Chapter 1773: Chapter 1773: A Model of Gratitude
The report was published on the Collection of Information Terminal, and Xu Huo naturally saw it too. His gaze swept over the old paper docunts, showing no reaction to the prepared approach of the District Governnt.
After pushing aside the report, he inquired about the experiences of Master Soran around the age of twenty.
No one in Tingting Flower Town could confirm that Soran and her companions had ever left the small town. Xu Huo also couldn’t find direct evidence to prove that Granny i or Soran had been to Ember Town or were involved in the kidnapping and murder case of Xiashi Duolaiti. What he said on the Collection of Information Terminal was all speculation, without substantial evidence to support it. Even if he couldn’t deny that the “Ember Girl” was fake, he also couldn’t prove the “rationality” of the kidnapping and murder case, naly that Granny i and Enbo attacked Xiashi Duolaiti to avenge their loved ones who had died unjustly.
Perhaps so mining groups intentionally caused mining disasters for the sake of the Human Bone Gem. But how could one prove that all the major groups at that ti were doing so? And how could one prove that the District Governnt was aware of this matter?
The information on the involved mbers and Mr. Yue might explain certain issues, but it doesn’t an that what they know is the original truth. Misunderstandings, information gaps, and subjective speculations all have the potential to distort the reality of the situation.
Then there’s the painting of the “Ember Girl”. If Master Soran had not personally participated in it, what she acquired would also be second-hand information. The people in the painting are real, but how can one prove that her perception is correct?
If Xu Huo fails to produce more evidence, doubts about him will only increase.
“You publicly declared that the District Governnt initiated and participated in the manufacturing of mining disasters. Do you have any evidence?” Zheng Shijiu brought the topic back to the main focus.
Xu Huo didn’t directly answer this question, instead saying, “Isn’t this sothing that Zone 019 should solve?”
“You should strive to prove that the District Governnt wasn’t involved in the creation of Human Bone Gems, even though the mining accidents suddenly exploded over the span of twenty years, and the mining groups, in the face of gemstone resource scarcity, repeatedly expanded their workforce, mostly consisting of people without relatives, concealing the actual number of deaths afterward, and selling Human Bone Gems at high prices while rescuing you who were completely unaware at the ti.”
“Taking a step back, even if you truly weren’t aware and didn’t notice anything, the fact that the number of deaths in the mining disasters was concealed is undeniable. Under your governance, a large number of ordinary people have disappeared for no apparent reason, shouldn’t you investigate thoroughly?”
“As for the direction of the investigation, it’s easy to find. The people in the Tian Tian Le Group are mostly unscrupulous, you can start with the Hales Group. Didn’t the players already discover the cetery they built within the group? Reminiscing over those who died in mining disasters and never forgetting after a century is a classic example of not forgetting the one who dug the well while drinking the water.”
The last sentence was particularly sarcastic, not only attempting to whitewash the District Governnt, but also mocking the belated redemptive efforts of the Hales Group, as well as the oblivious beneficiaries within Zone 019, all feeling ashad.
However, after regaining control of the conversation, Xu Huo didn’t dwell on the topic further. As he said, this matter was entirely the concern of Zone 019 itself, whether to confirm or not was up to them. His main interest remained on the “Ember Girl”.
“Previously, I briefly recounted the origins of the ‘Ember Girl’ from the perspectives of the deceased Granny i and Enbo. Now, I can add so details from Master Soran’s perspective.”
As he was speaking, he saw Matley about to interject and preemptively interrupted, “The following content is purely my personal speculation. If the District Governnt has anything to add, you can wait until I finish.”
Matley naturally shut his mouth. He could spare lives, so he definitely wasn’t afraid of Xu Huo saying a few more words.
Then Xu Huo began to systematically recount the storyline about Soran throughout this instance.
“After Master Soran’s father died in an accident, she moved to Tingting Flower Town with her mother. Residents of Tingting Flower Town can verify that she was very precocious, possessing a perspective on people and things distinct from normal individuals, and was very independent. Despite her mother not taking much care of her, she still grew up well under the concern of the kind and friendly townspeople.”
“We must also ntion Granny i, who was a neighbor of Master Soran and one of the people who took care of her the most. Around the ti of Xiashi Duolaiti’s disappearance, Master Soran even went to the hospital to care for the sick Granny i. This can be verified by the records and dical personnel at the ti.”
“In view of Granny i’s grandchildren dying in accidents, Granny i must have been particularly concerned about mining disasters. Since Soran’s father also died in a mine, it’s only natural for her to be curious about the cause of her father’s death and the site of his death, making it reasonable for her to go pay respects to her father.”
“Here, it should be ntioned that her father had a proper grave, and there were many relatives on her father’s side. As for why she rarely interacted with her father’s family and chose to pay respects at the accident site rather than the grave, the first reason was probably her mother’s influence. Her mother showed evident signs of depression after her husband’s death. Being precocious, Soran consciously avoided her, which is understandable. Secondly, she may have beco suspicious of the explosive increase in mining disasters at that ti.”
“This suspicion is sufficient to explain why she would secretly go to the accident site without telling anyone.”
“The accident site of Soran’s father was not far from the new grave of Granny i’s son. Since Granny i was ill at that ti, Soran probably went to Fu Niu Village with the mindset of paying respects on behalf of Granny i, and by chance, t Granny i there, who had also co to pay respects, and witnessed part of the incident.”
“Why do we say she only witnessed part of the incident?”
“The reason is if she had known about the matter before Xiashi Duolaiti’s death, whether out of kindness to stop it or because Granny i considered her like a granddaughter and decided to halt the event, both are possible outcos, and any change in this link could have allowed Xiashi Duolaiti to survive.”
“Since she did not survive and Soran returned years later to place her painting at the burial site, it implies that she likely saw the body afterward.”
“And she suddenly decided to start painting oil paintings around the age of twenty, indicating the event had a profound impact on her. Xiashi Duolaiti was buried two hundred ters underground, and only seeing the body could complete the most emotionally charged part of the narrative.”
“She may have learned the truth about the mining disasters from Granny i or Enbo afterward, which is why she didn’t expose them. Of course, it could also be because Xiashi Duolaiti was already dead at that ti, and emotionally she leaned more towards taking care of Granny i, who raised her for over a decade, thus choosing to remain silent.”
“Seeing is Believing, Soran likely conducted a lot of evidence collection afterward, where each face she painted in the artwork corresponds to individuals related to the mining disaster.”
Xu Huo paused at this point, “As an aside, since Master Soran could find evidence back then, I believe that investigating now wouldn’t be entirely trace-free. It depends on whether there’s a genuine desire to investigate.”
“Returning to the main topic,”
“Why would Master Soran have witnessed but not exposed the Xiashi Duolaiti kidnapping and murder event, placed her painting there years later, and never ntioned it throughout her hundred-year lifeti, only to reveal it on her deathbed?”
“After a hundred years, even if the painting were found, those who died in mining disasters along with their related parties might have turned to dust.”
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