RNP Chapter 265 The Argument for Truth
Chapter 265 The Argument for Truth
"Hehehe, that's natural. All those so-called gods and legends you talk about are, in the end, just a few more powerful Pokémon. Expecting those guys to monitor the world all day long is asking too much of them."
Mei Dan put down her teacup, casually leaned back in her chair, and crossed her arms with a disdainful air.
The old professor glanced sideways at the champion of Bamboo Orchid, seemingly waiting for the mythologist's counterattack.
However, his opponents made no attempt to retaliate.
"Hmm. Based on current records, we haven't actually discovered such a Pokémon yet. From a mythological perspective, Arceus, revered as the creator Pokémon in the Sinnoh region, might possess such abilities, but we also can't be certain whether this magical Pokémon truly exists. What abilities does it have? Is it the real creator god of the world? Everything is still inconclusive, and there's no point in trying to refute it."
As far as Zhu Lan was concerned, the remarks Mei Dan made that questioned the existence of gods had been widely discussed by scholars from various fields decades ago, with voices of support, opposition, and neutrality all present, but no one could provide conclusive evidence.
It wasn't until recent years, after several major events, that people were able to observe traces of legendary Pokémon activity with undeniable certainty. The balance between theism and atheism began to tilt slightly towards the former, and this great debate of the century began to show signs of resolution—but only some clues were found.
Arguments without concrete evidence from either side are like castles in the air, and Zhu Lan didn't want to waste time on such things, so she went straight to the point—
“Mr. Medan, when we came to visit, Miss Zina mistook us for guests you were entertaining. But we came uninvited today, and we didn’t even know who lived in the mansion before we met you. So I think you must have another important guest today, Mr. Medan?”
"Huh?" Qi Na, who was serving tea and water, looked embarrassed, as if she had messed things up, but Mei Dan shook her head nonchalantly.
"It's just about entertaining our big spenders; they're all guests."
Seeing the mansion owner still wearing his white lab coat, and recalling what Zina had said about him working in the basement, Officer Jenny perked up—
"A sponsor? Could it be that someone is sponsoring some research that Mr. Mei Dan is conducting?"
“Yes.” Mei Dan nodded. “It’s the founder of Hayden Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Hayden from Zhuqing City. I’m sorry I can’t disclose the research details, as it is a kind of academic secret.”
Zhu Lan had never heard of this name before and was still quietly drinking her tea. Now it was Officer Jenny's turn to be completely astonished—
"Hayden from Zhuqing City! He's a big shot. Hayden Pharmaceuticals is a world-class corporation involved in the development of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and it has achieved remarkable success in the vaccine field. A boss of this caliber must have several well-staffed hospitals and research institutes at his disposal. Why would he specifically hire someone to conduct research in the desolate Hundred Generations Forest?"
"Hehe, once a person becomes famous, they can no longer do whatever they want as before. Sometimes, when they are forced into a corner, they can only rely on old classmates for help."
Mei Dan answered with a smile, but her tone still carried a hint of sarcasm.
It's unclear whether he was implying something in his words or if he was just naturally sarcastic.
"So, Mr. Medan and this Hayden were classmates. And now you're in this mansion, helping him with some research that he can't personally disclose?" Officer Jenny asked tentatively, feigning nonchalance. "Could it be involving illegal activities like illicit drugs?"
“If you’re so worried, Officer Jenny can bring people to search this place another day. The equipment and materials are all here, so I have nothing to hide.”
Mei Dan didn't care about the stall.
"Could you reveal the details of your research?" Zhu Lan asked, also a little curious.
"No comment." The mansion owner's face immediately darkened, but then he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "However, if you want to visit the research lab, I won't stop you. In short, this research topic must never be revealed to outsiders."
The research site was open to inspection, but the researchers were adamant about not revealing the content of their research? Officer Jenny and Orchid were both puzzled.
After thinking for a while without finding an answer, the policewoman had no choice but to continue pressing, "If that's the case, why come to such a remote place to do research? And why hide in this mansion surrounded by trees?"
Meidan flashed his signature sarcastic smile and gestured with his chin toward the Sinnoh region champion: "Heh, you'll have to ask those believers in myths and legends."
It turns out that Professor Medan and his sponsor Hayden's research began more than a decade ago.
At that time, Medan's radical atheistic views offended many academic authorities, forcing him to retire early from the University of the Seaside after many years of teaching. It was around this time that he received an invitation from an old classmate, so he simply gave up the academic battlefield against God and went into seclusion, instead conducting a secret research project sponsored by Hayden at home.
However, things are unpredictable. Just when the name Medan was almost forgotten by everyone, a sneak attack from the past struck the retired scholar like a psychic Pokémon's "Foresight" move.
Ten years ago, as a staunch advocate of atheism, Mei Dan naturally participated in numerous public speeches and debates, even appearing on several television programs. Although the scholars and experts of that time lacked conclusive evidence, it was precisely for this reason that the most heated debates often arose when neither side could offer a convincing argument. In the midst of these verbal battles, Mei Dan naturally made some rash and thoughtless remarks.
Two years ago, Mr. Mei Dan's remarks mocking theism were unearthed online.
"Heh, thanks to the impatient efforts of you mythologists, the Sinnoh region has now become almost a private domain of theists. Even little kids who are still in school are starting to point at the reconstructed images in the Pokédex and say things like, 'This is the creator god,' 'This is the guardian of time and space,' 'This is the nightmare god,' 'This is the Registeel king,' and so on... In this atmosphere, it's only natural that those guys would fly into a rage if they suddenly saw a grumpy old man on their phone screen advocating these anti-theistic arguments."
The old professor sighed: "At first I didn't pay much attention, but after a few days I found out that I had become famous online. It was as if the whole world had heard my speech, and people would point at me even when I was walking down the street... Damn it, I couldn't have achieved this level of fame ten years ago."
Officer Jenny leaned closer to Bamboo Orchid and whispered, "Is that really true?"
The champion thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "I think I saw similar news a few years ago, but I didn't pay much attention. Maybe that's when I first heard of Mr. Mei Dan."
If Hugo were here, he would probably be happily explaining the details of the whole affair; that guy never misses any rumors or gossip online.
"Of course, if it were just old program videos being seen, I wouldn't have had to slink away to this place. The problem is that after that, I started being harassed by my old adversary—a fanatical theist."
At this point, Mei Dan revealed an expression of deep disgust.