The atmosphere was a solemn one. Stepping into the area, one could see a dining table, a conference table, and a sofa. There were round-arched windows and faux stone flooring, and a toilet at one end. A lush carpet added to the luxurious feel of the cabin’s interior. If Xiao Luo had not entered through the aircraft door, he would have thought that he had walked into an office and not the interior of a plane.
The soundproofing in the plane was perfect. Xiao Luo could not hear a sound coming in from the aircraft exterior.
Seated opposite Xiao Luo was a tall man with a buzz cut. He was in an immaculate, well-tailored suit and looked rather slim. It was the President of the Mei nation, Bama.
Xiao Luo tilted his head a little and looked at him. With a slight smile, he said, “I am immensely overwhelmed and grateful that President Bama is sending me home with one billion dollars!”
Xiao Luo spoke with feigned formality but had effectively thrown the president a curveball, for the amount offered to him, was far less.
President Bama’s lips twitched a little, and his heart bled. Did Xiao Luo say one billion dollars? To ease his misery, he would have to find some time to think of a scheme to recoup that amount from some small but rich countries.
“Just what kind of person are you? A genetic warrior from the Hua nation?” President Bama asked. He stared at Xiao Luo with unblinking eyes, as if trying to see through him.
“Genetic warrior?”
Xiao Luo sneered mockingly. He took a sip of the red wine in front of him and replied, “Human genes are almost perfect. Yet you destroy that perfection and forcibly insert genes from other living beings to create genetic warriors. Although they may far exceed the speed and strength of ordinary human beings, the genetic defects do not allow these genetic warriors to live with healthy bodies.”
Let me give you a warning—stop creating more genetic warriors. If you wish to continue such development, then you might as well turn your focus toward developing mechanical warriors instead. Artificial intelligence might be far more effective, compared to your so-called genetic warriors.”
The deaths of Xie Wenchang and his family made him hate the research carried out on genetic engineering. They included experiments that involved human lives, and he genuinely hoped that it would never be pursued again.
After listening to Xiao Luo, President Bama refuted and said, “It is hard to control artificial intelligence. It could be potentially disastrous to humans once these machines develop their intelligence. I…”
“Can you then fully control genetic warriors?”
Xiao Luo cut him off and laughed coldly, then added, “If the scientists changed their genes, then the genetic warriors are no longer considered humans. They are a completely new breed. You think you have full control over that new breed. But life will always find a way to progress, and when those genetic warriors go berserk, then is that not another disaster for humankind waiting to happen?”
President Bama kept quiet. He did not know how to respond to that.
Everyone present in that plane, including his secretary, furrowed their brows in deep thought.
“Ian is only one successful case out of hundreds, and the rest of them were all victims of these experiments. President Bama, do you not feel guilty about how tragically these people died, not to mention the painful deaths they endured in those laboratories? They were human beings who had to undergo cruel surgical experiments like lab rats.”
“They were all death row prisoners!” said President Bama as he tried to defend himself.
“Do they not have human rights just because they were death row prisoners? Are human rights not the thing you Mei nationals always preach about to the rest of the world?” Xiao Luo asked.
President Bama was silent once again.
Xiao Luo laughed and said, “I am sure those prisoners would have preferred to face execution rather than to be subjected to these live experiments.”
President Bama waved a hand to dismiss the conversation and said, “Let us not talk about this. You have yet to answer my question. Who in the world are you?”
“A Hua nation man.”
Xiao Luo said with a wry smile, and added, “I was born and bred in the Hua nation!”
“How many more like you are there in the Hua Nation?” President Bama asked again. That was the most important question he had wanted to ask.
“A lot,” Xiao Luo said in a straightforward tone.
“A lot?”
That shocked both President Bama and the secretary standing beside him. That guy in front of them had caused the entire federal government to suffer such turmoil in just a few days. It was mindboggling to imagine that there were more of them.
“Of course, there are a lot of us!”
Xiao Luo nodded his head. The vivid memory of an ancient-looking man subconsciously appeared in his mind. It was the aged master that he had met at the NSA headquarters. That man had a commanding presence and emanated an imposing aura. It was as if he possessed some potent magical powers, and it left such a deep impression in his memory. Xiao Luo believed that the old master was no ordinary mortal and his prowess was several levels above Xiao Luo.
It seemed like they would have to re-assess the Hua nation!
President Bama thought to himself, as he was sure that Xiao Luo was not lying. The Hua nation was a country far in the East with a five-thousand-year-old civilization, and it was mysterious and ancient. All around the world, many respected the Hua nation’s martial art techniques. Although they were in the age of science and technology, no one could say for sure if science was better than the mysteriously powerful martial arts.
…
President Bama’s private plane landed in Xiahai Airport, and then it flew onward to Jingcheng. He wanted to meet the leader of the Hua Nation, for he had a list of grievances and wanted the leader to explain why they had sent someone to the Mei nation to create trouble.
Of course, Xiao Luo did not care for such matters.
What he cared about then was to see his wife, Su Li. As soon as he set foot on Xiahai, he took in the familiar sights and sounds of the land–it was good to be back. He quickly hailed a taxi and headed straight to Crescent Bay. He hadn’t realized how much he missed Su Li while he was away and was impatient to see her again.
Eager as he was, he chose not to use his qigong force to get home quickly, to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.
Crescent Bay had a classical European décor. Upon entering the premises, one could feel the ambiance of luxurious elegance.
Xiao Luo was eager to see Su Li, and he rushed into the building as soon as he alighted from the taxi. Xiao Luo took the elevator to the fifty-second-floor, then headed straight to Su Li’s place and pressed the doorbell. He did not even go back into his apartment.
He was behaving like a boy who was going to confess his feelings to a girl he fancied. He held a bouquet in one hand, and in his other hand, he carried a box of chocolate that he bought for Su Li from the Mei nation.
BA-DUM! BA-DUM!
His heart was racing with inexplicable excitement, and a wave of nervousness overwhelmed him.
Xiao Luo continued pressing the doorbell for quite a while, but he still could not hear a sound from inside. He tried the doorbell again, but the door remained shut. There was no one home.
What’s going on?
Is she asleep?
Xiao Luo looked at his watch. It was only 10 pm. It was not likely that she would have gone to bed this early.
He pressed on the doorbell again and again, but no one came to the door. He stopped, took his cellphone out, and dialed Su Li’s number. He got through to her after a short while. “Are you not at home?” he asked.
On the other end of the phone, Su Li sounded surprised. Then, in her usual sweet but cold voice, she said, “Have you returned home?”
“Mm, I am standing right in front of your door. Where are you?” Xiao Luo asked urgently.
“Jingcheng,” Su Li replied.
Jingcheng?
Her reply startled Xiao Luo. He had been looking forward to seeing her and felt his flames of excitement doused by the disappointing news.
“What are you doing in Jingcheng?”
“I have some things to do here. I will return home once I’m done, and I’ll explain to you when I get home.”
“Send me the address. I will go over to you.”
“You are coming to Jingcheng?” Su Li asked, a little surprised.
Xiao Luo replied firmly, “Yes.”
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