After Yi Zhongding finished speaking, the entire research hall fell into silence. It seemed like everyone was either shocked by his fervor or carefully pondering the possibilities of his words.
The Grand Commander also deliberated whether to seize this opportunity. Setting aside other considerations, this was an exceedingly rare moment within the federation’s history, where almost everyone believed the Black Hole could be defeated. It was indeed an opportunity, but what consequences would it bring? They couldn’t be certain.
The Grand Commander remained silent, and it was Professor Wang standing beside him who spoke up. The old professor shook his head disapprovingly, wearing a frown. “It’s best not to do so. Since we already know that the Abyss Black Hole is formed from human malevolence, we should understand that it’s not something ordinary heavy weapons and firearms alone can defeat. These warriors who have emerged from the pseudo-Abyss Black Hole are, no matter how you put it, rare talents within our federation. We shouldn’t send them to their deaths in uncertain circumstances. If this endeavor fails, how many excellent talents will the federation lose? What kind of repercussions will this event bring?”
Everyone nodded as they heard Professor Wang’s words. They truly didn’t dare to think about the magnitude of the repercussions if this endeavor failed. Moreover, now that they had identified the key point, it wouldn’t hurt to delay a little longer.
However, Yi Zhongding completely disagreed. He simply stared straight at the Grand Commander. “Your Excellency, I still suggest we not miss this opportunity. There’s a saying, ‘Ignorance is bliss.’ Now is a rare moment when everyone believes we can defeat the Abyss Black Hole. We must seize this opportunity. Although time is short, if we act quickly, we should be able to find some data about the Abyss Black Hole’s formation within ten days. Perhaps within those ten days, we’ll discover a way to destroy the Abyss Black Hole? If we simply give up this time and cancel the selection of Abyss warriors and the live broadcast, how will the people of the federation think? Nobody is foolish. How will we explain this matter to them?”
“Moreover, there’s another crucial point. We haven’t sent anyone to explore the Abyss Black Hole for ten years. Who knows what changes have occurred inside the Abyss Black Hole now? No matter from which perspective, we need someone to explore this formidable entity. Although the health of the eldest son of our Yi family isn’t good, if he has survived until now, it’s because even the heavens want him to contribute to the federation. This sacrifice is indispensable, it’s just that this sacrifice will have a much greater impact than before.”
After Yi Zhongding finished speaking, the hall fell silent once again. After a moment, the voice of an elderly man rang out with a hint of mockery, “Huh. You speak so self-righteously, I almost mistook you for Yi Xiao’s real father.”
Yi Zhongding wasn’t afraid of this mockery. He just smiled and looked at the master of the Stellar Academy, saying, “Master Soya, I just believe that Xiao’er will never let everyone down. Unfortunately, my son is incompetent and cannot fulfill his duties. However, if there’s a need for him, he won’t shirk his responsibilities.”
Master Soya wasn’t angry either; he chuckled twice. “I just hope that when the time comes, Young Master Yi will indeed be as selfless and devoted to the public good as you say.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
In the end, the Grand Commander didn’t cancel the final selection of the Abyss warriors, just as Yi Zhongding had said. Regardless of the circumstances, this sacrifice was necessary. He had never thought that these individuals alone could completely eliminate the Abyss Black Hole. But as long as public opinion was properly guided, he believed they could certainly cut down the Abyss Black Hole by a significant margin. If that were the case, then the sacrifices made wouldn’t be in vain, right?
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The incident at the research institute was so brief that few people knew about the significant conversation that had taken place there—a conversation that would greatly influence the future direction of the federation. That afternoon, Ren Zhu received a call on his terminal while he was browsing through information about high-intelligence terminals in the library.
Ren Zhu glanced at the screen and was surprised by the caller’s identity. He immediately went to the library’s restroom and then opened the terminal.
“Professor Wang, do you need something?”
A middle-aged woman with a gentle face appeared on the holographic screen. She smiled kindly at Ren Zhu. “I guess you’re in the library again. You’re only thirteen this year, don’t always bury yourself in the library. You should go out more, see the world, broaden your horizons. It doesn’t conflict with gaining knowledge.”
Ren Zhu smiled. He liked this gentle and wise middle-aged woman and appreciated her concern. “Don’t worry, I’ll go out for a walk tonight.”
Professor Wang Xingyu shook her head with a smile, then suddenly became serious. “Find a quiet and secluded place to log into the confidential meeting room. The Federation Research Institute has given us a task that only the top and most excellent analysts and educators can participate in. You’ve been selected. We need to find the crux of the problem within the next ten days.”
As soon as Ren Zhu heard “Federation Research Institute,” he had a faint premonition. After he arrived at the villa bedroom he shared with Yi Xiao, where they had spent a considerable amount of credits, Ren Zhu logged into the Education Alliance’s confidential meeting room and saw over twenty other people waiting there.
Ren Zhu’s holographic figure also appeared in the meeting room. Among everyone present, he was the youngest in stature and age. However, nobody looked down on him for it; instead, they treated him as an equal or even a more formidable presence and engaged him in whispered conversations.
Professor Wang Xingyu sat in the center. She spoke directly, “The Federation Research Institute has provided me with information about the Abyss Black Hole. I hope that after seeing this information, everyone will ensure not to leak the confidential data with their beliefs. At the same time, please don’t be surprised. We can directly access the three largest libraries in the Star Network to search for all available information and solve the problems they’ve presented to us.”
The expressions of those present turned solemn upon learning that the meeting was about the “Abyss Black Hole.” After quickly reviewing the data on the formation of the black hole and human thoughts that Professor Wang Xingyu played for them, the meeting room fell into an eerie silence.
After a long while, a scruffy-looking man finally spoke up, “This is a colossal irony. If I were one of those people from the Yi family, I’d probably be feasting on the hearts of the Federation Research Institute right now. What a bunch of idiots.”
“Bruce, when will you stop being so acerbic? But the fact that it’s like this is truly hard to accept.” A woman in her thirties, who initially seemed stern, glared at the unkempt Bruce before furrowing her brow. “But it’s strange. The Grand Commander and the others should already know the truth of the matter, right? Why haven’t they canceled the ludicrous Abyss Black Hole warrior selection and assault, which now seems even more ridiculous and meaningless? Do they really believe that now is the best time to attack?”
“Hehe, what’s impossible about that? Based on the intelligence of that group of people, nine times out of ten, they would believe that the public now thinks they can defeat the Abyss Black Hole. So, their chances of success are quite high. But if we factor in various probabilities and factors like the federation’s luck, my calculations show that the success rate of this campaign against the Abyss Black Hole is only… less than three percent.” A young man in black clothing, about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, rapidly tapped away on the paper-thin computer in front of him. After pressing the final key, he turned the computer towards the others outside the round table. Everyone saw the words on the computer screen were indeed the red-colored three percent he had mentioned. “Moreover, according to my calculations, if this operation fails, the federation may directly enter a period of turmoil.”
The faces of the others all darkened. If the characters at the research institute before were cunning and astute without being foolish, then the twenty-some people gathered in this secret meeting room now all possessed the top-tier thinking ability and intelligence in the federation. Their minds were quick, and they quickly deduced the current thoughts of the Grand Commander and others, unanimously labeling them as “foolish.”
However, besides that, their main concern was how to deal with the Abyss Black Hole, representing the entire federation’s malevolent thoughts.
“No need to say more. The ‘Nightmare War’ eight hundred years ago is the key. There must be something we have overlooked. Let’s each find information. This matter is of great importance. We’d better spend the next few days discussing it together, striving to find the key point that we overlooked before the Grand Commander completely goes astray.” Professor Wang summarized, and the twenty-plus people present immediately began searching for information without uttering a word. Most smart people are action-oriented and have sharp eyes.
When Yi Xiao returned to the dormitory with his slightly tired body after training, what he saw was Ren Zhu sitting on the sofa, diligently searching through materials and taking notes. Although he often saw his little bamboo like this at home, today’s bamboo seemed particularly different.
“You…”
Yi Xiao was about to speak when Ren Zhu raised his eyes and looked at him. “Do you want to go back to the Yi family?”
Yi Xiao was stunned. “What?”
Ren Zhu shielded the secret meeting room and said to Yi Xiao, “The Grand Commander is acting foolishly. Despite knowing what the Abyss Black Hole really is, he still chooses to select those guys to enter the Abyss Black Hole. On the one hand, this shows his determination to eliminate the Abyss Black Hole, and on the other hand, your uncle must have had a hand in it. Your uncle will definitely put you on the selection list after ten days. You can’t let him rest easy until you’re dead. But now I have a feeling that we will ultimately find a solution to this matter. So, I need the information from your family’s ancestors. Go home and get it. Since your second uncle has made up his mind to let you die, you can go and plunder the wealth and swimming gear of the Yi family. He shouldn’t be able to stop you.”
Yi Xiao slowly narrowed his eyes.
Ren Zhu, still calm, continued to search for information. “This opportunity shouldn’t be missed. It should have been yours anyway.”
Yi Xiao chuckled and turned to leave. “Right, can’t miss out on this. I’ll go smash Yi Zhongding’s favorite antique collection room.”
“Remember to bring me some takeaway on your way back, the expensive kind.”
Yi Xiao’s footsteps paused slightly. He turned his head and saw the dazzling and serious teenager under the sunset. He smiled, feeling content.
“Sure, I’ll bring you the most expensive one.”
Thank you for the chapter
Nevermind, I changed my mind.
😂 same