Professor Xavier couldn't help but rub his forehead and sigh.
Scott still looked grim. Beast had him pinned to the sofa by the shoulders, but at least he'd given up on tearing the hotel apart. Professor Xavier commanded unquestioned respect among his students. When he got angry, even Scott had to obey, however unwillingly.
Wolverine Logan watched coldly, his expression complicated. He and Scott were rivals for Jean's affections. When Scott had been caught cheating, Logan had felt sorry for Jean, but he'd also secretly rejoiced when she broke off the engagement.
Of course, he hadn't even had two days to enjoy it before discovering that some little bastard had swooped in early.
Of everyone there, Xiang Qian—the big-mouthed troublemaker who'd caused all this—was the most relaxed. He swirled his drink and took slow sips.
"Is that really what you think, James? That Mutants need laws specifically written to target them?" The professor gave him a searching look. "Whose side are you speaking for?"
Xiang Qian met the professor's gaze. "Yours, of course. If it weren't for you, why would I care what laws the Americans pass? I'm not American."
"Professor, think carefully about what I'm saying," Xiang Qian said solemnly. "If the law can't restrain Mutants, then it won't protect them either."
"But what does any of this have to do with Mutant Serum?"
Xiang Qian swirled his drink again. "Mutant Serum ensures that if a Mutant breaks the law, law enforcement will be able to punish him."
"You intend to weaponize the serum—to create a weapon specifically aimed at Mutants." The professor's gaze suddenly hardened.
Xiang Qian held his ground. "It's a weapon, but it's also a deterrent. Nuclear deterrence is what keeps the great powers calm when faced with the prospect of war. When disagreements arise, it sends them to the negotiating table instead of the battlefield."
"You want the government to hold that deterrent over us, forcing us to the negotiating table?" The professor's tone grew harsher. The conversation was sliding toward a breakdown.
Xiang Qian found the professor's idealistic naivety deeply frustrating.
The X-Men's history showed that when Mutants faced a collective crisis, Professor Xavier could judge the situation accurately and act decisively. But when it came to political power struggles, his idealism was just as deeply rooted.
"Professor, you lived through the entire Cold War. America and the Soviet Union threatened each other with nuclear weapons. Which side forced the other into arms-control negotiations?" Xiang Qian asked helplessly.
"Until the government has an effective deterrent, it will always view Mutants with suspicion and keep its guard up. They can't accept the nation's security—and, of course, their own—depending on Mutants to restrain themselves."
"I've always believed that Mutants are the weaker side," the professor said, his tone softening. He realized Xiang Qian probably wasn't speaking on behalf of the American government.
"Then you're completely wrong. The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 was the X-Men's first public appearance. After you stopped a nuclear war by yourselves, you effectively gained deterrent power equal to that of nuclear weapons. And governments can't use nuclear weapons against you—they can't exactly blow up their own cities, can they?"
"So you want them to have weapons designed to hold us in check?"
"I'm just suggesting one possibility. From the day Mutant Serum was created, its weaponization was inevitable." Xiang Qian spread his hands, as if it had nothing to do with him. "Whether it becomes reality, and how events unfold from here, depend on the choices you make."
The professor fell silent again. A decision that would affect the living conditions of all Mutants lay before him.
At that moment, Beast McCoy spoke up. "James, how do Mutants fight for their rights in your country? Do you do what you suggested—deterrence, negotiations, then laws targeting Mutants?"
"Of course not!" Xiang Qian laughed. "In my country, we skipped the first two steps and went straight to legislation. Our legislative body reserved seats specifically for Mutants. Laws concerning Mutants are now being opened for public comment, and they'll probably take another year or two to pass.
"Oh, and before the laws are officially enacted, I heard the Supreme Court issued a set of Interim Regulations on Trials and Sentencing Involving Mutants last year. There was quite a heated public debate at the time, but I didn't pay much attention."
"It was that simple?" McCoy found it hard to believe. As Secretary of Mutant Affairs, he knew better than anyone how divided American politicians were on Mutants and how many arguments the issue stirred up.
Xiang Qian shrugged. "There are still plenty of other things happening. For example, schools and educational institutions everywhere have stepped up their efforts to address young people's mental health. After all, most Mutants come into their powers at that age..."
"No, no, that's not what I meant." McCoy gestured emphatically with one large hand. "I mean, you... just accepted Mutants' rights so easily and even brought Mutants into government institutions?"
"I know it's hard for you to understand, but we really are different from you." Xiang Qian sounded utterly at ease, as though it were only natural.
In America, political battles followed a jungle law driven by money. Every party and interest group tore at the others and fought endlessly in that jungle. That was how they won and protected their rights—that was the kind of politics Beast could understand.
"Even if you agree with me and treat Mutant Serum as an opportunity to fight for your rights, getting a good result will still mean a bloody struggle. Black people sacrificed more than just Martin Luther King Jr. to end segregation."
"But I can't agree with you," the professor said, breaking the silence.
Xiang Qian didn't seem surprised. "May I ask why?"
"Because of Jimmy. If I do what you suggest, we'll have to sacrifice that child's freedom. I can't do that."
"So I just wasted my breath?" Xiang Qian's smile showed not a trace of disappointment. "Professor, that's just who you are! An idealist can never make a decision when forced to choose between the few and the many."
"That's why I'm a professor, not a politician."
"What do you intend to do, then?" Xiang Qian asked.
"We'll stop Erik from killing that child, and then I'll take him away." The professor spoke firmly. "As long as Jimmy stays in the laboratory, Erik or some other radical Mutant will never give up trying to kill him."
"Are you sure you can protect the child?"
"Of course," the professor said confidently. "They'll never find him."
"I see. Just as outsiders can never find the school's address. That includes Magneto, too?"
"Erik knows the school's address, but as long as the child stays at the school, Erik won't kill him. That's the understanding between us."
Xiang Qian found it difficult to argue with the professor. "Right, an understanding like that of a couple married for fifty years!"
The X-Men: "..."
That big mouth couldn't go ten minutes without getting him into trouble.
"Fine. At least one thing is certain." Xiang Qian swirled his drink again. "You'll help protect Alcatraz Island if Magneto really does attack it."
The professor nodded. "Of course. If Erik doesn't go, it'll be difficult for us to get the child out, too. After all, we don't want to go directly against the government and the military."
"Then I guess we're partners, for now." Xiang Qian set down his drink, walked over to the professor, and leaned down to meet his eyes.
"As a gesture of goodwill between partners, I'm going to tell you something crucial."
"What?" The professor frowned deeply. Based on his experience with Xiang Qian, whenever he got this serious, it usually meant bad news.
"The secret of the X-Mansion's location is probably going to be exposed very soon."
"That's impossible!" The professor's gaze turned sharp and dangerous. "Are you saying you intend to..."
"Of course not!" Xiang Qian denied it at once. "I would never reveal the school's location."
"Besides you, only Erik could remember the school. You're the only ones unaffected by my powers who can retain the memory of its location. But I'm sure Erik wouldn't reveal it either."
"It wasn't Magneto, either." Xiang Qian looked a little sheepish. He pulled a palm-sized, square, rectangular object from his jacket pocket. "It's because of this thing."
"A phone?"
Xiang Qian shook his head. "It's not a phone. It's a personal, portable Cerebral Wave Disruptor made by the Five Elements Laboratory."
"A cerebral what?"
"Never mind, Professor. You should try it out for yourself." Xiang Qian slipped the "phone" into McCoy's jacket pocket. "Think about whatever you like, Mr. Secretary. Let the professor see if he can sense what's on your mind."
Beast was bewildered by Xiang Qian's sudden move. He looked helplessly at the professor, only to find him frowning.
"Hank, what were you just thinking?" the professor asked.
Beast said irritably, "I was thinking, what's this little bastard up to now?" The words had slipped out before he could stop them, revealing his true feelings about Xiang Qian.
"Little bastard?" Xiang Qian repeated reflexively.
"For Raven," McCoy replied in a low voice.
But as the two of them bickered, the professor's words struck like a thunderbolt. "I can't sense your thoughts at all, Hank."
The X-Men were shocked. Before long, every eye was fixed on the device in Beast's hand.
Beast wasn't blocking telepathy. The only possible explanation for the professor's power failing was that little device.
"Professor, I think I can guess how you made the X-Mansion disappear from the world's eyes." Xiang Qian took the device back. "City officials, intelligence agencies, even community workers—anyone directly connected to the school or trying to find it had their minds interfered with."
"Under the influence of your telepathy, every intelligence agency destroyed its records of the school's location, along with the city's property records. The school still stood there, but in every official record, it was just an ordinary wealthy man's estate."
"Without anyone noticing, you used your telepathy to carry out a global brainwashing operation."
The professor listened to Xiang Qian in silence, making no effort to deny it.
"But this device interferes with your telepathy. With enough manpower and time, they'll definitely be able to find the X-Mansion."
The X-Men were on high alert. Keeping the school's location secret was the reason they'd enjoyed ten years of peace. Its exposure would be a major crisis.
"Did you make it?" the professor asked.
Xiang Qian nodded. "From the day I confirmed that the professor's telepathy didn't work on me, I began studying my own brain waves. It took me years."
"Has this device already been widely distributed?"
At the question, Xiang Qian instinctively glanced at Logan and the others, all of whom looked unfriendly.
"I'm a businessman, after all. Selling an exclusive product under a monopoly brought me nearly ten billion in profit. It was a very easy business." Xiang Qian sounded perfectly untroubled as he talked about making money. "Besides, there's a lot of advanced technology in Europe and America that we urgently need."
"One more thing I can tell you is that the biggest buyer has been the American government, including the military and intelligence agencies. I just found one on Alcatraz Island. It was a large model made specifically for the U.S. military. It can cover an entire military base—including Alcatraz Island."
"Bastard!" This time, Wolverine Logan couldn't hold back. Six gleaming blades slid out between his fingers.
"This was a deal made at the national level. Killing me now won't change anything." Xiang Qian acted as though he had nothing to worry about, strolled back to the bar, and picked up his drink again.
"I just wanted to warn you that your plan to take Jimmy away and hide him won't work anymore. You'll need to come up with a new plan."
At that moment, someone opened the door to the presidential suite from outside. A tall, dark-skinned, one-eyed man walked in.
"I agree with Mr. James, and I'd be glad to explain a whole new plan to Professor Xavier."