Chapter 539: Schiller

What is the best era?

Perhaps, everyone has his answer.

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

Shi Difen feels that the best era is the last era, that is his era, 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, add a modifier in front of this question, for human civilization, which era is the best era?

It is the era of opposition 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 fell behind and looked at the stars and the sea.

In that silent era, the small sparks rubbed out can still light the fire of technology 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 him to light up, no longer a ship that needs him to guide the return, the pipeline began to be old, and the light bulb was covered with dust.

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

The ships that ran aground in the distance they didn't save, and no one could blame them anymore. The wind and waves and the distressed sailors set off thousands of miles away would not walk another path because of their standing by.

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

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

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

That red ghost that is frightening and yearning has once again descended on the Earth. He did not resurrect, but he also resurrected.

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

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

The lighthouse is bright enough, if not, let us 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. A group of people led by Nick walked quickly through the corridor. When they entered the meeting room, more people were already waiting there. Nick stood at the forefront and scanned a circle. His first sentence exploded like thunder.

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

"I have 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, manpower will be very tight. Therefore, no matter where you come from and who you served before, now, you are all part of mankind. At this node where human civilization 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 regarding 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 new colleagues."

Nick's expression was very serious, without the attitude of getting by as 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 boss and asked somewhat puzzled: "What's wrong? Is there a problem with my resignation letter?"

"Yes." his boss replied.

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

"The problem is, you can't resign." 【539

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

Previously, because of the unfavorable investigation into matters concerning Shiler, his superior had been very dissatisfied and had been finding fault with him at every turn.

Mark had tried to resign, citing his poor mental state, and his superior had verbally agreed, only asking him to submit a resignation letter. As it turned out, he hadn't expected his superior to go back on his word.

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

Mark's eyes popped out. He said, "United Earth Government?? What is this? What happened? Didn't they say just a while ago that the Solar System construction plan was too controversial and that the territory of the Solar System was hard to divide? How did they suddenly unite?"

The superior clearly knew more than Mark. He sighed and said, "Because the biggest resistance has disappeared. Congress has figured it out, and the Russian side figured it out even faster than they did."

"Why? Why did they all suddenly figure it out?"

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

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

The expression on Mark's surprised face gradually changed, slowly turning into Seeing Natasha's face. She was equally shocked, opening her mouth wide as she looked at Nick in front of her and asked:

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

Seeing Natasha couldn't figure it out at all. Although, thanks to Nick's favoritism, she hadn't actually been placed under house arrest for investigation, nor had she been monitored, and she could even work as normal, but 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 indeed short-handed, and a lot of the work on the surface still needs 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?" Seeing Natasha asked, shocked.

"Yesterday, the presidents of the five permanent members 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."

Seeing Natasha was truly shocked to the point where her jaw dropped. She covered her forehead, looked up at the ceiling, and said, "Did I sleep for one night, or did I sleep for 70 years like Captain America?? What is wrong with this world? Congress is actually willing to talk about cooperation with people???"

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

"A madman who wants to, and is capable of, resurrecting the Soviet Union 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?"

Seeing Natasha hesitated for a moment, then said, "That depends on which era of the Soviet Union."

"That's for you. For them, if Shiler brought back the late-stage Soviet Union, that would be fine. If he brought back the early-stage Soviet Union, everyone in the American and Russian Congresses tied together would all be hanging from lampposts."

Seeing Natasha revealed an extremely complex expression; she was somewhat amused, somewhat fearful, and somewhat nostalgic.

After Nick left, she took the Order of the Red Banner 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 already passed; it will never come back..."

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

"It 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 his head to look at Shiler.

Shiler'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 somewhat silent, but Shiler'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 themselves will not diminish in its charm because of the passage of time."

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

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

"True communists never pursue geography, systems, or positions. We only pursue 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 never intended to do that."

"There are neither objective conditions nor any 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 Shiler and asked, "Then what exactly do you intend to do?"

Shiler said in a very calm tone:

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

"That spirit and faith being resurrected in me means it has already been resurrected in this world."

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

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

"So all of this is your plan?!"

Stark crossed his arms and looked at Shiler, saying somewhat angrily, "You played us for a fool just to make that bunch 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?"

Shiler revealed the brightest smile yet. He said, "This place is known as the lighthouse of the world..."

"And I am best at screwing in lightbulbs."