The smoke of Davidoff's cigar swirled slowly in Dr. Brian's study, and Bauer's fat fingers gracefully and delicately cut off another cigar tip, and he calmly placed the cigar on top of the long, lit sulphur-free match, slowly turning it to heat it. A minute ago, his eyes were like electricity, flashing with a cruel smile of life and death. Now, his eyes wandered, as if the heated argument had not happened at all. Auston sat on the couch across from him, shaking the crystal glass in his hand and watching the sparkling ice cubes collide and melt in the golden rye whiskey. Bauer's wandering gaze relaxed him, he knew the stout Italian man across from him very well, and he understood the meaning of wandering behind the black-brown eyes.

Eighteen years ago, 38-year-old Bauer was still struggling in the investment bank FO on Manhattan's financial street, he was wearing ultra-high-pressure work every day, and fighting for wisdom and endurance with an endless stream of newcomers, but the results often depended on luck. And Lady Luck always passed by him, and he had to be ready to accept the company's brutal layoffs at all times. The tireless overtime and flying life made his wife unbearable, and she left him with her daughter, making him think that the rest of his time could only be spent struggling with loneliness and mediocrity...... Just when his mind was on the verge of collapse, the day of fate came, the clouds of doom were swept away, and only the following year, he became an MD in an investment bank, and soon had his own investment company. Now he is the behind-the-scenes boss of a number of multinational companies, and his style is like his vulture's nose: he does everything he can, and hits the nail on the head quickly, ruthlessly, and accurately. And whenever the odds of victory were in hand, he would light a cigar and wait for the expected success with a free eye.

At this point, Bauer extinguished the match in his hand, straightened his waist, and moved his buttocks, which were sunk deep in the wide sofa, out twice, so that his stubby calves reached the ground. He walked up to Auston and put the preheated cigar under his nose and sniffed it greedily a few times before handing it over with a smile on his face. Alston twitched his nose, but still put down the glass in his hand, stretched out his ape-like arm, took the cigar from Bauer, and smiled back with a polite and tacit smile. Auston also has a very recognizable appearance, his body is only half the width of Bauer, but the height is nearly twice that of Bauer, his dark skin, his facial features are deep and stiff, a pair of black eyes, flashing with a deterrent power that is extremely incompatible with his thin body, even a vulture like Bauer, in front of him also looks like a bent flattery. Of course, another reason for Ball's willingness to bow down comes from Auston's status: a member of the U.S. Congress and secretary of defense. They've known each other for 18 years – a perfect pair. For 18 years, they kept an extremely low profile, and few people knew about the existence of the pair; Few people know that they wield enough power to shake half the world; And even fewer people know that the source of this incredible energy actually comes from this study, this old man! [Dr. Brian]

Eighteen years ago, Brian was teaching quantum physics at Yale University. It was a normal early summer evening, and Brian had just finished attending a seminar in Watsonton, and he walked out of the building with his old briefcase, somewhat tired, and walked across the street to the plaza to get back to the hotel to rest. The orange sunset is reflected in the plaza through the blue glass of the building, creating a ghostly atmosphere. But this did not affect the people who were relaxing in the square: lazy pigeons in groups of three or five, children laughing and running, tourists happily taking pictures, and young people doing all kinds of difficult maneuvers on skateboards. A boy in a skate and a helmet swooped past him, feeling his body bump and a note in his hand. Before Brian could ask, the boy quickly disappeared from his presence. He looked around, thinking it was a prank, and opened the note with a smile. The handwriting on it made him stop abruptly, the handwriting was sloppy but very personal, and each word had a dashing hook at the end of the word, and the dot on the i soared freely above the text like a small wave. Brian was a little emotional, and it was the handwriting of his brother Alan, who had been missing for three years.

When he was twelve, his parents came back from the hospital with an extra little in their arms, and they asked Brian to name him. Brian reached out and timidly touched the dot, which turned her head and sucked his finger.

"Alan," he blurted out, meaning "noble, handsome little stone."

From then on, this little stone became his little tail, and wherever he went, Alan followed back and croaked "brother". Eight years later, they lost their father, and Brian took responsibility for his father's unfinished responsibilities to Allen. When he grew up, Allen was as "noble and handsome" as his name, and he also loved to work with rocks - mountaineering. Brian is a physicist whose life is as calm and disciplined as his character, but Alan chooses to be a mountaineer and is busy challenging peaks around the world. The photo wall in Brian's house is plastered with photos he sends back from all over the world, in which his smile is always so bright and sunny, and his blue eyes seem to fit the whole world. Whenever Brian is upset, he will stand in front of the photo wall and let the sunlight in the photo wash away the gloom in his heart. Three years ago on Christmas, Allen brought back a five-year-old girl, saying that it was his daughter, and asked him and his mother to take care of her, and then rushed out of the house.

At this point, Brian looked at the note repeatedly. For three years, he and his mother have inquired in many ways and have never heard from Allen, but at this time, such a drama appeared. Brian stood in the square stunned, the setting sun dragging his figure long. Looking forward along the shadows, the streets were full of traffic, everyone was busy with their roles, and the "little stone" was not seen in the vast sea of people. Brian wiped tears from his eyes and continued to study every word, hoping to get more information, but the note was only a few words: 8 p.m. Union Station Ebenezers Cafe Seat Five.

In the evening, Brian took an early taxi to Union Station. He walked several laps around the long white marble cloister and observed the humble café from a distance around a corner of the station. It was almost eight o'clock, he took out his glasses in his jacket pocket, put them on the bridge of his nose, and touched the mobile phone in his pocket before entering the café. The red brick walls in the café are mottled and gray, and the old wooden tables and chairs are cassette or train-seated, with high backs and strong privacy. Brian carefully stepped on the creaking wooden floor and passed several booths, most of which were young couples intimacy. Brian held his glasses and turned his head sideways to pass quickly under the waiter's guidance. At the end of the hallway, they stopped, and a middle-aged black man in a high-backed booth stood up. He was very tall, his head hit the chandelier on the card seat, the man hurriedly used his hand to support the shaking chandelier, his fingers seemed to be burned by the light bulb, he quickly shook off his hand, but almost knocked over the coffee cup on the table.

Brian looked left and right, ready to ask the waiter if he had found the wrong seat, and the middle-aged man awkwardly took the initiative to reach out to him: "Hello! Dr. Brian, I'm your brother's friend Alston. ”

Brian looked at him with a puzzled face, the man was neatly dressed, and his thin face showed a little timid shyness and nervousness. Brian shook his hand, the hand was crisp and soft, except for the thick callouse on the knuckle of the middle finger of the pen, and Brian breathed a sigh of relief and sat down.

After Brian ordered a cup of Irish coffee, Auston didn't say hello and pushed something in front of him. Brian recognized the watch at a glance, it was a gift that Brian had bought for his brother with his first paycheck, and Alan regarded it as a treasure and kept it with him. Brian took the watch, the leather strap was a little old, but the dial was still as clean as new. Brian flipped through his watch, and on the back of the dial, he saw the letters AL, which Brian had asked to be engraved when he gave it to Alan.

Brian looked at his watch calmly on the surface, but his heart was very uneasy, and all kinds of bad speculations such as "kidnapping, accidents, breaking the law, being wanted" swirled in his mind. He took a sip of his coffee and asked in a seemingly nonchalant tone, "Is he okay?" ”

Alston hesitantly replied, "I'll know when you see him." ”

"Where has he been all these years?"

"Let your brother answer these questions himself, okay?"

"Where is he now? Why didn't he come to see me personally? ”

"It's inconvenient for him to come over now, I'll take you to see him soon, such a careful arrangement is for the safety of you and him."

"Is he wanted for breaking the law?" Brian finally asked what he was most worried about.

"Oh! Of course not! ”

"So is there anyone threatening his safety?"

Auston had been smiling politely as he answered the previous question, and the last question made his brow twitch slightly. Brian seized on the message, adding: "If anyone dares to hurt Allen, I will immediately call the police, the United States is a country governed by the rule of law." ”

Auston smiled helplessly, and he said seriously: "Of course, the United States is a country governed by the rule of law, and I love our country as much as you do. I hope that it is a country of true equality, freedom, and the rule of law, and that everyone who lives on this land, no matter what kind of person he is, can get the rights and respect he deserves. When he said this, the timid shyness disappeared, and the frowning sword eyebrows revealed a hidden sharpness.

"Are you from any partisanship?" Alston's remarks made Brian even more confused.

"Things are not what you imagined, if you believe me and your brother, please do what we have arranged!" Auston retracted his gaze, he took out a car key from his pocket and handed it to Brian, saying: "In the parking lot on the second basement floor of the station, there is a black Audi with license plate number 0819, you drive it to the entrance and exit of the *** Street subway station and wait for me." ”

Auston rushed away, leaving Brian with a look of doubt and distrust. However, his concern for Allen forced him to choose to follow Auston's arrangement.

Brian found the car in the parking lot, and he carefully opened the trunk and looked inside and outside the car, and there was nothing unusual about the car. However, he still very cautiously called his wife Marpel, briefly explained the situation, and turned on the GPS tracking of the mobile phone to ensure his safety. Ten minutes later, the black Audi car followed the traffic flow and slowly came to the entrance of the *** subway station. Brian parked the car on the side of the road near the subway exit, and after a while, he saw a man in a peaked cap and a bloated trench coat quickly get into his car, and it was not until the man took off his glasses that he recognized it as Auston. Sweating profusely, Auston nervously looked around through the window before he turned back to Brian with a shy smile and said, "Pretty stupid, huh?" I didn't expect that I would be able to play 007 back in this life. ”

Brian took the opportunity to ask tentatively, "Can you ask what you do?" ”

"I-I majored in bioinformatics in college, and now I'm a copywriter on a desk, and the more mixed up it gets, the worse it gets, hehe..."

"Can you ask me again where you are?" Brian continued.

"This—you still don't want to know." Auston looked at Brian sincerely, and he added, "For your safety." Let's get out of here. ”

"Where are we going?"

"Wherever you go."

Brian starts the car, Auston observes the traffic behind him through the mirror, and Brian cautiously observes Auston's every move. Auston's unusual behavior convinced him that Alan must be in great trouble. Half an hour later the car drove out of the city, and Alston told him to turn right and they entered the highway. Brian secretly planned to stop immediately if the place he went to was too remote. He secretly looked at Auston: although Auston was tall, he was very thin, and if he did do it, he might not be his opponent.

Fortunately, they didn't have to go far before they stopped in front of a motel off the highway. The front of the hotel is brightly lit, with many vehicles coming in and out, and the screaming and playing of children can be heard from time to time. Alston seemed to relax as well, beckoning Brian to park the car and walk straight into the hotel. Brian followed, his guard slowing slightly. Through the winding hallway, they came to a door, and before they could knock, the door opened of its own accord, and Alston scurried in. Brian looked inside the house, there was no light on in the room, the light was dim, and he couldn't see anything clearly, Brian hesitated for a moment, but stepped in. As soon as he entered, the door closed with rapid spontaneous shut.

The lights are on.

"Hey! Dude! The voice came from a corner, Brian's eyes were not yet adjusted, but it was a voice that was extremely familiar to him, and he choked out, "Alan!"

After a few seconds, Brian didn't wait for the expected hug, but saw for himself: in the couch in the corner of the window, an extremely thin man sat reclining. Despite the dim lighting, despite the emaciated skeleton face, Brian recognized his brother at a glance, Alan. Brian's heart was pinched hard, what a face full of life and strength it used to be! He pounced, grabbed Allen's arm, rolled up the sleeves of his coat, and his dry skin was covered with pinholes.

Brian roared angrily, "Bastard! How can you kid take drugs?! ”

"Nope! Things are not what you think, brother! I swear by Coronna's happiness that I am never on drugs! Alan's body trembled like a fallen leaf in Brian's hands, but his voice was surprisingly calm and determined.

Brian reflexively grabbed Auston by the collar, "What the hell did you guys do to him?" ”

"Let him go, Auston managed to help me escape, he saved me." Alan said behind him.

"What the hell is going on?" Brian let go of Auston and sat down on the two-seater sofa across from Allen, trying to calm his emotions that had just gotten out of control.

Auston patted Brian on the shoulder: "You two talk slowly, I'll keep watch outside." He politely left the room.

Alan grabbed the armrest of the couch and got up tremblingly, struggling to sit down beside Brian. He took his brother's hand, but in his withered face, a pair of blue eyes were still clear. He looked into Brian's eyes with tears in his eyes: "Although a lot of incredible things have happened, I have also experienced a lot of hardships. But, trust me! Brother, I am still your 'noble and handsome little stone'. ”

"My little stone?" Brian asked, choked up.

Alan grinned and nodded, and for a moment, Brian felt the gloomy room light up again. The former "Little Stone" was the captain of the Boy Scouts, the school grass in the school, and the owner of several Ivy League offers. But he chose to be a professional mountaineer, and he said to Brian: "Brothers are connected by blood, and we already have a distinguished professor of physics at Yale University in our family, so let me experience a life that is completely different from yours, so that we are both complete." ”

"Little Stone, what the hell are you doing? Where have you been all these years? Why did you say you escaped? Who's chasing you? Why don't you contact me and Mom, do you know how worried Mom is about you?! Brian asked in one breath.

Tears flowed down Allen's ravine-lined cheeks: "When I was a child, I always wanted to go on an adventure, climb the world's highest peak, and see a scenery that ordinary people can't appreciate. But now, how I wish I could live quietly and plainly with you, my mother, and Corunna. ”

"Then you'll be back! No matter who the enemy you are facing, we face it together, and we can call the police and seek legal protection. ”

"The protection of the law?"

"Of course! How? You don't believe in the law and order of this country? ”

"No, I believe it! The law is the concentrated expression of the will of the majority, and this will is at least well represented in our country. But the law is also in a sense a kind of inequality of the majority, and in the sixties and seventies, blacks were not given legal equality as a disadvantaged group, and this inequality stemmed from prejudice and privilege. Now, if there is a man who has the power to surpass the world, and the state and the people are violent against them, either out of fear or out of greed*, do you think that the law will protect them against the will of the majority? Alan laughed miserably.

Brian was a little confused by this, and Allen turned his back to the window, he looked at the starry sky and said, "My father didn't leave much of an impression on me, but I remember the night I went camping in Yellowstone." The pebbles on the river beach were glowing, the crickets were chirping in the grass, and my father was still smelling of grilled fish on his beard, and he pointed to the stars in the sky and said, 'Do you know why the stars don't fall?' ’。 'Gravitation!' Brother, you must have thought it was a funny question, after all, you were seventeen years old at the time. ”

"Sixteen." Brian corrected.

"Yes, I was just over four years old at the time. Brother, do you remember what your father said at that time? ”

Brian smiled grimly: "Every planet has a gravitational field, and so do stars. The Milky Way and the 125 billion galaxies that have been discovered and observed so far all follow this natural law, restricting each other from orbiting at high speeds, and it is the unified law that everyone follows so that they will not crash. ”

"Yes!" Alan closed his eyes, smiled intoxicatingly, and continued, "Father also said: 'We are the beautiful blue dots, and only by following the laws of nature and the ideas we believe in our hearts can we not lose ourselves in the dark night.'" Now I am like a comet in the night sky, it may bring destruction or new life, but no matter what, I will abide by the ideas in my heart and not let you be dishonored. He turned around and looked directly into Brian's eyes: "Brother! I can't explain anything to you now, but I ask you to believe that I will not hurt anyone, past or future, and will not violate the convictions in my heart. In two days, I will leave this country, and maybe one day I will make you, my mother, and my Coruna proud of me. But now, before I leave, I just want to see my poor Coruna! ”

There was a strange glint in Alan's clear eyes, illuminating his emaciated face and deep-set eyes, like a martyr, a hero...