Chapter 66: A Long Farewell
"Forgive me for being blunt, this is a bit excessive." Hoshimi Rie clearly disagreed with Uesugi Kiyoshi's statement, "Killing the goose that lays the golden eggs is not wise, Mr. Uesugi. If they work to death, wouldn't it be a loss?"
"Then let Kazuko work a bit harder, and then pull them up again!" Uesugi Kiyoshi replied carelessly.
How could he be so short-sighted, Nakasone Kazuko's Resurrection Sword is enough to deal with this situation.
Hoshimi Rie opened her mouth, shook her head after a while, and turned the notebook to another page.
"Secondly, the railway inspection workers who lost their jobs due to the Twilight Golden Time Combination, have already been absorbed into the company as per your instructions—may I ask a question about this?"
"Of course you can, Miss Hoshimi," Uesugi Kiyoshi gestured to proceed.
"These people, as well as those affected by strange powers before, often can't meet the company's needs, and need to be retrained when recruited. Why do you insist on doing this?"
"Because I am a conscientious business owner."
"This joke is very funny," Hoshimi Rie said, clapping with a smile.
"...Of course, besides that, there are other reasons, such as needing a stable environment."
For the dignity of a man, Uesugi Kiyoshi had to say a few more words.
"It is entertaining to see strange beings enslaved, but if the cost is losing one's job, it may not be so appealing. If you insist on taking all the benefits for yourself, the result could very well be the people and strange beings uniting against me!"
"So, I need to share some of my benefits with the people and others, forming strong mutual benefit relationships, in order to go further."
"The current Uesugi Society is the largest company in Japan, and soon, Japan will become my company!"
Uesugi Kiyoshi gazed into the distance, envisioning the future, and only after a while, he came back to reality and smiled at Hoshimi Rie.
"Can I speak now?"
"Speak about what?"
"Tell me, you're so busy, it can't just be about Twilight Golden Time that you're here to find me."
"I really can't hide anything from you." Hoshimi Rie smiled, then her expression turned serious. "I'm here this time to seek help for my teacher, Hideo Ikeda."
..................
I think the scariest thing in the world for me is when Dad passed away.
I lost my mother when I was young, and I used to cry a lot because I dreamt of Dad's death.
I even dreamt that Dad turned into a toy.
At first, I played with him like a treasure every day, but eventually, I would put him in a drawer and forget about him. As time passed, the toy Dad slowly disappeared without a trace...
This feeling of unease lasted even as I grew up and didn't go away. Even after getting married, I would often wake up crying from dreaming about my dad passing away.
It wasn't until I encountered a ghost in the mansion of my husband, Tokura Makoto.
No, it wasn't a ghost, it was the lingering image of Tokura's great-grandmother.
As a prestigious family with a long history, the Tokura clan possessed unimaginable abilities.
When a clan member passed away, as long as the family gathered together, focused their minds, imagined the departed, and fervently wished, they could create a lingering image through telekinesis.
This was not about the dead coming back to life, nor was it about souls. The lingering image could be touched and communicated with, but it couldn't provide unexpected answers from the living.
The lingering image existed as a member of the family. The great-grandmother was like this, as were the great-grandfather, great-grandmother, aunt, uncle, and even my closest cousin.
As time passed, the lingering image would slowly blur and fade, gradually disappearing altogether, typically within about 20 years.
The Tokura family used the lingering images of their loved ones to mend their own emotional scars. This 20-year period was a time to slowly bid farewell to the deceased and to calm their emotions.
Knowing the secret and witnessing the creation of my grandfather's image, I asked Cheng Jun to make a statue for my father when he passes away.
Cheng Jun agreed readily, but this decision was not his alone to make. He asked his parents, but they firmly refused.
It was only natural, as my father was not a part of the Tokura family, making a statue for him would hold no meaning for the family.
It was my fault, I was too stubborn...
But I still couldn't imagine or accept the idea of my father leaving before me.
As time passed, the statues of my great-grandmother, great-aunt, and great-uncle had all disappeared, and even the forms of my great-grandparents had become as fleeting as clouds.
Cheng Jun and I have been married for eight years, but my parents still kept their distance from me.
I thought it was because I wasn't trying hard enough, so I served them and Cheng Jun even more diligently.
Yet, in doing so, I caught sight of him rendezvousing with another woman.
That's Miss Sen from Honest Ruler Company, their relationship is very special.
"What are your plans... anyway, I'm going to marry her in the future."
Faced with my question, Honest Ruler's response was unexpected.
"But Lizi... don't worry, I won't divorce you, since we're married, I have a responsibility to you."
I couldn't believe he could use such evasive words.
Unable to accept it, I demanded to talk directly with that woman, but he slapped me.
Feeling guilty after hitting me, Honest Ruler finally revealed the truth of the matter.
It turns out that ten years ago, when we were about to get married, the day before the engagement, I had a car accident.
I died on the spot.
The honest lord bowed down and begged every member of the Tokura clan, finally receiving their permission as a special case, before getting married.
My wooden nameplate had already been placed behind the family tombstone.
Therefore, I am also a remnant.
I will disappear in another ten years.
Thinking this way, the unbelievable actually felt more relaxing.
After bidding farewell to my faintly outlined younger cousin, walking back home, I thought of the honest lord again.
Confronted with his wife who had cried several times after dreaming of her father's death, what was truly going through the honest lord's mind?
Even just once, have I ever cried because of dreaming of the honest lord passing away?
In that case, it would actually be me who should apologize to him, right...?
In ten years, I will disappear...
Who will leave first, my father or me?
I think I will probably disappear first...
I hope so.
"Li Zi, what happened?" My dad asked in surprise when he saw me.
His hair has turned grey, his back is bent, no longer the middle-aged man in my memories who could lift me high.
The longing in his eyes remains.
"Dad, I'm back..."
