156. The Dignity of a Mouse (Part One)
"Talking with you has been such a pleasure, President David Lin."
After the banquet, Rudolph, the Crown Prince Regent of the Red Arrow Empire, and David Lin, President of the Frost-Plated Republic, strolled and chatted along the street outside the imperial palace.
Of course, the streets had been cleared in advance, and agents and bodyguards accompanied them at all times, ensuring their safety.
Despite an age gap of twenty years, Crown Prince Rudolph and President David Lin hit it off immediately. They found common ground on many political issues, such as the need for corporate regulation, state management of major public affairs, and the integration of military and civilian life.
Both strong political figures, David Lin was deeply impressed by this young man in his early thirties. Sharing his favorite cigars with Rudolph, the two engaged in lively conversation. David Lin loved classical music, while Rudolph was an avid piano enthusiast. Their growing rapport was undeniable.
When they returned and entered the lounge, their conversation inevitably turned to matters of state.
"President David Lin, I genuinely admire your talent and courage. Frost-Plated is fortunate to have a president like you," Rudolph said sincerely as he took a seat. "I believe this visit is a great opportunity to foster friendship between the Red Arrow and Frost-Plated peoples. It's time to set aside our differences. Some disputes can be deferred."
"Thank you for your blessing, Your Highness," David Lin nodded calmly. "You are a candid man, so I'll speak plainly. Whether the Red Arrow and Frost-Plated, or even all of Azure Star's civilization, can survive the next twenty years remains uncertain."
"You're referring to the Entropy Lord and Calamity Erosion?" Rudolph shook his head. "There's no saving that. I can tell you, the Red Arrow has decided to settle old historical accounts before the apocalypse and face destruction with dignity."
"Does that include Frost-Plated?" David Lin asked directly.
Rudolph looked at David Lin. "Even hatred has its priorities. We can leave Frost-Plated for the end. Right now, Tianhuan is the Red Arrow's most hated enemy. We must complete this sacred revenge."
"If that's the case, my views differ fundamentally from yours and your country's," David Lin sighed. "Frost-Plated has also faced existential crises. I'm not here to persuade you to abandon hatred, but I'd like to say this: the Entropy Erosion is a common threat to all humanity and Azure Star's civilization. If civilization itself cannot endure, what meaning does revenge hold?"
"If civilization lacks the Red Arrow, then it is meaningless," Rudolph replied calmly. "The Red Arrow doesn't care whether human civilization survives. We don't mind if the world perishes. When the Red Arrow was on the brink of annihilation, it was the entire human world that acted as the oppressor."
"I understand your people's sentiments," David Lin nodded. "But now, your empire is strong enough. The lost territories have been reclaimed. I wonder, is this so-called revenge still necessary? Tianhuan is also one of the Four Nations, with a substantial population and military. If we could bring Tianhuan into an alliance to face the greatest crisis Azure Star has ever known together—"
"With all due respect, you don't understand Tianhuan people."
Leaning back in his chair, Rudolph placed his hands on the armrests and spoke gravely:
"Tianhuan people are vile and coarse. They only submit to brute force and power; they lack humanity. Tianhuan must be dismantled and divided. Their culture needs to be assimilated into the advanced civilization of our empire. The Red Arrow must fundamentally eliminate Tianhuan as a nation and a people, transform their citizens into Red Arrow speakers with blond hair and blue eyes, and make them bow before the empire's throne. That is their ultimate destiny."
"…That's a bit extreme," David Lin frowned. "This doesn't align with the morals of modern civilization. No matter what, such levels of eradication are unacceptable."
"There will soon be no civilization left, so why talk of morals?" Rudolph said indifferently. "Besides, such actions have been common among all four nations. Before the Entropy Erosion crisis, Frost-Plated's colonies spanned the globe, and many nations eradicated and annexed by Tianhuan were no exception."
David Lin frowned deeply and spoke in a serious tone:
"At the very least, let's aim for progress from our generation onward."
"That's very difficult, President," Rudolph said. "Think about how we'd announce this to our citizens. What would those incorporated into our nations think? Since the Four Nations' formation, countless small nations have been destroyed and conquered. Now, we're suddenly saying we want to be more civilized? Who would believe that?"
"In that case, let's take a long-term view. There are many pursuits worth uniting our efforts for besides war," David Lin explained. "We can develop aerospace technology and mass-produce thermonuclear weapons, continuously sending our citizens off the surface, just like Li Aozi."
Rudolph leaned against his chair, intrigued.
Hearing this from David Lin was certainly unexpected.
After all, David Lin had risen to power through military support. Now, he was essentially proposing something that could be seen as betraying military priorities. His intentions were intriguing.
Pondering for a moment, Rudolph grasped David Lin's logic. It wasn't surprising—David Lin didn't want to passively await death. While the other three nations had essentially given up on contending with the Entropy Lord, David Lin wanted to fight.
He aimed to use his firm grip on power not just to maintain control but to guide Frost-Plated through these challenging times.
His ambition was vast, his methods impressive, and Rudolph couldn't help but admire him.
Yet admiration didn't cloud Rudolph's judgment. Waiting for David Lin to pause, he posed a critical question:
"President David Lin, how much time do you think we have left?"
David Lin paused for a moment before answering candidly: "From now until the Entropy Erosion reaches 8,000 meters altitude, at most, no more than 24 years."
"Twenty-four years. Let's say, as you suggest, we build underground structures to buy another two years. That's 26 years total."
Rudolph accepted a calculator from his secretary and began typing. He walked David Lin through the math step by step:
"Azure Star's total population, including the Outside World, exceeds 3 billion. Without a unified census, let's assume we save only the Four Nations' population—2.4 billion. Excluding the elderly, sick, and weak, that leaves 1.7 billion. Am I correct?"
David Lin nodded. "Correct."
Rudolph looked at David Lin and said:
"Our largest spacecraft, 'Moonlight,' can carry 240 people. The largest space stations of the old era could house up to 300. Now tell me, where will those 1.7 billion people go?"