Chapter 159 - 159 141 Making a Choice

Words : 1300 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

159: Chapter 141: Making a Choice 159: Chapter 141: Making a Choice While Lu Ping’an was still happily playing, another small team from Special Service Team Three was diligently busy. The Lei siblings were always on duty, and even Meow showed an unusual diligence. “…Are we just going to wait like this, Meow? It’s been a long time since we’ve had a case.” The little cat on the copilot seat, due to being too idle, was feeling somewhat uneasy. Hearing this, her brother was first startled and then laughed in the next moment. “After all, this is the city center and it’s still daytime! Even if there is filth and crime, they lie within the buildings.” Looking at his sister, who had started to think, Lei Huoren had many thoughts. In just a few years, she had matured from a pampered child. Could she really think and worry about herself now? He couldn’t help but wonder how far she had come along this path. Although she received her brother’s explanation, Lei Shuiyun’s face was still full of hesitation. What she really wanted to ask was not these things. Lei Huoren smiled slightly, having already seen through everything, but he was not in a hurry. He just continued to drive in silence. After another ten minutes or so, Meow finally spoke hesitantly. “Is there really no way to save that city, the West Entrance…?” “No, there’s not enough time, and rescue would be too late.” Lei Huoren tried to maintain his calm, but inwardly, he was somewhat expectant. Perhaps his sister had already seen the things he wanted her to see. “Could our city also face such a catastrophe…?” Naturally, Meow, who had spent the whole day saving people, had even more thoughts. “It’s possible; no one can say for sure. Right now, we’re in the peak period of pollution-cases. If we’re unlucky, we might not have had cases since last month. Heh, it’s just a joke – don’t take it seriously.” What Lei Huoren said wasn’t a joke in the eyes of the few informed people. What kind of hellish joke is this? Meow, who had enjoyed some of Lu Ping’an’s usual treatment for a while, glared fiercely. “I’m serious, Meow!” Meow finally remembered her catchphrase. “So am I… What you really wanted to ask is not about these things, right?” Lei Huoren slowly turned the steering wheel but, from the rearview mirror, saw his sister’s troubled little face. “…I used to not understand, Meow. We only had to walk this dark path because there was no way to avoid the disaster. Why did those ‘ordinary’ students risk their lives to walk this path…?” On Meow’s usually cheerful face, there was some hesitation and even unease. She didn’t understand before, but after witnessing that crazy night, Meow began to figure it out. “The West Entrance had about 260,000 people, and there wouldn’t have been more than a thousand professionals among them. There were probably less than 40,000 survivors, more than half of whom were seriously injured. But at least over 700 professionals made it through.” “In that disaster, the survival rate for ordinary people was about 15%, with less than 7% remaining physically intact. The survival rate for professionals was at least 60%, and many of them managed to save their family members and major assets.” Lei Huoren ruthlessly shattered his sister’s slim hopes with cold, hard numbers to face the reality in front of Meow, who was full of confusion and unease. Meow’s eyes widened in disbelief at the cruelty of reality beneath these cold statistics. That meant that during that insane rainy night, most professionals had chosen to flee for their lives without hesitation when faced with the disaster. “…Over the years, the complete destruction of small towns and cities no longer makes headlines. Many parents have more detailed information sources, and when faced with the future, they choose a slightly more difficult path for their children rather than dying helplessly one day.” Lei Huoren had no intention of sugarcoating the truth; his sister was already an adult and an outstanding professional. He couldn’t protect her for the rest of her life. Meow hung her head in dejection, remembering Guan, who had been so kind to her. How desperate was he in those years to continue on, not even attempting to break free from his past? If she wasn’t mistaken, he had no plans to ever move on. At this point, seeing his sister’s troubled and lost expression, the unscrupulous older brother was satisfied and nodded. Someone had done a good job; he would remember this kindness. “I won’t say the cliché that with great power comes great responsibility, but the fact is, you have to have the ability first to have the right to choose.” After carefully considering his words, Lei Huoren spoke from his heart. “Those professionals who escaped at least took their important people and belongings with them. The survival rate of the civilians who managed to escape with them was the highest; without them, there would have been at least half as many survivors.” As if the reality wasn’t cold enough, Brother Lei continued to deliver the chilling truth. “But they…!” Meow’s simple moral values couldn’t accept this behavior, and she bared her teeth and scowled! “Don’t be foolish, my sister. Everyone has the right to survive, and their choice is their freedom, as long as they bear the consequences.” Lei Huoren’s words were cold and realistic; he had never held high expectations for “people.” Stopped by her brother, Meow’s anger subsided. Did she really have the right to point fingers at the survivors and say they should have saved more people and not escaped? Meow frowned, seemingly more distressed the more she thought about it. She became increasingly troubled and felt that she shouldn’t have asked the question. But at this moment, her unscrupulous older brother spoke again. “You all offered sacrificial flowers to the river before entering, didn’t you?” The older brother knocked on the steering wheel with his right hand, seemingly asking casually. “Mmm, those flowers were a bit expensive, Meow.” For such a recent event, Meow naturally wouldn’t forget. “Those were sacrificial flowers. Although most professionals ran away back then, when they were counted afterward, at least two hundred of them blocked the riverbank, buying at least an hour for the refugees…” Lei Huoren’s calm tone became somewhat emotional when he reached the end of his sentence. “…They could have left too, including several well-known strongmen. Now, the income from the sacrificial flowers and donations is given priority to their families, but, of course, it’s just a drop in the bucket. Honor, compensation, and such can’t compare to having a living person…” Lei Huoren merely stated the facts calmly. He didn’t want his personal thoughts to influence his sister, but he hoped… “…As I said before, people are doing their best, and the heavens are watching. Just take responsibility for your actions’ consequences. If this world is destined to fall into the abyss, what kind of person do you hope to be during the process?” He looked at his sister with expectant eyes, but he didn’t expect her to reply right away. “Little sister, I don’t intend to interfere with your choices; I just hope you make a decision soon. It would be too unsightly to die stupidly, drifting along in uncertainty.” After a pause, he turned his head and added, “If our parents were still alive, they would have expected the same. You were too young to remember back then, but they never interfered with my choices. Instead, they helped me to see the path ahead…”

Chapter 159 - 159 141 Making a Choice

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