Monster Dismantling Company

Chapter 71 Mother's Photograph

"Master Wang, why do you have my mother's photo? When was it taken?"

"Just recently—first of all, let me clarify, this wasn't taken by me, it was given to me by Commander Xia of Xin'an Prefecture, just now. Xin'an Prefecture discovered this woman walking in the wilderness at the site of the atomic bomb. She looked somewhat familiar, but I've never looked directly at your mother before; she's not someone an ordinary person can look directly at. In that respect, your father has always been the person I've admired most in my life."

"To be honest, that's what I think too." After learning what he was—he admired him greatly, but was also puzzled as to how his father had "connected" with the previous generation's Jia Chen Divine Dragon. But he naturally had no way of knowing about his parents' love, since it happened before he was born.

He now possesses both the perspective of a human and a dragon. From his point of view, the two sides seem irreconcilable from various angles. This is why, although he actually likes Lin Zhiqing very much, he was rather cautious in his previous interactions with her.

He originally didn't want to agree to the matter with Lin Zhiqing. His rational mind clearly told him that it was difficult to get good results in his relationships with others.

But amidst the potato chips and some inexplicable stirrings of emotion, he ultimately crossed the line of reason and agreed to her proposal.

Whatever the reason, it stemmed entirely from his own heart. As a dragon, he wasn't in a position where his tail held sway that day. And as a human, he didn't experience mating season.

That day, his emotions were completely free. And he made his decision in a completely free state.

Although one is confined to a mortal body in terms of lifespan, one is not bound by the nature of a dragon in terms of spirit—this is perhaps the true freedom that belongs to humankind.

Thinking about all this, he began to understand a little about what happened between his parents.

Judging from her appearance, her mother still maintains a human form and continues to live a human life. She chose to be human, and she seems to have no regrets whatsoever.

He felt somewhat emotional to have followed the same path as his mother.

However, amidst the感慨 (feelings of deep emotion), this also means that an important mission concerning his life must continue—

Find your mother.

These were her last words to Li Lin before she left.

Because Li Lin's most important possession was still in his mother's hands:

His Dragon Ball.

"Want your Dragon Ball? You can have it. Go find it! Your Dragon Ball, and all your power, are with me. Mommy will keep them for you and give them to you when you grow up."

When you grow up, you'll be able to find your mother—that's what she said before she left.

But how old does a person have to grow to be considered a person?

In fact, until recently, Li Lin was still somewhat dissatisfied with this.

After all, he felt he was old enough, yet his mother was still nowhere to be found. He didn't know what he could do to please her.

but...

His time with Lin Zhiqing made him realize that he was still some distance away from truly growing up.

With the answers he has so far, he can at least give his mother a periodic report. At the very least, he needs to clarify the standards for "growing up." He still has many, many questions he wants to ask.

"I'll go find her right now," Li Lin said, holding the phone.

"No, no, no... It's too early. Nobody can get into that place now. The atomic bomb site in Sinan Prefecture is always in a state of 'rage' with miasma, and it's only accessible during the spring. At other times, we can only observe it from afar using drones. It's not spring yet, so we can't get in at all. You don't have your Dragon Balls, and you can't withstand such a high concentration of miasma, can you?"

"..."

Master Wang advised, "So, let's wait a little while. We'll go when the time comes."

Li Lin looked up and asked, "What if she leaves when it's time?"

"I don't know your mother very well, but at least one thing I'm certain of—if she didn't want to be discovered, then probably no one would have found her. There must be a reason why this information reached you."

"I hope so..."

"And to be honest, not having the Dragon Balls on you isn't all bad. For example, if you had the Dragon Balls right now, when you 'had an attack' just now, the entire Yangtze River would probably have been blown into the sky. Even now, I'm worried about the aftershocks of that lightning—I mean all sorts of things. After all, that power has already ripped the sky apart."

"Yes." Li Lin nodded. "Master, you're right. Besides, I hope to be better prepared when I go to see her. I've only just realized that I seem to still have a long way to go before I grow up."

"There's no need to put too much pressure on yourself. However, it's a good thing that you've discovered you still have room for improvement. Well then, I'll talk to you about the details in a bit. Commander Xia from Xin'an Prefecture wants to talk to you—I'll come to explain the situation to you in person later, whether you want to see him is up to you. However, his willingness to provide intelligence directly shows his sincerity."

"I can see him. Coincidentally, I just acquired something perfect for a private deal—I'll invite him to my Dragon Palace."

The full vehicle health check was completed quickly.

Only this one car actually fell off the bridge; several other cars derailed while still on the bridge.

While a derailment would pose a significant danger to an ordinary train, it wasn't a major issue for the Silver Dragon. The train was so sturdy it was practically indestructible, capable of surviving even the harshest conditions, and had no record of being destroyed by fire. Furthermore, the train wasn't traveling at high speed, so the derailment only caused the passengers to fall sideways. The entire train was filled with strong and capable defense soldiers, and even they suffered only minor scratches.

Li Lin had arranged to go for a walk with Lin Zhiqing. He waited for her at the car door, and the two of them would return to their seats together.

However, Lin Zhiqing was accompanied by her aunt, the security chief, Lin Ling.

The two walked and talked. When they reached Li Lin, Lin Ling gestured for her niece to get into the car first, then pulled him aside a few steps to speak to him privately.

"Li Lin... there's something I want to ask you. I was originally going to ride in the same car as you, since the potential danger has been eliminated now. But I just received an urgent communication from the Lishan camp, and I need to stay in Ningzhou to handle something."

The Lishan Camp, the global headquarters of the defense force, is located east of old Chang'an, echoing the Shenhe Plain to the south. Trains passing through Hangu Pass into Guanzhong must pass through the Lishan Camp before reaching the United Government's headquarters at Shenhe Plain.