Chapter 205 - -

Chapter 205: Chapter 202 - Igor blinked his eyes as if he was somewhat dazed.

"Oh, oh... how come I can’t drink now? Oh dear, had I known, I wouldn’t have come..."

Finally, he ceased to delve into people’s wounds, wiped the liquor from the corners of his lips, sighed at the bottle in his hand as if caressing a lover, and reluctantly stowed it away in his backpack.

The farce was finally over.

The players arriving behind peered around, wondering why Edward, usual the center of attention, looked somewhat distressed.

"There are quite a few people here today." After watching the spectacle, Anna stroked her flame-like beautiful hair and smiled innocently yet seductively:

"I thought... those proud top-ranked players would disdain our organization, but it turns out they still came... Ah, I’m not talking about you, my dear Ma Qiaoli; you’re different from everyone else."

"I know, Anna, but besides me, there are quite a few high-end players who support this human self-rescue organization united together..." Ma Qiaoli was still speaking when suddenly a woman approached from the side.

She turned her head to look at the woman who was deliberately approaching.

"Nice to meet you, I am a member of the special operation division of the United Group, Sorena."

The newcomer had snake-like eyes, possibly a variant of some skill, and her demeanor was very elegant, extending her hand towards Ma Qiaoli.

In a game world where myopia can be cured, this visitor still wore gold-rimmed glasses, as if clinging onto something.

"Oh, hello, I am Ma Qiaoli, an adventurer player." Ma Qiaoli shook hands with the elegant woman.

"Thank you very much for coming. In such a crisis, receiving your feedback will help us better scrutinize humanity’s destiny." Sorena’s grip was firm and brief, timed just right.

"You’re too kind. I’m just an ordinary player, and in such a grand future, every individual is involved. I hope more to make my voice heard." Ma Qiaoli responded in turn.

"You will." Sorena smiled at her, "This conference is not like traditional ones, considering that many attendees haven’t experienced similar scale meetings before; they’ve never seen such scenes on Zhai Xing, with some even squeezing time to come here, so we adopted a more liberal speaking model, hoping every player can speak freely and express their views.

The world belongs to every individual, and the thoughts of every human shine brightly.

As part of the world—most dangerous, most pressured, and often on the front lines—you deserve our utmost appreciation and respect."

Listening to this woman speak, Ma Qiaoli felt very comfortable.

Even though she had interacted with many people on Zhai Xing before, she had never felt such a favorable interaction, as if the other person’s voice itself had an inherent affinity, making her involuntarily trust her words, believe in her sincerity.

"Thank you for your appreciation. I believe that an organization that can still unite humanity in such an urgent time, preserving humanity’s baseline, awakening self-rescuing awareness in all, is also humanity’s hope..." Before Ma Qiaoli could finish her words, she suddenly heard the surroundings grow quiet.

Out of nowhere, the sound of a piano started.

Clear, melodious, the piano’s tune soothing, like the tinkling of a spring and the caress of a breeze.

"Who is playing the piano?" Sorena looked up and adjusted her glasses, "The United Group didn’t arrange any opening event related to this; is it an impromptu addition..."

Ma Qiaoli raised her head.

She was proficient in piano, and she recognized the piece; it was named "Destiny."

It stood as a brilliantly shining star in the history of art, a snow lotus atop the peak for pianists, combining immense difficulty with a majestic, epic melody that could awe anyone who heard it.

It expressed the longing of Zhai Xing’s humanity for interstellar journeys, for an unknown future, for an attachment to the land beneath their feet.

Hope was in the watch, and people were united in heart.

As notes danced within the melody, they sparkled in front of her eyes. It was like an audible narrative poem, as if a deity was slowly recounting the history of humanity.

Ma Qiaoli listened intently, grasping the meaning behind the music.

At first, its tune was somber, as if humanity faced storms, monumental strains, with crisis looming.

But soon, exuberant sounds overcame the earlier calm, like a horn blowing loudly.

Ma Qiaoli hummed softly along.

The tune, grand and generous, gradually outpaced her, so she sat, followed the sound, and gazed outside.

She felt as if she saw a flag soaring high in the sky, shimmering with golden edges under the sunlight.

The light cast across the flag’s edge was brilliant and listening made her feel tearful.

It was as if she saw historical scrolls depicting humanity slowly unfolding before her eyes, like witnessing countless touching stories unfolding.

And amidst the storm, people always believed that the future would come.

Music is a magical thing.

She loved music and naturally could sense the emotions imbued in the melodies.

Although some parts were not yet coherent, and technically still different from the top pianists that Zhai Xing had originally, he must be the best performer the United Group could find.

The emotional resonance in the piano’s sound was full, with a unique sense of inclusiveness, allowing her to feel a "gentle" emotion amidst the standard tones.

The person playing the piano must truly love this world.

She looked up, as if she could see through the thick walls, another person equally immersed, as if fused with the long river of human time.

...Who could that be?

While Ma Qiaoli was entranced by the music, the people beside her seemed to be drawn in as well.

Even those who were not familiar with music could perceive the emotion in the tune.

They lifted their heads, looking towards the source of the piano’s sound, their eyes filled with curiosity.

Even the viewers behind a screen were expressing their emotions frantically:

In the piano’s sound, people slowed their pace, softened their voices.

The flow of people at the four doors seemed to reach a critical point, the hands of the clock pointed towards eight in the evening, the waiting time was about to end.

And as the conference room’s empty chairs were gradually filled by more than half of the attendees, the piano sound also neared its end.

Ma Qiaoli counted, in total, seventy-three people sat in the conference room, among them, more than thirty wore formal suits, and there were a few dressed in what seemed to be the uniform of some organization. The rest were players in various strange and exotic outfits.

Players ranked in the top hundred of the world had likely arrived, at least over thirty of them.

Amid the fluid piano sound, a middle-aged man adorned with a silver star on his shoulder, slowly walked up to the podium from a space left at the round table.

His posture was upright, like a poplar tree, his smile sun-like and accessible, giving people a strong sense of closeness.

"Good evening, everyone."

There were no series of salutations, no long list of titles, his opening remarks were simple and neat, successfully drawing a round of applause.

Some players who appeared sleepy and dressed like hooligans also seemed interested, straightening up from their slumped chairs.

Dressed in a light pink cherry blossom kimono, Mizushima Kawa Sora looked up, a black long sword lay properly across her knees.

Beside her, a space was left, but at the moment it was empty, merely holding a bouquet of Blood Roses, as if waiting for someone.

She looked at the middle-aged man speaking on stage, her grip on the long sword tightening.

"Welcome everyone for taking the time from your busy schedules to attend this human future self-rescue meeting discussion initiated by the United Group," continued the man on stage:

"Thank you to the top-ranking players from around the world and the founders of the United Group for their support."

"I am Wilson, former Joint Chiefs of Staff Operations, Staff Officer of the Eagle Country, with the rank of Brigadier General, and from the Eagle Country Marine Corps."

"...but that was all in the past."

"Now, I am the leader of the United Group, Wilson, the initiator of this meeting."

"For a common goal, we have gathered here, hoping to envision the future of humanity."

"This meeting is not controlled solely by me; on the contrary, I am merely a guide. The United Group believes that everyone here has their ideas, and we encourage everyone to speak freely."

"This meeting is being live-streamed, and the live streaming platform is completely open to one billion humans; the stream has already begun."

"If those not attending have any suggestions or opinions about this meeting, they are welcome to express them in the live chat or compile them for the World Forum."

"The world belongs to everyone, and it requires the collective thought of all."

At this point, he paused slightly.

The sound of the piano continued, uplifting and powerful, like a flag slowly unfolding, making his emphatic words especially resonant and profound.

At that moment, applause broke out. Driven by the applause, even the laziest, scrappiest players raised their hands and clapped a few times.

After the applause, Wilson continued:

"I often think, for a person, what is ’luck’?"

"I’m not sure how others define ’luck,’ but in my view, borrowing a line from the great work ’When Humanity Shines Brightly’—"

"’The greatest luck in one’s life is, in the prime of life, to find one’s mission.’"

"We are lucky, we are in the prime of our lives—at least physically, we no longer age. Even children are no longer fragile."

"We are fortunate, for we have also discovered our mission."

"To the end, to make every human reach the Points mark, this is our current mission, our responsibility towards the other six and a half billion people who were not chosen."

"We are the one billion chosen, both the lucky and the unlucky, and we bear the responsibility to bring them back, to win back our home."

"Even if for this, our corpses will lie along the path, our blood will stain every corner, the roads we have traveled will be filled with our own gravestones."

"As long as we still have the opportunity to continue, we must let everyone witness the arrival of the future."

"’Faced with the ashes of the sacrificers, noble individuals will shed hot tears.’

"Whether we are Adventurer Players, specialization players, or Casual Players."

"Whether we were soldiers, students, or other roles in the past."

"The task of the entire human Points progress bar has now been imposed on every one of us, each small accumulation by us might gather into a river that redeems ourselves at the end of the year."

"Using opportunity as our ladder, and truth as our goal."

"Discover oneself, reflect on oneself. Remember history, create the future together."

"This era, filled with both crisis and opportunity, is intimately connected to each of us."

"In this world where all humans collectively strive, every small stream can form a great river."

"The giant ship named Zhai Xing, will ride the winds and break the waves."

"All beings called ’human,’ are travelers on this ship."

"One billion people working together, sharing the warmth and the cold."

"The sun and stars, arrayed across the sky."

"This is the worst of times, it is also the best of times."

Wilson concluded, snapping to attention with a "pop," saluting.

Below him, the applause thundered.

As if trying to turn their hands red from clapping, several were tearfully moved.

Even the few players who resembled hooligans straightened up slightly, their expressions becoming serious.

They seemed to feel the weight of what this self-proclaimed "Human Self-Rescue Organization," whose charter was to "let more people live better," entailed.

"At this moment, I’d like to thank the initiators from the United Group, along with the support of the United Group’s General Staff Headquarters, General Political Department, General Logistics Department, General Technology Department, and General Liaison Department. I extend my gratitude for the technical support from the Human Self-Rescue Research Group, and the technical support from members of various Evergreen Universities, Independent Societies, and principal transnational corporate research institutes, and national central research institutes."

Wilson continued, "Before the meeting started, the United Group had compiled the main topics of this meeting and related arguments into volumes, which were bound and placed in front of each participant."

In the upcoming meeting, we will freely discuss the topics in the order written in the booklet."

The recorders for the meeting are already in place, they will record the entire proceedings and the remarks of every speaker."

This meeting will be broadcast live throughout its entirety, and the current viewer count has reached six hundred million, the highest in history."

Countless gazes, endless people, are all watching us now, and we are deeply connected to them."

Please be mindful of the impact when speaking freely."

As he spoke, he suddenly chuckled."

"However, before the meeting starts, we need to thank another person.

Thank you to him—for standing up before the Human Self-Rescue Organization was established, before the panicked populace had time to gather, becoming a goal that countless people strived to follow."

At the opening ceremony, his words inspired people, and along the way, his theories have become the recognized standards by many today."

No matter what the road ahead holds, his contributions cannot be erased."

Until his failure, he will always be the greatest contributor to the overall progress bar of ’Points’, the cornerstone of Free Sky, the guide to humanity’s future."

Ma Qiaoli’s eyes widened in surprise, her mouth slightly open."

... She seemed to realize who Wilson was referring to."

Edward looked up, Mizushima Kawa Sora gripped her long sword."

All eyes turned to follow Wilson’s gaze."

Three of the doors were closed, leaving only one grand door open."

"At the same time... we must also express our gratitude," Wilson smiled, "thank him for the impassioned and surging ’Destiny’—"

"Even far from home, humanity will forever love its homeland."

"Different lands beneath the same sky, sharing the moon and breezes."

As he spoke, the piano music that had been playing finally ceased."

The last sound of the music, like a clash of iron, carried an utterly solemn essence."

The song ’Destiny’ had reached its end."

Slowly, a figure appeared in front of the open door.

He faced the full room light, as if bathed in light, tall and slender."

The young man, dressed in a white suit, stepped into the room under everyone’s gaze."

The halo around him resembled doves flapping wings, streams circling, slowly flowing into his pitch-black pupils, swirling in his eyes, a sheer clear light."

Under the light’s glow, his exceptionally deep eyes conveyed a gentle and welcoming warmth."

Ma Qiaoli gazed into the young man’s eyes, momentarily mesmerized."

It was as if something in front of her had shattered, a refreshing clarity rushing in, causing her heartbeat to quicken—not with infatuation but as if feathers were chaotically fluttering inside her chest, unsettling her thoughts."

His eyes, in the bright meeting room lights, remained as pure as gemstones, possessing an inherent warmth. Just standing there simply, the whole person seemed like the sun inherently radiant."

Such a person, was naturally meant to be under the light."

Countless gazes fixated on him at the door, as if turning this place into a pilgrimage center."

She looked at the young man who made everyone momentarily speechless, as if soaked in light, and suddenly remembered a phrase."

"We are all watchers chasing the dawn."

"And some people are naturally the guides of the night."