with his shoulders slumped.
…
Professor Gilbert was definitely an anomaly at Oxford University.
One was because his teacher was Professor Vernal, who was once famous for being stubborn and known as "Dr. Cockroach". Secondly, he had offended many people because of his unsophisticated way of doing things.
Whether it was students or colleagues, it was difficult to find a person who liked this old guy.
As his son, Leonard had to admit that his father sometimes went too far. He even used his father as a negative example to remind himself.
However, even so, he could still understand why his father became like this.
When a person was placed in an extreme environment and was regarded as a different species by everyone in that environment, they would either continue to be stubborn to the end or choose to be assimilated by the environment. There was almost no third option.
Obviously, Lu Zhou's father made the same choice as the people of that era. He was truly proud of his identity as a "scholar", and he defended his theory as a glory. From time to time, he would repeat Professor Lu's words in a translator's accent.
In this day and age, there weren't many such cute old men left …
It had been a year since he joined the Department of Archaeology at the University of Oxford and became an honorable in-service professor. The suit he bought that day was worn out, and Leonard had almost gotten used to life as a professor.
He had just gone to the Pan-Asian Cooperation to attend an academic conference. Before going home, he planned to go to Oxford University to report on the progress of the conference and his work during this period.
However, just as he arrived at the school, he was stunned by everything in front of him.
Outside the Archaeology Department's teaching building, a yellow cordon was pulled up. Two fat policemen stood next to him, making a simple exchange with the robot police officers who had finished investigating the scene, and reporting the situation of the scene to the headquarters.
Walking forward quickly, Professor Leonard came to one of the policemen and asked with a frown.
"What happened?"
The police officer looked impatient. He swiped twice on the translucent holographic panel and replied in a formulaic manner.
"A professor died suddenly at a report. According to our forensic examination, the preliminary cause of death was a heart attack."
A bad premonition surged in his heart. Leonard gulped nervously and asked in a trembling voice.
"The name of that professor is …"
The police officer glanced at him.
"Gilbert, do you know him?"
His heart sank to the bottom in an instant.
The moment he heard this name, Leonard felt his head spin.
At this time, a professor wearing a loose gray trench coat walked out of the school building quickly.
After seeing Professor Leonard standing outside the cordon, he seemed to think of something. He suddenly changed his mind and walked straight to this side.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Leonard … Your father is a great scholar."
Like an old friend for many years, Professor Peterson gave Professor Leonard a hug. After they separated, he patted him on the shoulder and spoke with a painful expression.
"We are all very sad that something like this happened … Please restrain your grief."
Leonard slowly came back to his senses and looked at Professor Peterson blankly.
Soon, his pupils shrank instantly, and he recognized the face.
Lavinger Peterson!
The most loyal … opponent of the Vernal school of thought!
In his impression, this guy had disagreed with his father more than once at the report. He did not have the demeanor of a scholar at all. He always used an unreasonable way to obstruct the report. Last time, he even made his father hospitalized.
When he was on the phone yesterday, his father told him that there was a very important report today …
He looked at the stack of meeting notes under Professor Peterson's elbow. He seemed to understand something for a moment.
"You …"
An inexplicable rage suddenly rushed to his head. Leonard took a step forward and swung his fist, wanting to punch him.
However, this punch did not land on Professor Peterson's body. The robot police officer standing next to him quickly grabbed his fist. The other two police officers also reacted and quickly restrained him.
"What do you want to do? Stop! "
The robot warned in a gentle electronic voice, "Citizen, please stop illegal behavior."
Looking at the situation in front of him, Professor Peterson opened his mouth and made a surprised expression. He spread his arms and seemed to be confused by the situation in front of him.
"What's wrong with you? Mr. Leonard … You seem to be a little out of control, but I don't know how I offended you. "
"It's you!" Gritting his teeth, Professor Leonard stared at him and squeezed a sentence out of his teeth. "You did it on purpose …"
"Me? On purpose? What do you want to say? Or … What do you want to accuse me of? "
When Leonard heard the word "accuse", he calmed down for a moment.
According to the civil litigation law of the North Sea Alliance, if he were to accuse him here, it meant that he had to be responsible for his own remarks, and the other party could also use this as evidence to countersue.
As for the recordings and videos, there was a police robot recording the whole process, which was legal evidence that could be taken out in court. Once he made excessive behavior, the situation would be very bad for him.
Professor Peterson looked at Professor Leonard, who had calmed down, and showed a victorious smile on his face.
"Get over it, Mr. Leonard, I admit that I do oppose your father from an academic point of view, but it is my academic freedom to express my views …"
Peterson leaned close to Professor Leonard and spoke softly with a sinister smile.
"Even if I were given another chance, I would tell him in front of his face that his paper is a pile of sh * t and has no research value."
The pupils of the robot auxiliary police flickered slightly with blue light, and a soft but unquestionable voice came from Kai He's lips.
"Please step back, citizen, your remarks are stimulating the emotions of the controlled. If you continue to make provocative behavior, this will become evidence against you in court. "
"Okay, I admit my mistake, I apologize, I'm very, very sorry." Professor Peterson opened his arms and stepped back quickly. He laughed and looked at Professor Leonard, who was glaring at him. He bowed slightly without sincerity.
"I wish you a good day …
"Then, I'll leave first."
…
The heavy rain washed the streets.
In the night, there was rolling thunder from time to time.
Professor Leonard, who had just attended his father's funeral, got out of the car and slammed the door behind him.
With his back to the ringing alarm, he didn't open an umbrella, nor did he run. He let the rain hit his face as he walked through the front yard and returned home.
There was a musty smell in the house.
It was the unique smell of wood and leather furniture that was common in the previous era. No matter how many times it was cleaned, it was difficult to completely eliminate it.
At this time, a general-purpose Type-1 housekeeping robot with a height of about 1.7 meters and an indistinct facial outline walked to the entrance and stopped.
After recognizing Leonard's facial features through the eye camera, it spoke in a gentle voice.
"Welcome home, Master Leonard. You look like you've been caught in the rain. Do you need me to dry your clothes and fill the bathtub with water before dinner?"
"Shut up."
"Okay."
As the only intelligent device in this dilapidated home, after receiving the owner's order, the robot still maintained an abstract smile and stayed quietly by the side.
It had to be said that you get what you pay for. The androids produced in this kind of low-end industrial chain were not only clumsy in doing things, but the bionic engineering was also a mess. With a little dressing up, they could even be used as a selling point to scare people in haunted houses.
Without bothering with the abstract smile, Leonard walked to the fridge with a gloomy expression and grabbed a beer before returning to his room.
Compared to the postmodernist apartments and high-rise flats in the city, his ancestral home in the suburbs was bought by his father when he was young. It had been many years since then.
Although it had been refurbished several times, an old house was still an old house. As long as the solid wood floor was old, no matter how it was modified, it would still make an annoying squeaking sound.
His father had always been very stubborn in rejecting new things.
Even though holographic technology had been popularized in all aspects of life, he still stubbornly used a tablet to work and write papers, as if things that could be seen and touched could give him a sense of security.
As for the bionic robot, it took him a lot of effort to persuade his father to allow him to buy one for his family.
Sometimes he thought that he was in his thirties, and it was time to move out of this home. In fact, he was thinking about this until yesterday.
However, it seemed that there was no need to think about this problem anymore. His father had left, and he was the only one left in this house.
Not just that …
Those guys not only planned to take away his father's life, but they also planned to take away the Vernal school of thought that he had spent his whole life running and maintaining, taking away everything, including his office and classroom …
"I will make you pay …"
Thinking of Professor Peterson's arrogant face and the sneer on the corner of his mouth when the head of the Oxford University Department of Archaeology announced to him that the project had been withdrawn, his heart felt like it was being twisted by a knife.
"All of you."
Sitting in front of the holographic projection screen, Leonard's fists were clenched tightly.
Just when his emotions had reached their peak, a red bubble suddenly popped up in the inbox of his account on the LSPM website.
It seemed that there was a new "development" in the direction of his research.
Although now was not the time to care about this, out of a subconscious reaction, he still clicked on the notification.
However, the moment he saw the development, he was stunned.
The author who published this development claimed to be a miner at Hiddell Mining and an amateur meteorite culture enthusiast.
In a mineral vein newly excavated by the company, this amateur meteorite culture enthusiast found many clues suspected to be the remains of the Martian civilization and took photos of these clues.
Since this mineral vein was only 20 kilometers away from Tiangong City, located in a canyon, and very close to the ruins of The Gates of Hell, this meteorite culture enthusiast made a bold speculation that the clues found in this canyon were likely to be buried in the truth of the collapse of The Gates of Hell a century ago …
Although most of the replies below the post were not friendly to the poster, and most of them were even mocking him, Leonard was different.
The Gates of Hell!
Most people might not be interested in this word, but he was different.
His father's mentor, when he was not even a single cell, once went to Mars as a "mission" of human civilization, and he was the one who personally experienced the earthquake.
As the only surviving disciple of the Vernal school of thought, he believed more than anyone that there must be a big secret buried in the ruins, and that the earthquake must not be as simple as an earthquake.
At this moment, Professor Peterson's arrogant face appeared in his mind, making him clench his teeth unconsciously.
It was also at this moment that a crazy idea suddenly emerged from his mind.
Without hesitation, he placed his hands on the table, on the holographic keyboard woven by holographic images and motion-capture cameras.
[Hello, I saw the development you just posted on the LSPM forum. Is it convenient for you to chat?]
He pressed the send button.
Professor Leonard took a deep breath, pulled off the rain-soaked tie around his neck, and threw it on the sofa.
Just when he was thinking about whether to find a towel to wipe his wet hair, a reply notification suddenly popped up in the lower right corner of the screen.
"… Is the poster on Earth?"
Most of them are from the North Sea Alliance or the Iberian-French Federation …
With a surprised expression on his face, Leonard obviously didn't expect the other party to reply so quickly. He clicked on the pop-up window with his right hand.
Soon, a line of text was projected in front of him.
[Are you interested in the ruins?]
Signed —
[Dr. Z]
Lamp pen
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
