Knock knock.
"Come in."
Mu Qingmei pushed open the door and entered. She saw Qing Lan bent over her desk at work, with a glass of iced coconut juice on the table. She was still as beautiful as a painting, her flawless features framed by a blue robe that made her seem otherworldly. The only difference from before was that she had tied her hair into a drooping-bun style, like a swallow's tail.
"Big Sister Qing Lan!"
Qing Lan looked up at Mu Qingmei, adjusted her glasses, and smiled. "You came at just the right time."
"Is there something you need me to handle?" Mu Qingmei closed the door and sat down.
"Rongyao and the others' slave emancipation movement has begun to show results. No one in Profound Candle Prefecture is wearing a 'Grace Lock' anymore. You need to write an article letting everyone know that Grace Locks can only be used to prevent domestic animals from wandering off. Using one on a person is a serious criminal offense." Qing Lan handed over a sheet of paper. "The key points are all here. You must include every one of them."
Mu Qingmei took a look. The first point read, "Do not throw away severed limbs blown off by an exploding Grace Lock. Bring them to the Medical Officer Department for free treatment. They may even be reattached." She asked in puzzlement, "If everyone has removed their Grace Locks, how are people still getting injured by explosions?"
"Many people have been slaves their entire lives. To them, a Grace Lock is a true 'blessing,' a reward from the Patron Family, and they simply refuse to remove it."
"Then let them keep wearing them—"
"Grace Locks need specialized photonic energy to be recharged. But when the Inner City burned, many Photonic Energy