—Break his chains, quench his fire, overthrow his kingdom.
****
The Worldly Affairs City Police Medical Station.
This had originally been the medical room of the Guard Bureau. After Xuanji Star withdrew, it became the Vega Police Department’s medical station.
Xuanji Star would never leave anything behind for Vega. As for the reason… well, those who know, know… Consequently, when the police department took over the premises, the medical station was utterly devoid of contents. Not even a single table or chair remained – even the nameplate on the door had been pried off. Were it not for the pungent scent of disinfectant and a few lingering traces, it would have been genuinely difficult to ascertain that this had once been a medical room.
It was impossible to resume normal operations here in the short term. The necessary equipment had yet to arrive, and even the most basic tables and benches were missing. Although the local populace, welcoming Vega’s return, had spontaneously offered some tables, chairs, and other supplies, these could only serve a temporary purpose and required rental fees – even if the citizens declined payment, the police department was obligated to provide it.
While the sum was small, it was, in the end, better than nothing. The people had endured too much hardship, their lives already fraught with difficulty. The police department ought to be considerate of them, to aid them, rather than complacently using their belongings without proper compensation.
Even so, the number of tables and chairs remained insufficient. The police department could only grit their teeth and temporarily search the vicinity for any unclaimed furniture or go door-to-door to borrow such items from the residents. Once the takeover was fully complete, all necessities would be transported from the rear; the current shortages were merely temporary.
If tables, chairs, and benches were so scarce, the situation for medical beds was even more dire. Gudang Weixiao had stacked several large cardboard boxes into a rectangular prism, upon which she had temporarily placed Yagami Saichi. This was the best solution she could devise at the moment.
Not being a professional psychologist, she had no specific methods for handling psychogenic mental disorders, knowing only that one should immediately remove the source of stimulation and administer medication.
Fortunately, An Xiaotao promptly appeared, offering a relevant solution. Yagami Saichi did possess a special medication, though she hadn’t carried it on her person; it was in her personal backpack. An officer retrieved her backpack from the armored vehicle and located the special medicine.
During this time, An Xiaotao instructed Gudang Weixiao to use traditional Eastern medicine acupuncture to help Yagami Kii disperse her emotions. Afterwards, headphones were placed over her ears, playing a piece of music that had no effect on anyone else, but was remarkably potent for her.
Perhaps due to exhaustion, she slowly drifted off to sleep on the cardboard boxes. Her light weight meant that even resting upon them, the boxes did not deform. This, ironically, became a hidden advantage of her slender frame.
Gudang Weixiao, observing the room full of people, quietly drew An Xiaotao aside.
“An Bureau Chief, I don’t quite understand. Why does playing music alleviate her symptoms so significantly? And what kind of medicine is that? I didn’t see any instructions. How is it that you know Eastern medicine?”
It was unclear whether Gudang Weixiao was concerned about the safety of An Xiaotao’s seemingly undocumented treatment methods or simply perplexed by them. In any case, she was, at that moment, like an eager child, wanting to know everything about these matters.
An Xiaotao gazed at Gudang Weixiao. This young married woman seemed exceptionally curious, appearing as if she would soon join the ranks of the elderly – much like those ubiquitous elders who sit together, ceaselessly chattering about mundane household affairs.
“That’s a special medication, currently in the clinical trial phase. Everything related to it is confidential, and she herself is a clinical trial participant. Don’t tell anyone, alright? Also, make sure to keep that box of medicine safe; it mustn’t fall into the wrong hands.”
An Xiaotao winked at Gudang Weixiao. Though Gudang Weixiao was indeed very curious about the medicine, she couldn’t delve further due to its confidential nature. Since it was already in the clinical trial phase, its safety was presumably reliable.
“As for the acupuncture… I once passed the traditional physician’s license exam, but that was a long time ago, so don’t give it much thought. As long as it’s effective, that’s what matters. The music, on the other hand, was discovered during her experimental treatment, tested based on her reactions to ambient sounds. It’s only effective for her.”
The moment Gudang Weixiao heard ‘experimental treatment,’ she immediately fell silent. She had realized that Yagami Kii was involved in a medical study concerning an experimental treatment for psychogenic mental disorders, the details of which likely included confidential aspects unsuitable for public disclosure. Further inquiries on her part would yield no results.
“Let her rest properly. Everyone, disperse! There’s still much to be done.”
Luo Qi, the woman in black, led the way out of the medical station. As she exited the doorway, she cast a sidelong glance at An Xiaotao outside, the meaning in her eyes unspoken yet clear – ‘Your own affairs, you resolve them yourself.’
An Xiaotao shrugged. Luo Qi, the Bureau Chief of the Worldly Affairs City Police Department, carried no light burden. Although this matter didn’t directly concern her, it had nonetheless caused her trouble.
“My apologies.”
An Xiaotao murmured, watching Luo Qi’s retreating back. Luo Qi, however, halted, turning to look at An Xiaotao, even as the officers leaving the medical station quickly enveloped her in the crowd.
“No need for apologies. We are all colleagues.”
She turned to leave, but then abruptly spun back, gazing at the petite figure before her with a soft sigh.
“You don’t have it easy either… little one…”
She intentionally lowered her voice when she said ‘little one.’ An Xiaotao, in turn, offered her a serene smile before stepping into the medical station after the crowd had dispersed.
In terms of height, she and Yagami Saichi were not significantly different, and An Xiaotao’s body proportions were quite perfect. However, in terms of build, she was considerably more slender than Yagami Saichi. Indeed, Yagami Saichi was already frailer than others of comparable physical constitution, and An Xiaotao surpassed even that, likely weighing as much as a primary school student…
Ke Yiyi and Yagami Kii were seated on empty cardboard boxes, watching Yagami Saichi. Gudang Weixiao performed a final check on Yagami Saichi’s condition, then quietly whispered to Ke Yiyi.
“I’ll go get busy now. I’m right next door, so call me anytime if anything happens.”
She carefully put away Yagami Saichi’s medicine. Seeing An Xiaotao enter, she gestured, silently asking if the medicine should be handed over.
An Xiaotao said nothing, simply reaching out to take it, expressing her gratitude.
Gudang Weixiao closed the door securely, cast one last glance at Yagami Saichi, and then departed.
She had personally witnessed the wounds on Yagami Saichi’s body. They were inflicted with a branding iron… and not in a single instance. Even by visual inspection alone, it was evident that some of the brands had been created months apart.
Her observational skills were exceptional, a trait linked to her abilities, allowing her to discern many details others missed, such as the precise timing of scar formation. Yet, sometimes, the more one knew, the more painful it became…
Ke Yiyi rose to offer An Xiaotao a seat, but An Xiaotao declined.
Gazing at Yagami Saichi, who had fallen into a deep slumber before her, she murmured.
“I’ve generally heard about what happened…”
“Yes…”
Ke Yiyi lowered her head in silence. She didn’t know how to face An Xiaotao, much less how to face Yagami Saichi.
She had once been a detective, responsible for solving cases and apprehending criminals. Yet, at this moment, she could neither arrest the person in question nor bring herself to tell Yagami Saichi, ‘I know that person, but I can’t punish them.’
This was a right granted to the Independent Observation Group by the World Alliance regulations, and Vega had also signed on to it…
Neither party in a territorial exchange could arrest an observer from the Independent Observation Group, much less inflict harm upon them. Although she had previously attempted to take the girl away from Xuanji Star, Xuanji Star had merely prevented her from doing so; they hadn’t arrested or harmed her, nor had they restricted her personal freedom.
This included her and Man Huai Zhi freely traversing the other party’s territory… these were all rights possessed by independent observers…
Thus, she could only watch helplessly as Man Huai Zhi departed… merely unleashing a torrent of angry words at him…
Though her words were insulting, they still fell within the immunity granted to independent observers. However, they violated the World Alliance’s advocacy that ‘observers should respect each other in speech, assist each other in action, and be mutually tolerant in thought.’ This could be considered a regulation of the observation group, but not a mandatory, rigid one, as many academies with mutual animosity would simply disregard it.
She could use this string of arguments to defend herself, but it would be of no use to Yagami Saichi.
In truth, between people… mutual acquaintance might be possible, but mutual understanding… that is almost unattainable.
Even if she tried to fully immerse herself in Yagami Saichi’s shoes, feeling that intense rage and extraordinary fear, she likely still couldn’t truly comprehend Yagami Saichi’s state of mind.
“Saichi saw that person. It’s someone you know.”
An Xiaotao looked at Ke Yiyi, leaving many words unsaid – such as what she’d heard from some officers about ‘Ke Yiyi having an unusual relationship with that Xuanji Star individual in the past.’
She trusted Ke Yiyi. Back in Polzo, she had personally witnessed Ke Yiyi’s enrollment, her arduous journey through numerous assessments, and her eventual graduation. As a former geometry teacher, An Xiaotao believed in every student, trusting that they knew their own actions and could handle all the challenges they faced.
Ke Yiyi nodded, her expression quite helpless, yet her gaze held no trace of evasion.
“It seems you’ve made your choice.”
Ke Yiyi sighed, then nodded to An Xiaotao.
“I should have done this sooner… It’s too late…”
“It’s not too late. At least you haven’t kept postponing your decision.”
An Xiaotao’s gaze remained calm. For her, having endured the bloodshed and turmoil of a world war, far too many people were still procrastinating on their choices, even within the upper echelons of Vega. As long as a choice could be made, it was never too late.
When one’s most cherished perceptions are utterly shattered, and they realize it was merely a wishful illusion, all that remains is to accept a reality vastly different from their fantasies.
She had no desire to judge Ke Yiyi’s choice. Aside from Ke Yiyi herself, no one could make that decision for her, nor could anyone offer an absolutely objective evaluation of it.
Indecisiveness had always been a significant part of Ke Yiyi’s character, and she had consistently lived under the pressure she imposed upon herself. Now, at least, she had released that long-accumulated burden.
Nothing could have been more gratifying to witness…
Though An Xiaotao knew there would be a next time…