"Diplomat, I believe our demands have been stated very clearly. This is a notification, not a request for your consent."
The Chinese man clarified his standpoint, causing an uproar among those present. He had issued warnings on numerous occasions regarding the issue of territorial waters infringement.
"Yet, after three warnings from our side, your vessels resolutely crossed the boundary, refused to state your intentions, and even resorted to armed threats. We were left with no choice but to take decisive action."
Translators from various countries began their work. Geng Jing sat quietly in front of the television, a slightly yellowed old newspaper resting beside his hand. Beneath the dense text lay the heavy scent of printer's ink and rough paper.
The smell was truly unpleasant, and the mottled, blurred font was an eyesore, yet Geng Jing pored over it with tireless enthusiasm, the bottom corners of the pages creased from frequent handling.
"The latest news report: recently, our 'witness' passed away on..."
The television channel was switched to Tom and Jerry. The previously listless little fox instantly leaped up with joy upon seeing its favorite show, scuttled into Geng Jing's arms, and sprawled obediently on the pure white sofa to watch TV.
The silver-white globe nearest to him began to spin. The antique clock by the doorway chimed faintly, its heavy strokes merging with the sound of sirens from memory.
In the quiet house, save for the crisp *snip-snip* of scissors cutting and the sounds of the animated show playing, you could hear a pin drop—let alone the ringing of the doorbell outside.
"Excuse me, is Mr. Geng Jing home?"
Looking at the two men in the video—one with blonde hair and purple eyes, the other with short blue hair—Geng Jing paused to think and realized his memory held no information regarding these two individuals, so he decisively rejected them.
"Not here."
"Oh, well then."
With that, Hiromitsu Morofushi intended to pull Rei Furuya away, but a second thought struck him as odd. Geng Jing's background records showed he lived alone, with only a grandfather approaching fifty years of age still living. So who was the person who had just spoken?
"Then who might you be?"
Rei Furuya probed cautiously, but the person on the other end was colder than he had imagined—polite enough in their polite refusal of visitors, yet unmistakably distant.
"I am not seeing patients today. If you have an urgent matter, please figure out your main point before speaking. Do not disturb if there is no emergency. Thank you."
Whether this concise and to-the-point manner was out of fear that people would manufacture trouble out of boredom, or simply a desire not to be disturbed, was impossible to tell. However, the sound of the cartoon playing inside could still be faintly heard.
"Ultraman Taro!"
"What a long-lost and nostalgic childhood." Hiromitsu Morofushi sat on a tree branch, looking through the glass at the television playing in the living room with a sense of emotion. "I still remember that was your favorite show back then, Zero. Did you ever see the final ending?"
"How could I? I only saw halfway through, but then we switched to watching something else," Rei Furuya remembered clearly. "Though how come I don't see a child? Didn't that doctor say he had a kid?"
"Seems like he does... but how come this one doesn't look like it? Look at the reflection on the TV screen, Zero."
Just as Rei Furuya wanted to take a closer look, the television screen suddenly grew much brighter, and the image gained a wealth of rich colors, making the reflection impossible to see.
"Burned yourself?"
Geng Jing leaned down, his brows lowered, his slightly deep voice carrying a magnetic quality. Faintly, the whimpering cries of a small child could be heard.
"Did you burn your tongue? Run it under cold water before you eat."
No expression could be read on his face. The heterochromatic-eyed doctor wore a faint, indifferent look with curved brows, appearing completely unconcerned, yet his movements were surprisingly gentle.
"Remember to take a nap after you finish eating. We have to go to Aunt Taloa's for a check-up later."
"Wuwu..."
It sounded like the disgruntled sound of a child protesting.
"No. Recently, the children playing with Cliff at daycare have all fallen ill, and I just received word that Nubia has fallen sick too. You were in contact with them this morning."
*Clatter—*
The crisp shattering sound of a porcelain plate hitting the floor, followed by sobbing wails, instantly succeeded by the sound of a door slamming shut. A single-rim monocle dropped to the floor with a loud *clank*.
The refined doctor looked somewhat disheveled at that moment. With blurred vision, Geng Jing slowly squatted down to grope for the glasses in the space by the table, wiped them clean, and put them back on.
The moment he stood up, his vision went pitch black, and his brain felt dizzy and heavy for a long while before he could clearly see things again. His handsome, heterochromatic eyes narrowed slightly as he frowned at the wreckage on the floor.
His pocket gave a faint vibration. He took out a Bluetooth earpiece and put it on. The furrowed lines of his brow smoothed out, and his heterochromatic eyes returned to their original indifference as Geng Jing sat on the sofa with a weary expression.
"Mm, I know. The flu is very severe over in the US lately; don't go out if you don't have to."
"I'll send Grandpa's letter over later. No matter when you plan to return to the country, it's no use—just stay put at home for now and don't run around until I've arranged things for the child."
With that, he opened the drawer beneath the television, rummaged through it for a moment, and pulled out a letter. It was not the fully sealed kind. Geng Jing simply dropped the letter into the mailbox and paid it no further heed.
"Boarding school is out of the question. Cliff's parents told me Cliff fell ill the moment he got back, which clearly means it's been in the incubation period these past few days. Guangbai still needs to be taken to the hospital for a check-up."
The rest of the conversation was beyond their hearing. Out of curiosity, the two lurkers opened that envelope.
"Wait a second, Zero. This envelope looks like it's been opened before—there are still crease marks on it, but the person didn't read it."
Hearing Hiromitsu Morofushi say this, Rei Furuya found it somewhat suspicious, but since it had already been unsealed, they just needed to be a bit careful from here on. The first sentence upon opening the envelope read:
[To my dear old friend:]
[I have already learned the news of our old friend's passing, but it is a great pity that I am probably unable to return to see him one last time during this period. I can only offer my meager sentiments here; please forgive my indifference and inaction.]
[Although everyone takes pride in me, I do not consider this an honor. Perhaps in your eyes, I am a qualified doctor who is flawless in every aspect, but I know better than anyone that I am not all that perfect. To a certain extent, I am not even a good father.]
[Perhaps I shouldn't be so stubborn, but I am still unwilling to resign myself to such degradation. My grandson will inherit my will and continue the practice of medicine, and I hope you can give him some assistance in this regard. His temperament is even more reserved than his father's, and I am very worried about his life in the future.]
[Today I am in the twilight of my years, with little time left, and can only leave him behind in Japan to live alone. It is a pity that I have practiced medicine countless times in my life, yet I alone cannot cure my own grandson, leaving me unable to resolve the malicious harassment he suffers.]
[Prejudice is like a mountain, and he is doomed to be trapped within it for the rest of his life. Cowardly as I am, unable to change this world, I can only wrong him by constantly forcing him to change himself. This is not what I wanted.]
[——Hui]