Why it never ends

Chapter 54 Chiba's Intuition

"Do you see?" Chiba pushed the remaining files to Valenti, but Valenti quickly pushed them back.

"I'm not the counselor who's in charge of Liz," Valenti replied. "If she finds out that I know something she shouldn't know, she will feel that I have pryed into her secrets, and I will easily lose her trust. .”

Qianye looked up at Valenti with some emotion, and there was a little more warmth in his eyes.

Valenti frowned: "Look at me...what are you doing?"

"Just to sigh," Qianye simply sat down, "with people like you, the world should still be saved, right?"

This compliment was caught off guard, and Valenti burst into laughter. She folded her arms around her knees and said softly, "People like me who have been nesting in habitable grounds really can't help anything when they encounter chelates... …there needs to be more people like you.”

Chiba laughed self-deprecatingly, apparently having a worse prediction about the consequences of this assumption.

Valenti's expression was a little puzzled for a moment. She didn't understand Chiba's smile, but the other party had already entered the working state of reading materials, so Valenti temporarily stopped talking and didn't bother.

The entire underground archive was silent, only the sound of Chiba flipping the pages for a moment.

Valenti was stunned for a while, and after an unknown period of time, she began to close the paper case of the file, "Mazaki, is there a separate introduction about Askia?"

"No. If you want to see Askia's introduction, why don't you just search it online? It's just a wasteland, no different from other wastelands."

"Really?" Valenti was a little surprised, she pulled her long hair by her ears, and murmured thoughtfully, "I always feel that Askia should be a person with a special sense of justice and a golden age. A warm place."

Chiba raised her eyebrows slightly, "If it's really that good, why do the residents of Askia have their heads sharpened to apply for moving into a livable place? Where did you hear that?"

"Liz's there." Valenti propped her cheek, "I felt the same way when I was with Liz."

"People always have a filter for their hometown, let alone a hometown that has disappeared forever." Qianye briefly put down the document in his hand, "The crime rate and per capita food possession of the entire Askia, you know? How much?"

"……How many?"

“As of 4619—that is, the end of the year before the tragedy, Askia had a total of 1 residents, and a total of 448 illegal and criminal acts occurred throughout the year, with a per capita crime rate of 277%.

"Let's talk about food. The current consensus line for food security is that the annual per capita food possession is 390kg. This number, the livable area of ​​the third district has been maintained at around 900kg in recent years. As for Askia, 4619 happened to be their In a good year, what was the annual per capita food supply in that year—177kg.”

Valenti stared straight, "So... little?"

Chiba propped her cheek with one hand, her eyes lowered slightly, "Do you still think it's 'Yu Wen'?"

Valenti was speechless.

"The death rate in the wasteland has always been high, and no one cares about it in the livable land." Chiba flipped the page clatteringly, "But Liz didn't lie either. Because Askia has five districts in the southeast, northwest, and middle areas. The crime rate and food production just mentioned are all data after digging into the East City—and the prosperity of Askia is, after all, the prosperity of the East City, where Liz was born."

"...What is the situation in Dongcheng?"

"I don't know. Their data has never been released to the public. It is estimated that once it is released, the third district will suspend the economic assistance to Askia." Chiba replied, "The administrative agencies of the entire Askia Wasteland are gathered in Dongcheng, so the police force is also concentrated there, and the title of "little livable place" is not in vain... To be born there, Liz has won the uterus lottery."

Valenti was just about to say something more on this topic, but Qianye, who was holding the material, suddenly frowned and fell silent, and her expression became serious—presumably there were some details in the material that caught her attention.

"...Did Liz change jobs in the second half of the year?" Chiba asked.

"Well, I heard that her combat ability is very good, so after changing jobs, she will go to the core city for an internship for a period of time, and then decide where to station." Valenti said, "What's wrong?"

"I don't think...she is suitable for combat." Qianye said suddenly.

Valenti was a little surprised, "... I seldom hear you give such advice, can you tell me the reason?"

"No, this is just my personal suggestion. She should be able to play a greater role in non-combat positions. You can persuade her. She will listen if she listens. If she doesn't listen, she will be dragged down—"

"Don't, what's the matter with half-talking, even if I try to persuade you, I can't just leave a sentence and say 'Hey, don't go to the combat post'...Why on earth, you even briefly talk about it? "

Chiba tried to pull her hand away from Valenti, but Valenti's hand was like an octopus, and she just clung to it.

Chiba sighed.

"Let's put it this way..." Chiba thought about it and said, "She is a person who is naturally suitable for working in the rear. She has compassion, ideas, kindness, enthusiasm, a little idealism, and contagion... Isn't this what we are? Do you want the image of mercury needle most?
"More importantly, the east city of Askia is similar to a livable place. She knows how to deal with the civilized world, which is a very rare ability." Qianye said seriously, "You let a lot of mercury needles learn this kind of thing. They won't be able to learn it all their lives, but Liz will be born, this is the first point."

"Yeah." Valenti nodded in agreement.

Qianye said softly, "The second point is my wild guess. Liz may face higher risks than others if she really wants to fight against chelates—moral risks. This point is fatal. We There is a shortage of people, but there is no need to plant orchids in sand-proof forests."

Valenti still wanted to ask, but Chiba had already started taking notes on the new information.

The two spent almost two hours in the underground archives.

Before leaving, Valenti looked at Chiba, "What do you mean by the 'moral risk' you mentioned earlier? Is she more likely to suffer from PTSD and other trauma? Or will she not be able to adapt to the cruel combat environment, and she will attack the enemy? Can't do it?"

"Neither." Qianye denied it categorically, but she was silent for a while, then shook her head, "I can't tell...it's just a hunch."

"Then would you like to make an appointment to chat with Liz? Talk to her directly about what you just said—"

"Stop." Chiba crossed her arms in front of her chest, "A troublesome person like this... I just need to know you."

Valenti can only sigh—on these matters, she has never been able to force Qianye, and no one can force Qianye, and no one can pry her mouth open when Qianye doesn't want to say.

Valenti clasped her hands behind her back and looked sideways at Chiba, "Then do you have an answer now?"

"what is the answer?"

"Answers to 'How Liz Ditched Jane'? Isn't that what you're here for?"

"Ha, probably... yes." Qianye clasped his hands together, stretched his waist above his head, "It's not bad, it's not too bad."

Valenti laughed again, "Liz is really contagious among them, not only to Jane, but also to Turan and Rico. I think it's a heart-to-heart exchange... the friendship between girls, Isn't that what it is all about?"

(End of this chapter)