Chapter 40: Fortieth Day of Being a Salted Fish

[All of these insect-like creatures live within this single structure. This is different from actual insects.

For actual insects, each group has its own nest, and there is conflict between them. But these insectoid creatures, despite clearly looking different and belonging to different species-let alone different groups-all live together in extreme harmony.

The diet of these creatures is also very diverse. I saw the insectoid creatures at the market; some bought plants, some bought meat, and others only bought drinks. In fact, they might even feed on metal or other manufactured goods. I saw one insectoid creature eat something that looked like a block of iron. I am not certain, however. It might just be a type of food unique to that city.

What is peculiar is that regardless of whether they have wings, these insectoid creatures can fly. At the very least, their leaping ability is incredibly strong.

Their buildings are massive, roughly a hundred times taller than their average height, and they float in the air, far above the ground. But when they enter the building, even if they are entering through the uppermost hexagonal grids, they do not need ladders or to climb level by level from the bottom. They can leap into them with ease.

Their strength is also immense, and their speed is great. I saw one scene where an insectoid creature was dragging an object several times the size of its own body back to the nest (purpose unknown, material of the object unknown). It ran very fast; even while hauling such a large object, it overtook many other creatures along the way. That object was very heavy; when it was placed on the ground, the surface actually dented inward.

One type of insectoid creature has sharp forelimbs. After the previous one dropped the massive object on the ground, several creatures with sharp forelimbs immediately came over and cut the object into small pieces. Then, another type of insectoid creature arrived, carried these small pieces on their backs, and leapt into the nest.

This shows that they have a clear division of labor. However, I did not see any verbal communication between them. Yet their coordination is flawlessly synchronized. I do not know if they have pre-established procedures or some special method of communication.

I observed them completing several tasks, and there was almost no time gap between the steps of each task. Every time a step was just finished, another group of insectoid creatures would immediately arrive from a distance to take over the next step.

When they buy things, they can communicate normally with other creatures. Although many of them do not seem to make sounds, they can use translators. Many times, I did not see these creatures make any movement while using the translator, yet the content would appear directly on the device.

…]

After a night’s rest, Lu Yuan had calmed his emotions enough to continue reading the contents of the reader.

Following the description of the “insectoid creatures'” architecture, the next section was a list of their characteristics.

And these characteristics…

The vast majority were very similar to the Zerg that Lu Yuan had encountered.

Except for one point.

Perhaps it was because every encounter with the Zerg occurred in the near-vacuum environment of space. In over ten years, no one had ever captured the sound of the Zerg.

However, even regarding the Zerg Lu Yuan had encountered, people were certain that they possessed a strong social structure and a unique ability to communicate with their own kind.

In fact, Geshu Ming had once “heard” communication between Zerg.

As the head of the Geshu Family, Geshu Ming had once risked everything, defying the opposition of the entire clan to venture deep into the front lines. Her purpose was to get close to the Zerg and sense their method of communication. At the time, Geshu Ming even suspected that the Zerg’s way of communicating was similar to that of the Geshu Family.

Because, based on Lu Yuan’s observations, the Zerg’s communication likely possessed the characteristic of ignoring spatial distance.

Fortunately, the final result showed no connection between the two. Although Geshu Ming could “hear” Zerg conversations through her Communication ability, the Zerg did not transmit information through the Geshu Family’s so-called Spiritual Sea or Communication network.

It was a relief. Otherwise, Geshu Ming would have had to question her own family’s bloodline… wondering if some ancestor had been unlucky enough to have a run-in with the Zerg.

Now, however, Lu Yuan felt that the Geshu Family’s Communication ability might actually be somewhat similar to that “translator.”

Regarding the translator, Geshu Qing seemed to have a different understanding.

[Supplement: Regarding the wavy lines on the translator screen

While chatting with Tiechui and Tiezhu, we talked about some topics related to music. Tiechui said that Uncle Goudan once told them that, just like ripples in water, sound is also a wave.

I had never heard of such a thing, so I asked them to explain it to me. Once I understood, I realized that what is displayed on the translator’s screen might be “waves.”

A qin¹, a pipe, or any musical instrument plays a single note that represents a specific wave. Many different waves layered together form a more complex wave.

I think if these wavy lines could be broken apart, one should be able to obtain individual notes. These notes might convey information, just as the wavy lines on the translator convey information.

I do not have the ability to do such a thing. But I drew several wavy lines from memory and gave them to Tiechui and the others. They said they would help me study how to express these waves through music.

After I leave the Desolate Planet, if I have the chance, I will also find someone to help me study these wavy lines. Perhaps they have other meanings.]

…That seemed rather interesting.

Though he didn’t know if it was feasible, or to what extent the wavy lines Geshu Qing drew could restore the original waveforms, still…

Lu Yuan connected to the StarNet, downloaded some textbooks on the Fourier Transform, and saved them into a reader.

The Fourier Transform was a mathematical analysis tool used since the Mother Planet Era. It could transform any function into a superposition of simple sine or cosine waves, and it still played an important role in many fields today.

It might be able to decompose Geshu Qing’s wavy lines into a series of waves of specific frequencies.

Lu Yuan himself knew nothing about music. He had never had the chance to learn it, let alone study music theory. While he had a certain level of appreciation for music, it ended there.

But he had studied a bit of mathematics.

So, perhaps he could be of some help.

–

Thus, two days later, when the five teenagers of the band came to the small shop because a sudden rain prevented them from working outside, Lu Yuan placed the reader filled with “basic” mathematical knowledge into their hands.

Er Ya looked a bit dazed as she took the reader. “What is this?”

“Something that might be able to help you?” Lu Yuan was aimlessly browsing the StarNet at the time and answered casually. “I saw Geshu Qing mentioned that you want to study wave spectrums. That requires some mathematical knowledge, so I prepared some for you.”

“…” After a long silence, Ying Ying asked, “So, what is mathematics?”

“…” Lu Yuan fell silent as well.

Having communicated seamlessly with Siming, Zhu Rong, and Old Fourth for so long, he had almost forgotten the lack of education here on the Desolate Planet. These children probably weren’t even literate… let alone capable of learning math.

Even though the Fourier Transform was only middle-school level knowledge in this era… trying to teach these children…

What a hassle.

And once they learned this, he would probably have to teach them the next step as well…

“Forget it.” Lu Yuan buried his head in his arms, giving up. “I overthought it. It’s nothing important, don’t worry about it.”

“Ah…” The children all looked a bit lost.

Tiechui whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Then the other four teenagers followed suit, saying, “I’m sorry.”

“…Sigh, what do you have to be sorry for?” Lu Yuan muffled his voice against the sofa, not looking up. “Fine, go find Old Fourth. Let him help you think of a way and study it together.”

“Oh!” The teenagers relaxed again.

Yan Yan blinked, her thin fingers twirling the ends of her hair as she said in a soft, delicate voice, “We came to see you today because of something.”

“What is it?” Lu Yuan’s voice softened, and he propped himself up slightly.

This young girl was the shyest of the group and rarely spoke up on her own. For her to initiate a conversation was a surprise even to Lu Yuan.

“We’ve written a new piece. We want you to hear it.”

Lu Yuan smiled. “Alright.”

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Translator’s Notes

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1. qin: A traditional Chinese stringed instrument. In this context, it likely refers to the guqin or guzheng, often associated with scholarly refinement and the manipulation of sound or energy in literary works. ↩