Chapter 69

As night fell, the Military Leadership Family Zone bristling with guards, inside a small villa that was huge in area but almost devoid of furnishings.

“Isa?”

Looking at her daughter who sat lost in thought on the sofa, hugging an enormous plush toy, the tall middle-aged woman approached with concern. First, she tested her daughter’s forehead temperature with her chin, then embraced her gently and asked softly:

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

After sensing the familiar warmth of her mother’s embrace, the female police officer shook her head and hugged the woman around the waist, burying her face deeply into her chest as she muffled out: “I’m actually fine, it’s just… work hasn’t been going too smoothly…”

“Hmm.”

Hearing that her daughter wasn’t sick, the middle-aged woman immediately sighed in relief. She began to stroke her daughter’s smooth hair while asking softly:

“Still about the Lane family from last time? They’re still refusing the investigation?”

“No, this time it’s something else…”

Recalling the scene she saw at noon and the results of her investigation into “Leon Lane,” the female police officer lifted her head from her mother’s chest, her eyes filled with complexity as she said: “Mom, three months ago, did the military department prematurely stop disbursing pensions to many war widows and orphans?”

“There was such a matter…”

Upon hearing her daughter’s question, the middle-aged woman recalled for a moment before saying helplessly:

“You know, the military department’s expenses have been too high in recent years, and the kingdom’s finances are barely able to sustain it. This year, the budget has been cut by a third, your father comes home sighing every day… Isa, why do you suddenly ask about this?”

“I just feel it’s unfair…”

Thinking back to the file she reviewed in the afternoon, the image of a family of four nearly driven to death came to mind, and her eyes instantly softened with pity as her voice grew louder.

“The military department has forty-seven departments, all with significant expenses. There are so many places where costs could be reduced, so why target pensions?

Mom, do you know? Many of those receiving pensions now are dependents from the national defense war six years ago, even including orphans who’ve lost both parents! Many of them simply don’t have the ability to support themselves, they rely almost entirely on that pension to survive. The military department cutting off pensions early is basically forcing them to die!”

“Isa?”

Hearing these words from her daughter, the usually kind-faced woman couldn’t help but look slightly stunned, her expression quickly turning serious as she frowned and coldly demanded:

“Who taught you to ask these questions?”

“No one taught me, I thought of this myself!”

“You never used to think about these things! You were always…”

“People change!”

“But before you…”

“Enough… forget it…”

Seeing her daughter stubbornly biting her lips, clearly already set in her ways, the middle-aged woman helplessly massaged her temples before lowering her tone again to warn:

“I don’t care where you heard it from, but you can only talk about this with me. Don’t say anything like this in front of your father…”

“Why?”

The female police officer asked, full of dissatisfaction: “Even if he didn’t propose it, such ridiculous decisions being approved means he at least condoned it! If he did it, he should…”

“Isa!”

Interrupting her increasingly intense daughter, the middle-aged woman severely scolded:

“You’re old enough now, you should understand a bit more! With all the situations this year, do you know how much pressure your father is under? Don’t add to his troubles with your problems!”

“Then what about him adding trouble for me?”

Thinking about the man she met at noon, dressed in an old coat, happily eating pudding spilled on the table, the female police officer couldn’t help but blurt out:

“Mom, I met someone today whose parents died in the national defense war six years ago. Over the years, the military department only paid a third of the pension, forcing him to start supporting his family at thirteen or fourteen, carrying packages under the summer sun, soaking in icy water at the docks to clean cargo ships! These things sound outrageous enough already, right? But do you know what? After Father signed off, the remaining third of his pension was also cut off, and he still has two younger siblings aged six or seven at home! His sick sister stopped medication to save money and almost died in the hospital!”

“…”

“…”

“It’s fine, he probably doesn’t lack money now.”

The female police officer took a deep breath and turned away, her eyes complex as she whispered:

“He joined the rebellion, now he’s an informer infiltrating the Public Security Bureau. This morning, he disrupted our arrest operation and rescued a rebel involved in the assassination attempt on the princess.”

“…”

“So now it’s not me causing trouble for Father, it’s him causing trouble for me, right?”

Looking at her mother, who was speechless, the female police officer sat back on the couch with a mocking laugh, her eyes continuing to stare at the door.

“Should I be allowed to ask now? All I want to know is what kind of mindset he had when signing off on such a heartless proposal!”

“…”

Looking at her daughter, who looked like a hedgehog ready to prick with her spines despite hugging a soft plush toy, the middle-aged woman could only gently persuade: “Isa, listen, you should…”

“Don’t try to reason with me!”

The female police officer, feeling stifled inside, turned away, stubbornly saying: “One must have the courage to take responsibility for one’s actions, that’s what he taught me!”

“But he also taught you that some responsibilities are destined to outweigh everything else.”

Patting her daughter’s back, the middle-aged woman’s eyes dimmed as she said:

“Not only others sacrificed in the national defense war, your brother and two uncles all died six years ago. This reduction in pensions started from our family…

Stop! Don’t argue yet! I know our family doesn’t need to live off pensions, but I mention this just to say, don’t think too badly of your father. He’s doing his best to keep the military department afloat.”

Looking up at the empty room upstairs, recalling the eldest son who died six years ago, the middle-aged woman’s eyes misted over: “At the beginning of this year, after the previous person in charge of the military department was executed for excessive behavior, there were countless holes left to fill, coinciding with a major budget cut.

Everyone knew that this hole couldn’t be filled, and the person taking over would at least face a poor performance outcome. None of the qualified candidates wanted to take on this hot potato, except for your father…”

Recalling how her husband became increasingly silent and emaciated over the past year, his back slowly bending, the middle-aged woman held the female police officer’s hand, her voice trembling: “The national defense war six years ago is your father’s eternal pain, and the current issues with the military department are really too big. If we let things slide or get an incompetent successor, the events of six years ago will surely happen again. He truly can’t let go.

I know that stopping pensions prematurely is very cruel, but have you noticed? Since he took on this burden, it’s only been half a year, and your father’s hair has already turned half white; he’s almost worn out by military affairs.”

“But couldn’t he…”

“Isa, your father has really done his best.”

Interrupting her daughter, the middle-aged woman sighed deeply: “This year, I’ve personally witnessed that he’s done everything he could, but in the end, the hole couldn’t be filled, so he reluctantly agreed to reduce expenses in this area.

Moreover, your father has issued strict orders: before deciding to stop pensions, consolers must visit at least three times within two months to confirm that life can continue without the pension.

But he only has two eyes, he can’t watch everyone, so even with all the preparation, such incidents can’t be completely avoided…”

“…”

“Isa, please, for Mom’s sake, go back to your room, don’t make him worry anymore, okay?”

“…”

“Okay?”

“Alright…”

The stubborn female police officer finally succumbed to her mother’s gentle pleading, unwillingly being pulled away from the sofa.

After being pushed back to her room and lying down on the soft mattress with her plush toy, the already exhausted her didn’t fall asleep peacefully like usual. Instead, she stared blankly at the chandelier on the ceiling.

Desperately maintaining the military department, my father isn’t wrong… capturing rebels attacking everywhere, I’m not wrong either… having his pension cut and forced to join the rebellion, neither is he wrong…

So who exactly is wrong? (Chapter End)