Chapter 361: The Weight of Truth (3k)
There are three and a half hours left before the Yela Army’s full invasion.
The truck was not moving fast and was stopped and started in the rather crowded streets, but because there were no soldiers blocking the way, Su Jiu quickly arrived at the inspection channel about one kilometer away from the Great Hospital.
The channel was about ten meters wide, set at a similar distance to the opening of the city gate. All injured civilians entering were to be inspected, and it seemed that a group of soldiers was blocking someone in front.
Su Jiu waited until she drove a bit further before realizing that the person confronting the soldiers was a tall woman wearing a shirt, her intellectual aura enhanced by silver-rimmed glasses. What caught Su Jiu’s attention the most was the reporter’s ID hanging around her neck, which seemed to be of the same type as Mr. Lin Yusheng’s.
The woman was Xu Wutong, who had secretly made her way here. She wanted to see the hospital’s situation, but the soldiers seemed to have orders to prohibit her from entering.
The soldiers also seemed to notice Su Jiu’s truck. They all turned their gazes towards it, and upon seeing the logo on the vehicle, the leader of the soldiers, the team leader, gave a moment’s thought before waving his hand, signaling them to proceed.
“You can go in! However, once inside, unless there are special circumstances, you cannot leave freely.”
Since the previous city guards had allowed Su Jiu and her companions to enter, they must have investigated the situation. Of course, the team leader had no idea that the city gate was still in chaos and had not yet had time to contact them here.
“Make way!”
Just as Su Jiu was about to close the door, Xu Wutong pushed past the obstructing soldiers, stepped forward, and patted the truck door, smiling and striking up a conversation, “Could you two give me a ride? It’s still some distance to the hospital.”
“Are you also from the People’s Daily, Yi Ling Yi Qi Si Wu Jiu Si Jiu Ba?”
As she got closer, Su Jiu could finally see the reporter’s ID on the woman’s person, and her expression was one of surprise. She hadn’t expected to meet a colleague of Mr. Lin Yusheng in this place.
“Yes…”
Being asked this way, Xu Wutong flinched slightly. Suddenly, as if she remembered something, she looked at Su Jiu’s white coat and a joyful expression appeared on her face. She asked, “Doctor, have you met our colleague from the People’s Daily?”
Before Su Jiu could answer, the Yela team leader came forward, looking at Xu Wutong with a grim expression. He said sternly, “Miss Wutong, the Colonel specifically ordered that you are not allowed to approach the International Hospital. We absolutely cannot let you advance even half a step. If those terrorists capture you and use you to threaten us, it will be very difficult for the Yela side.”
“The Colonel specifically ordered? Let him go to hell with his nonsense. My safety has nothing to do with him!”
Xu Wutong turned her head to look at the soldier, a hint of disdain appearing in her eyes. She directly pushed past the soldier and rolled into the passenger seat, not even seeing the petite Bairnis, almost crushing her.
The latter quickly moved out of the way with quick reflexes, her small bottom landing on Su Jiu’s lap. She hugged Su Jiu like a large doll, resting her small head on Su Jiu’s shoulder, looking very obedient.
Bairnis was like this; she wouldn’t throw tantrums and was content as long as she was by Su Jiu’s side.
Feeling the weight of the large “koala” on her, Su Jiu stroked Bairnis’s head and looked with a hint of helplessness at Xu Wutong, who was buckling her seatbelt. She said softly, “Miss Reporter, if you get into the car so suddenly, those soldiers will intercept us all together later.”
“Don’t worry, they just don’t want us to publish the news. But the signal in the city is completely blocked. It doesn’t matter if I go in or not. I’ll be thoroughly searched when I leave anyway.” Xu Wutong said, waving to the soldiers. Judging by her demeanor, she was clearly a formidable character.
Hearing her words, Su Jiu glanced at the soldiers. As expected, the soldiers, unable to stop her, didn’t pursue the matter further. Instead, they moved to the sides, opening a path and compromising.
“Xu Wutong, Wutong tree’s Wutong, editor at the People’s Daily. And you?”
Xu Wutong grinned and introduced herself.
“Su Jiu, member of the International Red Cross.”
After responding, Su Jiu said nothing more. Resting her chin on Bairnis’s shoulder, she started the big truck, and silence inexplicably spread between the three of them.
However, Su Jiu soon broke the silence first. Glancing at Xu Wutong’s expectant gaze, she looked at the approaching, massive hospital and suddenly said, “I have indeed met someone from the People’s Daily. He is a Dragon Country reporter named Lin Yusheng.”
“You met Yusheng?!” Hearing Su Jiu’s words, Xu Wutong’s eyes widened. She abruptly turned her body and stared intently at Su Jiu’s hands on the steering wheel, saying in a deep voice, “Where is he now?”
After another moment of silence, Su Jiu didn’t know how to tell Xu Wutong the truth. At this moment, as if sensing Su Jiu’s difficulty in speaking, Bairnis’s somewhat girlish voice, with a hint of pity, said, “That gentleman has sacrificed himself. What we saw… was just his reporter’s ID.”
No matter the era, those who bravely fulfill their duties are worthy of respect, regardless of nationality, status, or even strength.
“Impossible!” Upon hearing this answer, Xu Wutong’s heart trembled violently. She then murmured to herself, denying it instinctively, “Didn’t you come from the west, from Moon Sunken Sea? He should have been there too!”
Even though she knew in her heart that the other party might have already met a terrible fate, hearing the news brought a different kind of feeling.
They had already entered the vicinity of the hospital and parked the truck in an open space. Su Jiu shook her head and looked at Xu Wutong quite seriously, saying, “I’m sorry, but that’s the truth… We have entrusted his reporter’s ID to an international express delivery service to be sent back to the People’s Daily in the Dragon Country. The photograph he left in the reporter’s ID, we have also sent it to the People’s Daily.”
Immediately after, Su Jiu, holding Bairnis with one hand, turned around and said with a serious expression, “The photos he took at the risk of his life will not be in vain. The scene of the Yela Army attacking civilians in that photograph will be broadcast to every corner of the world, and the resistance to the Peace Proposal will certainly be reduced significantly.”
“This is the photo…”
Hearing this, Bairnis also took out her phone and handed it to Xu Wutong. Inside was a photo of the picture Su Jiu had asked her to take earlier. This was a backup photo in case of any unforeseen circumstances. Even Su Jiu’s own photos had been copied.
In such a chaotic place, Su Jiu certainly wouldn’t place all her hopes on a little girl. If the international post office inspected the items, then what she held would be the final evidence of Yela’s crime of attacking civilians.
“…It really is a photo of attacking civilians. He mentioned it to me before.” Looking at the sincerity on the little girl’s face, Xu Wutong took the phone and looked at the photo. Her breathing calmed down considerably. After a moment of silence, she chuckled self-deprecatingly.
“That year, we raised our hands and swore, ‘If silence can keep us alive, then it is time to speak out’… But who would have thought that this day would truly come? He spent all day taking photos at the risk of his life, and by the time he died, he wasn’t even a proofreader.”
“Heh, the price of truth…”
Xu Wutong’s glasses reflected light, making it impossible to discern the expression on her mixed-race face. However, from her self-mocking tone, it was evident that “Lin Yusheng’s” death had a profound impact on her. After a brief silence, Xu Wutong continued:
“This is the first time I’ve truly felt that the price of speaking out for the truth is so exorbitant, so much so that we can never see each other again.”
After the car came to a complete stop, Bairnis obediently opened the car door first. She reached into a storage bag and took out a wheelchair, then gently carried Su Jiu onto it.
Leaning against the passenger seat, Xu Wutong looked out the car window at the hospital. After a moment of silence, she suddenly laughed, a laugh that made Su Jiu unable to understand. “This truth… I suddenly feel that even if it’s expensive, it’s worth it.”
Listening quietly, Su Jiu, sitting in the wheelchair, followed Xu Wutong’s gaze towards the crowded hospital entrance. On the roadside lay many injured common people, and there were even many yellow body bags. Their faces showed sadness, numbness… all of them, but not a single smile could be seen.
Perhaps there was one, but it was a father who had lost his wife, forcing a smile while trying to amuse the infant in his arms.
Ling Meng 2 Long Bi Wu Ling 9 Shan Lu IX
“…”
Peeling a strawberry-flavored lollipop, Su Jiu wished the sour and sweet taste could soothe her agitated emotions. With a sigh, she suddenly thought of the various things in the Yela military base and suddenly smiled.
“The price of truth…”
Wasn’t she here precisely to prevent this place from becoming that graveyard? If it were only for honor, she could have just loafed around at the port. There would have been no need to take such risks.
The price Su Jiu had to pay might be missing the World Competition, or perhaps it was a thankless waste of time, or even more likely…
“Sister, can you give me a lollipop?”
While Su Jiu was lost in thought, a boy, about the same height as her in the wheelchair, walked over. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt soaked in dirty water and was covered in dirt. His dark eyes were filled with pleading.
Su Jiu was slightly taken aback, then let out a soft laugh. She took out a few candies from her ring and handed them over, saying, “Here, eat well. These are just snacks.”
“Thank you, sister… I knew people who wear doctor’s clothes are good people.”
After receiving the candy, the boy’s face broke into a bright smile. He waved to a nearby tree root and shouted. A little girl, also covered in dirt, ran over. He grinned and handed her the candy in his hand.
The little girl took the candy, her dark eyes surveying Su Jiu. She looked very lively, but the way she held her brother’s hand gave her a timid impression.
Seeing this scene, Su Jiu was slightly taken aback, and then immediately thought of the girl named Weir. She took out two bags of potato chips from her ring and handed them over, saying with a hint of amusement, “You give all the candy to your sister, what about you? This is for you, keep one bag for yourself.”
“It’s potato chips…”
After hesitating for a moment, the boy swallowed hard before accepting the potato chips. Snacks like these that could fill one’s stomach were almost a hot commodity in the refugee camp. After opening the potato chips and tasting two or three pieces, the boy looked around for a while before saying quite proudly, “I’m going to be a warrior of Aers in the future. Candies and other supplies are for the common people.”
“Then you must train hard…”
Hearing the boy’s words, Su Jiu and Bairnis couldn’t help but chuckle. Just as they were speaking, several figures hurried out from the hospital’s main entrance. The elder in the white coat at the forefront, supported by a nurse, walked towards the big truck and exclaimed excitedly:
“Little Rossana is back! My granddaughter is alive!”
