Su Ze and Chen Suifeng left the Lin Family together, concluding their visit.
On the way, Su Ze asked curiously, "Mr. Fen, what did you and Mr. Ke talk about? That is, if you can tell me."
"What else? We talked about how to deal with those alien bastards." As he spoke, he clutched his stomach and muttered, "The Lin Family isnât very hospitable. Itâs already lunchtime, and they didnât even offer us a meal."
âThey probably didnât expect a Venerable Powerhouse like you to eat three square meals a day, right on schedule...â Su Ze grumbled inwardly, but what he said was, "Mr. Fen, what do you want to eat? My treat."
Following Chen Suifengâs directions, Su Ze accompanied him to a small roadside eatery. They got a private room and ordered a few dishes, which turned out to be surprisingly delicious.
The two chatted as they ate. Chen Suifeng casually used his Spiritual Power to seal the private room from the outside world, preventing anyone from eavesdropping on their conversation.
"Mr. Keâs plan is to take things slow. First, we find a group of absolutely trustworthy people, reveal the information to them, and invite them to fight the alien invasion with us. In short, we need to build a team first. This isnât something one or two people can accomplish!" Chen Suifeng said, showing no intention of hiding anything from Su Ze.
Su Ze thought for a moment, then said, "Recruiting people wonât be hard. After all, this is a war between species. As long as theyâre human, theyâll have to stand with their own kind. The hard part is getting others to believe us."
If you just walk up to someone and tell them the Sovereign has been possessed by an alien, theyâll probably think youâre crazy, or that youâre trying to start a rebellion.
"Thatâs why I went to Mr. Ke. He is highly respected and of noble character. In terms of prestige, not even the current Sovereign, Jiang Pingle, can compare to him. People might not believe what I say, but they will definitely believe him!" Chen Suifeng took a big swig of beer, looking refreshed, and continued,
"Right now, many of the higher-ups in Lin Hua Country are Mr. Keâs former students and their students in turn. Many were promoted thanks to his guidance. As long as Mr. Ke steps forward, these people will surely answer the call. What I need to do now is win them over first."
Su Ze nodded, but then threw a bucket of cold water on the idea. "At the end of the day, top-tier combat strength is what matters most. Weâve already confirmed that the Sovereign, Jiang Pingle, has been possessed. If Deng Sui, another Legendary Powerhouse, has also been possessed by the aliens, what are we supposed to do?
"And thatâs not even counting the Pope of the Evolution Divine Teachings. If heâs also in league with Jiang Pingle, then the enemy will have three Legendary Powerhouses. We only have Mr. Ke, a single Legendary. Besides, Mr. Ke is old, after all. Can he really contend with a Legendary Powerhouse like Jiang Pingle, who is in his prime?"
There was something else Su Ze didnât say: the other two major human settlements have most likely also been infiltrated by the aliens. The enemy they had to face might be far greater than they imagined!
"According to you, this whole thing is a lost cause, huh?" Chen Suifeng said, picking up a piece of twice-cooked pork with his chopsticks and popping it in his mouth. "But I have to correct you on one thing. Donât underestimate Mr. Ke. As long as heâs still breathing, heâs a Legendary Powerhouse... As the saying goes, âOld ginger is the spiciest.â"
"Besides, itâs a given that the aliens are stronger than us. It doesnât matter how many Legendary Powerhouses we have. If their home planet sends over a God-tier powerhouse, what could we do even with ten thousand Legendary Powerhouses?
"But they havenât done that, have they? What does that tell you? It means theyâre not simply trying to enslave or destroy Blue Star. Itâs possible they donât even care about Blue Starâs resources. They have more complex motives.
"And thatâs our opportunity. We first need to figure out what theyâre really after. Only then can we mount a targeted resistance. Every day we stop their conspiracy from succeeding is another day for the people of Blue Star to develop! Another day gives us more hope!"
Su Ze took a deep breath and asked, "And where, in your opinion, does that hope lie?"
Chen Suifeng grinned. "The hope certainly isnât with me, nor with Mr. Ke. Weâre just the people fighting to create that hope. Maybe the hope lies with Lin Huaâs Legend. Perhaps one day, heâll return from the Cosmic Starry Sky and become Blue Starâs savior. But...
"Iâm more inclined to believe that you are that hope!"
Chen Suifeng stared at Su Ze, his gaze burning.
Su Ze shook his head repeatedly. "Donât say that. Iâve never thought about being some kind of savior. Please donât put that much pressure on me."
This wasnât the first time Chen Suifeng had tried to instill a sense of "responsibility" in him, but Su Ze wasnât buying it.
He could barely manage his own little corner of the world, so how could he have the mind to worry about saving it? Right now, he had to get past the Shepherd King first before he could even think about more distant matters.
Seeing that Su Ze seemed very resistant, Chen Suifeng didnât press the issue. Instead, he changed the subject and asked, "Iâm heading up the organization of an exchange tournament for the champions of the three continents. Are you interested in participating?"
"Not really interested," Su Ze said, shaking his head.
"Youâre still missing quite a few of these evolution materials you need to collect, right?" Chen Suifeng suddenly produced the list Su Ze had given him earlier.
On it were all the materials and extracts Su Ze needed to upgrade his skills.
Su Zeâs eyes lit up. "Just say whatâs on your mind."
"A lot of the items on this list can be found in the national treasury of Lin Hua Country," Chen Suifeng said unhurriedly.
"But Iâm not an official of Lin Hua Country." Su Ze knew that Lin Hua Country, much like Dongli, must have a system of contribution points for redeeming treasures from the national treasury, though it was likely restricted to official personnel. "Unless you could redeem them for me."
âAs the Minister of Education, Chen Suifeng must have a lot of contribution points.â
"I can exchange them for you, but youâll have to pay me back with points or something else of equivalent value," Chen Suifeng said with a smile.