"What article to make?"
"Miss Fletcher, I can understand how you feel now-"
"Please answer my question head-on and don't make any other excuses." Liz's eyes almost lit up. "What are you worried about?"
Molly's expression showed a little tiredness. She sighed softly, took off her thin-framed glasses, and leaned back slightly. "Perhaps you know that there are some parades in the urban area of Tanyi City these days."
Liz was startled, "...what kind of parade?"
"Citizens demand that the coalition government of the Third District make representations to us, hand over Jane Hestad, and allow her to return to civilian life."
As he spoke, Molly pushed a newspaper in front of Liz.
As soon as Liz unfolded it, she frowned at the portrait on the front page. She looked up at Molly, "Is this...Jane?"
Molly nodded.
The headline of the newspaper was printed in heavy ink: "Set her free - save her, the girl surrounded by doom."
Liz read the entire report without saying a word, and then silently put the newspaper back on the table.
"Never underestimate the public's sympathy for a little girl." Molly whispered, "Especially because she bravely confronted the chelate at the critical moment and saved the children in the entire convent at the cost of serious injury to herself. Who can bear to let her live in danger for the rest of her life? After today, probably the entire Third District will pay attention to her whereabouts."
Liz's brows relaxed slightly, "...So you are worried about this."
"This matter can't get any bigger." Morley pinched the bridge of his nose. "If word spread, it will definitely be considered that the base cannot provide protection for Hesta... This will only make public opinion more turbulent."
Liz looked at the flaxen-haired girl on the newspaper. After a moment of silence, she whispered: "But if you want to suspend the investigation of Sean because of this matter, it means that we really can't provide Jane with anything." Protect?"
"Suspending the investigation does not mean stopping the investigation." Morley corrected, "Although there is no official document, we can still restrict Sean's behavior."
"...Then it's better to follow everyone's suggestion and let her go." Liz looked at Molly. "She doesn't know anything now anyway. It would be good to leave the base and live an ordinary life."
Molly smiled. She didn't seem angry at Liz's words. "...Someone also mentioned this during the previous meeting to discuss countermeasures, but Chiba denied it."
"Chiba?" Liz laughed in disbelief, "I thought she would just let it go."
"More than that, she won't let go," Morley shifted his gaze to the newspaper again and whispered, "The fact that Hesta can stay at the base now is all thanks to Chiba Masaki's quick response in the early stage. If she hadn't been there before the military police Before checking the monastery's children's register, we directly went through the adoption process to determine the identity of this child. It is impossible for us to bring her into the base legally.
"After all, legally speaking, since Hesta has registered her identity information at St. Anne's Monastery, she is one of the legal citizens of Tanyi City in the Third District, and the city hall has the right to give priority to her."
"Then what does Teacher Chiba think about this parade?"
Morley continued: "In the past, non-governmental organization parades would go through at least two weeks of review and preparation period from application for approval to the formal parade, but this time, from the submission of the application to the official parade, it started in less than three days. If there is no one behind the scenes who gives the green light, they can't do it. Furthermore, even if Hesta is allowed to leave the base, what awaits her will not be the so-called 'ordinary life', but just working for the coalition government. .
"Chiba's opinion was that we would do 'whatever it takes' to keep Jane Hestad, literally," Morley said.
Liz took a deep breath.
"Liz," Molly's tone softened slightly, "Although it may seem a little cold to say this, maybe you have invested too much energy and emotion in this matter."
Liz spoke first, but did not refute. After a while, she just whispered: "...I am Jane's assistant officer."
Morley clasped his hands, "The original intention of the base to punish Sean was to warn him that what he did was wrong, but now we also need to understand the reason - why he showed such unusual attention to the new Hesta. reason."
Molly looked at Liz: "Being too obsessed with punishment itself sometimes doesn't mean justice is done, what do you think?"
Liz was silent for a moment, then stood up, picked up her hat and put it on.
"...I will think about it carefully."
Molly smiled slightly: "I remember, Valenti said this morning that she planned to ask Calvin for a short visit. Maybe you can find an opportunity to talk to her. She should have some opinions on you and Hesta. All valuable information.”
…
In the evening, Chiba drove Hesta back to the base. Although it rained briefly today, the clouds cleared and the rain stopped at the moment.
The sunset in the distant sky coated the whole world with a layer of dim gold, Qianye stopped the car.
"Don't forget to send me a copy of your class schedule when you get back, so I can know when you are usually free. Make an appointment for visiting hours first - be prepared, I may come to pick you up at any time."
"OK."
"We have to resolve this matter as soon as possible." Chiba gently rubbed the hard leather texture on the steering wheel. "The nights are long and there are many dreams. It's best not to delay for too long - it all depends on your shooting progress."
Hesta's hand that was unbuckling his seat belt suddenly slowed down. Chiba almost immediately caught this change in movement, "What's wrong?"
"I'm thinking that maybe there is a better solution than this." Hesta looked forward, with some uncertainty in his voice, "I want to use this method as a trump card to suppress the situation. If the base still can't solve me problem, and Sean took further actions, at that time——"
Hesta's voice stopped suddenly because she heard a sigh with laughter coming from Chiba, and she looked sideways: "What is Miss Chiba laughing at?"
Chiba looked at her, "When did you start having this fantasy?"
"I asked Ms. Morley's secretary that guns are banned in Tan Yi City, and guns are not allowed in the base without permission. If I really take the risk, I may face the same punishment as Sean."
"Has the base's punishment restricted Sean's movements?"
"……No."
"Then why do you have to be restricted by something like this?"
Hesta was speechless for a moment. The night before yesterday, Liz's words about "a world where the weak should endure bullying is not right" and "when someone uses sweat and blood to pave the way for justice" appeared in Hesta's mind, but at this moment She couldn't repeat the words smoothly and flexibly.
She frowned slightly: "But responding to violence with violence will only...well, push everyone to a more extreme direction."
"Don't think about this kind of problem, this is what Molly and the others should consider."
"……Why?"
"Because this is not something you can control." Qianye said softly, "It was Sean who chose you first."
"Molly and the others always hope to solve all problems at their root cause. There must be reasons for bullying against newcomers in our base: the perpetrator's own problems, loopholes in the system, culture or subculture. Fueled by popular factors... the list goes on.
“From the perpetrator’s perspective, understand why he does evil, and then think about ways to make him stop doing evil. This is something that other people have to consider, and you don’t need to.
"Remember what I said last time, violence has no boundaries, its boundaries only depend on the reactions of both parties."
Qianye lowered her head to take out the cigarette, and the fire lit up in front of her eyes.
"For the weak, revenge is the only way to escape."
