Back at home, Huang Xuan lay on his back in the pavilion, lost in thought. As he absentmindedly ran his hand over the cool bamboo mat, he asked, "Lorin, will your base always stay here?"
"It is the Alliance's base."
"But will it always stay here?"
"That depends on the situation."
"And if the situation allows, how would you move your... well, the Alliance's base? Would you move it to another dimension?"
After a moment of silence, Lorin avoided the first question and replied, "Unless the Alliance issues new orders, the base must remain here. As for how it might move, that too depends on the situation."
"So, the situation depends on the amount of energy available?" Huang Xuan suddenly asked.
"Yes," Lorin replied promptly.
Huang Xuan paused for a moment before asking, "If that's the case, will I still be able to find you and the Alliance's base? I mean, you promised to send me to the times and places I wanted to go."
"I will fulfill my promise."
"And then? Will I still be able to find you?"
"That depends on your access level."
Huang Xuan blinked. "What access level?"
"Your access level is insufficient," Lorin replied with precision.
Huang Xuan tried a different approach. "So how do I get more access?"
"Your access level is insufficient," Lorin repeated.
Pressing his lips together, Huang Xuan put his hands behind his head and thought over the past few days. He was worried that Lorin might abandon him once he had served his purpose or simply leave without a trace. Watching the wind rustle the leaves of the trees, he reached into his pocket and decided to call his mother.
Zhang Xinyi was in her office, reviewing documents. When she saw the caller ID, she smiled and answered, "Son, are you ready to confess your sins, or do you just miss your mom?"
"I have a question," Huang Xuan stammered.
"Oh..." Zhang Xinyi drew out the word. "That's rare. Go ahead."
Huang Xuan hesitated before saying, "I've met someone, someone very powerful, who needs help. Helping him might be risky, and there may not be any reward. What do you think I should do?"
Zhang Xinyi instinctively set her pen down, thinking carefully. She believed her 15-year-old son had moved past the initial stages of moral development. Speaking slowly, she replied, "If this person is in danger, we should help him, but only if it doesn't put you in danger as well. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"You mentioned that this person is very powerful. Why would someone like that need your help? Shouldn't they be more capable than you?" Zhang Xinyi clearly worried that her son might be falling into a trap, though she didn't say it outright.
"The situation is different," Huang Xuan explained. "His power is different from what we're used to. Helping him could bring great rewards, or it might not. But not helping him isn't without risk either."
Hearing this, Zhang Xinyi grew more anxious. She detected the implicit danger in Huang Xuan's words, though he might not have realized it himself. "Not helping him isn't without risk." The phrase sounded like coercion or even a threat. She suddenly felt she had failed as a mother—her son had disappeared for two days and then come back with 16 million yuan, and she hadn't given it enough thought. As these thoughts raced through her mind, she quickly began packing her things. "Son, where are you right now?"
"At home."
"I'm coming home right now. We need to talk. Don't go anywhere."
Huang Xuan found his mother's urgency amusing and tried to reassure her, "What are you so worried about? No one's going to kidnap me."
"It's the person you want to help," Zhang Xinyi said, not amused.
Huang Xuan, realizing his mother's concern, tried to calm her down. "Mom, you're overreacting. This person isn't trying to hurt me." Even as he said this, he couldn't completely dismiss the possibility. He had called his mother precisely because he was worried that Lorin might abandon him once he had served his purpose. He raised his voice slightly, "Mom, don't panic. It's not what you think."
"Then tell me what it is."
"He deals with problems differently from us," Huang Xuan hinted. He paused, realizing he'd called his mother for advice but ended up with more questions instead. He sighed and said, "Mom, it's enough that you know about this."
"Yes?"
"It's not as serious as you think," Huang Xuan reassured her. "As long as you know about this, the risk is minimal." He believed Lorin was rational—whether or not he was human. A rational being wouldn't create a bigger problem just to solve a smaller one. The disappearance of the Huang family's eldest grandson and daughter-in-law would mobilize the entire family. Thinking this through, he continued, "The real question is whether I should help this person. If I do, there might be rewards, but also some risks. If I don't, the risks won't be that much smaller."
"You want to help him?" Zhang Xinyi stopped packing, sensing her son's intention.
Huang Xuan paused and then admitted, "Yes. I was only asking for your opinion, but you ended up interrogating me."
Zhang Xinyi chuckled. She was a shrewd woman, at least within the Huang family. No daughter-in-law had ever been allowed to start their own business group independently, not even those from the Zhang family. She shrewdly continued, "You said this person is very powerful and completely different from our family?"
"Yes."
Zhang Xinyi silently considered this. There were many families as powerful as the Huang and Zhang families, but few would dare to directly oppose them. Considering the potential danger, the only entities that might fit the description were foreign governments or terrorist groups. However, the Zhang family had military ties, and while they weren't aggressive, they weren't completely different from such violent groups either. She couldn't think of any group that was both powerful and different.
Lacking more information, she couldn't give a definitive judgment. She could only caution, "Son, if you ever find yourself in real trouble, you must tell your mom. You're still young, and there are things you might not understand."
"I know," Huang Xuan replied, feigning impatience. "It's really not that big of a deal." He then added a precautionary measure, "Mom, just promise me that you won't investigate this. As long as you're aware, I'll be fine. Can you promise me that?"
"How can I promise that?" Zhang Xinyi was displeased. "You're—"
"Mom!" Huang Xuan interrupted. He believed it was best for his mother to have a vague understanding of the situation. If it were his father, he'd be more worried. "Mom, what could possibly happen to me? It's not like this is a kidnapping. If you're really concerned about my safety, don't panic and don't make a big deal out of this. That would only complicate things. Just leave things as they are. No one would dare touch me."
Zhang Xinyi thought for a moment and agreed. Both she and Huang Qunsheng were usually very busy, so their son had always been independent. Although she was still a bit worried, she trusted Huang Xuan's judgment enough to drop the matter. After hanging up, she called her older brother, asking him to check on Huang Xuan occasionally. She figured that if anything were really wrong, her brother would be the first to notice.
Meanwhile, Huang Xuan sighed as he hung up the phone. He hadn't expected a simple call to cause so much trouble, but the core issue had been addressed. If Lorin intended to harm him, he would now have to think twice. Given the Huang family's power, any significant threat to him would likely trigger a massive response. Huang Xuan wasn't too concerned about Lorin overhearing the conversation. If anything, he hoped Lorin did listen—it would save him the trouble of further convincing him. Although Lorin claimed to be a "time-space warden" and seemed more like a machine, Huang Xuan wasn't entirely convinced. Regardless, he felt his safety was more secure now.
In addition, the conversation with his mother reminded him that whether or not he could gain more from his dealings with Lorin wasn't the main point. He had already reaped nearly 20 million in rewards, and now it was time to reciprocate. Besides, it might reduce the chances of being sent to an unknown dimension.
Zhang Xinyi rushed home, leaving her executives behind, and was relieved to see her son sitting obediently at the dinner table. They both tacitly avoided discussing the afternoon's conversation—Huang Xuan didn't want more people involved, and Zhang Xinyi chose to trust her son's judgment. She also didn't believe he would dare tell such a bold lie.