# Chapter 1830: Is This an Acceptable Future?
Xiao Chuihuo and the other two quickly headed toward the agreed meeting point, ready to begin today's beast group decapitation mission!
Meanwhile, Yang Jian had also started today's pre-battle arrangements!
One command after another was issued in an orderly fashion, while Zi Yuan sat at the desk with her head lowered, continuously tapping her foot, looking somewhat distracted.
Staring at the bubbles in the water glass, lost in thought, she had huge dark circles under her eyes!
She clearly hadn't slept well these past few days.
Just then, Yang Jian said: "Uncle Ye, Daoyi City has just been pacified, but the city fortress hasn't been fully completed yet!"
"And the beast groups nearby are starting to stir again. Go guard Daoyi City for a while and clear out the beast groups there!"
Ye Zhenguo grinned:
(◞°᷄͜ʖ°᷅)"Alright! Might as well stop by and visit an old friend, bring him two bottles of good wine! Old Chen is still—"
Before he could finish, Zi Yuan suddenly jolted, stood up abruptly, and slammed the table:
(｡･ˇ﹏ˇ･｡:)"No! That won't work!"
The entire meeting room froze instantly, the smile on Ye Zhenguo's face stiffening!
Everyone looked at Zi Yuan in confusion!
Ye Zhenguo wiped his brow in shock:
(◞•̌ㅂ•̑)ˀ̣ˀ̣"What's with the sudden outburst, little girl? You scared my spirit half to death! Why won't it work?"
Yang Jian frowned: "What's wrong? Did you dream about something?"
Zi Yuan swallowed hard, forcing a smile: "No... nothing. Can't you see how big my dark circles are? I haven't slept well these past few days, let alone dreamed."
"It's just that I think if Grandpa Ye goes to Daoyi City to clear out the beast groups, the efficiency might not be that high!"
"It would be better to send someone else..."
Ye Zhenguo's face darkened:
(̿▀̿̿Ĺ̯̿̿▀̿̿◟)"Good heavens! So Grandpa is being looked down upon by you? What nonsense about efficiency not being high enough!"
Wang Dalei laughed heartily: "Alright, let me go! Dirty work like clearing beast groups is best left to us young people!"
Ye Zhenguo glared: "Oh, really? I just don't believe it! I have to prove it to little Zi Yuan! Even though I'm old, I—"
Before he could finish, Zi Yuan lowered her head, biting her lower lip, not saying a word, not even daring to meet Ye Zhenguo's gaze!
Ye Zhenguo grinned: "Forget it, forget it. Why fight with you young people over this? Go ahead, you go. Just bring me two bottles of wine."
As he spoke, he waved his hand casually, looking completely at ease!
Yang Jian smiled: "Alright, then Dalei will go, and Uncle Ye will guard the capital!"
"And as for Beimang Mountain, we—"
The pre-battle arrangements continued, but the smile on Ye Zhenguo's face slowly faded. He didn't take in a single word of the rest of the meeting!
His fingers tapped the table unconsciously, staring blankly at the steaming tea in his cup...
Even after the tea in his cup had gone cold, he didn't take a single sip!
The pre-battle meeting quickly ended, and everyone went off to their own tasks!
Soon the meeting room was empty, but Ye Zhenguo didn't leave. He remained seated in his chair!
Zi Yuan, as if her soul had been lost, walked out of the meeting room in a daze.
Suddenly, Ye Zhenguo spoke: "Little Zi Yuan? Stay a moment. Close the door..."
Zi Yuan's body stiffened sharply, but she didn't leave the doorway. She turned back and silently closed the door!
Leaning against the door panel, she kept her head down, her eyes evasive.
Ye Zhenguo said hoarsely: "If I go to Daoyi City, I'll die, won't I?"
"If that's the case, don't send Dalei. I've watched that boy grow up. He's still young, with a great future ahead."
"His life is more valuable than mine. I—"
Before he could finish, Zi Yuan collapsed weakly to the ground, tears already streaming down her face!
She shook her head incessantly, sobbing: "Grandpa Ye, I'm sorry..."
Ye Zhenguo paused, then smiled bitterly: "So if I go to Daoyi City, I'll live. If I stay in the capital, I'll die... is that it?"
Zi Yuan kept wiping her tears with the back of her hand:
"If... if you leave the capital, then I don't know if the future will still develop along the established path."
"I don't know what to do anymore."
Zi Yuan bit her lower lip tightly, curling herself into a ball!
She had dreamed of the future—countless possible futures!
She had also dreamed that Ye Zhenguo would die in the capital. That was why when Yang Jian assigned him to Daoyi City, Zi Yuan stopped it!
Because she needed Ye Zhenguo to stay in the capital! She needed that future!
She had dreamed of countless futures, and only one of them was acceptable!
And every choice everyone made could cause the future to change!
Zi Yuan had to unwaveringly ensure that things happened along the established path.
But in that acceptable future, something happened to Ye Zhenguo in the capital. Zi Yuan didn't know how subsequent events would develop!
But she had to do this!
Zi Yuan clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms, blood flowing without her even noticing.
She felt so selfish, so cruel—all to make that acceptable future happen!
Keeping Ye Zhenguo in the capital—how was that any different from sending him to his death?
If she hadn't intervened, Ye Zhenguo wouldn't have stayed in the capital. A completely different outcome might have awaited him.
But then that acceptable future wouldn't happen...
Ye Zhenguo took a deep breath, looked up at the ceiling, his eyes filled with beautiful hopes for the future!
"Little girl, so that future... is it an acceptable future?"
Zi Yuan hugged her knees, silently raised one finger!
Her voice trembling: "Only this one..."
But in this future, Ye Zhenguo, who stayed in the capital, would meet with trouble...
Ye Zhenguo murmured: "How much time is there?"
Zi Yuan shook her head: "I don't know the exact time..."
Ye Zhenguo let out a faint smile, looking at the tea on the table. In the amber-colored liquid, a tea stalk stood upright in the center!
"A tea stalk standing upright... means something good is about to happen, doesn't it?"
"I... will stay!"
Zi Yuan could no longer hold back. Tears poured down like rain, and she raised her hand to beat her own head in despair.
Was there anything more cruel in this world than this?
She knew that once she told Grandpa Ye this, he would inevitably choose to stay. His sense of responsibility wouldn't allow him to leave!
She was forcing him to his death!
How was this any different from killing him with her own hands? An overwhelming sense of guilt almost consumed Zi Yuan!
Ye Zhenguo picked up the now-cold tea and drained it in one gulp!
He walked over to Zi Yuan, his eyes full of affection, and gently patted her shoulder!
"Silly girl, don't cry. It's not your fault. I chose this myself. Humanity is struggling right now. China is covered in war. We can't afford to miss any opportunity!"
"Victory is built bit by bit, accumulated until we can finally grasp it. You did the right thing!"
"If this old life of mine can trade for that acceptable future, what's there to begrudge? I've lived long enough!"
"You must walk this path unwaveringly. Never waver!"
Zi Yuan nodded heavily, tears already blurring her vision!
On the verge of collapse, she spoke with a trembling voice: "Please, Grandpa Ye, just pretend nothing ever happened!"
"Don't go see your family. Don't entrust anyone. Pretend you don't know about this. Let everything follow its original course!"
"Any change could cause events to deviate from the established path, turning the future into a huge shift, moving in a bad direction!"
Originally, Zi Yuan shouldn't have told Ye Zhenguo any of this. She shouldn't have told anyone!
The more people knew, the more variables there would be. In the end, even that acceptable future might not happen.
But as sharp as Ye Zhenguo was, he had already sensed something!
Ye Zhenguo smiled: "I understand."
As he spoke, he stood up, pushed open the meeting room door, and walked out!
The kind smile on his face gradually faded. He looked out the window at the busy camp, at the white clouds drifting in the sky.
Every glance was filled with reluctance!
His face seemed to have aged a few more years. Gradually, his eyes also grew moist!
At the end of the corridor, Zhao Dezhu was walking out with his large shield. Ye Zhenguo wiped his eyes, a smile returning to his face as he raised his hand to greet:
(◞ᵒ̴̶̷ٹᵒ̴̶̷)ﾂ"Yo~ Master Zhu? Where to? How's Hongyan? Is your happy life still happy lately?"
"Tsk~ None of your business, you lonely old man! Speaking of which, why are your eyes so red?"
"Are they? Just got some eye boogers in them. Rubbed 'em."
Listening to Ye Zhenguo's fading voice as he walked away, Zi Yuan covered her mouth, silently sobbing.
I'm sorry...
...
In the United States' Yellowstone volcanic group, this place had long turned into a living hell!
Hundreds of volcanoes stood like chimneys, spewing滚滚 black smoke!
A thick layer of volcanic ash had accumulated on the ground, falling like snowflakes!
Everywhere flowed crimson magma—magma rivers, magma lakes!
The air was filled with terrifyingly high temperatures, and yet this place was a paradise for lava giants!
Everywhere, groups of crimson lava giants roamed in droves!
"Boom!"
A massive divine sun crashed down from the sky, even the magma vaporized into nothingness!
Waves of fire mixed with aurora light swept out, instantly evaporating thousands of lava giants, leaving not even a trace of their bodies!
Quinn was so scared his fur stood on end: "Old Fire God, please take it easy! The main Yellowstone volcano hasn't erupted yet!"
"If it does erupt, it'll be equivalent to 57 million nuclear bombs exploding at once, enough to destroy heaven and earth!"
"The spewing volcanic ash will block sunlight from entering. Blue Star could very well enter an ice age!"
"With the lava giant swarm occupying the area, the main volcano has become very unstable. We can't let it blow, or the effects will be global!"
The divine sun dispersed, revealing Xiao Chuihuo, Odin, and Mi Ye standing there!
Looking at the towering Yellowstone volcano as if set in a lava hell, Xiao Chuihuo frowned deeply!
"This volcano might be quite troublesome. If we don't eliminate this danger, it's like a ticking time bomb."