Chapter 539: Schiller

What is the best era?

Perhaps, everyone has their own answer.

Stark feels that the best era is now, mankind is about to enter the sea of stars, and he will also achieve higher accomplishments than his father.

Steve feels that the best era is the previous era, that is the era that belongs to him, a pure but magnificent era.

Nick Fury feels that the best era is always the next era, unknown enemies mean more funding.

"Stepping on Stars"

But if, in front of this question, a modifier is added, for human civilization, which era is the best era?

It is that era of confrontation across the ocean and the strongest competition.

In that era called the Cold War, two superpowers conducted all-round competition. At that time, all the genius wisdom of mankind was liberated. When the two suns shone together, thousands of stars rose into the sky.

In that era, one was a red giant working hard for the great ideal of liberating all mankind, and the other was a world lighthouse that never allowed itself to fall behind, with its eyes fixed on the sea of stars.

In that silent era, the tiny sparks rubbed out can still light the fire of technology until today.

However, the fall of the red giant does not mean that the other side won. It can be said that both of them lost, and human civilization also lost.

That once incomparably brilliant lighthouse, because there is no longer a night sky that needs it to light up, no longer has ships that need it to guide the return, the pipelines began to age, and the light bulbs were covered with dust.

This lighthouse that has gradually extinguished will no longer have night workers to wipe it because there is no need.

They don't save the ships that hit the reef in the distance, and no one can blame them anymore. The violent storms and suffering sailors set off thousands of miles away will no longer walk toward another path because of their standing by.

Up to now, everyone thinks that the best and worst era has passed and will never return.

The roaring flames composed of countless sparks have extinguished, but now, another fire has been ignited.

That is the fire of one person, which cannot be compared with the once great and sturdy giant, but the ability he possesses is incomparably powerful, so one person is an army.

That red ghost that is frightening and fascinating has descended on Earth again. He was not resurrected, but he was also resurrected.

What kind of changes will a Professor X with firm Communist thoughts bring to Earth?

Perhaps the only change is that the ghost that once died has been pulled back. She stretched out her arms, embraced the Earth, and in the high sky thousands of miles away, watched everything here.

The lighthouse better be bright enough, otherwise, we will light it.

In S. H. I. E. L. D.'s office, Nick put down the phone and used a serious and earnest tone very rarely to say to Coulson beside him:

"Notify everyone, prepare for a meeting!"

The light bulbs in the corridor lit up one by one. When a group of people led by Nick walked quickly through the corridor and entered the conference room, more people were already waiting there. Nick stood at the very front and scanned a circle. His first sentence exploded like a thunderbolt.

"Tomorrow, at the United Nations Security Council meeting, we will vote to pass the Global United Solar System Construction Plan."

"I have already received the order from Congress. From now on, S. H. I. E. L. D. is fully responsible for the scheduling and arrangement of supernatural forces in the solar system construction plan."

"In the future period, manpower will be very tight. Therefore, no matter where you come from and who you once served, now, you are all part of mankind. At this node where mankind is about to step into the universe, we must be united."

"In the next period of time, the intelligence work of the Central Intelligence Agency related to technology protection and investigation will stop one after another, and some agents will be transferred to S. H. I. E. L. D. I hope you can get along well with your new colleagues."

Nick's expression was very serious, without the attitude of muddling along in the past. He said:

"Perhaps, you have already investigated clearly what we are facing. If we don't do well, there will be people willing to replace us."

At the same time, in the office of the Central Intelligence Agency, Mark looked up at his serious superior and asked somewhat puzzled: "What's wrong? Is there a problem with my resignation letter?"

"Yes." His superior replied.

"Uh, which part is not written clearly? I can write another one." Mark immediately indicated.

"The problem is, you can't resign."

"Why?" Mark asked in surprise. He didn't understand why his superior's attitude had a 180-degree turn.

Before, because the investigation into Schiller-related issues was unfavorable, his superior was very dissatisfied and looked for trouble everywhere.

Mark wanted to resign on the grounds of his poor mental state. His superior agreed verbally and only asked him to supplement a resignation letter. As a result, he didn't expect his superior to go back on his word again.

Mark's superior walked over, patted Mark on the shoulder and said: "The Global United Solar System Plan is of great significance. I heard that the people above intend to establish a Earth United Government so that human civilization can better step into the universe."

Mark's eyes popped out. He said: "Earth United Government??? What's wrong? What happened? Not long ago, it was said that the solar system construction plan had too much controversy and the solar system territory was not easy to divide? How did it unite?"

The superior obviously knew more than Mark. He sighed and said: "Because the biggest resistance has disappeared. Congress has figured it out, and the Russian side has figured it out faster than them."

"Why? Why did they suddenly figure it out

"Because Congress doesn't want the Soviet Union to be resurrected, and Russia wants it even less than they do."

"So, Mark, throw your resignation letter in the trash and prepare to continue contributing to human civilization."

Mark's astonished face gradually changed, slowly turning into Natasha's face. She opened her mouth wide in shock, looked at Nick in front of her, and asked:

"Investigation dropped?? Reinstated?? But the investigation hasn't even started yet! How could it be over?"

Natasha was completely baffled. Although, under Nick's favoritism, she hadn't really been placed under house arrest for investigation, nor had she been monitored, and she could even continue working normally, in name, she was under suspension and investigation due to suspicion of being a KGB spy.

But it had only been a few days of investigation, and there was already a result? When did S. H. I. E. L. D.'s investigation efficiency become so high?

"Yes, you have been cleared of suspicion. On one hand, it's because we are truly short-handed, and a lot of the work on the surface still requires you to do it. On the other hand, whether you are KGB or not isn't particularly important anymore. Congress has decided to turn a blind eye."

"Why?" Natasha asked in shock.

"Yesterday, the presidents of the five permanent members of the Security Council held a conference call and finalized the main route for the development of human civilization over the next hundred years. Simply put, it's one word: cooperation."

Natasha was truly shocked to the point of being unable to close her mouth. She covered her forehead, looked up at the ceiling, and said: "Did I sleep for a night, or did I sleep for 70 years like Captain America?? What's wrong with this world? Congress is actually talking about cooperation with people???"

Nick briefly explained to Natasha what Schiller had done in Congress yesterday, and then he commented:

"A madman who wants to and is capable of resurrecting the Soviet Union at any time is watching this world. If we don't do a good enough job, he'll let the Soviet Union do it. Do you want the Soviet Union to do it?"

Natasha hesitated for a moment, then said: "That depends on which Soviet Union."

"That's for you. For them, if Schiller brought back the late-stage Soviet Union, it would be fine. If he brought back the early-stage Soviet Union, everyone in the US and Russian Congresses tied together would end up hanging from a lamppost."

Natasha revealed an extremely complex expression—somewhat amused, somewhat fearful, and somewhat nostalgic.

After Nick left, she took the Red Flag Medal out of her pocket.

She gently stroked the surface of the medal with her finger and said in a complex tone that no one else had ever heard:

"That era has passed and will never return..."

"But all of us who were healed by him, who were proud of him, and who hated him so much we couldn't sleep at night—we are all still alive..."

"He doesn't need to be resurrected, because the spirit never dies."

"Do you really want to resurrect the Soviet Union?"

Standing on the roof of Stark Tower, dusk descended once again. In the evening breeze, Stark turned to look at Schiller.

Schiller's hair was blown about by the evening breeze. He also turned his head, looked at Stark, smiled, and said:

"He never died, so how can there be talk of resurrection?"

Stark was silent for a moment. Schiller's voice drifted away with the evening breeze, sounding somewhat blurred.

"In this world, a convincing ideology and faith will not dissipate because of the fall of a certain country."

"A great ideal that once fascinated countless people and made them willing to sacrifice their lives will not diminish in its charm because of the passage of time."

"As long as this ideal and faith continue to circulate among human civilization, even if the road is tortuous, the future remains bright."

Schiller sighed slightly and looked at the New York skyline, where the scenery was still magnificent and prosperous. He said:

"True communists have never pursued geography, systems, or stances. We pursue only one goal, and that is the liberation of all mankind."

"Therefore, it is not by resurrecting that group of people on that land that one can resurrect that era. I have never intended to do so."

"There are neither objective conditions nor absolute necessity. If one insists on doing so, it means one has failed to grasp the main contradiction and has fallen into a metaphysical trap."

Stark turned to look at Schiller and asked: "Then what exactly do you intend to do?"

Schiller said in a very calm tone:

"They fear me and dread me, yet they cannot destroy me, so they can only strive to prove they can do better. Don't you find this familiar?"

"The moment that spirit and faith are resurrected in me, they are already resurrected in this world."

"And one day, this lighthouse will be bright enough to illuminate all of humanity, to illuminate the entire universe..."

"Then who can say he hasn't been resurrected?"

"So all of this was your plan?!"

Stark crossed his arms and looked at Schiller, saying somewhat angrily: "You played us for a fool just to make those people in Congress feel the tension of being replaced by the Soviet Union, so that they would stop infighting, unite as one, and then step into the universe?"

Schiller revealed the brightest smile yet and said: "This place is known as the lighthouse of the world..."

"And I am best at screwing in lightbulbs."