Monster - Chapter 140
Chapter 140: Center City - Unhappy
After getting Lin Sandie's current address, Lou hesitated again. Her goal now was just to complete the mission and leave Leviathan. Whatever happened to Lin Sandie had nothing to do with her anymore, and besides, Lin Sandie didn't want anything to do with her either.
Was she supposed to shamelessly go play house with Lin Sandie, then go to the Main World with her and bind her as her Guide?
Was she not going to look for Little Rabbit? Not wait for Little Rabbit anymore?
Committing the address Cheng Gui had given her to memory, Lou asked for an update on the current situation in Leviathan.
In the six months she had been gone, the monsterization of Leviathan's people had grown increasingly severe, to the point where even ordinary people could notice. Subsequently, after deliberation among Leviathan's rulers, they began a systematic effort to capture these mutated individuals. And because the Remnants in this world had suddenly lost their effect, all magic was gone, which naturally made the power of the law enforcers stronger and more irresistible.
So, they started with the severely mutated, and recently, they had even begun capturing those with less severe mutations.
In Center City, they were captured. In Disorder Land, all mutated individuals were to be killed on sight.
The entire world of Leviathan had spent the half-year of Lou's absence in turmoil. Recently, it seemed the upper echelons were discussing how to deal with the mutated individuals outside of Disorder Land.
The methods of disposal were none other than to cure or to kill. It was said that the Upper House's idea was to cure, while the Lower House proposed to kill.
The Upper House actually represented Tree's will, while the Lower House faction belonged to Sui Xi and Glory Road.
"What about Lin Sandie's opinion?"
"To cure. Bite Mark and the Rose Society both advocate for curing the mutated."
"How do they plan to cure them?"
"Jian Yi is improving the 'Scorpion' to first suppress the monsterization. I'm not clear on the specific operational details."
After leaving Lin Sandie's home, Lou didn't immediately find a place to stay. Instead, she sat on a swing in the residential complex where Lin Sandie lived, carefully pondering the current developments.
The reason people in Leviathan were turning into monsters was not Tree's original intention. It was he who had instructed the Rose Society to research the emotion-suppressing 'Scorpion.' By suppressing the monsterization of humans, Tree, as the essence of Leviathan, would see his own madness and loss of control improve.
However, Lin Sandie's actions were not intended for Tree's benefit. They were likely for the majority of Leviathan's citizens, because the crazier Tree became, the more easily Leviathan would collapse, and the more people would die.
As someone here to complete a mission, Lou didn't care how many people died in Leviathan, but Lin Sandie did.
But Tree had to be eliminated eventually. What was the next step after suppressing the monsterization?
The swing creaked as Lou swayed. Based on her understanding of Lin Sandie, she didn't believe Lin Sandie would let Tree off easily just to save Leviathan's citizens. No matter what, Lin Sandie would make a move against Tree. Even if it meant death, Lin Sandie would not let Tree go.
Lou felt utterly bored. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't muster any energy. She sat for a long time in the cold wind and light snow before reluctantly getting a hotel room. But she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. In the past, if she couldn't sleep, she might have gone to a bar for some fun. But the last time Lin Sandie came looking for her at a bar… the look in her eyes, the way she carried her on her back, the way she got angry—the moment the thought of going to a bar entered Lou's mind, that scene would naturally surface.
What was Lin Sandie doing?
Lying on her side in bed, Lou took out her phone and fiddled with it. She searched for Lin Sandie but found nothing. Only then did she remember that she had asked Lin Sandie for two photos.
One photo was of a two-year-old Lin Sandie being held by her mother, Zhao Zhi. The other was taken when Lin Sandie was three; she was holding a stuffed rabbit doll, grinning happily.
Lou looked at the two photos, the corners of her mouth turning up. She didn't fall asleep until the latter half of the night. In a daze, she dreamed that Lin Sandie had become her younger self. She was running around the mountain forest in ragged clothes. Lou brought her home, washed her up, sang her a song, and lulled her to sleep.
The next day, Lou slept late into the morning. She still didn't go to the address Cheng Gui had given her to find Lin Sandie. Instead, she went to an office building.
"Hello, I'm looking for Ms. Sui Xi."
The receptionist looked up at Lou. When she saw her face clearly, she froze for a moment, then tilted her head in confusion. "Please wait a moment."
The receptionist then made a call. Lou heard Sui Xi's somewhat aged voice on the other end say, "Let her in."
"Miss, why did you stare when you saw me?" As the receptionist gestured for her to go in, Lou didn't hurry, but leaned on the front desk with a smile.
"Your twin sister came looking for Ms. Sui this morning, too. I can't say any more than that. You can go in. It's the room at the very end."
Lou raised an eyebrow and immediately walked toward the room at the end of the hall. Inside, only Sui Xi was sitting behind a desk. There was no sign of Lin Sandie.
"Have you had lunch? I was just about to order takeout," Sui Xi said, tapping her phone as she glanced up at Lou.
"…" Sui Xi wasn't being polite with her, so Lou didn't bother either. She sat down directly on the sofa, thought for a moment, and said, "Southern-style pork rice."
"Are you also here to persuade me to change my mind about not cleaning up those monsters?"
"Is that what Lin Sandie came to persuade you about this morning?"
"More or less. The moment you entered the building, she knew. She left through the back door."
"Did she explain to you the reason for not cleaning up the monsters?" Lou pursed her lips. She knew Lin Sandie was using her Island. She was inside her own Island, and as soon as someone approached her, she would immediately sense it. Moreover, as long as she didn't agree, no one could enter her Island. In other words, even if Lou wanted to get close to her now, she couldn't.
"She did, but it still depends on the results of the treatment. In any case, I will never agree to just let those abominations run free."
"What did she say?"
"Because Tree is sick, the people of Leviathan are turning into monsters. But getting sick was not his intention. We can try to treat the monsters and suppress the monsterization, which will also suppress Tree's illness. Otherwise, the monsters can never be eradicated. Even if we kill them all, more will just appear."
"But if it's just suppression, they'll be fitted with a Scorpion, neither human nor ghost. It would be cleaner to just kill them!" Sui Xi said vehemently. Her daughter had jumped to her death after witnessing her own transformation into a monster, so she was extremely averse to the matter.
"So Lin Sandie has already told you that people turn into monsters because they lose their bonds. Then you must have also considered that if you casually kill such a large number of monsters, it's true that more people will turn into monsters from losing their important bonds."
"Bonds have always been one-sided," Sui Xi sneered.
"True." Lou deeply understood this point. "Even if an important family member, friend, or lover is a terrible person, a monster, you'll still love them if you love them. And losing them will still be devastating."
"Are you here to persuade me today, too?" Having ordered the takeout, Sui Xi put down her phone and started looking through documents.
"No. I was wondering if you could take me to the next parliamentary meeting where the issue of killing or curing the monsters is discussed."
Sui Xi lowered her head slightly, her sharp gaze looking at Lou from behind her reading glasses. "Why?"
"Because it's easy to find you. Otherwise, I'd have to go to the trouble of getting close to some other councilor."
Sui Xi frowned slightly.
"Don't worry, I won't cause a scene at the parliament. I just want to listen to what you all are saying, to hear and see it for myself." And to attach a few lines to certain people she felt were worth investigating.
"If you don't tell me why, I won't consider it."
"I want to see the people from the Rose Society, and Zhao Jie."
"You want to make a move on them?"
"I said I just want to have a look."
"What's there to see?"
"…What I'm about to say is for informational purposes only. But if you use the information I'm about to give you to make trouble, I will kill people."
Hearing Lou's suddenly serious tone, Sui Xi once again stopped what she was doing and looked at her.
"Did you know that Zhao Jie once had a wife?"
"I did. It seems she died in a car accident with their younger daughter over twenty years ago."
"The wife died, but the younger daughter didn't. She got married and had a daughter."
"Is it you?!"
"It's Lin Sandie."
"Lin Sandie's mother does seem to have died in an accident…" Sui Xi's words immediately exposed the fact that she had investigated Lin Sandie.
"Zhao Jie probably killed her, but I don't know why."
Now it was Sui Xi's turn to be silent.
After a long while, she finally said, "Lin Sandie's younger brother mutated into a monster, killed his biological father and mother, then fled into Disorder Land and joined Madness Material. But he later disappeared in Star City."
"Lin Sandie killed him. She has probably already buried her brother's ashes next to her father and stepmother's grave."
"So you want to see this Zhao Jie? What does this have to do with you?"
"I'm very interested in the reason why he killed his wife and daughter."
"…You think this has something to do with Tree?"
"Eliminating Tree has always been my goal. I told you that a long time ago."
"Fine. The next meeting is in half a month. I'll take you. But Lin Sandie must hate Zhao Jie to the bone. If Zhao Jie really has a close relationship with Tree, why would she still advocate for curing Tree?"
"I don't know. I'm very curious about that myself."
"Hmm…" Just as Sui Xi was about to turn her attention back to her documents, she suddenly remembered something, and the corners of her mouth curled up. "I've heard some things about what happened between you and Lin Sandie in Disorder Land. I originally thought you were dead, but I didn't expect you to come back after half a year."
"I don't die that easily."
"So I wasn't too surprised to see you. But Lin Sandie had a big reaction. She was talking to me with that lukewarm expression, but then she suddenly stopped talking and just left." As she said this, Sui Xi's expression became somewhat playful.
"Yes, yes, Lin Sandie and I had a fight. Now she doesn't want to see me, so I can't get any information from her about the things I'm curious about."
"Serves you right."
"Come on! You say it serves me right based on hearsay. I have my own difficulties, okay?"
"No matter what difficulties you have, they're not as persuasive as Lin Sandie sitting in a wheelchair, looking frail and withered… But Lin Sandie has also become a monster now, yet she can still maintain such rationality and restraint in front of me. I don't trust her one hundred percent. Heh, how do I know if she isn't also a monster who kills indiscriminately in private?"
"She's not that kind of person!" Lou's brows furrowed. She stood up and started walking out. "I'm leaving."
"Not having lunch?"
"Eat it yourself." Lou left, extremely unhappy.
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