At that secret meeting of the Old Boundary Ridge, He Lao arranged the scientists in the front row. He probably didn't expect this to be a metaphor or harbinger of an era: in the age of cataclysm, scientists took the lead, and not just in the purely academic realm. Science and politics have been combined with unprecedented intensity, forming a special class called "scientific governance", which has begun to directly control the steering wheel of human civilization. My husband Chu Tianle, father-in-law Ma Shiqi and myself are among them.

However, we are somewhat swept up in this position by trends. There is only one exception, and it can be said that he took the initiative to make a hole in the original river channel, thus creating a new flow direction.

Ji Renrui. It was also my later platonic lover.

——Excerpt from "A Hundred Years of Collecting Shellfish", written by Yu Leshui

1

Lu Junding, director of the Qi County Public Security Bureau, knocked on the door of the county magistrate Ji, and there was a voice inside: "It's the Lu Bureau, please come in." He pushed the door and went in, and saw the county magistrate Ji leaning back on the high-backed swivel chair, facing the window in contemplation, and only his head could be seen above the backrest. Lao Lu sat down on the sofa, and County Magistrate Ji still maintained that sitting posture, silent in thought. Lao Lu was in a hurry, coughed lightly, and then the other party turned the swivel chair and said calmly:

"Say it."

Lao Lu was a little anxious, "County magistrate, today is the fifth day of a collective hunger strike, and the weather is hot, and if you don't take action, you will die." There were already two people who were in shock with weak constitutions, and the police forcibly took them away and sent them to the hospital for glucose infusion. But after the two sobered up, they resolutely refused to eat and insisted on returning to the scene. He shook his head, "Pretty scary. As soon as you approach the hunger strike, you can feel a very resolute atmosphere. ”

Ji Renrui calmly reproached: "If the public security had found the signs from the Internet earlier, the situation would be much better today." ”

Director Lu blushed. The county magistrate was right. Lao Lugan's public security is a tough hand, but this time he was really negligent. After the announcement of the damn "Chuma Discovery", there was a wave of uproar on the Internet, and people met to commit collective suicide in Qixian County to commemorate the worrying Qiren, the so-called "the only wise man in human civilization". Later, the suicide speech was blocked by the website and disappeared, but the suicide action is still secretly organized online. It's a pity that as the public security chief here, he didn't realize that these online clamors would actually be implemented, which was really careless. Six days ago, a large number of outsiders, including many foreigners, suddenly poured into Qixian County at the same time, gathered directly in a farmland outside the city, and began a collective sit-in. They say it's a sit-in instead of a hunger strike, and the police can't take action — you can't characterize them as a cult that encourages mass suicide.

"Still can't figure out who the participants are?"

The county magistrate once came up with an idea: try to find out the identities of these suicides, and then notify their families to come to Qi County to discourage suicide. Director Lu was embarrassed:

"Well, I didn't get any of them. But it's not that we're incompetent, we have checked a group of people's belongings through some excuses or means, and none of them have documents! I don't have an ID, bank card, driver's license, etc., and at most I only have some cash. There are a considerable number of foreigners who at least had passports when they entered the country, so they must have been destroyed after entering the country. Based on this analysis, they must have agreed in advance on the destruction of documents. There are more than 10,000 county magistrates, all of whom are relatively young, few of them are more than fifty years old, and most of them seem to have a high level of knowledge, and even mothers with children. It is terrible that they are so resolute to cut off the back road, and they are bent on death! He scolded a foul language, "Damn, where can't you die, do you have to come to Qixian to harm us?" ”

Ji Renrui looked at Lao Lu and didn't comment. It is precisely these people with a "higher level of knowledge" who will be sensitive enough to know what the "Chuma discovery" means to mankind, so they are determined to embark on this path. Lao Lu's level of knowledge is obviously not among them. At this time, Lao Lu stared at him eagerly, hoping that he would come up with an idea soon. Lao Lu, who is tall and tall, came up from the grassroots level, and can be regarded as an old fritter in the political circles, and it is not easy to convince anyone, but he sincerely admires this 35-year-old young county magistrate. County Magistrate Ji is a top student of Peking University, studied international politics, worked in several embassies, and later parachuted here to become a county magistrate, and won an excellent reputation in only two years. Lao Lu is most convinced that he is relaxed and calm in his work, whether it is dealing with colleague relations or dealing with emergencies, he seems to be at ease. In Lao Lu's view, this kind of person is born to be a big official, at least to be a vice premier, and being a county magistrate is just a small test, which is an inevitable experience and step on the way to promotion. In addition, the appearance and demeanor of the county magistrate Ji was not said. Since he came to Qi County, those beautiful little girls in the county government and county party committee are like being beaten with chicken blood, and they have nothing to do to run to the county magistrate's office, until Ji's wife was also transferred to Qi County, and this craze slowly cooled down.

In the past two days, County Magistrate Ji has come up with a few very clever ideas, so that Lao Lu has made some preparations, but he has repeatedly warned him not to worry, saying that he will act when the fire is ready. But Lao Lu couldn't sit still today. After the announcement of the "Chuma Discovery," the central authorities repeatedly ordered and reaffirmed that social stability should be maintained, and this has become the top priority in political circles. If 10,000 people commit suicide in Qi County, he, the head of the public security bureau, will not be able to keep the black veil on his head, and he will even be affected by the county magistrate.

County Magistrate Ji said calmly: "Then let's go, the hunger strike has been five days, and it's time for the fire." I told the on-site personnel to burn the meat pot first. He looked at Lao Lu's face and comforted, "Lao Lu, you don't have to worry too much. The organizer of this collective suicide must be a chick, and he has no experience, so how can he use the method of hunger strike to commit suicide among 10,000 people? Organizing this kind of collective chronic suicide is extremely difficult, and there are certainly some people who don't make it to the end. ”

They came to the farmland outside the city. As Lao Lu said, as soon as you get close to here, you can feel a resolute atmosphere of seeking death. The sun was like fire, more than 10,000 people sat in the wheat stubble field, black pressed a large area, there was no sound, not a single movement, it was like a gloomy cemetery, and the scene was indeed rash. Most people are too weak to sit and lie on the ground. There were a few children in the crowd, some of them were babies, and no one was crying, they all fell limply in their mother's arms, and they must have no strength to cry. Ji Renrui knew that among the more than 10,000 people, there must have been people who couldn't stand it and some regretted it, but they were still stunted by the "collective will". Only by finding a way to break this aura will they "live" and make new decisions independently.

As long as some retreat, others will be fine.

Dozens of cauldrons were set up around the crowd, and the pots were filled with pork belly and various spices. According to Ji's instructions, the meat pot had already started a fire, and at this moment the broth was boiling, and the rich aroma of meat permeated the crowd. This is of course a fatal temptation for people who have been hungry for five days, and many people subconsciously sniffle and have an almost dizzy expression on their faces. But no one moved, because that aura was still covering them, and that aura was built up by themselves, which in physics is called positive feedback. Ji Renrui took the megaphone from his subordinates, went straight to the middle of the crowd, and before speaking, he brewed his emotions for a moment - replacing his usual unsmiling with a full smile - and said in a loud voice:

"Hello everyone! I am Ji Renrui, the magistrate of Qi County, I come to greet everyone and welcome you to Qi County! The crowd didn't react, only a few people looked up slightly and lay down again. I've come out to thank you all. Why? Because you came to Qixian this time and helped us do a big thing. You must know that the land of the ancient Qi Kingdom was originally here, but later moved to the Zhucheng and Anqiu areas of Shandong. The worrying man must now be a baby, and he can greatly revitalize the tourism industry, but whether he is Henan Qi or Shandong Qi, there is no record in the history books. In order to fight for him, we inevitably fought a protracted lawsuit with Shandong. But it's good that you guys make such a fuss, that prophet is Henan wolf! Shandong people want to take it away! So, on behalf of the elders of Qixian County, thank you! ”

Because there were many foreigners among the hunger strikers, Ji Renrui spoke first in Chinese and then repeated in English. The Qixian cadres scattered around the crowd were a little surprised. The county magistrate Ji usually speaks calmly and introverted, with a strong bookish atmosphere, he has a strong literary foundation, and often quotes classics in his speeches, and he is effortless. But his speech today is quite colloquial, quite cynical. It is cruel and cheeky to put a sorrowful saint on the weighing pan of money, and to say this to a group of dying hunger strikers. The hunger strike crowd was visibly enraged by him, and many of them propped up their upper bodies and looked at him with hatred. Ji Renrui was pleased with the audience's response—indicating that his words had captured the attention of the dying group.

"Let me tell you another good news, Qixian County has decided to build a giant statue of Qiren, which will be taller than the Golden Buddha of Mount Emei and the Golden Buddha of Taihu Lake! The statue is located in the center of the crowd where everyone is now sitting. In order to catch up with this year's tourist season, a groundbreaking ceremony will be held today, and we hope that the hunger strikers in the heart will cooperate with us and move outward to make room for groundbreaking. Qi County would like to assure you that the names of all the devotees present will be engraved on the pedestal of the statue to commemorate your contribution to Qi County – provided that you leave your name, of course. ”

After he finished speaking in Chinese and English, he waved his hand, and the construction team that had been waiting in the outer circle immediately entered the center of the crowd, or persuaded or forcibly erected it, and brought the hunger strikers in the center to the periphery. The hunger strikers who were taken away were furious, but they were too weak to resist. With such a fuss, the resolute aura was obviously disturbed. Among those taken away were five men, four Chinese and one foreigner, who had been roughly determined by the police in recent days to be the organizers of the hunger strike and the center of the suicide crowd. They were carried out of the center of the crowd and then "inadvertently" separated and placed in different places so that they could not discuss countermeasures in time.

"There's one more little thing I'm embarrassed to say, but I think I should tell you." Ji Renrui smiled and said, "I know that you don't have any documents on you, but most of you have a considerable amount of cash. What to do with the cash after you pass away is a big problem because you all refuse to leave your home address and can't send it back. I think so, when you die, we'll collect the cash and use it all for the construction of this statue. Of course, we are by no means scarce of your money, you see, surrounded by fragrant stews, both large and lamb and beef for halals; There is also the main food, which is a fragrant flatbread two fingers thick. We want you all to give up your hunger strike, eat happily, and then go back to your own homes. What I just said is just a last resort. Now, would you like to express your opinion on the handling of this cash? ”

He bowed his head and consulted the hunger strikers. Director Lu listened beside him, holding a handful of cold sweat in his palm. He knew that County Magistrate Ji was deliberately playing a harlequin and gags today, so as to spoil the "holy" atmosphere at the hunger strike scene. As for whether his strategy is effective, it will be known soon. At this time, Ji Renrui seemed to suddenly remember something, raised his head and said:

"Oh, by the way, a piece of news. ' One of the discoverers of Chuma's discovery, the astronomer surnamed Ma, was an old friend of my father. I spoke to him on the phone last night and listened to him say that an explanation has been given for the reason for the collapse of the space. The explanation itself is too difficult for the general public to understand, but Mr. Ma made a simple analogy - God, or God, accidentally threw a stone into this universe, and with a plop, the stone disappeared, causing a circle of ripples, and these ripples were the previously discovered star blue shift. But these disturbances are temporary and will soon return to calm. To use another vulgar analogy, this catastrophe is nothing more than a peeing shake when God pees, and when the pee is finished, the shaking dick will be fine! Mr. Ma said that the hypothesis will be announced soon after expert discussions. ”

These two superficial metaphors, although vulgar, are very vivid and reasonable. There was a glint of hope in the eyes of many people. They had already made up their minds to die before they came, but—if that catastrophe was just a shiver of God? What the county magistrate said may be a lie, but at least it should be verified, after all, life and death are not trivial, and if you die, it will be over, and there is no way to restart the game. A middle-aged man in the crowd raised his head and beckoned to Ji Renrui, who immediately went over and handed the megaphone to the man. The man said angrily:

"It's not unusual for me to put my name on a pedestal, and I don't want to contribute to your tourism industry." He took out a hundred-dollar bill and threw it on the ground, "Lao Tzu is not dead, and he must change to a clean place without the smell of copper when he dies!" Here's the money, bring your stew and flatbread! ”

Ji Renrui didn't think it was wrong, but still laughed: "You, a distinguished guest, also look down on the master!" The stew and patty are free, so it's served to you. But sir, you take it easy, drink some soup first, people who have been hungry for a long time can't eat it violently. He shouted into the distance, "This gentleman has given up his hunger strike, and give him a bowl of broth and a piece of flatbread!" ”

Immediately, someone came over with a soup bowl and shouted all the way: "Here it is, here it is, here are the fragrant broth and flatbread!" ”

Ji asked loudly, "Who else wants?" ”

A young man raised his head, "Lao Tzu is not dead here, bring me a bowl!" ”

Others shouted for broth and flatbread to be delivered. But after that, no one wanted it anymore, and Lao Lu's heart couldn't help but sink - these two people were actually his subordinates, and they had mixed into the hunger strike in advance according to the plan of County Magistrate Ji, and had been on a hunger strike with them for five days. At that time, police officers with good Mandarin were specially selected to avoid bringing out local accents. But looking at the current situation, maybe these two fake sheep can't lead this group of stubborn real sheep? Ji Renrui, who was standing in the crowd, looked around and suddenly said:

"Quick, that lady wants broth too, it's the lady with the child!"

The staff rushed to deliver the broth and flatbread. The lady in her thirties didn't really say anything, but when the broth was delivered, she only hesitated for a moment, looked at the weak and eager eyes of the child in her arms, reached out to take it, and began to feed the child. Ji Renrui pointed continuously, "That gentleman in a suit!" That beautiful lady in a green dress! That little couple who are a perfect match! Forget it, forget it, you can't count it, you can put the broth and send it together. ”

He repeated them again in English. Bowls of broth and chunks of flatbread were delivered to the crowd, and a few people insisted on not taking it, but the vast majority of them took it. Ji Renrui, who was in the center of the crowd, fell to the ground in his heart at this time, knowing that the aura of the group had been punctured, even if there were still a few stubborn people, he could always think of a way to solve it. Director Lu, who was outside the circle, was so impressed that he threw himself to the ground. Just now, thanks to the county magistrate Ji's urgency, he was able to turn the situation around in one fell swoop, and the county magistrate's urgency was not reckless, it was based on his thorough understanding of human nature - if the broth was firmly rejected by the first lady when it was delivered to the first lady, and the bowl fell to the ground in a fit of rage, then, in such a highly sensitive situation, the situation could have developed in the opposite direction, and it would be out of control. But County Magistrate Ji was thoroughly fazed and the mother with the child would not refuse.

Most of the hunger strikers slowly drank the broth and chewed the dough in small bites. They were all silent, did not make eye contact with each other, perhaps ashamed of their "mutiny". Half an hour later, the hunger strikers who had eaten and drunk began to quietly leave. There were hundreds of foreigners in the crowd, and most of them also went with the flow, eating and drinking silently before leaving. Ji Renrui knew that the overall situation had been decided, so he left the crowd and came out, and the smile on his face had been swept away at this time. Director Lu avoided the gaze of others and quietly extended his thumb to him. Ji Renrui smiled indifferently and whispered:

"There were about twenty or thirty people who still refused to eat, and when the crowd left, they were dispersed, and they were persuaded alone, and if it really didn't work, they were taken to the hospital for glucose."

"Okay, I guess I can persuade you."

"Intercept all foreigners, find a way to make up the exit procedures for them, and then send them out of the country as soon as possible. Guest away host Ann. ”

"Okay."

"Your two subordinates have suffered, thank them for me, and take care of them."

"I don't want you to tell me." He smiled and asked in a low voice, "County magistrate, is there really that hypothesis that God pees and trembles?" ”

County Magistrate Ji shook his head, "It's a pity that I'm singing about the empty city plan." I've got to go, and I'll take care of the aftermath here. ”

"Okay. It's just- that statue really wants to be neat? Lao Lu pointed to the workers in the crowd who began to work.

"That's right, it's really going to be rectified. I didn't go to the county committee to study this matter collectively, it was purely a personal act. The sculptor is a friend of mine, and he has brought a dozen students to work on his graduation project. The land requisition fee and the material fee are my sponsorship - of course, it is only enough to build a statuette, and it is definitely not enough to catch up with the Emei Golden Buddha. He smiled, "What I just said about tourism is not nonsense, as long as the society does not collapse immediately, this statue should revitalize the tourism industry in Qi County." I'm leaving. ”

He looked around the scene of the hunger strike that was being dealt with in the aftermath. He should be glad that his plan had succeeded today, but he was in a state of great interest at the moment. After a long time, he sighed for no reason and left.

Ji Renrui came home very late, and his wife Miao Qi immediately greeted him, took the briefcase, handed over the slippers, and said with a smile: "The great hero is back?" Lao Lu called me and admired you so much, saying that you had a lupine scarf, and the tree was in ashes when talking and laughing. He also said that if he can keep the black yarn this time, it is all your credit, and he will not thank you. ”

Ji Renrui smiled, didn't speak, went to the bathroom to wash his hands, and went to the bedroom to look at his sleeping five-year-old son, and asked, "Did Changchang make trouble in the kindergarten today?" Miao said that there was no today. Changchang is a naughty child with a number in the kindergarten, and the aunts have a headache, but Ji Renrui has never cared too much. He often told his wife not to control the child's nature too much, and a child who is a little wild will only grow up to be promising. He kissed Changchang, who was asleep, and sat down at the dinner table. The wife set the meal and said:

"I made a crab that you like to eat tonight, treat you. Hey, Lao Lu also mentioned the statue, and asked me to persuade you very seriously. Although you didn't ask the county to pay for it, this is a sensitive time, and many people in society are angry. If you get a statue at this time to revitalize some kind of tourism, it may arouse the disgust of public opinion, saying that you are in the eye of money and it is difficult for the country to make money, and it will not end well. Lao Lu later said that he was emotional, he said that he knew that County Magistrate Ji was not a mortal, and sooner or later he would become a Chan, so don't be stumbling because of a trivial matter. She peeled the crab meat and put it in front of her husband, and said softly, "Ren Rui, I think Lao Lu is sincere, and his consideration is reasonable." ”

Ji Renrui ate the crab meat and said slowly: "Don't worry, I have considered this matter holistically." But it's too early to get to the bottom of it, so let's wait until the statue is completed. Don't worry, I won't hide it from you. ”

Since then, he has put the topic aside. According to the tacit understanding of the husband and wife, as long as her husband doesn't say it, Miao Ji will not ask again, but she can't get rid of the hidden worries in her heart, because listening to her husband's tone, it seems that he will soon make a more important decision. Miao Ji is not like other officials, she is not greedy for money, she is not good at luxury, she is introverted, and she is low-key. The only thing she cares about, and it can be said that the only purpose of her life, is to help her husband develop in his career. Her husband has such a talent and such an ambition, which she recognized before choosing a husband. Usually she is cautious in her words, never making irresponsible remarks in front of other officials, but always up her ears to listen to some slight movements in the political circles. She thinks that Lao Lu's dissuasion is not unreasonable, so what kind of "overall consideration" does her husband have?

In the months that followed, Ji Renrui made the completion of the statue his first priority. He held a meeting to coordinate land acquisition, discussed the design concept of the statue with Ji Dake, a sculptor from Beijing, organized the construction, and went to the site to inspect the progress of the statue. The other leaders in the county were more confused, because according to the style of the county magistrate, he would never be so arbitrary, even if it was a private act, at least he had to say hello to his colleagues, but since Ji didn't say anything, they politely kept silent. Four months later, the statue was completed at an astonishing pace. Its overall composition is rather bizarre and unconventional. A large hemispherical marble base, all black, resembling a black night sky. The outer surface is engraved with a bas-relief technique of the star map of the northern hemisphere, in which the stars are inlaid with white quartz stones, and according to the ancient Chinese 28 houses, the corresponding lines of each constellation are inlaid with wire, and the name of the constellation is engraved. There is an irregular notch in the upper part of the semicircle, at which a man is exposed, nude, with the hair of the ancients on the top of his head. His expression was melancholy, his eyes were desolate, his head was tilted back, his hands were raised flat, and his palms were facing the sky, as if he were asking the heavens, and as if he was (very immeasurably) holding the heavens with his hands. He was thin and his ribs protruding, not at all like the toning of Greek sculptures. The height of the statue is the same as that of a real person, and the scale is too small when embedded in the huge pedestal, which subverts the proportions of the ordinary statue and the base. Such a design highlights the smallness and fragility of the person, which, combined with the dark background of the pedestal, creates a heavy sense of depression for the viewer. However, the starry sky that the statue was supposed to look up at was at his feet, which made him look tall.

Ji Renrui presided over a low-key, unofficial ribbon-cutting ceremony, and he was the only one in the county to attend. He didn't invite anyone. At the end of the ceremony, everyone dispersed, including Ji Dake's students, who also flocked to the KTV to relax, leaving only two old friends standing in front of the statues, staring at the results of their four months for a long time. The statue contains gloom, desolation and confusion, and it is the manifestation of the sculptor's mentality. When the sky darkened, Ji Renrui pulled Ji Dake, drove to a familiar high-end restaurant "Shui Fang", and said to the boss:

"Boss Qu, you don't have to order food, let's go to the highest-end one. Mr. Ji has been volunteering for Qi County for four months, and I want to treat him well today. Oh, by the way, don't serve shark fin or fat cabbage, Mr. Ji is a thorough environmentalist. ”

Ji Dake said in a muffled voice: "No, even if there is anything, I will be completely depraved today." What's the point of talking about environmental protection now? ”

"Okay, as the guests wish. Boss Qu, the menu is up to you. There's no service here, we'd like to talk about it alone. ”

The boss led the waitress to respectfully exit the room, served a few delicate cold dishes first, and opened a bottle of Moutai. Ji Renrui raised his glass:

"Dake, I won't say thank you, everything is in the cup, dry."

Ji Dake clinked glasses with him and drank them all. "Renrui, I should actually thank you. You have provided me with the opportunity to leave behind a legacy before the sky falls, though it will not escape destruction. Anyway, at least let me have a psychological catharsis. ”

"It's still too early to talk about the destruction of the earth, come on, have another drink."

After three rounds of drinking, Ji Dake said: "Ren Rui, I heard that before I came to Qi County, you had just resolved a collective suicide. ”

Ji Renrui smiled, "That's right, the means are not very bright, half-deceived and half-deceived, anti-intermittent scheme, empty city scheme." Although I didn't use a beauty meter, I used a beauty meat meter. ”

"That's nothing, you can use non-noble means for noble purposes, this is what you have always advocated, and I agree with it."

"Thank you. I was forced to be helpless at the time, you haven't been to the scene, I don't know how decisive the aura of bent on death is. ”

"In fact, from a world perspective, Chinese are more solid by nature, more resistant to beating, and more importantly, there is a group of old parents on it who are taking care of and supporting hard, so the situation is much better." You see, abroad, there have been at least twenty cases of collective suicide! A few small countries in Northern Europe, that is, those where the people are accustomed to eating high welfare, have collapsed as a whole! Will humanity's Noah's Ark really be destroyed by this damn collapse? Everything and everything: the material and spiritual temples built by mankind brick by brick, the delicate children and girls like flowers, the exquisite verses, the heavenly music, the beautiful scenery, the fine wine and food, the love and affection, the ideals and aspirations, and so on, will disappear? These days, I really regret that I am not a believer in a certain religion, and if so, at least I know who is responsible, and I can still curse the Lord of the universe with the most vicious words, and let out the depression in my chest. It's a pity that I believe in science, the cold and unforgiving laws of physics. Science has given us a way to predict tomorrow's catastrophe, but it has not been able to provide a way to save the universe. What do you think is the use of such science? It's better to die in ignorance! Ren Rui, tell me, what is the meaning of life? Is it to come all the way through thorns, to open wisdom with difficulty, just to be able to see the final destruction clearly? ”

Ji Renrui patted him on the shoulder, poured wine, and said with a smile: "You should have seen the interview with Chu Ma and the two by that Yule Water reporter, right?" ”

"Of course."

"I suggest you read it again. In the article, Mr. Ma persuaded the terminally ill patient Chu Tianle, which is very philosophical: although life is inevitable to die, we must live happily, happily, and tastefully, and go to the world in vain. This is a very simple vernacular, but it actually encompasses all the true meaning of human philosophy, religion and science. There is life and death, and survival is not to escape the ultimate death, nor can it be escaped. The meaning of survival lies in survival itself. I believe in Mr. Ma's words, even if the sky falls tomorrow, I still have to live today. ”

Ji Dake smiled bitterly: "Actually, I'm the same." Catharsis is catharsis, and you still have to live. ”

The two drank a few more rounds and chatted some gossip, and Ji Dake asked: "Give me the truth today, why are you so concerned about this statue?" You're certainly not traveling for some bullshit. ”

"You're wrong, I really want to use it to drive tourism in the county, and this is my farewell gift to Qi County."

"Farewell? Ascending again? ”

"No, I want to hang the crown and seal, and from now on."

"Retreat? You? Ji Dake shook his head, "Don't be kidding, not to mention that you yourself have always been ambitious and ambitious to the temple, at least you can't pass the pass of your sister-in-law." She is determined to use her body as a ladder to help you jump over the dragon gate. I think her minimum wish is the wife of the Deputy Prime Minister. ”

Ji Renrui had five points of alcohol at this time, and said through the wine: "Da Ke, you and I are friends who have been friends, I won't hide it from you, but these words are up to you now." I'm not kidding, I do want to resign and enter the world, but not from birth, but deeper into the world. There is no precedent for the catastrophe facing mankind, the old social system has lost its momentum, and it is only operating by inertia, but it will stop soon, it is better to jump out as soon as possible. He poured a glass of wine for the guest, and suddenly asked, "Do you know Chen Gong?" Characters in the Three Kingdoms. ”

"Chen Gong who captured and released Cao?"

"Yes. He was the commander of Zhongmu County at that time, and he was a seven-rank official like me. He smiled and said, "Zhongmu is very close to Qi County, and it also belongs to Kaifeng Mansion, so if you are far away, he and I can be regarded as colleagues before and after." This public is resourceful, and it is even more rare to have a sober vision, knowing that the world is about to be in chaos at that time, and it is the time for heroes to make meritorious contributions, so he categorically gave up his career and ran away with the wanted criminal Cao Cao. It's a pity that he soon discovered that Cao Cao was not the master in his mind. ”

"You've found the Master?"

Ji Renrui laughed loudly, "Dake, you're too old-fashioned, that's just an analogy." Now there is no master, I am my own master. He added, "I'm not worried about Miao Qi's level, I guess she weighs the pros and cons and will approve of my big move." ”

Ji Dake raised his glass, "I admire your ambition and determination, come, I toast you and wish you success - no, this is not accurate." Even if you are very intelligent, you will not have the power to return to heaven in such an astronomical catastrophe. However, on the way to the destruction of civilization, let your intellect shine once more. ”

That night, Miao Qi put her five-year-old son Changchang to sleep, leaned on the back of the bed and waited for her husband, until midnight, calling her mobile phone, and the other party always turned off the phone. Miao Qi began to feel anxious, although her husband is not close to women, but in today's society, if you can't grasp it a little, you will fall. But she didn't call the driver or the county office, because making such a call might affect her husband's reputation, and she has always been very cautious about such things. After midnight, she heard footsteps, she hurriedly opened the door, and her husband and Boss Qu from the water side were at the door. Boss Qu smiled and said, "The county magistrate rewarded the sculptor, the two of them drank a little high, and I sent him back." ”

Miao Qi thanked Boss Qu, but the boss didn't enter the house and left. She helped her husband into the bedroom, undressed and took off his shoes for him, and complained: "When old friends meet, they can't be without moderation, besides, why don't you call me when you drink with Dake?" I'm also familiar with Da Ke, and I'll take Changchang with me. ”

"It's not suitable for you to go, today is to talk about some men."

"Hmph, men's topic, what a tactful synonym."

The husband said: "Don't spend the belly of a gentleman with your villain's heart, our conversation today is not 'sexual' at all." But—I'd like to 'sex' with you for once. ”

Miao Qi snorted: "Just your drunk cat and Yu Yong?" Come on, I'll hold you up tonight. She beckoned her husband to take a shower, went to the cottage to check on her son, and the two went to bed and had a long time together. Afterwards, she praised her husband, underestimating you, drunk is drunk, tonight is very brave. The husband was weary and did not answer. Miao Ji didn't sleep, and kept quietly looking at her husband in the crook of his arm. Based on her instincts, with her grasp of her husband's psychological pulse, she estimated that he would lift the lid on that "overall consideration" tonight. Sure enough, after a while, the husband opened his eyes, and although he was still drunk, his eyes were very sober. Her husband took her into his arms and calmly said his important decision, while Miao Ji's brows became tighter and tighter. Finally the husband said:

"If you agree, I'll be handing in my resignation in the next few days."

Miao Ji shook his head, "It's too risky. Ren Rui, I understand your considerations, but the risk is too great. You are now walking on a familiar path, and although it is a bumpy and precipitous mountain road, if you climb it with perseverance and avoid falling under the cliff - you can avoid it with your ingenuity - you can certainly climb to considerable heights. But your new path doesn't have a road at all, and it's not clear whether it's a desert, a cliff, or a swamp that can sink into the top. Ren Rui, I advise you to be cautious. ”

"Miao Qi, the road I'm walking on is indeed familiar, but the mountain itself is about to collapse."

"I know that although the universe is terminally ill, it is still far from reality. It will affect human life in 200 years, and it will be even more than 1,000 years before the end of the earth. Until then, we'll have to live. She saw a smile on her husband's lips, "What are you laughing at?" ”

"It's nothing, I laugh at you and Chu Ma's words coincide, they also said that even if you know that you will die tomorrow, you have to live today. It's just that you and theirs don't live in the same way, they live for the sake of living, and you live for the pursuit of something other than living. He looked at the roof, was silent for a moment, and then said, "Miao Qi, although this world is still functioning normally for the time being, my mentality has changed, and I can no longer perform on the old stage. However, this matter cannot be explained at once, and I am tired tonight, so I will talk about it later. ”

He turned around and quickly fell asleep. Miao Ji kept his eyes open until dawn, and his heart turned over the river and the sea. She disagreed with her husband's sudden turn in life, but she also knew that it was difficult to persuade her husband to decide what he decided, and her husband's last few words were very right, struggling in officialdom requires an invisible "heart" at all times, and now that her husband's heart has been discharged, it is difficult to continue to stay here. Although the new road is dangerous, the achievements are directly proportional to the risks. Her husband dared to resolutely abandon the old road he was already familiar with and choose a new dangerous road, she was impressed by such courage, and such a heart could not be discharged. In the morning she woke up her husband and said:

"It's time to get up. Ren Rui, I thought about it all night and agreed with your decision. ”

The husband looked at her strangely, "Changed your mind so quickly?" I expected you to agree eventually, but it was estimated that it would take a few days to convince you. ”

Miao Ji said briefly: "I know that I can't persuade you, so let's gamble once." ”

On the same day, Ji Renrui saw off Ji Dake and his students, and spent a few more days dealing with some of the aftermath, including the implementation of compensation for the land acquisition of the statue, and the introduction of some good projects for those companies that have sponsored the statue. Five days later, in the evening, he still held a banquet at the "Water Fang" restaurant, and invited the main leaders of the four major families in the county (the county party committee, the county government, the people's congress, and the CPPCC), and invited an additional public security chief, Lao Lu. At the banquet he said, "I'm going to leave here." After years of hard work in the officialdom, 'relying on this square inch, now every inch has been messed up, what is the benefit of staying?' This is a quote from what Xu Shu said when he said goodbye to Liu Bei, "As for my wife and children, I don't want them to follow me to the rivers and lakes, so I want them to stay here for the time being, and I hope you will take care of them." The colleagues were surprised, and they all estimated that the parachuted county magistrate must have gone to the clouds, and there was another major promotion, probably some kind of secret position. According to the tacit understanding of officialdom, the parties do not know what to say, and others will not ask, so everyone is playing haha and wishing him a prosperous journey. Ji Renrui smiled without explanation. Chairman Guo of the CPPCC was the most familiar with him, and said with a grim smile: "As for Madame, Ling Lang, you can rest assured, I will go to greet my younger brothers and sisters every day in the future, as long as you are at ease outside." Ji Renrui said: "Then I thank you in advance, you can go twice a day, I am absolutely relieved." He specially said to Lao Lu: "Our two families live closely, so the mother and son will entrust it to you." Lao Lu said simply: "Just rest assured." The guests and hosts parted happily.

The next day, he put a letter of resignation on his desk, went home and kissed his wife and son goodbye, and drifted away.

2

Qi County is very close to Baotianman, and the Ma family received this guest surnamed Ji at noon that day. He claimed to be an admirer of Chuma and made a special trip to visit. The guest made some requests very often: he wanted to stay here for a night or two, and he wanted to ask the host to take him around the mountains. The Ma family readily agreed with the hospitality of the mountain people, and arranged for the guests to have lunch first.

At the dinner table, Ji Renrui said, "I want to ask, Mrs. Ma ......" he smiled and shook his head, "I'm not used to being so Zhou Wu Zheng Wang, obviously raw." I'll call me Auntie. Auntie, I estimate that your due date is approaching, how will you go down the mountain then? It's not a good part of the trail. ”

Tianle's mother said indifferently: "It's okay, how did women give birth to children before there was no hospital in the world?" Haven't all the ancestors come here? Besides, it's not the first child. ”

"That's what I said, but you're an elderly mother, it's better to be careful, it's better to go to the hospital to give birth."

Ma Shiqi said: "Xiao Ji, you don't have to worry, He Guoji He Lao recently allocated us a helicopter as a special plane, which can be called at any time." ”

"Really? That's good, then I'm relieved. Have you used this helicopter since it was given to you? ”

"Not yet, we don't need it easily."

"Then use it once! Let it come in the afternoon, let's take a look at the whole picture of Bao Tianman from the air, okay? ”

The whole family was stunned for a moment, exchanging glances with each other. This requirement is also ...... You're welcome. They are accustomed to living a non-begging life in the mountains, and they easily do not want to trouble people, even if this helicopter is specially allocated to them. However, Chu Tianle thought about it and said briskly:

"Okay. Let the helicopter come once, one to accompany the guests around, and the other to arrange the future to send my mother to the hospital, all as a rehearsal. ”

Yu Leshui called Xiao Zhu, and the helicopter came after the meal. The whole family sat on it and asked Xiao Zhu to pull the helicopter up and overlook the panoramic view of Baotianman from the air. Tianle's mother took a plane for the first time and exclaimed: "Looking at the ground from the sky, the scenery is really different." "The cliffs in this area, such as the Jade Emperor Peak, the Horn Tip, the Laojun Mountain, and the Fossil Tip, are all as steep as a knife and axe. But from the air, the steep places are all hidden, and only the gentle summit remains. The mountain stretches all the way to the southeast, with occasional breaks. Such a gentle hilltop is the unique landscape of Bao Tianman. As far as the eye can see, there are lush mountains and forests, and even the sun is dyed green. Thin white lines drill out of the rocks, twists and turns, disappearing and appearing, and finally merge into a white ribbon and flow to the southeast. Ji Renrui applauded loudly, saying that the smoke lock fog cover here, the vitality is cohesive, the dragon veins are continuous, and there is the spirit of a king. The driver, Xiao Zhu, looked back at him with a smile, and the meaning was obvious - where did such a young and dashing feng shui gentleman come from.

After half an hour, the helicopter sent them back to where they came, and the two sides made arrangements for the future delivery of the mothers, and then the helicopter flew away. They helped the two disabled people back to the house, and Ji Ren was still determined and said:

"Rest for a few of you, I'd like to ask Xiaoyu to take me around the mountains and see some of the places mentioned in her famous interview."

Yu Leshui readily agreed. She spent an afternoon leading the guests to visit the mountain scenery, saw the small stone pools strung by the mountain springs, saw the willow leaf fish in the pool, saw the ancient trees growing on the cliff, and led him to see the crematorium on the cliff when she returned. The guest stopped here, silently stroked the tic-tac-toe-shaped stack of firewood, stared at the barren grass and ancient trees under the cliff for a long time, and sighed:

"Since ancient times, no one has died. Xiao Chu will be buried in this pure place in the future, which can be regarded as a blessing. ”

Yu Leshui looked at him with a smile and did not answer.

"Xiaoyu, maybe you guessed my intention of asking you out alone?"

Yu Leshui smiled and shook his head, "I only guessed what you were going to say to me." She added, "My husband and my father-in-law and I can see that you are not your average visitor. You ......," she said, considering her words, "extraordinary bearing." ”

Ji Renrui smiled, "Thank you for the compliment." In fact, this sentence should be applied to you, your whole family's bearing is very ordinary, but it is very extraordinary, this ordinary extraordinary is the real extraordinary, the highest state of extraordinary. ”

Yu Leshui smiled, "You read me a tongue twister." Still, thank you for the compliment. ”

He said his true identity: "Xiaoyu, I am Ji Renrui, the magistrate of Yuanqi County. ”

Yu Leshui thought for a while, "Did you quell a mass suicide of 10,000 people, and then build a statue of 'worrying about the sky'?" I've read about it online. ”

"Yes, it's me. But that can be said to be a matter of the previous life, this morning I have hung the crown seal and put on my hair into the mountain. He smiled and said, "I went into the mountain to find you, to talk about a big thing." But I think it's best to talk to you thoroughly before talking to Chu Ma. Xiaoyu, I can see your influence on the two of them. ”

Yu Leshui smiled: "Really? I don't think I have any influence, but they are the ones who influence me. ”

"You're right, but I'm also right. Xiaoyu, let's find a place to sit for a while, this conversation is relatively long. ”

"Okay, I'll hear you."

They found a place to sit and began this calm conversation, which was later called the "crematorium talk" by historians. It actually laid the course for human civilization in the decades that followed, opening up an extremely glorious era known as the "helium flash". Faced with a desperate situation, human beings burst out with thousands of times more energy like "helium flash", and achieved thousands of years of scientific and technological progress in a few decades, although these efforts had no practical impact on the catastrophe itself, but the "helium flash era" is still written in gold in human history. Of course, it was not Ji Renrui who created such a situation with the power of one person, such a situation would come sooner or later, he just pulled the trigger in advance.

"Little fish, this catastrophe has created a situation that humanity has never faced before. Science has given us the foreknowledge of this catastrophe, but it has not given us a way to survive. Mankind still has two or three hundred years to go, which is too short a period of time to make enough breakthroughs in science and technology; This time is too long for humanity to go mad with despair in the midst of the looming catastrophe that is approaching day by day. Xiaoyu, I personally dealt with the 10,000-person suicide incident, and I know how terrible it is for people to despair. Can you imagine it? Mother kills herself with her baby! The madness born of despair has counteracted the most powerful maternal nature of mankind. Moreover, the actions of those who committed suicide in Qixian County are still within the framework of the law, what if the desperation of the people turns into violence? Let me give an estimate, if the 'Chuma discovery' is not denied by new evidence, and there is no way to find a way to survive, then human society will stop in five years, collapse in ten years, and destroy in fifty years. ”

Yu Leshui nodded with a heavy heart.

"But it's both sides of the story. The art of war is cloudy, and it is born after death. Humanity has already been condemned to death, and this extreme situation may translate into enormous energy that will lead to an order of magnitude explosion in science and technology in a few decades and hundreds of years, leaving humanity in the brink of extinction. ”

This time, Yu Leshui looked at each other and did not nod. These words were exactly what Tianle said at that meeting, but this possibility—she felt that there was little hope. Science can help humans change part of nature, but not the universe. An astronomical catastrophe like this one, which is at least a few tens of light-years away, stands on the current scientific platform, and there is no way to see any possible technological breakthrough that can be changed. This was the unanimous view of the scientists at the meeting of the Old Frontier Ridge. Ji Renrui understood her thoughts, and then said:

"Even if the result of the struggle is still failure, at least the high-pressure steam in human society can be drawn out in a controllable state, and it can be sprayed on the turbine blades, so that the boiler body will not explode due to the accumulation of high pressure! In my opinion, it is worth doing all the effort for this result alone, so that human beings can at least die with dignity. ”

Yu Leshui still didn't nod. To put it another way, this passage is to deceive people with false hopes, so that they can numb their nerves in toil, and spend their lives in fruitless endeavors. According to her own wishes, she did not want to do this, if it was true that humans could not escape, she would rather spend her days in this mountain forest and die quietly. Ji Renrui looked at her, obviously understanding her psychology, and then said:

"Maybe some people would rather die quietly, and that's okay as an individual will. But this is not the case for human beings as a group, and all biological species will explode into a strong collective will to survive at the moment when the race is on the verge of extinction, and it will be transformed into a fanatical group survival effort - but it can also be transformed into madness and violence, after all, the cataclysm is too steep. "As a sober human being, it is our duty to direct the excitement of the crowd to 'life,' rather than allowing it to slide into 'death.'" ”

After thinking about it, Yu Leshui nodded deeply. Ji divides the problem into two levels, "group" and "individual", which is very fresh and powerful, and her own "individual will" cannot resist the "group will". "You're right, you convinced me. Humans should do that. But why are you here? You should go to ** or the United Nations, which should certainly be an act of state, or even of humanity as a whole. ”

Ji Renrui shook his head, "No, this is a completely new situation, it requires almost crazy effort, and the old authority can't adapt and can't afford it. You don't necessarily believe what I say, so let me give you an analogy. Now suppose there is some kind of idea that can allow humanity to escape the catastrophe, and hundreds of billions of dollars must be thrown into it to achieve a technological breakthrough, but it has only a 1 percent chance of success. Suppose you are ****, would you take the risk of making a decision? ”

Yu Leshui thought about it and had to admit: "No." If such a risk is taken, then the politician is too irresponsible. ”

"You're right. But in the new situation, things are the opposite: only those who dare to take such risks are responsible for humanity! Otherwise, you will be a rich man who sits on billions of dollars and starves to death. But old-style politicians have become accustomed to being 'responsible' and 'steady', and it is difficult to turn the corner. Moreover, the 'state' is an extremely large machine, and even if it loses momentum, it can continue to operate for a long time due to inertia, which will obscure the urgency of the situation, but if the machine does come to a standstill, when the politicians really realize the danger of the situation, it will be very difficult to get the machine running again, and it can be said that it is no longer possible. In addition, there will be a lot of difficult decisions for future leaders, and the scientific literacy and intuition of decision-makers will become very important. In that case, it is better to leave decision-making power directly to wise scientists. ”

"What do you say?"

"I want to do this: one of the great features of modern society is that private individuals have enormous wealth, the total amount of which is comparable to that of the state. I think the best way to do this is to use a civil society organization to pool this wealth and organize a battle against new technologies. The boat is small and turns around quickly, and civil society organizations can do this very efficiently. If you want to use an analogy, then this civil society organization is like a field army during the War of Liberation, and today's state institutions will play the role of the local ** at that time. The former can travel lightly and gallop vertically and horizontally; The latter was only responsible for maintaining law and order, organizing the work of supporting the front, and relieving the worries of the field army. ”

"To develop such a new technology, the investment required should be astronomical, perhaps hundreds of billions of ......."

"No, your estimate is still too conservative, the investment may be trillions, it should be the majority of human wealth."

Yu Leshui pondered for a long time and said, "I have to think about it." Your vision is so grandiose and brilliant that my eyes are dazzled for a while. I'll have to get my eyes used to it for a while. But why are you ......"

"Why did you come to the mountains? For you have inadvertently taken the position of 'Heavenly Pivot' or 'Heavenly Power', occupying the moral high ground of human society, even though you yourself are not aware of it. You see, Uncle Ma is disabled, and Xiao Chu is a terminally ill patient, but the two disabled people have made a great 'Chu Ma discovery'; they despise death and live tenacity, which is a huge spiritual strength for the people; and your mother-in-law, Ren Dongmei, as you said in the interview, is the best mother in the world, burning a lifetime of love for her terminally ill son, and giving birth to a child for the man she loves, regardless of her reputation, it can be said that she is an excellent symbol of motherhood; in fact, you are the most appealing among the four of you. ”

"Me?"

"Yes, you are the embodiment of truth, goodness and beauty, a symbol of the spirit of sacrifice. You are beautiful, cheerful and have a strong affinity for the people. You voluntarily stayed in the mountains to accompany a terminally ill patient whose time was short, and treated death with a contemplative attitude, completely ignoring worldly mediocrities such as money and future. And you do it purely in response to the call of your heart. Inside, you see your actions as very ordinary, don't you? ”

Yu Leshui smiled and said: "It's very ordinary, what kind of sacrifice is I, but it's extremely selfish to say - at this moment of great calamity, I only care about finding inner peace and personal happiness." ”

Ji Renrui looked at her deeply, "There is an old saying that a girl who doesn't realize her beauty is really beautiful. Today I can say that the fish and water that are not aware of their own nobility are truly noble. Think about it, if people and entrepreneurs donate money to a foursome like you, will they be very relieved? ”

Yu Leshui happily admitted: "That's right." The four of us are capable of doing something and don't say anything, but we will never take a penny of the donation. ”

"So—take up the responsibility that history has given you. I'll convince you first, and then we'll convince the three together, and then, set up a foundation first......"

"The Foundation? We just had one called the 'Friends of Joy Foundation' – we both have the word 'Le' in our names. It was the fundraising called for by the editor-in-chief of Beijing Youth Daily, the original purpose was to treat Tianle, but I didn't expect the amount raised to be too large, hundreds of millions, we couldn't keep so much money for ourselves, so we set up a foundation to prepare for public welfare. ”

"Oh - I know about fundraising, and I'll tell you the truth, I donate money. But I didn't expect that much either, and I didn't know you already had a foundation. So, you're actually in front of me. He thought for a moment, "If this major event is decided, I will talk to Editor-in-Chief Ge about the Foundation in the future." ”

"What do you do next?"

"Once you have the money, you have to get to work right away. I think we should first set up a world academy of sciences, which will recruit talented scientists from all over the world, and then look for ways to get mankind out of this hell with the craziest ideas and the most fanatical rhythm. I am optimistic about the location of the Academy of Sciences, which is located at the Laojieling State Guest House not far from here, and then slowly radiates down the mountain. "Because, I think you'd better not leave here." It has become a sacred place in the hearts of people all over the world, and it is best to keep this sense of sacredness alive. Fortunately, with the advancement of science and technology, even if the place of residence is a little remote, it will not affect the efficiency of command. I had already learned about this hotel when I passed by, it has 1,500 beds, all communication facilities, and the hardware is roughly sufficient. Of course, all this is only if you agree with me. ”

Yu Leshui thought about it for a while, and said with a smile: "I've almost been convinced. In "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", it is said that Zhuge Liang knows the three parts of the world without going out of the mountain, and you have seen the flow of the river of civilization before you enter the mountain. ”

Ji Renrui smiled, stood up and pointed to the southeast direction, at this moment the sunset was behind him, painting the mountains and rivers in that direction with golden light. "You see, the remnants of Funiu Mountain go another hundred and ten miles in this direction, and it is Wollongong, where Zhuge Liang once lived in seclusion. I admire this ancient man very much, but I am quite disgusted with him hiding in Wollongong and waiting for Uncle Liu Huang to go and ask him to visit. The eldest husband was born in troubled times, and he should come forward and make contributions, just like Xu Shu or Chen Gong. Why twist and pinch, it's too unpleasant. So, I rushed to the door to recommend myself, haha. ”

The fish was moaning. This Mr. Ji's lobbying is very eloquent and incendiary, but she is not easy to promise. She knew that as long as she nodded, her life would change. This is different from her decision to marry Tianle not long ago, it was also a steep life transition, but at that time she was more in line with the call of her heart, a decision made for her by her subconscious motherhood, not a rational trade-off. Today, on the other hand, it is time to think soberly and decide whether to carry a cross on your shoulder. Once you carry it, there is no way back, followed by a lifelong climb...... After thinking for a long time, she sighed softly:

"It's just that my father-in-law and Tianle are going to suffer...... It's worth being tired, so it's meaningful to live, even if it's just a busy day in the end. She stretched out her right hand to Ji Renrui, "Come, shake hands, this is a hook, I promise to help you convince them." ”

The two shook hands tightly, and in the twilight, both pairs of eyes flashed with fire. After this long conversation, both of them felt that they had become old friends who knew each other very well. Yu Leshui suddenly said: "Ah, the sun is about to set, let's go back quickly, that couple must be waiting for us to go back before we eat." ”

The two walked briskly down the hill in the twilight.

After dinner, Yu Leshui told his family about Ji Renrui's true identity, and said with a smile: "This county magistrate Ji, who resigned from the official position, entered the mountain this time to say that he wanted to move a few of us out of the mountain. He's pretty much convinced of me, let him use his arguments against you again. ”

The four of them sat under the pergola in the courtyard, Ji Renrui calmly began to lobby, and Ma Shiqi and Chu Tianle listened very carefully. Tianle's mother packed up the dishes and chopsticks and came out, listening with a smile, she could understand what Mr. Ji said, but with her realm mind, she couldn't transform it into a figurative and magnificent historical picture, so she listened to it, but she didn't take his words too seriously. But Chuma and the others were different from her, their eyes became more and more focused, and bright flames danced in their eyes, illuminating the twilight in the mountains. After Ji Renrui finished speaking, the Ma family father and son exchanged glances, and Chu Tianle said without hesitation:

"You convinced us too. We do it. ”

Maskie groaned for a moment. Based on his life experience, he can see that this modern version of Chen Gong is by no means an idle person. Ji will definitely be able to make this matter bigger, and it is also likely that he will become the actual head of the "Friends of Joy" - Chu, Yu and even add themselves, which are completely incomparable to him in terms of political strategy. Then, the merits and sins of "Friends of Music" in the future will be closely related to Ji's personal character. As for Ji's personal character, it is impossible to understand it thoroughly after just one day of contact. But no matter what, Ji's proposal conforms to the trend of the times, and this kind of suggestion cannot be refused. So after he groaned, he also said:

"Let's do it."

Yu Leshui smiled, "Ah, so refreshing!" I'm still waiting to help Mr. Ji beat the side drum. ”

Tianle said: "Your attitude is the most effective side drum." Let's do it! It's just that...... I won't be with you for long, just two or three years. ”

His tone was very calm, but because of the sadness contained in this sentence, the hearts of those present were shocked. Yu Leshui was very alert and immediately smiled and said:

"You can walk together for as long as you want, that's for later. Maybe if you are so busy, Lord Yama will show mercy to your subordinates. Do you think, if this universe collapses, his Hades Hall will not be able to escape this catastrophe. He and we are grasshoppers on a rope, and I wish we succeeded. ”

Everyone laughed, and the moment of desolation was dissolved. Ji Renrui looked at the fish with appreciation. The young woman was radiant and a natural expression of her inner world, without any showmanship, and she was indeed very fit for the Foundation's flag. Ma Shiqi said:

"Let's go on, you must also have ideas about the basic structure of the 'Friends of Joy' organization."

"It's basically a triumph of powers, but it's not for mutual restraint, and with the situation facing humanity, it is impossible to enjoy such luxuries. We will build a three-front army, each with a different mission. The first front is the 'Friends of Music' Academy of Sciences, which is responsible for determining the direction of development of new technologies. The Academy of Sciences should have an executive committee composed of the brightest scientists. The number of people should not be too small, and too few will inevitably be one-sided; It can't be too much, too much will affect efficiency. I think nine people are better. Uncle Ma and Xiao Chu are both suitable candidates. ”

Ma Shiqi said: "Tianle is more suitable, it is enough for the two of us to occupy a position." Read on. ”

"The second front is the Friends of Joy Foundation, which is responsible for fundraising, fund management and other comprehensive matters, and its executive committee is also preferably nine people. I think Xiaoyu is a very suitable person, and she will be the Foundation's Chief Goodwill Ambassador. ”

Ma Shiqi said: "The Friends of Joy Foundation is currently in charge of the editor-in-chief Ge, and he is also a suitable person. What about the Third Front? ”

"It's the executive agency, let's name it 'Friends of Le' Engineering Institute, this name is relatively unassuming. The task of the Academy of Engineering is that no matter how crazy the decision of the Academy of Sciences is, the latter will make it a reality with frantic efforts. The Executive Committee is also set at nine members. He smiled and said, "I don't shy away from myself, I think I'm a more suitable candidate." ”

All three nodded, "That's right." You are the most suitable. ”

"If you all agree, I want to go to Beijing tomorrow and bring the Foundation and perhaps Editor-in-Chief Ge together. With this money, our business is about to officially start. ”

The three of them nodded one after another, "Okay, you can go." ”

Tianle's mother only heard some eyebrows at this time - these people are really going to do a big thing, and they are going to do it soon. She hesitated, "Are you going to leave here soon?" She hurriedly explained, "It's okay if you all leave, I can handle it alone." ”

The four of them laughed and said, "We don't plan to leave here, and even if we do, we won't leave you alone." Tianle's mother said: "Then you can continue to discuss, I can't interject next to me, I want to sleep first." She propped her hand on the back socket and walked slowly. The remaining four people kept their conversations low in order not to disturb the rest of the pregnant women. They talked all night, and it can be said that the general outline of the "era of scientific governance" was basically sketched out that night, and only the details were filled in later.

The next day, Ji Renrui, who had not slept all night, couldn't take care of resting, so he asked for a helicopter and set off for Nanyang Airport, from where he flew to Beijing. His lobbying trip went very smoothly, and that night, Editor-in-Chief Ge happily called Xiaoyu and said, "The lobbyist you sent is really a lotus-tongued, and I was easily moved." I have submitted my resignation to the board of directors of the newspaper, and I will rush to you tomorrow to serve as a soldier for my men from a few months ago. Look at it, it's really thirty days from the east of the river to the west of the river! ”

Yu Leshui smiled, "You are still my leader, and you are the actual head of the foundation." My only task is to poke a sign at the entrance of the Foundation, like a stewardess poster poked at the entrance of an airport, no brain, just a sweet smile. I've been practicing my toothy smile for the past two days. ”

"It's easy to say, it's easy to say. Hey, Xiaoyu, that Mr. Ji, that modern version of Chen Gong or Zhuge Kongming, what kind of person do you think? ”

Yu Leshui was alert, but he was still smiling on the surface: "It's just one day to get along, and I can't say that I know too deeply." You tell me? Since you ask like this, you must have your own opinion. ”

"I have a good impression of him, otherwise I wouldn't have been persuaded so easily. But—how to put it, let's use an analogy. I beg your pardon in advance, this analogy is a bit offending - if you and your husband Chu Tianle are trapped in a small boat, there is only enough food and fresh water for ten days, but it is also twenty days away from the nearest coast. Will you save food and water for Tianle to use alone? ”

"I think I will."

"But you have to consider that Tianle is a disabled person, and even with food and fresh water, he can't row the boat to the shore. So weigh it calmly, you should let Tianle leave things to you. Would you accept this plan? ”

Yu Leshui paused slightly, complaining: "You are really a perverted examiner, specifically asking these heart-piercing questions." Tell you what, I won't. In this case, I would divide the food equally with my husband, and then I would try my best to row. Who knows, maybe in ten days there will be boats passing by, maybe it will rain in ten days, maybe we will survive by fishing. Even if none of this happens, we will welcome death together after we have eaten our food. It's just a death, and it's not a big deal. ”

"But if Mr. Ji were in your role, he would never make such an emotionally stupid decision. No, my assessment is not to disparage Hime, but to be completely objective. If he is in the role of Tianle, he may be willing to leave the opportunity of life to you. So it's not selfish, it's just a sober choice made after a calm weighing, which completely excludes the emotional factor. ”

Yu Leshui pondered for a moment, "Maybe you're right about him." ”

"I'm not done yet, since you say I'm perverted, I'll be a little more perverted. Now, assuming that the food has run out and the coast has not yet arrived, Tianle has passed away first. At this point – you mentally prepare for it, my question is disgusting – eating a corpse can keep you going until you succeed. Will you? ”

After a pause, he said, "Forget it, I won't force you to answer, I don't think you will." However, if Mr. Ji were in your position, he would do so. Again, I don't mean to disparage him by saying this, and if he were in the position of the deceased, he might offer to donate his body for your consumption. So, it's not selfishness or cruelty, it's incomparable calmness. He was silent for a moment, "Frankly, this calmness makes me jealous—but then again, at this extraordinary moment, such an extremely calm person may be needed." ”

Yu Leshui paused for a while, and said with a smile: "Mr. Ge, you are worthy of being a leader, you speak logically and logically, you have analyzed both the positive and negative sides, what else can I say?" She changed her head, "Mr. Ge, come quickly, I'm looking forward to you." ”

Ji Renrui and Ge Qihong's entry into the mountain was delayed for a few days. A few days later, they went up the hill and brought three metal plaques with them: the Friends of Joy Academy of Sciences, the Friends of Joy Foundation (although the foundation has been established for a few months, it has not yet been officially listed), and the Friends of Joy Engineering Institute. It also brought more than a dozen people from the press, including Sohu, NetEase and Sina, and rarely, there are CCTV reporters, who will broadcast the whole listing ceremony live. As we all know, CCTV generally does not report on civil activities casually, but the current extraordinary situation, coupled with Ji Renrui's eloquence, finally prompted CCTV to make an exception.

Ji Renrui also said that he had bought all the old Jieling State Guest houses and used them as temporary headquarters for the two academies. In the afternoon, all the guests attended the opening ceremony, which was broadcast live to the world by the media. The ceremony was simple and warm. Ji Renrui served as the host of the ceremony, and Yu Leshui made a speech. She called on all walks of life to donate, invited first-class scientists and engineers from all over the world to work here, and called on all countries to work closely here. Her speech was passionate, objective and frank, and painted a clear, enthusiastic and not crazy outlook for the world, which touched the heartstrings of hundreds of millions of people. Of course, her sweet, clear and friendly smile also played a big role, achieving the same effect as the content of the speech.

Behind her are the first batch of people to join the salvation plan, and at this moment they can only be said to be a handful: Ma Shiqi with a prosthetic leg, Chu Tianle who is sick and crooked, Ji Renrui with a calm demeanor and extraordinary demeanor, and Mr. Ge who has a wide heart and a fat body and smiles like Maitreya Buddha. Tianle's mother, who has a big belly, is not a formal person, but she also stands between Chu Ma and Chu Ma with a smile.

In a unit in Beijing, the fishman called out to his wife, who was watering flowers on the balcony: "Come and see, our daughter!" ”

Zhang Jun hurriedly ran to the living room with the water sprinkler, "What's wrong with the water?" ”

"She is speaking at the opening ceremony of the first meeting of the 'Friends of Music' and the two houses. There are also our two in-laws on the stage, and our poor son-in-law. Hey, isn't that Mr. Ge from Shui'er Newspaper, why are you going there? ”

The husband and wife sat next to each other on the sofa and listened carefully to their daughter's speech. They were very touched and amazed that the daughter who was very smug and would never grow up in their eyes was reborn and was already a world-class figure. What they are doing is unprecedented in history, incomparably magnificent and difficult, although the ultimate success or failure is unpredictable, but their courage and realm alone are admirable. Zhang Jun sighed, "Shui'er is going to be busy now, and he will be busy for a lifetime." She sighed again, "Then be busy, it's best to be busy." No matter how desperate the situation is, as long as there is something to do, it will not be too painful. And, I really hope they are really busy with a result. ”

In another high-end apartment in Beijing, Mr. He and his grandson watched the news together, looking at it very seriously, and their eyes flashed with brilliance. After reading it, he said excitedly:

"They're already doing it! So fast! Grandpa, you told me to go to their place, when will I go? ”

"Yangyang, you're too anxious, what can you do now? It's just going to make a mess for others. Wait until you graduate from college. ”

"It's fine. I tried my best to jump a few levels. ”

Yang Yang turned around and went back to his study to read, and after returning from the "Friends of Music", he had been studying astrophysics, cosmology and other majors on his own, and he studied very hard. This kid used to be sensible, learned to be resilient, and could sit on his buttocks. Now that he has a clear purpose in life, it has made him more mature.

The phone rang in the living room, it was an international call, but it was fluent Mandarin:

"Hello Mr. He, I'm Abikal."

"Hello, Your Excellency, is it time to call Your Excellency the Secretary-General? I was about to call you to say hello. He Guoji said with a smile. Ahmad Abikar is a black Somali with black hair and thick lips, who studied at Peking University when he was young, and was an active social activist during his study abroad, and once invited 34-year-old He Guoji to give lectures at the college, such as "political games", "power and constraints", "Chinese ruling techniques in the past dynasties", "right and strange in political strategy", etc. To Ho's surprise, the lectures were so popular that Ho became a media star for a while, and even his subsequent rise through the ranks in politics was not unrelated. The two have known each other since then, and since then, Abikar has always been known as a teacher to He Guoji. Abikar quickly rose to prominence upon his return to Somalia as a shining political star, serving two terms as president and as a recognized strongman. It may also be that a relatively small poor country is easier to manage, and he has vividly interpreted the advantages of "enlightened authoritarianism" in Somalia, so that this country that has been plagued by wars, tribal conflicts and piracy for many years has quickly put on the right track, becoming the fastest developing country in the world in those years, and effectively avoiding common "development diseases", such as corruption, disparity between the rich and the poor, nepotism, etc. What's even more rare is that this strongman is not in love with stacks, and he left in a dashing manner after the expiration of his two presidential terms, leaving no political manipulation that could allow him to "return to the throne".

However, some people say that his "no love for stacks" is because he has set his sights on another big position. His departure coincided with a change in the Secretary-General of the United Nations, which, according to unwritten rule, should be held by an African. Due to his outstanding political performance, the 48-year-old Abikar is the most serious contender. But this is only a situation "above the water", and in fact, for some of the more subtle reasons, his chances of victory are not great: some major powers are afraid that his governing style is too strong, and they fear that he will bring uncontrollable factors to the United Nations; In some countries, for a deeper reason, his "authoritarian politics" does not conform to the universal values of the West. According to the "whispers" that He Guoji heard from his old friends in political circles in various countries, Abikar is almost certain to be out. But it was at this time that the "Chuma Discovery" was announced. There was a swift consensus within the United Nations that a new Secretary-General should be elected on the verge of catastrophe. As a result, Abikar was elected.

"What a joy, it's time to mourn, I was tied to the stake, and the people who pushed me to the stake also included you and Chu Ma." Abikar smiled and said, "Teacher He, have you seen the news of the establishment of the 'Friends of Music' and the two institutes?" ”

"Just saw."

"They're moving so fast. Among them, Ji Renrui is still my junior classmate. ”

"That's right, he is also from Peking University, so he should be lower than you...... 10th year. ”

"Mr. He, regarding this catastrophe, I know that you have presided over and participated in two important meetings in China. Before I take up my duties at the United Nations, I would like to receive a word of advice from you. Mr. He has seen people, and I have always admired him. ”

He Guoji pondered for a moment and said solemnly: "You are too polite, I'm afraid I can't give any valuable advice." This is a situation that humanity has never experienced before, and the old experience of the past has been invalidated. ”

The other party laughed, "Your words are the best advice - in extraordinary times, take extraordinary measures." Thank you and goodbye. I'll be ready to ask you for advice in the future. ”

The other party hung up the phone. He Guoji is sure that this strongman will definitely vigorously promote the salvation action after taking office. He pondered for a moment and decided to make a phone call. During the call, he gave a succinct account of the "Friends of Music" and what he knew about the background of the "Friends of Music". Finally said:

"According to my estimates, this civil society may be able to drum up a big name. I would like to make a presumptuous suggestion: it is advisable to send a liaison, officially, at the level of ambassador abroad, with some financial support. He said apologetically, "There is no precedent for this, so I really took the liberty of doing so." ”

He replied: "Okay, let's sum it up, thank you for your sense of responsibility." ”

Kang Buming had just finished watching the live TV broadcast of "Friends of Music" when he heard someone knocking on the door. It is two retired ladies from the same family home, one is Chen Sufang downstairs, and the other lives far away, not very familiar, her name seems to be Liu Heqin, she is a Christian, and she often enthusiastically persuades the residents to "believe in the Lord". As soon as the two guests entered the door, they saw the large and small travel bags piled up in the living room, and asked Lao Kang if he was going on a business trip, Kang Buming said: "It's Niu Niu who wants to leave, follow his mother to live at his grandmother's house in Tianjin for a few days, and I will send them on the plane after dinner." Chen Sufang teased Niu Niu:

"It's long overdue! I should also go to my grandmother's house for a few days, how can I stay at my grandmother's house? ”

Four-year-old Niu Niu said loudly: "No! This is my house, and my grandmother's house is a hotel! ”

The whole family laughed, and Kang Buming said with a smile: "This is what Grandma Niu Niu said, who knows that he remembered it." My little grandson is emotional, and he is really reluctant to leave at first glance. ”

Chen Sufang said: "If you have something at home, we won't delay, just ask a word." Kang Gong, did you ever go to Beijing for a 'sky falling' meeting? ”

"Yes, yes."

"Is the sky really going to collapse? I remember what I used to make in the end of the world in 2012, Fengqin talked to me every day, and I was so bewitched that I almost believed it. Later, thanks to consulting you, you said that it was pure nonsense, and it turned out that you were right. Feng Qin recently said the end of the world, I said let's go ask Kang Gong, and I will believe that a learned person like you is convinced. ”

Feng Qin's face was a little unbearable. Back then, she was indeed very anxious to propagate everywhere: the end of the world is really coming, and only the Lord can save your soul. This propaganda continued until the evening of December 21 of that year, the legendary end of the world. The next day, many people asked her with a smile, why didn't the end come? It embarrassed her. Kang Buming is busy playing the round:

"I didn't say she was talking nonsense, I just said that it is not very reliable to use the Mayan calendar to predict the end of the world."

"And what about this time? Eighty percent is still foolish. I have been paying attention for the past few weeks to see that the sun has not turned blue at all. ”

Kang Buming hesitated for a moment, not knowing how far to say to the two housewives. The two guests stared at him blankly, especially the one named Fengqin, who seemed to be waiting for the final verdict. In the end, Kang Buming pondered and said: "It's definitely too early to say that the sky is falling and the world is over, but this time there is indeed a catastrophe, and the peaceful days are probably coming to an end, so you have to be a little mentally prepared." ”

This made Chen Sufang very frustrated, and the one named Fengqin had an obvious sense of victory. The two didn't stop long, took their leave, and they were still arguing as they went downstairs. Kang Buming's family hurriedly ate and sent Niuniu's mother and son to the airport. After taking the ticket, checking the luggage, the two of them are about to enter the station. The old couple said:

"Niuniu, come, give grandparents another hug."

Niu Niu has never left in his grandmother's parents until he was four years old, and this time he has to leave for a few months, and his grandparents are reluctant to do so. In particular, Kang Buming often calls himself a "gelding rooster" and is very close to children. Niu Niu once proudly declared: As long as grandpa is at home, no matter how much I tao, my mother will not dare to beat me. At this time, Niu Niu happily ran over, hugged and kissed his grandmother, and then hugged his grandfather. But the little thing didn't know what to think, so he suddenly hugged his grandfather's neck, buried his head deeply, and didn't speak for a long, long time, and didn't let go. The eyes of several adults were moist.

On the way back, Kang Buming was relatively silent. His wife knew that he was emotional, and she was silent with him. Niu Niu's actions just now touched the softest place in Kang Buming's heart, and he had all the flavors for a while. He and his wife are over the age of six, and they take life and death lightly, and the bad news of "the sky falling" did not cause much emotional turmoil. But just now, the hug of his four-year-old grandson stirred up turbulent waves in his heart. Such young children have the right to live well, from generation to generation, and they do not deserve to be harmed by cataclysmic demons! He made a decision in a moment and said to his wife:

"I decided to go to the 'Friends of Joy'. I had the impression that an old guy like me was somewhat useful, and there were all professional scientists, but they were too specialized and sophisticated, and they needed a jack-of-all-trades person as the glue. Wife, I'll leave this mess at home to you. ”

The wife thought about it and didn't dissuade her, "Okay, if you want to go, you can go, and do your best for the children." Pay attention to your body when you get there, don't play with your life, after all, it's an old guy in his sixties. ”

In the family courtyard of the county government in Qi County, five-year-old Changchang had a high cold and fever, and was crying at this time. Miao Ji hated him and felt distressed. This little scourge got into a fight with someone in the kindergarten today, and the dean reprimanded him, and he actually bit the dean's hand. In a fit of rage, the dean punished him for standing in the courtyard for a long time, and as a result, he caught a cold. Changchang has always been out of line, and he blames his father for it. Although the couple has always been low-key, Ji Renrui is only very lenient to his son, he said not to restrain the child's nature too much, and the naughty child will only grow up to be successful. Now there is something to do, and the dean has been bitten.

When Ji Renrui was leaving, he asked Miao Qi to hire a family nanny, but Miao Ji considered that her husband's future was uncertain, and the whole family might have to live on her salary for a long time, so she didn't hire a nanny. She was coaxing Changchang to take medicine when the phone rang. She hugged Changchang and picked up the earpiece. The other party said:

"It's me, Lao Lu." I heard a cry on the phone, "What's wrong?" I heard Changchang crying. ”

"Fever, I'm feeding medicine."

"Then your sister-in-law and I will go and help, and we will go over now." He shouted a few words outside the phone, turned back to Miao Ji and said, "You quickly turn on the TV and watch the Central Channel 10!" Ren Rui is presiding over the listing ceremony of the 'Friends of Joy' and the two houses there. ”

Miao Qi hurriedly turned on the TV. Changchang saw his father on the screen, stopped crying, and snuggled up in his mother's arms, staring at the screen without blinking. Lao Lu and his wife came quickly, Lu's wife took care of Changchang, and the two watched the live broadcast carefully. Lao Lu said in confusion:

"It turns out that Ren Rui really resigned? After he left with a letter of resignation, none of the county leaders believed that he had resigned, and they all guessed that he had been secretly appointed. But then I asked my superiors, but I didn't know, and I was quite angry at his farewell. He smiled bitterly, "I said that Ren Rui is not a mortal, and sooner or later he will become a dragon, but I didn't expect him to go to the mountains to become a wild dragon." ”

The new word "wild dragon" made several people laugh, but after laughing, it was bitter, because this word meant that Ji Renrui did take the initiative to jump off the powerful official ship, and from then on he will fend for himself in the waves of life. Old Lu asked stupidly:

"Miao Qi, you didn't persuade him?"

Miao Qi sighed: "Of course I persuaded it, but in fact, I didn't persuade it much." I know his temperament, and I can't persuade him. Marry the chicken with the **. ”

"You should advise, it's a pity that China has one less vice premier surnamed Ji now. What Foundation ...... that," he shook his head contemptuously, not saying any more. Changchang, who was in Miao Qi's arms, suddenly said loudly:

"My dad wasn't caught!"

The three adults were surprised and hurriedly asked him why he said this, but Changchang closed his mouth and stubbornly did not answer. However, this mystery is not difficult to solve, and I guessed eight or nine points: Changchang must have fought with people, and he never liked his dean when he came to criticize and said something excessive, such as "Are you your father or the county magistrate?" Or, "Where is there anyone who resigns and doesn't do it now, it must be corruption and bribery, and he was arrested by the Commission for Discipline Inspection!" Changchang, a troublemaker, couldn't stand these words, and in a fit of rage, he bit the dean's hand. Yes, it must be so, although Changchang is usually Tao, he is not as out of line as he is today, he must have been strongly stimulated. Lao Lu said with a calm face:

"Don't worry, I'll go see the dean tomorrow. To say such a bastard thing to a child! ”

Miao Qi smiled bitterly: "Forget it, let's settle the matter, and blame Changchang for being too Tao." She thought for a moment, "You still have to go, it's not appropriate for you to go, I'll go tomorrow." ”

After that, they interrupted the topic and began to discuss whether Changchang should go to the hospital for an intravenous drip.

The Cadillac follows the Peninsula Highway on Long Island, New York, and is in front of the famous Jennison Planetary Beach. Instead of driving to the parking lot, Alex turned into a roadless deserted beach. The Cadillac drove slowly until it reached the edge of the mesa before stopping. From here, you can see the beach as you see several white sailboats floating on the sea, the azure waters gently lapping the shore, stirring up a white splash, and a flock of grey seagulls flapping their wings to feed in the waves. Beneath the terrace is the sandy beach, with fine white sand and a large area of the beach full of naked men and women. Further ahead, you can see the high-rise New York City.

"Our camp is right here, right?" Alex laughed and said, "I think it's best to observe the world at a distance, so that you can have God's gaze." ”

There was no objection from the three partners. They got out of the car, spread their picnic blankets on the floor, and set up food, knives and forks, wine glasses and French wine. Alex Townley is a young astrophysicist, and the three friends he invited today are also young scientists and leaders in their respective fields: molecular biologist George Jacoby, mathematician James Gleick, and theoretical physicist Margaret Cannipe, who is also Alex's girlfriend. After the four of them settled on the carpet, Alex took out an elegant square wine bottle from his travel backpack, the cobalt blue bottle rippled with crimson liquor, revealing a noble royal temperament. Alex carefully uncorked the bottle and poured the wine for everyone:

"It's a bottle of Ballantine's Scotch whisky, a 30-year-old cuvée from 20 years ago, so it's 50 years old, and it's one of the best in my grandfather's estate cellar. I've never been willing to drink it. Use it in honor of my grandfather today. He passed away not long ago. ”

The four of them raised their glasses to wish the old man a peaceful rest, and then sipped the wine and savored it.

"Alex, this bottle of whiskey is truly superb! The finish is long with notes of oak and gorse. Hats off to your grandfather, who must have enjoyed life very much during his lifetime. George smiled and said, "May he drink such good wine in heaven." ”

"Yes, he's the quintessential old-school American, who has carved all the details of life very exquisitely. It's just—" Alex sighed, "maybe the hedonistic society we've become accustomed to is about to collapse." He handed his partner a Zeiss binocular, "Come on, enjoy it while you drink." ”

Kagamino pulled the white nude closer, like a pile of white silkworms, mixed with some blacks and yellows, and it was a 10,000-person party organized online. Since the discovery of Chuma Green, mass open-air sex parties in Western countries have not been uncommon. It has been said that animal populations are particularly thriving when they are on the verge of extinction, which is in line with evolutionary theory, because dying species fight against "intensified reproduction" as a last resort. This is perhaps the underlying biological reason for these sexual. For similar open-air sex parties, the police in various countries are basically deaf and dumb, because there is a growing sense of despair, resentment, mania and anger in society, and if these negative emotions can be released more or less at sex gatherings, why interfere. Today's group open-air sex parties are even more special, they are organized for homosexuals, so at the moment most of the sex games on the beach are same-sex sexual games, mostly male "gay" and quite a few women. The atmosphere on the beach is quite calm, even quiet and peaceful, and the sex games are all one-on-one, and there is nothing unsightly**. However, they exchange sexual partners in a quiet and orderly manner like exchanging dance partners at a prom, and occasionally convert to a strange **. The four people on the cliff sipped wine and took turns using binoculars to watch quietly.

"The apocalyptic vision." Theoretical physicist Margaret spoke first, "Just like ancient Babylon, in the temple of the bisexual god Aphrodite, the holy prostitute was made public in the name of the god**. Or in ancient Rome, in the mixed baths of Agrippa, where aristocrats openly committed adultery in the dim light. I don't know how history should record our decadent times. ”

The mathematician James said gloomily: "As long as there is historical record, it is not the end of the world." I'm afraid that there will be no judgment from future generations. ”

George, a biologist, said: "I have no disrespect for homosexuality, but I think it is just a luxury in the affluent era, a self-imposed limit in the affluent era when human beings were overproducing." As soon as it—" he pointed to the heavens, and everyone knew he meant the spatial collapse, "it will naturally disappear as it gets closer and closer, when humanity has to struggle for survival and reproduction." At the moment, this scene is just a reflection of the light before the oil lamp goes out, so there is no need to take it too seriously. ”

Alex nodded, "You're right. You say that homosexuality is just a luxury in the affluent era, but in fact, the 'personal supremacy' in Western society is also a luxury in the affluent era. If society is in a desperate situation, humanity will definitely regain collectivism, rely on it to unite groups, and fight desperately to survive. He paused, "In China in the East, some people have already started to do this. ”

You know what he's referring to – the "Friends of Joy" organization that was recently established in a remote mountainous area of China. Everyone also knows, I'm afraid this is the real purpose of Alex's organization of this picnic, he brought everyone here to party, not just to watch a ** performance. After a moment of silence, Margaret sighed:

"That's a group of respectable people, it's just that I don't see any hope of success. I think it's more like a horde of lemmings swooping down on the sea, a frenzied death march. ”

"At least for now, I don't see any hope of escape." Alex said, "But before the universe collapses, why not let our wisdom bloom again?" Like the brains of a few of us, it is a special gift from God to a few people, and it would be a pity if they were not burned out and buried in the ruins of the universe. ”

Everyone was silent. Just like Alex, the other three have the same conceit about their own genius. Alex Says:

"Do your best and leave it to fate, who knows, although there is no hope in sight, but, as in Magellan's expedition, he did not know before setting out whether there was a strait communication between the Atlantic and the Pacific. We might be lucky enough to find a Strait of Magellan to save humanity from disaster, including the gang," he said, with his finger across the beach, "from the fall." What do you say? ”

George picked up the binoculars and looked at it for a while, then passed it to the others. The other two also watched silently for a while. James Says:

"What these people are doing right now, I'd rather go to the lemmings' death march. But Alex, the UN Security Council is also starting to act, and they are looking for scientists from various countries to form an action committee, or SCAC for short, which will be directly under the leadership of the Security Council. The new Secretary-General, Abikar, appears to be a fierce strongman. ”

"I know. It's also a tempting option, but there are too many politicians, too many smart people, and too many political salon traditions. I'd rather bet on a cold bet and put my hope on someone else who has no reputation but who values hard work. After all, that lacked personality of the ants built the world's largest number of highways, high-speed railways, the Three Gorges Dam, the cross-sea bridge, the South-to-North Water Diversion, and so on. Frankly, in peacetime I always thought they were crazy, collective madness, and their frenzy of work was like a fear that if they didn't finish tonight, the sky would fall tomorrow — but now the sky is falling. ”

George thought for a moment, "Okay, I'll go with you." ”

"I'll go too."

"I'll go too, even if it turns out to be just an ineffective burn." Margaret said with a smile.

Alex raised his glass, "Alright, after tasting this fifty-year-old bottle of wine, let's say goodbye to this hedonistic era, let's go back and get ready to go." We have to hurry up as much as we can, and the 'Friends of Joy' Academy has nine places on the executive committee, and only four have been secured so far, so let's catch three or four, because - I don't feel comfortable letting someone else take charge of the ship. ”

James smiled and said, "If that's the case, then we're going to have a little strategy - everyone goes it alone and staggers the schedule." Once there, don't reveal that we know each other for a while. ”

The other three understood what he meant, and finally agreed to divide into three groups, with Alex and Margaret going first. They drank the bottle of whiskey, gathered their clutter, threw one last glimpse at the wriggling silkworms on the beach in the distance, and drove away.