What could Xiang Qian rely on for strength? The answer was simple. After hanging up, he went over the plan that was gradually taking shape from beginning to end, then got up and headed straight to the Spear Bureau.
Yes, Xiang Qian could rely on the power of the government. He wasn't Tony Stark—even though they were good friends—and he had never believed he could save the world by himself. Wanting to do it was one thing; being capable of it was another.
Resolving the crisis over the mutant gene serum would most likely mean going up against Professor X, Magneto, and the United States Armed Forces all at once. Xiang Qian didn't think he was capable of shouldering such a burden. He needed someone who could back him up.
But Xiang Qian soon discovered that things weren't going quite as he'd expected.
"What do you mean, I'm banned from leaving the country?" Xiang Qian sat across from Zheng Xian's desk, staring blankly.
Zheng Xian rubbed his throbbing forehead, utterly exhausted. The Ten Rings' threats against Xiang Qian hadn't been dealt with yet, and Xiang Tian hadn't even had a chance to set out. Now this kid had suddenly pulled another stunt.
"It means exactly what it sounds like. You can't leave the country without approval."
"Approval? Who has to approve it?" Xiang Qian panicked. "Wait, I haven't evaded taxes, I don't owe anyone money, and I haven't illegally raised funds. How did I end up banned from leaving the country? If word gets out, won't everything outside descend into chaos?"
"Your Wude Group isn't even publicly listed. What's there to panic about? How chaotic could it get?"
Xiang Qian wasn't satisfied. "Fine, then at least give me a reason. Who gets banned from leaving the country if they haven't done anything wrong? Even if you accused me of bribery or some kind of pay-for-play deal, you'd have to investigate yourself first. You're the head of the Spear Bureau, and you're the one I'm closest to."
"Get lost!" Zheng Xian was about ready to explode. "You caused this mess, and now you have the nerve to ask me for a reason? What did you say before you went to Tajikistan? You swore up and down you'd only deliver drones and operate the radar, and wouldn't do anything out of line. And what happened? You stole the show more than anyone else on the whole battlefield. Did you think you were Zhao Zilong at Changban Slope?"
The Spear Bureau chief, who usually presented himself as a refined gentleman, was red-faced and hoarse from yelling. Xiang Qian shrank his neck.
"When you got back, I already tried to hint at it, but you didn't understand a thing. And you call yourself a genius? You're a fool!" Zheng Xian grew angrier with every word. "You made a spectacle of yourself out there, and a bunch of old men at the Science and Technology Commission nearly blew their tops. They almost came to block my office door. I didn't even dare answer the phone in my own office."
Xiang Qian gave an awkward laugh. "It wasn't that bad, was it?"
"It was much worse than you think!" Zheng Xian glared at him. "Those old men are six or seven hundred years old between them, and every one of them is a national treasure. If they came to block my door and curse me to my face, I'd still have to smile and apologize. You got to bask in the limelight, and I had to take the scolding for you."
Xiang Qian felt too guilty to say anything.
Zheng Xian rarely let himself have a proper outburst, and he wasn't about to let the little rascal off easily. "Do you even understand how important the responsibility on your shoulders is? Do you really think you're just some rich Playboy?"
"There are plenty of people richer than you. So what if their fortunes are worth hundreds of billions on the stock market? How many of them are irreplaceable? People play games and lend money at exorbitant rates. If there's no Ma, there'll be a Niu. There are plenty of people who can do those things. But if something happens to you, how long would it take for there to be another Five Elements Laboratory?"
"Project Kuafu, Project Houyi, the national defense industry's new materials initiative—just count how many projects the Five Elements Laboratory is responsible for, and how much depends on it!"
Zheng Xian's roar nearly lifted the roof. Fortunately, the Spear Bureau chief's office was fitted with the most advanced soundproofing materials. Otherwise, his image in the eyes of his subordinates might have been shattered overnight.
Xiang Qian glanced at Zheng Xian, judging that the tirade had probably come to an end, then cautiously ventured, "But the mutant gene serum is important too!"
Zheng Xian's eyes flashed, and Xiang Qian guiltily looked away. But Zheng Xian knew that his furious lecture had made no impression on the kid at all. His skin was so thick that even a nuclear warhead probably couldn't break through it.
At that thought, even the usually confident Spear Bureau chief felt discouraged.
He had watched them both grow up. How could the siblings have turned out so differently? If only Xiang Qian could learn from Xiang Tian, he'd have a lot less to worry about.
Xiang Qian lowered his eyes and pretended to be a well-behaved child, but he wasn't worried about his plan at all.
As the world's most populous country, it was naturally also the country with the most mutants. Even using the conservative estimate that mutants made up one percent of the population, this was a major issue affecting tens of millions of people. Zheng Xian would certainly give it serious consideration.
Sure enough, once Zheng Xian had vented and his anger began to fade, he quickly recovered the composure befitting the Spear Bureau chief.
"The mutant gene serum should, ideally, be kept entirely in our own hands."
Xiang Qian smiled. "That's why I have to go there myself."
"Is there no one else who could do it?" Zheng Xian asked with a frown.
Xiang Qian thought for a moment. "If it's only a matter of communicating with the United States government, my sister might be able to do it. But she'd have to go as the Wude Group's vice president, without revealing that she's the Weather Witch. In that case, though, she wouldn't be able to win Professor Xavier's trust, and it would be difficult for her to carry out the most crucial step of the plan."
Zheng Xian's brows knitted together, and he remained silent for a long time. His gaze fell on the documents Xiang Qian had brought. Judging by their contents, Zheng Xian could easily reach the same conclusion as Xiang Qian.
As a veteran agent with thirty years of experience, Zheng Xian felt that, from a purely professional standpoint, Xiang Qian's preliminary plan was already quite comprehensive. It had a good chance of succeeding and would minimize the negative consequences afterward.
But the plan's biggest problem was the person who would carry it out.
Xiang Qian couldn't be allowed to get into trouble. At least for now, there was no one who could replace him. But there was also no one else who could carry out the plan in his place.
"I can't make that decision. I have to report it to my superiors." Zheng Xian rubbed his forehead again. He could feel his head starting to throb.
Xiang Qian grew anxious. "Uncle Xian, you're the country's top official in charge of supernatural affairs. Mutant matters fall under your jurisdiction. Why do you still need to report this to your superiors?"
"I need to report more than just this plan. I need to report you, too." Zheng Xian tapped the documents in his hand. "You were banned from leaving the country because your security level was raised. If you want to go abroad, you need to report it and get approval."
Xiang Qian's eyes shifted, a sly glint in them. "And if your superiors ask for your opinion, Uncle Xian?"
Although Zheng Xian said he had to report it, his superiors would certainly ask him, as the official in charge of the relevant affairs, for his professional opinion. So whether Zheng Xian approved or not was crucial to Xiang Qian's plan.
"What opinion could I possibly have? There's so little time, and I can't come up with a better solution." The Spear Bureau chief sighed in frustration. "We're in this together now. If things go wrong, I'll have to take the blame for you."
Xiang Qian grinned. "Come on, Uncle Xian. We're family. If you have to take the blame, I'll make sure you get the sturdiest bag for it."
"Get out of here!"