When Lu Youqi woke up with a start in the middle of the night, he discovered that he had already been placed under lockdown and quarantined. The alarm in his bedroom went off, but when he got up and checked the monitor, he saw epidemic prevention troops stationed outside.
It didn't take Lu Youqi long to launch his contingency plan. Over the next four hours, he began packing up his home's equipment and instruments, destroyed a batch of data, and encrypted another. Feeling his preparations were mostly complete, Lu Youqi decided to wait for the next day's news announcements before judging how the situation would develop.
Unfortunately, before Lu Youqi could wait for the next day's news, he received a confidential message transmitted via an encrypted channel. The digital signature belonged to one of Mantis's private keys, yet the transmission channel came through Li Geyu. Lu Youqi had actually been waiting for Mantis's intelligence for a long time, but never expected to get it at the very last moment. The instant he got hold of it, a seed of suspicion was planted in his mind: why hadn't Mantis sent it directly to him instead of relaying it through Li Geyu? With no time for detailed deduction, he hurriedly skimmed through the document. Titled "Outline for Action 817," even just glancing over the table of contents made Lu Youqi's heart race in terror; he had never imagined things were already this grave. Below is an excerpt from the outline's table of contents:
I. Manufacturing Panic
1.1 Operational Strategy and Feasibility Analysis for the Viral Phase
- 1.1.1 Viral Development
- 1.1.1.1 Development of Ethnic-Specific Viruses
- 1.1.1.2 Designing Distinct Viruses for Different Demographics
- 1.1.1.3 Manufacturing Targeted Genetic Attack Bombs
- 1.1.2 Viral Characteristics and Release Site Selection
- 1.1.2.1 Impacts of Prolonged Incubation Periods
- 1.1.2.2 Criteria for Selecting Transportation Hubs
- 1.1.3 Simulation of Vaccine Development Failure
- 1.1.3.1 Engineering Obstacles in Vaccine Development
- 1.1.3.2 Panic Effects of a Prolonged Pandemic
1.2 Operational Strategy and Feasibility Analysis for the Ecological Disruption Phase
- 1.2.1 Breeding Predatory Animals
- 1.2.1.1 Application of Gene Editing Technologies
- 1.2.1.2 Breeding Ferocious Predatory Species
- 1.2.2 Animal Release and Agricultural Sabotage
- 1.2.2.1 Strategies for Targeted Animal Releases
- 1.2.2.2 Forecasting the Extent of Agricultural Destruction
- 1.2.3 Triggering a Food Crisis
- 1.2.3.1 Anticipated Impacts of Food Shortages
- 1.2.3.2 Leveraging the Food Crisis to Escalate Panic
1.3 Operational Strategy and Feasibility Analysis for the Extraterrestrial Life Phase
- 1.3.1 Manufacturing False News of Alien Civilizations
- 1.3.1.1 Fabricating Evidence of Alien Civilization Discovery
- 1.3.1.2 Fabricating Astronomical Observation Data
- 1.3.1.3 Specific Strategies for Leveraging Scientists to Build Momentum
- 1.3.2 Unidentified Flying Objects Approaching Earth
- 1.3.2.1 Fabricating Evidence of UFO Existence
- 1.3.2.2 Forecasting the Threat of UFOs
- 1.3.3 Triggering Alien Colonization Panic
- 1.3.3.1 Exploiting Human Fear of the Unknown
- 1.3.3.2 Framing a Potential Alien Colonization Threat
II. Coup d'État
2.1 Strategy and Feasibility Analysis for Regime Expansion
- 2.1.1 Leveraging the Pandemic and Food Crisis to Expand Government Authority
- 2.1.1.1 Impact of the Pandemic on Social Governance
- 2.1.1.2 The Food Crisis and the Demand for Government Intervention
- 2.1.2 Expanding the Powers of Police and Intelligence Agencies
- 2.1.2.1 Crackdown Strategies Targeting Opposition Forces
- 2.1.2.2 Legislative Strategies for Expanding Authority
- 2.1.3 Guiding Public Opinion and the Ouster of Zhu Ban
- 2.1.3.1 Fabricating Public Opinion Regarding the Coalition Government's Dereliction of Duty
- 2.1.3.2 Influencing the Ouster of Zhu Ban Through Public Opinion
2.2 Election Manipulation
Strategy and Feasibility Analysis
- 2.2.1 Strategy for Uniting with Common Era Parties
- 2.2.1.1 Establishing Consensus in Cooperation with Common Era Parties
- 2.2.1.2 Leveraging the Power and Influence of the United Nations
- 2.2.2 Manipulating the Election to Install Zhang Beihai
- 2.2.2.1 Manipulation Strategies for Zhang Beihai's Rise to Power
- 2.2.2.2 Leveraging Zhang Beihai's Political Influence
- 2.2.3 Intimidation Strategies Targeting Key Political Figures
- 2.2.3.1 Target Selection for Intimidation Strategies
- 2.2.3.2 Implementation Details of Intimidation Strategies
- 2.2.4 Transition Plan for Regime Stability
- 2.2.4.1 Strategic Design for Political Transition
- 2.2.4.2 Regime Stabilization Measures During the Transition Period
III. Social Transformation
3.1 Strategy and Feasibility Analysis for Propaganda Control
- 3.1.1 Implementing Propaganda Control
- 3.1.1.1 Strategies for Shaping Propaganda Content
- 3.1.1.2 Methods for Controlling the Flow of Information
- 3.1.2 Leveraging AGI DeepFake for Information Manipulation
- 3.1.2.1 Application Scenarios for DeepFake Technology
- 3.1.2.2 Projected Effectiveness of Manipulating Information via DeepFake
- 3.1.3 Shaping Government Image and Suppressing Dissent
- 3.1.3.1 Methods for Building a Positive Government Image
- 3.1.3.2 Strategies for Suppressing Dissent
- 3.1.3.3 Detailed Measures for Re-education and Ideological Indoctrination
3.2 Strategy and Feasibility Analysis for Economic System Reform
- 3.2.1 Revision of Laws and Regulations
- 3.2.1.1 Identifying Target Regulations for Reform
- 3.2.1.2 Implementation Strategies for Regulatory Reform
- 3.2.2 Controlling the Economic Lifeline
- 3.2.2.1 Strategies for Identifying Key Economic Control Points
- 3.2.2.2 Methods for Enforcing Economic Control
3.3 Strategy and Feasibility Analysis for Military Expansion
- 3.3.1 Military Expansion in Response to Alien Invasion
- 3.3.1.1 Strategies and Objectives for Military Expansion
- 3.3.1.2 Methods for Developing Specific Weaponry
- 3.3.2 Space Weapons Program
- 3.3.2.1 Design and Manufacture of Space Weapons
- 3.3.2.2 Deployment Strategies for Space Weapons
- 3.3.3 Confronting Extraterrestrial Forces
- 3.3.3.1 Formulating Strategies to Counter Extraterrestrial Forces
- 3.3.3.2 Framing Common Era Humans as the Symbol of Resistance Against Alien Forces
3.4 Strategy and Feasibility Analysis for the Transformation of Human Society
- 3.4.1 Social Transformation Plan
- 3.4.1.1 Establishing Long-Term Goals for Social Transformation
- 3.4.1.2 Determining Short-Term Reform Measures
- 3.4.2 Establishing Common Era Rule
- 3.4.2.1 Strategic Framework for Common Era Rule
- 3.4.2.2
3.5 Maintaining Order Under the Neo-Slavery System
- 3.4.3 Establishing a New Paradigm of Human Civilization
- 3.4.3.1 Shaping New Values and Ideals
- 3.4.3.2 Reshaping the Educational System and Ideology
- 3.4.3.3 Managing Conflicts with the Old Paradigm of Civilization
Lu Youqi had no time to read the document in detail now. According to this plan, Zhu Ban was practically doomed by the virus, predatory creatures would likely follow next to topple the government, and then Zhang Beihai would be manipulated to take power alongside the Common Era party. With no time left to deliberate, Lu Youqi decided he had to do what Mantis did: crawl out through the ventilation ducts first.