049. "You're Right, But—"
"Look at your Law IV uniform, think about those pristine white gloves you and your colleagues wear, the guns and weapons you carry—are they really that clean? Is this what you call the Law IV that protects women?"
Li Aozzi retorted sarcastically:
"All four countries are garbage!"
"But if I have to choose among four filthy beasts, degenerate vampires, and parasites, then I can only choose the Red Arrow Empire!"
He was impassioned, like a hot-blooded youth:
"At least in the eyes of Emperor Kaiser II, his citizens are human. When the crown prince breaks the law, he is punished like a commoner. Unlike the aristocrats of Frost, who, despite enjoying official titles and privileges, still intentionally divide ordinary men and women under the guise of 'protecting women' to grab money and power!"
[Nomi Favorability: 219]
"Law IV is just too radical. Historically, men indeed committed many war crimes, and this was the legacy left by the Twin Queens..."
Li Aozzi's words made Yavanna's explanation seem pale. Judging by her expression, she probably didn't even believe her own words.
"Before becoming citizens of any country, we are human. Men and women alike grow up the same way, don't they?"
Li Aozzi leaned over the front seat, facing Yavanna with righteous indignation:
"Among Frost's bigwigs, how many aren't men? Aren't the bureaucrats around the female president all men?"
"Yes, you know, the gender discrimination in Frost isn't that severe; there are still male officials."
Yavanna hurriedly said:
"Li Aozzi, I sincerely hope you can turn back to the right path. I've seen the real face of the Empire; the bureaucratic struggles there are even more brutal and bloody. I don't know what happened to you to make you betray your homeland, but Frost isn't beyond saving. Many people still want to make the country better; we have many male officials..."
Li Aozzi struggled to keep a straight face.
If it weren't for his performance, he would've burst out laughing.
— Nonsense, I can play two versions in the Red Arrow Empire, but I can't stay a day in Frost.
"Those officials, whether men or women, don't care about women's rights at all. They use the rift between genders to maintain their rule. Is this the result Frost should have? If the Twin Queens were alive, they would be heartbroken to see this distorted era."
He looked as if he was ready to take up arms, passionately arguing, and finally, dejectedly, like a patriot abandoned by his country, he cursed:
"Damn, how did the country become like this?"
Yavanna was moved by his impassioned speech, lowering her head in silence.
Li Aozzi combined the information he gleaned from Qiu Ran's "good cop" routine, tailoring his words to hit every sore spot.
Yavanna's family background was evidently good, and she was indeed a fresh graduate forced into joining the disreputable Law IV agency due to some unmentionable reasons.
Her by-the-book actions and strict adherence to rules made her appear pretentious and hypocritical to her unruly colleagues.
Law IV agents were mostly reformed social misfits.
Among this group of idlers and female thugs, a well-bred young lady who didn't follow their ways would naturally be ostracized.
After spending some time in this environment, facing colleagues' sneers and a job filled with bloodshed and darkness, the inexperienced young lady was caught in internal and external conflicts.
Even if she didn't want to admit it or show it, deep down, her belief in the justice of her job and her faith in her country had already wavered.
Li Aozzi didn't say more, preferring to let her mentally exhaust herself over time, gradually correcting her thoughts.
The principle was similar to learning a foreign language—words that seemed impossible to remember became second nature after a month immersed in a foreign country. Staying for half a year, you'd communicate like a local.
The key was reinforcement and consistency.
Since Yavanna wasn't part of his team or faction and he couldn't see her favorability, Li Aozzi planned to first destroy her attachment to Frost and then establish his own image.
Yavanna quieted down, starting to self-reflect, while Nomi was pleased with Li Aozzi's performance, driving fast and steadily.
Li Aozzi reminded Nomi not to drive too fast, to avoid making Nimotin give up the chase. They occasionally stopped to eat, drink, and cast water magic.
Qiu Ran's simple and honest personality was perfect for the "good cop" role, naturally teaming up with Li Aozzi to occasionally preach to Yavanna.
Direct interrogation and torture would easily provoke resentment; seasoned operators knew to chat casually, gradually gaining information, making the target let down their guard, and then gently probing, causing them to doubt themselves.
Li Aozzi was in high spirits, even closing his eyes to genuinely rest.
...
Six hours later, Li Aozzi woke from a nightmare, drenched in cold sweat, leaning against the seat, taking over ten seconds to regain his composure.
"A baby... the baby died... what is this?"
Li Aozzi murmured, his gaze gradually regaining focus as the nightmare's grip loosened. He looked around to find Qiu Ran driving and Nomi sleeping in the back, her foot on Yavanna's shoulder, snoring softly.
Everything was fine, making the nightmare's content fade away like a receding tide.
Since his rebirth, he had slept well, but this unprovoked nightmare cast a shadow over his mood.
It felt like a bad omen... have I been thinking too much lately?
He shook his head, opened the interface, and checked his status.
Everything was normal.
As Li Aozzi was about to exit, his gaze fixed on the system functions.
"Player functions—unlocked!"
The player functions section, previously showing only a few lit icons like [Game Mall], [Faction], [Team], now had new icons unlocked.
[Star Abyss Official Website]
[Game Forum]
Simultaneously, he noticed the system's [Mailbox] had a 'NEW (3)' indicator, meaning three new messages had arrived.
The [Mailbox] was for receiving official and player messages; who would send mail to an NPC?
Suspicious, Li Aozzi opened the [Mailbox], and three messages immediately appeared:
"To our esteemed player: 'Star Abyss' beta testing is about to begin, with the first alpha test starting soon. Please be mindful of network fluctuations. Countdown: 23:43—Sent by Qiqiao Network, 2142/9/17."
"To our esteemed player: Welcome to 'Star Abyss.' Enjoy the freedom and joy to the fullest. You might even treat this as a real world—who knows, maybe it is real?—'Star Abyss' development team, sent on 2142/9/17."
The first two seemed normal, though slightly odd. Li Aozzi, an NPC, was treated as a player.
But the third message left Li Aozzi puzzled.
——————————————
To our dear customer:
Dear, did you enjoy your shopping experience?
Just kidding, once you use it, you'll love it.
So, would you like to continue purchasing my crafts?
Unfortunately, Trekie's Exhibition Hall is now closed.
The good news is, around this time next year, I'll be holding a rare treasures exhibition in the Gorsara star system.
In any case, you shouldn't refuse me.
If you missed Trekie's grand exhibition, don't forget to check out Glina's shop!
There's more interesting stuff here.
Making money, spending, shopping more, woohoo, really satisfying.
ZGM.0238/1/13
—Attachment: Friend Card 'Glina Water Whirlpool'
(Click here to link to the enterprise account: 'Mikhail's Little Den')
——————————————
"Glina Water Whirlpool?"
Li Aozzi was silent for a moment.
"Who is this?"