Why it never ends

Chapter 1048 Backtracking
Ximoya looked at this scene in a trance.

There must be a reason why Verxin is the one Kendai admires and likes the most among all the students. In the past, Ximoya always wanted to see this person in person, observe her habits and personality up close, and observe how this person works and lives.
But there will be no chance anymore in the future.

Ximoya followed everyone into the house. No one mentioned Hesta's exit from bullet time. Everyone lay down together to rest. The lights were turned off and the room became dark again.

……

The next morning, when Ximoya opened her eyes, Hesta and Victoria had already left. All the rest of the people were waiting at the workstation. It was said that Hesta and the others had agreed to be back before eleven o'clock.

Ximoya walked to the sink and was about to wash up. Just as she reached for the faucet, Theresa called her. She was stunned for a moment before she remembered that the water here was not usable.

"She can use it." Weiersin said, "Don't say this thing isn't a mercury needle. Even if it is, it won't affect her as long as she doesn't enter bullet time. She just needs to drink it and wait for it to be metabolized slowly."

Theresa didn't respond, but Ximoya still chose to go to the corridor to get some water. After rinsing her mouth and washing her face, she returned to the house and saw Weiersin standing in front of the message book near the door, flipping through the messages one by one.

Ximoya walked over and asked in a very soft voice: "What are you looking at?"

"You," Versin corrected.

Ximoya was stunned for a moment before she realized that Weiersin meant not to use honorifics when speaking to her.

"Guestbook." Verxin's eyes returned to her hands, and her voice was very soft. "They are all... very familiar names."

Ximoya stood beside Weiersin, quietly looking at the message book. The first few pages were rescue records, which recorded the rescue team's daily action summary in a very regular format, and also included a map.

Ximoya read very quickly. Although Welsin turned the pages very quickly in some places, she could still see that there were some missing pages. The writing at the bottom of the left page did not match that at the top of the right page - it was obvious that someone had torn off some of the pages.

Looking back, from a certain point on, the summary records disappeared, replaced by some prayers and condolences.

At a certain page, Welsing paused, and then a few tears fell to the ground. Ximoya followed her gaze and saw a line of scribbled but familiar handwriting:
“From now on, I will never talk to God again”

……

"I understand," Hesta said. "You are worried that if you refuse to cooperate, they will execute you directly. But if you pretend to cooperate, you will be exposed at any time. So you came up with the idea of ​​using the Youth Front as a cover and told them that you can act as a middleman."

"When you put those two people over there," Victoria said, "I was right next to them. I felt that Welsing was a little surprised that they came back alive."

"I guess she originally wanted those reservists to die," Hesta said softly, "They died in my hands, and then she could turn around and threaten other members: 'Look, this is the result of asking for cooperation.'" "This person is quite opinionated," Victoria said, "Others basically take her words as orders, no matter if they are younger reservists or active members."

"Is she a reserve too?" Hesta asked.

"I'm not sure about that," Victoria said, "Although he does look smaller, he is quite sophisticated in his methods..."

Along the way, Victoria finally had the opportunity to tell Hesta about what she had seen last night. When talking about the possible existence of a group of people with the ability of mercury needles who were not restricted by time constraints, Hesta's expression flashed with a hint of surprise, but it did not last long, as if he immediately accepted this reality.

"...You knew it a long time ago?" Victoria asked.

"I had my suspicions," Hesta answered. "On the one hand, it was Boheng. The night I met him, his eyes didn't show any reaction to the silver rim..."

"I thought of him when Welsin told me there was a team like this in the south," Victoria said. "The little boy they captured might also be from that team. We can keep an eye out for him then."

"On the other hand," Hesta paused, "last year I encountered a chelate with silver-rimmed eyes in District 14, in a place called Mei County - that was a genuine chelate, and its two hands had very obvious symptoms of clamping..."

"Did you report it?"

"No," Hesta said, "It was so ridiculous that I later suspected that I had seen it wrong and mistook some strange reflections for silver edges. But at that time I did have some doubts. I wondered if someone in District 14 was doing some illegal experiments--"

"For example, replacing the chelate's clamp arm with a bionic arm."

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

Hesta and Victoria looked at each other, and almost at the same time, they remembered the horrific scene that happened in the theater not long ago. But soon, the same question emerged in their minds: Why did AHgAs allow the 14th District Government to take over all local workstations?
In the past, this level of concession was unthinkable. No one could successfully threaten AHgAs because this organization was always very friendly and peaceful to the outside world, almost non-confrontational. This certainly made many mercury needles feel a little unfair, but the various regions were unwilling to take the initiative to cause trouble for them - after all, treating AHgAs well could gain a lot of protection, and what good would it do to anger them?

Therefore, although the rights of individual mercury needles are strictly restricted, at the same time, AHgAs, as a sharp, efficient and highly self-disciplined combat team, have been widely favored and enjoyed quite amazing regional autonomy in each region.

In the eyes of many members, absolute autonomy within the organization and freedom from administrative influence from the fourteen regions is a natural bottom line.

However, in District 14, this principle was directly subverted. This matter has aroused huge discussion since the moment it was officially released. No one believes the official rhetoric, but the conspiracy theories outside are too outrageous and no one is willing to believe them.

But at this moment, Hesta and Victoria both thought of the same possibility.

"…If only I hadn't been so anxious to negotiate with Versin last night," Victoria said, "I didn't know you were trying to show goodwill by releasing the hostages. Otherwise, I would have tried to hold on a little longer."

"It's all the same," Hesta said, "I'm glad you're back."