Chapter 118: The Orphanage Secret

For a moment Chen Jing’s attention was successfully diverted.

Her expression shifted dramatically as she looked at the report before her.

After a long pause she murmured, “There’s too little information here. It doesn’t prove anything.”

“Indeed.”

Professor Bai nodded. “Too much time has passed and some things seem deliberately covered up. It’s hard to find any solid evidence now. We’re just speculating about possibilities. However if that orphanage really is connected to the lab that escaped back then, there should be at least one person alive who knows the truth.”

Chen Jing abruptly lifted her head. “Zeng Xiao Lu?”

Professor Bai nodded again. “So if you insist on working right now I suggest you handle this.”

“As for how the Ability Users from outside the city smuggled weapons in and tried to gather intel on the Xu father and daughter in the Main City, Old Shen is better suited to handle that than you. He’s also more heavy-handed so you don’t need to worry. Just leave it to him.”

“But matters concerning this orphanage must be handled by you. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with it.”

…

Chen Jing listened to Professor Bai, silent for a moment before asking, “What are the principles? Or the bottom line?”

Professor Bai seemed to consider this seriously for a moment before smiling. “When you start thinking about setting principles or bottom lines for yourself it usually means you’re already panicking inside, which prevents you from acting thoroughly. So I don’t plan on setting any principles for you.”

“You should do whatever you think needs to be done!”

“That is the principle or bottom line you should adhere to!”

…

Chen Jing listened intently. After a moment’s reflection she nodded. “I understand.”

…

…

Everyone in the Second Satellite City was affected, more or less, by the sudden large-scale chaos.

But the orphanage located relatively close to the Security Hall managed to avoid the disaster well. When Chen Jing’s car stopped below the orphanage she could even faintly hear the sound of children reading aloud coming from upstairs.

Chen Jing got out of the car nodded to the soldier standing guard beside the orphanage and walked straight up the narrow staircase.

In just a few days many children’s drawings had already appeared on the walls here.

However these drawings seemed to have been modified by someone else. What were originally crooked scribbles had now become cute illustrations.

Chen Jing was also skilled in sketching so she naturally had a discerning eye.

She could tell that the person who modified the drawings must be very gentle.

She was quite curious about this young orphanage director who held significant weight in the Mr. Lone Soldier’s file.

At the same time she felt fortunate about her earlier decision to relocate the orphanage staff here for protection.

Although her initial thought was merely to ensure the Mr. Lone Soldier had no worries and could cooperate fully with the investigation of the hidden Pollution Source in the Satellite City, connecting all the events made her realize her decision had inadvertently been a great help.

If the orphanage hadn’t been moved back then an accident might very well have occurred.

After all Professor Bai’s words confirmed that the Knight Orders from outside the city knew about this orphanage’s existence.

…

…

Reaching the third floor she saw an old man in a light blue security uniform sitting on a stool at the staircase landing reading a newspaper. Seeing Chen Jing approach he peered over his reading glasses to look her over.

Chen Jing was in casual clothes but she was tall and slender. Her tailored casual suit, short hair, and sharp aura set her apart.

Clearly she didn’t look like someone who belonged here.

“I’m from the Security Hall here to see Director Zeng.”

Chen Jing knew this man was the orphanage’s guard. He had followed when the orphanage moved. Although this place was better than the Red Moon Elementary School his security booth was gone. He could only keep watch from this staircase corner.

The old security guard merely glanced at Chen Jing and said, “Class isn’t over yet. Wait a bit.”

Chen Jing glanced back at the old man. “Alright.”

Then neither spoke again. One continued reading his newspaper the other waited quietly at the stairwell.

After waiting for over ten minutes she heard the sounds of children suddenly becoming boisterous upstairs.

Chen Jing climbed the steps to the fourth floor and saw a girl with a stack of textbooks on her lap slowly emerging in a wheelchair surrounded by children. She looked about Lu Xin’s age with her hair tied in a ponytail, appearing very pure—the type who seemed quiet and trustworthy at first glance. She looked even cuter than in her photo.

A smile touched Chen Jing’s face as she approached gently. “Hello I’m Chen Jing Lu Xin’s colleague.”

“Colleague?”

Teacher Xiao Lu looked slightly surprised looking up at this woman who must be around 1.75 meters tall and wearing high heels. A look of astonishment crossed her face and after a moment’s pause she blurted out, “Are you the one who gives him so much money?”

Chen Jing hadn’t expected this to be her focus. She chuckled softly. “The work he does is worthy of the payment.”

Teacher Xiao Lu nodded quickly seeming a bit nervous. “Okay what are you here to ask about this time?”

Chen Jing stated frankly, “There are some past matters I’d like to understand better from you.”

“Alright then!”

Teacher Xiao Lu paused for a moment then pointed to the office diagonally opposite. “Could you wait for me there for a moment?”

“I need to put these books down.”

…

“It’s alright I’m not in a hurry.”

Chen Jing agreed softly and went straight into the office diagonally opposite.

The room was about twenty square meters. Though called an office it only contained one desk and chair. In a corner were piled some toys soccer balls and the like; it felt more like a break room. She wasn’t anxious, sitting down in the office and casually picking up a child’s homework assignment. The writing was childish but very earnest.

“When I grow up I’ll be a scientist and invent a ten-legged chicken so people can eat chicken legs every day…”

“In the future I want to build a spaceship fly up and blow up the moon…”

“In the future I want to marry Teacher Xiao Lu…” (A note added later: Teacher disagrees!)

…

After reading for a while a smile couldn’t help but curve Chen Jing’s lips:

“Are all the children here so ambitious?”

…

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Teacher Xiao Lu opened the door her wheelchair rolling in slowly. She smiled apologetically at Chen Jing. “Would you like some tea?”

“No need to trouble yourself.”

Chen Jing put down the homework leaned back against the desk and smiled. “I just came to chat casually with you.”

Teacher Xiao Lu closed the door nodded her expression turning somewhat serious. “I wonder what you want to ask?”

“It’s about Lu Xin.”

Chen Jing said openly, “You two grew up in the same orphanage back then right?”

Teacher Xiao Lu nodded. “Yes he left when he was around thirteen. But he often comes back to help me.”

She thought for a moment then added with a smile, “He’s such a fool always bringing his salary over for me. Sometimes I see him unwilling to wear thick clothes in winter yet he brings his saved salary over for me to buy clothes and coal for the children… But honestly if it weren’t for him this orphanage probably wouldn’t have survived. We… might have starved to death…”

…

“He is indeed a very good person.”

Chen Jing smiled. “But this time I’m more interested in learning about things that happened back at the orphanage.”

Teacher Xiao Lu’s voice dropped. After a while she said, “He was a very good child back at the orphanage too…”

Pausing slightly she looked up at Chen Jing. “What’s there to ask about that?”

Chen Jing observed her quietly asking softly, “There was an incident at the orphanage back then right?”

Teacher Xiao Lu fell silent.

After a long time she suddenly asked softly, “What exactly do you want to ask?”

Chen Jing slowed her pace. “I just want to understand some things that happened at the orphanage back then…”

“For example what Lu Xin was like at that time.”

“And during the explosion back then you and Lu Xin…”

…

Suddenly Chen Jing’s gaze sharpened and she stopped speaking.

Because she saw Teacher Xiao Lu suddenly pull out a gun from under her rolled-down clothes.

She pointed the gun at her own chin looked up at Chen Jing tears slowly welling in her eyes.

Chen Jing was startled but didn’t rush to speak merely showing an inquiring look.

“I don’t know what you want to ask. I don’t know anything about what happened back then.”

Teacher Xiao Lu’s voice trembled slightly tears spilling from her eyes but her attitude conveyed a surprising firmness:

“But I know I can’t let you harm Lu Xin!”

“Our lives are good now…”

“He’s such a good person. This peace he has now is what he deserves…”

“So don’t even think about tricking anything out of me. I won’t allow you to hurt him!”

…

Saying this she clenched her jaw gripping the gun tightly. “I know you have many strange ways to make me talk…”

“But if you force me I’d rather… shoot myself!”

…

Chen Jing quietly watched Teacher Xiao Lu.

Her hand was trembling but her slender fingers were pressed firmly on the trigger.

Guns were banned throughout the satellite city now. Who knew where this wheelchair-bound orphanage teacher got this gun.

Judging by the rust it was very old.

So when she said she needed to put down the books earlier it was actually to retrieve this gun.

After a long moment Chen Jing slowly shook her head. “This gun hasn’t been maintained. It won’t fire.”

Then she slowly stood up wrote down a number on a nearby workbook and said, “I don’t know what makes you so wary of everything but I want to tell you not everyone in this world is like that. You cherish this peaceful life and hope he continues to have it. What I want to do is precisely to protect this kind of peaceful life.”

“My purpose today has been achieved.”

She tore off the page then turned to look at Teacher Xiao Lu. “My main goal was to confirm Lu Xin’s safety so I can trust him more. And you at least in this way have shown me he is someone worth trusting…”

“…At least someone you’re willing to trust with your life.”

…

She placed the number on the desk. “This is my number. You can call me directly if anything comes up in the future.”

Teacher Xiao Lu listened to Chen Jing somewhat stunned unsure what to say for a moment.

Chen Jing simply walked past her towards the door.

Just as she was about to leave she suddenly turned back and smiled. “Also I saw the notice posted downstairs. The utility bills are due…”

“For Lu Xin’s sake I can help cover up the issue of you privately owning a gun.”

“But you still have to pay the utilities and rent yourselves…”