Legend of the Cyber Heroes
Chapter 218 - 218 138 Refusal

218: Chapter 138: Refusal 218: Chapter 138: Refusal Haneda International Airport, International Terminal, beside a coffee shop.

Kanhara Tsun rather awkwardly handed a cup of macchiato coffee to Xiang Shan, “This visit, all I can do is offer you a cup of coffee.

Double foam, double syrup—I remember you don’t like bitter coffee, right?”

“It’s not like it’s a rare visit.

I’ve been traveling all over the world these past years, and you don’t need to act like the Host.

I might even be more familiar with the Haneda International Terminal than you,” Xiang Shan said, sipping on the straw and nodding towards the nearby Kanhara mother and daughter, “What about them, is everything okay?”

“Just a little squabble between kids,” said Kanhara Tsun, but his face was anything but relaxed.

After leaving the “Rama Project,” Kanhara Tsun returned to the World Minority Languages Research Institute (SIL).

Unfortunately, his return timing was poor and he missed the Africa field trip organized by SIL.

Having previously worked on the Rama Project for several years, the institute granted him some time to dispose of at his discretion.

With this relatively free time, Kanhara Tsun returned to his hometown in Fukuoka, in a small town.

There, he compiled the inspiration he had gained during brainstorming sessions with the world’s top linguists over the years.

[This content was also work-related, so strictly speaking, it wasn’t a vacation.]

During this period, Kanhara Tsun got married.

Xiang Shan, who was still tinkering with alien spaceships at the Rama Project at that time, heard that Kanhara Tsun had met his high school classmate through an arranged meeting by his parents and then it was love at first sight.

Mrs.

Kanhara lived two streets away from Kanhara Tsun’s parents.

Within a few years, Kanhara Tsun even had a child.

However, it was not until 2035, when the girl was over four years old, that Xiang Shan managed to visit this old friend.

“I really must criticize you a bit, Tsun,” Xiang Shan said, sipping his coffee, “The origin of humankind is important, and so is the future of humankind—your daughter is part of ‘the future of humankind.’ You are her father, and this responsibility lies only with you.”

“It’s just that, my work isn’t something ‘anyone can undertake,'” Kanhara Tsun replied, taking small sips of his black coffee.

“The number of researchers willing to go to Africa for field research is never enough.

And Africa… the place is constantly exploited by the world.

It is always in crisis.

The rate of researching and documenting languages can never keep up with the rate at which languages disappear.”

“That’s true,” Xiang Shan nodded, “It’s a noble endeavor.

But you should not only tell me, you should explain this to that little girl.

If you can explain the reasoning well, I think she will be proud of her father.”

The sparkle in Kanhara Tsun’s eyes dimmed immediately, “About that… Although I have explained it to her many times.

Yet, children care most about their mom and dad.

Forcing her to understand ‘all of humanity’ seems a bit cruel to her.

And my wife… I feel very sorry for her too.”

Xiang Shan shook his head, “I see you have a great relationship.”

Kanhara Tsun smiled faintly, “Well, maybe it’s because I’ve studied too many primitive languages.

Miku found me ‘frank to the point of not seeming Japanese’ when she first met me.

She said she really liked that about me.

Those languages, lacking in advanced rhetoric but straightforward, seem to have rooted themselves into my soul.

She also loves what I do.

She always keeps smiling as she waves me off at the airport.

I am very proud of my wife too.”

Xiang Shan didn’t speak.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk, but that he was looking for the right moment to do so.

Meanwhile, Kanhara Tsun opened up.

He seemed to really want to vent about his current situation.

He indeed felt very sorry for his wife.

In the fourteen years they were married, except for the first two years, during the remaining twelve years he spent three quarters of each year in Africa.

And he spent much of the other time at SIL.

It was okay before Little Kotoha started elementary school, as Mrs.

Kanhara could take her daughter to live temporarily in the Federation.

However, Kanhara Tsun’s parents hoped their granddaughter would still have Japanese as her first language, so Kotoba stayed in Japan for elementary school.

When this was mentioned, Xiang Shan’s eyes lit up, pulling out a form from his briefcase, “Right, Tsun, take a look at this.

Don’t worry, I definitely won’t trick you.”

“‘Proof of Genetic Correlation to Second Language Acquisition Ability’ volunteer registration form?” Kanhara Tsun was puzzled, “Second language acquisition… genetics…

this?

Ah!

That one!”

Years ago, he had discussed this topic with Yawgmoth and Ingrid while chatting.

The ability to acquire a second language varied greatly among humans.

Some people could never use a second language as competently as their first, while others could naturally take this step—like Ingrid, who was outstanding and could learn a new language in just two weeks.

“Little Kotoha understands both English and Japanese, two completely different languages, right?” Xiang Shan said, “But she grew up in a bilingual environment from the start… I’m not sure if that counts as second language acquisition.

But if she can learn another language and use it fluently, that would definitely count!

You are father and daughter, perfectly suitable for such a project.”

Kanhara Tsun revealed a nostalgic expression, “Back then, I thought that this project wouldn’t be feasible even in a hundred years.”

“The reality is, we now have money.

After Yog gambled with his life and succeeded, as long as we prove that ‘this direction might be closely related to human progress,’ numerous organizations or tycoons start funding us!” Xiang Shan laughed, “According to Inga, researching second language acquisition is essentially researching the fundamental mechanisms of language.

If we want thoughts in the brain to be directly input into computers, we must understand the brain’s language capabilities.”

“Now, all the major nations are actively cooperating.

Many scholars who use a second language as their mother tongue, as well as their children who have experience studying abroad, are our key subjects to allure.

Your ability to fluently use dozens of African languages also makes you an important subject of observation.”

Kanhara Tsun straightforwardly said, “If you have the equipment to carry and preserve blood samples, I can give you a blood sample right now.

But Kotoba…

I need to discuss it with my wife first.”

He fully trusted the research institution under Yawgmoth’s command, believing that his genetic information privacy would not be exploited elsewhere.

“Now, how could that be.

I came here on a whim just to see.” Xiang Shan smiled, “When I have time, I’ll take my family on a trip to the Republic and donate the genetic sample along the way.”

Kanhara Tsun laughed, “Having money really is great.

Back when Yog brought up this topic, Inga and I were crying poor.

Now we can take on such willful projects…

it’s really nice.”

Xiang Shan nodded, “Yes, yes, my funding is plentiful and the projects are free—brother, look, would you like to lead a project over here as well?”

Kanhara Tsun paused, then smiled, “I was wondering, you’ve become a tycoon who could appear in the Asahi Shimbun, how could you not afford a private jet.

You must have come especially to corner me.”

“I really don’t have a private jet.” Xiang Shan shrugged, “After all, it’s the institution that is rich, not me personally.

I also still have an assistant and a bodyguard with me.

The comrade assistant went to handle the procedures, and Mr.

Bodyguard, if you look outside, you should see a man wearing a Black Hat.

I really did come here on a whim after seeing SIL’s information.

Some things, I feel, are best said in person.”

Kanhara Tsun nodded, “That’s really nice.

Quite nice indeed.”

“Our project really needs someone who understands the ‘primitive appearance’ of languages.

Inga said, it can only be you.” Xiang Shan said, “You are familiar with many languages.

These languages are not dressed up by rhetoric, history, or religion.

Inga feels that deep in your thoughts, there definitely exists a unique understanding of language.

With you joining us, we might actually manage to perfect the Brain-Machine Interface in our lifetime.”

Kanhara Tsun bowed his head, “Let me think about it.”

“Of course, you don’t have to reject it now…”

“I still refuse.”

“Ah…” Xiang Shan was stunned, “Regarding the terms…

”

Kanhara Tsun kept his head down, “It’s not about the terms.

Not at all.

I’m very glad you thought of me and my daughter too.

Xiang, I’m really grateful.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Kanhara Tsun countered, “I heard that you intervened among various parties to protect a type of Scale-horn Gastropod Snail, successfully getting the Federation to sanction a mining company through an administrative order?”

Xiang Shan shook his head, “I merely reasonably outlined the potential value of those Scale-horn Gastropod Snails and the possible value of undersea volcanic vent mining, and then made a comparison.

That’s all.

And I also had the ‘Argon’ banner to wave.

Anyone in that position could have done that.”

“I heard that Yog’s ex-wife once ran around in the Federation for the survival rights of some hydrothermal creatures, but almost no results were achieved.

Anyway, that’s still very impressive.” Kanhara Tsun laughed while shaking his head, “I think, my current mood is the same as hers back then.

But trying to slow down the extinction of African languages is extremely difficult.”

“While I’m asleep, an old man in Africa might die.

And as this old man dies, he also takes away a vocabulary lingering from thousands or even tens of thousands of years ago.

The descendants of the old man have already accustomed themselves to using English, French or other Indo-European languages to express the meaning of this ancient vocabulary—thinking about this, my mood is just like a biologist watching a mining company destroy the habitat of rare species for slight profits, erasing biological evidence of evolution.”

“You could say that those ancient African languages, without my research, would still be studied by someone else.

But…” Kanhara Tsun sighed, “Language is not a constant objective existence; it only exists between subjects.

It will decrease more and more.

This isn’t a ‘there’s always time to study it later’ kind of project.

This is a ‘if we don’t urgently rescue it now, there will be no chance later’ kind of project.”

“If you hadn’t stopped that mining company, perhaps Yog wouldn’t have had the chance to research those small snails either.”