Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven

When approaching the fiftieth floor, Janss was already a little unconscious from exhaustion, and her mind went blank.The letter of consent from Peter Berning in the backpack seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.Manes followed her a few steps, muttering and cursing Bernard, and then tried to quicken his pace, trying to keep up with Janss.At this time, Janss finally realized that she was in trouble and had no way out.The muscles of her thighs and calves were already sore and weak, and because she knew in her heart that the decision to take this trip was a big mistake, even a fatal mistake, so her psychological despair made her weaker.The girl's father had warned her that his daughter would refuse the appointment.In addition, the person in charge of the information area has another candidate he prefers, which also puts pressure on her.Now, with every step down, the fear in her heart deepened.However, despite the shadow of fear, she became more and more certain that Juliet was the one they needed.They must find a way to persuade the girl to leave the mechanical and electrical area and accept the appointment.In doing so, at least it can give Bernard a little color, or at least it won't make this arduous task completely in vain.

Janss has been the chief for a long time, even she is already so old, everyone still chooses her as the chief, why on earth?Partly because she was efficient and managed the bunker well, and partly because she was able to prevent disasters from happening.The main reason, though, is that she rarely sparks controversy.However, she suddenly felt that the time had come, and she had to confront others head-on.Now, she was old enough to have no worries.She turned to look at Manais, knowing that he was in the same situation as hers.Their days were numbered, and now, if they could make one major decision and make the biggest contribution to the bunker, it would be to allow the fruits of their hard work to continue.Prevent riots and abuse of power.This is why she was able to be elected with an overwhelming number of votes in the subsequent general elections.But now, she felt that her time had come to an end, and a younger generation was ready to replace her.She appointed so many judges, how many of them were recommended by Bernard?Now, he still wants to manipulate the selection of the security officer?Bernard will probably become the chief in a short time, right?Or even more terrifying, he will hide behind the scenes and manipulate his puppets to control the entire bunker.

"Calm down, okay?" Manais was a little unhappy. Only then did Janss realize that she was walking too fast, so she immediately slowed down. "Are you overwhelmed by that bastard, too emotional?" he said. "I think you are similar." She immediately retorted. "You're almost over the top. The hydroponic zone is almost here." Janss turned to look at the numbers on the platform and found that he was right.How could she not notice the scent?At this moment, the door on the lower platform suddenly opened, and a courier came out with several bags of fruit on his shoulders, and a sweet and juicy aroma of fruits and vegetables immediately wafted through his nostrils.

It was past dinner time, and the smell was too tempting.The courier seemed to be carrying too much, but nonetheless, when he noticed that they were about to enter the door, he put a leg against the door and held the heavy bag on his shoulder with both hands. "Hi, chief." He greeted, bowed and nodded, and then nodded to Manais. Jans thanked him.She recognized most of the couriers because they ran all over the bunker and would often meet her.However, they always come and go, so she never has time to ask their names, and keep it in mind.Usually, as long as she meets once, she has a way to remember that person's name.This is her specialty.Then, she and Manais walked into the hydroponic area. At this moment, she suddenly became a little curious. Do these delivery people have a way to go home every night to accompany their families?Or, do they have any family at all?Will they all be single like priests?She's come of age and has become very curious about young lives, so she's eager to learn more about them.Perhaps she should have stood on the landing of the stairwell all day, admiring the way they moved, watching them closely.In her mind, these couriers are like the air she breathes, ubiquitous, always supplying what she needs, so indispensable, but also because they are always ubiquitous, it can be taken for granted.And now, walking all the way down the stairs, she finally understood what it meant to be exhausted, and finally realized how amazing they were.That feeling is like taking a breath of pure oxygen suddenly, and finally realizing the beauty of the air.

"Look at those oranges, do you smell the scent?" Manes' voice woke her up, and Janss came back to her senses.There was a gate in the low fence outside the orchard, and as they entered he raised his nose and sniffed the air.They saw a hydroponic field employee in a green coverall.He waved them to come in. "Sir, the backpack can be placed here." He pointed to a wall.The entire wall is made up of countless squares, scattered with backpacks or bundles. Janss followed his instructions and stuffed the backpack into one of the squares.Manes pushed her backpack all the way in, then tucked his own into the same compartment.Is this to save space, or is it his instinct to protect her that he inadvertently revealed?Janss couldn't be sure, but the feeling was as sweet as the smell in the orchard.

"We have an appointment to stay here tonight." Janss said to the employee. He nodded: "The room is on the next floor. I believe they are still preparing the room for you. Do you just want to stay? Or do you also want to eat?" "Both." The young man smiled at her. "Well, then you can eat first. When you are full, your two rooms should be ready." Two rooms.Jans secretly thanked the young man, and then followed Manes into the intricate orchard. "How long has it been since you've been here?" she asked Manes. "Wow, it's been a long time. About four years."

"That's right." Janss laughed. "I'll never forget that as long as I live. Biggest robbery of the century." "You thought that was fun?" Manes said. They walked to the innermost part of the hall, and here, the intricate hydroponic area like a spider web began to divide into two sides, and the passage in the center was winding and winding, leading all the way to the next floor.Walking on this passage is a bit like walking in a maze, step by step towards the concrete wall in the distance.The water pipes above kept sprinkling water, and the sound of spraying water echoed under the low ceiling, which sounded inexplicably comforting.On both sides of the central aisle are endless orchards and vegetable gardens. The lush branches and leaves are full of greenery. The white plastic pipes form countless grids, with clumps of vegetables and small trees all over the grids. The grids are also connected with dense strings. , intertwined with countless branches, leaves and vines.There are some workers inside who are busy taking care of the fruits and vegetables. They are all wearing green overalls and have a bag around their necks, which is full of harvested crops.They hold large scissors in their hands, and at first glance it seems that they have huge claws on their bodies.It's fascinating how effortlessly they cut off fruits and vegetables.This kind of kung fu can only be trained through years of continuous operation.

"Back then, there was a person who first determined that those things were stolen by people in the hydroponic area. Isn't that person you?" Janss was still smiling to herself.Along the way, they saw several signs indicating the direction of the big restaurant, so they followed the signs. "Do you have to talk about this?" "What's there to be ashamed of? Don't you think it's funny?" "In a few years, maybe." He stopped suddenly, looking at a tomato tree through a wall of rope mesh.The aroma of ripe tomatoes overflowed, and Janss' stomach couldn't help but growl.

"Back then, we were so excited and turned the world upside down." Manes said calmly, "For this case, Halston was like crazy. He would send me an email every night, asking me to talk to him Report on the progress. I've never seen him like that in my life, desperate to catch someone. You know, that feeling, as if he really needs it." At this point, he stretched out his hand and clasped his fingers One side of the guardrail, eyes looking at the unknown distance behind the vegetables all over the ground, as if you can see the scene in the past. "Looking back, it feels a lot like he already found Alison weird, like he already sensed that she was going crazy." Maneth turned to look at Janss, "Before she was sent out to clean the lens, in the bunker The situation, do you remember? It has been going on for a long time, and everyone is about to lose control of their emotions."

Janss hadn't smiled for a while.She stands next to Manes.Manais turned back to look at the tomato tree, watching the workers cut a bright red tomato and put it in the basket. "You know, I think Halston was trying to relieve the pressure in the bunker. I think he wanted to come down and catch the thief himself. He emailed me every day and asked me to report on the progress, that feeling It was as if he depended on my report for his living." "I'm sorry, I really shouldn't talk about this." Janss put her hand on his shoulder. Manais suddenly turned to look at the back of her hand.Under the bushy beard, his lower lip seemed to move.Janss felt that his gesture was like kissing her hand, so she quickly retracted it.

"It's okay." He said, "It's a pity that everyone was under too much psychological pressure at that time, otherwise, it would be really funny to think about it." After speaking, he turned and continued to walk along the passage. "Did they find out later, how did it get into the hydroponic area?" "It must have come from the stairwell," said Manes. "It must have been. However, I have heard some people speculate that it is likely that a child stole one and wanted to keep it as a pet. It puts it in the hydroponic area." Janss laughed.She couldn't help it. "A rabbit," she said. "The crops in the hydroponic area disappeared. Everyone wanted to catch thieves, but it turned out to be a rabbit after a long time. The greatest law enforcement officer of our time was turned upside down by a rabbit. He was eaten by it." The vegetables and fruits dropped are almost worth his year's salary points." Manes shook his head and smiled wryly. "I'm not the greatest," he said, "never was me." He stared blankly at the end of the passage, clearing his throat.Janss knew exactly who he had in mind.
They had a good supper, and contentedly went down to the guest room.Janss was a little skeptical that someone might have to endure a lot of inconvenience in order to make room for them.All the rooms are full, and many of them have already been booked in line, and they cannot be moved in until the next day or even the day after tomorrow.After the time for cleaning the lens was confirmed, many people had already arranged time to go up to see the scenery, and they had already reserved rooms, but they decided to come down for an interview on the spur of the moment. Therefore, it is not difficult for her to guess that in order to make the room For her, someone's appointment is bound to be squeezed out.In addition, the two of them would take up two rooms, and the room where the head lived must have two beds, which made the situation even worse.What's more, it's not just a waste of space, but the arrangement itself has problems.Janss had wished she... hadn't received this special reception. Manes apparently felt the same way.Since it was not time to go to bed, and because they had just eaten a big meal and drank two glasses of wine, the two of them were still in good spirits, so he invited her to sit in his small room and chat for a while.Anyway, the hydroponic area is noisy right now, so it's not too late to go to bed when it calms down. His room was very comfortable, although it had only a small double bed, it was neat and tidy.There are about a dozen privately run industries in the bunker, and the hydroponic area upstairs is one of them.The cost of their accommodation and food this time will be covered by her office's travel budget, and that money, as well as the cost of those who go up to the top floor to see the scenery, will help build better facilities in the hydroponic area , such as higher-grade sheets, or a firmer spring mattress. Jans sat at the end of the bed.Manais took off his gun holster and put it on the low cabinet, then walked to the wall one meter away, pulled down the movable bench fixed to the wall, and sat on it.She took off her boots and rubbed her sore feet while he began to babble about how much he had eaten today and how wasteful two rooms were, rubbing his beard as he spoke. Jens rubbed her sore heel with her thumbs. "I think, when we get to the bottom, I'm afraid I'll need to rest there for a week before I have the strength to climb up," she said. "It's actually not as scary as you think." Manes said to her, "When you wake up tomorrow morning, you may be sore all over, but once you start going down the stairs, you will find that your physical strength is getting better and better, absolutely. It won’t be like today. Then, when we go upstairs on the way back, it’s the same. You just step up slowly step by step, and then, you’ll be home before you know it.” "I hope so." "What's more, when we go back, we no longer take two days to complete the journey. We divide it into four days. It's like going on a tourist adventure." "Tell you." Janss said, "Actually, I'm already exploring now." Then, the two fell into a sudden silence.Janss leaned back on the pillow, and Manes stared blankly at the hydroponic field outside.At this moment, the lonely man and the widow are in the same room, but the feeling is so peaceful and at ease, which surprised Janss a little.Moreover, the two of them didn't even need to deliberately find something to talk about.They can just be together like this.No police badge, no title of chief, just two ordinary people. "You must never have visited the priest, have you?" Manes finally spoke. "No." She shook her head, "What about you?" "Neither have I, but now I'm beginning to think so." "Because of Halston?" "This is one of the reasons." He suddenly bent over and leaned forward, rubbing his hands on his thighs, as if rubbing his legs in this way would not make them sore. "Where did his soul go after he died? I'd like to hear what the priest said." "His spirit is with us forever," Janss said. "That's what they say." "Then what is your belief?" "Me?" She rolled over and raised her upper body, leaning her elbows on the mattress, staring into his eyes, and he stared into hers. "Honestly, I don't know what to believe. I'm too busy to think about it." "Do you feel that Donna's soul is here right now, next to us?" Janss suddenly shivered.It had been a long time since anyone had mentioned her husband's name in front of her. "He has been gone for a long time, I don't know how many years, maybe it has been longer than the time he has been with me." She said, "It feels like I am not marrying his person, but his soul." "It's kind of like saying that." Janss looked down at the bed, feeling that the world around her suddenly became a little illusory. "I don't think he cares what I say. And, yes, I feel his soul is still with me, urging me to be a good person at all times. I feel like he is watching me all the time." "I feel the same way," Manes said. Janss looked up at him and saw that he was staring at her too. "Do you think he wants the two of us to be happy? Uh, I mean, to have a good life and everything to go well." At this point, his hands had stopped rubbing his thighs, and instead supported them on the knee.After a while, he looked away, not daring to look into her eyes again. "You're his best friend," said Janss. "Of course he wants you to be happy." He raised his hands and rubbed his face.At this time, a child was yelling in the corridor, and he immediately turned to look at the closed door. "I think his only wish in this life is to see you live happily. That's why he will become the man in your life." Janss rubbed her eyes with her hands when he wasn't looking, then looked down at her fingers.I don't know why, but my fingers are wet. "It's getting late." As she spoke, she sat on the edge of the bed and bent down to get her shoes.Her backpack and crutches were placed by the door. "Also, I think you're right. I might feel a little sore tomorrow morning, but I'll definitely feel full of energy again in a short time."