Tai Chi City is one of the few super entertainment centers in the solar system that can compete with the top interstellar colonial cities in the sky, so it is naturally not comparable to ordinary entertainment venues.
But there is another kind of place in the solar system. Although it is so small that it is not worth mentioning compared with Tai Chi City, it is dotted like stars in the sky. There are not thousands but hundreds on almost every planet, and even on
There are many hidden in the rings of Saturn.
These places are the Star Bars, known as "homes of outlaws."
Perhaps due to sentiment, almost every interstellar bar has a strong western style. Of course, it's just the appearance. Whether the bar sells red wine, foreign wine, white wine, or rice wine all depends on the mood of the boss.
Zhao Dongfang got his first pot of gold when he accidentally discovered an underground treasure as a maintenance worker, and his starting point was an interstellar bar with a Western-style appearance and Chinese-style decoration.
Nowadays, Boss Zhao has grown bigger and stronger and has become the leading tycoon in the solar system. Naturally, he will no longer patronize the interstellar bar, which has a narrow space for activities and is filled with the stench of sweat and blood. However, when he was running
I have kept that room ever since.
After being transferred by more than a dozen shop owners, this interstellar bar, which has been renovated countless times and now looks like a giant aspirin capsule, has been renamed "Lemon Soda".
Just from the name, I feel that the owner of this bar is not a big man.
But when you walk in, you will find that the boss here is not only a tall, thick, and hairy black bear-like man, but the customers who often stay here, with or without criminal records, are also about the same size.
Therefore, when Lan Qier walked into this bar for the first time, the beautiful reality in her fantasy was shattered in an instant.
After standing in front of the bar for a long time, Lan Qier knocked on the greasy counter and said, "Give me a glass of ice water."
The words were not loud, but as soon as Lan Qier's words came out, the bar, which was still laughing and cursing, immediately fell silent.
Lan Qier noticed the abnormality and looked back warily, only to see a group of really hateful looking men looking at her with what they thought were amiable smiles.
Lan Qier didn't like being watched by such a group of stinky men. She didn't escape from Tai Chi City and hide here just to cause trouble.
So she cleared her throat and said, "What the hell, go drink your wine!"
If these words were put in a normal situation, they would probably be regarded as a provocation, but in this interstellar bar, they are indeed polite words.
I saw the big men looking at each other, and then I don't know who couldn't hold it back and laughed first, followed by the whole bar. Some guys who looked like they were not very smart even punched the table, shaking the whole bar.
Follow with trembling.
Lan Qier had a dark expression on her face. She twitched the corner of her mouth twice before hearing a rather gentle voice coming from behind her: "The ice water you want."
Lan Qier turned around and saw that it was the boss.
This black bear does not seem to have anything to do with words like "little freshness", but the way he carefully wiped the greasy surface on the table after putting down the ice water, and the tenderness in his eyes when he looked at Lan Qier made Lan Qi'er...
I have an inexplicable feeling of unreality.
Although she still felt a chill, Lan Qier didn't regret coming in as much as before.
Drinking ice water in a bar is not a particularly big deal, but you will inevitably be laughed at.
Lan Qier doesn't mind being laughed at, but she hates being harassed.
So when she sensed someone approaching from behind, her hand had quietly grasped the gun hidden in her waist.
But when that person sat down next to Lan Qier, Lan Qier suddenly felt embarrassed.
It turned out to be a kind-hearted old man, and he kept his eyes closed, making him look like a blind man.
The old man didn't speak after he took his seat, but the boss had already brought the prepared drinks and food to him.
A cup of lemon soda and a portion of bacon rice with sauce.
This combination is really eye-catching.
Lan Qier asked about the aroma of the vegetable rice and suddenly her stomach growled unsatisfactorily.
The boss seemed to have heard it. He smiled and asked, "Would you like something to eat?"
Lan Qier smiled awkwardly: "Just like him."
"Okay." The boss turned around and went to the kitchen. It seemed that he had not prepared the second portion in advance.
While Lan Qier was waiting for the food, she heard a few strong men behind her talking about recent events and what happened today.
They also all know that there is a special arena competition in Tai Chi City, and they are more aware of the movements above their heads, but no one intends to run away to avoid trouble.
It was as if nothing had happened, everyone had an arrogant look on their faces, and their smiles were particularly wild.
Lan Qier ignored them, but after listening to them, she felt that what they said was a little different.
"If you ask me, the supreme leader is too benevolent. If he wipes out all of them like he did to those emperors who refused to accept negotiations, there will be no rebels left." The little fat man who spoke said that he was still talking.
Stuffed with French fries, it's delicious to eat.
A thin and dry man next to him said with a gloomy face: "This is true. If we had made up our mind to encircle and suppress the moon early, how could we bring the First Fleet in again? How could such a woman be so kind?
of."
The little fat man hummed, took a sip of wine and smiled: "That's right, and ah, I think these rebels are really fucking stupid. They can't live such a good life, but they have to fight against those old gods.
Don’t you think you’ll be able to hold yourself up after eating enough?”
The dry man nodded: "If you look at the history of our human society, except for the heyday of the Golden Age, which dynasty or generation can compare with today? You and I are both outlaws, but we can still have a drink in this bar.
They are so happy that they are still rebelling? Huh, what a bunch of idiots!"
"boom!"
As soon as the dry man finished speaking, there was a bang from the bar.
Lan Qier held the cup tightly, clenching her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white.
If the old man beside her hadn't noticed her annoyance early and comforted her in time, someone in the group would have been shot dead by Lan Qier.
The little fat man was startled. He looked up at Lan Qier who was sitting down slowly and snorted coldly: "If you ask me, this rebellion is fucking outrageous! If there weren't these things, I wouldn't have used it today.
Don’t worry about eating lunch next to me.”
This time Lan Qier didn't get angry again.
She sat down again, her mood suddenly calmed down.
At the same time, Lan Qier couldn't help but think to herself: 'What am I doing? What can I change by arguing with idiots like them? If even they can understand, why should we hide in Tibet and be afraid... ugh...
...let him be...'
After figuring this out, Lan Qier gradually calmed down, and even had a smile on her lips.
Just then the boss came out with a plate of bacon rice bowl with sauce.
The food was placed in front of Lan Qier. Lan Qier's eyes lit up. She ignored the noise and began to eat peacefully.
But as soon as she took a bite, the old man next to her wiped her mouth, slowly turned around and smiled at the little fat man: "My friend, Lao Fu has just been listening to you guys discussing the rebellion.
At first it seemed quite reasonable, but in the end it turned out to be a bit extreme and hard for people to agree with."
The little fat man who was about to wipe his mouth and leave was stunned for a moment when he heard this, then sneered and said: "What the hell? I can't agree with that? Yo? Where did you come from? You are still here with your brothers and being polite.
Yes, could it be said that what we just said hurt your old dog's heart?"
The little fat man's words were so arrogant that his companions were so happy that they burst out laughing.
Lan Qier stopped using her chopsticks but did not look back. She just glanced secretly at the old man beside her.
The old man was not angry either. He held his cane with both hands, smiled with his eyes closed and said: "Yes, I, the old man, did feel a little offended, so I felt that these few people seemed a bit rude, but it doesn't matter.
If I really want to take action, even when I was young, I would not be a match for any of them, so... I just want to discuss things with you, what do you think?"
The little fat man snorted coldly when he heard this, then stood up and vomited: "Bah, I don't have time to waste time on an old dog like you. If you want to discuss it, you can do it yourself." After saying that, he dropped the money.
gone.
His companions followed immediately.
The old man smiled bitterly, looking quite helpless, so he had no choice but to turn back and start drinking the lemon soda water whose ice cubes had already melted.
Lan Qier saw this and her heart moved.
Then I heard several screams suddenly coming from outside the door.
Some of the guests sitting in front of the window were even more shocked. The one who had previously pounded the table laughed and clapped his hands: "Okay, okay! They're all dead! They're all dead! Brother! We don't have to worry about being beaten by them.
!”
The stupid man opposite smiled awkwardly and looked out the window.
The little fat man changed his equipment and went out, but as soon as he walked outside the bar, he was killed by a mysterious man whose figure could not be seen in the dust with a sword.
The corpses were scattered all over the ground, and the mysterious man walked away gracefully, looking quite like a chivalrous man.
Seeing this scene, the man in black trench coat couldn't help but look at the two people in front of the bar.
Lan Qier didn't care about the noise outside the door. She ate very slowly, mainly because she was used to thinking about problems while eating.
What the old man said just now aroused her curiosity, so Lan Qier mustered up the courage and said: "Old man, how about I come and discuss it with you?"
The old man was startled when he heard this, obviously he didn't expect that anyone would really want to deal with such a bad old man like him.
"Girl...are you really talking to me?"
Lan Qier smiled slightly: "Well, I just listened to what some of them said, and I felt a little uncomfortable, but I am a little unsure myself, so I wanted to discuss it with you on their behalf."
The old man was sure that it was Lan Qier who was talking to him and laughed: "Okay, okay, it's my blessing that the girl has the patience to listen to me. I'm naturally happy."
Lan Qier didn't want to have such a long chat with him, so she said, "Okay, let's start now?"
"Um."
Putting down her chopsticks, Lan Qier thought for a while and then said: "Before the rebellion started, there were actually opposition voices in the Yaxing Republic protesting against human society's surrender to the old gods. They believed that the old gods were the enemies of mankind after all.
They regard human beings as playthings. They give some favors when they are happy, and blend into the world and kill innocent people indiscriminately when they are unhappy. They are not gods worthy of respect at all. Therefore, human society must have its own beliefs and the old gods must be driven out of human society.
, this voice lasted for many years, but at that time, the top management of the Asia-Star Republic only wanted to complete the unification of the solar system as soon as possible, so they ignored these cries of free will, which ultimately led to the tragic disaster of rebellion, but...but...
…”
After talking for a long time, Lan Qier suddenly remembered her position at this time and changed her perspective. She paused and continued: "But, in my opinion, this is purely a fig leaf imposed by the rebels to cover their rebellion.
Untenable!"
The old man had been listening with a smile. When he saw that it was time to speak, he said, "Oh? Why does the girl think that this voice of longing for freedom and independence is a fig leaf?"
Lan Qier was stunned for a moment, then thought about it and then said: "First of all, regardless of whether the old gods should be kicked out of human society, let's first look at the powers we rely on now. These are the blessings of the old gods.
The power itself is a gift from the old gods. We are simply not qualified enough to negotiate terms with the old gods. It can even be said that in front of the almost omniscient and omnipotent old gods, we ants are not qualified to negotiate freedom because we are too weak.
So weak that as long as actual actions are taken to resist the old gods, they are doomed to fail! Therefore, these opposing voices are undoubtedly full and full, and are meaningless shameless and ignorant manifestations and assumptions. What our human society pursues
Isn’t it stability and harmony, and isn’t it the greatest happiness for everyone? Now that the old gods have given us the entire solar system, and even want to take us to conquer the entire galaxy in the next step, why do we still need to go to such a human society?
To oppose? To destroy? To engage in rebellion? From my point of view, it is completely meaningless except to increase the number of killings!"
When Lan Qier said these words at first, she was still a little reluctant, because she was saying things that were contrary to her inner voice and beliefs. She was playing the roles that had just made her murderous.
But halfway through, Lan Qier felt that she had entered the role. Not only did her generous words pour out, but even the faith deep in her inner world had a trace of doubt, and her firm belief was also shaken.
Although the old man couldn't see, he could hear some clues from Lan Qier's tone. He nodded and said: "Girl, you are right. No matter at this moment, under the rule of the Asia-Star Republic, it is the supreme leader who said
In the end, it is the old gods who we humans have no way of resisting who have the final say. In short, when the happiness of most people can be guaranteed and realized, any rebellion that opposes or even destroys this stable situation will not be accepted by human society.
What is allowed should be spurned and suppressed."
Lan Qier was startled when she heard this. She thought that the old man would have some great ideas that she had not touched yet, but she did not expect that he would follow her words and give her another blow.
but……
"But!" The old man paused and then suddenly sneered: "Who is right and wrong, what is clear and what is dirty, how can it be clear who will reward you with a bowl of rice and a bed where you can lie down and rest?
The world is all about profit. The reason why the Yaxing Republic was able to unify the entire solar system in the name of the old gods in a short period of time was that even during the unification stage, they allowed their armies to carry out bloody extermination and destruction, but they were still able to avoid being ruled by the people.
There is no other reason for uniting to oppose it, because all those who have been favored by the Asia-Star Republic... or in other words, those who have been favored by the old gods are vested interests. In this case, who have the right to comment on the tragedy that has happened? Why bother to mention anything?
Objection? But...as I said before, what is right and what is wrong, what is pure and what is turbid, can't be distinguished simply by taking a bite of rice...In the final analysis, it is the balance between desire and reality in people's hearts.
The old gods have taken it in their hands, so...even if we are in prison, why should we consider ourselves animals?"
Lan Qier was confused when she heard this, but she felt like she was enlightened. The unsteadiness and hesitation in her heart disappeared in an instant.
The old man sighed softly and looked up at the roof of the bar.
He can't see, but he seems to be able to see through all the colorful and obscure things in this world.
On the Mars star field, the first confrontation between the Second Fleet and the Annabell has officially begun... The attack ship rushed towards the Annabell, which was trapped by the resistance field and could not use the jump engine.
The sharp prows of those attack ships pierced the hull of the Annabell like daggers, and then a group of heavily armed Asian Republic interstellar troops broke into the Annabell's interior.
They have a clear division of labor and a unified purpose. They are not fighting for war, but just to figure out the true purpose of the Red Dwarf Legion.
Lan Qier didn't know what was going on in the Mars field at this moment. She also raised her head, but couldn't see anything clearly.
The old man lowered his head again, touched his cane and said: "Girl, in fact, the argument between you and me does not have much significance. For the world, Rashomon is the ideal country they long for. If the old gods can give it, they will also
If you are willing to accept it, why do you have to worry about why they are confused? Just like these people in this bar, most of them are prodigal rangers. The stories of each of them are enough to write a book, and they are related to the entire solar system and the entire human race.
Destiny is more real than others, and it is easier to touch good stories in people's hearts... Therefore, instead of thinking about those pure philosophies, those empty abstract theories that are intangible and invisible to us mortals, it is better to
Take back your mind and concentrate on eating a bowl of rice, what do you think?"
Lan Qier was stunned.
The old man laughed and said to the boss: "This girl's food is a little cold. Please heat it up for her."
The boss did as he was told, and the old man got up and prepared to leave.
Lan Qier came back to her senses and asked, "Do you really think it's not necessary?"
The old man asked back: "If you are talking about fighting for your beliefs, then I have nothing to say, but if you are just entangled in these issues, then there is no need. A truly strong man never needs to convince anyone."