Starting as a Wallfacer, his defection to the Three-Body Problem shocked the world.

Chapter 398 Ready to go

The meeting continued, and seeing that everyone was struggling to speak, Shi Qiang voluntarily left the meeting room.

He couldn't really be of much help here anyway, so he might as well come out and relax.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw Bi Yunfeng and Cao Bin standing there, looking flustered, like two elementary school students who had made a mistake and were waiting for the parent-teacher meeting to end.

As soon as they saw Shi Qiang come out, the two men immediately approached him, their faces showing a mixture of eagerness and unease.

"Master, what's the situation inside?" Bi Yunfeng asked in a low voice, his eyes flickering as if he were somewhat guilty.

Shi Qiang didn't answer immediately, but glanced at them sideways, the half-smoked cigarette still dangling from his mouth, smoke slowly escaping from the corner of his lips. He raised his hand, gesturing for the two to come aside and talk to him.

The three walked to the window in the corridor. Shi Qiang leaned against the window frame, took a deep drag of his cigarette, and slowly exhaled, the smoke spreading in the air. This time, he seemed to have inhaled too deeply, the smoke choking him, and he couldn't help but cough twice, his brows furrowing even more.

“Luo Congmin has changed.” Shi Qiang finally spoke, his voice low and tinged with helplessness and exhaustion.

Upon hearing this, Cao Bin subconsciously took two steps back, seemingly not wanting to be bothered by Shi Qiang's cigarette smoke. He shrugged and said casually, "After all, she was the President of the Earth Federation for over two hundred years. It would be abnormal if she didn't change at all."

Shi Qiang shook his head, his eyes becoming deep: "I'm not saying she changed her position or status, but her state... is exactly the same as her father's back then, always trying to escape certain things."

Cao Bin and Bi Yunfeng exchanged a glance but neither responded.

Shi Qiang continued, "Hey, this little brat, I watched her grow up. Back then, her father was still a Wallfacer, and all the pressure of humanity was on his shoulders. Luo Congmin was raised by Wang Miao and the others from a young age, she was so pitiful. I never thought that now, the pressure of all humanity would shift from her father to her."

At this point, Shi Qiang sighed, crushed the cigarette butt in his hand into the ashtray on the windowsill, and the spark flickered on his fingertip before going out.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping between Bi Yunfeng and Cao Bin, his tone becoming serious: "Tell me, what exactly has happened over the years? I want to know what Luo Congmin went through."

Upon hearing this, Bi Yunfeng's face flashed with embarrassment, and his lips moved, but he did not speak immediately.

He was clearly hesitant, unsure of where to begin, especially when he thought about his usurpation of power, which gave him a headache.

Cao Bin, on the other hand, didn't have so many concerns.

As a researcher, he maintained a relatively neutral stance, focusing solely on his own work regardless of whether it was during Luo Congmin's or Bi Yunfeng's era.

So he told Shi Qiang everything that had happened over the years without hesitation, including how Bi Yunfeng gradually replaced Luo Congmin and became the actual controller of the Earth Alliance.

As Shi Qiang listened, he frowned, glancing at Bi Yunfeng every now and then with a sharp look as if he were interrogating a criminal.

Bi Yunfeng felt extremely uncomfortable under Shi Qiang's gaze, and cold sweat gradually seeped from his forehead. He knew in his heart that although he had achieved some success in the governance of the local alliance, he still felt guilty in the face of a veteran member of the Lin Party like Shi Qiang.

After listening to Cao Bin's account, Shi Qiang remained silent for a long time. He raised his head and looked out the window, seemingly deep in thought. After a long while, he waved his hand helplessly, his tone tinged with weariness and relief: "Forget it, if it's going to rain, it'll rain; if a mother wants to remarry, she'll remarry. Let her be."

Seeing that the other party was not going to pursue the matter further, Bi Yunfeng spoke again.

"Da Shi, what are your plans next?"

"I'm fine with anything. My family members are probably all dead." Shi Qiang said this with a hint of ease.

"Perhaps I still have a great-grandson, and I might be his great-great-great-grandfather."

At that moment, Cao Bin slowly raised his hand.

"Master Shi, um... your son died without getting married."

"Hold."

Shi Qiang was truly speechless this time. If that's the case, then he really is childless.

"What is this kid busy with all day? How come he hasn't even found a girlfriend?" But soon, he let it go.

"Forget it, my family never had a throne for him to inherit anyway. As long as he lives a good life, that's enough. I'll just pretend he died young during the Crisis Era."

At that moment, his eyes changed, as if he had made some kind of decision in his heart.

……

The meeting continued late into the night.

Zhang Xiang pushed open the door and entered, carrying several bags of steaming hot late-night snacks. The aroma of the food instantly dispelled the fatigue in the room.

“Dr. Ding Yi’s analysis is indeed reasonable,” Zhang Beihai put down the documents in his hand, stood up, and walked to the coffee table.

He calmly picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup.

The tea rippled gently in the cup, releasing a faint fragrance. He took a small sip, and the aroma filled his mouth, carrying a long-lost sweetness.

He couldn't help but close his eyes, as if he had returned to a certain afternoon on Earth, where sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell on his shoulders, and a gentle breeze carried the scent of earth and grass.

“This tea is quite good,” Zhang Beihai said, opening his eyes with a hint of nostalgia in his voice. “Can I take a few packets with me? I haven’t had any tea from my hometown in a long time since I left Earth.”

Luo Congmin glanced at him, nodded slightly, and gestured for him to do as he pleased.

Chu Yan quietly approached, casually grabbed a few packets of tea from the coffee table, and quickly stuffed them into his pocket.

"The Human Rights Association will go ahead and head to the Elbato Cluster."

Zhang Beihai seemed to have finally made a decision, slamming the teacup he was holding back onto the table. "Lin Xuan is too important to me, and to us. His safety cannot be compromised in the slightest."

As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously drifted toward Luo Congmin, who was sitting in the center.

“However, Luo Congmin, this is not a decision I can make alone. I need to go back and ask for their opinions, after all... they haven't been home for too long.”

Luo Congmin nodded, seemingly satisfied with the result.

"I had already considered this. I have transferred all the Earth Alliance personnel to the Ring World. If any of the Human Alliance members want to return, Earth will welcome them home at any time. I will provide ecological protection services as much as possible and give them some time to integrate into the new society."

But Zhang Beihai shook his head.

"No, that's not enough. I can't let my brothers take risks. They've followed me through space for so many years, and I don't want them to die in the place they've always dreamed of. I hope you can understand."

As he spoke, he pointed at Luo Ji, who was standing to the side in a daze.

“We need someone to vouch for us, someone of sufficient stature to accompany us to the Elbato Cluster.”

“Absolutely not, Zhang Beihai, don’t even think about it!” Radiaz’s face darkened. He hadn’t expected the other party to want Luo Ji to be a hostage.

Luo Ji's status in the entire Earth Alliance is second only to Lin Xuan. If anything were to happen to him, it would likely deal a very serious blow to the morale of the Earth Alliance.

“I can go with you, so we can support each other. Everyone has witnessed my command capabilities in the military fleet.” Radiaz wanted to exchange himself for Luo Ji, but Zhang Beihai clearly disagreed.

"In that case, there's nothing more to talk about. You don't trust me, and I don't trust you either."

Zhang Beihai's face also darkened, and in an instant, the atmosphere in the conference room became tense.

"Alright, alright, calm down."

Luo Ji lay there with his arms behind his head, looking relaxed and at ease, as if the matter they were discussing had nothing to do with him.

“I’m an old man with no value. If they want me to follow them, then I’ll follow them.”

"Dr. Luo Ji!"

Radiaz wanted to say something more, but Luo Ji simply waved his hand, signaling him to stop talking.

"I agree."

Without the slightest hesitation, Luo Congmin sent his father away as a hostage. Upon hearing this, everyone in the room couldn't help but look at Luo Congmin with strange eyes.

Logically speaking, the person in this house who should least agree to this is Luo Congmin.