"What, feeling bitter?" Zhao Gang asked, noticing that something was off about Lin Mo's mood.
Lin Mo didn't know how to answer.
Zhao Gang patted his shoulder.
"It's normal to feel bitter. You can't expect someone to suffer and not even let him complain a little, can you?"
"Of course, plenty of unreasonable things might have happened along the way, but governing a country is actually very complicated."
"Where there's power, there'll always be parasites. That's human nature. You can never catch them all, only deal with them as you find them, over and over again."
Lin Mo curled his lip.
"Just round them all up and shoot the bastards!"
Zhao Gang couldn't help laughing, pointing lightly at Lin Mo.
"Look at you. Letting your emotions get the better of you, aren't you?"
"Put it this way: can you guarantee you'd stay clean yourself? Maybe for two or three years, but what about four or five? Could you still guarantee it?"
"Besides, if we arrest them all, who's left to carry out orders? Fresh recruits straight out of school?"
"You can't focus on one thing at the expense of another. Otherwise, you'll lose the big picture over something small."
"A lot of the time, as long as their contributions outweigh their faults, we turn a blind eye."
Lin Mo fell silent.
It was true. If he held certain positions himself, he probably wouldn't be such a good person either.
At that moment, much of his resentment toward the country suddenly faded, and he understood a great deal more.
Nobody was perfect. Human nature was both the most complicated and the simplest thing of all.
As long as they were heading in the right direction overall, that was still a good thing.
Zhao Gang seemed to realize the conversation had gone off track, so he changed the subject.
He believed this conversation would help Lin Mo mature considerably. That was what he wanted.
He pointed toward the massive steel city under construction, watching as it filled the air with deafening noise.
"This is only a seed project, a Noah's Ark meant to preserve our civilization."
"But an ark has to reach shore eventually."
At those words, Lin Mo shook off his gloom, let out a long breath, and looked at everything before him.
Working on the outskirts and listening to figures in a conference room had felt completely different from seeing this underground marvel with his own eyes, being built at a frantic pace for the sake of survival.
Combined with their conversation, the word "responsibility" took shape in every shower of welding sparks and every inch of extending rebar, weighing heavily on his heart.
"I understand," Lin Mo said.
"We have to get the World Tree seed!"
Zhao Gang turned to look at Lin Mo and patted his shoulder.
"Yes, but don't put too much pressure on yourself. You're the only one we've got. Take it steadily and do your best."
In the bedroom.
Lin Mo lay down on the bed again. As he closed his eyes, Fendona's pretty face, innocent yet full of curiosity, appeared in his mind.
Elf Queen, Aivinol, here I come!
With that thought, Lin Mo gradually relaxed and drifted off to sleep.
Lothia City, Terra Continent.
Lin Mo's eyes snapped open, and he got up from the wooden bed.
"That felt good!"
He stretched, feeling as though he had an endless supply of energy.
He grabbed a few pieces of fruit from the table and opened the door while munching on them.
As soon as he opened it, he saw Fendona standing out brilliantly among the elves nearby.
Whether it was her bearing, her beauty, or her aristocratic attire, Fendona stood head and shoulders above the crowd.
She was inspecting the newly delivered compound bows with several elf warriors.
"Princess!" Lin Mo shouted, jogging over.
Hearing his voice, Fendona turned around. A flicker of delighted surprise crossed her green eyes when she saw how lively he looked.
"Sir Lin Mo, you're awake?"
"How are you feeling after eating the Life Fruit?"
"Great!" Lin Mo grinned.
"I feel like even my eyes have changed-you look even prettier now!"
Fendona covered her mouth and giggled.
"Hehe, you're quite charming, Sir Lin Mo."
Lin Mo laughed.
"Princess Fendona, your Queen invited me to Aivinol, right?"
"When do we leave?"
Fendona paused, a little surprised that Lin Mo was so eager to take the initiative.
"You... want to go now?"
"Of course!" Lin Mo thumped his chest.
"Waiting may be a virtue, but making someone wait certainly isn't."
"With such a gracious invitation from your Queen, how could I keep her waiting?"
Fendona thought for a moment, then said,
"The Demon Clan won't attack in the next few days. I'd originally planned to go to the royal city tomorrow."
"Since you're so eager, Sir Lin Mo, please wait a little. Once I've left a few instructions, we can set off together."
"You're coming too? That's great!" Lin Mo was delighted. Having someone familiar accompany him was naturally the best possible arrangement.
Fendona was highly efficient. In just half an hour, everything was ready.
The group arrived at the platform in Lothia City reserved for griffin takeoffs and landings.
Dozens of magnificent griffins lay quietly on the ground while elf knights fitted them with saddles.
Fendona considered it for a moment, then said,
"Sir Lin Mo, ride with me on the same griffin."
Lin Mo blinked. Remembering that he didn't know how to ride a griffin anyway, he immediately agreed.
Fendona walked over to a resting griffin and swung herself into the saddle, then patted the space behind her.
"Sir Lin Mo, climb up."
"Don't worry. She's very gentle."
Lin Mo stepped forward and briefly studied the griffin.
The creature looked like a cross between a lion and an eagle, with an eagle's front half and a lion's hindquarters.
Its front half had a sharp, hooked beak, golden eagle eyes, and feather-covered forelegs with exceptionally sharp talons.
Its hindquarters were covered in short, mane-like fur, with the powerful muscles of a lion's rear legs.
It was also enormous, about the size of an elephant, so carrying two people was no problem at all.
Lin Mo swung himself up, but misjudged his strength and instinctively caught hold of Fendona's waist.
A faint blush quietly spread across Fendona's fair cheeks.
"Are you seated properly, Sir Lin Mo?"
"Yes," Lin Mo said, catching the young woman's natural, woodland scent. It smelled exceptionally pleasant.
This was already the second time he'd caught her scent from so close.
Once Fendona saw that everyone was ready, she adjusted her seat and called out,
"Let's go!"
The griffin let out a loud, piercing cry and gave a powerful beat of her sturdy wings.
A moment later, she shot into the sky!
An intense surge of g-force struck him.
The wind blasted into Lin Mo's ears and mouth.
Wind roared past his ears as vast forests spread beneath them, threaded with winding rivers.
It was a breathtaking scene, like a paradise on earth.
Before you continue