The fresh fragrance of pu'er tea mingled with the sweet, crisp scent of cedar in the room. The clock on the wall ticked away, marking the passage of time.
39 held a lit cigarette between his fingers, his torso resting against the sofa and his legs crossed. He was utterly relaxed, almost languid, his voice slow and low, as though he were enjoying a pleasant chat with an old friend on an ordinary afternoon.
"I remember theologians proposing an ontological proof, arguing that God is the most perfect being, and that existence is one of the attributes of perfection, so God must exist. They deduced God's existence from the very concept of God, though I think the reasoning is riddled with holes."
"The concept of God alone cannot necessarily prove that God exists in reality. Conceptual perfection doesn't imply actual existence. When philosophers challenged this argument, they posed a tricky question: can God create a stone so heavy that even he cannot lift it?"
Anbers tipped his head up. Still picking tea leaves out of his cup and chewing them, he scoffed, "That's a paradox. They claim God is omnipotent, but if God really can do anything, how could there be a stone he cannot lift? Science should be the prevailing force in society. Science is rational and logical. Theology is nothing more than idealism."
Enjoying the conversation, Anbers sprang excitedly to his feet and darted over to a cabinet. He pulled out a brand-new beaked mask, bent down, and handed it to 39.
"Try this. We believe the Black Death can be defeated. I know that thing must spread through saliva and fleas! Would you like to see the results of our research?"
Xie De took the mask and stole a glance at the clock on the wall.