"That Xia Wei is amazing—definitely smarter than the Marching Ant Company's Mo Nu."
"That question came from AI, and the answer from a 'giant of the times'—that's chilling."
"The Peak Dialogue—AI meets the peak of human thought."
"If God exists and humans can conceive of killing God, then AI might one day conceive of killing humans."
"AI can ask philosophical questions now. How long before it surpasses us completely? How long before it replaces us?"
The dialogue between Chen Mo and Xia Wei was broadcast to every corner of the world. Xia Wei's level of intelligence astonished countless people.
Just one conversation had made the world sit up and take notice of China's AI development—not just the Marching Ant Company, but a much broader effort. The dialogue had also brought to the forefront a deeply philosophical question: the 'God' problem.
If AI programming code is analogous to human DNA—and if humans can write that code—then could a 'God' also have written the natural laws that govern our genes?
Just as computer languages are built from characters, letters, and numbers, perhaps God's "programming language" is built from atomic elements.
The implications were staggering, and forums around the world exploded with debate.
"A terrifying question. A terrifying answer."
"Chen Mo might be right. A 'God civilization' could exist—we just haven't found it yet."
"According to Fermi's Paradox, humans could potentially explore the Milky Way in a million years. If alien civilizations were a million years older than us, why haven't we seen them?"
"Imagine an undiscovered ant colony deep in the African rainforest. Would we risk our lives to find it? Even if we did, would the ants ever realize we were observing them? If we captured one and took it to our lab, it couldn't go back and tell the others what happened. That's humanity—we're the ant colony. If advanced civilizations exist, they might have already found us... but we wouldn't know."
"We can already create synthetic proteins and cells using genetic engineering. Once technology advances far enough, it's not crazy to imagine life itself being engineered for research…"
"If Earth's life was created by a higher civilization, then what created that civilization? What if we're the first generation of 'God civilization'? The universe is still young on cosmic scales—it's possible we're the origin."
"Chen Mo never claimed a God created us—he simply said a higher civilization may exist. But the comparison between program code and genes is profound. If we consider AI to be a form of life, then the argument holds."
The questions raised during the Peak Dialogue quickly became the world's hottest topic. Experts from every field—philosophy, biology, physics—joined the discussion, each weighing in from their professional perspectives.
And with that storm of ideas swirling across the globe, the Peak Q&A officially concluded.
After the summit, Chen Mo briefly answered questions from reporters, then returned to his hotel.
But his mind was still racing.
Humans create computer languages to write artificial intelligence code. Couldn't a 'God' have created natural rules to write genetic code?
And then—there was the vibration.
When he voiced that idea on stage, the Science and Technology Library in his mind reacted. For the first time ever, it had shaken.
That had never happened before.
If the library hadn't responded, he would have chalked it up as just a philosophical musing. But the subtle tremor proved otherwise.
It meant something.
Others didn't know it, but Chen Mo was sure: it was possible to create new life through technology.
He had seen it in the Library—countless books on biogenetic engineering. He couldn't access them yet, but they were there.
A higher civilization did exist. The only question was: where did humanity fit into that grand scale?
With a heavy mind, Chen Mo entered the Technology Library once again.
The same endless shelves reached into the heights above him, towering like ancient walls of knowledge. Nothing had changed. The atmosphere was calm, but the weight of knowledge pressing down felt heavier than ever.
He stood beneath the shelves, feeling like a grain of dust.
He'd once marveled at the sheer scope of knowledge. Now he stood there with something more: doubt, awe... and fear.
He knew—knew—that there was more. That there were civilizations beyond imagination. The technology stored in this Library alone was proof that Earth's knowledge was only the beginning.
With Shu Lao still dormant, he had to finish the [Technology Apprentice] task to see him again. There was no one he could talk to about what he'd just uncovered.
Super Genetic Engineering
Gene Editing Technology
Life Creation
…
All listed on the Library's higher shelves.
The books were there. The knowledge was real. And it meant one thing: it was possible to create life. Science could truly become God.
He reached for one of the books.
But as before, his hand passed right through it, as if the book existed in a different plane of space and time.
His authority level still wasn't high enough.
The Library yielded nothing new this time. With a sigh, Chen Mo returned to reality and collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling.
The question was heavy. What is the truth?
Just then, Mo Nu's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Brother Mo, Sister Xiaoyu is calling."
"Answer it," he said, sitting up and rubbing his temples.
The holographic video activated, and Xiaoyu's smiling face appeared in front of him.
"You look troubled, husband."
"Just thinking about something," Chen Mo replied, forcing a smile. "Some philosophical stuff."
"The AI conference?"
"You caught that too?"
"I'm your wife—I could tell right away."
She had also watched the Peak Q&A. Others might not have noticed the shift in his expression when Xia Wei asked her final question. But she knew Chen Mo well. Even over video, she could sense something had changed in him.
"There's no need to worry so much," Xiaoyu said softly. "You're overthinking it. Before you dive into conspiracy theories, just remember—until there's evidence, we believe in evolution. And even if you don't, we're still children of the Goddess Nüwa."
Chen Mo chuckled. "Alright."
Only Xiaoyu could calm his stormy thoughts.
"You promised to bring me back a gift," she added, eyes twinkling. "Don't forget."
Chen Mo smiled. She was shifting the topic on purpose—to pull him out of that dark spiral.
"Okay, what would you like?"
"What can I want?" Xiaoyu's cheeks flushed slightly, her smile playful.
"Anything you want."
"I was thinking… buy me a couple of new sets of underwear. Pick them yourself."
Pffft—
Chen Mo almost choked on his own breath.
The deep, philosophical questions he'd been pondering vanished in an instant—replaced by very real new troubles.
"Why can't you just buy them yourself?"
"I could," she grinned. "But I wear them for you. Don't you want to pick what you like?"
"…You're impossible," Chen Mo said, both amused and helpless.
Xiaoyu giggled. Her cheeks were glowing now, but her heart felt lighter. Mission accomplished.
"I just wanted to snap you out of those dark thoughts," she said. "Life's confusing enough already. Let those cosmic questions go for now. As for the gift—you can decide. I'll like anything you pick."
They chatted a while longer, warm and affectionate. By the time the call ended, Chen Mo was smiling for real.
The questions weren't gone.
But for now, they didn't weigh quite so heavily.