Elo, feeling somewhat helpless under Vian’s intense gaze, let out a faint, bitter smile.

  “Is there really a need to be so angry?”

  Vian responded with a cold laugh, filled with sarcasm, offering no mercy in her tone.

  Their mother, seated nearby, was clearly displeased with Vian’s attitude, but she chose to remain silent in front of others.

  Elo, on the other hand, wasn’t angry. He carefully weighed his words, trying to defuse the situation without adding fuel to the fire.

  The cabinet members watched Elo’s cautious demeanor. Though their expressions remained calm, they each calculated their own thoughts privately.

  “Tell me, why has the situation developed to this point?”

  Vian was neither inclined to think nor interested in answering Elo's question.

  Elo sighed lightly but didn’t stop, continuing,

  “Because you’re surprised. Just now, you asked me, ‘You still have the ability to open the Space-Time Gate?’”

  He paused briefly, his gaze locking firmly onto Vian.

  “Do you know what that question implies?”

  Vian understood the implication but chose to remain silent.

  "This means that I, an ordinary person, could never possibly possess such an exaggerated ability."

  Elo looked at Vian and patiently said,

  “If even you think this way, what about everyone else? What will these elites think?”

  His gaze swept across everyone present, sharp as needles, his tone growing heavier:

  "They established specialized research institutes to analyze every detail of my past thirty years.

  So, what did they see? They saw a mediocre, ordinary person."

  Elo's tone rose slightly as he tried to make Vian understand his thoughts.

  "If I truly possessed such powerful abilities, why were the first thirty years of my life so mediocre?

  Why didn’t I live in a grand mansion? Why didn’t I surround myself with beautiful women?

  You’ve reviewed all the data they analyzed about me—tell me, did they ever consider these questions?"

  Elo’s gaze locked firmly on Vian, waiting for her answer.

  Vian’s eyes wavered slightly, her initial anger and discontent gradually shifting into a sense of helplessness.

  Finally, she spoke, her voice low and slightly weary:

  “They did consider similar questions.”

  Elo nodded, his expression showing that he had expected this answer.

  "That’s why we need to explain: where does this civilization-shifting power come from?"

  Vian looked up at Elo. She was not incapable of understanding his thoughts, but she remained firm in her stance:

  "You can choose not to explain, but why must you give them an explanation? Who dares to ask? Who will ask?"

  Her gaze turned icy:

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  "Bullets and their corpses—that’s the best explanation."

  Elo shook his head slightly, his expression serious, with a hint of deep thought in his eyes.

  "I can choose not to explain, but does that mean they won’t think about it themselves?"

  Vian opened her mouth but didn’t immediately refute him, as she couldn’t find a reason to argue.

  "True, we can place loyal individuals in various departments to ensure the entire government follows our orders.

  But this problem still exists.

  Right now, they’re restrained by various limitations and won’t actively dig into these questions. But what about the future?"

  An invisible pressure filled the air, and Elo’s expression grew heavier.

  "The government won’t establish an investigative body because we control the government.

  But what about outside the government?

  Are we really going to rely on loyal individuals to monitor the entire society?

  Even if we can monitor the entire society, can we monitor every person’s thoughts?

  Even if we could monitor every person’s thoughts, or even brainwash everyone, such a society—"

  He deliberately paused, raising his head to meet Vian’s eyes with a resolute gaze.

  "—is not the society I wish for."

  Hearing his final words, Vian’s body trembled slightly, a trace of complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

  She couldn’t deny that she, too, wouldn’t want to live in such a societal environment.

  Elo’s gaze swept across the seven cabinet members, his tone carrying an undeniable force.

  “We have the ability to create a better world—a world where everyone can be happier.

  So why aren’t we doing it?”

  His tone suddenly deepened, his piercing gaze cutting straight to the heart:

  “Is it because we can’t? No, we absolutely can!

  The industrial capacity before the Great Catastrophe was enough to ensure a good life for everyone!

  But why didn’t we achieve it? Why?”

  Their expressions stiffened momentarily at his words, and for a moment, no one spoke.

  Vian lowered her gaze, unsure of how to respond.

  Elo continued, his voice calm yet brimming with strength:

  "In the past thirty years, I have asked myself this question countless times—because we are imperfect.

  We have done many terrible things: destroying nature, driving animals to extinction, waging wars, killing one another, fostering poverty and hunger.

  But we are also kind.

  We are compassionate; we help others; we protect nature; we care for animals.

  And at the same time, we strive to create a better world.

  In fact, countless people have selflessly devoted their lives to this cause, and their efforts are absolutely not meaningless!"

  He paused briefly, his gaze softening slightly.

  "Humans are imperfect, but it is precisely this imperfection that makes our existence bring more vibrancy to the world.

  That is why I have come to accept humanity’s imperfections, as well as the imperfections of this world.

  Because I firmly believe that this world will become better because of imperfect humanity.

  And in fact, because of our efforts, the world is indeed becoming a better place, and more people are living good lives.

  This isn’t empty talk—I have witnessed it with my own eyes over the past thirty years.

  Though the first thirty years of my life were not without challenges, I deeply understand that my family has been among the beneficiaries of this world’s progress.

  My father only had a middle school education, and my mother didn’t even graduate from elementary school—she couldn’t read until I was in kindergarten.

  From my childhood to adolescence and adulthood, they ensured I lived a happy, fulfilling, and abundant life.

  Of course, this was thanks to their hard work, intelligence, and diligence. But more importantly—this world was becoming a better place.

  Although some things happened later that caused me trouble, and even dissatisfaction at the time.

  as time went on, I gradually came to understand:

  It wasn’t the world’s fault, but rather a necessary process to make this world a better place."

  The cabinet members listened to Elo’s words, and an unprecedented sense of excitement surged in their hearts.

  Among them, one cabinet member from Asia appeared particularly moved, as he understood:

  Elo’s words were, in essence, an acknowledgment of the contributions of their nation and culture to the development of the world.

  He felt a deep sense of pride and honor in his country’s educational system, which had nurtured a figure like Elo.

  Although nations and ethnicities have become history, their cultures and ideologies have not been extinguished.

  Next, the inheritors of these cultures and ideologies will lead human civilization to an entirely new height—

  a height that has been unimaginable in the history of human civilization until now.

  The Prime Minister’s eyes lit up with hope as he clenched his fists, trying to contain the fiery emotion that burned within him.

  He firmly believed that the future of the Human Federation would be incredibly glorious,

  and that this era of brilliance would come to pass within his lifetime!

  Elo’s mother sat quietly to the side, a faint smile appearing on her face.

  Although she tried to suppress her inner pride, everyone could see the sense of solace in her eyes.

  Vian’s fingers trembled slightly. In the past thirty years, she had never heard Elo express his thoughts so candidly.

  She knew that Elo often fell into deep contemplation on his own.

  She had tried asking him what he was thinking, but every time, he would brush her off with casual responses.

  Over the past five years, she had read numerous analysis reports about her brother, gaining a clearer understanding of his inner world.

  And yet, even so, her emotions at this moment were still too complex to put into words.