"I do have my concerns."
"What are you worried about? Are you worried that Ava will kill you if you come?"
Anna raised her eyebrows slightly, "...If I really go, Ava will chase me to the ends of the earth. There is no doubt about this."
"Ha." Qianye looked away again, and the sparks on her fingertips suddenly brightened, "...Then what's the point of coming here tonight?"
Anna was silent for a long time and never answered.
In the darkness, Chiba's footsteps approached slowly. She walked to Anna and patted Anna's shoulder twice, "It's all over, Anna."
Anna lowered her eyes slightly.
"I should thank you," Qianye whispered, "People are crazy when they are eleven or twelve years old. Just like at that time, I felt that everything else in the world was boring except for you -"
"The world is big." Anna said softly.
"Yes, the world is big, and there are interesting places everywhere... It's like a playground."
Anna smiled and said, "You have really traveled to many places in these years..."
"How do you know? Have you been secretly paying attention to my whereabouts all these years?" Qianye chuckled, "It's scary."
"……Feel sorry."
"Don't you think these apologies sound boring? Stop saying them."
"Qianye." Anna looked in the direction of Qianye, "Answer me a question?"
"uh-huh?"
"If everything is really over," Anna paused for a moment, "where did your meanness towards me come from...?"
"mean?"
"I have never been a person who is obsessed with morality, but Chiba, do you know what kind of person would take advantage of a child's 'flinging complex'... Only beasts would do this." Anna raised her head, " I know, maybe because I woke up not long ago, maybe because I was disconnected from human society for a long time, so I fell into some chaos... but this is my own problem, I can't take another The fresh vitality of a person is my solution - especially when this person is you, I can't -"
"enough!"
Chiba, who was originally calm, suddenly became angry, which Anna didn't expect.
"……fraud."
"Liar? I...I didn't lie to you -"
"You didn't? You didn't." Chiba left Anna quickly, turned around suddenly, and rushed to Anna's wheelchair in a few steps, "I ask you, what ability does the third district coalition government have to arrest you and imprison you for more than ten years? Years? What kind of prison is this and which army can stop the team of androids you brought out from District 15? No one. Who locked you in District 3 for so many years? "
Anna's face changed slightly, "Qianye..."
"It's you!" Qianye sneered, "I always thought you had other considerations... So you're punishing yourself?"
"Qianye, I..."
"Do you still want to deny it, Anna?" Chiba's voice was harsher than ever before, "I never thought there was anything unspeakable about this matter - I'm not like you, you are so noble. I didn't know you until today That’s what I thought... If I knew that what I did at that time made you feel nothing but humiliation and guilt, I would give myself a few hard slaps."
"...No, that's not the case."
"'Baby Bird Complex'?" Chiba's breathing stagnated for a moment. She took a very soft breath with a little self-mockery, "...sometimes, I don't feel that there is any difference between me and my twelve-year-old self. .”
The two fell into silence again.
Anna looked at the sparks between Qianye's fingers, and the words pressed in her throat were like a thousand pounds.
"But, it's all over," Chiba's voice returned to its usual coldness, "Then let it pass completely."
Chiba stamped out the cigarette butt in his hand and left alone towards the exit of the museum.
"Chiba!"
Anna spoke in a low voice, and Chiba immediately stopped not far away, but did not look back.
Anna slowly turned the wheelchair and faced Chiba's back, "Actually, I was thinking on the way here, if I can meet you here tonight, I must ask you...are you willing to go with me now? ?”
"Why don't you let me ask you," Chiba turned around, "Are you willing to come with me now?"
Anna's throat moved slightly.
In the darkness, Chiba couldn't see Anna's face clearly, but he could hear a slight sigh from her.
"I... still have some things that must be done." Anna whispered, "I can't-"
"Me too."
Chiba's footsteps disappeared in the dark corridor, leaving Anna alone in front of Alecto's booth.
Anna let out a long breath, leaned back on the chair weakly, and looked up at the unlit ceiling.
She ran her hands through her wet hair and closed her eyes.
"Is there anyone more stupid than you in this world?"
Anna murmured softly.
"No more, no more."
…
On the other end, Hesta and the other three arrived at the negative second deck. Several people looked around this floor but did not find any crew members.
"It seems that this floor is also empty." Rico looked at Hesta, "We shouldn't sleep until two o'clock and then get up again!"
Hesta also frowned, "I originally thought there would be a fierce battle next..."
"Where to go now?"
"Go up one level at a time." Hesta replied, "It's impossible for everyone to disappear."
"Agreed." Si Lei nodded.
Several people came to the elevator again. The lights in the car were bright. Si Lei, who was lying on Li Ge's back, suddenly noticed that Li Ge had a tattoo of half a bird's neck.
"What's this article on your back?" Si Lei asked, "Is it a bird?"
"Raven."
"Your code name?"
"I haven't used it much since I left District 3," Rico said softly. "I only use my real name most of the time now."
"You like ravens?"
"Yes," Rico replied, "I like all corvids - corvids are generally vengeful."
Si Lei laughed.
"It's true," Rico tilted his head, "Have you ever heard of that animal study? The researchers first taught a group of ravens to trade bread with the experimenter for cheese, and then deliberately arranged for some people to collect the bread and then cross it in front of them during the experiment. Eat the cheese in front of the crow and observe the raven's reaction - as a result, no raven will ever deal with these crooks again."
"Very smart."
The elevator went up one level and stopped quickly.
"So don't provoke people who hold grudges," Rico walked out. "At the very least, you won't be able to trade in the future, and at the most worst, you will attract revenge - Hey Jane, do you remember that someone at the base dug out a crow's nest before? Whenever he appears on the playground, a group of crows will come over and watch him poop?"
"...Remember." Most of Hesta's attention was still on the surrounding environment. She carefully paid attention to the nearby noises so as not to miss any movement. "At that time, the school staff helped to drive them away, but they were also collectively marked by crows. .”
"Hmph," Rico laughed, "a simple philosophy of life: don't provoke those who hold grudges, and don't hinder those who seek revenge."
(End of chapter)
