You don't even want to call me godfather

"...Assuming that what you said is true, how can you benefit from such a big change for a country?" Koshe turned his head slightly and looked at Ferdinand. "Or, what do you want from me?"

"Well..." Ferdinand and Koshe looked at each other for a few seconds, then looked up at Christen, who had just finished her speech and was walking off the stage. He stopped talking and took the initiative to step aside. "If you are interested in this, we can discuss it later. As for now... you should accompany General Christen first."

Chapter 61: Madman of Science

"Mr. Cascade," Christen came down from the podium, walked to Kochei, looked at Ferdinand's back, and asked, "What were you talking about with Ferdinand just now?"

"Nothing," Koshe said without disguising anything, "It's just that the director of the Energy Department wants to cooperate with Syracuse."

Koschei did not trust Rhine Life now, nor did he believe Ferdinand, who sought cooperation with him after only meeting him once, so he simply threw the question back to Christen.

"I don't object to department heads reaching cooperation with others on their own to attract investment and sponsorship," Kristen smiled and shook her head, "but the cooperation can only be reached in the name of Rhine Life. If anyone here wants to cooperate with you in their personal name, you'd better be very careful. Mr. Cascade, this is a little advice I have for you."

"I've taken note of your advice."

As he spoke, Koshei's eyes once again turned to Arends who was sitting restlessly in the corner.

"Mr. Cascade," Kristen noticed Koshe's actions and reminded him implicitly, "This party is self-service, please don't be polite. Besides, you have to eat and drink enough before you have the energy to deal with everything, right?"

"Hmph...you're right."

Koshe understood what Christen meant. From what he had observed so far, the directors except Arends did not seem surprised by his presence. Only Arends' reaction was quite abnormal.

He knew that among those present, only Arends didn't know he was coming, which meant...

Koshe looked at Kristen and saw that she was smiling and extending her hand to invite Koshe to go to the other side with her.

In other words, this party was indeed just a cover, the purpose of which was to make Arends come here on his own and come in front of Koshe without arousing anyone's suspicion.

So Kristen was not delaying Koshei, and from the very beginning, she was ready to resolve the matter clearly.

Thinking of this, Koshe secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He took the hand extended by Christen and followed her to the glass wall in the opposite direction of Arenz.

Although the exterior walls of the building are all made of glass, the lower view is blocked by the dense green belts and external walls, and there are guards waiting outside. Except from the air, there is no angle from which to peek into the hall.

Koshe and Kristen stood by the outer wall, looking at the people in the hall.

Ferdinand invited Saria to dance with him, and Saria accepted his invitation with helplessness on her face.

Muirseth was chattering about something to Yara, who looked very excited, while Yara smiled and nodded while adding food to the plate of Shipka, who was preoccupied.

Justin moved a chair and sat next to the expressionless Sarkaz banshee, holding a notebook in his hand and talking to her. Dorothy fell into a coma after Christen finished her speech, and it seemed that she would not wake up for a while.

"Rhine Life is not what you imagined, Mr. Cascade."

Looking at the heads of various departments in the hall, a hint of tenderness flashed in Christen's eyes.

"Before this, my impression of Rhine Life was that it was just a bunch of crazy scientists gathered together, that's all," Koshe shook his head, feeling a little complicated, and said with a little emotion, "However, after a little patience, I did see a different side."

"I prefer the term 'dreamer' to 'lunatic.'" Christen closed her eyes and laughed out loud as if she suddenly thought of something. "Scientists never believe that dreams are false, so they always try their best to prove to everyone that dreams can come true."

"Is it the same for you, Ms. Christen?" Hearing this, Koshe looked at Christen with a slightly curious look, "Will you also try your best for some unrealistic or even unattainable dreams?"

"Isn't it?" Christen responded to Koshe's question, "After all, we researchers are doing the same thing all day and all night. The unknown is endless, but even if we understand a little more and make one more inference, the boundaries of humanity can make a small progress."

"Hmph... That's a great statement."

But even so, Koshei would not easily change his view of Rhine Life. Whether it was the researcher in Syracuse or Arenz who was right in front of him, all the scientists Koshei had come into contact with left an indelible impression on him.

At least this will not change.

"Great... huh?" Christen heard the irony in Koshe's words, but she did not argue with him. Instead, she followed his meaning and said, "Rhine life today is still far from being 'great'. In the final analysis, we are just one of the humans who are groping for 'progress'."

"It sounds good to move forward," Koshei sneered with a hint of dissatisfaction, "but what is the price? What about the human rights of those who were put into the experiment, and the children?"

"Now I know why you are so wary of me, Mr. Cascade," Kristen sighed helplessly and began to explain, "When Rhine Life was first established, these people and directors you can see came here with their own ideals and desires. They all believed that the conditions here were enough for them to embrace the secrets they dreamed of, and I was no exception."

"Then why has it become so... crazy now?"

"You are right about one thing, Mr. Cascade," Christen did not rush to answer Koshe's question, but beat around the bush, "Maybe we are indeed scientific lunatics, and we should also die for the truth. Do you know how to stop a scientist? Satisfy him, or kill him. When we decided to embark on the path of science, we were already prepared to face madness."

Kristen spoke in a calm tone that was enough to prove her determination. Even Koshe was speechless because of the persistence she revealed.

"Let's go back to the human rights issue. When Director Arends first proposed human experiments, I also had doubts about this issue. Should we choose human rights or development?" Seeing that Koshe didn't express her opinion, Christen knew that what she said had worked, so she returned to the topic. "In the end, I got the answer. People don't need human rights, and they don't even want so-called human rights."

"Where to start?"

Hearing this, Koshe frowned. If Kristen's previous words only shocked him, then this sentence was simply ridiculous to him.

Absolutely ridiculous.

Chapter 62 Absurd Ideal

"Colombia has spent a century promoting human rights in other countries, but has never succeeded. Our country does not even have the most basic ideology to support scientific development. The reason is that we have to tolerate those infected people who are hurt, or force ourselves to understand other scientists who think differently from us. In the end, Rhine Life can't even sing a different tune from the president."

At this point, Kristen finally gave her answer.

"Nominally, Rhine Life is a biotechnology company and will also be involved in city protection and security work. But if anyone thinks that science can be developed by just providing some manpower, some low-level technology, dropping a few bombs, and killing a few scientific bosses with opposing opinions, then that's too naive."

"People don't need human rights, they want technology and development, layers of security to protect them from outside invaders. People want a leader who can give them the future and development they want, and they will follow whoever can meet their needs."

“Rhine Life grows from this.”

After hearing what Kristen said, Koshei fell into silence.

As the king of a country, he could understand Christen's thoughts.

This idea is both crazy and absolute, but what it can bring is a strong national strength that even Koshei himself cannot refuse.

"...I have also done some research on you, Ms. Christen," Koshe said after a long silence. "The intelligence I got mentioned that you seem to have a close cooperative relationship with the Colombian military, and it is a private cooperation. Since your heart is no longer in Rhine Life, why do you continue to indulge your directors to satisfy their own desires? Wouldn't it be more convenient to invest all resources in the field you want to enter?"

"I have to admire your connections and intelligence-gathering abilities, Mr. Cascade," Kristen smiled, her eyes swept across the hall before answering, "But, the so-called organization is nothing more than a collection of individuals. The collective dream requires the sublimation of individual dreams, and individual dreams are consolidated in the collective dream. So, it is impossible for me to stop anyone here from realizing their ideals."

"I see." Koshei suddenly laughed. He tilted his head slightly and looked at Kristen with a subtle look. "You borrowed military funds and connections to continue the research left by your parents. You deceived everyone with the shell of Rhine Life. Now I am really beginning to wonder what your most stubborn expectation in life is."

Christen did not answer. She turned around, with her back to Koshei, and looked at the sky outside the glass, which was covered with thick dark clouds and city lights.

From an angle that Koshe couldn't see, a hint of longing and yearning appeared in Christen's eyes.

"You really like to make things difficult for me, Mr. Cascade," Christen turned around and looked at Koshei, "But it doesn't hurt to talk to you. I just hope you won't laugh at me for it."

"No ideal should be laughed at," Koshe understood what Christen meant. He walked forward and stood beside her. "After all, even I have an ideal that is so absurd that it makes people laugh."

"Then maybe we are the same kind of people."

Christen smiled and looked up at the sky again, her expression gradually becoming calm.

"In this world, no one has ever carefully observed the sky, because the sky that we can see with our naked eyes is always filled with dark clouds and natural disasters," Christen said slowly after a moment. "Perhaps influenced by my parents, I have always had some questions since I was a child. Why is the sky like this? Why do people seem to be accustomed to this kind of sky?"

"Is it a fantasy about the sky?" Koshe said, "I wonder if Ms. Christen has been to countries other than Colombia. The sky in Syracuse and Lateran is different from that in Colombia. Although it is sometimes covered with dark clouds like this, more often, what I can see in the sky are the stars written in myths and legends."

"Ah... I was lucky enough to see the stars once. When I was a kid, I secretly hid in the trunk of my parents' car and followed them to a place outside of Colombia. There, I saw a different scenery from Colombia," Kristen said, squinting her eyes as if recalling something. "But most people in Colombia have never seen the starry sky, so I, who had tasted a different world, had an idea in my mind since then."

"Could it be that……"

When Kristen said this, Koshe already had a rough idea of ​​what she was thinking.

"I want to tear the sky apart," Kristen said in a calm tone that was enough to shock anyone. "I want the stars to shine on this land. I want the real sky to be revealed to everyone. Even if it's only for a few seconds, it's enough to expand the boundaries of human civilization. As long as a seed is planted and people's eyes are cleared, countless successors will reach out their hands to the sky."

"You want to do this by your own strength, which is not a wise move, Ms. Christen." Although he was shocked by Christen's ideal, Koshe calmed down and pointed out, "No doubt, you will become a pioneer, but a true pioneer should pave the way for mankind, rather than jumping into the abyss first and never coming back."

"The lucky ones find the right direction and walk into the light, while the unlucky ones run into a dead end and go around in circles. The similarity between the two is that no one can stop them," Kristen smiled and refuted, "Now, for this land, it is meaningless to look up, because it is not worth observing and exploring. It is the destination of those who indulge in fantasy. But if one day, everyone looks up, looking up at the sky that has never been able to be touched, the future of mankind will be brewing in this era. This is an indispensable step for human civilization to leave the cradle, Mr. Cascade."

Looking at Kristen's smile and listening to the words coming out of her mouth, for some reason, Koshe seemed to see his own shadow in her.

But obviously, his ideas were not as great as Christen's ideals, nor was he as determined as Christen.

but……

"Hmph... maybe you're right. We might really be the same kind of people, Ms. Christen."

Koshe, who found himself unable to refute Kristen's remarks, finally chose to compromise.

Chapter 63: Communication is better than suspicion

After Koche and Kristen temporarily ended their conversation about human rights and development, they stood by the glass wall and looked up at the gray sky of Colombia.

"Please use."

After an unknown amount of time, an employee who remained in the hall brought them a tray with two glasses of gin on it.

"Thank you."

Kristen thanked him quietly, took the wine from the tray, and handed one of the glasses to Koshei.

"To be honest, I'm not used to drinking gin," Koshe said, but he still politely took the glass. After taking a symbolic sip, he placed it on the table beside him and reached into the inner pocket of his coat. "Can I smoke?"

"Of course, don't mind," Kristen said with a smile, "This is the corner of the hall, and there is a window next to it, so the smell of smoke won't spread very far."

Upon hearing this, Koshe lit up a cigarette from the box, took a deep puff, and then deliberately blew the smoke in the opposite direction of Christen.

"Every time I want to quit smoking, it's always difficult." A few seconds after Koshe lit up the cigarette, the employee brought an ashtray with a wet tissue and placed it on the table next to him. Koshe dusted off the ash and asked Christen, "Would you like one?"

"No, I won't need that." Kristen shook her head, then turned around and leaned against the glass. "Next, it's time to talk about business, Mr. Cascade. I believe you are already impatient to wait, right?"

After a long introduction, Kristen finally got down to business, but to her surprise, Koshe didn't show any urgency, but instead picked up the glass of gin again and took a sip.

"You know, gin can easily make people sad, while rum can inspire violence and free you from self-doubt," Koshe said, gently shaking the glass and looking at Arends sitting in the corner through the light yellow liquid in the glass. "Maybe we need a little rum instead of gin now, Ms. Kristen."

"...I understand what you mean." Kristen observed Koshe's expression and spoke only after confirming that he was indeed emotionally stable. "But I have to say something unpleasant. In Colombia, Syracuse's way of doing things won't work. Mr. Cascade, I know Syracuse people have traditions, but Colombia is a country ruled by law, and communication often prevails over suspicion."

"A country ruled by law? Humph, interesting." Koshe laughed, not sure if it was a mockery or something else. He turned around and looked at Christen. "Then, is Rhine Life, which has a cooperative relationship with the Colombian government and military, also bound by the law?"

"Of course, even Rhine Life has no right to do whatever it wants. Only matters that rise to the international level require additional conclusions," Kristen said calmly after listening to Koshe's undisguised challenge. "However, since we are talking about this, before you decide to communicate with Arends in person, I have to confirm a few questions from the Colombian legal perspective, Mr. Cascade."

"Please say."

Koshei put down his glass and agreed.

"First, have you ever caused a riot in your current life?"

The scene of shooting William at the press conference appeared in Koshe's mind.

"No."

"So, do you drink too much?"

Koshe couldn't remember how many times Jill had complained to him about being drunk at the Valhalla Bar.

"No."

"Have you ever been in a traffic accident?"

Koshei pictured a self-destructing truck filled with metal debris ramming into a car on the highway.

"No."

"Last question, have you ever killed anyone?"

"In Columbia?"

A scene reappeared in Koshe's mind. He stood in front of a bathroom, looking at the body of a man named Frey in the bathtub, and then turned and left.

"I don't think so."

Finally, he answered.

"Then I have nothing to worry about." As soon as Kristen said this, she noticed that Koshe's expression was not right, as if he was thinking about something, so she immediately changed her words and said, "You know... I don't care whether you really did it or not. It makes no difference to me."

"Um...yeah, I know."

Koshe also understood that the other party had noticed his abnormality, so he could only continue talking.

"At least I'm on your side regarding Director Arends, right?"

"Yep."

The atmosphere between the two of them became a little awkward at some point, until the cigarette in Koshe's hand was about to burn out. He took one last puff and then extinguished the cigarette butt.

"... Then... let's go and discuss this matter with Director Arends in person, Mr. Cascade."

Christen seized this opportune moment and quickly proposed to Koshe.

Chapter 64: Long-term planning

Arends Parvez, Director of the Life Structures Section at Rheinland.

People often say that he is a madman, but he has never denied it, or rather, he takes it as a compliment.

Rationalism deeply influenced him. He had absolute respect for science and devoted all his efforts to scientific research.