As youths we used to talk at night
Just like the long nights we talked when we were young
Of the joys that life was going to bring our way
The happiness that should be placed in our lives
And the failures of our forebears
The mistakes made by our predecessors
Were as clear to us as the cold light of day
As clear to us as the cold light of day
The lid of a bottle of wine was opened, and dark golden wine slowly flowed out from the mouth of the bottle, forming a thin golden line in the air. The air was filled with the mellow and rich aroma of wine. The wine flowed into Valentine's head and seeped into his cerebral cortex. This is the most direct stimulation, feeling the essence of this bottle of wine at the cellular level.
The air was filled with a faint warm fragrance, which penetrated into Valentine's nose like a lingering flame, but there was no discomfort at all. With every breath he took, this warm fragrance was deeply inhaled into his lungs, circulated through his respiratory system, and finally discharged from his nasal cavity. If the scent had color, Valentine would look like a chain smoker, even if he never smoked.
It was as if a pair of soft, boneless hands touched his chest and chin, gently pulling Valentine forward. He closed his eyes, and a decadent scene formed in his mind, accompanied by a song that appeared along with the fragrance. In Valentine's imagination, he was lying on a somewhat dim chair. The exquisite patterns and carvings quietly told the former value of this chair. In front of him was a long dining table with all kinds of delicacies on it. The tablecloth has turned yellow, and the food is covered with a light layer of gray and a faint golden light, which is the color of the setting sun outside the window. Valentine lay on the chair, completely relaxed as if the bones in his body had been taken away.
There is nothing but the warmth and decay of this moment. A down-and-out nobleman is enjoying the last relaxing time in his life, as if his whole body is immersed in it, and his last dignity and honor are forgotten by time together with the pleasure and indulgence of the past.
But now those days are dead and gone
But now, those days are dead and gone
And the future that we had is now the past
And the future we had is now the past
Valentine turned into an autumn leaf, swaying and falling amid the slowly playing violin and saxophone, drawing golden arcs in the air. The music slowly faded, and Valentine fell to the ground, ushering in the end of his life.
Duang!
"*Chinese expletive*!" Valentine took a step back and suddenly opened his eyes, putting his hand on his forehead and rubbing it vigorously. The depraved and decayed scene disappeared. He looked around. He was still in the Rhode Island facility. Medical operators in white coats passed by him, completely ignoring Valentine's funny behavior just now. .
Along with the pain in his forehead, the music in his mind disappeared, leaving only a faint fragrance in the air.
"What's wrong with you?" Raphael turned around and looked at Valentine's face with pain, and reached out his hand to gently touch his forehead.
"Well... you may not believe it, but I just had a hallucination." A small electric current flashed across his body, and the bag on Valentine's forehead became much smaller in an instant.
"Hallucination?" Several question marks popped up on Raphael's head. Xing Yihuang looked around but didn't see anything strange. If there's anything wrong, it's just the faint aroma in the air that's strange.
The aroma smelled good, but it didn't smell like perfume, and neither she nor Raphael nor the operator who led the way had hallucinations.
This is a bit strange.
"Don't worry, my health collapsed when I came to Rhodes Island. Now I even have hallucinations?"
Valentine felt a little embarrassed.
"Ah, are you hallucinating?" The leading operator looked at Valentine and swung his tail behind him.
This is an operator of the Luper tribe and does not appear in the Arknights game data, and Valentine does not know his name.
"If it's because of the fragrance in the air..." The Luper clan operator sniffed, turned around and knocked on a laboratory door next to him.
"Is the perfumer doctor here?"
"What's going on?" The door to the laboratory was opened, and a girl with a middle parted hair stood behind the door.
Rhode Island medical operator and perfumer, whose real name is Lena.
Three messages appeared in front of Valentin's eyes like pop-up windows. He waved his hand and stared intently at the girl standing at the door.
"Oh, doctor, are you making some perfume? You can smell it in the corridor outside. It smells good."
Valentine spoke before the leader spoke.
"Indeed, it tastes great." The leader nodded. "It would be nice if it didn't cause a Vaifan to hallucinate."
He raised his hand and extended his thumb to Valentine behind him.
"Having hallucinations can only mean one thing. This thing is effective." The perfumer smiled.
"Of course, the strong fragrance is its only drawback. Thank you, I will improve it."
The door was closed, and Valentine was still looking blankly at the door of the laboratory. Raphael tugged on his ear.
"Let's go, what are you looking at after everyone is closed?"
"I feel like my hallucination hasn't gone away... Is this doctor free to do anything? Preparing a potion to attack Vaifan?"
Valentin rubbed his somewhat red ears and whispered softly behind Raphael. The golden color of Raphael's little wings was more dazzling than usual, and it looked like it was decorated with light tubes, which made Valentine's eyes hurt.
"You know, I want all the recruits in Rhode Island, as long as you have the ability." The leader walked at the front and talked eloquently: "They won't look at your past, although you will be investigated personally after joining the job. Absolutely, but you won't be expelled or go to jail for some bad things you did in the past, except for some evil ones."
"It's true. When I came for the interview, the interviewer just asked me to fill out a form and that was it."
"As long as you abide by Rhode Island's employee rules, you can stay here, so this is not a serious company. There will also be villains, murderers, etc. Most of them are survivors after natural disasters. He was rescued by Rhode Island and joined after understanding the conditions in Rhode Island."
"For them, the only difference between Rhode Island and prison is that they have money to take, and with the money they can buy mineral sickness inhibitors to extend their lives - no one will joke with their own lives."
"But after all, they are at the bottom of society and have picked up some bad habits, such as taking drugs."
Valentine's eyebrows twitched.
Are there drugs in this world?
"But drugs are not allowed in Rhode Island, so those guys came up with a crooked idea. They submitted a written report requesting the Rhode Island Medical Department to create a substitute for drugs. The top management of Rhode Island agreed to them a few days later. request, and the Medical Department started research and development.”
"Nine times out of ten, that's what the perfumer doctor was studying just now, and it was aimed at Vaifan people."
"Um...I don't know what to say for a moment."
Valentine felt that Rhode Island was a little too liberal.
"Do you think research and development is free? It's certainly not the case. Although the upper echelons of Rhode Island agreed to their request, they also put forward their own conditions, and those addicts agreed without even thinking about it."
"What conditions?"
"Well, I don't know the specific content, but I have a drug addict friend. We used to play tennis during breaks, but now I rarely see him during breaks. I see him every time I go to see him. Busy back view on the work line."
The leader chuckled.
"...Is it too late for me to quit now? I feel like this Rhode Island is a black-hearted company that exploits its employees."
Valentine thought about his scene in the 007 manufacturing department and shuddered.
"That's the path they chose. Whatever they want, they have to pay for it." The leader opened a glass door. There was a large space inside, and some Rhode Island operators were wearing protective gear to fight. For training, there are also weapon racks on the wall.
"Since you can't get rid of your drug addiction, you can only work harder in exchange for the opportunity to take a sip, and be squeezed out of the remaining value by the company. In the end, you will die on the job and become a research specimen of the medical department."
"this is the truth."
"This is reality." Raphael repeated softly and sighed.
"I would like to ask, since Rhode Island has absorbed so many grassroots workers...hasn't anything bad happened?"
"Maybe before, but since I joined Rhode Island, I haven't heard of a bad thing." The leader turned to look at Valentine.
"This base looks very advanced, doesn't it?"
"Yes..." Valentine nodded.
"The surveillance equipment is more advanced."
"Those cameras will be hidden in places you don't expect. They can withstand 9mm Originium bullets at close range. With 4K ultra-high definition, your every move will be under the surveillance of others."
"This seems to be an invasion of people's privacy..."
"There are no cameras in the bathrooms and bathrooms, nor in the dormitories. That's what the higher-ups at Rhode Island say, but who knows?"
The leader didn't seem to hear Valentine's words.
"There was once a guy who took a small piece of red gold from the production line and brought it to the dormitory. His technique was very superb. There was no shadow of the piece of red gold in the image recorded by the camera. But when he returned to the dormitory, the Supervision Department's The operators are already waiting for him inside."
"There was another guy who was gay. He had evil intentions towards his roommate and attacked him in the bathroom. His roommate had no chance to resist. His cellphone was not around and he didn't make any strange noises. But in Half a minute after this guy knocked out his roommate, a crossbow hit him on the back of the head while he was taking off his clothes."
"The next day, the guy resigned and left Rhode Island."
Valentine had nothing to say and could only listen quietly.
"Of course, you are different from them. There will be psychological tests and practical tests after the interview. They are all elites."
"Then we don't usually work at the manufacturing station?" Valentine asked tentatively.
"Of course...impossible."
Valentine wanted to give this Luper a try.
"We are said to be elites because our treatment is better. The dormitories are all for two people. If you want to get less salary, a single room is no problem. And every time you go on a mission, you will get a subsidy. If you are injured during the mission, There is no charge for treatment, and a large pension will be given to your family if you die."
"so good?"
"Because every time we go on a mission, we are dancing on the edge of a knife."
Valentin thought about the missions of the teams in the game... It is indeed true. If you are not careful, you will die, and even the entire team will be implicated.
"As for the privacy you just mentioned, we are different from those workers who have been working on the production line. People with abilities will follow the rules. Some people may be unruly and unruly, but the most basic rules will still be followed."
"But, you just said there is a murderer among us..."
"If he is a demon who just enjoys killing, the officers of the Supervision Department will make his brain bloom during the psychological test."
"Then what if there's that kind of crazy person who's really good at hiding sneaking in?"
The more Valentine learned, the more worried he became about his future life in Rhode Island.
"You are a bit too worried, which is not a good thing." The leader turned around and patted Valentine on the shoulder.
"You'd better care about your actual combat test."
"The hero who rescued ACE from the tyrant Tallulah, many operators want to fight you. If it weren't for Doctor Kelsey's order, I would also like to participate in your actual combat test."
I always feel like I heard something bad...
"Well, I want to ask about my actual combat test..."
"This is the venue for the actual combat test." The leader opened a door. Valentine tilted his head and looked over, and his body stiffened suddenly.
This is a room about the size of four basketball factories. There are several weapon racks placed on the side of the room, which are filled with all kinds of cold weapons, from small swords to giant swords, from short sticks to long spears. Everything you need.
The most important thing is the characters standing outside the test site, Kelsey, Seria, Warfarin, Shining, Franka, Razer, Texas...
Warfarin was also carrying a medical kit in her hand, and behind her were stretchers and first aid facilities.
"I said, what about it?" Valentine looked at the faint smile on the leader's face and could clearly feel the gloating in his smile.
"You are a hero of Rhode Island, as you should be."
I don’t know why Valentine always feels that this sentence contains other meanings.
"This is indeed...a bit exaggerated." Xing Yihuang looked at the people inside, his scalp numb.
After arriving in Rhode Island, each of them received a booklet called "Three Minutes to Learn About Rhode Island", which explained the current directors of Rhode Island and some important rules. .
Now, the actual BOSS of Rhodes Island was standing in front of them.
Valentin sighed and stepped into the door of the training ground facing everyone's gaze. To be honest, he didn't like the feeling of being watched by many people, but now he couldn't back away.
"Hello, Director Kelsi, Doctor Ceria."
Valentine gave a stiff smile.
