Xia Jin's performance further solidified the man's belief that the other party still had a trump card.
Currently, the evidence they had gathered was that Xia Jin was conducting secret, illegal human experiments.
However, these experiments were merely superficial to the camera. They had found nothing that truly touched the core of the matter.
This time, they had alerted the enemy. If they couldn't capture Xia Jin and his entire operation in one go, they would have no chance to investigate the industries involved in these secret experiments.
Even though experiments involving abilities for human modification were extremely dangerous, there were still plenty of people willing to risk it for that 1/10 chance of success.
For those people, having a 1/10 chance of success meant they could live with dignity and do as they pleased. But they didn't know what these experiments truly represented.
Perhaps they knew, but they accepted it willingly.
After all, living one year with dignity versus living ten years like a dog without any dignity—anyone would choose the former.
However, the very concept of abilities was going against the natural order.
At this moment, they were unaware that a new species, known as ability users, was awakening in this world.
While these two individuals were in a stalemate, Chu Yu was not idle either.
Chu Yu looked at the man before him, a figure who virtually controlled the Lighthouse from the shadows and held significant influence.
"I wonder what instructions you have for summoning me," Chu Yu said, maintaining his usual flippant demeanor. He appeared carefree, as if nothing weighed on his mind.
This was Chu Yu's usual guise. He was experienced in making others lower their guard or not suspect him.
However, Chu Yu's day seemed to be going awry.
The middle-aged man before him did not display the disdain he had expected. Instead, he looked at Chu Yu with a knowing gaze.
"Captain Chu, I trust you are well!" the middle-aged man chuckled. His eyes were etched with the vicissitudes of time. Time had taken away the man's youth but had bestowed upon him a mature and稳重 elegance.
Upon hearing the man's address, Chu Yu knew his disguise had been seen through. Therefore, there was no need to continue the charade.
His casual, nonchalant demeanor was instantly shed, replaced by the solemn and serious bearing of a soldier.
The habitually stooped back straightened to its full height.
Chu Yu's eyes lost their playfulness, replaced by sharpness and caution.
"Since you know my true identity, there's no need for me to pretend any longer. So, why did you summon me?"
The middle-aged man smiled and said, "You don't need to be so hostile towards me. In fact, our ultimate goals are the same."
"The same goals?" Chu Yu scoffed, as if he didn't believe a word the man said.
"Do you know what my goal is? How can you say our goals are the same?"
The middle-aged man did not seem offended. Instead, he continued to look at Chu Yu with a kind demeanor and said slowly,
"I know you are operating in secret, attempting to regain control of the Lighthouse. I also know you want the Lighthouse to return to the land. I want that too, which is why I say our goals are the same."
Seeing Chu Yu's disbelieving expression, the man knew how weak his words sounded. However, time would prove everything. The man didn't offer further explanations but continued speaking to Chu Yu.
"Don't look at me with such disbelief. We old folks are getting on in years. You know, Chinese people value their homeland the most. We believe in putting down roots. Living in the sky for these past three years has been a forced measure. While you might think I'm the one actually operating the Lighthouse, that's not the case."
"The forces within the Lighthouse are far more complex than you imagine. It's not that we don't want the Lighthouse to return to the ground. It's that someone doesn't want the Lighthouse to return to the ground."
"There are too many intricacies involved. Even if I spoke to you for three days and three nights, I couldn't explain it all. Moreover, there are things even I don't know the inside story of."
"All you need to know is that I am on your side. We also want the Lighthouse to return to the ground. Or rather, we want to return to our roots."
"I believe you young people have also noticed that all living beings on Earth, on Blue Star, are evolving with its changes. I also know that people on the ground, due to environmental influences, are experiencing some physical evolutions. Yet, by staying in the sky in comfort, we have missed this opportunity for evolution."
Chu Yu remained silent, and the man continued speaking.
"I believe you witnessed it in the competition. A small group of awakened ability users appeared on stage. However, these ability users did not evolve through innate abilities but were modified through human experimentation. You and I both know what this implies?"
"However, in this competition, we also discovered a more interesting situation: humans who awakened abilities through their own evolution. I believe such a phenomenon might not be newsworthy on the ground. As far as I know, 50% of the people on the ground have already begun to gradually evolve into ability users."
Chu Yu was somewhat surprised that this man knew so much about what was happening in the survivor bases on the ground. Some things he knew were due to his special identity and his consistent and close contact with the Southern Base. But how did this man know everything that had happened in the Southern Base?
Seeing Chu Yu's astonished expression, the man couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter.
"You don't need to be so surprised. There are always many things in this world that you young people don't know. It's not just you young people who hold onto your so-called beliefs. We old men, with one foot already in the grave, also have our pursuits."
After listening for a long time, Chu Yu finally understood what the man wanted to tell him.
"Are you saying that it's not that the Lighthouse doesn't want to return to the mainland, but that someone within the Lighthouse is preventing it from doing so?"
The middle-aged man simply nodded but remained silent. He looked at Chu Yu with a knowing smile, as if tacitly agreeing to everything.
Chu Yu instantly understood everything.