Psychological counseling is a serious science. If Ryan had started with verbal persuasion, Sakura might have gotten annoyed. It was better to fight first and talk later.
Power—the power to change your destiny.
Sakura looked at her open palms. Her skin was still fair, making it hard to believe that a fierce battle, one strong enough to change the landscape, had just taken place.
After a moment, the disapproving looks didn't seem as glaring. The negative emotions had been vented, and Ryan words had revealed the answer.
"Yes, I came here to protect Rin. For the last of my relatives, I would rather go against the whole world."
As Ryan had said, as long as Rin didn't mind, what did it matter if he grew a pair of ears or even lost his human form?
"I understand. You really shouldn't care about other people's opinions. You've already become a monster, yet you're still living your own life. But why do you always help me?"
What did she mean by "I became a monster"?
Ryan chuckled to himself. He looked at Sakura, her expression firm, but her eyes gentle. She smiled and shifted her shoulders.
He only provided this kind of psychological counseling to his friends. As the saying goes, time reveals a person's true nature. After spending months with Sakura, he had already come to see this gentle girl as a friend.
"Partners are for exploitation, but friends help each other. Just like how you helped me when I was in Singapore."
"One for all and all for one?" Sakura smiled softly, her thoughts becoming clear for a moment. "Ryan, sometimes I feel like you and Dr. Mobius are similar."
"How so?"
"Sometimes you're cruel, sometimes gentle, and sometimes odd. It's hard to tell which one is the real you."
Ryan was momentarily distracted, and after reflecting on her words, he realized she was right.
"Maybe I was influenced a bit by her, which is a good thing. If someone only has one face, life would be too boring." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You should treat your friends with one face and your enemies with another feeling. The complexity of human nature is really what I enjoy."
While Sakura pondered his words, Ryan had already started walking towards the research institute with his sword in hand, passing by soldiers along the way.
None dared look him in the eye. Some wanted to sneak away, but their feet felt like they were weighed down with lead, unable to move. They could only watch him approach.
There was no need to scare people with his appearance. The desolate Gobi Desert was the perfect demonstration of his strength. Ryan simply walked through the crowd, came to a girl dressed as a waitress, and extended his hand towards her.
Her reaction was slow, almost as if she was about to draw her gun. She could only watch as Ryan took out a communicator from her uniform, which was still in communication mode with a green light blinking.
"Don't be nervous, I'm not targeting you," Ryan said with a friendly smile as he picked up the headset. "Mr. General, are you satisfied with what you're seeing?"
There was a rustling sound over the communication line before a deep male voice spoke after a long pause.
"Dr. Ryan, we haven't spoken in almost five years."
"Well, the last time we met, you were just a congressman," Ryan said as he walked through the crowd with the headset in hand. "Sir Carius, I'm curious why you haven't summoned me for so long."
"Haha, with your current reputation, summoning you would make many people nervous, just like I've kept my distance from Miss Elysia."
This was a clever response, seemingly considerate of both their positions. But Ryan knew that Carius was ambitious.
Whether it was treating him to a meal, beheading him, or making him his lackey, none of these options would work. So, why waste time embarrassing each other?
Ryan appreciated this kind of cleverness and replied, a hint of emotion in his tone, "You're really generous. To be honest, I'm a threat now."
"No, it's your power that forces me to be magnanimous. As for the threat, it depends on who you're targeting. I know which is more important to me personally and to all of humanity." Carius spoke frankly, not hiding anything. "I've seen your power, and the power of Miss Sakura, which is enough to make some people rethink their plans. But please remember…"
"This is a choice made from the perspective of humanity. If you cross the bottom line, the Fire Moth will do everything it can to destroy you, because you're more terrifying than the Herrscher."
It was righteous, but not without merit. Everyone knew Ryan and Elysia were fundamentally different from Mantis.
"Well, you don't need to worry about my position. But you must remember, I still need the Fire Moths from humanity's perspective. I have to be patient. If you cross the bottom line, I'll reassess the value of the Fire Moth Council."
There were no harsh words, only calm statements of fact.
The main conflict was the Honkai, and internal strife would only hasten humanity's extinction. However, Ryan still believed in the value of the Fire Moth Council.
"I understand, but I can't guarantee it," Carius sighed. There were too many factors for him to balance, whether or not he had Ryan overwhelming power.
"I know your difficulties, but this is the price you pay for gaining power."
Ryan didn't say much more. He simply crushed the communicator into powder, spread his hands, and scattered the remains into the wind.
Truth be told, his previous explanations had been superficial. Some things seemed troublesome, but they had to be done.
If he truly overthrew everything, he would have to kill many people, leading to the Fire Moth's collapse, with local branches fighting for dominance. It would be fun, but he would lose a lot.
"Commander-in-Chief? Did he put pressure on you?" Sakura asked as she walked over, unaware of the full conversation.
"Give him face and call him the general manager. If you don't give him face, let him die. Who's to say who will work for whom?" Ryan chuckled. Then, without thinking, he asked, "If one day I take action against him, would you follow me?"
"Yes, I am yours," Sakura answered without hesitation, unaware of the ambiguity in her words. She gently shook her head. "But you won't do it."
"Why?"
"Because the Fire Moth has seven branches, thirty-five sub-branches, 520,000 employees, and millions of collaborators. You and Mei alone can't control it. Even if you kill people and flood the streets with blood, no one will accept it."
"It's easy to destroy an order, but rebuilding it is incredibly difficult. And you've always been a responsible person; you won't act on impulse."
"Smart. Killing people at this time would make you an enemy of humanity and a traitor of Honkai, but I also remind you…" Ryan paused, blinking, and turned away.
"This doesn't mean the future."
The man walked briskly, having already calculated everything. He was no butcher who only knew how to speak with a blade. In the vast future, two things could make congressmen heroes who understood the times.
One is called precepts, the other, the authority of consciousness!
While Ryan was giving psychological counseling, Mobius also awoke. Her emerald green eyes squinted against the overhead light. For a moment, she was disoriented, as if awakening from a long slumber.
I haven't slept so well in a long time—almost like hibernating.
Mobius glanced at the digital clock beside her and realized that only a few hours had passed. Yet, it felt like months had gone by.
"I'm so lucky. This side effect is insignificant. Could it be thanks to that guy's genes?" Mobius touched her smooth chin, gritting her teeth slowly.
She didn't know, and that bastard wouldn't tell her. It was maddening.
"Really... not a gentleman at all!"
She stood up, pulled down her stockings, unbuttoned her shirt, and stood in front of the full-length mirror to inspect her body.
Exquisite collarbones, fair and delicate skin, long legs, and perfect curves. If beauty were a form of evolution, she would already be ahead of the pack.
"Human beings are strange. Sometimes they are controlled by emotions, and sometimes they can suppress their instincts."
Mobius rubbed her collarbone thoughtfully. Logically, she should have found his weakness, so why didn't he take the bait?
Sometimes, smart people were annoying—especially the ones who cared about their reputation. How could she make him surrender while maintaining her own reputation?
Beep.
The communicator on the wall rang, cutting off her thoughts. Mobius frowned and picked up the phone.
"Klein, what's going on?"
"Doctor, you're awake. It's nothing. I just wanted to tell you that the battle between Dr. Ryan and Miss Sakura is over."
Fighting???
Mobius' mind was full of question marks. She'd just taken a short nap, but now it seemed they were fighting again. There was no issue with the operation.
"Why are they fighting?"
"I heard from Dr. Ryan that he was providing psychological counseling to Miss Sakura, telling her not to worry about the side effects of the fusion surgery."
Oh, just like when He helped that white-haired boy.
Mobius understood, but her frown deepened. This bastard meddled in other people's business all the time. Instead of wasting time, he should help her explore the super mutation factor.
Hmm, I think I understand.
Thinking of this, her eyes froze. She finally realized why Ryan hadn't taken the bait.
There were too many people around him—not to mention Elysia, the wooden stake, and now a killer lady. There were temptations everywhere, and her own appeal wasn't strong enough.
No wonder he was so confident and specifically opposed her.
The more Mobius thought about it, the more she reflected on Ryan attitude when they were in Hawaii. Everyone had been present, and now she realized his stance...
"You have no right to interfere in my relationship with him, but before I abandon him, you cannot snatch him away."
She simply didn't dwell on the reasons. No matter how she felt about Ryan, this was the premise of everything.
"Even if he's turned into a specimen, he should be placed in my room!"
Mobius finally understood and hummed. "What are those two doing?"
"Having dinner in the lounge and checking the Starlink system."
Mobius knew about Starlink—the latest detectors placed in low-Earth orbit to form a network, working alongside ground observation stations and using spectrum analysis.
Looking for the fourth Herrscher? That's right. Ryan had enough cards in his hand.
Mobius was not surprised. She picked up the towel and walked into the bathroom. The sound of running water soon came.
"Prepare another dinner, I'll go after I take a shower."
The call was disconnected automatically. Klein in the office was stunned for a moment, hung up the phone, and looked at the ceiling in a daze.
Today doctor seems to be full of fighting spirit?