Wei Tianyang rested one hand on the back of the chair, leaned forward slightly, and smiled as he looked at Zhao Ling.
Zhao Ling, however, turned her head aside, looking up at him with an expression that was sowhat stiff.
"When did you co in?" she asked.
"Just now," Wei Tianyang replied as he walked to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down. Everyone turned to look at him.
President Libitelli imdiately stood up, walked toward Wei Tianyang, and extended his hand while conversing with him in faltering Yin language:
"Hello...I am Fogen, the President of Libitelli. We empathize deeply with your ordeal in Chicken Snake Country and hope to be able to do sothing for you."
Wei Tianyang also reached out his hand, but upon seeing his dark hand emitting a dim white light, Fogen hesitated.
"Is it contagious?" Fogen looked toward Zhao Ling and Steijie and asked cautiously in West Soil language.
Steijie laughed, stood up, and shook Wei Tianyang’s hand, cheerfully saying in Yin language, "I am Steijie, the Governor of the Sethiyan Federation, pleased to et you for the first ti. I believe we can discuss a cooperative arrangent beneficial to both parties."
Fogen was sowhat displeased, but drawing his hand back now would have been too awkward, so instead, he casually put his hand on Wei Tianyang’s shoulder and chid in, "We can have a private chat."
"The Sethiyan Federation?" Wei Tianyang turned to look at Steijie, appearing mildly displeased.
"I know, we’ve had so misunderstandings before," Steijie said.
"That’s more than just a misunderstanding, at least Alfred doesn’t see it that way," Wei Tianyang said.
"We don’t know any Alfred, and he doesn’t report to the Governor’s Office or the House of Representatives. If it concerns you, we will investigate this matter upon our return and see exactly whose orders he is acting on," Pelosi interjected quickly, trying to smooth things over.
"I have no fond feelings towards you, and I’m not going to ask you to do anything for ," Wei Tianyang let go of Steijie’s hand and crossed his legs at the knee.
Steijie and Fogen took their seats again, not discouraged by Wei Tianyang’s cool deanor. Pelosi was quietly whispering sothing into Steijie’s ear.
"Mr. Wei Tianyang, I am Helena Mina, the Chairman of the United Council. You’re getting along well with Li Songyan, aren’t you?" Helena Mina also chid in at the right mont.
Wei Tianyang looked at the charming woman and said, "I promised him I would testify in court. Is he alright now?"
Seeing a flicker of goodwill in Wei Tianyang’s attitude, Helena Mina beca sowhat excited. She leaned forward, her chest pressing against the edge of the table, and said, "He ca with us today and will be staying in Fengrao City before the trial starts. If you’re willing, the three of us could go out for dinner tonight..."
"Chairman, I have already prepared dinner. If you’re willing, why don’t you bring that Li Songyan along as well?" Zhao Ling said darkly, casting a venomous glance at the group of presidents before her.
"Don’t we need so private space to communicate?" President Fatida stood up and protested after catching a glance from Pelosi.
"I think we’ve already negotiated that," Zhao Ling said.
"What are you babbling on about? Can you speak in a language I understand?" Wei Tianyang said with his arms crossed.
"Just so international trivialities, not your concern," Zhao Ling said with a smile.
"But it is very much my concern, Mr. Wei Tianyang, we’re discussing..." Steijie began, but was cut off by Helena Mina.
"We’re talking about you joining the United Council. We believe it will aid in the pursuit you’re after," Helena Mina said, smiling at Wei Tianyang.
Zhao Ling cast a sidelong glance at Helena Mina, her face not looking too pleased.
"I have considered this matter as well," Wei Tianyang said, holding his chin in thought.
Hearing him say this, several presidents looked at him earnestly.
"In Chicken Snake Country, I was chasing ’greater aning.’ Initially, I thought it was justice and fairness, but after talking with Zhao Ling last night, I pondered all night long..." Wei Tianyang spoke calmly.
Zhao Ling’s lips curved slightly upwards.
"I don’t wish for the justice and fairness I pursue to be too narrow. As Zhao Ling said, before that, I could only see the small evils and minor goods right in front of , overlooking the stability of the entire structure."
"The tragedy of Chicken Snake Country wasn’t caused by the officials and pharmaceutical companies alone. If they had soone like Zhao Ling instead of Li Fei, perhaps they could have lived a bit better..."
"Sotis... for the greater aning, we might need to make so sacrifices... The price is inevitable, but at least in Yin Country, even the lowest citizens, though not well off, are not taken by pharmaceutical companies for Black dicine experints..."
Wei Tianyang said, looking toward Zhao Ling, "I want to learn, learn about war... I want to understand what this ultimate form of human struggle is. I want to see how much we have to sacrifice to achieve a ’stable structure.’"
"You’ve figured it out? That’s good... You can stay in Yin Country, we have the best teachers here..." Zhao Ling said.
"I can write to Green Vine Academy and let you get the best education there. You must know, Green Vine Academy has cultivated more than a dozen United Council officials, and 320 CEOs of the top 500 global enterprises are graduates from there." Steijie interjected.
"We can deploy experts and professors to answer your doubts at any ti." Presidents from both West Soil also chid in promptly.
"No." Wei Tianyang resolutely refused.
Zhao Ling couldn’t keep his composure, feeling an urge to stand up.
"I want... to go to the battlefield. Only on the battlefield can I see what I want to see," Wei Tianyang said.
"You can beco our war observer, you’ve had contact with Li Songyan in Chicken Snake Country, you know very well what he’s doing," Helena Mina said.
"Send him to the battlefield? I think it’s not quite appropriate," Zhao Ling shook his head.
"I think so too. We can’t just rashly send him to the battlefield," Steijie also disagreed.
But Helena Mina didn’t heed them and continued, "You can’t intervene in the war, can’t misuse your superpower, but at least you can go see what you want to see, and we will provide you with professional military skill training to make you a qualified soldier, what do you think?"
Wei Tianyang took a mont to think it over, saying, "A soldier... I don’t know if I am qualified to be a soldier... Mud Man once told , soldiers must be loyal to their motherland, loyal to their mission, but I don’t think Chicken Snake Country is my motherland..."
"Yin Country is your motherland," Zhao Ling said.
"Motherland is a flexible concept," Pelosi said.
"It depends on who you fight for," Helena Mina said.
For whom to fight? Wei Tianyang remained silent.
For those resisting tyranny?
After their success, they would beco the next tyrants.
For the weak and feeble?
For survival, they too would turn into rioters.
Suddenly, he learned to view these issues from a higher perspective; minor evils and minor goods were aningless. Many tragedies stemd from the collapse of systems and structures.
He would fight for the entire system.
But what was the entire system? Was it Yin Country? Was it the Sethiyan Federation? It was neither; even nations were below this system.
Justice and fairness were parts of this system.
But justice and fairness alone were not enough.
Power was the reason for kingship, and yet, power too could not fully guarantee the execution of justice and fairness...
He had an enlightennt.
The greater aning was to thoroughly eliminate the problems within human society through a stable frawork, and justice, fairness, power... were rely parts of this frawork.
Wei Tianyang felt he was on the verge of grasping the true connotation of a greater aning, his heart dancing with ecstatic joy.
He just needed to find the remaining parts, and he could help Zhao Ling, and even Presidents like Steijie to establish a more stable grand frawork than the current one!
Then, the world could be unified, wars would no longer exist, and the tragedies that befell him would never repeat.
And that remaining part, it could definitely be found on the battlefield.
"Ha ha... heh heh heh... heh heh heh heh heh... I’ve realized, I’ve realized."
He laughed unconsciously, staring at the pristine tabletop, grinning and laughing out loud.
The Presidents watched him giggling there, feeling sowhat uneasy.
"Before I find a greater aning... the battlefield is my motherland," Wei Tianyang said.
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