Chapter 6 Chapter Five: A Man and a Mule

From Chengnis's every move, it was completely impossible to see that he was already aware of subtle changes in two aspects - Priji's attitude, and the relationship between the two of them.Now, he was leaning on a hardwood bench with his feet stretched out in front of him. "What do you think is weird about this governor?" Priggi shrugged: "I can't see it at all. I don't think he has any special spiritual power at all. If he is really a member of the second base, he can only be regarded as a very bad character." "You know, I don't think so, but I'm not sure how to explain it. If you were from the second base, what would you do?" Cheng Nisi's tone became more and more thoughtful, "If you were People from the second base, and you know the purpose of our coming here, what method will you use against us?"

"Of course it's turning around." "The same as what the mule did?" Cheng Nisi suddenly raised his head and stared at the other party. "If they really turned us back, would we be able to detect it? I doubt it. However, if they are just very smart psychologists , and if you don’t have any supernatural powers, what will you do?” "If this is the case, I think we will be killed as soon as possible." "And what about our starship? No." Chengnis stretched out a finger and waved it, and said, "The other party is playing tricks on us, Priji, old man, this is just playing tricks. Even if they are proficient in emotional control, we— —you and I—but the pawns in the lead. What they are really up against are the mules, who are cautious and careful, exactly as we are. So I believe they already know who we are."

Priji stared at the other party with expressionless eyes: "Then what are you going to do?" "Wait," he said quickly, before adding, "Let them come to us. They'll be hesitant to move, maybe because they're afraid of the starship above, but maybe it's the mule of scruples. They use the The Governor's bluffing will never succeed, and we'll still hold back. Then the next guy they send must be a real Second Foundation guy, and that guy will ask to negotiate with us. " "and then?" "Then we made a deal with them." "I don't agree with this plan."

"Because you think you'll betray the mule? Don't worry, it won't." "No, the mule knows how to deal with your kind of behavior. No matter how shrewd you are, you can't escape his palm, but I still don't agree." "Because you think we can't fool Second Foundation?" "Maybe, but that's not my reason." Chengnis' eyes began to move down, staring at the nuclear gun held in the opponent's hand, and then said sullenly, "You mean that thing is the real reason?" Priji shook the nuclear gun in his hand: "Yes, you have been arrested now."

"why?" "Because you betrayed the First Citizen of the Federation." Chengnis pursed his lips: "What's going on?" "Treason! As I said, it is my duty to stop it." "How can you prove it? What evidence do you have, assumptions, or are you simply daydreaming? Are you crazy?" "I'm not crazy, but what about you? Do you really think the mule will have enough to eat and have nothing to do, and send you a brat on a ridiculous, prestige mission? I was surprised at first, but I shouldn't spend So much time wondering. Why did he send you? Because you have a nice smile and dress well? Because you're only twenty-eight?"

"Maybe because he can trust me. Aren't you looking for a reasonable explanation?" "Maybe it's just because he doesn't trust you! Now it seems that this explanation is very reasonable." "Are we creating narratives that contradict ourselves? Or are we in a race to see who has the most nonsense?" But the nuke was approaching, and Pridji followed closely behind it.When he stood upright in front of the young man, he suddenly shouted: "Stand up!" Chengnis did as he said calmly, he felt his chest touch his belt, but the muscles in his stomach didn't start to twitch.

Pliji said: "The mule was trying to find the second base, but he failed, and I never succeeded. The secret that neither of us can reveal must be extremely secret. So, only the last one is left. A feasible way is to find someone who already knows the secret location to lead another exploration operation." "And that person is me?" "Apparently it is. I didn't know it at first, of course, but although my mental operations slowed down, I was at least in the right direction. How easily we found 'The End of the Stars'! From the innumerable possible contents of the lens, you, It was a miracle to find the correct image field all at once! Next, everything we encountered was in the correct direction as we expected. , Do you think that I will completely turn a blind eye and be indifferent to your incredible good luck one after another?"

"You mean, I've been too successful?" "If you're not a traitor, you can't even succeed halfway." "Because your expectations of me are so low?" The nuke poked forward again.Facing Chengnis's face, only Sen Leng's eyes showed rising anger. "Because you were bought by the Second Foundation." "Buying?" Chengnis asked in an extremely contemptuous tone, and then said, "Bring me the evidence." "It may also be that your mind has been affected." "And the mule doesn't know? That's ridiculous."

"Of course the mule knew, and that's exactly what I'm trying to say. You fool, of course the mule knew! Otherwise, why do you think the mule gave you a starship? Now you're leading us to the second Base, that's exactly the mule's plan." "Let me break it down for you. Can I ask you, why on earth should I do all of this? If I were a traitor, why would I bring you to Second Foundation? Why didn't I just wander the galaxy , In the end, you returned without success like you did before?" "You're for this starship, because the folks at Second Base clearly need nuclear weapons for self-defense."

"Your reason is too far-fetched. A starship is of no use to them. If they think they can learn advanced technology from it and build a nuclear power plant next year, then the people at the Second Base are really very brainy." , very simple. In fact, I should say, your own mind is that simple." "You'll have a chance to explain this to the mule." "We're going back to Kalgan?" "On the contrary! We'll stay here. And the mules will join us here in about fifteen minutes. Do you think he's not following us, you smart kid? Your bait is the other way around. And that—though perhaps not our prey, led us to its lair."

Chengnis said, "Can I sit down and explain something to you in a simple and clear way? Please." "Stand up obediently for me." "If that's the case, I'll stand up and say the same. Do you think the mule has been following us because there is a hyperwave repeater in the communication line?" The nuclear gun seemed to vibrate slightly, but Nice was not sure about it.He continued: "You don't look surprised, but I don't want to waste time wondering if you are. Yes, I know about it. Now, I've proven it to you, and I know something about you. Things I thought I didn't know. Next, I'm going to tell you something I'm sure you don't know." "Your opening statement is really too long, Chengnis, I thought you should be very efficient at fabricating lies." "I don't have to make anything up. Of course there are traitors, or enemy agents, as you like to call them. But the mule found out about it through a roundabout way. You know, some of his men The defectors seem to have been manipulated." The nuclear gun did shake a bit this time, absolutely unmistakable. "I want to stress this, Pridji, that's the real reason he needs me, because I'm not a convert. Didn't he emphasize to you that he needed a non-converter? Did he tell you at all? The real reason?" "Try other tricks, Chengnis. If I have the idea of ​​betraying the mule, I will definitely notice it." After finishing speaking, Pridji quickly looked inside his heart quietly, and found that there was no change at all, and the feeling was exactly the same. Obviously the man opposite is lying. "You mean you still feel loyal to the Mule? Maybe, because the loyalty isn't disturbed. The Mule said it himself, it's too easy to spot. But how do you feel mentally? Is it duller?" Since the start of this journey, have you always felt normal? Or have you sometimes had a weird feeling like you can’t quite control yourself—what do you want? Do you want to poke a hole in my stomach with the muzzle of a gun?” Pliji pulled back the nuclear gun by half an inch, and said, "What exactly do you want to say?" "I mean you've been jammed and controlled. You didn't see the mule put the hyperwave repeater on the ship, you didn't see anyone do it. I guess, you just suddenly Found it there, just like me by accident. But you immediately assumed it was placed by the mule, and from then on, you always thought it was the mule who was following us. Of course, the communication on your wrist The communicator can communicate with the starship using a special wavelength, but my communicator can't receive those signals. Do you think I'm kept in the dark?" He spoke faster and faster, and his tone became extremely indignant , the indifferent mask that was originally worn on the face has now turned into a fierce face.Then he added, "But you were mistaken. It wasn't a mule that followed us, not at all." "If not a mule, then who?" "Ha, who do you think it is? I found that hyperwave repeater the day we went up, but I didn't think it was placed by the mule. He has no reason to be so sneaky. Don't you see Isn't that an absurd theory? If I was really a traitor, and he knew it, he could easily turn me around and make me like you. That way, he'd be able to get out of my heart Find out the secret location of the second base without sending me to the other side of the galaxy. Can you hide any secrets from the mule yourself? Conversely, if I don't know, then I can't take him there .So no matter how you say it, he doesn't need to send me out." "Obviously, that hyper-repeater must have been placed by a Second Base agent, so it's not hard to deduce who is following us. And if your awesome head isn't jammed, how could you be fooled by it? ? You have such foolish thinking, how is it normal? Why should I bring a starship to the second base? What's the use for them to have a starship?" "What they really want is you, Pridji. After the mule, you know the Federation best. The mule is a danger to them, but you are not, which is why they will explore Injected into my heart. Of course, if I just use the lens to grope aimlessly, it is impossible to find Dascind, and I know that. But I know that the Second Foundation is hiding behind the scenes, and I know it is them Manipulating it all. So why not play tricks? It's really a psych war, they want to catch us, and we want to know their stronghold. Whoever can hold on to the end and not be bluffed by the other side will be the last winner." "But if you don't take the nuclear gun away, we will lose. You obviously can't help it, you are under their control. Give me the nuclear gun, Priggi, I know you think it's wrong to listen My words, but this idea is not your own, but injected into your heart by the second base. Give me the nuclear gun, Priji, let us stand on the same line and face the coming enemy together. " A bewildered mood was rising, and Pridji was terrified.sophistry!Could I be so wrong?Why do you always have to doubt yourself?Why can't you be sure of anything?What made Chengnis' words sound so reasonable? sophistry! Or is it his tormented mind, now fighting another intruder? Did he split into two people? He vaguely saw Chengnis standing in front of him, with a hand extended.At this moment, he knew that he was about to hand over the nuclear gun. Just as the muscles in his arms were about to contract, ready to take action, the door behind him opened.He turned around quickly. In the vast galaxy, there may be many people with similar faces, which will make others admit their mistakes under ordinary circumstances.In addition, in some special occasions, some people will confuse people who are not alike at all.However, neither of these situations can ever happen to a mule. All the anger in Pu Liji's heart could not resist a cold spiritual torrent, which suddenly rushed into his body.Physically, mules can't have an advantage in any situation, and today is no exception. The way he's dressed now makes him look ridiculous.Because of the heavy clothes wrapped around his body, he looked bloated than usual, but he was still thinner than ordinary people.Most of his face was covered, and his oversized hooked nose was exposed, red from the cold air.It looked like someone who had been lost in the snow for days and had just been rescued—the metaphor couldn't be more apt. As soon as he entered the door, he said, "Hold on to the nuclear gun, Pridji." At this moment, Chengnis shrugged and found a seat for himself to sit down.The mule turned to him and said, "The emotional atmosphere here seems to be extremely chaotic, and there are obvious conflicts. You said that there are people following you besides me. What do you mean by that?" Priji suddenly interjected and asked, "Your Excellency, did you instruct us to place a hyperwave repeater on our starship?" The mule turned his indifferent eyes to Pridji: "Of course. In the entire galaxy, besides the Planetary Federation, is there any other organization that has this kind of device?" "He said……" "Okay, he's here, General, and you don't need to relay what he said. Did you say something just now, Chengnis?" "Yes, sir, but I was obviously mistaken. I thought that the hyperwave repeater was placed by someone who was bought by the Second Foundation, and that we were brought here because of some I'm about to fight back. Besides, I have a feeling that the general is more or less under their control." "From your tone, it seems that you don't think so now." "That seems to be the case. Otherwise, it would not be you who entered the door just now." "Come on, then, let's sort out this problem." The mule took off the thick coat with the electric heating device, and continued: "You don't mind if I sit down too? Now—we are very safe here, There is no need to worry about anyone breaking in. On this frozen planet, no local people will want to approach this place, I can assure you of this." He emphasized himself in a cold tone the power of. Chengnis deliberately showed disgust: "What is invisible? Is there someone who will serve tea and dancers to perform?" "I'm afraid not. What's your theory anyway, young man? You say people from Second Foundation are tracking you, using a device that only I have, and—how do you say you found this place?" " "It is obvious, sir, that in order to explain all the known facts, it seems that I can only say that my brain has been instilled with some concepts..." "And those from the Second Base did it?" "There can't be anyone else, I think." "Then it doesn't occur to you that if someone from Second Base is forcing, prodding, or tricking you into Second Base for his own purposes—I think you think he's using something similar to mine. method, but I want to remind you that the only thing I can implant in someone's mind is emotion, not concept - anyway, you didn't think that if he could do this kind of thing, he would hardly need to use a hyperwave repeater Follow you." Chengnis suddenly raised his head, but was startled by the big eyes of the head of state.Pridji was muttering to himself, completely relaxed, as could be seen from his slack shoulders. "Yes," replied Chengnis, "I didn't think of that." "If they have to follow you, it means that they can't control you. And if you are completely out of their control, it is impossible for you to find this place so smoothly. Have you ever thought about this?" "I didn't think of that either." "Why? Could it be that your IQ suddenly dropped so much?" "I can only answer you with one question now, sir. Are you going to join General Pridji's camp and join him in accusing me of being a traitor?" "If my answer is yes, do you have the means to defend yourself?" "I have already explained my reasons to the general just now. If I am really a traitor and know the whereabouts of the second base, you can turn me around and get the secret directly from my heart. And if you think it is necessary Following me means that I did not know beforehand, so I am not a traitor. I am going to use this contradiction to answer the contradiction you just raised." "Then what is your conclusion?" "I am not a traitor." "I must admit this, because your argument is impeccable." "And now may I ask you, why are you following us in the dark?" "Because there is actually a third explanation for all the known facts. Both you and Pliji have explained some but not all of the facts from their own point of view. And I—if you are willing to spend more Time to listen to me—I can explain everything perfectly. I'll keep my story short so you don't get bored. Sit down, Pridji, and hand me your nuke. We'll be in no danger Yes, no one wants to attack us anymore, inside or outside the house. In fact, not even the Second Base. And it's all thanks to you, Chengnis." The lighting in the room is Luo Shan's common electric incandescent lamp. There is only one light bulb hanging from the ceiling, and the dim light reflects three figures. "Since I felt compelled to follow Chengnis, obviously I was expecting something," said the mule. Since he was heading straight to second base with incredible speed, we can make a reasonable assumption that what I was expecting happened. .However, I didn't get any information directly from him, so there must be something stopping me, these are the facts. Of course, Chengnis knows the real answer, and I know it in my heart. Do you understand, Priggie?" Priggi said in a stubborn tone, "Your Excellency, I don't understand." "Then let me explain. There is only one type of person who knows the location of the second base and can prevent me from discovering this secret. Chengnis, I'm afraid you are not a real traitor. In fact, you are not a traitor at all. It's the people from the second base." Chengnis propped his elbows on his knees, leaned forward slightly, and said from his angry and stiff lips: "What direct evidence do you have? Deductive inferences have hit the rocks twice today." "Of course I also have direct evidence, Chengnis, it's quite simple. I told you that my subordinates were secretly tampered with, and the main messenger must first be a non-turning person, and second, they must be very close to the center of the incident." People who are close. Although this scope is very large, it is not without boundaries. You have been too successful in the past, Chengnis, everyone likes you too much, and everything about you has gone too smoothly. So I doubt—" "So I recruited you to lead this expedition, and you didn't refuse. I have observed your emotional changes and found that you are not troubled at all. You have acted too far with confidence, Chengnis. For such an important task, Any normal person, no matter how powerful he is, will inevitably show some hesitation. But you just don’t have this kind of reaction in your heart, which means that if you are not an idiot, you are controlled by external forces.” "It's actually very easy to know the truth. While you were relaxing, I suddenly grabbed your heart, injected grief at the same moment, and then released it. And you immediately showed anger, It fit so seamlessly that I could have sworn it was a natural reaction, but that was just my initial thought. Because when I manipulate your emotions, there's a split second before you react angrily, and you My mind actually tried to fight back, and that was the reaction I wanted to know." "No one can resist me, even for that short period of time, unless he has a mind control similar to mine." Chengnis' voice sounded low and bitter: "Oh, really? So what?" "That means you're doomed—because you're indeed from Second Foundation. That's the only thing that's going to happen to you, and I'm sure you already know that." So Chengnis saw another nuclear gun pointed at him. However, this time it was not Pridji who controlled the direction of the muzzle, but a mind as mature and strong as him.He can easily control Priggi according to his will, but he can't do anything to the mule's mind. And the time he can use to reverse the situation is really very little. What happened next is really hard to describe in words.Because the author is no different from ordinary people, with only ordinary senses; also like ordinary people, he has no ability to control other people's emotions. Simply put, at the moment when the mule's thumb was about to pull the trigger, Chengnis had countless thoughts in his mind. Mule's spirit is now occupied by firm and decisive determination, and there will never be half a moment's hesitation.From the time the mule was determined to kill Chengnis to the time when he was about to be disintegrated by the high-energy beam, if Chengnis was interested in calculating afterwards, he would find that the available time was only one-fifth of a second. There is only so little time. And in such a short period of time, Mule found that the emotional potential of Chengnis's brain suddenly increased, but he didn't feel any impact in his heart.At the same time, a pure and trembling hatred came from another unexpected direction. It was this newcomer's mood that flicked his thumb off the trigger.Other than that, there is no other power that can do it.Almost at the same moment as he changed his movements, he also fully realized the new situation. It's too late, but it's too fast. From a dramatic point of view, this change should be presented in slow motion.Let's talk about Mule first, his thumb has left the nuclear gun, but his eyes are still fixed on Chennis; then there is Chennis, his whole body is tense, and he almost dares to open his mouth to breathe; in addition, there is Pliji, who collapsed on the chair and his whole body convulsed , every muscle was twitching desperately, every tendon was twisted and deformed, and the well-trained dull face turned into a dead gray mask, covered with terrible hatred, making it impossible to recognize who he was.And his eyes were fixed, straight, and fixed on the mule. Chengnis and Mule only exchanged one or two words—only one or two words, for people like them, they are already fully capable of expressing emotion and consciousness, enough to achieve the purpose of mutual understanding and communication.However, due to the innate limitations of us ordinary people, if we want to narrate this passage, we must convert the information they exchanged into words, including the "dialogue" that has just been carried out and will be carried out soon. Cheng Nisi said nervously: "You are under attack now, first citizen. You cannot control two minds at the same time, because one of them comes from the second base, so you can only choose one. Priggi is out of the gyration state, I've just unshackled his mind. He's the Pridji again, the Pridji who tried to kill you for the past five years During the years, you reduced him to a begging running dog. Now I suppress his will and prevent him from taking any action, but if you kill me, no one will control him. Before you come and will The muzzle turns, and before you even recapture him with your will—he'll finish you off." The mule had no doubts about what he said, so he remained motionless. Chengnis said again: "If you divert your attention to control him or kill him, or take any action, you will have no time to turn around and stop me." Hearing this, the mule still did not move, just gently sighed. "So," Chengnis continued, "throw away the nuclear gun, let us fight fairly, and then you can get Priggie back." "I made a mistake," Mule finally said. "When I face you, I shouldn't have any third party present. Doing so introduced too many variables. I think I must pay for this mistake." He casually threw the nuclear gun on the ground and kicked it to the other corner of the room.At the same time, Pridji also collapsed into a ball and fell into a deep sleep. "When he's sober, everything will be back to normal," the mule said lightly. From the time the mule's thumb was ready to press the trigger until he dropped the nuclear gun, the entire reversal of the situation actually took only one-and-a-half seconds. But in a range that was almost undetectable by consciousness, Chengnis found a trace of erratic emotion in the mule's mind in time - it was still a feeling of self-confidence and complacency. These two people looked relaxed and at ease on the surface, but in fact it was just the opposite—every emotional nerve in their bodies was trembling with tension.