601: Chapter 601: But, We Rember.
(End of Copy World/Dual Chapters Combined for Monthly Ticket Request) 601: Chapter 601: But, We Rember.
(End of Copy World/Dual Chapters Combined for Monthly Ticket Request) Ains · Federal Bureau of Investigation Headquarters Building
The brilliance of the setting sun spread across the open-plan office as the young man seated at the computer set his coffee cup beside the keyboard.
“Nock, working overti again?”
The colleague sitting opposite stood up and asked with a smile.
“I have so work to finish, just racking up so overti pay to help out at ho.”
Nock smiled, “Heading ho?”
“Yes, I’ve got sothing on today,”
The colleague waved at him, “I’ll take off first, bye.”
“Bye,”
Nock waved back, bidding farewell to his colleague.
As the office emptied, one by one the lights went out, leaving his incessantly moving fingertips bathed in the warm golden sunlight.
After a long stretch of work, he yawned and turned to glance at the sunset outside the window.
Ding——
At that mont, a crisp sound from the computer caught his attention.
He turned back to see a pop-up window at the bottom right of the screen, indicating a new email notification, but it wasn’t from his work email; it was from his private email account.
mories shrouded by ti were once again unveiled in his mind.
It had been a long ti since anyone had sent him a ssage on his private email, apart from those ubiquitous marketing ads.
The last ti he received a ssage on his private email was nearly half a year ago.
He had hardly used this email account himself either.
Still, he instinctively logged into this account every day when he arrived at work.
“Subject line ‘Wel dical Consortium’?
Another marketing ad?”
He reached out his hand and clicked to open the email ssage.
A dense array of attachnt files appeared before his eyes.
——
March 17 · Senator’s Inaugural Speech
“Eight hundred years ago, our ancestors gathered on this land, establishing the very first city, Vitland—a na signifying light and hope.
“On this land, we built high walls, cities, and a holand where we could find shelter and establish our lives above the dangerous wilderness.
“In the grand sche of centuries, each of our lives is but a speck.
“Yet because we are united, collectively defending our city and civilization, our lives beco enduring, passed down from generation to generation, together constructing our magnificent city.
“Every person living in Vitland is equal, as written into the constitution by its founders.
“Now, this constitution is in my hands.
“Eight centuries have gone by, yet in corners of our city, there remain people who are ‘different’ from the rest.
“They undertake the dirtiest and most tiring tasks of the city, eat the worst food, and huddle together in a cramped and filthy patch of land.
“Yes, so of you may have guessed by now—I’m talking about the Scavengers.”
Dasanc gazed at the increasing crowd below,
“So say they are different from us.
“How are they different?
They have the sa eyes as us, the sa limbs; they, too, strive with all their might just to survive.
“In Vitland, the average household waste cleaning fee is 1.52 federal coins per square ter per month, while in Dawn City, the number is 1.37, and in Ains, it is 1.48,
“Our waste cleaning companies charge the most expensive rates in the Federation, but what do they do?
They simply dispatch garbage trucks, transporting the trash to the Zarote Area.
“They don’t need to build any waste processing plants, nor are there any legal constraints on their exorbitant fees.
“In any city in the Federation, the cleaning company’s costs account for seventy to eighty percent of the total inco, yet in Vitland, their costs account for less than fifty percent.
“Many standing here are from Ernst District, and I believe many of you have friends or relatives working for cleaning companies.
“In Dawn City, the average weekly wage for a garbage cleaning worker is 327 federal coins, but in Vitland, it is only 279 federal coins.
“With profits greatly exceeding those in similar trades, where does this money co from?
From every Scavenger, every garbage cleaning worker, from every one of us who pay exorbitant fees for waste managent.
“Are Scavengers different from us?
No, they are the sa as us!
“We’re all people drained of sweat and blood by the cleaning companies.
“The waste cleaning fees we shouldn’t have to pay, the money we could’ve saved—if it stayed in our pockets, we could let our children eat an extra piece of at, buy a little more dicine for the elderly, and allow one more family who couldn’t otherwise survive to live on.
“Soone will ask, ‘Mr.
Senator, what’s the use of saying this?
These rules have been in place for centuries; can we really change anything?'”
Dasanc paused, making eye contact with the densely packed audience listening to the speech,
“We most certainly can change!
“Eight hundred years ago, our ancestors united, and amidst blood and flas, they constructed high walls and this city, ensuring their descendants could grow up safely and human civilization could continue.
“Now, we can still unite!
“For ourselves and for our posterity, to change it all!”
Heish stood among the crowd, watching Dasanc on the stage, with the sa bright light shining on both her and Dasanc’s cheeks.
——
March 18
Senator Dasanc’s inaugural speech, like a stone thrown into calm waters, unveiled the hidden corner of the Scavengers—a subject the people of Vitland had been reluctant to address for centuries.
Within just a few hours, Scavengers climbed to the top of Vitland’s trending searches, revealing once again the obscured history.
On the morning of March 18, Scavenger leader Heish held a press conference announcing that on March 19, the Scavengers would close off the Zarote Area and no longer accept trash transported by the Cleaning Companies Alliance, unless the Vitland city governnt was willing to recognize the citizenship of the Scavengers within Vitland City.
Additionally, this Scavenger leader emphasized that if the Scavengers were granted normal status, they would establish their own cleaning company and reduce the trash disposal price to below 1.3 federal coins per square ter.
——
March 19
dia outlets, led by Vitland Entertainnt News, a subsidiary of the Wel dical Consortium, published fierce criticism of the Scavengers, accusing them of treachery and ingratitude.
They said that Vitland had taken in the Scavengers, yet they were unwilling to fulfill their duties.
Scavenger leader Heish presented docunts from an agreent made years ago between the Vitland city governnt and the Scavengers.
The docunts showed that as Vitland city expanded, it encroached on the Scavengers’ territory.
In exchange, the governnt at the ti promised that the Scavengers could live in the city and that the Zarote Area would be permanently left to them.
Heish also emphasized that the Scavengers’ main grievance was with the Cleaning Companies’ centuries of unrestrained and escalating oppression, not with the entire city of Vitland.
Under harsh living conditions, the average lifespan of a Scavenger was less than forty-five years.
They had reached a point where they could no longer tolerate the situation.
——
March 21
As the Zarote Area was closed off, the city’s garbage could not be processed, and piles of dostic waste began to appear by the roadside.
Protest marches erged in various districts of Vitland, demanding that the cleaning companies deal with the trash and that the Vitland city governnt resolve the situation.
The incident escalated and spread throughout the Federation.
——
March 22
The Cleaning Companies Alliance, led by Wel Cleaning Company, began an ergency process to handle the city’s garbage.
Reports indicated that the Alliance violated federal law by hauling the dostic waste out of the city without treatnt and directly dumping it, risking an invasion of the wilderness into Vitland City.
The Cleaning Companies Alliance denied this claim.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced it would undertake an investigation.
Garbage piled higher and higher on the streets of Vitland, and large protest marches began to gather.
——
March 23
Dawn City Mayor Christos announced that Scavengers could be accepted as citizens of Dawn City, based on Wilderness Wanderer standards.
However, news reports stated that the Scavengers themselves could not afford the travel expenses to Dawn City, and that those without identities were unable to purchase airship tickets.
Thus, Christos’s statent was criticized as a hypocritical gesture that failed to offer any real relief.
Protests sparked by the accumulation of trash escalated further, and the Mayor of Vitland stated on a television address that he would properly handle the garbage crisis.
——
March 24
The Nolanka Group from Kaye City announced an internal shortage of industrial employees.
If the Scavengers were willing, they could provide interest-free loans for travel expenses to Dawn City, with group-sponsored airship transportation.
Once the Scavengers secured official statuses, they could be employed directly at the group’s Dawn City branch, and the group was willing to provide food resources and low-interest loans to Scavengers without inco.
Scavenger leader Heish held a press conference, thanking Dawn City and the Nolanka Group for their support.
He stated that if the issue was ultimately resolved, he would be willing to lead the relocation of the entire Scavenger community.
That day, Vitland Stars News published an article with the headline:
[The most disgraceful Vitland City governnt in a century requires Dawn City’s help to solve its own citizens’ issues.]
——
March 25
After a week of escalation, the Wel dical Consortium announced a substantial investnt in the construction of large-scale waste processing plants.
It also intended to use several of the group’s large warehouses as temporary waste storage centers, promising to resolve the garbage disposal issue within weeks.
At the sa ti, the Wel dical Consortium was willing to negotiate with the Cleaning Companies Alliance to lower cleaning fees.
Vitland Stars News comnted that the Wilderness Wanderers’ move did not significantly solve the garbage disposal issue, as the construction of facilities would take at least several months, unless the Wel dical Consortium was willing to spend considerable funds and increase investnt.
——
March 26
“Wel dical Consortium has already started using warehouses to store compressed garbage, and the factory site has also been chosen.
They really do have the money and resources to build a waste processing center.”
Ryan put his tablet on the table and looked at Heish, “Boss, what should we do?”
“They’re gambling,”
Dasanc put his hand on the table, frowning deeply, “They’re betting that we can’t hold out.
The Scavengers can’t live forever on support from the Nolanka Group, and the Nolanka Group won’t keep us indefinitely.
The Scavengers still need a job to support themselves.
But if we lose this ti, the Scavengers may face even harsher retaliation.”
“Have the first batch of people heading to Dawn City been confird?”
Heish looked out the window at the sunshine, not answering directly but softly asking instead.
“They’re confird,” Ryan nodded, “But most Scavengers are reluctant to leave their hos.”
“What’s your plan moving forward?”
Dasanc looked at Heish.
Heish lowered his head, glancing at a small section of white bone handle he was holding, and spoke slowly,
“Wait.”
——
March 28
Federal Bureau of Investigation agents suddenly raided the residence of the recently retired forr Senator Ned, arresting him on multiple charges including rape and bribery.
At the sa ti, the Ains headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation released a statent, establishing an investigative team to probe the Wel dical Consortium’s bloody experints, collusion with cults, and summoning of the Evil God.
This team would be dispatched directly from the FBI headquarters.
An FBI spokesperson said that they had received concrete evidence, but did not specify what it was.
Wel dical Consortium’s stock price fell continuously throughout the day.
That evening, a comprehensive docunt was released online and spread rapidly across the Federation.
The docunt implicated a forr board mber of the Wel dical Consortium, Wells, in conducting illegal bloody sacrifice experints with the Consortium’s support, and attempting to summon the Evil God in Vitland.
As everyone focused on the Scavengers, a hidden terror within the shadows of Vitland ca to light.
The docunt revealed that the plot ultimately failed due to the resistance of a university professor who had been persecuted by Wells.
The professor sacrificed his life in the incident, and the Wel dical Research Building was destroyed.
The FBI spokesperson claid to be ‘unaware’ of the leak of this docunt.
——
March 29
Scavenger Press Conference
“Miss Heish, I’m a reporter from Ino dia.
Are you aware of the uproar on the internet about the Wel dical Consortium colluding with a Cult?”
A journalist seated towards the back stood up, “The docunt ntioned that the anonymous university professor who ultimately prevented the disaster had received help from the leader of the Scavengers.
Are you the leader of the Scavengers referred to in the docunt?
Did the events ntioned in the docunt really happen?
And the unnad hero, what is his na?”
“Please, let’s refrain from questions that are irrelevant to the conference,” soone from the crowd couldn’t help but say.
Heish stood at the podium, ignoring the commotion below; she looked at the journalist, her voice calm,
“His na was Jess; he used to be a professor at Vitland University and is now buried in Inwit Cetery, together with his family.”
The entire venue fell into a strange silence as everyone digested the explosive information from Heish on stage,
“Miss Heish, did you experience the entire incident firsthand?”
“Miss Heish, there are rumors that the current Senator Dasanc also had interactions with Professor Jess… is that true?”
“Miss Heish…”
The venue erupted like boiling hot oil, setting off a frenzy.
——
March 31st
The Mayor of Dawn City, Christos, announced sanctions against the Wel dical Consortium for possible collusion with the Evil God.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters announced a temporary suspension of their cooperative agreent with the insurance companies under the Wel dical Consortium.
The Federal President gave a speech, stating that all Evil Gods and cults are enemies of the Federation and must be completely eradicated.
That day, the stock price of the Wel dical Consortium plumted at the opening of the market, then rebounded.
At noon, Stars Pharma’s largest news outlet, Federation Stars News, released an article claiming that.
They had received reliable intelligence showing that although the Wel dical Consortium had spent a large amount of money on cooperating with the Evil God, the core data of their crucial Gene Potion were never in their hands, and it is highly likely that the data disappeared with the death of Wells.
The dia outlet concluded that the actions of the Wel dical Consortium were both evil and stupid.
Later, the dia outlet revised the article, removing the comnt on being “both evil and stupid.”
That day, the Wel dical Consortium held an ergency press conference to refute such statents.
However, the rebuttal from the Wel dical Consortium did not restore confidence in the market, and by the afternoon, their stock prices plumted, with a total decline exceeding 10%, losing nearly two hundred billion federal coins in market cap.
——
April 2nd
The Wel dical Consortium announced that they would massively invest cash for a stock buyback, attempting to stop the further collapse of their share price.
Various new investnt projects, including waste treatnt plants, were abandoned.
The first batch of airships from Nolanka Group taking Scavengers left Vitland.
Many streets were clogged with garbage.
Large-scale protest waves appeared across the districts of Vitland.
Scavenger leader Heish stated that if the Scavengers could obtain normal status, the cleaning companies established by the Scavengers would not only lower cleaning fees but also increase the wages of cleaning employees.
The existing waste cleaners would not lose their jobs; they could co to work at the Scavenger Cleaning Company.
——
April 3rd
The Mayor of Vitland announced the signing of an executive order that temporarily grants a portion of the Scavengers temporary citizen status, allowing them to set up businesses within Vitland.
Scavenger leader Heish did not respond to this statent.
An investigation by Vitland Stars News indicated that a large number of respondents from Vitland expressed empathy for the Scavengers and dissatisfaction with the current city governnt, with many constituents saying they might switch their votes to other candidates in the next election.
The city council started to see nurous council mbers expressing their support for the Scavengers to their constituents.
——
April 5th
After a full vote by the Vitland City Council, the “Scavenger Citizenship Act” was officially passed.
The act stipulates that any Scavenger who has lived in Vitland City for more than ten years or is born in Vitland after the act’s announcent, will automatically receive the status of Vitland Citizen, with all the rights and privileges of a regular citizen.
That afternoon, Scavenger leader Heish thanked the Vitland city governnt and all its citizens and reopened the Zarote Area, registered the Scavenger Cleaning Company, and fulfilled her initial promise.
The entire city began to operate anew.
——
April 19th
After more than half a month of investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters announced preliminary investigation results.
The results clearly indicated that the Wel dical Consortium had indeed engaged in deep illegal cooperation with a psychologist nad Wells and confird the existence of an unsuccessful attempt at reviving an Evil God during the Senatorial elections.
The results did not directly address the docunts circulating online but indirectly confird the correctness of the version of the docunts that had been spreading on the internet.
That afternoon, Inwit Cetery announced an appointnt-only visitation due to the number of visitors exceeding the cetery’s capacity, which lead to restrictions on the flow of people.
——
April 21st·Dawn City
The morning sun cast its light on the woman’s burgundy short hair as a warm breeze brushed her cheek.
She stood before a towering statue.
The statue depicted a gaunt-faced man, wielding a curved blade and short sword, pushing through thorns with one hand while looking up toward the direction where the sunrise erged, his cheeks bathed in the warm sunlight.
The woman knelt down, placing the bouquet of flowers she held in front of the statue.
A gentle breeze ca from the side.
She turned her head towards the sunrise, towards the direction of the rising sun, while the breeze played with her hair strands.
——
Wel dical Building·Chairman of the Board’s Office
An elderly man was seated at his desk, perusing paper docunts.
He sat behind the conference table, his expression hidden in the wrinkles, unreadable.
Bang, bang, bang—
A gentle knocking ca from outside the door.
“Co in.”
He slowly opened his mouth, his voice hoarse.
“Good day,”
A young man wearing a top hat entered, his steps stiff, his body swaying, much like a moving paper figure.
He looked at the elderly man, slowly took off his hat and bowed slightly,
“Mr.
d, Mr.
Pierpont sends his regards.”
—
Inwit Cetery
The silver-haired girl, following the crowded throng, slowly arrived before a brand-new tombstone.
The surrounding workers carefully maintained order.
The girl straightened the slightly crushed bouquet in her hand, restoring it to its best appearance.
Then she gazed at the tender photograph on the tombstone and sniffed.
Cradling the flowers, she placed the bouquet in front of the gravestone.
Atop the tombstone were just a few short sentences.
[Jess Vincent]
[718-758]
Beneath the dates of birth and death was a line of beautiful script,
[He saved the city, beneath the veil of silent night, unknown to all, but we rember.]
—
April 30th
Enos Prison, one of the Federation’s most heavily guarded special prisons.
It housed high-quality scientific personnel and uncontrollable high-intelligence talents.
In room 807, under the dim glow of a yellow desk lamp, an elderly man with white hair and beard examined a thick book.
“Everything will return to the great hidden existence, I am not guilty!
You all shall die!
All of you shall die!”
A prison guard outside dragged several personnel in white robes past the door.
The old man was unperturbed by the commotion outside, still quietly browsing his book.
It was quite normal for people to be dragged into this prison from ti to ti.
Knock, knock—
However, his quiet reading ti didn’t last long.
Soon, soone knocked on his door from behind, “Kors, soone is looking for you.”
The old man turned his head in confusion, then opened the door and followed the guard out of the room.
Quickly, they entered a cramped little room where a chestnut-haired woman sat, apparently waiting for quite so ti.
The guard glanced at the surveillance cara in the room, twisted it to the side, and then left.
“Professor Kors, a pleasure to et you.”
The chestnut-haired woman looked up at Kors, “I’m from the Nolanka Group.
To get straight to the point, we have obtained special permission from the Federal Governnt.
According to federal law, high-quality scientific personnel like you can conduct supervised research.
“We want to hire you as our dical college’s distinguished professor, responsible for so remote theoretical guidance.
If possible, we hope you can also participate remotely in so of our research projects.”
“I’ve been sentenced to thirty years,”
the elderly man looked at the woman, his voice hoarse, “I won’t live much longer, and since you’re here, you must know, my soul has been eroded by the Fountain of Youth.
Without suppressants, I’m lucid less and less each day.
Who knows, I might turn into a monster at any ti, so I can’t help you much.
“Nolanka, you’re not a dical consortium, are you?
Being able to get special permission so easily, it must be that all those dical consortiums have found that I’m of no use.
Don’t bother spending efforts on this dying Old Geezer.”
“We’ve obtained a thod that can transform Life Force, but this thod is highly dangerous, all information is top-secret, and we’re not planning on delving too deep into it.
But we can open up so of the less risky information for you, perhaps enough to research a thod to dissolve the Fountain of Youth’s remnants,”
the woman spoke quickly, “You’re the only surviving core mber of the Fountain of Youth research team, and the most likely to co up with a solution.”
“I’m old,”
the elderly man looked up at the woman and slowly stood up, “I won’t live much longer, all these things have nothing to do with .”
He staggered towards the door, his steps faltering.
“Our dical college is called Pet-Qiming dical College.”
The woman sitting behind the desk slowly said.
The old man paused in his steps.
“In fact, many people in Lin City have been affected by the contamination from the Fountain of Youth incident.
If a thod to dissolve the contamination could be found, you could save many lives.”
The woman stood up, looking at the elderly man.
“You’ve prepared well, you ca with the intent of using to find a way to dissolve the remnants left by the Fountain of Youth, didn’t you?”
The old man’s voice was slow and muffled as he opened the door, “I’m old, and the Fountain of Youth is rapidly taking my life.”
Upon hearing this, the woman felt a sinking feeling in her heart.
“I only have a couple of hours in the morning and evening when I can be absolutely lucid.
All experints and guidance should be scheduled within those hours.
I will tell you everything I know.
The rest is up to you.”
The guard outside checked the electronic shackles on the man’s wrist and led him out with a glance.
The woman let out a sigh of relief.
“Your dangerous information couldn’t possibly co from a donation by a concerned citizen,”
the old man suddenly halted as he stepped out of the doorway, pausing for a mont, he asked in a low voice, “Did soone else die?”
Caught off guard by this question, the woman bowed her head slightly, whispering a soft confirmation, “Yes.”
“There are so many fools in this world,”
the old man lowered his head, his shackled feet shuffling as he moved toward the exit,
“Make the arrangents as discreet as possible.
I don’t know how much longer I’ll live.”
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