Called by the professor, Eric left his bedroom and walked through the dark corridor to the reading room. In front of a row of bookshelfs that reached the ceiling, the professor was sitting alone next to the fireplace in pajamas. In front of him was a small coffee table with a chess box on it, and a thick carpet of animal skins under his feet. The colorful fluffy animal hairs passed through his instep, as if they were as comfortable and comfortable as if they were stepping on a grassy lawn.

It is already autumn now. Although autumn in New York is the most pleasant season of the year, as an old man with a weak body, the professor couldn't help but feel a little chill. Fortunately, the flames in the furnace brought him some warmth. When Eric walked to him, he smiled and greeted the young man who was both a disciple and a friend to sit down.

"I haven't been so excited like today for a long time. I can't sleep for a while. Since you haven't rested, how about playing chess with me?" The professor's smooth head emitted a round light under the dim light. He looked at Eric with gentle eyes, looking peaceful.

Eric sat down opposite, opened the box, and thirty-two chess pieces stood on both sides of the black and white grid.

Professor Zhibai took the lead in attacking Eric's central soldiers, and the two sides fought at the beginning of Wang Yi's abandonment of the troops, and soon Eric gave a soldier back.

"Hank and I have imagined many future situations, but we never thought it would be like today. We hope that it will come so soon is something we never dreamed of." The professor said while moving the chess piece.

"Mora and I were on the phone, and she felt incredible. My friend in the government told her that Congress was indeed considering your proposal to establish a Ministry of Mutant Affairs that could be accepted by both parties to coordinate the connection between mutants and ordinary people. Now we are not prepared at all and have no idea what to do. This is a happy confusion." The professor smiled and watched Eric take advantage of the opportunity to move the direction of the dynasty car by two grids, and then the car passed over the king and placed it on the next grid next to the king.

"Yes." Eric stared at the chessboard and replied. "We are not prepared. The situation seems to be getting better now, but there has not been any substantial change. In the past, under the leadership of you and Mr. Eric, humans were concerned about our strength and did not dare to take action easily. Now we have only gained superficial recognition that humans cannot attack us easily, and we are also subject to the same restrictions. In this stalemate between the two sides, we are likely to become passive. If we are not dealing with it carefully, new problems will inevitably occur." He said, and the professor seized the favorable opportunity, expanded the initiative, and intercepted the Black King in Eric's hands in the center.

"I'm also a little worried. When there is pressure outside, we have a common pursuit, but once the pressure disappears, the ideas of our compatriots will inevitably become chaotic. What I am more worried about is whether the Brotherhood can accept future agreements." The professor always worried that the other side would destroy the hard-won peace. Even if his relationship with Magneto is good, he will inevitably have doubts after years of struggle.

Eric dispelled his concerns, and through Riven, he had reached into the Brotherhood. Toads and Sabertooth Tiger, who had been unrespected for many years, have quietly turned to his side. Although he cannot control the situation directly, it is easier to get news.

"The Brotherhood doesn't have to worry too much. They won't make too many moves for the time being. Everything will be decided after the person comes out of the underground prison." Eric moved King to perform artificial translocation, while Bai Fang, the professor, was facing tit.

"It's a pity that we can't unify our opinions, otherwise the current situation will be much more beneficial to us." The professor sighed, and Eric disagreed.

"No one can truly unify the opinions of all mutants. If we can really do it, the one in the White House may wake up in a dream." Eric said lightly.

"What are you worried about?" The professor sensitively noticed Eric's inner doubts, and he asked cautiously. "Will humans change?"

"I'm worried about our internal affairs." Eric's answer surprised the professor. "I'm worried that our compatriots would have too high expectations for peace talks. When they found that there was no substantial change, they would deal with it. In the Civil War in 1861, the Federation made a lot of promises to win the blacks, and the government made many promises in exchange for rights. After the war, they found that their situation was still very difficult, so they began a large-scale struggle. If we cannot effectively deal with this impact, I'm worried that the angry compatriots would not follow the example of blacks and smash our avatars on the street and burn them, but instead used their abilities to do something more radical, just like the Brotherhood."

The professor's old face twitched, and the picture described by Eric made him deeply worried. He could not tolerate such results for the future of mutants or his long-term efforts. He did not consider this clearly. Now he is very grateful to Hank for his reminder. Since Eric thought more deeply than him, he might as well listen to his opinions.

"You're right. So, do you have any ideas?" The professor leaned over and looked at Eric solemnly.

Eric pondered and dropped the car. Now the professor's White side had fallen at a disadvantage, and all the pieces were under his offensive.

"In actions with far-reaching significance, nothing is more terrifying than no plan. We need a long-term plan. I have a preliminary idea to divide the future into three stages."

"Then let's talk about it from the first stage." said the professor.

"First of all, our internal and external relations." Eric scored two areas, one big and one small. "The academy and the fraternity are internal relations. We must change our previous confrontational attitudes and turn them into healthy competition, absorb our compatriots who are outside of us, and take their information as much as possible in their hands, but not forcing registration, but purely voluntary and keep it confidential to humans. This will help us further strengthen our understanding and identify people with great dangers, such as the Victorian scientist."

"Then there is the relationship between mutants and ordinary people. We can have different attitudes towards the government, large enterprises and the public opinion community. Since it is impossible to please everyone, we have a choice to win over partners. This stage is very critical and it determines whether our future development path is correct. If we want to build a building, the first thing we need to do is not to make the foundation strong and durable or the structure is flawless, but to pay special attention when choosing a site, and do not build it on a cliff or a river, otherwise no matter how hard we try, it will be useless."

The professor thought for a while and remembered Eric's words in his heart.

"What?" he asked.

"Then make the mutant's relationship with the ordinary people more harmoniously and reduce the resistance we are facing." Eric replied.

"This is exactly what I hope, how do you do it?" said the professor happily.

"In addition to rescue operations, we can also take appropriate avoidance. A person may hate his brother, but never get angry at strangers a mile away for no reason. This is because distance eliminates friction. No matter how good a person has, there will inevitably be a few neighbors who don't like him. Instead of insisting on integrating into the society of ordinary people, we can also make flexibility and consciously guide some compatriots who want to stay away from conflict to live somewhere, even if it is remote, they can accept it. After all, living in their own community and a place full of doubts are different."

"But they always have to live?"

"That's the third stage."

"Speaking."

"It is nothing more than to provide care for the elderly and educate the young, and to give job opportunities to those who are suitable for the age, so that they will not be idle. We can create our own unique advantageous industries by exploring our abilities and avoid competing with ordinary people. Then through effective human resources application and cultivation, we will form a sustainable development path."

Eric first mentioned the strategy roughly and then explained it carefully. The professor quickly understood his idea and agreed that it was indeed quite feasible.

But now there is a problem that is difficult to solve. The professor is a little difficult to talk about. In order not to affect the overall situation, he still said it.

That's the money issue.

The Xavier family is not a particularly wealthy family. When it comes to the professor's generation, the ancestors have left little property. If it weren't for his stepfather's life, it would be difficult for him to support the college by himself.

"Don't worry about this," Eric comforted. "As mutants, if we are really the pride of heaven, we will not worry about money. I already have a solution to this."

The professor looked at him in confusion and found that he looked confident, so he stopped asking.

He still believes in Eric's character, and let him do whatever he does not involve breaking the principles.

"There is no measure to eliminate all risks. We can only try our best to prevent risks and increase the cost of those behaviors that may cause harmfulness to us. When hostile people find that attacking us is not worth the cost, they will naturally back down." Although Eric's plans are not very mature, they finally have a prototype so that they will not be in a hurry when things are about to happen.

That night, Eric talked a lot with the professor, from the future of the mutant to their views. The professor calmly spoke out the constraints imposed on him, and Eric did not hide his defense. The two people sometimes had the same idea, and sometimes had different opinions, and they had to argue a few words. This kind of communication was very necessary, which made the two generations of the academy controlers disappear. In the professor's eyes, the young man opposite was merging with another shadow. Once upon a time, the man once sat opposite him playing chess. Now the two Erics finally began to overlap. He looked a little strange and familiar. Under the interweaving of the dim firelight in the fireplace and the dawn light shining from the skylight, their figures gradually merged together. "Professor?" Eric saw his trance, and the professor escaped from his meditation and smiled at Eric.

"I had worried about you before, and now I want to apologize to you, Eric." The professor finally said this hidden words in his heart.

"It's all over, professor." Eric smiled. "You are one of the greatest people I've ever met. Everyone has shortcomings and shining points, and we are no exception. I have learned a lot from you, your patience, your tolerance, and love for my fellow countrymen, all make me respect from the bottom of my heart."

His words made the professor laugh.

"It's already dawn, let's finish this game." The professor suggested, moving the chess piece and making a final charge against Eric who had opened the central path.

It was dawn and the chess game ended.
Chapter completed!