novelhk Page 321
Page 321
“Hmm,” the section chief said, cracking his neck before preparing to leave. “If you’re interested, you can go up to the second-floor audience area for a look before you go. I’ll leave the exit open for you.”
......
Who wouldn't want to leave work earlier?
Rhea nodded and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Room Leader, but no need, I'll be going home now."
......
Outside the auditorium, a simply dressed woman was pushing a wheelchair across the road. As she passed through the chilly street, she raised her hand to block the cold wind blowing in her face, but this did not reduce the chill in the slightest.
Although a setting sun could be seen on the horizon, it was like the weak judicial system of Gronia, unable to erase the bone-chilling cold. It would only cling to every Gronia citizen, just as people cannot escape their own shadows.
"Auntie, are you cold?"
The woman asked a question, and the old woman in the wheelchair shook her head, her face displaying a kindness that seemed completely out of place in this cold and desolate world.
"Oh...it's alright...the breeze feels nice..."
Perhaps it's just sensory dysfunction caused by old age and nerve damage; at least the old man himself doesn't feel too cold.
The woman asked again, "Raya shouldn't be off work for a while longer. Would you like to go in and enjoy the performance while waiting for her to finish get off work?"
But as soon as he finished speaking, the elderly man in the wheelchair reacted strongly, his smile vanishing abruptly: "No... I don't want to go in... They'll look at me with scary eyes, I'll be afraid..."
...Sigh, it's started acting up again. It's been so long and there's still no sign of improvement. It's really a pity.
A look of heartache crossed the woman's face, but there was nothing she could do.
“…Angela, Mom, you’re here!”
"Oh!" The old woman's attention was drawn by the sound, and whether it was her imagination or not, she seemed to be getting up from her wheelchair: "Raya, you're off work?"
The woman known as Angela immediately regained her usual peaceful smile and slowly pushed her wheelchair toward Rhea.
"Auntie is bored at home, so I thought I'd take her out for a walk. It's almost time for you to get off work anyway."
But Rhea only seemed more worried: "You were alright when you came, weren't you? Didn't Mom have another attack a few days ago because she saw the mercenaries?"
"Yes, Auntie is a little nervous and anxious, but staying at home all the time will only make her feel worse..."
......
“You’re right…” Rhea nodded, then smiled and said, “How about we go to the market? I just got paid.”
......
......
Inside the market, Angela took several bottles of cream from the shelf, and the full shopping cart brought a simple yet pure smile back to her face.
"Hehehe, I'm really lucky today, the cream isn't sold out yet!"
"Angela, even though I was the one who said I wanted to come shopping, aren't we buying too much?"
Rhea wasn't particularly bothered by her salary, but seeing the car full of stuff still made her a little worried.
After all, carrying so much stuff around in this country, you never know when you might encounter someone with ill intentions...
Angela laughed and said, "Who knows when the price of ingredients will go up again, so of course we should buy more now to stock up."
She gently pinched Leia's cheek, then continued picking out items: "And today I agreed with Auntie that I would make her her favorite pancakes."
"You guys actually planned this all along? That's a bit much." Rhea couldn't help but laugh. Being with Angela always made her feel relaxed, allowing her to temporarily forget those unpleasant missions and the numbness when firing a gun.
It also allows her to rediscover a bit of her childhood self in front of her mother...
But unexpectedly, her mother spoke up...
"Mom... I love everything that Rhea makes."
The two men froze, their playful antics ceasing as their eyes focused on the old woman whose gaze was unfocused yet incredibly clear.
"Mommy plays the piano exceptionally well whenever she drinks tea brewed by your little hands!"
"..."
"Fortunately, your beautiful hands didn't get dirty... These days, people kill as naturally as eating, without a care in the world... How terrifying is that..."
......
Rhea felt a lump in her throat and turned her face away.
“Raya…”
Angela wanted to comfort her, but didn't know where to begin, since she was aware of the mother and daughter's situation.
Rhea's mother was Louise Schneider, a renowned musician in Nadabelin at the time, and it was precisely because of that "rebel attack" that Rhea's mother suffered lower body disability and nerve damage.
This explains why Rhea works for the Security Bureau and why she hates the rebels. She has an unparalleled hatred for these rats in the stinking ditch. Her and her mother's lives didn't have to be so miserable. It's all because of this absurd war!
But now...
"Mom, thinking about these bad things is bad for your health. You should think about positive things so you can recover faster."
She turned around, forcing a smile, and all she could think of was this one sentence...
......
"mom?"
The old woman stopped responding, and Rhea was stunned and panicked.
"Illness...?" The old woman looked up, her eyes wide with realization. "Miss... who are you? Why are you calling me 'Mom'?"
"You've mistaken me for someone else. We should be about the same age, right?"
"Where's Rhea...? Where did our Rhea go? Wasn't she just here?"
"Raya...? Raya...?!"
......
"Auntie, please calm down."
These words were spoken by Rhea herself...
6 Uninvited Guests
......
Before returning home, Angela planned to take Leia's mother for one last walk around the front yard. Leia agreed and then went home first to prepare for Angela's pancake making.
The home remains the same. With stable housing provided by the security bureau, at least we don't have to suffer from hunger like in the slums, and our overall life is at a normal level. It's just that when you're under someone else's roof, you always feel a little uncomfortable.
Upon entering the kitchen, a dark figure was obscured by the sideboard on the counter. Although she rarely saw him, Rhea knew this man all too well. Since that day, she had felt an intense aversion to this man... or rather, to anyone belonging to this faction.
"Minister, you came to my house without telling me beforehand. As a colleague, isn't this a bit overstepping your bounds?"
She silently put her hands behind her back, but quickly realized that to avoid frightening her mother, she hadn't carried the weapon with her...
The man noticed the visitor behind him, so he put down the glass in his hand and looked at the other person with a serious expression.
"That's strange. You should know our way of doing things better than anyone... Is it because you're worried about your mother finding out about your job that you're reacting this way?"
"I thought you wouldn't go this far, I didn't expect you to be so vengeful..." Rhea gritted her teeth, wishing she could punch the other party's calm and indifferent face.
"You still suspect that I messed things up because of my mother?"
Both sides knew perfectly well that this referred to the kidnapping of rebel leader Zak, which ended in complete failure. Not only was the objective exposed and the kidnapping failed, but worse still, Zak, the core target, was dead...
This happened during Rhea's operation. She entered Zack's mansion, then escaped, and later received news that Zack's body had been discovered.
Based on Rhea's past experiences and the extent of her hatred for the rebels, the security agency had reason to suspect that Rhea disobeyed orders and killed Zack without authorization due to personal grudges...
But the minister shook his head and said in a deep voice, "The incident in Borema was an unfortunate accident. I have read your report."
He poured himself a glass of warm water and drank it.
"But why did they fail at that exact moment?"
......
Seeing that Rhea did not answer, he continued, "Previously, based on information from unknown sources, we attacked the Pureblood Knowledge Age stronghold and provided support for the investigation of Manson Garden. These were all high-risk missions, and many unexpected incidents occurred. But why did you mess up the mission on the very day that foolish Zack mentioned your mother?"
......
Rhea wanted to refute, but only a feeling of powerlessness overwhelmed her. The evidence at hand pointed directly at her.
But the truth is, she didn't kill Zach. The recording was running the whole time, and the security agency should have heard the whole thing. The gunshot clearly came from outside, from a sniper, and the target was him. Zach just happened to take the bullet for himself.
Aside from the source of the gunshot, all other evidence points to her, but this crucial piece of evidence makes all the hypotheses seem untenable.
"Wasn't the investigation into me completed before the suspension?" She shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. "My mom's afraid of people with guns. Just tell me what's going on."
......
......
See the picture poorly.
"There's something I need your help with," the minister said.
This was exactly what Rhea had anticipated. They wouldn't bring this up without a reason. The punishment had already been issued, and settling scores later was not in their style. It could only mean that something else had happened.
And they just happened to need me...
Even so, she still felt resistant to all of this.
“Although it’s a bit tough for three people to live on rations,” she said with a sneer, making no attempt to hide her disdain, “I’m quite satisfied with my life now.”
“Two people are unemployed, but the rations have to support three people. Of course it’s tough.” He smiled. “Would your friend stay here even if he went hungry? Besides, you should think about your mother’s future.”
......
Damn it, this is starting to kidnap them, as if this job will make them jump into high society. But in this awful country, what exactly constitutes high society?
"Is the Security Bureau out of talent?" she retorted sarcastically.
Unexpectedly, the minister nodded in agreement: "In this country, outstanding talents are hard to find. Thanks to you, we are spared from being executed."
As soon as he finished speaking, he washed the cup in his hand and put it back in the cabinet.
When he turned around again, he had an opened carton of milk in his hand, which he handed to Rhea.
"I don't want to threaten you so shamelessly, so please give me some face."
......
......
"The civil war is almost over..."
Upon hearing this, Leia became excited and rushed forward, almost grabbing the other person's collar.
"What?! Isn't your promise a bit too grandiose? Aren't the rebels still just ruling the mountains?"
But the other person was even more assertive than her: "That's right! You're right, ghost! I can't tell you the details, but there's one thing I can guarantee: this National Day celebration will be a very important turning point for this country!"
......
"What's the task? Do I have to receive foreign guests?"
In the end, she chose to compromise.
There was really no other choice, and in a profession that requires hiding one's emotions, the fact that the other party reacted so excitedly might actually have some credibility.
If things could be made a little simpler, that would be fine...
“No, find a person, or rather, a relevant clue.” The other party handed over a document: “Joseph Krim, the man who was in charge of the memorial hall. Go find out about him or any clues. The Security Bureau has been watching him closely lately, but he has just vanished into thin air.”
......
How could a clue that even the security bureau couldn't find be so miraculous?
She took the document, glanced at it briefly, and then asked, "Do I have any help?"
"No, but I found you a decorated soldier, someone who participated in dozens of battles, big and small, and survived them all."
After saying that, the minister pointed to a spot behind him.
"Come on, let me introduce you, Sergeant Christina Brecht."
7. Unexpected changes
"Alright, little sergeant, let me see what qualities make the minister recommend you to do this arduous job with me?"
The two parked their car on the side of the street and then prepared to go directly into a nearby hotel to search for information about Krim's whereabouts.