Chapter 481: Whispers of Promises

Chen Jing’s arrangements set things in motion quickly; before long, a convoy departed from the Special Cleaning Department.

Despite Lu Xin’s request to keep a low profile, five vehicles arrived. In the second vehicle sat Lu Xin and the Doll; the third carried Professor Chen Liqing and several researchers in charge of the Doll project; the fourth housed Chen Jing along with several security ability users; the first and fifth were filled with fully armed soldiers serving as pathfinders and escorts.

They first arrived at a quiet residential area in the western district of the Main City…

Lu Xin and the Doll disembarked, and Chen Jing quickly caught up to lead them upstairs.

The other vehicles trailed behind silently, not joining in but simply providing accompaniment.

Without pressing Lu Xin on his reason for bringing the Doll, Chen Jing murmured as they walked, “This is the home of Captain Li Jian’s mother, who sacrificed her life in the clash with the Technology Church. The families have been informed, and proper arrangements have been made. Generous compensation and special care are in place.”

“We have handled every detail meticulously. This time, you’re bringing the Doll here because…”

“…”

Lu Xin looked up at the slightly rundown complex and said softly, “It’s to fulfill a promise I made long ago.”

Upstairs, Lu Xin encountered a woman in her sixties, her face etched with hardship—a testament to the brutal years following the Red Moon’s descent when she raised her child. Despite having been notified by phone, she appeared surprised, forced a smile, and welcomed them inside.

Lu Xin solemnly retrieved a folded paper from his black backpack.

“This is what Captain Li Jian asked me to deliver. The circumstances were tight, so he couldn’t write it himself.”

“I wrote these words myself, not leaving out a single detail.”

“…”

After his explanation, he handed the paper to the elderly woman.

She accepted the folded paper, her rough hands trembling slightly.

A strong woman indeed—she had managed to raise her child through the most chaotic, trying times after the Red Moon’s descent. Now that she had learned of the child’s sacrifice, her grief had calmed somewhat. Still, after reading the few sparse words, a smile emerged as she told Lu Xin, “Look at this… look at this child, even at the end…”

“…still so stingy, refusing to give his uncle any money.”

Her smile broke into tears as she wiped them away, laughing, “But…”

Her tears fell in heavy drops as her voice trembled, “But now that the child is gone, what use is the money I saved…”

“What good is it?”

“…”

Chen Jing sighed quietly beside her.

Lu Xin simply watched the elderly woman while listening intently.

The Doll sat there, looking confused, with no choice but to remain quiet.

……

……

Leaving the residential area, the convoy proceeded to a plaza in the city center. Once there, a young woman soon descended from a nearby office building. She was strikingly beautiful yet appeared somewhat haggard, dressed in a professional suit without the refined makeup common among her peers.

“She’s Chen Cheng’s fiancée.”

Chen Jing whispered to Lu Xin, “They were scheduled to marry next month.”

Lu Xin nodded and retrieved a sheet from his black bag, carefully handing it to the woman.

“What is this?”

Surprised, the woman accepted the paper and casually unfolded it to read.

After a few silent seconds, she suddenly laughed and said to Lu Xin, “That’s wonderful—thank you!”

“You… you know, right?”

“This guy is so shy. We were engaged, but he never once said ‘I love you.’ All he did was shower me with gifts… I heard he died, and I thought I’d never hear him say those words again.”

“This letter is just perfect…”

“…”

Lu Xin hesitated before murmuring, “At that time, he was so full of guilt. He said he should have urged you to find someone better, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. He admitted he loved you deeply and hoped that only he would marry you—no one else…”

“Of course he couldn’t have said that. It would have been absurd.”

The woman looked up at Lu Xin and replied, “If he tried to push me into someone else’s arms, what would I become?”

“Love is oddly selfish…”

“He didn’t want me to marry anyone else; he wanted me for himself. That sounds even better than just saying ‘I love you.'”

“The only downside is that, much like ‘I love you,’ it eventually sounds empty and fake…”

“…”

Lu Xin couldn’t quite understand her reaction.

Some things in this world turn out differently from what we expect, yet perhaps that’s just the way it is.

He bid farewell to the cheerful woman and left with the Doll.

But as he stepped out of the plaza, ready to board the vehicle, he turned back.

He noticed the woman sitting alone on a bench, her hand covering her mouth, head bowed, and shoulders trembling.

……

……

They arrived at the home of a single mother. In a modest two-room suite, a woman lived with her little girl, just over three years old. The room was adorned with a violin, a Go board, dance shoes, and even a piano—clear evidence of how dearly they cherished their daughter.

Lu Xin handed the prepared letter to the woman and then quietly regarded the timid little girl.

Upon reading the letter, the woman’s eyes welled with tears. Softly, she told her daughter to return to her room.

Then, looking up at Lu Xin with tears streaming down her face, she said, “When he was away on a business trip, we just…”

“…ended up fighting about which extracurricular class our daughter should attend…”

“…”

Lu Xin didn’t know how to respond, so he simply listened.

The Doll, sensing her sorrow, raised a hand gently but dared not reach out.

“I always thought our daughter should learn what she loves, but he insisted she study something practical for the future. We argued about it countless times, yet he remained stubborn…”

“I never expected that, in the end, he would come to his senses…”

Finally, the woman could no longer hold back, her voice choked with tears, “But he… still remains so stubborn…”

“What does our daughter really want?”

“She actually just wants her dad to come back…”

“…”

“…”

They arrived at a middle school, where a teacher led out a boy with a buzz cut, dressed in sportswear. A clear tattoo marked his neck, and his hair was cut very short, with faint traces of blond stubble.

Lu Xin handed the folded letter to the boy, saying, “Your brother asked me to tell you to study hard.”

“Stop hanging around with street thugs, or they’ll break your legs.”

“He also wants you to focus on the humanities.”

“…”

The boy took the folded letter, read it twice in silence, tucked it into his pocket, and then, hands in his pockets, looked up at Lu Xin and said, “I’m not mixing with petty thugs anymore. I even shaved my head, though this tattoo isn’t easy to remove.”

“But when it comes to what’s next, I won’t follow my brother’s advice. I want to study science and become a researcher like him.”

“Because I believe…”

A youthful smile crept over his face as he continued:

“The way your brother died is far cooler than the bloody street deaths hyped by those gang leaders.”

“…”

Lu Xin was momentarily taken aback. After a brief silence, he patted the boy’s shoulder gently and said, “Don’t say that—it brings bad luck.”

After a pause, Lu Xin smiled and added, “But you’re right about one thing.”

“Your brother truly was more badass than those street thugs…”

“…”

The convoy wound its way through Qinggang Main City, delivering one suicide note after another. The black bags held few notes—Lu Xin regretted that the chaos hadn’t allowed everyone enough time to leave one. He could only ensure that the notes he had gathered, along with the Doll, reached those who needed them.

He watched as some people smiled, others wept, some transformed, and some were left utterly desolate.

It was as if each person was caught in a swirling maelstrom.

He also noticed that the Doll’s initial look of confusion had given way to eyes glistening with crystalline tears.

Finally, Lu Xin sat back in the vehicle with the Doll. Apart from the pilot, it was just the two of them. He saw that the Doll’s once joyful expression had turned into a deep, melancholic bewilderment.

Outside the car window, the city’s streetlights flickered by like reflections in water.

“I don’t know if you fully understand, but this is what I want to tell you.”

Lu Xin gazed into the Doll’s eyes and said softly, “This city seems to be exactly as it is—and yet, not entirely.”

“It needs the protection of its people.”

“…”

Looking at the Doll as she struggled to grasp his words, a gentle smile emerged on his face and he whispered, “You see, those behind us are nervous because they’re scared, but really, they needn’t be. Our choices weren’t driven solely by caution…”

“We’re protecting nothing more than the life we cherish.”

“In the end, we safeguard the very life we love.”