Ashley had no idea that someone had gone missing. After the secret passage opened, she came and went freely. Apart from cave explorations, she spent most of her time outside.
“A mature Shriek Devil Crow should learn to earn money on its own.”
She rented the Demon Crow out to teams doing fieldwork, earning anywhere from 10 to 20 pounds per rental, just like renting a car.
Each time she collected payment, she divided it into three portions: one to pay off bills, one to save, and one for buying clothes, food, and daily necessities.
Finally, she no longer had to wear the ill-fitting, low-quality uniforms issued by the community. The fine cotton underwear she bought was comfortable and form-fitting.
Lavender-scented soap slid across her tender, snow-white skin in the bathroom, producing sheets of foam. There was no longer any sensation like sandpaper grinding against her. Ashley played around in there for a long time.
When she got hungry, she had snacks to eat.
The parrot occasionally got to enjoy some nuts.
Life was gradually getting better.
Ashley’s life goal was to be a good person. For most people, this wasn’t difficult, but whenever she pursued that goal, she always encountered all sorts of obstacles.
Yet she persevered undaunted, vowing not to stop until she achieved her aim. Her execution was strong, and she checked off her to-do list one item at a time. Her next plan was to join the Tribunal.
–
“Lately, I feel like I’ve taken a huge step toward being a good person. The serene and beautiful environment of Saint Dormer Community has refined my sentiments, soothed my violent tendencies into calm, and restored a sense of shame to my numb heart. I’ve finally realized that theft, robbery, assault, and deception are wrong. Now, I love the blue sky, love the white clouds, love animals, love you… I mean, I love you just like I love this world. You’re just one part of it—not because of Miss Amber’s fresh and gentle eyes, nor her radiant and charming smile, nor her serene and wonderful personality, but because I love her the way I love the world…”
Ashley had a habit of showing off her eloquence, just like a good singer who always sought opportunities to perform.
Amber’s little face burned hot, flushing red as if blood were about to drip from it. Her small ears tingled sensitively, and her neck tensed, making it appear especially slender.
Was this… a confession?! Her heart felt like it had been harshly slammed, leaving her breathless.
But upon closer reflection, those words were quite intriguing.
The phrasing “love you like I love the world” carried a sense of friendly distance. You could say it to any good friend, but you wouldn’t actually say it out loud.
It made her happy, but it was far from what she truly wanted.
“Ahem, your mentality is healthy, just like mine. I believe you.”
Amber gave top marks across the board on the psychological evaluation form, shoved it aside impatiently, and couldn’t suppress her bubbling excitement as she said:
“The psych evaluation is done! It went by so fast… Did you notice? We have nothing to do all day. Shall we… go see a movie? I absolutely won’t fall asleep this time!”
However, Ashley, who had watched countless blockbuster films with stunning effects and gripping plots, had no interest in the primitive black-and-white movies of this world.
Besides, sitting still for two hours with a silly little loli? How masochistic would that be? Stupidity might be contagious, and spending too much time playing with Amber might turn her own brain to mush.
“Sorry, I owe a ton of money and I’m strapped for cash right now.” Ashley brushed her off.
“I’ll treat you this time!”
Amber propped herself up on the table with both hands, gazing at her expectantly, leaning forward as if about to stand.
“What I mean is… my dignity won’t allow any lavish spending until I’ve paid off my debts. Only the most shameless deadbeat would do that. I can’t sit in a theater; it’d make my butt burn. I’d rather use this time for some hourly work to pay back as much as I can.” Ashley declared righteously.
“Then… do you need my help? We’re friends, after all. I can lend you some money,” Amber said worriedly.
Ashley’s eyes darted around, and she held out her small hand, mumbling:
“Borrowed money still has to be repaid; there’s no difference. Why not… just give it to me directly? For a helpless orphan with no home, nothing warms her more than 10 pounds.”
“I-I don’t know if I have 10 pounds…”
Amber was dumbfounded, turning her head to look at the little piggy bank on the dresser.
Pfft!
Ashley yanked out the piggy’s rear plug and gave it a thorough digital examination, her slender fingers swirling inside to deftly hook out coins and bills. The piggy’s body gradually emptied.
A pile of loose change—counted up, it was just under 7 pounds.
“Sorry, that’s all there is… It’s my fault for taking some out a few times to buy snacks, and once I really wanted a little tie… Otherwise, it could’ve added up to 10 pounds…” Amber nibbled her lips repeatedly, dejected.
“No worries. I’ll play a round of Deuces Wild and turn it into 10 pounds.” Ashley snapped her fingers.
Of course, the outcome might be—blinding sunlight.
“Huh?!” Amber jolted all over, eyes wide in shock. “Gam-gambling is bad, isn’t it…?”
“Uh…”
Seeing Amber’s pitiful and astonished little gaze—like a hamster caught in someone’s hand—Ashley nearly burst out laughing like a pig.
“I’m just kidding. How could I gamble away your money? It’s not just 6 pounds, some insignificant number. It’s your sense of accomplishment from saving bit by bit, the tacit trust between you and the piggy—just like between us. You trust me, I trust you. Together, we accumulate beautiful memories drop by drop. Those fragments of memory are like golden fine sand, settling in the riverbed of our minds, sparkling with precious light at the bottom.”
“Ah!” Amber let out a small cry of delight, her little face beaming with joy. The more she looked at Ashley, the more she liked her. She mulled over those words repeatedly, and the clamor of happiness and fulfillment grew louder, surging into a flood that repeatedly washed through her heart.
Ashley seized the moment to hold her small hand, making her blush shyly, then brought up joining the Tribunal.
“That’s great! You’re joining the Tribunal? Maybe we can work together someday!”
Amber began seriously helping her think it through and revealed some details about the selection process, requirements, and standards. She also mentioned that some people with criminal records did get hired by the Tribunal—for instance, Philip Titus, the master counterfeiter behind the sensational million-gold-pound case of fake bills and checks from a decade ago. After his arrest, he joined the Tribunal and helped identify new counterfeit money on the market, cracking major cases repeatedly.
“By the way, do you have any legal knowledge?”
“I do. Pre-meal legal education was a family tradition, so we’d know the sentences for our crimes and not go to jail confused.” Ashley said humorously.
“It’s actually like that…” Amber smiled wryly.
“Help me look into it—ask Lady Letisia. If there’s a written test or other assessments, I’ll study hard. Please!” Ashley clasped her hands together and bowed her head pleadingly.
“I’ll go right now.”
Amber immediately treated this as her top priority. She changed clothes without even eating lunch and hurried off to the Tribunal.
The Tribunal was located at 31 Whitehall Street.
Upon entering Whitehall Street, one could spot the two striking pure-white postmodern artistic buildings from afar.
From the side, they resembled two towering geometric hills formed by polygonal ceramic facets over ten meters long pieced together—simple and exquisite, yet exuding a solemn and majestic aura.
From the front, they leaned toward each other with no windows on the exterior, seamlessly integrated like two massive icebergs pressed close, with only a narrow path between them. This instantly conveyed an icy rationality, functionalization, and impersonal ruthlessness, oppressing the chest like suffocating pressure.
Entering the building, Amber went to an office on the fourth floor and knocked before entering.
The signature white jazz hat and long trench coat hung on the coat rack. Letisia wore a silk blouse with lace ruffles piled at the collar, cinching her slender waist and accentuating her bust for a sexy yet proper look. Her long legs crossed as she lounged with one extended over the desk, the black satin high heels gleaming with fine texture against her delicate white arches.
The desk was piled high with files. Letisia grabbed a few from various spots like picking medicinal herbs, stacked them, and tapped them on the table as she said:
“I was just about to look for you, and here you are.”
Amber approached her teacher and listened attentively from the side.
“Little Ai’s up to no good again.” Letisia murmured.
“Huh?!”
