"However, if there are some shortcomings that cannot be overcome, it doesn't matter. In the worst case, you will stay behind like Valenti, and that's fine. When I retire, I might be able to find time to take you out. Take a walk.”
Hesta was stunned, "Where are we going?"
"Anywhere," Qianye replied, "Snowy mountains, grasslands, rivers, mountains and islands - you can go anywhere except for the 15th and 16th districts that have not yet been opened... By the way, I am going to go to the 14th district next. District, you may not be able to see me next month, so let me tell you in advance.”
Hesta suddenly fell into deep thought, and she remembered the night when she first met Liz. At that time, Liz said that maybe Chiba was selecting candidates for her future combat team-because it was rumored that Chiba Masaki was a very good person. A shrewd person, she never spends time on useless things - "When she was at the reserve base, Miss Chiba never even served as anyone's assistant officer."
But tonight, Chiba didn't seem to care so much about whether he could really fight in the future.
After all, she just said "it's okay if you can't get over it."
"What's wrong?" Chiba looked at Hesta who was suddenly stunned, and waved his hand in front of her.
"Uh... I was wondering, if you are not in Tan Yi next month, will we not be able to meet the target of spending time together next month?"
Chiba laughed, "The 'Reserve Guardianship Order' only requires the real-time location of the companionship period for the first two months. After the formal review is passed, there is no need to share location information for the purpose of protecting privacy. So from now on, you only need to provide each Just go and fill out the form, sign, and that's it. It doesn't matter whether I'm really here or not."
"Is Miss Chiba going on a business trip to District 14?"
"Well." Qianye leaned on the chair, "I have taken my two-month annual leave this year in Tan Yi, and I have to resume my previous work rhythm in the second half of the year, so I can't show up as often as now, but if you meet If you have any questions, you can still write me emails or send me messages... You can also make phone calls, but it’s hard for me to answer them.”
"Okay." Hesta nodded.
Chiba rambled on and explained more details that Hestad needed to pay attention to. Hesta was in a trance while listening.
When driving back to the base, it started to rain again. It poured down enthusiastically and then stopped quickly. The short rain took away the last bit of sultry heat of the night.
On the way back, Hesta was still thinking about this matter. At a traffic light, Hesta looked sideways at Chiba.
"Miss Chiba, can I ask you a question?"
"Um?"
"Why do you want to be my guardian?"
The traffic on the diagonally opposite road started slowly, and the wet ground reflected the bright golden car lights of the traffic. The light cast long and short shadows on the burgundy foldback car.
Chiba didn't seem to hear the question. She remained silent. After a while, Hesta saw her reaching out to touch the cigarette placed in front of the bridge.
Hesta's heart skipped a beat - could this be a topic so serious that Chiba wouldn't know how to speak, so much so that she had to light a cigarette before she could think about what to say?
The traffic lights on the street turned on again, and Chiba's car restarted. She put half of her hand outside the car window, and the night wind blew the smoke between her fingers into a bright red circle.
"Because this is the most reasonable." Chiba looked at the road ahead, "It is best for me to make this application, which is in line with the 'reserve custody order'."
Hesta was silent.
She felt that Chiba seemed to be avoiding this question, but she could accept this answer.
The scenery outside the car window receded rapidly, and Hesta took the initiative to change the topic.
"Yesterday, I heard Ms. Morley and Miss Valenti talking about Turan...Miss Valenti cried very sadly."
"Huh?" Qianye pricked up his ears, "Why is she crying?"
"She couldn't understand why Turan was so stupid and would believe the lies of a chelate. Miss Valenti seemed to feel guilty, saying that it was because she underestimated Turan's past trauma that she became what Turan is today. Take risks out of desperation.”
Qianye laughed and said, "What about you, what do you think?"
"Well..." Hesta pondered for a moment, "I think Miss Valenti blames herself too much. It's not her fault. It's because the chelate was too cunning that Turan was fooled."
"How should I put it... Turan is indeed a bit stupid, but he is not 'that stupid', and this is not considered being fooled - the chelate did not lie."
Hesta was stunned: "...What?"
"When the Acheron moment arrives, if the mercury needle can sustain its own state, it can indeed permanently extend the bullet time - but, when the bullet time is coming to an end, if you want to rely on your own will not to give up to the Acheron moment. It is extremely difficult to slide down, and if you fail once, you will definitely die, so AHgAs has completely banned such attempts from a very early stage.
"If Turan would believe that chelate, he must have found some key information, so he decided to take the risk."
Hesta digested it for a long time, "So, Turan's attempt...is meaningful?"
"Yes." Chiba said, "So after this incident, I looked at her with admiration."
"……Why?"
"Do you know how to persevere in one thing without hesitation?" Chiba said with a smile, "It's actually very simple. If you can always win at one thing and defeat all your opponents, then you can It’s easy to persevere. You can continuously and easily put in unimaginable efforts, and at the same time experience happiness that others can’t imagine.
"But if you keep losing, the situation is different." Qianye said softly, "I went through Turan's battle records a few days ago. In the battle with chelates, she kept losing - because There is a limit to bullet time, but she is totally getting more courageous with every setback.”
Chiba looked at Hesta, "Learn her courage, don't learn her brains."
Hesta mused.
During the next journey, both of them stopped talking. Chiba turned on the radio in the car. She first cut off the melodious violin solo, and then cut off a cantabile pastoral symphony. When the channel jumped to a certain During the slightly noisy conversation, Hestad's name appeared on the radio, and several program guests were discussing the recent changes intensely.
Chiba turned off the radio directly.
"Don't read newspapers, listen to the radio or watch TV recently...can you temporarily cut yourself off from the outside world?"
"Yeah." Hesta nodded.
Chiba was originally thinking about how to explain the whole incident to Hesta, but she didn't expect that Hesta didn't ask anything.
After hesitating for a moment, Chiba glanced at Hesta and said, "Do you have any questions to ask me?"
Hesta thought for a while, "How did Miss Chiba know about the method of extending bullet time?"
"Ha, I just know it. But don't tell anyone about it. Turan had better always treat it as a lie about Chelate, otherwise you don't know what she will do next."
At another intersection, while waiting for a red light, Chiba opened his CD collection and started playing a children's chorus.
In the heavenly children's singing, Hesta suddenly remembered the 76 hours of bullet time in Chiba.
In silence, she slowly came up with a surprising guess.
