Why it never ends

Chapter 1082 Rejection

The Governor's secretary caught up at this time, and Hesta and Victoria stopped talking tacitly.

"...I actually forgot to say goodbye to you," Hesta turned around with a smile, "I am very satisfied with the result today. Please thank the Governor for me."

"It's nothing. The Governor has always admired you," the secretary followed Hesta's steps, "He often told me that he saw the shadow of his youth in you. Young people like you are rare nowadays... Are you free tomorrow night?"

"Does the Governor have anything to ask me?"

"Tomorrow night at His Majesty's palace - as you know, it's just south of this plantation, not far from where you live - the Governor will host a banquet for some officials from the Third District who were recently transferred to District 12. He hopes you can go with him," the secretary said. "You should have met some of them. They will all play relatively important positions in the future..."

“Only newcomers?”

"Of course not," the secretary said, "There are many friends of the Governor. After all, the Governor always hopes to facilitate acquaintances between everyone, which is beneficial to everyone."

"Indeed." Hesta nodded in agreement. "Tell the Governor that I will be there - thank him for me. I am very happy to receive such an invitation."

The secretary looked at Hesta, and his gaze stayed on him for about five or six seconds.

"What?" Hesta asked.

The secretary shook his head with a sincere look on his face. He sighed and said softly, "I rarely see the governor recognize a young person like this. I believe his vision will not be wrong - you will be a rising star here."

Hesta laughed a few times and said, "Then I'll take your good wishes. See you tomorrow night."

The secretary said goodbye to the two mercury needles in front of him, and his respectful and humble appearance also caught the eyes of several grandfathers in the distance. Hesta noticed the distant gaze and looked at them sideways. Several old men immediately frowned and turned around, as if staring at the mountains in the distance.

"Do you need me to go with you tomorrow night?" Victoria asked.

"It depends on whether you want to," Hesta said, "Are you interested?"

"No." Victoria patted Hesta's shoulder, "Then you will have to work hard alone—"

"I'll still find someone to go with me," Hesta said.

"Who?"

"Ms. Stella," Hesta answered.

……

Forty minutes later, four ballot boxes had been installed in four areas of the farm. This amazing efficiency surprised the workers and shed dwellers on the farm - this was not the style of doing things in District 12.

People watched the red-haired woman who looked more like Salima than the real Salima wandering around the plantation, and no one could tell her actual status. Logically, this red-haired woman was certainly one of the many big shots on the farm, but in the past few days she shuttled around the farm, looking for students for the school that had not yet been built. At first, people trembled and answered her, "No, Salima, our children don't need this." She didn't say anything harsh, just said, "It's okay, you think about it again?"

So people immediately realized that she was somewhat different from those big shots - perhaps there was no cost in rejecting her.

This threw the residents of the plantation into confusion, and they didn't know how to face her.

In the evening, Hesta reappeared in the public eye, riding her horse through the campus and retrieving some envelopes from the four ballot boxes.

Several shack dwellers who had previously made deals with my grandfather came over immediately. Logically, the ballot boxes should have been opened together on the agreed day under the watchful eyes of everyone, otherwise there would be a possibility of fraud.

However, they did not see Hesta this time. When they started to make trouble and tried to force her to show up, Zoe dragged them all out and beat them up. Several of them broke their ribs on the spot and begged for mercy in the severe pain. Zoe yelled at them to get out, and the night in the main house became quiet again. In Hesta's study, Pakat was opening envelopes with her - each envelope contained a ballot. The paper of these ballots was exquisite. On each of the only sixteen ballots, "disagree" was written, followed by a signature similar to a handwritten note.

"These sixteen envelopes were all taken from the same ballot box," Hesta said, "...and they appear to have been written by the same person."

"Then there shouldn't be any suspense." Pacat said, "No one will support you."

"I guessed it." Hesta said, "But when I visited the park this time, I still met some people who were interested in us--"

"Who are they?"

"I asked them their names, but they wouldn't tell me," Hesta answered. "I can go back in two days—"

"If they don't even dare to say their names, what's the point of being interested?" Pacat said, "If this continues, your experiment will probably fail before it even begins."

Hesta looked into Pakat's eyes and nodded as if he had suddenly realized something: "...Yes."

"Ah?" Pacat frowned. "What is it?"

"Arévalo invited me to have dinner at the palace tomorrow night," Hesta said, "I can find a way to release some information then..."

"what news?"

Hesta frowned, "Let me think about it and discuss it with you later."

Pacat snorted, somewhat unhappy: "Have you read the email I forwarded to you this afternoon?"

"I have seen it." Hesta said, "Are you talking about the letters of inquiry that Boheng sent you?"

"I'll have a response almost tonight," Packard said. "If you think it's necessary—"

"Don't reply yet," Hesta said, "Before we meet in person, just pretend you didn't see anything."

Pakat thought for a moment, "...you plan to keep them in suspense first."

Hesta smiled and said softly, "We will set off there the day after tomorrow. I have something I want to agree with you first."

"You said."

"No matter how trustworthy they appear to be, no matter how much they like or admire them," Hesta said softly, "for all your help, please do not leave any traceable information - whether it is mail, handwritten letters, or anything else..."

Pakat pondered for a moment: "This is for...?"

"For your safety," Hesta said, "and of course, to protect me."

"Of course these are not problems. My only question is," Pakat narrowed his eyes slightly, "how do you think I appreciate them to this extent? When you went there, did anyone encounter this kind of predicament?"

Hesta scratched his cheeks a few times, "Not really."

"Then what makes you feel the need to remind me specifically?"