Chapter 190
Lu Lincheng was silent for a moment before continuing, "This is a safe haven, the last safe haven for mankind, because war is coming."
"war?"
"The war with the dragons is a full-scale war." Lu Lincheng sighed quietly, "The dragons have been silent for tens of thousands of years, and humans know very little about them. They are not just cocoons buried underground or hidden in the sea, hatching when the time is right and then coming out to stir up trouble. Some dragons live in human society, disguising themselves as humans, and it can even be said that humans are their education, but humans are not their students, but their slaves.
Your mother and I have been engaged in this research, looking for the dragon monarchs who coexist with humans. They hide very deeply and it is difficult to locate them in the huge human society. However, big data has helped us sort out some clues. We built a model to analyze the total amount of social wealth each year, and there is always an invisible black hole in this model that swallows up a lot of wealth.
It was the dragon monarchs who secretly took away the wealth, perhaps storing it in many accounts in major banks in the form of money, or storing it in warehouses as weapons, or turning it into a secret base hidden in the Nibelungen. When the kingdom controlled by the dragons grows strong enough, it will be time for them to wage war against humans."
"You mean the monarchs of the dark side of the world?"
"It seems that you already know something. Yes, we call them the monarchs of the dark side of the world. The secret party may be able to deal with those stubborn dragon kings, but it has no chance of winning against the monarchs of the dark side of the world. The most difficult thing for humans to defeat is not those things with wings and claws, but the enemies from within humanity."
"It will divide humanity, starting with regional conflicts, then wars between countries, and then a world war. By then, hundreds of millions of people will die, and all countries will be overdrawn. Then they will secretly or openly take over power, run for president, or become warlords in a certain region."
"They can also use super words to create regional disasters. Humans will look forward to a powerful savior, and they are the ones who can best disguise themselves as a powerful savior. They step forward step by step, re-erecting giant bronze pillars on the earth and building new cities around those pillars. The sacred buildings are built very high, and the dragon monarchs live in them. Humans worship them and ask them for help when they encounter problems." Lu Lincheng said slowly.
"The world has returned to the age of dragons. It's a war that is likely to be lost, so humans need a safe haven."
"Is it possible that you are talking about me?" Lu Mingfei said slowly after listening to Lu Lincheng's words.
"What I did in Japan is exactly the same as what you said. Although those disasters were not caused by me, I did use them to steal the power of a country." Lu Mingfei continued. "It seems that I am the dark monarch you mentioned, and I do plan to start a world war."
Lu Lincheng's expression stiffened slightly, and his eyes became complicated. He stared at Lu Mingfei, as if trying to see through his heart from his eyes.
After a long while, he slowly spoke in a low voice: "If you are really the monarch of the dark side, then why are you standing here and listening to me say these words?"
Lu Mingfei shrugged lightly, his tone indifferent and calm: "Maybe he wants to see if you, as a father, can stop your son from destroying the world."
Having said that, there was an elusive look in his eyes. Lu Mingfei had always thought that he was a discarded pawn in a chess game, but now it seemed that he might have been placed in the center of the board from the beginning, destined to become the key to the overall situation.
"If you really intend to start a war," Lu Lincheng said in a deep voice, frowning slightly, "then you should know better than me that it will be a road of no return, and every moment you stand here shows that you still have doubts in your heart."
"Doubts?" Lu Mingfei smiled, but there was a hint of sarcasm in his smile. "Maybe. What I'm doubtful about is not the war itself, but the consequences after the war. I'm not sure if that's the world I want to see."
An elusive emotion flashed across Lu Lincheng's eyes, and he slowly said, "If you have doubts about yourself, why not stand in this safe haven and re-examine your choices? Mingfei, you are not a chess piece trapped in fate, but one of the few people in this game who has free will."
“Free will?” Lu Mingfei sneered, “Maybe, but free will can’t help me escape the fate of being used.”
His eyes swept across the safe haven, examining the unknown and thinking coldly about his own situation. He knew that no matter what, he could not escape the shadow of this war. The question now was which side he was willing to stand on.
"Dad, what do you want me to do?" Lu Mingfei suddenly spoke and asked directly.
Lu Lincheng looked at him with deep eyes: "I want you to be yourself and become who you want to be, but Mingfei, remember one thing, no matter which path you choose, you must take real responsibility for this world and for the people behind you."
Lu Mingfei was silent for a moment, his eyes became deep. He knew that his father's words were not only hope, but also a reminder.
In any case, the pace of war is inevitable, and he will be one of the people who decide the future of this war.
"Maybe," Lu Mingfei finally said, his tone carrying a hint of deep sarcasm, "but what if this world is really not worth saving?"
Lu Lincheng did not answer immediately. He pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Then let you decide for yourself. After all, this is your chess game."
In one sentence, the topic was pushed into a deeper unknown. The confrontation between father and son also reached a delicate balance. The shadow of war shrouded the safe haven, and Lu Mingfei finally stood at the crossroads of choice.
"You are my child. I believe you are unwilling to start a war. You are just corroded and parasitized by some things. Those things changed your mind." After a long time, Lu Lincheng continued.
Lu Mingfei was silent, his eyes lowered, his thoughts surging like a raging tide at this moment.
His father's words pierced a corner deep in his heart, a place he didn't want to look at but couldn't ignore. Are those darkness, desires, and urges to conquer really his own choices, or are they bewitched and magnified by some force?
"Parasite?" He repeated in a low voice, with a hint of hesitation in his tone, "Dad, are you sure you are not making excuses? Do you think it is fair to blame everything I did on 'Parasite'?"
Lu Lincheng stared at him, his eyes showing both pain and determination: "This is not an excuse, but a fact. You have been different since you were a child. The abnormal power in your blood has never stopped eroding your will. Many of your decisions are not entirely your own. Those powers don't just want to use you, they want to become you."
The corners of Lu Mingfei's mouth rose slightly, revealing a bitter smile: "So, now I don't even know what 'myself' is?" Lu Lincheng did not answer. He stood up, walked to the window, and looked towards this huge and cold safe haven, as if he wanted to find some answers there.
"Ming Fei, the war between humans and dragons is not just a contest of force, but also a confrontation of essence and will." Lu Lincheng said slowly with his back to him, "The dragons are not just foreign enemies, they are the embodiment of certain characteristics deep in the human soul - greed, domination, destruction, and the things that parasitize you are the embodiment of these forces, but you are different. I have always believed that you have the power to fight against them."
“Fight?” Lu Mingfei sneered and shook his head. “Don’t think too highly of me. I admit that for a moment, I thought about stopping and even saving people, but do you know why I hesitated? Because the feeling of being feared by everyone and bowing to the whole world is too addictive.”
His words were cold and blunt, but there was a hint of struggle in his eyes.
Lu Lincheng turned around and stared at his son, his eyes like the deep sea: "Then have you ever thought about what you will see when everyone bows their heads?"
Lu Mingfei was stunned.
"There is only emptiness, Mingfei." Lu Lincheng's tone was low but sonorous. "War can satisfy the desire for domination, but it cannot fill the emptiness of the soul. When you stand at the top, you have no enemies, no friends, only yourself - and you can't even be sure whether you are still yourself at that time."
The room fell into silence and the air seemed to freeze. Lu Mingfei lowered his head and tapped the table lightly with his fingers, as if he was thinking, or as if he was trying to hide the hesitation in his heart.
"Maybe." He finally spoke, his voice so low that it was almost inaudible, "But sometimes, emptiness is better than being controlled."
Lu Lincheng sighed softly, he walked back to Lu Mingfei, bent down, put his hand on his shoulder, and said gently but firmly: "Mingfei, don't let those things define you. Only you can decide who you are. No matter which path you choose in the end, I just hope you remember not to let yourself become a tool in the hands of others."
"Come on, I'll take you to see something, and you'll believe what I say when you go there."
Lu Lincheng patted Lu Mingfei's shoulder gently, then stood up, walked to the desk and pressed a button. The heavy metal door slowly opened, and a gust of cold wind with fine snow blew in. Outside the door was a passage leading to the depths of the safe haven.
"Come with me, Mingfei." Lu Lincheng turned around and called out, his tone becoming more serious. "There are things here that can help you understand the full picture of the war and your own position."
Lu Mingfei stood up and followed his father silently. Lu Lincheng's words were still churning in his mind, as if every word was hitting his mind, but he could not form a complete answer.
At the end of the passage, a heavy hatch slowly slid open, revealing a world completely different from the surface.
The snow-white light reflected on the cold metal walls, and the layers of steel bridges shuttled through the huge space. Under the feet was an irregularly arranged group of buildings, with low-rise Khrushchev buildings surrounding a central garden, and in the garden was a towering spruce forest.
Lu Lincheng stood on the high platform, his eyes swept across this safe haven, his voice low and clear: "What you see is one of the last homes of mankind. If war really comes, this will be one of the few remaining pure lands to accommodate those who are lucky enough to escape."
"It's quite magnificent." Lu Mingfei leaned on the guardrail of the corridor bridge with a complicated look in his eyes, "But can these people really escape the pursuit of the dragon clan?"
Lu Lincheng nodded and pointed at the rising hot air in the distance and said, "This is not just a shelter, it is a self-sufficient ecosystem. The underground fusion reactor provides energy, and the hot air is transported to the soil through pipes to ensure that the roots of the plants are not frozen. These trees are not only a windbreak, but also part of the carbon cycle."
Lu Mingfei glanced at the spruce trees, and a hint of amazement flashed in his eyes: "It looks like a lot of thought was put into it."
"There are more thoughts than that." Lu Lincheng continued, "The true meaning of the safe haven is not only to preserve human bodies, but also to preserve human civilization. Top talents in various fields live here - scientists, artists, philosophers... They are the treasures of civilization. After the war, their wisdom will become the cornerstone of reconstruction."
Lu Mingfei was silent for a moment, then asked in a low voice: "What if the war cannot be won? What is the meaning of these people's existence?"
Lu Lincheng turned to look at him with a firm gaze: "The meaning lies not in the result, but in the process. The reason why humans are human is not because they can overcome everything, but because they do not give up hope."
Lu Mingfei didn't say anything else, but just followed his father into another building. It was a simple command room with complex data streams and global satellite images displayed on the screen.
Lu Lincheng pointed to one of the flashing spots and said, "This is the latest dragon activity area we have monitored. Their traces can be found behind every disaster and conflict."
"You let me see this, what do you want to tell me?" Lu Mingfei asked with a hint of impatience in his tone.
Lu Lincheng stared at the screen and said slowly: "Let me tell you, you are not the only one who has been parasitized. The power of the Dragon Clan monarch is infiltrating the entire world. They are trying to establish a new order in this way, and you are the chess piece they value most."
Lu Mingfei sneered: "So, I have become a candidate for the savior?"
“No, Mingfei.” Lu Lincheng shook his head, with a hint of mixed emotions in his voice, “You are the one who decides the game.”
After the words fell, the whole room fell into a brief silence. Lu Mingfei looked at his father and suddenly felt that the figure of the man in front of him was extremely heavy. He knew that his choice was not only related to himself, but also to the whole world.
"Let's go," Lu Lincheng patted his shoulder, "There are more important things I want you to understand."
(End of this chapter)
