787 The End of Human Nature (2/2)
”You're crazy!” Ye Xuan screamed shrilly and roared. This time around, he really felt that he was like a sissy, behaving hysterically beyond words, because the vilest murderer in human history was right in front of him, having just personally admitted to the murder of the 410,000 people on board the South American colony ship!
”In a madhouse, the one who goes crazy first has an advantage, doesn't him?” Xiao Huan looked up at Ye Xuan's pale face, then ordered, ”Sit down, don't waste my time, if you want to know why...”
Ye Xuan suppressed his anger and fear and sat back down.
”Take a drink, it's better for you,” said Xiao Huan.
A glass of whiskey was pushed over to him.
Xiao Huan stated, ”All along, many have never known that although the sizes of the colony ships are similar, each colony ship has a different focus.
”For example, the South American colony ship that has just been destroyed is the assault type, armed with 16 large-caliber main guns and 10,000 carrier-based aircrafts, all of which we do not have.
”For example, the Eastern European colony ship on the track in front of us, they have the best life-care equipment, and they will never run out of food and supplies.
”The advantage of the East Asian colony ship lies in the three artificial bits of intelligence we brought from the Earth, namely Tung Wang Kung produced by Taiqing Heavy Industry, Hermes produced by the Zarathustra Laboratory, and Nibelungenlied, which New Switzerland produced specially for us.
”Many may think that one is enough, and the computing power from the three has overflowed, but we are only good at technology.
”We can learn the truth about the 'unknown substance' six hours earlier than they do exactly because of it.”
Xiao Huan drank in a manner that could be considered carefree and raised a finger before Ye Xuan. ”Now, I have a psychological experiment for you.”
He said, ”The world has been destroyed by God.
”Three wrecked ships are drifting in the sea, steered by A, B, C, three people with completely different personalities but are all extremely selfish at the same time. They occasionally help each other out, but only for the sake of having companions in the long and difficult journey to make up for what each of them lacked.
”But now, they have survived the long torment and the torture from the ocean, having found a new piece of land.
”The new land is fertile, with various prey, and even miraculous magic. It can allow one to obtain money, power, and even eternal life, enabling one to create a new world and empire for oneself.
”So, now, away from the island, what would you opt to do, as the first person to discover the truth?”
Ye Xuan was silent.
Isn't the result clear?
It is exactly like their current situation. It's just that Xiao Huan used three people to represent the groups of people on board the three colony ships.
In a resource-poor world, human beings form collectives exactly because of their desire to survive, and collectives are selfish by nature. Or rather, man is selfish by nature.
The leader of the collective would do whatever it takes to provide a better life for the members, no matter how heartless it is. Even if the leader does not do so, the people will, through riots, force the leader to make such a decision.
What's more, magic exists on the land, a road leading to heaven.
If the three parties can maintain a balance, it is not impossible for them to jointly develop the place. But if the North American colony ship discovers the essence of the unknown substance, then as the colony ship with the strongest military power, it will definitely choose to open fire and attack.
Occupy the entire new world for oneself...
Surely there is no shortage of similar things that they have done along the way?
Such is the nature of mankind, the eternal, unchanging law from forests to space.
The law of the jungle.
Human beings are animals in themselves. We are unable to suppress our own animalistic nature, and it is difficult for us to resist the temptation to continue living.
Ye Xuan was crystal clear about it.
Perhaps some individuals were kind and compassionate, willing to cooperate with others from the outside world, but most would not risk their own deaths for the sake of other people.
Xiao Huan did what he should do.
Just like how he always did, he took responsibility for the colony ship, then personally caused the disastrous consequences, namely the massacre.
Ye Xuan need not answer, as he had already figured it all out. Or rather, from the very beginning, he understood that all this would happen, but he dared not believe himself.
At the moment he just felt very tired.
”Why tell me?” Ye Xuan drank the bitter whiskey and looked at the Captain. ”Surely you don't need psychological counseling?”
”You mean, lie in a chair and sleep talk like a little girl? Then? Use the shadows of my childhood and the psychological barriers I face as excuses to run away from the sins I committed? Forget it.” Xiao Huan shook his head indifferently. He was drunk, but his eyes were awake.
”The war is about to begin, Ye Xuan. Make the necessary preparations.” He said, ”Later, you will be sent to the safest place on the ship with all the other precious, talented people. It has independent circulatory equipment and materials sufficient for you to live in space or on the earth for 20 years.
”I have already made a will in the central core. When I am dead, you will be the new captain.”
He pulled off a pendant from his neck, and the iron plate on it was engraved with writing. ”This is the password for the emergency takeover system. When necessary, Yuan Eryi will follow your orders.”
Sirens sounded, and bright red alarms continually flashed on the ceiling. The prompt indicating that the ship had been targeted appeared.
”The whiskey is all gone, Ye Xuan. Xiao Huan waved. ”You should go.”
The door opened, and the heavily armed Yuan Eryi was waiting for him.
”Last question.” Ye Xuan looked at him. ”Why me?”
”Because you understand everything I do, no?” Xiao Huan half-smiled, his expression almost ridiculing, but also one that of pity. ”Because you understand humans, Ye Xuan.
”So, when necessary, you will do the same, like me.”
Ye Xuan turned and left.
It was as if he was trying to escape.
He was trying to escape from the him that had become the Devil.
Because Xiao Huan was right.
If Ye Xuan had been the captain, he would have done the same.
He only got lucky, for he was not given a chance to become the Devil.
Before the door closed, he heard Xiao Huan's final words.
The man lay in a chair, gazing at the distant land outside the window, drinking the last bottle of whiskey in the world.
”Ye Xuan, I am really jealous of you.” He murmured softly, ”At least you can breathe in the air of the new world.”
...
The door closed.
Ye Xuan closed his eyes, clenching his fists, and said no more.
Only Yuan Eryi patted his shoulders unconcernedly, as if they were good buddies. Yuan Eryi never cared about anyone, he didn't even care about himself; he only cared about having the opportunity to fight.
At the moment, his chance had come.
”I have learned about everything, Ye Xuan, we have to rely on you now.” Yuan Eryi threw another pack of chewing tobacco into his mouth. Tobacco could soothe his frayed nerves, making his condition somewhat more stable, or at least it appeared to be so. ”Let's go, I will take you to your little room.”
Ye Xuan heard shouts from afar. Someone wanted to rush over to them but was stopped by Yuan Eryi's subordinates. Those fellas, who, similarly, did not have the slightest bit of sympathy, punched the poor man and slammed him onto the ground, then stepped on him.
It was Roland.
The group used him as a toy for their leisure, toying with him, and even his glasses were crushed under their feet.
He was extraordinarily flustered.
He was shouting Ye Xuan's name, ”Mr. Ye! Mr. Ye! Please bring me along!” He reached out and tried to hold on to Ye Xuan, but was kicked away. But he still refused to give up, and he climbed up from the ground, looking at Ye Xuan.
”At the very least, please take a look, take a look at it!” He threw a stack of materials at Ye Xuan with all his might. The documents scattered in the air, like snowflakes fluttering to the ground.
Ye Xuan did not look at Roland, nor did he intend to speak, and he simply chose to turn at the corner in front.
”Why don't you understand! Mr. Ye, don't you know what it means?” Not far away, Roland glared at him fiercely, screaming madly, ”After mastering the unknown substance, our technology, our lives, our resources, will improve by an unprecedented extent! We may even be able to enter heaven in our lifetime!
”Think about it, Mr. Ye, the group of machines that drove us from our homes, the artificial intelligence, even if they exhaust all the resources and turn the entire solar system into silicon crystals completely, the computing power obtained will still be less than one-ten-thousandth of the unknown substance!
”With it, we can do everything, we can even... create gods!”
Ye Xuan paused in his steps.
He looked down at the pile of paper at his feet.
”Then, what?” He turned back and looked down at Roland's deformed face.
It was as if he had seen through Roland's body and glimpsed the human desire that could never be satisfied. ”Kill Him again?”