Looking at Huang, who was standing by the window, Jiang Baimian felt that his words weren't meant for them, nor were they necessary for them to hear.
Subtly, Jiang Baimian sensed that Huang, knowing about their exchange with Old Zhang, was using this as an opportunity to communicate with Old Zhang from afar.
Even though Old Zhang couldn't hear these words, the effect Huang was trying to achieve was probably this.
Such emotions were delicate and hard to describe.
After speaking, Huang fell into a long silence.
He took out the crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket, pulled one out, put it to his lips, paused for a few seconds, and then put it back, as if he felt that smoking in someone else's room wasn't very appropriate.
At this moment, Shang Jianyao asked with a serious expression:
"When this batch of you old people dies, can the 'Savior Army' still complete its adjustment?"
People who had witnessed the prosperity of the Old World and had deep impressions of it were definitely close to eighty, or even older. Even within the 'Savior Army,' there weren't many old warriors like that left. Moreover, from the perspective of natural law, they certainly wouldn't live for many more years. Even someone as physically fit as Huang would collapse if he caught a serious illness.
Huang turned to look at Shang Jianyao and nodded:
"So, the main task for us in the past few years has been to establish a system that adapts to the current situation, one that can operate stably without us old folks, and at the same time, focus on cultivating successors who still retain some of the glory of ideals."
Hearing this, Jiang Baimian felt quite puzzled:
"According to what you said earlier, shouldn't you be more inclined towards pragmatic successors?"
Huang looked up slightly and laughed:
"This is a bit of our selfishness. We still hope that our ideals can be passed on.
"Moreover, an organization without ideals has no future. No matter how effective the supervisory methods are, they are useless when everyone chooses mediocrity and corruption.
"Even the most powerful technological means rely on humans to realize them."
"This can be handed over to us AIs and robots," Genava finally couldn't help but interject. "We won't fall, we won't be corrupted, and we can be competent in the position of supervisor."
Huang glanced at the silver-black robot and shook his head with a smile:
"Robots are also manipulated and controlled by humans.
"And robots that are not manipulated or controlled by humans are equivalent to real people, and people have selfish desires."
"People have selfish desires..." Red light flickered in Genava's eyes as he muttered to himself.
Huang continued:
"We old folks still hope to see the day when our ideals are realized."
Saying that, he tilted his head and looked out the window, which wasn't very brightly lit:
"Haven't you always felt that my price is very hidden, and been guessing what it is?
"I can tell you now, my price is to permanently lose a part of my memory."
This can also be used as a price? This price seems pretty good. I can pack up and sacrifice those things I don't want to remember... Long Yuehong was moved for the first time by an Awakened's price.
Having too good a memory isn't a good thing. He often felt embarrassed by past embarrassing events.
For example, sigh, he only reached 1.75 meters after genetic modification...
Seeming to have noticed his and Jiang Baimian's thoughts, Huang smiled self-deprecatingly:
"When I first discovered that I could use a part of my memory as a price, I felt the same way you do now: How great, it can clear brain trash and not be easily targeted.
"Unfortunately, I can't decide what to forget. Every time I improve, I forget a lot of things.
"Later on, I gradually understood the true meaning of an Old World saying:
"People without a past have no future, and people who forget the past will inevitably lose the motivation to move towards the future."
Huang's tone gradually became heavy:
"If I didn't still remember the prosperity of the Old World, remember the oaths everyone made together when establishing the 'Savior Army,' and the longing for the future, I might have given up long ago and chosen to end my life myself.
"I'm already over eighty, and there are fewer and fewer things I can do. Making sure that my ideals and those of my old comrades are effectively continued is the only motivation for me to stay alive.
"Current vulgarity is acceptable, the process can be pragmatic, but the goal cannot be changed.
"I hope that after finding out the source of 'Heartless Disease' and completely eliminating this hidden danger, and after the industry has been completely rebuilt and the material reserves have reached a certain level, our 'Savior Army' can take step-by-step actions to practice our original ideals."
Huang's voice suddenly rose:
"A bright future will definitely be realized!"
Shang Jianyao snapped his legs together and pressed his right hand against his left chest:
"For all mankind!"
Huang subconsciously also pressed his right hand on his left chest and replied with a straight back and a serious expression:
"For all mankind!"
He then waved his hand and said with a self-deprecating smile:
"Ah, I probably won't see that day. Alright, you guys should rest early. You'll undergo an examination tomorrow morning and evacuate out of the city, just in case."
"Okay," Shang Jianyao replied very briskly.
After seeing Huang off, Jiang Baimian turned to look at Shang Jianyao and joked:
"Why didn't you refute Huang's words this time, saying that forgetting ideals means betrayal?"
Shang Jianyao admitted his mistake and sighed without concealing it:
"I think what he said makes a lot of sense. You can't ask everyone, or rather, you can't ask most people, to be as pure as me."
Are you pure? You have ten personalities! Long Yuehong couldn't help but mutter to himself.
Shang Jianyao glanced at Jiang Baimian again and said:
"And even I have to compromise with reality from time to time. I can completely understand the 'Savior Army' making compromises, temporarily stopping expansion, and adjusting itself."
Oh, if you don't compromise, what do you want to do, dance on the roof? Jiang Baimian hummed.
She then chuckled:
"What Huang said may only be part of the situation. Judging solely from his statement, I can't find the reason why Old Zhang and the others are so agitated in opposition, believing that the higher-ups are all mind-controlled.
"Maybe..."
Jiang Baimian paused and said:
"Maybe some of the higher-ups, even some old people like Huang, have indeed fallen, focusing on how to obtain a better life for themselves and how to ensure that their children and grandchildren maintain their privileges for a long time.
"Whether the 'Savior Army' can complete its adjustment and not become a force like 'First City' is still an unknown."
Shang Jianyao's expression was solemn, and he didn't respond.
Bai Chen agreed with the team leader's statement:
"People have selfish desires."
Just as Long Yuehong was about to speak, Jiang Baimian suddenly exclaimed "Oh dear":
"Huang said just now that his price is to permanently lose a part of his memory?
"This is very similar to the 'Terminator' domain..."
After careful consideration, Jiang Baimian felt that it seemed very normal, even very fitting, for an Awakened at the 'Mind Corridor' level in charge of an intelligence agency to belong to the 'Terminator' domain.
Long Yuehong also suddenly understood:
"No wonder I always felt that he could perceive my thoughts!"
He responded in a timely manner.
Jiang Baimian then nodded:
"He's sure we don't have any problems because he secretly flipped through our memories and found that we weren't lying?
"Uh, just lied a little about the details..."
Jiang Baimian didn't feel angry about this matter. Instead, she felt more at ease, with a sense of relief from being completely cleared of suspicion.
It would be more troublesome if they encountered someone who couldn't be reasoned with, didn't have the means to confirm, or was determined to make the Old Task Force take the blame.
Jiang Baimian didn't think much about how things would develop later, whether the nuclear warhead could be found, or whether Ubei would be destroyed, and she couldn't analyze it.
After the person in room 214 died, the Old Task Force, staying in the hotel, could only passively wait for the 'Savior Army's' investigation results.
Anyway, they would be evacuated tomorrow morning.
Seeing that it was getting late, after leaving Genava to recharge while keeping watch, Long Yuehong and the others returned to their rooms and went to bed.
After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Baimian suddenly felt that something was wrong.
It seemed like someone was watching her.
Jiang Baimian struggled to break free from her dream and opened her eyes.
Then, she saw a pair of eyes.
In a flash, Jiang Baimian sat up and threw out her left fist.
Bang! Shang Jianyao blocked the punch with both arms, but was still knocked off the bed.
Only then did Jiang Baimian realize that it seemed to be Shang Jianyao who was quietly watching her in the darkness, illuminated by the faint starlight.
"What are you thinking about in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?" she asked in a low voice.
Shang Jianyao straightened up, frowned slightly, and stroked his chin, saying:
"I thought of a question."
"What question?" Jiang Baimian's expression gradually became serious.
Shang Jianyao looked up at the ceiling:
"I was wondering, could the shadow that tried to 'possess' me before be from the 'New World'?"
He was referring to what happened when he touched the badge in room 214.
"Didn't we discuss it at the time? It's very likely," Jiang Baimian couldn't quite keep up with Shang Jianyao's train of thought.
Shang Jianyao's expression slowly turned cold:
"In other words, that shadow is roughly equivalent to someone from the 'New World'.
"Could this person know the 'Doctor,' who is also in the 'New World,' and tell him about our situation here?
"We've already killed one of the 'Doctor's' powerful subordinates. Do you think he might use that 'Assassin' to find this place, return to reality, and take action personally this time?"