1029: Chapter 1029: Funeral (Two-in-One Super Large Chapter, Requesting Monthly Pass) 1029: Chapter 1029: Funeral (Two-in-One Super Large Chapter, Requesting Monthly Pass) July 19
The morning sun shines through the sowhat aged glazed windows, illuminating the clean and tidy room.
The red-haired girl stands by the window, takes a glance at the scenery outside, then lowers her head and gently kneads the already wrinkled gummy bear candy wrapper in her hands.
After a brief pause, she put away the gummies, turned around, and looked at the simply decorated bedroom behind her.
Within her field of vision, a small bedside table holds a small, delicate picture fra.
She slowly turns and walks towards the nightstand, gazing at that picture fra.
In the picture, a woman with fiery red hair holds hands with a man whose hair is streaked with gray.
Both are looking at the cara, faces adorned with faint smiles.
And between the two, a little red-haired girl tightly grips her father’s coat with one hand and stares anxiously towards the cara.
The red-haired girl pauses as she looks at the photo, reaching out to pick up the fra.
Buzz—
At that mont, her wristband vibrates with an incoming communication request.
The girl withdraws her hand and accepts the call, seeing a blonde woman projected before her, she gently speaks, “Aunt Daisy, what’s the matter?”
“Hmm,”
The blonde woman in the projection nods gently and speaks softly, “There’s sothing that needs your confirmation…
Can you co over to the City Council?
It’s about the coffin carrying…”
The girl’s expression briefly stiffens, then she nods softly, “Okay.”
——
Saint Yilan District · Airport
A jet, spewing flas, slowly lands on the vast tarmac, and the cabin door gradually opens.
Soldiers dressed in ceremonial attire imdiately step forward, lay out a carpet, and form lines on either side of the cabin stairway.
Under many watchful gazes, a man in a silver suit steps out of the jet and slowly descends the stairs.
“Mr.
Christos.”
As the man in the silver suit steps onto the carpet, so figures in suits quickly approach, led by a slender and composed middle-aged man who extends his hand towards the man in silver.
“Mr.
Lante,”
Christos shakes hands with the man before him and then, noticing the tired expression on the man’s face, he whispers softly, “Condolences.”
“Hmm,”
Lante forces a smile and slowly says, “We’ve prepared accommodation for you, right next to the White Jasmine Palace, but there won’t be any welco dinner due to recent events.”
“Under these circumstances, it’s not suitable to have such events,”
Christos gently shakes his head and then glances at the towering airport, sighing softly, “Lin En used to visit Dawn City, and we agreed that I’d visit Yilan City too, but I never expected my first visit to be under these circumstances.”
Beside him, Lante opens his mouth but ends up just sighing softly.
“He was a true heroic leader.”
Christos also sighs, “Facing death, I doubt I have the courage like he did.”
“Having Mr.
Lin En as the Mayor of Yilan was fortunate for the Yilan people.”
Lante slowly speaks, then he raises his hand, gesturing for Christos to walk with him,
“How is the funeral arranged?”
Christos follows Lante’s steps, asking softly.
“It’s tentatively set for the day after tomorrow,”
Lante glances at the bright sky, and then he smiles with difficulty, speaking slowly,
“We had planned a very grand ceremony, but it seems Mr.
Lin En anticipated this.
He left us a tid email that not only outlined so policy arrangents but also requested that we keep everything simple.”
“That sounds like sothing he would do.”
Christos gazes at the slowly rising sun in the sky, sighing softly.
——
City Council Building
“Although Mr.
Lin En said to keep everything simple, as the highest standard funeral in Yilan, so basic ceremonies are still necessary,”
The blonde Chief of Staff stands in the elevator, looking at the expressionless red-haired girl beside her, whispers,
“Mr.
Lin En’s coffin…
the official lying-in-state will be held in the main hall of the White Jasmine Palace for the next few days.
Citizens can make appointnts to pay their respects.
Then, during the funeral, a dedicated convoy will transport the coffin to the cetery,”
She pauses, speaking softly, “As per protocol, Mr.
Lin En’s coffin will be pulled by a carriage drawn by six Grant Steeds, positioned at the end of the procession, and there needs to be nine pallbearers, or spirit senders, standing beside the carriage throughout the procession to escort Mr.
Lin En.
“Of course, only eight are actually needed, as one must be a direct relative of Mr.
Lin En, and the final list will be chosen by the direct relatives.”
She pauses again, no further words spoken.
Mr.
Lin En’s direct relative is now only the red-haired girl before her.
“Hmm,”
The red-haired girl nods gently, “I’ve already seen the list of spirit senders before, but there were only seven nas,”
She looks up at the closed elevator doors, her voice calm and without any emotional fluctuation, “Are we now here to confirm the final spirit sender?”
“Hmm,”
The blonde Chief of Staff glances briefly at the girl’s young face and then looks away, nodding gently,
“Among the seven spirit senders I showed you, there are Deputy Mayor Lante, General Corvey from South City, General Mid from North City,
“Director Tucker from the Saint Yilan District police departnt, Doctor Kewis from the Wick District, Sena from the Nevus District, and myself from the Cena District.”
Ding—
As the elevator stopped and the doors opened, the blonde chief of staff walked out with the redhead girl, continuing,
“The old chairman of the city council wanted to be the last to escort the spirit, but he is too old, and we were worried about an accident during the process, so we didn’t agree, and that’s why he wasn’t on the first list we gave you.”
She paused, then, looking at the redhead girl beside her, she spoke softly, “He understood our concerns, so he didn’t insist in the end, but he hoped that the final escort would be chosen from the city council…
to show the council’s support for Mr.
Linen’s policies.”
She stopped walking, gazing at the girl’s calm face, “But if you’re unwilling, we can look for another candidate, the decision is ultimately yours.”
“Shall we go to the city council first?”
The redhead girl lifted her head, her tone flat and soft as she spoke.
“Okay.”
The blonde chief of staff nodded and then led the redhead girl along the corridor.
Soon, they stopped before a small door and pushed it open.
In an instant, nurous gazes landed on the two of them.
Most of the councilors were standing on the podium facing the door.
“People are here,”
said the old chairman from the top of the podium, his gaze sweeping over the councilors standing beneath him, “Anyone with ideas may volunteer themselves.”
A brief silence fell over the hall.
Then, it seed soone was about to step forward.
But at that mont, a slightly robust Big Beard figure pushed through the crowd and stood in front of all the councilors.
All the councilors paused their motions, looking at the Big Beard councilor with so confusion.
“This one is the opposition party leader.”
The blonde chief of staff glanced at Big Beard and explained softly to the redhead girl.
By then, Big Beard had already looked toward the redhead girl and softly asked, “May I go?”
The councilors around, who were eager a mont ago, were now sowhat stunned, even those who stood with Big Beard and the old chairman atop the podium seed surprised.
The entire city hall fell into complete silence again due to this unexpected situation.
The redhead girl lifted her head, looking at Big Beard standing in front of her, at his calm and sincere eyes.
Finally, she quietly spoke, “I will trouble you then.”
Hearing this, Big Beard paused slightly, he looked at the young girl in front of him as if looking at an old, lingering illusion.
In the end, he straightened up and bowed deeply toward the figure in front of him,
“Thank you.”
—Sunset—
Southern District
The clanging sound echoed under the quiet twilight, old buildings were surrounded into giant construction sites.
So buildings were being demolished, others were being rapidly rebuilt with the help of construction robots.
ssy ruins were everywhere, as were machines rebuilding everything.
The redhead girl walked alone on the quiet street, listening to the thundering machines and the honking cars.
She had refused the blonde chief of staff’s offer to take her back to the White Jasmine Palace, choosing instead to wander alone in this city.
She walked southward along the street, witnessing various scenes, and eventually reached here.
“The city governnt’s developnt of the Southern District is still progressing rapidly, thanks to policies and bills left by Mr.
Linen, the reconstruction work of the Southern District in the Nevus area is going very smoothly.”
“Deputy Mayor Lante expressed that he will continue to implent the policies and bills set by Mr.
Linen, ensuring continued, efficient developnt of Yilan City.”
“Sources indicate that Mr.
Linen may have left ‘last instructions’ related to policies for all cabinet mbers, to ensure that Yilan City can develop smoothly and healthily during the transition period.”
······
“According to White Jasmine Palace, Mr.
Linen’s funeral will be held on July 21, this Saturday, where Mr.
Linen’s casket will be moved from the White Jasmine Palace to the designated burial site.”
“According to the will left in the emails by Mr.
Linen, unlike previous mayors of Yilan City, he will not be buried in the Saint Yilan Cetery of the Saint Yilan District post-death, but will be buried in a place near the center of the city, close to every district.”
“The White Jasmine Palace has confird that Mr.
Linen’s burial site will be in a small park at the junction of the four major districts, and the city governnt is currently urgently remodelling this park to better accommodate Mr.
Linen’s casket.”
······
“Mayor Christos of Dawn City arrived at the Yilan City airport earlier today, and in addition to Dawn City, officials from Vitland City, Wint City, Kaye City, Lin City…
and dozens of other cities have sent officials to mourn Mr.
Linen,”
“The Federation governnt also sent officials to attend Mr.
Linen’s funeral and claid in a press conference that Mr.
Linen was the most outstanding and heroic mayor of the Federation in the past two hundred years, and that the Federation will forever rember his deeds.”
“Evis Spatial System and Kopes Mining also released a joint statent earlier today, stating that they are not involved with the Evil God Advent incident in Yilan City, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation stated that further investigation is needed···”
“Recently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has established a joint investigation team with the Yilan City police departnt, to conduct a thorough investigation of this Evil God Advent incident.”
······
Roadside billboards played a stream of breaking news amidst the clanging noises.
The redhead girl stopped by the roadside, lowered her head to open her bracelet, glanced at the overflowing electronic mails in her box, then she paused slightly before turning off her bracelet.
“Little girl, are you here alone?”
Just then, a slightly hoarse voice rang out ahead.
The girl looked up,
A sowhat lean man, with a scar on his face, and holding a small knife, stood not far in front of her.
The girl’s face, calm and cold, betrayed no emotion as she gazed at the man in front of her, lowering her hand as a sowhat crudely assembled white ball dropped into her palm.
“Didn’t your parents tell you not to go south when you’re alone?”
The man slowly grasped the knife, edging closer step by step towards the girl, “Hand over your money, or else—”
Bang—
Just as the girl was about to throw the ball, a lean, long leg swept in front of her, kicking the man in the lower abdon.
As the man flew backward and crashed against the wall, a tall girl with light golden braided hair moved in front of the red-haired girl, flipping her braid back and shouting upward, “Jia Xi!”
“Here I co!”
A cute response ca from the sky.
Following that, a little girl appeared almost like an illusion, standing in front of the dazed man leaning against the wall.
She grabbed the man’s knife-holding wrist, twisted it backward, and dislocated his arm.
Ding—
The knife fell to the ground, and the little girl casually kicked it into a nearby trash heap.
Then the girl grabbed the man’s other hand and dislocated that one too.
She then clapped her hands, walked up to the braided girl, looked up with a smile, and said, “Ennie, I was cool, right?”
“Cool.”
The braided girl gave a thumbs up.
“Then today’s howork…”
The little girl tentatively asked.
“Not a page less.”
Ennie imdiately responded coldly.
“Ugh, stingy,”
The little girl pouted, “Can I buy so ice cream then?”
“Go ahead.”
Ennie sighed and smiled.
“You’re the best, Ennie.”
The little girl imdiately smiled, turning and dashing to the other side of the street.
The red-haired girl watched the scene unfold sowhat dumbfounded.
“Who’s causing trouble here?!”
At that mont, a group of burly n, tattooed and wielding steel pipes, rushed over, addressing Ennie, “Miss, where’s that kid?”
“Over there!”
Ennie raised her hand, pointing towards the man piled in the corner.
“Damn it,”
The lead burly man imdiately lifted his steel pipe, leading the others forward, “Damn, just enjoying good days, and you rob, you— don’t want to live you can die, don’t waste Mr.
Lin En’s resources—”
“Hey, don’t kill him, we don’t have the authority to enforce law,”
Ennie waved her hand as she watched the burly n, “Just rough him up a bit and take him to the police station.”
“Miss, don’t worry—”
The lead burly man lifted the pipe, “We’re professionals.”
Bang—
“Phew—”
Ennie breathed a sigh of relief, turning back to the red-haired girl and smiled gently, “Yilan people are really enthusiastic.”
“You guys…”
The red-haired girl cautiously glanced at the seemingly sweet and gentle girl, finding it hard to connect her to the figure that had just kicked the criminal.
Then the girl glanced at the burly n behind Ennie, tucked away the small ball, and asked sowhat puzzled, “Are you security?”
“No, I’m a doctor, a dical intern,”
Ennie pulled out an ID, “here to save and help the injured.”
Then she turned back, looking towards the noisy construction site, “Qiming Hospital, currently under construction.
My ntor is involved in the early construction, and I’ve been temporarily assigned here.”
She glanced sideways at the n still beating, “Those uncles are here building the hospital.”
“This is going to be Qiming Hospital?”
The girl turned her head, looking towards the vast construction site.
“Yes,”
Ennie nodded, viewing the building, “It will be the biggest hospital in Yilan City!
It will make dical care accessible to everyone!
It will save many, many lives, your Mr.
Lin En is really a very, very excellent good mayor.”
Hearing this, the red-haired girl was slightly startled, then nodded almost imperceptibly.
Suddenly she seed to rember sothing, turning her head nervously to look around, “The little girl just now…”
“Don’t worry, Jia Xi is much better than in fighting, I even call her my teacher, and she won’t run off,”
Ennie shifted her gaze, spotting the little girl standing at the ice cream shop across the street, tiptoeing and raising her arms high so the clerk could scan her wristband, “See, over there.”
The red-haired girl followed her gaze and saw the little girl reaching out to receive her ice cream, then relaxed slightly.
“You’re preoccupied?”
At this mont, Ennie retracted her gaze and looked at the red-haired girl’s expressionless cheek.
The red-haired girl was slightly startled, then turned her head to look at Ennie.
“Sotis, being a doctor is similar to being a fortune-teller, you have to guess what the patient is thinking, whether they’ve forgotten any symptoms or are hiding so, and you have to learn a bit about psychological counseling,”
Ennie looked at the red-haired girl and softly laughed, “Besides, I always feel there is a familiar sense about you.”
“Mm.”
The red-haired girl nodded lightly, looking at the sunset sinking into the horizon, which seed to acknowledge Ennie’s earlier guess.
“Don’t worry,”
Ennie also looked up at the sunset in the sky, and spoke gently,
“When the sun sets, the lights will co on, as long as we are alive and keep lighting up the brightness, that itself is hope.
The flas that have gone out, seeing new flas being lit, even if they can no longer shine, must feel comforted.”
“That sounds quite philosophical.”
The red-haired girl turned her head thoughtfully towards the girl with braided hair next to her.
“I figured it out from the will my father left ,”
Ennie smiled, looking at the girl beside her, “Maybe it will be useful for you.”
“Thank you.”
The red-haired girl paused slightly, and spoke softly.
“Sister, ice cream.”
At that mont, a sowhat childish voice ca from beside.
The red-haired girl turned her head and looked to her side.
A vanilla ice cream was being held in front of her by a little girl.
She had also learned specialized physical skills, her perception was much sharper than ordinary people, she had actually noticed that man appearing just now.
But the little girl in front of her, standing so close without her noticing at all, made her now sowhat believe what Ennie had said about this little girl being even more impressive.
“Thank you.”
The red-haired girl reached out and took the ice cream.
“No need to thank,”
The little girl blinked politely, then holding another ice cream, handed it to Ennie, “Ennie, yours.”
“Thank you,”
Ennie smiled and rubbed Jia Xi’s head, then turned back to the red-haired girl, “I haven’t asked your na?”
“Lin Na.”
The red-haired girl holding the ice cream, softly said.
“Ennie.”
Ennie nodded her head, introducing herself.
“Jia Xi!”
The little girl bit into her ice cream, her little mouth sared with cream, also introduced herself.
“There’s still work at the hospital, I’m going to be busy, if you want to chat or need to see a doctor,”
Ennie’s bracelet vibrated for a mont, she glanced at it and smiled at Lin Na, “you can co find here, I think we might get along well, and if it’s about seeing a doctor, although I’m not skilled yet, I can have my ntor see you.”
“See you later.”
Holding the ice cream, Jia Xi waved at Lin Na.
“See you later.”
Lin Na also waved at her two new friends.
“Ennie, can I watch TV first before doing my howork?”
From a distance ca the little girl’s soft query.
“No!
Did you forget about staying up until midnight to finish your howork last ti?!”
Then ca the cold reply.
“Ah, I even bought you ice cream, you miser.”
“It’s my card you are using!”
······
The red-haired girl lowered her head to look at the vanilla ice cream in her hand, gently lifting it to her mouth.
Not far away, burly n carrying a half-dead man walked briskly towards the direction of the police station.
The sunset bathed the entire land in a fiery glow, the light spreading across the streets and buildings.
With the icy sweet taste mixed with the warm twilight entering the girl’s mouth,
She raised her head, looking around at the construction site, watching the people working there, listening to the clanging noises.
This place used to be the dirtiest and most chaotic part of the city, but at this mont, it seed like everyone’s face was filled with anticipation and smiles.
The evening glow and hope reflected together in their pupils.
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