"I'm giving you a chance to live. There were 16 people on the island, and 23 of you voted in favor of the plan. One life for one life. Within three minutes, eight of you must die. The rest will live."
"If, after three minutes, more than 15 of you are still alive, I'll randomly execute the excess until only 15 remain. The countdown... begins now."
With that, Han Shaoqing tossed several knives onto the floor and pulled out his watch, starting the timer.
In three minutes, only 15 of the 23 could live.
This was Han Shaoqing's choice for these powerful individuals.
Every person who had voted in the Pentagon's conference hall was an influential figure in the United States, their words and actions capable of determining the fate of countless lives.
They had nearly triggered World War III!
If Han Shaoqing and his allies hadn't intervened, nuclear war would have erupted, claiming far more than six thousand lives.
Calling them deserving of death was an understatement.
"Don't push it too far."
"You think we'll slaughter each other? Dream on."
"Ah, I should never have agreed to this in the first place!"
These once-mighty rulers, now completely at the mercy of a young Chinese man, felt a burning mix of humiliation, fury, regret, and helplessness.
"Don't move a muscle. Bullets don't have eyes."
Eric manipulated the magnetic field, levitating all the metallic firearms in mid-air and aiming them at the surrounding officers and civilian personnel. He wouldn't hesitate to open fire at the slightest sign of resistance.
To Eric, these people were no different from those in the concentration camps back then.
Their pretty words couldn't hide the ugly truth.
"Charge in!"
"My gun..."
"It's metal! Quick, remove all metal objects!"
A squad of guards rushed into the corridor, their firearms and metallic items levitating instantly. Some managed to strip off their metal gear, which clattered to the floor. They scrambled to pull up their pants and charged toward the conference room.
"Hey, pal, this way's blocked."
Red Tank grinned ferociously, his fist the size of a large cooking pot smashing into the approaching guards, sending them flying in all directions. He stood there like a single man holding back ten thousand, a living fortress.
Without weapons, the guards faced Red Tank's roadblock, their bare hands no match for the hulking brute. No matter how many came, they'd only be fodder.
In the hall, only Han Shaoqing, Red Devil, and Eric (wearing his mental shielding helmet) were beyond White Queen's mental reach.
"Lord Neptune, among these people, there are two Hydra executives. Including Howard at your feet, that makes five Hellfire Club members."
"The bald general on the left is particularly afraid of death..."
White Queen telepathically relayed their thoughts to Han Shaoqing, making him privy to their every fear and intention. Whether she was withholding anything, Han Shaoqing couldn't say.
Not that it mattered.
A guard bent down to press the emergency button. Before his finger could reach it, Red Devil teleported behind him and plunged bone blades into his waist, ending him instantly.
"Fight them!"
Several bodyguards moved to attack, but Sabretooth took down two in the blink of an eye.
Black Adam hurled a wooden staff, sending three flying.
Magneto used the guards' own handguns to execute anyone else who dared to fight.
The scene was a complete rout, leaving no glimmer of hope.
This is why humans fear Mutants—the gap between them is truly vast.
Mutants can effortlessly obtain the power and influence that ordinary people strive for their entire lives, while simultaneously posing a constant threat to their lives and safety.
A complex mix of envy, jealousy, fear, and hatred drives most people to choose the path of exterminating Mutants.
While Han Shaoqing understands these sentiments, it doesn't mean he supports their actions.
These politicians are opportunists, and even Howard, the man beneath his foot, is hardly a saint.
He didn't crush Howard after "checking in" because Howard is also Iron Man's father.
With the plot drastically altered, a butterfly effect is inevitable. Han Shaoqing can't be certain if Iron Man and others will still be born smoothly.
Still, he doesn't regret his actions.
He'll worry about the future when the future arrives.
Even if Iron Man and the Hulk never exist, it would simply mean fewer "check-in" targets for Han Shaoqing.
Perhaps the world would even become more harmonious.
Besides, he believes this world has some self-correcting ability.
As long as he doesn't cause too much damage, he figures it should be fine.
Moreover, the fact that no powerful figures from across time had come to trouble him yet only emboldened Han Shaoqing further.
Howard, pinned beneath his foot, unaware of Han Shaoqing's true intentions, suppressed his rage and said, "Everything can be negotiated. There's no need for such extremism. Let's talk this through properly."
"Exactly! Let's discuss alternative terms," the councilors chimed in.
"Stop your terror now! It's not too late to negotiate. Don't make things any more complicated."
"We can compensate you!"
"Silence! I will never compromise."
***
Different people reacted in different ways.
Seeing them begin to soften, Han Shaoqing smiled faintly. "You didn't consult us before ordering the attack, and I don't believe you have any leverage to negotiate with me."
Glancing at his watch, Han Shaoqing continued, "One minute left. If you don't act, I'll have to randomly kill seven of you."
"This..."
"What do we do? We can't just sit here and wait to die!"
"Don't fall for it."
***
Under the pressure of death, the eyes of the group of fifty or sixty elderly men gradually changed.
None of them had reached their current positions by being weak. Some were iron-willed and resolute, while others were simply afraid of death.
They could see that Han Shaoqing wasn't joking. To survive, they had to either gamble on luck or eliminate as many people around them as possible to increase their own chances of survival.
Once one person made a move, the others would be forced into a situation of mutual slaughter, whether they wanted to or not.
Not everyone had the courage to face death head-on.
Finally, someone couldn't bear the pressure any longer and stabbed another councilor in the back with the flat of his knife.
"Ham, you're insane!"
"I... I don't want to die..."
"Go to hell! I've hated you for a long time."
"I'll fight you to the death!"
***
Councilor Ham's single strike was the spark that ignited the entire chamber.
The remaining councilors abandoned all restraint, and the free-for-all officially began.
Even politicians have their own conflicts, often arguing heatedly over self-interest. Now, cornered, they threw caution to the wind and resorted to the most primal method of settling their differences.
"Ah!"
"Crash! Bang...!"
Amidst the chaotic brawl, councilors were stabbed, others grabbed benches and water pitchers to bludgeon their opponents, creating a unique spectacle of senior citizen combat.
One minute passed—neither long nor short—but the melee resulted in twelve deaths, leaving only eleven survivors.
This was four more than Han Shaoqing had stipulated.
Seeing that the councilors had exceeded the required number of deaths, Han Shaoqing's gaze swept over the remaining eleven.
"I am a man of my word. You have earned yourselves a chance to live. Now, let's discuss the matter of Mutants and humans."
As he spoke, Han Shaoqing waved his hand, producing a Tsar Bomba and placing it flat on the conference table.
-----------------------
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