Chapter 97: Logic Is Useless

An hour later, Le Xiaotian brought Chen Fang to the shoreline, a rocky area covered with moss and seaweed. Gazing at the rugged, jagged cliffs, a spark of excitement flickered in Le Xiaotian’s eyes. Then, he wrapped his arm around Chen Fang’s waist and gave a gentle lift. “Sleeping comfortably? Time to wake up. We’re going to pilot the fighter jets.”

Chen Fang swallowed nervously as she was roused. Stretching and yawning, she soon frowned in irritation. “Where are your hands? Move them away.”

Le Xiaotian ignored her protest and turned to smile. “We’re about to rock climb. I’m not using any safety gear, so you’d better come down.”

Just as he loosened his grip, Chen Fang paused, then resolutely said, “Take me with you. I want to feel what it’s like to dance on the edge of death.”

Le Xiaotian was surprised. “Are you sure? There are only hard rocks below. Falling would be fatal. Aren’t you scared?”

Resting her head on his shoulder, Chen Fang said plaintively, “If I die, that’s fine. Then I won’t have to worry about your other girlfriends.”

Le Xiaotian lifted her again by the waist and said, “If we’re going together, you have to come down too. Put on your clothes first. People will be up there soon. Although they’re all female officers, it won’t look good.”

Chen Fang blushed, suddenly realizing she was still wearing a black strapless top and tight swim shorts. A chill from the sea breeze made her shiver slightly. Reluctantly, she climbed down and crossed her arms, her body trembling a little.

Le Xiaotian took off the waterproof pouch tied around his waist and pulled out Chen Fang’s underwear and a high-grade flight suit. “Here, change into this first, or you’ll catch a cold.”

Taking the clothes, Chen Fang walked over to a rock more than two meters tall. Le Xiaotian called after her, “Change right here. Don’t leave my sight.”

Blushing, Chen Fang retorted, “In your dreams.”

Shortly, she disappeared behind the rock to change. When she came out, she was wearing a tight-fitting suit unlike any ordinary flight suit. It was a high-tech garment designed to protect her internal organs from the vibrations of flying, since her constitution was still fragile.

Le Xiaotian secured the cleaned waterproof pouch around her and turned, saying solemnly, “Let’s go.”

Chen Fang looked at him, clad only in shorts, and asked, “You said there’d be people waiting up there. You’re dressed like this?”

“It’s inconvenient to wear more now. Come on, let’s go,” Le Xiaotian answered matter-of-factly.

Knowing she couldn’t convince him otherwise, Chen Fang climbed onto his back as he headed toward the cliff top.

Walking barefoot, Le Xiaotian soon reached the cliff edge. Without any protective gear or friction-enhancing aids on his hands, he was climbing purely with his bare hands.

As he ascended meter by meter, the fierce wind began to blow, quickening Chen Fang’s heartbeat. The sensation of teetering on death’s edge was even stronger than when they had just glided through the air.

To steady herself, Chen Fang clung tightly to his neck and pressed her legs firmly around his waist, exhaling a delicate fragrance. “Xiaotian, I’m scared.”

Grabbing a rock, Le Xiaotian climbed upward. “Fear isn’t scary. Conquer it.”

Though he spoke lightly, Chen Fang realized only after experiencing it how vast the difference between them was. Despite his constant chatter, his will was unyieldingly strong.

Like a gecko, Le Xiaotian’s hands clung tightly to the rock as he swiftly ascended against the intensifying wind.

Suddenly, a fierce gust howled, piercing their eardrums. Chen Fang shut her eyes in fright, and Le Xiaotian paused.

The wind soon subsided, and he resumed climbing.

As the winter sun neared the horizon, he smiled. “Xiaofang, look at the sky.”

Obediently, she opened her eyes and turned her head toward the horizon, where the sky was breathtaking, draped in a veil of crimson clouds.

The feeling was different from before, though she couldn’t quite say how.

Then she asked, “Xiaotian, have you thought about the consequences of all this?”

Le Xiaotian leapt sideways, covering a meter in a dangerous move that made Chen Fang scream.

Once he secured his grip, he laughed. “Xiaofang, you’re too bound by rules and logic. You always need everything to make sense. That’s no way to live; you’ll miss out on so much fun.”

Snapping back to reality, Chen Fang asked, “Is being logical wrong?”

Le Xiaotian shook his head. “Logic is useless. Most people place too much emphasis on the logic of how things unfold, believing only what’s logical is true. But logic itself doesn’t truly influence people; sometimes, it’s utterly powerless.”

Chen Fang’s curiosity was piqued. “What do you mean by ‘logic is useless’?”

Le Xiaotian countered, “Logic exists merely to convince yourself and others. Only by mastering clear, understandable logic can you gain confidence. Do you agree with that?”

Chen Fang nodded thoughtfully. “Not entirely, but you have a point.”

Le Xiaotian smiled. “That’s persuasion — a form of influence. For instance, if I want you to believe ‘logic is useless,’ what logic would I use?”

Chen Fang chuckled. “Don’t try to confuse me.”

Le Xiaotian gripped another rock, his voice serious and earnest. “If you want to persuade me to believe or do something, you must fulfill three conditions:

1. Make me understand what you’re saying. You must speak from my perspective.

2. Your arguments must be solid and hard to refute.

3. You must convince me in a way that aligns with my needs and desires.

Of these, the third is the most important. Even if you speak from my viewpoint and have perfect logic, if it doesn’t satisfy my needs, whether I accept it or not is irrelevant.

For example, during a certain period, people firmly believed the sun revolved around the Earth. Then a genius proposed the heliocentric theory, showing the solar system and proving that the Earth orbits the sun.

His theory was strong and unchallenged, yet most people were indifferent because accepting it didn’t affect their lives. The fact that the Earth revolves around the sun was even less important than the fact that people need to eat.

Until one day, someone said, ‘Hey! This theory is useful. The Earth is round, so we no longer need to fear never returning from voyages. We can discover new lands and create wealth, solving our hunger problems. This is our hope.’

So, whether logic is perfect and arguments sufficient depends on whether it meets the other person’s needs. If not, it’s all for nothing.”

Chen Fang understood what Le Xiaotian meant but wasn’t entirely clear. For a while, she fell into deep silence.