Navalli closed the communication conversation.

He looked at the fluorescence of the computer screen, rubbed his eyes, and sighed.

I casually opened the browser, and the news that appeared in the media section on the front page made Navalry's expression gradually change from nonchalant to serious, surprised - and then incredible.

"Julia, the adopted daughter of Masip Senanes, launched a protest march on the streets of Los Angeles to respond to the wave of public opinion on the 'Masip Senanes Incident'!"

Navalli hurriedly opened the news page and the live footage under the webpage — hundreds of people of all colors marched across the street with banners and slogans on the Los Angeles road in the live broadcast room, shouting something.

And the leader of the group, the moment she fell into Navalry's eyes, the latter already recognized the familiar figure.

Navalli's eyes widened in disbelief, then he immediately pulled out his phone from his computer desk and dialed Julia's number.

……

City of Los Angeles, Villochis Avenue V.

The men and women holding banners with resolute faces, led by Julia, held high slogans or blank sheets of paper with "protest" written on them, and advanced on Fifth Avenue, the actions of hundreds of people made everyone in the surrounding area look sideways.

And Julia stood at the front of the team, holding her head high, leading the team that was neither long nor short, and marched magnificently.

Residents who had nothing to do with each other stood on the street in the distance, picked up their mobile phones, took photos of them with great interest, and posted them on various social platforms; Reporters held up their cameras, and live broadcast vehicles and flashing lights recorded the procession in detail; Even the police were nearby—men in F.B.I. and LAPD uniforms with their chests crossed, wandering around the perimeter of the procession, looking maliciously.

Julia, on the other hand, seemed to be unaware of this, striding forward, a few locks of hair on her forehead oozing a little sweat, but her eyes were as calm as stone.

She held the cardboard in her hand aloft.

"We want justice!"

"We want the truth!"

"Reopen the Catherine investigation!"

"Restore the reputation of Masip Senanes!"

"Tear through the shady! This is the ruse of the white men of the upper class! ”

Under Julia's guidance, the people behind her shouted loudly, and the voices of hundreds of people converged into a hum that shook the glass of the floor, causing one resident after another to poke their heads out of the windows in curiosity.

As she walked, Julia, holding the cardboard, felt a vibration in her pocket.

Imperceptibly, she pulled out her phone and glanced at it—there were already more than a dozen text messages and dozens of missed calls, including many people she knew in the Unity Neighborhood, and Travis's name, though they had given up trying after Julia had failed to answer many times.

There was only one person left, still persistently calling her.

"Navaly".

Seeing the name, Julia's eyes flickered slightly.

Close your eyes, open them again.

Then, she chose "Don't Answer" again, then turned off the phone completely, and put it back in her pocket.

The pace continues.

And just ahead, several police cars marked "LAPD" rushed out of the street and drove at the front of the protest crowd -

Above the police car, more than a dozen police officers rushed out, vigilantly raising their pistols and aiming them at Julia and the demonstrators behind her.

There was a slight pause in the team behind him.

But Julia looked at them and fearlessly held up the cardboard to meet them.

It's like a wave crashing into a reef.

……

One of the high-end hotels on the side of Avenue 5 is a room where you can look down on the panoramic view of Avenue 5 and see all the people there.

Travis held his phone and watched the marching crowd advance under Julia's leadership, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Travis's eyesight was so good that he could even see the faces of every protester, and at this time, he squinted, looking at the head of the crowd, and identifying the objects he could recognize—

"Fiona Serralius, a black man whose husband is an alcoholic and often abuses domestic violence, managed to divorce her husband with the help of Macip and received a large amount of damages......"

"Roque Jones, a Hispanic, attempted suicide after a failed career, but was rescued by Masip, and was given the meaning of his life by Massip - to devote himself to the cause of minorities, change all kinds of injustices in this country, and follow Massip Senane......s wholeheartedly from then on"

"Otto Lee, a yellow raceman, was the child of a white couple who had adopted from the Dragon Kingdom, but when he was ten years old, he was taken by the adoptive father of the priest. invaded, and when he wanted to report the crime, he was stopped by his adoptive mother, and his life was in turmoil ever since...... It wasn't until he met Masip Senanes that he learned the inside story through conversation and counseling, and helped Lee sue his adoptive father and adoptive mother and change his custody rights, so to speak, he was fished out of hell by Massip......

"And Jane, Octot, Jonathan, ......"

Counting the people he knew, Travis' last gaze rested on the leader.

"—and, Julia."

His gaze followed closely on the woman, whose hair fluttered in the wind.

Holding a cardboard, she rushed to the police car without fear.

Although this was to be expected, a slight mocking smile appeared on Travis's lips.

"What is this? The pinnacle produces hypocritical advocacy, and the twilight witnesses the true apostles? ”

There are so many people that Masip has personally helped for decades.

Even if most of them listen to the mainstream public opinion on the Internet, become a silent member, or follow the mainstream to scold Masip, there will still be people who are willing to believe that man and follow that man's last wish.

And when the voices of these people come together, it will also form a wave.

It's just that most of the people Macip has helped are at the bottom, empty and powerful, but there is no way to organize.

However, as soon as people with real knowledge and action joined in, things changed in an instant.

Julia, as he had guessed, became the sharpest knife of all, gathering those people and stabbing them to the heart of public opinion.

It's just that......

Travis looked at Julia quietly, watching her rush to the police car with the crowd, but there was a look of pity in her eyes.

Julia...... Both you and I are just pawns in the eyes of the real upper echelons of this country. But unlike you, I have the self-awareness of a pawn, and you think you can turn the tables.

“…… But if a pawn tries to get out of the path that the player has laid for them, it will only lead to ruin—as is the case with President Masip, and so is you. ”

……

Julia led the crowd to the police car, and the officers raised their guns and stared at them, while Julia stared at them without giving in, constantly approaching them.

The policeman at the front looked a little embarrassed, his gun pointed to the sky, and he fired a signal:

"Don't come any closer, you are marching without permission!"

"This is a spontaneous rally of citizens! It's a demonstration of our angry will! ”

Julia replied loudly, and the crowd behind her also held up signs, showing a will as strong as steel, and the temperament of the assembly was different from that of ordinary gatherings.

"Even if you arrest us, don't think we'll give up!"

Julia took a step closer, gradually crossing the barrier set up by the police.

"If you're going to shoot, shoot! Let all the people of this country see our determination! It also allows everyone to see the shady curtain behind this and the dirty will to power! ”

The pace was unhindered, and he crossed the obstacle line to the point where he was facing the police.

The crowd was pounding the line like an army, and the policemen with sweat on their foreheads looked at each other, and for a long time, they got out of the way and stuck to the walls on either side in embarrassment, allowing the crowd to pass in front of them.

Demonstrators proudly passed by them, and with each person they passed, they were met with a look of contempt that made the heads of the police officers bow lower and lower.

At the same time, the cheers of "victory" and "victory" in the crowd of demonstrators became louder and louder, and people poured out of the intersection like proud fighting cocks, attracting more and more people to take pictures and videos, and even some fun people joined in, making the procession longer and longer.

"Hoo ......"

Julia's vision was wide.

After crossing the police, the road ahead becomes unobstructed.

Although there is a slight concern in the bottom of my heart, I feel that the police department's efforts to maintain law and order seem to be too weak, but the arrow is on the bow - in order to win the opportunity to clear the name of Masip, let the country reopen the investigation, and pierce the shady curtain behind it...... She had already made her choice.

"Uncle Masip......

Leading the crowd, the rising emotions of the people behind her also infected Julia, and her heart was filled with righteous excitement and clear sentimentality-

“…… I'm sure you'll support me in doing that, right? It's only by attracting enough attention, expanding attention, and bringing our rallying cry out to the fore that it will be possible to change all that—"

Julia's mind was fixed on this moment.

Staying in the moment when the sun was shining obliquely, her beautiful face was shrouded in sunlight, and it was incomparably bright.

Because at this very moment.

On the road, several gunshots rang out:

"Bang, bang, bang—"

Not from the police car behind you.

Rather, from the intersection diagonally opposite.

A man, a gray-haired man, holding a shotgun, pulled the trigger.

Julia stared blankly at his face.

The face of a man.

Old, tired, and wrinkled.

But now every wrinkle is filled with anger.

Bullets hit.

And the man with the shotgun.

His last voice.

A fiery voice that sounded like it came from hell:

"You guys, shameful scum......

"-After my daughter died, I still want to help the murderer get away with it!"

……

The body fell heavily to the ground.

The whole world suddenly lost its weight.

Everything in sight fades as quickly as an old photograph, and then fades away.

Then, all the colors and the outlines of things disappeared from the eyes.

Julia's pupils widened, and most of her consciousness was frozen in this moment.

However, in the last moment, there are still some residual thoughts moving.

There were chaotic footsteps, crying, and quarrels in my ears, but they were all completely inaudible.

It's just that I inexplicably recalled a night a few years ago.

At that time, in the headquarters of the "Unity Block", Julia, who was about to go home after packing up the materials, saw the man she respected the most, sitting by the window, quietly watching the moonlight.

As if you were completely immersed in it, I watched quietly.

But there was nothing in Masip's eyes that appreciated the good things - on the contrary, they were filled with a heavy emptiness.

It wasn't until Julia called out to him that Masip came to his senses.

"Uncle Masip......

Julia chose her words with some care, for she was worried that she might accidentally touch the man's heartache so many years ago.

But she really didn't find any euphemistic questions, so she could only say bluntly:

"Why are you sitting here so late?"

"Oh, Julia."

As if awakened, the heavy emptiness in his eyes quickly faded, and he looked at Julia with an apologetic gaze, and smiled:

"I'm sitting here...... Just thought of something. ”

"What's the matter?"

Julia asked.

"Hmmm......"

Masip groaned for a moment, then said:

"Julia, do you think our work can solve the inequality in this country?"

"Of course not—there's no way to fix this kind of thing. But at the very least, our cause can help the country for the better – if it's just one step forward, and it will make the communities we influence more egalitarian to the extent we can." ”

Julia replied fluently using the common sense of sociology, and Masip couldn't help but smile slightly:

"It's worthy of Julia, the statement is very clear and unambiguous, and it is very imposing."

Such praise did not satisfy Julia, who stared at Masip and asked curiously:

"Could it be...... Uncle Masip, do you have some different ideas? ”

"How can I say it......"

Masip turned his gaze back out the window.

As if to escape, as if to fight against it, he looked at the moon again.

"I only feel ...... once in a while If the country were a casino, and social organizers like us were for the gamblers at the table – then it would be irrelevant wherever the 21 fell at the table.

“…… After all, for casino owners, the real victory or defeat is actually predestined. ”

……

What you should have known......

That's it......

This is their eternal routine.

- The victims are always killing each other.

- Profiteers are always toasting to each other.

- Justice is the white glove of power.

- And the real hero, there is never a place.

…… In the hundreds of years of the country's history, things like this have never changed......

…… When......

…… to change......

Consciousness is blurring.

Julia sank deeper and deeper into the darkness.

In the end, there was only absolute silence left.

(End of chapter)