—If a person is deceived by their ideals, then only a deceiver can fulfill those ideals.
Observers dispersed quickly, as there was no more ‘fun’ to be had. Yet, Cui Wei would bet they would return in two hours for more entertainment. After all, if there was no ‘fun’, they would simply seek it out—that was the very definition of ‘fun-seekers’.
He could discern that although Long Ye spoke calmly, her heart likely harbored a desire to kill him a hundred times over, if not more.
But there was nothing for it; he was, after all, an irritating Polaris native.
As long as he remained a Polaris operative, he had to work for Polaris.
As long as he didn’t create trouble for Polaris, others would be the ones stifled and frustrated. If they choked to death from it, he couldn’t be blamed.
‘If you quarrel with yourself and die, what concern is that of mine?’
Just like Shang Huang in ‘Records of Three Dynasties in Turbulent Times’…
A smile played on Cui Wei’s lips. ‘Some rejoice, while others grieve,’ he mused. There was nothing more amusing than seeing a potential adversary stumble.
Though, perhaps it wasn’t truly a stumble; his opponent had likely prepared a contingency from the start.
Ke Yiyi felt weary. For some reason, merely walking a few steps today had left her utterly exhausted.
Unversed in diplomatic affairs, she was unsure whether her recent actions constituted a diplomatic incident.
Turning her head, she saw Cui Wei still guarding the girl. He wouldn’t allow her out of his sight until the exchange was complete.
Ke Yiyi watched him, uncertain if Polaris could be trusted to keep their word. Cui Wei, in turn, gave her a thumbs-up.
‘Was she being praised by someone from Polaris?’
Ke Yiyi felt no sense of honor, believing she had simply done something ordinary—a trivial favor, perhaps.
‘But why did she feel such profound unease, as if she had done something wrong?’
She lifted her gaze to Man Changpo, who still stood watching her. He offered a smile, but then quickly turned and departed.
‘She had disappointed Brother Man…’
But she could not back down.
Having received Cui Wei’s affirmation, Ke Yiyi patted the girl’s hand and moved away from her side.
Now, the matter no longer concerned Vega—at least until the girl was officially received, it was an affair between Polaris and Xuanji Star.
Ke Yiyi walked over to Lan Xifang, taking a deep breath before sighing.
“Have I caused a diplomatic dispute?”
“No, you haven’t.”
Lan Xifang offered a serene smile, turning her head slightly.
“Only incidents occurring in publicly reported environments qualify as diplomatic disputes. What happens in an unreported setting like this does not.”
“I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize.”
Lan Xifang looked at the girl beside Cui Wei.
“You saved a life.”
Lan Xifang glanced at Gan Lan, who had followed, then turned to face the direction of Vega’s territory.
“Do me a favor: retrieve a signed document regarding foreign immigrants joining Vega. It’s needed in two hours. It’s with the handover personnel. Fletcher, you go with Gan Lan.”
“Are you sure you want someone ‘with a record’ like me out of your sight?”
“‘Having a record’ and ‘reoffending’ are two different things.”
“I can’t shake the feeling you’re just looking for an excuse to send me away. Don’t forget, two-person teams were emphasized in the last meeting.”
Fletcher walked toward the car with Gan Lan. He had already defied orders once; he couldn’t afford to do so a second time—at least not for now.
“I’ll find another partner.”
Lan Xifang watched his retreating figure, nodding with a faint smile.
“And yes, I am indeed sending you away.”
Fletcher climbed into the car, poked his head out the window, and shrugged helplessly before driving off. Lan Xifang probably just wanted him to act as Gan Lan’s driver; Fletcher recalled Gan Lan’s personal file stating she didn’t have a driver’s license.
“You’re without a partner for now, but there’s one over there who should suffice.”
Lan Xifang raised an eyebrow. Ke Yiyi followed her gaze and spotted Li Yuyi.
He stood before a utility pole, looking across the street at them, just as usual. He wore his hat and his comic-style mask adorned with menacing white teeth.
Ke Yiyi knew that beneath the mask lay a face identical to the one depicted on it—but the comic-style rendition was, perhaps, more palatable than the reality.
“Yes.”
Ke Yiyi nodded somewhat blankly at Lan Xifang, then walked towards Li Yuyi.
“Don’t constantly believe you’ve done something wrong. You did what ordinary people wouldn’t dare. You are a hero, a hero who saves people from danger.”
Ke Yiyi paused, but only for an instant, before quickly resuming her steps across the street.
She stood before Li Yuyi, silent and still, like a child who had done wrong, unsure what to do.
“Good afternoon, Officer Ke.”
“I’m no longer an officer.”
“Yet you still carried out an officer’s duty.”
Ke Yiyi was momentarily speechless. She leaned against the other side of the utility pole, feeling utterly drained.
“I wasn’t…”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“How did you know…”
Ke Yiyi had intended to say, ‘How did you know what I was going to say?’ but stopped halfway, not wanting to continue. She wondered if he had misunderstood, thinking she meant, ‘How did you know I didn’t do anything wrong?’ ‘Never mind,’ she thought, ‘I don’t really feel like explaining.’
“Before one makes a decision they believe to be right, who can truly know if the outcome will be wrong?”
‘It seemed he had still misunderstood what she meant to say. She should have just clarified it earlier.’
“You always say exactly what you think. Knowing your thoughts makes it easy to predict what you’ll say. It’s not difficult.”
‘Hmm? He didn’t misunderstand?’
The two leaned back against the same utility pole. After a moment of silence, Ke Yiyi broke the brief tranquility—though her mind was in turmoil, and even without speaking, it was far from peaceful. Still, leaning against the pole had somewhat calmed her.
“If no one from Polaris had intervened today, or if this issue couldn’t be resolved today, what would have happened? Would it affect the territorial exchange? Or Vega’s diplomacy? Or perhaps…”
“Nothing would be affected, because there is no problem that cannot be solved.”
“As long as there’s a will to solve them, all problems will eventually be resolved. Everything depends on people.”
Ke Yiyi felt somewhat bewildered. ‘What kind of explanation was that?’ It left her feeling utterly confused.
“One only needs to understand Xuanji Star to grasp that their diplomacy is ‘tough on the outside, soft on the inside.’ While they project an image of rigidity, they are actually inclined towards compromise. Or rather, it is precisely because they are inclined to compromise that they adopt a tough stance outwardly, thereby lowering the cost of eventual concession.”
“This…”
Ke Yiyi was even more perplexed. If Xuanji Star truly operated this way, why did they consistently maintain such an aggressive posture? And the World War, too—when they declared war, they genuinely went to war, leaving no room for compromise!
“Just look at Polaris. The more aggressive their rhetoric, the less Xuanji Star directly confronts them, opting instead for indirect jabs.”
“If Polaris hadn’t intervened, your leader—or rather, our leader—would have stepped in to resolve it. She had her own ideas from the start; she was merely observing Xuanji Star’s objectives.”
Li Yuyi watched Lan Xifang as she walked towards the Fifth Column. Although he hadn’t known her long, he sensed she was far from simple—no one who reached her position ever was.
“Wasn’t Xuanji Star trying to stop me?”
“From the moment Xuanji Star intercepted you trying to take that child, the matter actually ceased to concern you.”
“Even if no one had stepped in to resolve the issue, by the end, Xuanji Star would inevitably propose a solution. But by then, Vega would be in a passive position.”
“Taking a girl away on its own is not worth such a commotion. Xuanji Star merely wanted to leverage this incident. In this affair, both you and that Xuanji Star observer were pawns. The Xuanji Star chess master wouldn’t target you, a pawn with a unique move; they would only target Vega’s chess master from a strategic perspective, maximizing their own interests in this event. All the bickering served this sole purpose. This is Zhongtong’s consistent style, and it’s why their Bureau Chief Jie’anren has been able to stand out in successive votes and hold that position for decades.”
Li Yuyi looked towards Xuanji Star’s side, as if recalling something.
“Because he was widely popular? Hence the high approval ratings?”
“Merely voting with their feet.”
Ke Yiyi suddenly fell silent. She surveyed her surroundings; the area was teeming with Xuanji Star’s Blood-Soaked Army, some of their gazes occasionally darting in their direction.
“Is it really appropriate for us to openly discuss Xuanji Star matters like this?”
“In truth, the people of Xuanji Star are well aware of this; it’s simply that no one dares to object.”
Li Yuyi tilted his head back, gazing upwards. Clouds drifted across the sky periodically, momentarily obscuring the sun each time they passed. Yet, it was only a fleeting concealment; the clouds would eventually drift away.
“Who would oppose something if it wasn’t for their own benefit? And anyone who does oppose it risks losing their interests. When weighing these factors, people always compromise, flow with the tide, appear tough externally but are soft internally, and are easily swayed to concede.”
“As long as one remains unharmed, they can tacitly allow anyone else to suffer harm, even actively defending the perpetrators. Compared to stepping forward, self-preservation is undoubtedly more advantageous.”
“Therefore, Officer Ke, beneath such a sky, you are a truly deserving hero.”
Li Yuyi extended his hand. As the clouds drifted away, sunlight streamed through the gaps, illuminating his hand and the entire street.
“The light of justice shines upon the land.”
He raised his hand towards Ke Yiyi. She looked at his empty palm and couldn’t help but shake her head with a wry smile.
‘What kind of hero was she?’
“That’s too exaggerated… I’m just an ordinary police officer.”
Ke Yiyi immediately felt she had misspoken. She was no longer an officer; how could she say such a thing?
“If all officers were like you, the world would no longer need heroes; all problems would be resolved.”
As if someone was looking their way, Ke Yiyi looked up and saw Man Changpo, who had appeared in the distance at some point, still wearing his amiable expression.
Ke Yiyi straightened up instinctively, watching him. Man Changpo pointed towards another intersecting street, seemingly having something to say.
“Excuse me for a moment; I won’t go far.”
“It’s fine.”
Li Yuyi saw Man Changpo’s figure and continued to gaze at the sun, which cast people’s shadows onto the ground.
Though clouds would eventually drift away, the sun, too, would inevitably set.