Chapter 247
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Chapter 247: Change of Plans
“So, can you confirm that Vine is dead?”
“It’s a disappearance, Councilman.”
“Is there a difference?”
“……”
Silence was also a response.
Councilman Bordeaux sat in a chair, his special status allowing him to maintain a degree of dignity during the interrogation, with the soft seat beneath him and freedom of movement for his hands and feet.
At this moment, his mind felt empty, leaving him unsure of how to handle the upcoming situation. He mechanically twirled a ring with unique patterns on his left thumb with his right hand.
His relationship with the superpowered individual Vine was not simply one of superior and subordinate; it had grown very close to that of a foster father and adopted son.
Vine had many strengths.
His parents had passed away early due to a factory accident, and after entering the orphanage, he awakened his abilities within a few years, avoiding much hardship. He had been discovered and taken away from the orphanage for specialized training by Bordeaux back then.
Vine had a gentle personality and was very level-headed in handling matters. His powers were strong, but he lacked aggression.
Considering all angles, such a character, capable and without any background, was an excellent choice for a successor.
Yes, though it had never been expressly stated, Bordeaux had already planned to designate the superpowered individual Vine as the next councilman with the code name “Bordeaux.”
Vine’s more gentle abilities would allow the old guard to be less firm in maintaining their boundaries. When the time came, as long as they reached some consensus within the inheritance faction and conceded some benefits to the old guard, Vine could be rightfully arranged as the next councilman.
Undoubtedly, this went against the unwritten rule of the council that successors could only be chosen from ordinary humans.
But Bordeaux believed that under the temptation of interests, he could secure a majority vote in the new proposal.
Once this became a norm, it would favor the inheritance faction in the grand scheme of the council. Perhaps in a more distant future, it could even lead the entire council back on the “right track.”
This was how Bordeaux viewed choosing Vine, and Nia, who invested more energy in Shi Jin, shared a similar thought.
However, now for Bordeaux, the plan had been completely thrown into disarray. After leaving this place, he would have to come up with a new approach.
Yet, at this moment, losing a promising younger relative seemed more worthy of his sadness than the defeat in internal conflicts.
Weakly returning to his prepared room in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Bordeaux lay back on the big bed, wishing never to get up again.
Similar events unfolded in other Interrogation Rooms and rooms; whether it was Councilman Bordeaux’s family or the family of the superpowered individual Bomb Man, everyone fell into deep sorrow after learning the truth.
Among all these people, only one did not show any clear emotional fluctuations upon learning the truth: Bomb Man’s sister, a girl of no more than ten years.
She clutched the hem of her clothing and detailed how her brother had rejected the suggestion of reading her a story when he came home for a visit, firmly believing that the person was definitely not her brother.
The case recorders documented this painful information while also emphasizing its importance.
From this perspective, the Dummies created by the unknown creatures outside Hope City seemed able to imitate ordinary humans but lacked certain emotions inherent to humanity.
While they could perfectly replicate normal work and abilities, their performance differed significantly when it came to emotional issues.
This discovery was immediately reported, prompting the command center to call families of the ten superpowered individuals from the Fresnel team and Ink Drench team for identification. Those without families would have to remain in custody for the time being.
Intensive examinations and identifications continued for several days, leading to the final day of October.
Since the return of the Ink Drench team and the Fresnel team was only a day apart, the command center naively believed that more superpowered individuals would return from the outside soon.
However, the reality did not unfold as they had hoped. Their optimism gradually sank with the passage of time, as they appeared to foresee the fates of the remaining four teams.
Finally, on the last day of October, the temporary command center disbanded, marking the end of the exploration phase of the second phase of the plan. All superpowered individuals who failed to return were officially listed as missing in the records.
The overall Exploration Plan transitioned into the research and harvest stage.
As for the ten superpowered individuals, since some of them still had families within the group, their identities could be cross-verified to a certain extent, and all suspicions of replacement were ultimately dismissed.
On this very day, Lin Qingliu arrived at the Ministry of Internal Affairs building, carrying a bag filled with tranquilizers and documents, to provide psychological counseling to these superpowered individuals.
As he pushed the door open, the first things that struck Lin Qingliu’s senses were the dense smoke and the pungent smell of cigarettes.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting beams of light that pierced through the swirling haze.
In the single lounge (cell), a woman who appeared to be nearly fifty sat with her legs crossed, a lit cigarette dangling between her fingers.
Lin Qingliu waved his hand in front of his nose a couple of times, silently reinforcing his respiratory system.
“Smoking is harmful to your health,”
Dr. Lin offered a gentle reminder.
“Exploring the outside is also harmful to your health,”
the woman replied, her gaze fixed on the unchanging scenery outside the window, her tone flat and emotionless.
“That’s true. Fortunately, I’m just a psychologist, so this isn’t really my area of concern,”
Lin Qingliu responded with a light-hearted tone, attempting to ease the tension, though the effect was minimal.
Yet, there was no trace of discouragement on his face. After all, talk therapy wasn’t exactly his forte as a somewhat half-hearted psychologist.
After a few exchanges, he activated his ability, delved into her memories, and planted subtle suggestions. The session concluded swiftly; for him, the patient’s attitude was of little consequence.
“You don’t seem angry at all?”
Ink Drench turned her head from the window to look at the psychologist, who appeared to be half her age.
“Ma’am, the number of mental illnesses in Hope City far exceeds your imagination,”
Lin Qingliu replied, shrugging his shoulders to indicate that he had seen it all. Indeed, it was true; at least the woman before him hadn’t yet descended into madness. Otherwise, why would all the utensils in his clinic be made of stainless steel?
“Today, I’m here to discuss your experiences with the exploration outside the city and perhaps address any lingering psychological barriers. Of course, if you’re not in the mood to talk, I’ll stay for half an hour before moving on to the next superpowered individual’s room.”
Ink Drench twirled a strand of hair that had fallen to her ear and, with a hint of curiosity, asked,
“Who’s next?”
“The superpowered individual ‘Mercury,’”
Lin Qingliu replied.
“Hmm, then you don’t need to go. Just share his time with me,”
Ink Drench said, her tone casual yet commanding.
