Chapter 340: Chapter 340

340: Chapter 120: The Sea of the Past [Above] 340: Chapter 120: The Sea of the Past [Above] “All things considered, you truly are the most suitable candidate.”

When Jing Hongtu said this, he was gazing into the distance.

“You’re from the Republic.

You’re one of this district’s own. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novel_fіre.net

At the same time, the fact that you can be here means you’ve passed the political screening.

On the other hand, your family hasn’t produced any ‘High Officials’ for generations.

People like Wang Yiren won’t have to worry that you will become something they can’t control— in ‘their’ eyes, you can be ‘one of us’.”

“Additionally, your work on cracking the ‘Orunmila Project’ was superb.

No need for modesty, I’ve heard it from the professionals, your work was really quite something.

Cracking that alien junk, you played a pivotal role.”

“Moreover, alongside Professor Vigette and Researcher Kanhara, you became one of the first scholars to make contact with ‘Argon’—this is a tremendous asset among the intellectual community.

You know of Armstrong?

The goodwill you feel towards them is similar in nature to the goodwill others feel towards you.”

“Professor Vigette’s personality is completely unsuitable for this position, and the Federation would most certainly not support him for it.

Researcher Kanhara has already withdrawn from the project.

In this regard, you are truly blessed.”

Jing Hongtu spread his hands towards Xiang Shan: “Look at this formidable capital; wouldn’t it be a waste not to use it?”

Xiang Shan scratched his head: “But I never really wanted to use it.

I firmly believe that by doing my research well, I am contributing to the nation, to humanity, to society.

What about you, though?

“That, well, I have an elder brother with a quite high position.

To people like Wang Yiren, I’m considered an ‘unstable element’.” Jing Hongtu stared at Xiang Shan for several seconds before sitting down: “Young Xiang…

we can be considered friends despite the age difference, right?

Quite tight-knit ones at that.”

“How dare I claim that…”

“No, I mean it, Young Xiang.” Jing Hongtu said, “Our conversations have been quite enjoyable, haven’t they?

I can see that you have a fire within you.

You’re suppressing yourself.”

“When you see humanity undoubtedly pushing itself towards the Abyss of destruction, you get angry.

When you see capital interfering with human thought, you get angry.

When you see fools thirsting for war, you get angry.

You’re angry all the time.

But you’ve been suppressing the anger in your heart for a long time.”

“What else can I do?” Xiang Shan’s tone carried a hint of impatience—perhaps even a bit of irritation—as he retorted: “Should I just let this fire consume the world?

That’d make me no different from those I despise, wouldn’t it?”

“Now you have an opportunity,” Jing Hongtu said calmly: “You have a chance to direct this fire to the right place, to burn away the decay.

Only with ‘wildfires burning the old grass’ can there be ‘east winds stirring the green blades’.”

Xiang Shan pondered for a moment, then suddenly deflated: “I feel like I might not be up for the task.”

“No, you are capable.” Jing Hongtu said: “You’ve already understood ‘compromise,’ the most important thing.”

Xiang Shan scratched his head: “Compromise…

just thinking about having to grovel and make concessions to a bunch of bureaucrats really bothers me.

I’m not cut out for that kind of work.”

“It’s not about compromising with bureaucrats, but about compromising with reality,” Jing Hongtu said: “Young Xiang, you’ve heard many stories from me.

Have I ever told you the story of the Weimar Republic?”

“The events before the Reichstag fire,” Jing Hongtu continued: “Back then, the standoff between the German National Socialist Party, the German Red Party, and the German Social Democratic Party.”

“Though Adolf’s National Socialist Party was the largest party, the Weimar Republic after all was the home of philosophers, and there were actually many progressives and idealists.

The National Socialist Party only had 32% of the power, not a significant advantage.

If they had joined forces, they could have completely suppressed the National Socialist Party.”

Xiang Shan scratched his head: “Ah, this…”

Even though he wasn’t much for history, he still knew about World War II and how the Third Reich, led by the National Socialist Party, wreaked havoc on the world.

Clearly, those progressives had failed to hold back the tide.

“It’s simple, those idealists were busy criticizing each other for not being progressive enough— for them, incomplete progress is the same as no progress at all.

The German Red Party had once proposed establishing a united front to take back the power stolen by the National Socialist Party.

But soon enough, idealists hoisted their banners and assassinated the Red Party’s leadership.

As a result, the tension between the German Red Party and the other progressive forces escalated.”

“And as you know the rest, a bunch of fools there accusing one another of endorsing His Excellency Adolf, and then being swept away by His Excellency Adolf together.”

Xiang Shan scratched his head: “Somehow, this plot sounds a bit familiar…”

“Ah, right, it’s quite similar to the Federation’s drama over the last decade.

A group of truly kind but incredibly foolish people accusing each other of not being progressive enough.

Hegel said it well, the only lesson learned from history by humanity is that humanity fails to learn any lessons from history.” Jing Hongtu shrugged: “It’s too easy for idiots to emerge among idealists.

Idiots who start accusing their own people of not being progressive enough before ‘victory.’ The idealists capable of achieving great things are the ones who know how to sweep these idiots out of their ranks.”

Jing Hongtu looked at Xiang Shan.

“By saying ‘bureaucrats may be protecting the world,’ you are already far stronger than those fools.”

Xiang Shan scratched his head: “Really?

I was just saying that under those circumstances, right?”

“If you could say such words offhand, the logic has already been planted in your heart,” Jing Hongtu stood up again: “Xiang, you are an idealist, but you’re not foolish.

And that’s the foundation of ‘accomplishing great things’.”

Xiang Shan sighed, “Accomplishing great things…

Accomplishing great things…

I’m just a researcher…”

“I still remember the first time we talked, what you told me,” Jing Hongtu reminisced, “‘Mature 3D printing technology, to a certain extent, can change the industrial pattern’—you want to change the ‘industrial pattern.’ You’ve wanted to change the world in your own way from the very beginning.”

“Yes,” Xiang Shan gave up resisting, “Yes, I really want to change the world.

But I truly can’t be an official.”

“You also said at the same time, ‘Who made me a ‘Symptom Treatment’ professional?’ You know very well that developing technology on your own, no matter what, can’t stop the trend of capitalism pushing the world into an economic crisis.

You can only provide symptom relief—but now, there’s a further opportunity.

Even if you don’t succeed, you could use that bit of experience to obtain more resources and promote ‘the research you consider more beneficial to humankind.’ More importantly…

this is your chance to influence the entire academic community of humankind, maybe even the civilization of humankind!”

Jing Hongtu swept his hand, pointing to the distant “white tents”: “What do you think ‘Argon’ is?

It’s something unprecedented!

Such a thing has never appeared in history before.

Its mere appearance has changed history.

In the process of researching it, you have already made a remarkable contribution.

If you establish greater influence here…

this is a chance, Xiang.”

“What you’re afraid of is betraying the principles you’ve established since childhood by compromising and retreating, afraid of ‘dirtying your hands’,” Jing Hongtu’s tone became somewhat stern, “But what revolution and renewal are completely clean, without a single speck of ink?”

“If you really want to maximize your contribution to humanity, then you shouldn’t be afraid…”

The scenery around unfolded like ripples in the water.

Xiang Shan knelt to the ground and started to cry in silence.

The Jing Hongtu before his eyes suddenly aged, maybe by twenty years.

For an old man at that juncture, twenty years was enough to bring about drastic changes.

Jing Hongtu’s hair became sparser, more age spots appeared on his face, wrinkles deeper, and his stature shorter.

The strength to swim in the sea had vanished, and the ornamental cane had become a necessity.

The old man squatted in front of Xiang Shan, a hand pressing on his shoulder.

“What are you crying for in front of me…

What’s with this inexplicable sense of guilt?

Xiang, I must criticize you for this.

You’re going to save the world.

If you can’t get past this, and let such a small matter crush you, then you might as well sell your shares right away and live comfortably as a wealthy gentleman.

After all, you’re financially independent now.”

Xiang should have come to visit this old friend.

As he entered, Jing Hongtu had asked the caregiver to rest while he had a good talk with this old friend.

However, the gloom in Xiang Shan’s heart gradually erupted.

This must have been about the year ’44 or ’45.

“I can’t save you…” Xiang Shan wiped his tears, “I didn’t save my mother…

I can’t help any old person.

How can there be such a thing…

It might just be a difference of a few years.

There shouldn’t be such a thing…

“Who do you think you are?

Should I be indebted to you and kneel for your salvation?

Does it make any sense?

Xiang Shan wiped his tears like a child.

“I have a few friends living in nursing homes,” Jing Hongtu said with a sigh: “They tell me, these years the volunteers in the nursing homes include more foreigners.

There are also some who look like highly educated people.

It was a real problem, as Benchmark Man gene modification surgery would cause a series of immune issues.

During the process of gene rewriting, the immune system would attack itself.

This posed a significant threat to the life of the Spirit Receivers.

Moreover, the process of raising body temperature from thirty-seven degrees to fifty-two degrees was also very dangerous.

It was too much to bear for those aged over sixty.

No, even for those over fifty-five, it was dangerous.

Thus, to ensure the gene modification surgery could be rolled out without fatal accidents in its initial phase, it wasn’t the older people in their fifties, who soon wouldn’t be able to undergo the surgery, that were the first to receive it, but the younger adults in their twenties and thirties.

People over fifty seemed to have been abandoned by history.