Rhode Island Park Project

Just the result...

She finally gave up halfway.

This is not something to be praised, or rather, it is embarrassing.

She still couldn't be like Heidi, who could always bravely move forward even when her body was covered in blood and she had to face enemies with no future in sight.

"Don't worry, Golding."

Knowing clearly the knot in her friend's heart, Heidi simply hugged Golding, who had his eyelids drooping, into her arms, gently but firmly hugged her friend, patted Golding's shoulder, and then they separated.

She looked into her eyes and said, "Everyone has hard times. That's just how life is. As long as you get through the long night, there will be dawn. So, don't fall on the eve of dawn."

Golding smiled wryly.

"Mr. Sergio Braid had experienced decades of hardship when he wrote these words. Are you trying to comfort me or scare me?"

What Miss Heidi was talking about was actually from a book, but the author's life and the stories in the book were full of ups and downs. If she really had to go through that, honestly, the reason we feel moved and admire other people and things is because we think we can't do it ourselves...

Heidi laughed too.

"How do you know if you don't try? Don't you still have me?"

Miss Heidi said this in a light tone and winked an eye.

This is true.

Golding's mood also improved a little.

Compared to the ill-fated writer, she is indeed much luckier because she has a good friend who never leaves her.

The trunk closed with a bang. Heidi looked at Golding, whose gloom had finally dissipated, and with a relaxed smile, she continued to tell him another piece of good news:

"I've asked the doctor to take good care of you on my behalf. You two must get along well, okay? This is an opportunity I've fought for by taking such a big risk on this mission!"

"—?"

Golding looked at Heidi, who was smiling brightly in front of him, and the expression on his face, which had just relaxed, froze immediately.

……

night.

Golding lay awake in his bed.

She tossed and turned, struggling with the pillow she had been familiar with for some time, and finally opened her eyes in a daze, looking at the quiet night sky outside the window.

After arriving in Rhodes Island, Luo Hang did not restrict her movements, and even never showed up again, as if he had forgotten her insignificant role.

She didn't know whether this was good news or not.

Instinctively, she was extremely happy that she didn't have to see the devil, but she also knew clearly that the devil was tempting many people to complete his terrible plan.

Television, various news, and even roadside advertising screens were broadcasting news related to the situation every day. Even if she didn't want to know about the progress of Luo Hang's plan, she couldn't avoid it.

That devil is indeed moving step by step towards his plan for the entire Victoria, and even has the support of many ordinary people who are unaware of the truth.

It was obviously a good thing that His Majesty's legitimacy was asserted, but she also knew that the man was standing behind His Majesty the King.

She was scared.

Because she was struggling in her heart.

After leaving that hellish place, she lived a wonderful life that she cherished more than anything else, and was no longer disturbed by that devil. It seemed that her heart was resisting any further contact with that devil, and she wanted to just live a comfortable life.

Heidi was clearly still bewitched by that man, and so many people were suffering in this war that had never ended, but she wanted to enjoy the comfort brought by her friend's sacrifice with a clear conscience.

She was just an ordinary person, no different from everyone else. She had realized this fact clearly when she was in Londinium.

Incompetent, weak, escapist, and willing to give up... Compared to those 'other people' she had seen who could talk big about what they should do but would never do, she had realized a long time ago that she was actually no different from them.

Therefore, giving up becomes natural and logical.

But even so, she still felt disgusted and horrified by her own ugliness.

It was obvious that Heidi had lost everything precious to that man for her own sake, but her original fighting spirit was gradually worn away by the comfort.

This is what I call friendship, what I call ambition.

She bit her lower lip hard, her fingertips stroking the sutures on her waist and abdomen, which had healed but the marks were still clear.

That was the mark left by Luo Hang under her body. She dug her nails into the scar, just as the stinging pain in her body could ease the guilt in her heart.

"...It's...ugly...Golding..."

The light seemed to slowly brighten under the night sky outside the window, but Golding buried his head in the quilt, silent in the night.

***

The next morning, Heidi set off early with her prepared suitcase.

After having breakfast together, Heidi put on her hat and was about to go out. She was still as brave and beautiful as ever, and her smiling face was not at all tarnished by the fact that she was about to go to the dangerous area.

After Heidi left, she could only put her book on her lap and stare blankly at the bookmark between the pages.

"Click——"

At this time, the sound of the electronic lock unlocking came from the direction of the gate.

The operator dormitory in Rhodes Island is very avant-garde, and the lock on the door is a fingerprint and facial recognition lock that Golding has only heard of.

Although the convenience of not needing to carry keys when going out and being able to open the door with just a stretch of the hand is indeed novel, for someone like her who has not been exposed to too many high-tech products, such electronic devices always give her a sense of insecurity.

However, according to Heidi,

"With Mr. Luo Hang's style, the house where the two beautiful girls live must be guaranteed to be inaccessible to anyone other than himself. You can rest assured."

to be honest……

This statement makes people even more uneasy.

But now,

Is Heidi back...?

A sense of inappropriate anticipation and joy welled up in Golding's heart.

She understood that this mission was something Heidi had been looking forward to. The Heidi she knew would never be content to watch others struggle and sacrifice while she sat back and reap the rewards. However, she still had to worry about her friend's safety...

"..."

In fact,

She just hoped that her friends would continue to stay with her when she was alone and anxious.

While using the excuse of worrying about his friend's safety to comfort himself, he ignored Heidi's own wishes and only considered himself. It was such a selfish thought.

Even at a certain moment, a dark thought that even frightened herself seemed to flash through her mind -

If only... Heidi was like me.

Not so brave and beautiful, but like myself, I will retreat...

Not knowing what expression was on his face at the moment, Golding turned his head to look at the door.

The dark door was indeed opening, revealing the scene outside.

A man she would never forget appeared in the open doorway.

Luo Hang looked at Golding, who was sitting on the sofa and turned his head, his eyes wide open, his pupils shrunken and trembling, and his lips slightly parted and tightened, and frowned slightly.

This is an expression of fear.

But the problem is,

Why did Golding, who turned around, have such an expression on his face before he saw him?

After seeing him, Golding's expression became even more confused. The woman's face turned pale, her breathing became rapid, but her pupils and expression seemed to be mixed with a kind of relief and joy of impending redemption. Mixed with the standard expression of fear, it looked strange and bizarre.

Luo Hang frowned and had doubts in his heart, but he still strode into the house belonging to the two women uninvited.

"Heidi should have already told you about handing you over to me. For the next period of time, you will follow me."

Without giving Golding much room to react, Luo Hang walked and talked as he quickly came to the sofa where Golding was sitting, grabbed the woman's wrist and pulled her out the door.

Somewhat unexpectedly,

Golding, who couldn't help but sneer every time he saw him, just lowered his head this time, hiding his face in the shadows, and let him drag him without saying a word. He didn't resist, and didn't say anything extra. He just followed him out of the house.

Golding's eyes swept over the book she had dropped. The bookmark that was originally between the pages had fallen on the sofa, but she did not take the opportunity to recall her memory and put the bookmark back in its place.

For someone as dark and ugly as her, encountering a demon...is only natural, right?

This was the first time that she actively longed for Luo Hang's abuse and evil deeds against her to be as rapid and harsh as possible.

She knew that this was pure self-satisfaction and a cowardly escape, but for someone as ugly as her, she didn't even have the courage to refuse self-satisfaction.

Even if it's just for self-satisfaction... at least let her immerse herself in it for a moment.

……

When the two people got out of the elevator and walked outside the community building, they were hit by a gust of cold wind.

It was already officially autumn, and the remaining warmth of summer had faded away. Still wearing only the thin dress she wore at home, Golding shivered and moved her arms involuntarily, but in the end she gave up trying to cover her body and simply let the cold wind pour into her dress.

Luo Hang, who was pulling her, seemed to have no intention of communicating at all. He just pulled her into a black car parked not far away. After closing the door, the car started and set off.

The enclosed compartment was much warmer and kept the cold wind out, but Golding slowly wrapped his arms around his body.

Luo Hang, who was sitting next to her, didn't say anything, as if he was just resting with his eyes closed. She also stared out the window in a trance, her mind blank.

This city once took her by surprise.

The infected and ordinary people, Sarkaz and Sakota, Filin and Pelo, people of different races, from different countries and cultures live together, just like a city that only appears in fairy tales.

When others told her that it was Luo Hang who built such a city, she simply didn't believe it.

As a literature lover who likes to feel sad about autumn and spring, she once imagined such an ideal scene.

If there really was a wise and great person who achieved such an impossible scene, she might really be moved by it.

It might be too direct to say that she has a secret crush on him, but she definitely admires that person and has a good impression of someone who has such a beautiful goal and the ability to achieve it.

But the reality is——

The man who did this is a devil.

She couldn't even tell whether the beautiful scene before her was really formed because of the excellence she saw in this city, or because that devil had bewitched everyone.

If that devil has bewitched people, then living in such a beautiful dream is it a dream or a nightmare for them?

She couldn't tell the difference, and she really couldn't figure it out...

Perhaps when she hesitated because of this issue, instead of firmly believing that reality is the territory that people should stick to, her heart had already been bewitched by the devil.

"........."

Bewitching?

Is it really?

The devil... who is he? Or what is he?

Chapter 263: Golding in Need of Trampling

"…Heidi…will she be okay?"

The silence in the car, which had been driving quietly for a long time, was finally broken.

Luo Hang, who was resting with his eyes closed, glanced at Golding, who was still looking out the window with a sad look on his beautiful profile, as if he was just talking to himself, and closed his eyes again.

"She has the ability to deal with danger."

"……yes."

The two people's eyes did not even meet, but they were talking in a way that could not be considered a conversation.

Golding looked out the car window at the extremely busy port. The vitality and vigor of the entire city seemed to be gathered in this bustling place.

The port is the window of a mobile city. As long as you come to this window, you can appreciate most of the city's scenery without having to look inside.

...She no longer remembered which travel book it was or who wrote it.

She had lived in a small house in Londinium for a long time. Apart from meeting students and colleagues all day long, her only channels for understanding the outside world were books, journals and periodicals. She rarely saw real ports.

Now, facing the port of Rhodes Island, watching the busy and orderly drones flying and landing in the sky, watching the huge square containers floating in the strange passages and quickly moving through and stacking, she suddenly agreed with this statement.