Wanzhou's Statue

"Xiaoguang..."

"Belle!"

Belle was about to say more, but Wise suddenly raised a hand to stop her.

"Brother..."

Belle turned and saw her brother shaking his head. When she looked back at Ye Shunguang, she saw that although he still looked a little tired, his eyes were bright.

Belle fell silent.

She could see how serious Ye Shunguang was.

Perhaps Griseo was right. Xiaoguang had never been this serious before.

Faced with such pure, passionate sincerity, trying to stop him would only seem unfeeling.

After Ye Shunguang dissolved all the Black Flowers around the factory's perimeter, the group pressed deeper inside. Before long, something caught Belle's eye.

It was a headless statue. More precisely, its head had been broken off. The fractures at the break made it obvious that someone had done it deliberately.

"Everyone, come look!"

Belle called to her companions, her mind full of questions:

Wasn't this the Radiant Porcelain Processing Base? Why was there a statue here?

If they'd erected a statue, people must have worshipped whoever it depicted!

So why had its head been cut off? Why had its own worshippers abandoned it?

"Belle, look across from it! There's a wanted notice!"

Wise pointed to the wall opposite the statue. A battered sheet of paper still clung to the mottled surface, its edges curled and yellowed.

"Let me see..."

Belle stepped closer and carefully made out what remained of the writing.

``` [Notice: The following defectors have been designated primary wanted persons:

Former Second Guard captain Leonid Antonov; Yulia Gryacheva; former chief technical officer Wan...

Anyone with information on the above individuals or other defectors should promptly contact the lord's command headquarters or any nearby member of the First Guard.

Command headquarters will reward anyone who provides useful information...

Anyone who privately contacts or assists