Why it never ends

Chapter 1204 Privileges
Boheng was slightly displeased, but still spoke coldly: "What's the difference? The children you usually see in your classrooms have never experienced real death. Talking to them about death is nothing more than talking about the sadness of losing loved ones or pets. You insist on packaging these children's simple experiences into philosophical propositions; it's essentially all a disguise for education—"

Hershta suddenly spoke up: "These children you brought should have all been through this, right?"

Heshtar didn't say what they had been through, but many people suddenly remembered at this moment—yes, these children all came from the mountains and forests, they had spent many years with guerrillas, and because of their own Kasyapa talents, it was only a matter of time before they went to the battlefield.

“Yes.” Boheng raised his chin slightly, a subtle pride appearing in his tone and expression. “It’s not what you imagine. Our children never learn about death or love through empty talk. We take them to the battlefield to learn.”

Before Boheng could finish speaking, a commotion erupted not far away. Eleven had suddenly started making a scene for some unknown reason, leaving the surrounding teachers at a loss.

The next moment, Xia Yixue immediately stepped forward to comfort them. After talking, she discovered that it was the translation teacher who suggested that Eleven and Qiqi sit together so that she could simultaneously relay and explain everything that was happening to the two children from District Fourteen.

But how could Shiyi possibly sit next to Qiqi at this critical juncture?

Fortunately, there were enough staff tonight, and Xia Yixue immediately asked another teacher from District 14 who was in charge of logistics to translate for Qiqi alone—so the two little girls didn't have to be forced to change seats.

Once the chaos subsided and the children quieted down again, Hester looked at Boheng and asked, "So how did you teach them?"

Boheng gave Hesta a deep look, pausing for a moment as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. He had long since concluded that Ximoya was the kind of naive girl born and raised in the city, never having been tempered by the threat of death, and therefore, from the very beginning of the conversation, he had not placed her on an equal footing with himself. But facing Hesta, he obviously had to restrain himself a little—although he also believed that his years of working for AHgAs would inevitably have made Hesta retain a similar naiveté in many things.

“Actually, our children don’t need this kind of education,” Boheng said. “Although we do have similar classes, they are not for everyone.”

Hester's eyes flashed with surprise: "You mean the school you took us to visit last time? It's not open to everyone, is it?"

Boheng smiled and shook his head, as if Hershta's question had once again demonstrated her naivety, and as Hershta's childhood friend, he did have some responsibility to show her the reality of the world.

“Letting ten-year-olds talk about betrayal is the intellectual pastime of the civilized world,” Boheng gazed at the children not far away. “Talking about death and love too early is the same kind of romanticism. Do you know what real death is, Jane?”

Rig, who was drinking water, suddenly started coughing. She turned to look at Hersta in disbelief, astonished that Hersta had been able to tolerate the conversation going this far.

"Hmm..." Hershta leaned forward slightly, letting out a soft sigh: "What is it?"

“For us, death means that even if a soldier is sacrificed today, the mission still has to be carried out tomorrow,” Boheng said, looking at Ximoya. “Love is marriage, it is responsibility, not some empty concept to be played with. Where we are, such empty talk is not only useless, but it can even be said to be corrosive.”

"You ask me how to teach children what betrayal is? We don't need to teach them. They've seen with their own eyes who betrayed them and who died, and they'll know what betrayal is."

“Children don’t need philosophical thinking, because that kind of pastime is harmful to them. What they really need to spend their time on is learning to read, doing math, carrying loads, knowing when to pull the trigger, how to cooperate in reconnaissance… even charging.” “Charging?” Ximoya’s voice suddenly rose, and almost everyone in the hall turned around. All the children saw Boheng at that moment. Some of them immediately stood up from their cushions, and the rest of the children, seeing this, also stood up, their expressions tense and expectant, as if waiting for inspection at any moment.

Packart also noticed the change, and she looked at Hester and said, "Could you please leave here for now and come back in after you've finished speaking?"

“I’m so sorry,” Simoya said, raising her hands. “I won’t…”

Packart turned to one of the teaching assistants on the other side and whispered something to her—that the man named Boheng had to leave immediately, no matter what. His influence on the children was so profound that just being aware of his presence was enough to put them into a different state.

The teaching assistant nodded repeatedly and quickly went to persuade them to leave. Hester sensed Packart's determination, so he took the initiative to get up and lead Boheng, Klar, and the others out for a walk.

Outside the auditorium, the corridor was brightly lit. Without the pressure of "no noise," Boheng spoke more clearly about his discomfort with the "heart-to-heart talk salon"—or rather, his discomfort with Packart himself. That kind of educational gimmick used for class-based hypocrisy, that pointless preaching detached from real-world struggle, had touched almost every nerve with Boheng.

Hesta listened in silence. These grievances seemed to have been brewing for a long time, including the anger that Packart had felt earlier because of the revised wording of the email, which Boheng also included in his complaints.

“…This is something I really didn’t expect.” Hershta looked at him, her voice calm. “If you hate my Pakkat-centered education system so much, why did you agree to send your Kasyapa here in the first place?”

“Since you asked, I’ll be frank.” Boheng looked away. “I won’t send anyone who is truly capable of inheriting the team, but it will be good for us to have these kids stay with you for a while and actually interact with people like Packart.”

“…I see.” Hesta nodded.

Boheng sighed again, pacing back and forth in the quiet corridor with his hands on his hips before returning to Hersta's side: "You should go back. I see you're quite interested in their activities. I'll wait here with Officer Clara; she has a lot of questions for me too..."

Boheng paused for a moment, then looked into Hershta's eyes again: "I came to see you specifically tonight. Let's talk after you've finished your business here."

“Oh,” Hersta raised his eyebrows, “thank you for your understanding.”

Boheng smiled and shrugged. At that moment, he suddenly felt a little gratified by his tacit understanding with Hershta.

“…By the way,” before Hester reopened the auditorium doors, she turned back again, “are you still studying Elf?”

Boheng looked at her and said, “Reading poetry is a daily routine for a privileged class. Jane, it no longer belongs to me.”