Love letters are not allowed in the exorcism notebook!-Chapter 1015 - 82: The faster the speed, the harder it is to turn

After leaving the tavern, Yan Yu’an quietly asked Wang Yunxiao, "What did that guy talk to you about? You seemed to be having a good time."

"Not at all."

Wang Yunxiao thought to himself that there was a lot he didn’t understand, so he just skipped over it.

"To put it simply, he suspects something is wrong with Avalon, but he can’t produce any real evidence, or rather, his theory is incomprehensible to others and they’re unwilling to believe him, thinking he’s talking nonsense."

This could also be interpreted as an academic tyrant issue.

One of the core characteristics of science is falsifiability. Scientific theories allow for the existence of counterexamples, meaning they can be disproved or falsified through empirical evidence. This characteristic makes scientific theories relatively correct, rather than an absolute truth.

But the falsification of science doesn’t take human nature into account.

What does being an academic tyrant mean?

To put it bluntly, it means I am a prominent figure in the industry, having founded my own faction. My disciples and followers survive by publishing papers on this foundation, and the research funding invested has amounted to several billion, even tens of billions.

Now you, a young person, jump out to disprove my theory, trying to bring down this multi-billion project.

Youngster, this is no longer a simple academic issue.

"Avalon definitely has a problem, and they themselves know it, but they’re unwilling to admit it. If they admit there is a problem, it would be tantamount to admitting that the top geniuses of the past hundred years were fools, manipulated by others."

Yan Yu’an nodded and said, "This Maynard Keynes, he’s the representative they sent out. He’s an outstanding student of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, and although he hasn’t become a professor yet, his economic theories already show signs of forming a new school. The only reasonable explanation I can think of for him running over to our side is to observe our side’s policy trends."

"I’ve finished my business here, what about you?"

He turned his head to look at Cheng Feng.

"Let me take a look at the map. Where are we currently?"

"Here."

"Alright, it’s a bit far, and there’s no carriage in this lousy place, let’s walk slowly."

So the three men walked into the fog again.

Lanton’s ground-level urban area was almost devoid of living people, and frankly, it wasn’t suitable for the living.

The omnipresent dense fog obscured vision, making it impossible to see anything beyond a few meters.

Occasionally, there seemed to be something moving in the fog, which didn’t sound much like a human, posing no threat to Wang Yunxiao and the group.

In short, the danger level was low, but the environment was harsh.

"Speaking of which, a story just came to my mind."

Cheng Feng, wearing a gas mask, spoke in a somewhat muffled voice.

"It’s about in ancient times, you, a commoner with nothing, heard of a wealthy young master who was kind and accepting of retainers, so you went to seek refuge. The young master did not despise your poverty and frail build, treated you with courtesy, provided you with food, clothing, and shelter, and even bestowed Silver Tael upon you for use. When you came of age, he even found you a marriage proposal, and now you have a wife and children, living off his Silver for half your life. Now you’ve reached middle age."

"One day, the young master finds you, saying he’s encountering a difficult situation, and someone has designed a trap to frame him. Helpless, he turns to you for advice."

"And having honed your skills over half a lifetime, you just happen to have a sharp sword in hand..."

The answer, of course, goes without saying.

"The British... their technological progress is too rapid. Take that Mathematics Transgressor, for instance, such a supercomputer isn’t something our era should possess."

Wang Yunxiao couldn’t help but ask, "Is it technology they brought from a future era to this point in time?"

"It’s not that simple," Cheng Feng shook his head and said. "If it were possible to do that, we would already be using futuristic high-tech. This involves an issue called cognitive barriers—simply put, our cognitive levels can’t keep up with the pace of technological evolution."

"Take Tianmen City for example, you all know that cars are a luxury. While the Machine Manufacturing Bureau does have a car production line that can produce cars, how many people can actually afford them? Even if they buy a car, where would the gasoline come from? The oil wells in the Northeast are just beginning to be constructed, and to drive, you’d have to import gasoline, which is no cheaper than the car itself."

Are there people in Tianmen City who can buy cars? Surely there are people who want to. But how many? Can you sell a hundred or two hundred cars? Are there that many professional drivers?

The sales volume is so low, it might not even cover the cost of retooling the production line.

The country’s production capacity is insufficient, and the public’s cultural literacy is not high enough to form a demand market, thus preventing the emergence of a commodity economy.

"Lanton is now facing this kind of dilemma—the scientists can’t resist embracing technologies that transcend their era, much like the retainers and dead soldiers nurtured by the young master, who, despite knowing their fate, can’t refuse such material temptation."

"But the problem is, they eat whatever they’re given, which is not a healthy scientific system. In the process of rapid evolution, they are also locking their own evolutionary path."

Cheng Feng seems to know a lot, but due to the principles of his job position, he is unable to reveal much.

The road in the fog seemed endless, and after walking for who knows how long, Cheng Feng looked at the street number on the side of a building and then stopped in his tracks.

Following his gaze, Wang Yunxiao glanced over,

and saw that the plaque engraved read "221B Baker Street."

There was no light inside this building, just like the other buildings on the street, appearing abandoned for a long time.

Cheng Feng stepped forward and knocked on the door. After waiting for about three minutes, a flurry of footsteps could be heard from inside.

The door was opened by a young woman who seemed to have just been looking for a gas mask.

"Good evening, madam."

Cheng Feng took off his hat and nodded, "We are here to visit Mr. Holmes."

"Of course, who else could it be? Then let me in and close the door tight."

The young woman lifted her skirt with one hand and carried a kerosene lamp with the other, turning and walking down the stairs.

This house seems to have been modified to some extent, as Wang Yunxiao had never seen anyone build a basement inside the entrance hall of their own home.

With the sealed iron basement door closed, the young woman immediately took off her mask, taking a few deep breaths: "I know the concept of time outside is meaningless now, you can’t tell night from day, but you’ve chosen a really late time to come, haven’t you?"

Indeed, Wang Yunxiao had just glanced at his watch; by the time they’d arrived, it was past two o’clock in the morning.

"I sincerely apologize, we came from out of town and didn’t pay attention to the time."

Cheng Feng very politely apologized, "If Mr. Holmes is already asleep, we can wait here for a while."

"I’ll go check, who knows."