When the Chinese representative finished speaking, there was no applause in the hall, nor any voices of agreement.
The air seemed to freeze. Beneath the dome, the lights stretched everyone's shadows thin and long.
"A—very moving story."
Then the Free Federation representative, Anderson, finally spoke. His voice was flat, devoid of emotion. "But with all due respect, sir.
Human civilization does not currently have the luxury of 'bringing aid to the entire universe.'"
He rose from his enormous chair, walked around it, and stopped before the floor-to-ceiling window with his back to the others.
His figure was reflected in the glass, blurred and cold.
"If it weren't for that 'giant,' what we should be discussing now would be how to gracefully hand over Earth's administrative authority to the Trisolaran Civilization.
We cannot even defeat the Trisolaran Civilization. What makes us think we can change the entire universe?"
As he spoke, Anderson spun around sharply. His eagle-sharp gaze swept across everyone in the hall before finally settling on the Chinese representative. "That giant—its intentions are obvious.
It wants to prove to the entire universe that it can protect us, this 'specimen,' under the guns of the 'hunters.'
This is a colossal gamble, isn't it?"
"To place the safety of an entire civilization entirely in the hands of a god's goodwill and power—"
The corner of Anderson's mouth curved almost imperceptibly. "With all due respect, this is the stupidest, highest-risk investment I have ever heard of. We cannot even put a price on this insurance policy."
"I agree with part of Mr. Anderson's argument."
The Russian representative, General Vasily Voronin, spoke in a deep voice. "Handing one's fate over to another, whether god or devil, is not a choice a soldier would make."
He and Anderson had been at odds over all