Longmen Memoirs

"You know very well that we will only consume our own strength on the tundra. We need to get out of the tundra."

Froststar shook her head. She admitted that what Tallulah said made sense, and it did make people feel moved. Although she was not sure, the uncertainty itself meant too many risks, and the gain might not be worth the loss.

"I can't decide such a thing."

"You are not willing to decide this kind of thing yet." Tallulah said, she could see Froststar's thoughts.

"If the price of leaving is death, my life will be of no use except to exchange for the lives of one or two Ursus soldiers." Froststar said, and she asked Tallulah:

“But what about the people around us?”

"Tallulah, you didn't bring your brothers and sisters with you. You don't understand this kind of emotion. I won't let them die."

Froststar said that she was not ready to lose anyone, nor did she want to lose anyone. Although she knew that one day would come sooner or later as they continued to wander this land, she hoped that the sooner the better.

Tallulah opened her mouth but didn't say anything. She could understand, but she was unwilling to accept this approach of sticking to one place and dying slowly.

"But I think that's right?" Shuangxing said suddenly.

"which one?"

"Tell the infected that they are not alone." Froststar replied: "In the snowfield, we spent too much time doing the same thing."

"Looking for friends."

"But going to the city to unite infected people?" Shuangxing asked, shaking his head slightly: "It seems that young people from big cities do prefer to fantasize."

Going to a big city, not to mention the time and risk, how can those infected be trusted, and how can we be sure that they will follow us instead of betraying us for the promise of Ursus.

Shuangxing didn't want to think that way. She wanted to say that every infected person was kind, but she also understood that before becoming infected, infected people were no different from those who hated them.

"I don't want to be laughed at by you yet, Froststar."

"I'm not laughing at you. You are very strong. You have taken them a long way, just like us." Froststar looked at Tallulah seriously: "But going south is an illusion. The guerrillas are growing. , but we are infected, we don’t have a few years left, and how many years does the union you mentioned take... how many years do we have to make up for the mistakes made in the process and bear the possible costs."

"That's why..."

Tallulah still wanted to explain.

But Frost Star suddenly raised his head.

"dad?"

A tall figure came from a distance. He sat down beside the two young men without saying a word. The swaying light of the bonfire reflected on the dark armor, reflecting no light.

Tallulah stood up subconsciously.

"Mr. Patriot?"

She was surprised by Patriot's presence, but even more surprised by how much Patriot heard.

When facing patriots, she always feels insignificant, as if she is a child facing adults. The child's ideas make adults feel naive, but the child feels dissatisfied and confused by it.

Just as Tallulah simulated the scene in her mind, the Patriot sat down and stared at the campfire.

Froststar waved his hand and motioned Tallulah to sit down.

"It's alright, keep talking."

Tallulah sat down slowly. She considered the measures, which were more rigorous and logical. Of course, she was still a little naive, but she had tried her best to imagine the best solution she could think of between the two dilemmas.

"Just because we don't have much time left, the south has abundant fields, suitable temperatures, four seasons, and fresh food."

Tallulah glanced at the figure of the patriot and slowly calmed down the thoughts in her mind. Just like when she faced the city-state meeting a few years ago, she became more and more calm and natural.

"Resources, education, prospects..."

She talked about many things that were not found on the frozen soil, and finally added slowly: "And the future."

"...the future?" Shuangxing asked doubtfully.

An unfamiliar statement.

"Froststar, I may already know what you are thinking," Tallulah said.

There was undisguised suspicion and sarcasm on Shuangxing's face.

"My thoughts are written on my face." Frost Star replied matter-of-factly: "I don't know what the future is."

I don’t know what the kind of future you are talking about is.

"There really isn't much time left for us, and there aren't many places we can set foot on." Tallulah explained: "Usas has a vast territory, but those uninhabited lands and frozen soil, going to those places is a risk to death. There’s no difference.”

"We need a lot of things. First of all, we need to survive and grow. If we cannot grow ourselves, we will have to wait to die. But the land that can truly provide survival has long been occupied by Ursus."

"But we infected people should have a future, a future that belongs to the infected people and to the people after us." Tallulah said: "Frost Star... we will find a home for those infected."

"A place where you can not be harassed by the infected pickets of the Ursus army, a place where you can not be surrounded by the Ursus army."

Froststar shook his head.

She does hope for this future as much, but she is also more practical.

"You know it very well. Tallulah, taking the infected with you will hinder the guerrillas' actions, but we will not give up on them. This will be a difficult road."

"But at least the hopes we created before we died can be left to others." Tallulah retorted, her eyes glancing at the Patriot slightly: "And, if we overthrow Ursus' current infection system, everything will change."

"We are weak." Shuangxing said calmly, and then asked:

"If you were not an infected person, would you shake my hand? Those Ursans who are not infected would not agree with infected people living with them. You have such a wonderful idea, Tallulah."

"Then let's start with a handshake."

Talulah held out her hand, and Froststar looked at her outstretched palm.

Froststar hesitated.

"...What you said may be..."

The patriot suddenly stood up. He never said a word and left without saying a word.

"Dad? Where are you going?"

"That's enough." The patriot's voice came out slowly, low but clear.

"Sir..." Tallulah failed to save him. She couldn't help but feel disappointed and didn't know where she went wrong.

Maybe she knew it in her heart, but she just didn't want to think about it that way.

"Alas." Shuangxing sighed softly and patted Tallulah on the shoulder: "Don't pay too much attention."

------

Alina listened quietly to Tallulah's words.

"He might just be thinking about it."

"Then he has been thinking about it for too long." Tallulah leaned on the edge of the wooden shed and looked at the village in the distance. She knew that Alina was comforting herself. She knew very well that Patriot had not considered it. He just simply disagreed. , not optimistic either.

Tallulah raised her finger and said: "In the past two years, all the conversations I had with him were only about team building and next arrangements. He never once asked me about my relevant plans."

She lowered her fingers.

"Tallulah, whether he is laughing at you or against you, ah, I don't think he is a person who would laugh at others, but you will keep waiting. Am I wrong?"

"Well, if we want to get out of the tundra, we cannot do without the strength of the guerrillas. I will persist."

"Because he is the hope of those infected by the tundra?"

Tallulah was a little surprised.

"I thought you wouldn't say that. If it were you... you wouldn't say that."

"I just want to know what you think."

"...I think it's because he is the symbol of unity for those infected on the tundra." Tallulah said: "This symbol cannot be passed on to the next generation."

Symbols can't work, but spirit can. Tallulah didn't think so because she was young and had too little experience. She had never experienced this kind of thing. It was not her fault.

Young people have the advantage of being young, they can still have some hope, but the old have already experienced this kind of hope, because they were also young, but they understand better what disappointment is.

Disappointment is irreversible, as is loss and death.

A group of idiots broke into this team. They don't know what to do. They go around beating people, robbing people, setting fires and committing violence. You try to stop them, but they don't listen to you because you can't control them and you don't know them. Where does it come from, just because they have the same title as you, they are all called infected.

They exacerbate conflicts, they shatter your assumptions.

And in the end, people will just point their nose in your nose and say, look, this is the leader of the riot, and you can't even defend yourself because they won't give you a chance to defend yourself.

The Patriot understands very well, he understands very well what methods Ursus will use to deal with these ignorant young people, and he also understands that Tallulah has never even thought about this herself.

They are standing on the threshold of life. They have not yet been able to take root. They want to take that step, but they have not considered clearly what is waiting in front of them.

ps: Same time node, different things.

I feel like I've adapted to this life.

I have adapted to being a member of the family and showing up wherever I am needed for the sake of the family's career and business.

It doesn't matter to me.

Everyone in Syracuse came here like this, but maybe I might be a little lucky and be born at a certain height that they hoped to reach.

I don't have any real feelings about these, nor can I say I'm disgusted with them, nor do I have any other thoughts.

...until the day my family was destroyed.

For me, it's just a matter of moving from one place to another, from one life to another. Maybe it's that simple.

--------

April 6

in the afternoon

Arriving in Taranto was one day later than expected.

The road conditions in the wilderness are not very good. There are almost no pedestrians outside the city except for a few gathering places and villages. In Syracuse, some families who cannot survive in the city will wreak havoc in the wilderness, so most of them choose to travel. The people either follow official caravans or private caravans with escorts, or they show off their extraordinary skills.

You have extraordinary skills. There is a wounded person and a disabled person in this car. It seems that you are not qualified to say that you are extraordinary.

"There was something wrong with those three people just now."

After walking out for more than ten minutes, Texas glanced behind the car and suddenly whispered.

"Oh? What's the problem?"

On the way to Valento, they encountered a broken down truck on the side of the road. The truck was parked on the side of the road, and a young Luper dressed as a porter stopped their car.

They claimed to be businessmen transporting alcohol from White City to Ratmativa. The car broke down on the road. None of them knew how to repair the car, so they hoped to take their car to the nearest place and contact someone at the car repair shop. trip.

Perhaps seeing Texas in the back seat and sensing something, the Luper boy's smile became obviously more forced after that.

Snake rejected them and volunteered that he could repair the car and help them take a look, but his car just lacked some camping supplies. If they didn't mind, they could share some with him after the car was repaired.

"Of course, you can buy it with money, but you have to give it a discount."

That's what he said at the time, so they were delayed for two hours on the road, half an hour spent repairing the car, and an hour and a half spent bargaining.

Texas could see the unbearable expressions of the three people in the caravan from the car window.

"Without a family escort, few businessmen dare to run alone outside the city of Syracuse." Texas said, she raised her hand and pushed aside the box of thanksgiving gifts that Snake had received from the truck. .

"But they do look like businessmen."

"A businessman, or maybe not just a businessman."

"Is this kind of thing common in Syracuse?" the snake asked.

"Those people and families who were kicked out of the car, they usually do this type of business." Texas said: "Small private caravans will pay deposits to those who talk to them, but there are also some. They are their own people, and they use this method to communicate with the city and ensure the necessities of life in the wilderness."

"Sounds like a forest hero or something." Snake nodded: "That means we are being targeted?"

"Maybe they didn't take action just now."

Texas didn't say for sure.

"They are not sure of our strength. People in the wilderness have failed once, so they have to be more cautious." Texas said, her voice remained cold, and there was no change even if she might be targeted.

"If it were you, what would you do if you encountered this kind of problem?" Snake suddenly asked.

"This has never happened to me."