Zhou Lin

Perhaps because I have reached that age, I sometimes become sentimental in the dead of night.

I usually write a lot of fake and empty official copy, but occasionally I want to write something I really want to write; I want to separate the little talent I have from work and use it as a hobby... and my own emotions. expressed together.

However, I don’t have the perseverance to write a diary, so I wrote this essay.

In the end, you don’t have to show it to anyone, you just want to sort out your memories and see if those things that were once colorful and bright have faded.

When I get really old and confused one day, I can take it out and look through it to recall those old friends and past events.

So... where to start?

Otherwise, just follow the "juror number" from that year. If other people are involved, just pass it on.

Number one... is probably Yan Wushang.

Although the real Yan Wushang did not come to participate in our "trial" that year, he was still considered number one; I am still relatively clear about his affairs, after all, we have been in contact until recently.

The Vagabond once told me Yan Wushang’s ideal, which to put it simply is—prosperity, wealth, and early retirement.

It's a bit vulgar, but it's really beyond reproach.

Unfortunately, his ideal has not been realized at least until today; even though he is living a good life now and rarely goes out to run missions anymore, he and Drifter are still working secretly outside the official establishment of the empire. Serving our Emperor.

Both of them are smart people, and I think they both understand that the day they retire is still far away. Even if His Majesty the Emperor is gone one day, they must continue to serve this dynasty.

Number 2 is Lance, or...Gu San?

Let's call him Lance, that's the first name that pops into my head when I think of his face.

That year, he was the "judge" and I was the "sacrifice".

At that time, I, Li Xiaofan, had a dream, a dream that was not so realistic and self-interested.

I want to be a pair of eyes, a pair of ears, a mouthpiece... to show people in the world things that they can't see or hear, but should see and hear.

I want those who have given up thinking and introspection to regain the habit of reflection and the courage to question.

I will do whatever it takes to realize this ideal and carry out my justice, even if it is a despicable justice.

So, Lance and I hit it off right away...

I can’t say that I miss those days of doing “dark web trial shows,” but I have to admit that I enjoyed it, and I don’t regret it.

If I had known that Lance was also a time traveler, maybe there would have been more topics and common language between the two of us.

Even now, I still often think of Lance, some of the things he said, and whether he is a good person or a bad person... Are the "justices" he exercised just a joke, or are they in those moments? Behind the extreme measures, he still has a kind heart?

I can't tell...

There is really no need to think too clearly.

Then came No. 3 - Meng Zhenhan.

Our Imperial Master is very low-key. We meet once a year when His Majesty the Emperor is offering sacrifices to heaven, and we don’t have much contact at other times.

Speaking of which, Fang Xiangqi was also there, and Archie was number nine... The last time I saw him, he was already a teenager, but it was almost twenty years since I first saw him, and I don’t know. How does his lifespan compare to that of us humans?

Meng Zhenhan didn't age much either, which may have something to do with his Taoism, but every time he went out he wore a fake beard to pretend to be old, as if he felt he looked too young and lacked the majesty of a national master.

He is also a sensible person, focusing on cultural research and tourism. He has no intention of "accepting disciples" at all, and he has no tendency to "carry forward the Taoism". He only relies on "fate" to accept disciples, so His Majesty the Emperor has no intention of "accepting disciples". He was also reassured.

Fang Xiangqi came to the palace to report on the Imperial Master whenever he had the opportunity. His words were very unpleasant, such as "Did you know that this smelly Taoist priest had an affair with a goblin?" ", "This guy eats meat and drinks like Mr. Jigong", "How dare he and my fourth sister pretend to be my parents to attend my parent-teacher meeting" and so on. Every time he exposes the "shady story of Tianshi Temple" to His Majesty the Emperor, everyone This made Long Yan very happy, but every time he ended up with his eldest brother Chi Ou and second brother Tao Wu dragging him back forcibly.

Then there's number four, Jack.

I really don’t know anything about him, but he must still be alive, because every autumn, he will appear on the outskirts of Naples and place a rose on an unknown empty grave.

He is a respectable man and I hope he is well.

Then...No. 5, it's Agent Che.

He, Uncle Xue No. 7, and Doctor No. 10 all passed away before the empire was established.

I sorted out all their belongings.

Agent Che left almost nothing behind. I think this is related to his many years of undercover work. I am really scared when I think that such a man has been lurking next to me.

But "almost" means not at all... In addition to some ubiquitous daily necessities, I also found something out of place in Agent Che's room - a very old baby toy.

I thought it might be important, so I went to investigate later: It turned out that it was something he had taken with him when he was abducted as a child. Perhaps the traffickers were afraid that he would cry, so they left this toy to keep him quiet. And his adoptive parents didn't take it too seriously and didn't throw it away, so this thing has been kept like this.

Although Agent Cha is a person who does not show any emotion in front of others, I think deep down he must really want to see his biological parents who have passed away long ago; if there really is heaven in this world, I hope their family can be there. Let's get together.

Uncle Xue has more relics than Agent Che. After joining the Inverse Cross, he recovered a lot of things from his original home. In his house, there are basically photos of him and his family and some used items.

He is a person who wants to change the "past" but keeps repeating the "present". In some aspects, he is indeed similar to Agent Cha.

It's just that Agent Cha is more cold and realistic than him, but he has always been an idealist and a person unwilling to compromise.

I once talked with His Majesty the Emperor about Uncle Xue's death. His Majesty's exact words were: "I used my ordinaryness and humbleness to achieve the extraordinary and greatness of people like Uncle Xue."

I said: "But a great man died silently, and you became an emperor."

His Majesty smiled and said: "This world has always been like this, isn't it?"

I thought about it later and it seemed like it was.

Finally, the doctor's relics... were lost in the ocean. Various inventions, design drawings, formulas, research materials... I couldn't sort them out by myself. Fortunately, I had a "pharmacist" to help me.

Shortly after being captured by Yan Wushang and Man Di, the pharmacist's body was "scrapped" and he was left with only one brain, which was soaked in a tank full of potions; the Drifter modified his cognition so that He feels that he is a "restricted AI creature" whose mission is to assist humanity and serve the Empire.

Even so, the pharmacist has had the idea of ​​​​escape and resistance several times over the years, but in the end he has never caused any big waves.

It was also with his help that many of the doctor's works were continued.

In fact, I have been dealing with Dr. for a long time. Although he is unpleasant to talk to and difficult to get along with, as long as you get to know him a little, you will find that he is much better than a pharmacist. It’s just that he is like this. Even if a straight-forward person is still alive, he may not be able to find a place in the "Empire".

The writing is a bit messy. It should be the 6th next...

Yi Rumeng, she was in a similar situation to Yan Wushang. She did not come during the "trial", but Anshui came in her appearance.

The intelligence agency has investigated her. She and her sister have basically been living in Europe since the establishment of the empire. They have moved several times and often travel, but they never go very far.

The two sisters have always been unmarried and have nothing to do with black and white. After all, Yingwei's savings are enough for them to live a carefree life for several lifetimes. It seems that they are living a good life.

And then... No. 7, Uncle Xue, Dr. No. 10 mentioned it just now, and No. 9, Fang Xiangqi also mentioned it...

So let’s talk about No. 8, who is also our Emperor.

In the six months before and after Zi Lin ascended the throne, many things he did made me feel horrified.

During that period, I helped him write a lot of outrageous copywriting to control public opinion and cover up the truth. The reason I persisted is simply that I think he is right.

If you ask me if I have ever been shaken, I have definitely been shaken, but the words I brought to Lanstowe supported me to continue to believe in this emperor.

Lance said to me at that time: "Tell Zilin, if he fails to die in Jack's hands in the end, please live well, and ask him to work harder to treat this hopeless world."

Many things cannot be seen clearly until later...For example, about Lance, I was confused at the time, but he seemed to have already calculated very far.

Now I can say that time has proven that I was right to persevere.

A lot of things that made me uncomfortable did happen in the first five years of the establishment of the empire, but in the second five years, the results of those things were already apparent, and I began to gradually see clearly what people often call the "big picture." I also gradually understood Zi Lin’s thinking mode.

He said that he has always known his death date. When one day I feel that the world not only does not need him, but even his existence will become very annoying, then his life span will almost come to an end.

This statement made me feel very contradictory. On the one hand, I also looked forward to the arrival of the "complete prosperity" he designed, but on the other hand, I was also worried that he would really die when that day comes.

But for now, it seems that day has not arrived yet, and Zi Lin seems to be having a very happy time...

One day more than ten years ago, Zi Lin suddenly said that he wanted to make a queen, and then disappeared for half a month. When he came back, he came back with Lilia.

I didn't know what happened between them, and I didn't ask.

Anyway, Lilia knew the date of Zi Lin's death, and she should have her own thoughts and realizations.

After they got married, they brought about two main changes in the palace. One is that His Majesty the Emperor looks like he is in a good mood every day. The other is that "hard-core feminism" quickly became popular in the palace, followed closely by The entire royal capital, the entire empire... Now my wife is also a member.

Yes, it’s time to talk about me too.

I'm number 11

After the establishment of the empire, I was the Minister of Propaganda, and also had the responsibilities of the "Minister of Foreign Affairs". The latter position actually had no practical duties, it was just in case... in case we wanted to contact extraterrestrial civilizations one day. Well, it’s not appropriate to go to someone from the military like the Minister of Defense.

But the work of the Propaganda Minister was very busy, especially in the years after the collapse of the Federation. I almost split my job into two jobs at a minute.

It was during that time that my now wife was sent to assist me. She is Sophie Claremont, a former federal colonel and one of the four deputy wardens of the "Nine Prisons".

Everyone thinks that it is extremely enviable to work with a peerless beauty like "Aphrodite", but in fact it is not...

The main reason why Zilin sent her to me is: I am one of the very few people in the world who is immune to her "ability to make people fall in love with me".

In addition, when the royal power was first established at that time, former ministers like my wife, who had surrendered very early and had made some achievements, were given a lower official position. I complained; so I was assigned a deputy position next to me, the Minister of Propaganda. Although the rank was quite high, he actually served me as a secretary, so no one would say anything else.

However, I am miserable.

At that time, my wife was very clear about her role as a "free person", so she really just hung out all day long.

To me, it means "the secretary won't do anything if there's something wrong, and the secretary won't do anything to me if there's nothing wrong."

I still have people criticizing me behind my back, saying that I got an advantage and still behaved well. Isn’t this unlucky?

I don’t know if it was out of sympathy, but after observing me for a month, she finally started to help me share some of the work.

Later, our relationship became very bad. We met every day, worked from morning to night, and quarreled almost every day about work. This rhythm lasted for about half a year.

After half a year, I have become a little more leisurely. I have more rest time and we meet less.

We still quarreled after seeing her, but missed her a little bit when we didn't see her.

One day she suddenly asked me if I liked her. I admitted it in a moment of confusion, and she suggested that we get married.

I asked her, she could choose any man in the world, so why did she fall in love with me? She said that submission and admiration were too easy for her to get, and she could get real surprises and touches from someone like me who would reject her.

I was very moved when I heard this at the time, but a few years after we got married, she once told me when she was drunk and having fun there that her sweet words back then were all casual and she was just greedy for me. body...

For the sake of the two children, I just pretended not to hear...

All joking aside, she is a good wife who values ​​her family very much, so after having children, she returned to the work status of "taking a false title and earning an empty salary". Of course, the Propaganda Department belongs to our family anyway, and it's hard for outsiders to tell. What.

My two daughters are both very polite and well-educated. Maybe because my wife used to be in charge of prisoners, she has a good way of teaching others... I have mixed emotions when I think about this.

Let's change our mood and talk about the remaining two "jurors".

Solid on the 12th and Sakaki on the 13th, I met them once a few years ago.

Sakaki now runs a high-end restaurant in Paris. He is the chef and only responsible for cooking; Masako is the proprietress, responsible for purchasing goods and various management of the store; Solid is the lobby manager, responsible for personnel and services.

Their restaurant is only open three days a week, only a few hours a day, and only receives a small number of customers; the price of dining there is extremely expensive, so expensive that it makes you feel like you are looking for a bartender in a shady restaurant that specializes in ripping off customers. A night of drinking may not be a bad deal, but their business and reputation are quite good... Reservations have to be made about half a year in advance, and many food critics who wanted to come to find fault ended up becoming fans of their store. .

I took my family on a trip to Paris a few years ago and happened to pass by their store. Solid recognized them, so they went in for a meal without a reservation and gave us a free meal.

Chima Sakaki and Masako also came out and chatted with us for a while. They both seemed pretty good.

Before leaving, I really couldn't bear it, so I vaguely mentioned to Solid that "people who stay with Sakaki for too long will encounter misfortune sooner or later." Unexpectedly, Solid said that they had known about it for a long time, and said that he This problem has been solved... Thinking of his ability, I roughly guessed the method, but I didn't delve into it further.

At this point, the current situation of the "jurors" comes to an end. Let's talk about those who are not among them.

Former federal prosecutor Raymond Fox has served as attorney general since the founding of the empire, and his old friend Inspector Berry has also been promoted to commissioner of police.

The three former federal guards have always served as His Majesty's royal guards. Although their treatment is not as good as before, it is not much different.

My wife's former colleague Carl von Baile, the "Hive Demon" of the Nine Hells, stayed as the "Left General" of the Empire until his retirement. He was also one of His Majesty the Emperor's most respected and trusted generals. .

There has been no news from Lord Krause, Hunter, Darkwater and Nini since they went to the universe. I think it is unlikely that they will have anything to do with me again in the future.

I have no news about Teacher Shi and Xian Xiaoxiao. Your Majesty told me that the best news is that there is no news about these two people.

The tool man that Lance was looking for in Black Hawk County, Hull Schneider, has now reached the position of N, the "King of Agents" back then. This is indeed a bit beyond my expectation.

And the former federal undercover agent who played a key role in the "Last Dinner of the Federation" - "Flying Spoon" Mahomes Prato was assassinated three years after the establishment of the empire. Ironically, killing him But it was not the remnants of the Federation, but the old members of the Iron-Blooded Alliance.

There were rumors that people from the Killer Alliance were assisting behind this assassination, but Chonggong Lianren, who had unified the entire underground world at that time, said that there was no such thing; the truth was never revealed... After all, most of those who work undercover do not end well, because their interpersonal relationships are either false or blocked, so few people will investigate them even if they are killed.

Speaking of the "underworld", after the establishment of the empire, Miss Mandy transformed from the notorious "Mandala" on the road to a socialite and starred in movies. She is still active on the screen today. , and there are scandals every year with young men who are old enough to be her sons, but she herself has never admitted it.

As for Colonel Ross, Brother Man, and Ge Ning, they were released after being briefly detained and returned to EAS; this organization is also the only organization that has not been affected by any dynasty change in terms of organization and personnel. As promised, His Majesty did not touch them. They were more like a group of bystanders and a group of insignificant supporting characters in this changing era.

Other former federal agencies such as FCPS, PUT-OID, Supervisors, EF, etc., although they were consciously isolated when Christo City was massacred, most of them were also purged afterwards.

Chief Carmen Moreno, who had been entangled with Lance, also disappeared a few months after Lance left. I don't know her whereabouts.

Finally, there are three members of the Anti-Cross who are more senior than our jury - Kaijiu, K and Zhang San. These three also disappeared without any news after the night when Jack tried to assassinate His Majesty.

I know about Zhang San. He is Ji Jue’s son. I think he may have found his place in Boss Tian’s layout for the next era, but I really don’t know Kaijiu and K from the beginning to the end. their business.

Later I asked Your Majesty, where did they come from?

Your Majesty just told me that Kaijiu, or "CC99", is actually the abbreviation of Cesare Clone 99. He is the clone of Cesare Balmond, the leader of the resistance organization "Iron Commandment" more than a hundred years ago. This The number means that 98 clones have failed before him.

The "Gun Ghost", K. R. Schwartz, is a person who returned from the "underworld" like Mr. Krauser. He comes from a more distant era that we don't know.

To put it bluntly, these two people were both members of Boss Tian, ​​and had never been members of Zi Lin. Zi Lin would never do anything to them.

Okay, I’ve almost finished writing it here. If there’s anything I’ve missed or can’t remember...then I can’t remember it now, and probably won’t be able to remember it in the future.

Alas, when people reach this age, sometimes they will become sentimental in the dead of night.

Things that were once colorful and bright will eventually fade away.

The reverse cross of the past belongs to the reverse cross of my era... Yan Wushang, Lance, Meng Zhenhan, Jack Anderson, Che Wuchen, Yi Rumeng, Uncle Xue, Zi Lin, Fang Xiangqi, Dr. Franklin, Suo Lid Wilson, Sakaki Wuhuan, and me... Li Xiaofan.

It's just like what the song says - they are all old, where are they? In this way, we go to the end of the world.

(Full text ends)