Chapter 10 (1/2)
Back home, Huang Xuan lied down in the pavilion. He thought and thought, then said, rubbing the bamboo mat: ”Rolin, will your base be here forever?”
”It's the union's base.”
”Will it always be here?”
”It depends.”
”If you can, how will you move ⎼ well, the league's base?⎼To another plane?”
After a short silence, Rolin skipped the first question, and said: ”Before the arrival of the new order, the base has to stay at the same place. As for how to move it, it also depends.”
”It depends on how much energy it stores, right?” asked Huang Xuan abruptly.
”Yes,” answered Rolin shortly.
After a pause, Huang Xuan said: ”If so, could I still find you and the base? I mean, you promised to send me to the plane, s.p.a.ce and time I choose.”
”Of course I will keep my word.”
”So? Would I still be able to find you?”
”It depends on your authority.”
Huang Xuan blinked, ”What authority?”
”You don't have the authority.” Rolin's answer was delicate.
Huang Xuan rephrased his question. ”How can I get the authority?”
”You don't have the authority,” Rolin repeated.
Huang Xuan bit his lips, put his hands under his head and started recalling what had happened in the past few days. He had always been worried that Rolin might break his promise, and now he worried that he might move away. Watching the Amentotaxus sway in the wind, he fished around in his pocket for the phone and decided to call his mom.
Zhang Xinyi was in the office, reading some material. Looking at the caller ID, she smiled and picked up the phone: ”Son, do you have something to confess, or you miss your mom?”
”Mom, I have a question for you,” Huang Xuan stuttered.
”Oh...” Zhang Xinyi drawled. ”What a surprise! What is it?”
Huang Xinyi trod carefully: ”I met a person, someone very powerful. Now he needs my help. And ... helping him may be risky and unrewarded. What am I supposed to do?”
Zhang Xinyi put down the pen in her hand and thought about it. To her, her son was at the age beyond the preliminary phase of moral development. So, she said slowly, ”If this person is in danger, we are supposed to help him. But first of all, you mustn't put yourself at risk. Do you understand?”
”Yes.”
”As you said, he is powerful. Why does he need your help then? It doesn't make sense.” Apparently, his mom was worried that he might fall into some trap, but she didn't say it explicitly.
”He ...” Huang Xuan hadn't figured out why Rolin had put him in the plane p112 in the first place. For protection? Or out of his cruel nature? After some consideration, he said: ”He is in a different position. The power he possesses is totally different from ours. Helping him may be rewarding, or not, but not helping him may be risky.”