death of hope

Chapter 1018 "Psionic Storm" (92) The Lone Warrior

"strangeness…"

Paul put down his binoculars and pointed to a five-story villa that was some distance from the unfinished building;
What's that building used for?

Under the high magnification of the telescope, one can see that the villa has a yard the size of a basketball court, the orange tiles on the roof are of excellent quality, the retro-style stone is obviously not cheap, and even the fence of the yard is decorated with exquisite ironwork, which stands out in particular compared to the surrounding modern buildings.

“That’s an orphanage, it was newly built last year,” Nikolai replied.

“An orphanage?” Paul picked up his binoculars again. “I don’t think so. There’s a group of well-dressed old men in the yard… playing miniature golf.”

“You don’t even understand this? You’re still too young.” Nikolai grinned, lit a cigarette, and said:
"Who says an orphanage has to have orphans?"

"how to say?"

“It’s just a vanity project,” Nikolai exhaled a puff of smoke. “It’s called an orphanage, but it’s actually a high-end sanatorium.”

"What about the orphans?"

“Those who are lucky will be adopted,” Ando Shuichi adjusted his glasses.

"Adopting orphans can exempt you from some taxes, and you can also receive a child support subsidy from the city hall. There aren't many truly kind-hearted adoptive parents. Most of them use the subsidy to eat, drink, and have fun while keeping their adopted children locked in moldy basements."

“That’s considered good luck…” Paul’s eyelids twitched slightly, revealing his anger: “What about those who are unlucky?”

“Look over there,” Nikolai said, raising his arm and flicking ash toward a private hospital.

"Fujita Medical University Second Affiliated Hospital, the largest organ transplant center in Shin-Sapporo. The princesses and princes in the upper city are delicate and prone to illness, so they need a lot of offspring from illegal immigrant children and slum orphans in the lower city, their hearts, livers, lungs and other organs as consumables."

“I thought Terra was bad enough,” Paul clenched his fist, “but I didn’t expect Neo-Sapporo to be even worse…”

"They're all equally rotten, aren't they? You haven't been here long enough. We've been here for years, we're used to it," Takiya Rimi said, putting down her sniper rifle, screwing on the scope cap, and pointing to several buildings in the upper town.
"In Shin-Sapporo, 'cannibalism' is a complete industry chain. If you need a certain Q-official's part, go to the local gangs. Since the downfall of the Sannoh gang, those small gangs have become even more lawless and can provide 'on-demand killing' services."
From bankruptcy to homelessness to drug addiction and kidney toy addiction—a complete system designed to prey on good families with traditional values. Husbands work on construction sites, wives work in dance clubs, and children are sent to foster homes or illegal factories to work like slaves.

Paul looked disgusted and waved his hands repeatedly, as if to say, "(Shut up, I've had enough!)"
However, the members of the Shin-Sapporo branch of the T-shirts were still enjoying themselves. Dmitri, a football fan, liked to use professional league terminology as a metaphor:

"Father demoted to the second-tier league, mother relegated to the loser's bracket, child entering the transfer window—this is truly the Terra Federation, so damn magical!"

Sergei burst into laughter, while Donya couldn't laugh at all and sighed in regret. The Eldar Trist remained away from the crowd, sitting on the scaffolding, lost in thought.

·
That's enough for today.

Paul put the binoculars back into his bag; "This is the tenth reconnaissance today. The plan and equipment are both in place. We're just waiting for that evil old woman to enter the ambush zone."

"What we need to do is go back and get some rest." He then walked towards the elevator. Nikolai threw away his cigarette butt and stomped it out: "I said, Paul,"

"What?" Paul stopped in his tracks.

"Hey, there's something I need to say. Don't be angry if you hear it. I'm not serious, and my faith isn't wavering. Just think of me, this old man, as someone who's lost his mind, venting."

"Go ahead and say it,"

"I wonder if the federal government would be any better off if we got rid of the senator."

"No." Paul replied expressionlessly.

Nikolai looked dejected: "Since I was assigned to lead the New Sapporo branch, our team has taken down about thirty greedy company executives and corrupt federal Z-clients, but this damn city is getting worse and worse..."

My complaints aren't because I think the organization is wrong, but because sometimes I feel incredibly frustrated and disappointed.
We were clearly on the side of justice, yet we were labeled as 'terrorism elements' and put on the wanted list, forced to live like rats, huddled in a laundromat.

The vulnerable groups we risked our lives to save were betrayed by us for a pittance…

The New Sapporo branch originally had more than twenty people, but now only four of us remain: me, Takiya, Ando, ​​and Dmitri… And this mission… is especially dangerous…

Sometimes I can't sleep at night, and as soon as I close my eyes, my comrades flash through my mind like a slideshow... calling me to go down for a reunion..."

As he spoke, Nikolai, this old warrior, a seasoned veteran, a tough guy who wouldn't get stitches without anesthesia, actually had a tear well up in the corner of his eye:
Sometimes, I really feel sorry for them...

As soon as he said that, everyone around fell silent. All that could be heard was the howling wind blowing through the scaffolding, making the tarpaulins flutter in the wind.

Drizzt broke out in a cold sweat, his intense guilt making him tremble. Thankfully, no one was paying attention to him.

Paul looked directly into Nikolai's eyes: "Everyone knows it's unfair, but most people are unwilling to pay the price for change." With that, he opened his arms and embraced him.

"Our organization has too few base planets, low food production, and insufficient industrial products to support the Federation's hundreds of billions of people. We can only fill the gaps and clean up the garbage for the Federation like ants carrying food, watching our comrades fall one by one... Over time, we will feel powerless because it is just a drop in the ocean."

But... Brother Nikolai, I still clearly remember the third-grade textbook from the base area's primary school, the one the teacher required us to memorize: "The Little Fish Cares";
On the beach where the tide had receded, stranded little fish struggled for their lives among the sand. A child ran back and forth, throwing the fish back into the sea one by one. An adult nearby advised, "Silly child, there are so many fish, how can you save them all? Who cares if they dry into fish jerky?" The child stubbornly replied, "I care about this little fish! And this one, that one, and that one, they all..."

Before Paul could finish speaking, Nikolai opened his arms and hugged him back, instantly resolving the long-standing knot in his heart;

"Good buddy Z... I finally understand now why you, a mere kid who hasn't even grown a beard yet... were chosen by the organization's higher-ups..."

“Because I’m stubborn as a mule, I never waver,” Paul said resolutely. “Someone has to do it, Brother Nikolai, you and me, and everyone else.”
Even if we are isolated and helpless, we must stand up…