Whispering Poems

Chapter 2513 If I were given a ray of light (end of this volume)

Chapter 2513 If I were given a ray of light (end of this volume)

"This cat has bright fur and a very docile personality. It doesn't look like a wild cat but a lost pet cat."

Xia De suddenly said, and then explained to the doctor who was looking at him in surprise:

"My most common commission is to find lost pet cats, so I am very familiar with this."

As he spoke, Xia De waved to the blue cat that was scared away by Mia but still looked back every few steps:

"Do you remember where you got lost?"

Then the doctor was even more surprised to find that the blue round-faced cat actually turned around and looked at Xia De, and then walked back to the sound of "Meow~Meow~" from Xiaomia who was picked up by Xia De again.

Later, Shade and the doctor took some effort to find the middle-aged woman who lost the cat in the south of Yanhe Street. However, she did not look very kind, or was worried that Shade and Dr. Schneider would ask for a bribe from her, so she picked up the cat she called "Little Harry", thanked them quietly and left quickly.

Xia De was very sure that he had found the right cat owner, and he didn't care much about the cat owner's attitude:

"Although her attitude wasn't very nice, at least she said thank you."

"Yeah, it's nice to be polite."

The doctor said, teasing Shade:

"Do you often do good deeds like this when you walk down the street?"

"Don't make me sound like a well-meaning person. I just have time now."

The two of them looked at the Yuewan Bridge, which was already within reach, and the doctor sighed again:

"I noticed this bridge when I first arrived here. It's a double-tower bridge. Even in Tobesk there's no such building. I think it will be magnificent when it's built."

"The river that flows through Tobysk is not as wide as the Taton River, so there is no need to build such a bridge."

"Detective, would you like to come up with me and take a look? Although there are workers, it should be no problem to cover it up with illusion."

Now that the fog has dissipated, the workers have returned to the unfinished Yuewan Bridge to continue construction.

Looking around, the huge bridge frame stands above the river, surrounded by scaffolding, like a metal forest.

The bridge has not yet been closed, and construction is going on on both sides. Between the dense scaffolding, there is only a safety rope to ensure the safety of the workers who are working hundreds of meters above the river.

A more romantic person would probably describe this scene with a sentence like "they are dancing between steel", but the doctor standing on the bridge and looking up asked:

"This is a huge project. It will become a new landmark in Yuewan and even appear on stamps and postcards. Detective, are these workers paid well?"

"It's not particularly high. It is said that some of these workers have been owed wages for several months. The foreman said that they would be paid after the work is completed to prevent them from quitting halfway. If it weren't for the heavy fog in Yuewan some time ago, we might have seen the strike scene now."

The two men stepped onto the bridge deck that was under construction. The bridge head had actually been completed, but because of the transportation of construction materials, there was a thick layer of dust on the ground.

As expected, no one paid any attention to the two of them, so they walked onto the elevator connecting the upper and lower bridge decks without paying any attention to anyone else. The doctor was amazed at this great project:

"But I heard from locals that Yuewan City Hall has invested a lot of money in this Yuewan Bridge."

The elevator rumbled and carried the two upwards. This steam-powered elevator was not as effective as the "mystical elevator" at Count Darmanin's residence and the mountaintop shrine.

"Doctor, this is not just a lot of money invested, it's a considerable amount of money invested."

Xia De corrected him, stretching out his palm and making a number:

"The bridge is not yet fully completed, and for various reasons, the figures speculated in the newspapers are not very accurate. But when the bridge is finally completed, the total cost will not be less than this figure."

The two spoke in Delarion, so Dr. Schneider knew that Shade was gesturing with gold pounds instead of Carsenrick's crowns:

"One million four hundred thousand pounds?"

The doctor was surprised, while Xia De looked at the distant scenery of Yuewan City becoming clearer during the ascent:

"You know I have special information channels, and this number should be relatively accurate. Of course, this is the total cost, which includes the part that was embezzled and misappropriated. In fact, the real cost should not be that much."

After saying this, he laughed again:

"Of course, for such a large project, corruption is one of the costs that everyone understands. After all, no one expects that no one will secretly take advantage of such a project."

"Tsk, 140 million pounds, I haven't even imagined this figure. Half of St. Teresa's Square would cost the same as the Tower Bridge."

The doctor was amazed:

"I've only heard that the local blood-sucking species are quite powerful, and it seems that other 'vampires' are also quite powerful. 140 million. But considering the role and significance of the Yuewan Bridge, this money is actually well spent."

After a clang, the elevator brought the two to the upper deck. Because the construction progress of the upper deck was slower, various engineering materials such as steel pipes, clips, ropes, hanging baskets, etc. were placed on the bridge. The dense scaffolding on both sides cast a spider web-like shadow on the bridge.

Even though this place is several hundred meters above the ground, it is not quiet. Not to mention the bustling streets on both sides of the Tatun River, even the noise of the workers at work is noisy enough.

But Shade and Dr. Schneider did not dislike such sounds. Compared with the whispers of those evil creatures or the whispers of unspeakable existence, the sounds at this time were so soothing to the body and mind.

The sun is shining, and the lives of the citizens are recovering from the catastrophe. Time will erase everything, and the peaceful days after the thrilling war are even more precious.

"I heard"

Xia De and the doctor walked around the worker who was squatting on the bridge deck tying steel parts. The latter was hunched over, and his clothes were covered with black oil stains. This oil used to maintain steel products has a strong smell.

"Yuewan City plans to use the completion of Yuewan Bridge in the second half of the year to celebrate Yuewan's recovery from this disaster. But that should happen this winter, and by then the city will be very different."

"Winter, another year has passed in the blink of an eye. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, but I feel like time is passing faster and faster lately."

The doctor smiled and said, Shade raised his foot and stepped over the rope on the bridge:

"You are now in the prime of life, but the priest is considered old."

Although the construction progress of the upper bridge deck is not as good as that of the lower deck, the extension distance of the upper bridge deck to the center of the river is almost the same as that of the lower deck. The two of them soon came to the end of the bridge deck, standing on this high place and looking at the city of wealth under the clear sky from a broad perspective.

Although the height here is not as high as the Big Ben in Belindale, it is high enough to overlook the Little Half Moon Bay. The weather is very good, and the summer breeze here makes people feel relaxed and happy. The temperature this summer is relatively low, and even the afternoon sun is not very scorching and dazzling.

They stood here and looked at the scenery together, and no one spoke immediately. Although the stranger had come to this bridge many times, this was the first time he just stood here and looked at the scenery.

Below the bridge is a turbulent river and passing cargo ships, and in front is a dense but different urban building complex, including three-story apartments, two-story shops facing the street, a grand bank at the street corner, or makeshift vendors blocking the alley entrance.

Citizens were moving through the streets like ants. The more conspicuous carriages turned into another road at the corner, and then stopped by the side of the street to avoid the private carriages with aristocratic family crests coming from the other side.

The warm wind blew on my cheeks. Although the outsider had been here for more than two months, he had never felt the vitality of this city so deeply.

Perhaps he had been walking too fast and too hasty before.

“The city of wealth.”

He heard the doctor beside him sighing like this, so he asked:

"Doctor, do you want to hear my story? I have done a lot of great things in the local area in recent months."

"Then tell me. I guess most of the things that happened in this city in the past two months are related to you."

Although the place where they were standing was the farthest point of the bridge deck, there were still two steel plates extending forward from here that did not touch each other and were not very wide.

Xia De and the doctor continued to move forward. For ordinary people, this kind of behavior like walking on a single-plank bridge at an altitude of 100 meters might only be done by circus acrobats, but for Xia De and the doctor, it was nothing.

There was a thick cable tied under the steel plate. The two men stopped at the end of the steel plate protruding from the bridge deck. The doctor held his hands in front of his chest and continued to look at the city, while Shad sat down directly with his feet hanging in the air, his eyes looking towards the dock area on the right.

"The story begins when I came to Yuewan to look for a relic. Then I met old friends I hadn't seen for a long time, and also made new friends."

He omitted some sensitive events and did not reveal any specific information about Mr. Albert and Mr. Bernhardt. It took him half an hour to briefly tell the story of the summer of 1854, which Mr. Bernhardt called the "Legend of Moon Bay."

The doctor stood at the edge of the plate and listened carefully until Shade finished speaking and sighed, then he made his own comment:

“So, real stories are sometimes more exciting than those chivalric novels. Detective, most people in this city don’t know you, but you did save most people in this city.

Dealing with the seven major families, mediating the conflicts between vampires and humans, tracking down dragons and madmen in the dark, and helping those in need. I think someone will always remember what you did."

Xia De touched the cat on his lap with one hand to prevent it from falling, and supported himself on the steel plate with the other hand. He smiled and shook his head in the sun:

"I didn't do this to be remembered, but it's finally over. If I hadn't been talking to you about this, I wouldn't have realized how busy I was this summer."

After a pause, he gazed at the city on the other side of the river:

"Doctor, what do you think is justice?"

Bill Schneider looked down at him:

"Look what you said, detective, aren't you justice?"

"I'm not asking you to compliment me, I'm really asking this question."

The doctor thought for a moment:

"Justice, this is a profound question. Detective, I cannot tell you the answer. Some people spend their entire lives searching for the answer, only to find in the end that the process of their search itself is the answer."

Although he did not come up with a unique idea like before, Xia De was not disappointed:

"Some are willing to sacrifice themselves, some to save others, some to seek revenge, and some simply cannot bear to see things go wrong. Justice, justice is pale and humble, justice is powerful but cruel."

"Don't you understand this very well?"

The doctor smiled and asked:

"And I've already given you the answer: the process of pursuing justice is justice itself. Look, detective, the story you just told is about a stranger bringing justice to this city, isn't it?"

"Doctor, I told you not to praise me."

Dr. Schneider turned his gaze away from Xia De and continued to look at the prosperous Moon Bay scenery on both sides of the river under the sun:

"I'm not praising you. Look at what's in front of you, detective. This scene is your justice."

The huge tower bridge surrounded by dense scaffolding was full of workers. Noisy sounds came from both sides of the river bank under the bridge. In the sunlight, the city was gray and warm yellow, like a lightly colored oil painting, or a fine brush painting with delicate brushstrokes.

The ant-like people injected endless vitality into the city. The wind blew up the newspapers with Margaret's photo printed on them. On the lampposts along the river bank, there were still wanted posters for cultists issued by the city hall on behalf of the church.

Mia lay lazily on Shad's legs, and the sunlight made the cat's fur glow golden.

The sun was shining brightly and the breeze was warm. The blue-eyed psychiatrist crossed his arms and looked into the distance, while the stranger stroked the cat on his lap and looked at the city he and his friends had saved.

The wind seemed to drag the shadows of the two people backwards, and the birds hovering overhead flew across the sky and into the distance. The broken bridge in the building blended perfectly with the riverside scenery of the bustling steam city, and the sparkling waves of the river underfoot and the tiles of the houses reflecting the sunlight complemented each other.

The warm wind carried the clouds slowly drifting under the blue sky, and the petals blown by the wind also floated past Shad's cheek and flew to the unknown distance.

The lively scene in the sun was so vivid that Shade felt he really understood what Mr. Bernhardt said when he said goodbye, and understood why he was so reluctant to see the summer of 1854 end.

The soft breeze brushed my cheeks, and I took a deep breath. The warm air made my whole body feel full and comfortable. A gentle smile sounded in my ears, as illusory as the rainbow light under the sun, and as real as the satisfaction that emerged at this moment:

[Sixth Era, Universal Calendar Year 1854, Flower Moon. The severe cold has dispelled the warm breeze of summer, and overly dazzling light is not always beneficial. The prophecy sent by the old gods from the old days destroyed the ancient city, and the hope obtained by the new gods from death has written a new ending. The gluttonous dragon dances in the sky, and the blood-thirsty beast hides in the shadows. When you and they draw the sword of justice and point it at the powerful enemy, when the golden thunder strikes, the eternal light shines, and the strangers who sacrifice to the ancient silver moon, transcend time and fate, civilization and years will record everything. May you run in the world with this light. ]

Xia De listened attentively. He felt that until this moment, all the adventure stories of Yuewan had finally turned the last page.

This scene in the sunshine is so beautiful. Although there are sacrifices and sadness, he thinks this is the best ending the story can have.

Dr. Schneider, who was standing by, certainly had no idea what Shade was thinking. He just suddenly stretched out his right hand and raised his palm upward, as if he wanted to use this hand to catch a ray of light:

"Detective, although I just said that everyone's justice is different, are you willing to listen to what I think is justice? Let me talk about this matter from a psychiatrist's perspective."

"of course."

He sat there and stroked Miss Gold's cat gently.

"Detective, my justice is to bring a ray of light to every patient whose heart is shrouded in shadows."

When it comes to his job, Dr. Schneider is quite serious:

"It's certainly insignificant compared to what you've done. But the two things are actually similar. We can't solve every problem in the world, and sometimes we can't even solve our own problems.

But even so, it is still valuable to let yourself become a ray of light to illuminate a dark soul and a dark life. "

"That sounds amazing."

Xia De praised, and the doctor waved his hand that "captured" the light forward, as if to encompass the entire Moon Bay:

"You can't save everyone, Detective, and you can't manipulate everyone into doing what you think they should do.

So, give them a ray of light or become that ray of light yourself, let them see the hope of life and the future, and then people will follow that ray of light themselves. It was like this before, and it is like this now.

I can enlighten those troubled hearts, and you can point out the direction of people's lives. In my opinion, justice is probably this kind of thing. Don't think too highly of yourself, but don't think you can't do anything. Look, you have become that ray of light. Now it is not only the sun that illuminates the Moon Bay, but also you and the gentleman who voluntarily sacrificed himself. "

"Doctor, you are always so eloquent."

Shade praised, and Dr. Schneider shook his head, but there was clearly a smile on his face.

"Justice. If, can you give me a ray of light?"

Xia De looked down at his right hand, and at the same time, the tiny streams of light gathered behind him to form a holy emblem in the shape of a golden dragon head. Because Xia De was sitting and the doctor was standing, Dr. Schneider only had to squint slightly to see the scene clearly.

But the "well-informed" doctor was not surprised, and did not even say anything. He tried blinking his eyes, and the glowing circular emblem really disappeared from behind Shade.

The doctor folded his hands across his chest, raised his head slightly, and continued to look at the scenery on the other side of the Taton River under the bridge:

"What a peaceful day. Detective, I don't know what the weather was like when you first came to Moon Bay, but a legendary and beautiful story like this should end on such an ordinary but sunny day."

Little Mia patted Shad's right hand with her paw, asking for more stroking.

Xia De had to give up looking at his hands, and continued to look at Yuewan while touching Xiaomia.

They are at the end of the construction bridge. From a higher point, they are just two black dots. But from a higher point, Yuewan City looks like a living thing full of vitality. The sun shines on the city, and thousands of sails are anchored in the harbor. Maybe the disaster will leave dark scars, but as long as the light is still there, hope is still there.

"Whether I have given others light for life and the future, at least, I am a light in Mia's 'cat life'."

The stranger was thinking proudly in his heart, which was rare. One person continued to stand and the other continued to sit at the end of the bridge. They would probably stay here for a while before leaving.

A flock of pigeons flew over their heads, but only a small shadow flashed by.

Under the blue sky, white pigeons flew over the pier, over the Moon Bay Bridge, over Herring Street, over Spider Alley, and finally landed in twos and threes on the edge of the dial on the terrace of Big Ben in Belindel.

Click~

The pointer moved to the next grid.

At the end of the bridge, someone seemed to hug Shade from behind, and her gentle voice could be heard in the wind:

[Outsider, you have gained new power. ]

(End of this volume)

(End of this chapter)