Each Side's Intention
"Sorry to keep you waiting." He put the phone away and looked up at the waiting Huang Lei. his face had returned to its calm expression.
"Was that your girlfriend? You two have a very good relationship." She said enviously.
"No, that was my little sister."
Huang Lei paused for a moment. She gave him a smile and a nervous laugh then quickly turned away to knock on the door.
"Come in."
Huang Lei opened the door for him. She closed it again behind him. He walked to the desk.
The plaque on the desk read "Ph.D. Duan Luoyang" in black letters against a gold base. A handsome graying man looked at him from his chair. He offered to let him sit down. "You've shared information that may be priceless to the whole human race if it is confirmed to be true, Mr. Cui. If it is a lie, then you will have to pay dearly for wasting so much time and resources." He had a folder open on the desk, "Mana types, mana inheritances, all kinds of different materials, different elements in one core, and an innate problem with our mana probing. This is used around the world to test possible awakeners. Some even use it as a greeting! I find it hard to believe it is as serious as you make it sound.
"However, I watched Miss Huang create sparks by throwing a rock into the air, and how that gel glued itself back together, and the spine shrinking around the knot. On top of that, not all of your claims are unreasonable. Of course, a con man would make reasonable-sounding lies as well.
"That's why they brought you to meet me." He looked at Cui Xuefeng.
"To ascertain whether I have reason or motive to lie." It wasn't to find out if he was 'dangerous' it was to find out if he was a terrorist or other threat. Mostly to gauge the level of threat he may pose. He had no doubt that the folder laying in front of Doctor Duan included a comprehensive history of his life and those around him.
"Indeed.
"So, tell me about your awakening." He leaned back in his chair. He seemed to have suddenly turned into a fun grandpa from a stern and jaded old man.
"I woke up to it. When I woke up I had trouble recognizing my surroundings."
Doctor Duan sat back up and pulled out a pen to make notes, "Were you in a different place? Is this the inheritance you mentioned?"
"No, I was in my bedroom."
His brows furrowed. He looked like he had a million questions to ask, but he instead motioned for Cui Xuefeng to continue.
"In order for me to obtain the vast inheritance, some of my memories had been pushed out. Rewritten, you could say.
"I learned my little sister's name this morning. However, if you opened an unknown realm and pointed at something random inside, I could probably give you the name, several uses, how it will react with other things in the area, its history, and the mana it holds."
"You said you learned her name today, but you seemed quite close to her on the phone. Your memories were overwritten, but your emotions stayed?"
He shook his head, "I was probably a very different type of person yesterday. It is because of my inheritance that innocent souls and family are all the more precious to me. Of course, this extends to the human race as well."
"How so?"
"The inheritance shows a sample of a possible future. Earth is destroyed and sealed off. Only a small handful of humans are able to get away. They are chased down and killed."
"Did your inheritance tell you why?"
He nodded, "The mana here is poison. This is the reason mana sickness exists so terribly here. If it spreads to other realms, it is like unleashing a plague. A plague that can infect not only humans, but also animals, plants, and even rocks. Anything with mana. Whenever any other place with such a noxious flux opens up, it is sealed off. Usually after unleashing something to destroy that entire realm.
"Honestly, I can't deny that this is a necessity.
"However, through inheritance, I've found that there is a way for us to overcome this. This is my goal.
"I've seen realms you could never imagine. Fights you could not see with your sensory organs. And… What it's like to be alone in all the realms.
"If you are to assess my danger levels, then they are high. I will not lie. If you are to assess my threat to humankind, then I am offended. If you are here to assess the danger to individuals, then it depends on the individual. I want to work with those at the top. That is why I'm reaching out. However, if I'm met with too much meaningless resistance while trying to achieve my goal, I will give up on working together. I do not believe any of us want that.
"I tell you this not as a threat. I'm telling you this because I value honesty, and I know you know I'm telling the truth. This is my current view of things. If you oppose this, or the people behind you oppose this, I'm open to talking. I want to find a solution that can suit all of us. There is no 'my way or the highway' situation here. I want to work together. This is the ideal situation.
"I want to save humanity. I also have plans for this. I would like to share them and obtain feedback and help, if possible."
"What is 'too much meaningless resistance'?" Doctor Duan calmly asked.
"Humans are prideful creatures. I suspect that they will have a hard time accepting my claims for a long time. They believe that doomsday will never come. If this keeps up until it is almost impossible to recover, I will give up cooperation attempts with such people."
"That's reasonable." He nodded into his notes.
Cui Xuefeng leaned back in his chair and smiled, "Did you expect an unreasonable response?"
The old man didn't reply. Maybe it was his superiors that were expecting so.