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01 For the Benefit of Mankind（第1页）

01　FortheBeofMankind

BusinesswasbusihihihisrinciplebywhichSmoothboreoperated，butthisparticularthadlefthimfeelingbewildered。

First，thethadgoheissi。Hewaospeakinperson，whichwasextremelyunusualinthislineofbusihborerememberedhisinstructor’srepeatedadmonitionsthreedecadesprior:theirrelationshipwithtsshouldbelikethatoftheforeheadtothebackoftheskull;thetwoshouldhis，ofcourse，wasierestofbothparties。

Smoothborewasevenmoresurprisedbythet’seetiheopuleialHalliluxuriousfivestarhoteliyectasuitablevehissortoftransa。Agtotheotherparty，thistractwouldinvthreeunits。Thiswasnotrouble–hedidnotmindalittleextrawork。

AheldopenthegildeddoorsofthePresidentialHall。Beforeheehboreinspicuouslyreadintohisjadgentlyundidthesnapsoerunderhisleftarmpit。Intruth，itwasunnecessary–rytopullanythiedihis。

Thehallleinglitteringgreensandgolds，aartfromtherealityoutside。Thisworld’ssunwasamassivecrystaldelier，shiningdownonanendlessplainofscarletcarpet。Atfirstglaheroomseemedempty，butSmoothborequicklyspieditsotsclusteredaroundtwoFrendowsintheerofthehall，liftiainstolookatskyoutside。Hesweptahemaeehborehadanticipatedaotts。Hisinstructorhadalsosaidthattswerelikemistresses:youcouldhavemorethayoushouldhemmeet。

Smoothboreklywhattheywerelookingat:theElderBrothers’spaceship。IthadmovedbackovertheSouthernHemisphereandwasclearlyvisibleihreeyearshadpassedsiorcivilizatioh。Theirgrandicvisithaddrasticreasedhumanity’sabilitytomentallycopewithaliencivilizatioheCreators’fleetof20，000spaceshipshadblottedoutthesky，butonlyoneshipfromtheElderBrothers’worldhadarrivedowasnotasbizarrelyshapedasthespaceshipsoftheCreators。dricalwithroulookedlikeaiccoldreliefcapsule。

&hboreeeethewindowsahelargerouheterofthehall。Whenhereizedsomeofthefadtheroom，themaghallsuddeshabby。ThemostongthemwasSinoSysGroup’sZhuHanya-3systemlagtheoutdatedorldwide。Theothersallrahetopfiftyonalistoftheworld’seople。TheirannualearningswereprobablyequivalenttotheGDPofamiddle-iry。

ThesepelikeBrotherTeeth，thoughtSmoothbore。BrotherTeethhadmadehisfortuheseweredyhepolishedprodueratioheywerethearistocratsofthisage，utterlyhabituatedtotheowertheywielded。ItwasjustlikethedelicatediamthatsatonZhuHanyang’sslewasbarelyvisiblebutfortheoalglintht，butitwaseasilyworthadozehantheshiny，walnut-sizedgoldeadorh’sfingers。

Buteenfinangshadassembledtohireaprofessionalhitmantokillthreepeople，andagtohistact，thiswasobatch。

Smoothborepaidthediamion。HiseyeswerefixedraphsinZhu’shaheunitsthatrequiredprog。Zhuleanedacrossthetableandslidthephotographsinfrontofhim。

Withaglahborefeltfaintfrustratiain。Hisinstructorhadsaid，intheareainwhichhedidbusiwaswisetofamiliarizehimselfwithunitswhomightceivablybeprothefuture。Atleastinthiscity，Smoothborehaddohat。ButSmoothboreletelyuifythethreefa。Thephotographshadbeehalong-fos，andthedisheveledanddirtysubjectshardlyseemedofthesamespeciesastherefinedfiguresinfrontofhim。sperevealedthatohreefagedtoawomaillyoung，andherappearaidierthanthatoftheothers。Herhair，thoughcoatedwithdust，waslybed。Thelookinhereyeswasunusual。Smoothborepaidattentiontopeople’sexpressiohisbusinessalwaysdid。Heusuallysawowoexpressions:anxiousdesireorhereyeswerefilledwithrareserenity。Smoothbore’sheartstirredfaintly，butthefeelingpassedasquicklyasitcame，likeafiblownawayonthewind。

‘ThisisthetaskthatthecilforLiquidationofSocialWealthentruststoyou。ThisisthestandingitteeofthedIamits。’saidZhu。

ThecilforLiquidationofSocialWealth?Itwasastrafrombeingananizatioheworld’swealthiestindividuals，Smoothboreotpoionsofitsfurtherparticulars，itossibletouruepurpose。

&ioeheyhavenofixedaddresses，sothoseareapproximations。Youwillhavetosear，buttheyshouldnotprovedifficulttofind。Themoneyhasalreadybeeoyourat。PleaseverifythetraructedZhu。

Lookingup，SmoothborefoundtheexpressiononZhu’sfacetobeanythingbutnoble。Hiseyesweredullay。SomewhattoSmoothbore’ssurprise，theyheldraceofdesire。

Smoothborepulledouthiseandcheckedhisat。Aftergthelofzeroesafterthenumber，hesaidcoolly:‘First，notsomuch。Myiands。Sed，payhalfupfront，andhalfoion。’

‘Fine。’Zhusniffeddisapprovingly。

Smoothborepunchedseveralkeys。‘Theexdshavebeeurned。Pleaseverifythetransfer，sir。We，too，haveprofessionalstandards。’

&hesedaysyourlineofworkisoversubscribed。Butwevalueyourprofessionalismandsenseofhonor。’saidXuXuepingwithagsmile。Shewasthechiefexecutiveroup，Asia’slargesteentitybornoutofthefullliberalizatioriarket。

‘Thisisthefirstorder，sopleasehaly。’saidtheoffshoreoilbaroong。

‘Fastgordelayedg?’askedSmoothbore，quig，‘Iexplainifnecessary。’

&and，aer。Doasyouseefit。’answeredZhu。

&iohod?Videoorphysicalspe?’

‘her。Justpletethetask–wehaveourowhodsofg。’

‘Willthatbeall?’

‘Yes，youmaygo。’

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&hehotel，SmoothborecouldseetheElderBrothers’spaceshippassingslowlyoverheadinthenarrowstripsofskybetweebuildings。Theshipseemedlargerthasspeedhadincreased。Evidentlyithadreducedthealtitudeofitsorbit。Theship’ssmoothsidesbloomedwithslowlyshiftiterns，exergahyphosewholookedtoolong。Infact，thesurfaceoftheshiperfectmirror，aernsseenbyobserversonthegrouhedistortedreflesofEarthbelow。Smiheshipaspurestsilver，athiyinhiseyes。Hepreferredsilvertogold。Silverwasquiet，cold。

&heirdeparturethreeyearsago，theCreatorstoldhumanitythattheyhadcreatedsixEarthsintotal;thefourthatnowremaiwhtyearsofeachother。TheyurgedthepeopleofEarthtodevotetheirfulleffortstoteologieoelimiherplawebedestroyedourselves。

Butthisware。

Logtheirshipintoorbitarouh，emissariesfromohosethreeplaEarth，arrivedinthesolarsystemnotlohedepartureoftheCreators。TheFirstEarthcivilizationwastwiankind，andsothepeopleofthisEarthcametocallthem‘ElderBrothers’。

Smoothboretookouthiseandcheckedhisatbalan。BrotherTeeth，I’masrichasyounow，butitstillfeelslikeI’mmissihing。Andyoualwaysthoughtyoualreadyhaditall，ahingyoudiderateattempttokeepit。Heshookhishead，asiftoclearthedarkind。ItwasahinkofBrotherTeethnow。

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