Poaching Someone Right in Front of Them

Professor X had no idea how to respond to that.

It was true that with a close-combat fighter like Wolverine present, the final outcome would not have changed, but at least they would not have lost so miserably.

Although Wolverine’s attack power was lacking, his defenses—or rather, his vitality—were astonishingly strong. Zhan Liu was not even certain he could kill him.

If Zhan Liu did not want to waste time on him, the best approach was to knock him away first, then cut straight through to the backline and get in the ranged fighters’ faces, eliminating them first.

In truth, Professor X was certainly not entirely satisfied with the X-Men either. After all, his philosophy leaned toward resolving problems through peaceful means and quelling disputes through dialogue.

Yet his subordinates, despite agreeing with his philosophy, always wanted to solve problems with force at the slightest provocation.

He simply had no choice.

He had only so many people under him, and most of them were still children. At present, they were in a state of having too few successors. He would have to wait a few more years, until Iceman’s generation had grown up, before he would have more people to choose from.

"Mr. Zhan, please believe me when I say that we never intended to fight you in the first place. Scott simply cares too much about that child, which is why he lost his composure." Professor X sincerely explained himself to Zhan Liu.

"Does he care too much, or is he just used to it?" Zhan Liu sneered.

"Humans are accustomed to solving problems in the way they are best at. You are good at communicating with people, so you are willing to sit here and talk with me. None of your subordinates is good at persuading others. What they are better at is using force. From that perspective, they would be better suited to joining Magneto."

At the mention of his old friend, Professor X’s emotions clearly fluctuated, but he had excellent control over them. It lasted only an instant; if Zhan Liu had not been watching him closely, he might not have noticed it at all.

"Some abilities are innate, while others can be learned later in life. I believe Scott and the others are all willing to learn. As long as our ideals are aligned, they will eventually grow accustomed to resolving problems peacefully through dialogue."

"Fine, whatever makes you happy. It has nothing to do with me anyway." Zhan Liu shrugged and asked, "You didn’t summon me here just to thank me, did you? A phone call would have been enough for that."

"Uh… Originally, I thought you intended to take Jimmy in, so I wanted to talk with you and ask you to pay attention to Jimmy’s growth, so that he would not develop any misguided ideas as he grew up. But now it seems…"

Professor X was being very roundabout, talking about paying attention to his growth and misguided ideas, but Zhan Liu immediately understood.

"Oh, I get it. You are worried that if Jimmy does not come to your side and instead studies under me, he will eventually be recruited by Magneto’s Brotherhood."

"On that point, I make no guarantees, and I do not care. Even if he passes the assessment and becomes my disciple, he can still join either your X-Men or Magneto’s Brotherhood."

Professor X was extremely displeased by Zhan Liu’s attitude. It completely conflicted with his philosophy of education.

"Mr. Zhan, as far as I know, Easterners believe that ‘once your teacher, your father for life.’ I can understand your ignoring him before he officially becomes your disciple. But now that you have accepted him as a student, how can you simply leave him to fend for himself?"

"In my view, a teacher should not merely impart knowledge and skills to a student. More importantly, a teacher must cultivate the student’s moral character. A teacher should be a guiding light, leading the student forward along the correct path."

Zhan Liu gave a chuckle, clearly unimpressed.

"Then what exactly is correct? Who gets to define ‘correct’? The teacher?"

Professor X was stunned for a moment, then pondered. "Are you saying that I am using my own path to limit my students’ futures?"

"No, you are overthinking it. I mean that there has never been any absolute right or wrong in this world. You are right, and Magneto is right as well. Likewise, you are wrong, and Magneto is wrong too."

Zhan Liu chuckled, his snow-white teeth showing beyond his lips and radiating a faint chill.

"The difference is nothing more than this: the victor becomes king, and the defeated become outcasts."

Professor X furrowed his brow, clearly realizing that his path and Zhan Liu’s were completely different.

"I disagree with you. There are many standards by which heroes can be measured and judged, such as right and wrong, good and evil, virtue and vice, success and failure, and so on… Success or failure is not a standard for judging right and wrong, much less the only standard."

Zhan Liu curled his lips. "I am not debating you. I am merely stating my opinion. Just as you can never convince Magneto, you will never convince me."

"We are all adults. Our worldviews were settled long ago."

"You are free to teach children ideas that align with your worldview. But in my eyes, that is brainwashing. I will not brainwash my students. The path they take in the future should naturally be their own decision."

"Whether they turn out well or badly, that is their choice. I only need to make sure they do not die in the process."

"As for the hardships they suffer and the pain they endure along the way, heh, what is the harm in young people going through a little hardship?"

"Past experiences will shape his worldview. Whether they are happy or painful, they are all part of life. I am his teacher, not his nanny. I have no obligation to ensure that he spends his entire life happy and carefree."

"This world is incredibly miraculous. It can accomplish things like reversing time and resurrecting the dead. If you want to change the mistakes of the past, then work hard to grow stronger and find a way to change them."

"As long as you are strong enough, there is a solution to everything."

"This is ten thousand times better than that damned world I used to live in, where no mistake could ever be changed!"

Professor X looked at Zhan Liu with pity and sighed.

"I do not know what your original world was like, nor can I truly understand your suffering. But you have come here now. The world has changed, and it is time for you to change as well."

"Take that pitying look off your face. It really pisses me off!" Zhan Liu rose with a sweep of his sleeve. "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave. Once Jimmy’s assessment period is over, we can discuss what comes next."

When he reached the entrance, Zhan Liu stopped and turned toward the distant dormitory area. He secretly circulated his energy, sending his voice into the ears of every student.

"Kids, if any of you want to gain powerful strength, come find me at the Ultimate Limit Hall in New York Chinatown. Maybe three months from now, you will be able to beat up your teachers!"

After saying that, he rose straight into the clouds and flew away.

That was the real purpose of his visit. Otherwise, that fellow never did anything without profit. He had no connection with the Mutants, so why else would he come here for no reason?