291: 2nd Wieland

"Change is always accompanied by growing pains and unease, especially when it descends in such a violent manner. You might be wondering: Who are we? What do we want to do? What will we bring? Is it a harsher rule, or complete chaos?"

"First, let me introduce myself again. I am Lin Fang, the founder of Third-Party Technology."

Lin Fang nodded slightly, his gaze sincere. "We have not come here for meaningless conquest, but simply to bring a better life to the people of this world."

"In fact, we are not invaders; we are the good guys..."

"..."

While Lin Fang was enjoying his speech, Xiao Hei's voice rang out from his earpiece: [Boss, we've found Peter Verland. He is on the top floor.]

"Is he alone?"

Hearing this, Lin Fang waved to the people below and turned away without any lingering attachment to ask the question.

[Yes. When the Clone Soldiers found him, he was in his office.]

"Show me the way."

Lin Fang looked at the building before him, then soared into the air amidst the gasps of the crowd behind him and vanished from sight.

As he ascended, Lin Fang could clearly hear the sounds of gunfire, angry shouts, gasps, and screams coming from within the building. This was the Clone Soldiers and Tyrant Troops purging the building. For any members of Verland who refused to follow orders or resisted to the end, these mindless biological entities would not give them a second chance.

On the top floor, as Lin Fang broke through the window, he found an ordinary-looking middle-aged man sitting behind a massive mahogany desk, a nearly finished cigar held between his fingers. Beside him stood two Heavy Armored Tyrants.

The middle-aged man's figure seemed exceptionally frail in this environment, yet his back remained straight. This legendary figure, who had built a commercial empire spanning two hundred years with his own hands, did not flee in panic or roar hysterically; he merely fixed a calm gaze on Lin Fang.

Lin Fang sized him up as well. If there was such a thing as a protagonist of life, the man before him was it.

At a young age, Peter Verland had used his astonishing business acumen and technological foresight to single-handedly establish the interstellar Verland Company, which had now grown into a behemoth involved in interstellar colonization, bioengineering, and various other fields.

"Your Excellency seems to know me?" At this moment, Peter spoke and stood up, making a gesture for Lin Fang to take a seat.

"I've heard of you, but this is the first time we've met."

Lin Fang didn't stand on ceremony either, walking straight to the chair in front of the desk and sitting down. He said, "Mr. Verland, you built an interstellar commercial empire from nothing. I truly admire that ability."

Lin Fang wasn't lying; the man's ability was indeed among the best of any human he had ever seen.

"Unfortunately, it will soon no longer belong to me. I thought this day would never come, but I didn't realize there were heavens beyond heavens..."

Peter's face showed a hint of bitterness, but it was mostly replaced by a sense of being carefree. "I have never seen a person as miraculous as Your Excellency. Can humans actually possess such abilities? When Your Excellency flew up just now, I thought I was seeing an angel."

Being regarded as an angel for the first time made Lin Fang feel slightly speechless.

Then, Peter spoke again, "Your Excellency comes from another world. I wonder if you can answer a question that has troubled me for a long time? If you can resolve my doubt, I will hand over the entire Verland Company personally without reservation."

"It's already mine now," Lin Fang said indifferently.

Peter gave a bitter smile. "It would be more convenient, wouldn't it? I can help Your Excellency take control of Verland Company much faster."

Lin Fang thought about it and said, "Speak."

Peter Verland's eyes grew hazy as if he were reminiscing. After a moment, he spoke slowly:

"When I first became an adult, I often pondered a question: Who am I, where did I come from, and where am I going? To that end, I tried to answer using science, religion, and art, but I could never find an answer."

"Some also told me it was meaningless, that anyone who attempted to climb the Tower of Babel would be punished by God."

The corners of Peter's mouth twitched with a hint of disdain. "But those ignorant people only further incited my obsession with finding the truth."

"Evolutionary Theory is all bullshit. I was more concerned with whether we were created by someone. Or if we are actually just brains in a vat that took a pill..."

Peter paused, leaning forward slightly, his voice carrying a weight that spanned two hundred years: "I spent my entire life pushing humanity out of Earth and into the stars, sparing no expense to search for the legendary Engineer Race."

"Everyone thought I did it for power, for wealth, for eternal life. But only I know that what I truly wanted to understand was: in this vast, boundless universe, what exactly is humanity? Where did we come from? And where are we going?"

"I once thought that by finding them, I would know where humanity came from." A self-deprecating smile tugged at Peter's lips. "But until today, I haven't even caught a glimpse of their shadow. Instead, I've waited for an otherworldly being like Your Excellency."

"Your Excellency comes from another world and has seen landscapes I've never imagined. Perhaps you can give me an answer."

Peter Verland stared intently at Lin Fang. "The Creator... does He really exist?"

Lin Fang: ...

That was a good question, but why did it sound so familiar?

"Wasn't it the 'engineers' you encountered on Planet L-223?"

Lin Fang asked in return.

Since Planet L-223 had already become a colony planet, there was a high probability that the peculiarities there had been discovered. In the plot of the movie 'Prometheus', Verland and the others encountered a sleeping 'engineer' there.

Peter's pupils constricted slightly, seemingly surprised that Lin Fang knew about this.

"That was 110 years ago. How does Your Excellency know about it? I am certain that mission was never recorded in any archives, and the crew involved remained on Planet L-223 forever."

Lin Fang smiled. "You don't need to know that."

Peter's gaze darkened as he continued.

"I did indeed encounter the legendary 'engineers' on Planet L-223, and I even obtained the method of creating the Xenomorph creatures from them. But they were not our creators; they were just a group of foolish and arrogant nomads. I designed a way to kill them all."

"They even presumed to deceive me. I went to their planet and wiped out their entire race."

"Until now, I have continued to search for who our true creator is." Peter looked at Lin Fang with a sincere gaze. "Perhaps only Your Excellency can resolve my confusion."

"You're overthinking it. I don't know either, but I can show you something..."

Lin Fang shook his head slightly. For such mystical and philosophical figures, he had a very effective method of shattering their perceptions.