Sky Tree’s high-speed elevator took Wuyue to the rooftop of the "Sky Tree."
"Holy Father," as Wuyue stepped out of the elevator, she immediately caught sight of Saint Father David. Just one glance made her quickly lower her head. The Holy Father remained unchanged, his visage still formidable as ever.
"It’s been several years, Xiao Wu." Saint Father David, tall and elegant, looked downwards from the high point, the wind whipping up clouds against the glass. The sun was obscured behind the clouds.
"Holy Father, I am here to invite you to the Alliance Friendly Meeting," Wuyue did not respond to the reference "Xiao Wu." She extended the invitation again, although Saintess Xianxian had already conveyed the Holy Father’s answer, Wuyue still hoped for Saint Father David to attend. What a scene it would be if Xia You saw the Holy Father.
"I have already declined, Xiao Wu, I do not like to waste too much time on the same matter." Saint Father David’s words were still gentle. Wuyue bit her lip, managing to say, "You have much patience for Ling."
"Is that so, Xiao Wu? Are you still holding a grudge because I agreed to Ling’s request to dissolve G8?" Saint Father David approached Wuyue, who, at a height of 1.78 meters, was taller than the average man. Yet, standing next to him, Wuyue felt dwarfed.
"Xiao Wu does not blame... I just hate that Ding Ling, unable to convince us all, resorted to lynch law and killed Liu Zi and Ni Si." Her voice turned hoarse, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably.
"Xiao Wu, do you know why out of so many, I chose Ling to be your guardian?" Saint Father David, comforting her like a child, stroked Wuyue’s head. She stiffened for a moment, not pulling away. To her, this man was like a father, who had given her everything.
"Because she understands you best. Let’s not talk about Ling anymore. Since you’re here, do you want to visit Little Eight?" Saint Father David, with his hands clasped behind him, pointed towards a door not far away.
The door was labeled "Sky Laboratory." Wuyue paused, ultimately turning her head away, "No."
After Wuyue left, Saint Father David entered the "Sky Laboratory." This laboratory was the most secretive place in Hua Country, with no more than five people ever having entered.
Once inside, one would realize that though the lab appeared the size of an elevator, it was actually quite spacious. Just inside was a corridor in a cloister style, with a few photos hanging. Each photo depicted members of G8, all around twelve or thirteen years old, ranging from individual to duo shots with Saint Father David, down to the last photo of Saint Father David with all members of G8.
Saint Father David walked into the second room at the end of the corridor, looking through the external glass at Little Eight inside. His expression was gentle, like a loving father looking at his daughter: "Little Eight, Xiao Wu came today, but she didn’t dare to come in to see you. She’s afraid to let you know that it was she who killed Ling."
Inside the humanoid oxygen nourishment chamber lay a girl of about sixteen or seventeen, with a sweet smile on her face, her body full of infusion tubes. This teenage girl was in a vegetative state.
Saint Father David’s words were unheard by the young girl. After the dissolution of G8, Little Eight had fallen into a permanent coma.
Saint Father David gently pushed open the door at the far end of the corridor. Compared to the simple setup outside, this room was more elaborately arranged.
Elaborate, not because the room was filled with complex machines or anything of the sort, but because it was covered in photos. Layer upon layer, it seemed as if millions of bats were resting on the walls.
The number of photos was staggering. The first photo was of a little girl, eight-year-old Ding Ling. The second, still Ding Ling, continuing further inside, still Ding Ling. All the photos were of Ding Ling, showing her smiling, her crying face, to her resolute departure. Everything was recorded here.
Saint Father David tore down one of the photos, briefly showing a change in his expression, "Ling, have you had enough fun? Your birthday is coming up, and it seems the children can’t wait any longer."
****
When Xia You returned home, she remembered something and casually asked her mother, Xia Yun, "Mom, has Simon come back recently?" Today, she saw the neighboring family moving out, and the neighbor lady while moving also admonished her child not to learn from the local thugs and to move away sooner. Neighborhood gossip was usual for Xia You, and as long as it didn’t hurt Xia Yun and Maggie, she didn’t bother much. Having one fewer nosy neighbor was a good thing.
"No, rather Maggie mentioned that Simon waited for her at the school gate after her final exams ended the other day, and even took her for ice cream. Seems Simon has cleaned up recently, looks like he found a proper job," Xiao Maiqi recounted neatly, which probably referred to Simon’s attire and hairstyle, now with black hair and wearing glasses.
Xia Yun was somewhat at ease regarding Simon. However, after the last incident, the police intervened and cleaned up the area, so the local thugs and hooligans disappeared, making life much quieter.
"That’s good." Xiao Maiqi was also attending elementary school now, and there were fewer issues at home recently. Xia Yun also seemed more relaxed, and with the improved local security, Xia You was less anxious about moving.
"Speaking of which, there was a package in the mailbox today addressed to you," Xia Yun mentioned, pulling out a package. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote and support it on Qidian (qidian.com), your support is my greatest motivation.)