—It is not the wind that is free, but the heart.
Ke Yiyi’s home was a fair distance from the police station. As the Shell City Police Department expanded its ranks, the original police dormitory could no longer accommodate the growing number of personnel. Consequently, the department had to house some of its staff in slightly more remote areas. Ke Yiyi, for instance, resided in an older apartment building situated far from the bustling city center.
Her apartment was not particularly spacious; in the words of the older officers, it was a standard ‘Morning Star style dwelling’—its interior layout meticulously neat, lacking novelty yet eminently practical.
Such apartments were ubiquitous across Vega, housing residents from all walks of life, from scientists to laborers. Even Shell City’s mayor lived in one.
In these apartment buildings, one encountered a diverse array of neighbors. Ke Yiyi’s next-door neighbor, for example, was a machinery production worker, while the Shell City mayor’s neighbor was a repair technician. This was considered a peculiar phenomenon on Vega: mayors and workers, seemingly worlds apart, resided in the same buildings, even exchanging greetings daily.
Ke Yiyi’s home furnishings were exceedingly simple. She herself was not one to pursue an elaborate lifestyle; the ‘three essential electronic appliances’ in her home had all been provided free of charge by Vega. Among these, the refrigerator was arguably the most crucial—whenever her work prevented her from returning home on time, this appliance could salvage most of her perishable food.
She informed Bianca of her impending departure. Bianca, however, persistently viewed it as a harbinger of promotion, firmly believing that the new workplace would undoubtedly offer better benefits, perhaps even a wider variety of food in its cafeteria.
Though Ke Yiyi wished to avoid a fuss, she had a strong premonition that Bianca would, without fail, gather everyone for some sort of farewell party that evening. Given Bianca’s flamboyant personality, such an event was almost certainly bound to transpire.
However, she couldn’t keep her resignation a secret from Bianca. Only she and Bianca remained at headquarters; Makarov and the others were out on a mission, while Sandra was recuperating at home. During their last mission, Sandra’s thigh had been directly pierced by a long-handled greatsword. Had her assailant merely swung the blade rather than thrusting it like a spear, she would likely have lost a leg—or even her entire lower body.
She should have been in the hospital, but given the rapid recovery rate of a player’s body, Sandra had insisted on taking her medication home to recuperate. While there was no fundamental difference from staying in a hospital, her personality made her own home far more appealing than any sterile ward.
As the doorbell chimed, Ke Yiyi set down her backpack, straightened her collar, and went to open the door.
A puppet resembling a sturgeon extended into the doorway, wobbling playfully before Ke Yiyi.
“Well, Ke Squad Leader! Good evening!”
“Your puppet… it’s still as unique as ever!”
“Oh? Is it very unique? This is a Thunder Sturgeon, a monster from the wilderness guidebooks. It can discharge electricity.”
A girl hopped inside on one leg, the base of her bent leg wrapped in bandages. She bounced from the doorway to the table, took a seat, and then raised the puppet.
“Please leave the door ajar for a moment; the rest will be here shortly.”
The girl remained silent, merely animating the puppet in her hand, as if the voice emanated from the creature.
Ke Yiyi had long grown accustomed to this. Sandra’s ventriloquism was exceptional throughout the Shell City Police Department; her choice to become a police officer was truly a loss to the world of art.
“You’re clearly injured, so why aren’t you resting at home?”
“Home’s a bit boring, you know! Though it’s a tiny bit more interesting than the hospital!”
The Thunder Sturgeon puppet nodded its head, swaying it as it spoke.
“You’re leaving tomorrow, and who knows when we’ll meet again? Of course I had to come see you!”
“There’s no need to exaggerate so. With such advanced transportation nowadays, we can meet whenever we wish.”
“But many of our senior colleagues say that after leaving the police academy, they never saw many of their classmates again.”
Ke Yiyi paused, a flicker of understanding crossing her face. She knew precisely what Sandra was referring to.
Her gaze drifted to the window, observing the Shell City nightscape. Vega now appeared so tranquil and serene, its people living and working contentedly on the land that sustained them. Yet, all of this had been purchased at the cost of blood.
Two decades prior, a bloody war that had almost engulfed the entire world plunged humanity into an unprecedented catastrophe. Relentless, spreading conflagrations consumed countless lives.
How many citizens had fallen amidst the ruins? How many comrades had perished in pools of blood?
Over 750,000 police officers had been conscripted into combat units, and fewer than 15% returned alive.
This war had virtually decimated an entire generation, perhaps even two, of Vega’s people. In every household, family members had fallen on the battlefield. Despite fighting valiantly, bathed in blood, they had ultimately lost Yingzhou.
“Squad Leader! Squad Leader! I’ve brought everything!”
Soma dashed up, carrying a large bag in each hand. Though merely an ordinary police officer, she was perpetually vibrant—why wasn’t she the tireless Light of Shell City?
“Why did you bring so much?”
“I was worried you wouldn’t have anything to eat on your journey!”
“But this is far too much…”
“Oh, well! Better safe than sorry!”
“Don’t block the door; there are still many more people behind you.”
Makarov gently tapped Soma’s shoulder. He was a bespectacled youth who gave off a quiet impression, though his personality was, in fact, rather obsessive. In a way, this wasn’t entirely a flaw.
Every personality trait possesses its drawbacks, yet if utilized wisely, even a flaw can transform into an advantage under specific circumstances.
The group filed in, one after another, finding seats in the not-so-spacious living room. To Ke Yiyi’s considerable surprise, Section Chief Aiye had also come, and Heather, Mint, and Lilac, whom she had seen earlier that day, were present as well. She wasn’t particularly close with the latter three and found herself at a loss for words.
“Hurry, hurry! Make some tea, make some tea!”
Section Chief Aiye happily settled onto the floor. She grabbed the tea leaves, then took the teapot Mint had just filled with water.
“Everyone… why have you all come?”
Ke Yiyi felt a touch flustered. It wasn’t that she suffered from symptoms of agoraphobia, but rather that she consistently felt she wasn’t a particularly important person. Everyone had their own affairs, and for them to specially come over during their free time felt truly…
“Our squad leader is leaving; we can’t just remain silent, can we?”
“But weren’t you all out on a mission?”
“We have our colleagues in Window City to thank for that. Their swift actions saved us a great deal of time.”
Tova wiped her thick spectacle lenses. She was exceptionally skilled at organizing documents and seemed better suited for the archives department. Yet, for some unknown reason, she had chosen the detective department after graduating from the police academy.
“Speaking of which, four great section chiefs! You’ve been keeping us in suspense the entire way here. Where exactly is Ke Squad Leader being transferred?”
“Soma! Don’t ask too many questions about matters that shouldn’t be publicly disclosed.”
Makarov interjected to caution Soma, though in his heart, he had a fairly good idea of the situation. Ordinarily, transfers didn’t require secrecy, unless the new department was one that shouldn’t be publicly known. Even within the highly transparent Vega Academy of Sciences, such confidential organizations were not uncommon.
“Well, it’s not that I’m trying to be secretive.”
Section Chief Aiye touched the teapot, found it wasn’t hot yet, and promptly grabbed a bottle of juice Soma had brought, guzzling it down. Soma pouted, watching her—that juice was meant for Squad Leader Ke, and Section Chief Aiye was drinking it!
Section Chief Aiye burped, then tilted her head with a look of helplessness.
“This new agency can’t really be considered inappropriate for public knowledge, especially since even its member candidates are being recruited from all institutions across Vega. But I honestly don’t know what this new agency does. I only know its name, and I’m not even sure if it’s just a codename.”
“Then what is this agency called?”
“Soma!”
“Oh, come on, Makarov! Don’t be so stern! I already said there’s nothing that shouldn’t be publicly disclosed.”
“The Robin Club.”
Lilac took a sip of tea, her eyes narrowed, and smiled at everyone.
“A very pleasant name.”
Her smile was perpetually benevolent, making it impossible to decipher the meaning behind it.
“What club?”
Hugo had been lost in thought ever since entering the room, only reacting suddenly upon hearing that particular word.
“The Ro-o-o-bin Clu-u-u-b.”
Sandra swayed the puppet, which emitted the drawn-out syllables.
“Why is it called a club?”
“How should I know? Maybe it was just a casual name!”
Section Chief Aiye chuckled, slinging an arm over Heather’s shoulder and leaning against her.
“But this Ro…”
She frowned, glancing at Lilac, who nodded with a smile.
“The Robin Club.”
“Right! This Ro… this Robin Club’s personnel roster supposedly includes all sorts of people, and the purpose of its establishment is still unclear. Our Light of Shell City will undoubtedly encounter many individuals and situations in this new environment, some perhaps agreeable, others less so. But it’s crucial to face everything with equanimity and not act on impulse, for impulse is the devil!”
“Understood.”
Ke Yiyi understood Section Chief Aiye’s meaning: there are no impulsive people in this world, only impulsive moments.
Whatever one encounters, one should think thrice before acting, and strive to be tolerant and considerate towards others. One need not concern oneself with whether others’ words are pleasing to the ear; instead, first consider if they hold reason. If they do, listen attentively; even if their words lack reason, do not blame or grow angry, for it is always good when someone is willing to speak. This was a lesson she had learned upon first joining Vega, though she had forgotten it several times since.
‘Though… the title ‘the tireless Light of Shell City’… it always feels a bit strange.’
“Mint! Mint! You’re experienced and battle-hardened. In your opinion, what exactly does this Robin Club do? Will it be dangerous? Can we give our Light of Shell City some useful advice to help her integrate into her new environment sooner?”
Watching Section Chief Aiye’s enthusiastic questioning, Mint was reminded of their first meeting. She was still the same as ever, always thinking of others.
She looked at Ke Yiyi, and from Ke Yiyi’s face, she could discern that Ke Yiyi didn’t yet grasp the implications of where she was going. After all, she was merely an ordinary member of Vega, lacking knowledge of matters beyond its immediate purview.
Mint’s long-term involvement in intelligence work, combined with her unique social circle, meant she had some understanding of many things unknown to the general public. Even if she didn’t fully comprehend them, she could often make a fairly accurate guess. However, many matters, even if guessed correctly, could not be stated as fact.
“I don’t know anything about this Robin Club.”