Volume 3 Hello, Eri Chapter 188: Death of the Black Swan (VIII)
"Don't you recognize me?" There was a hint of smile in Chao Chao's voice. "We often eat together. I know you like mashed potatoes the most. It's easy to eat them even with a spoon."
Although Renata is small, she can eat a lot and loves to eat. However, she has not yet learned how to eat elegantly. One of her little secrets is that eating mashed potatoes will make her look like a big beard. So every time she eats this, she hides in a corner so that she will not be seen by others. She just wipes it clean quickly after eating.
Renata didn't have many friends in Black Swan Harbor, and of course there was no one to eat with, but Asashio's words did make her care. Although the older sister looked like a human, she was not necessarily a real living person, and no one would not be seen by others.
"Are you Sister Asashio?" Renata asked.
"Are you surprised by my true appearance?" Asashio slowly lowered his head so that he could talk to little Renata at a level without putting too much pressure on her body.
"You are obviously a dragon, staying in such a deep place, but the person who appears in front of me is a human." Renata couldn't understand.
"That is an illusion I left behind. You can think of it as my shadow." Chao Chao said, "I have lived here for a long time. Before I fell asleep last time, I secretly found some pure enough water and used it to create my illusion and let her stay here. Only very few people can see her. I hope she can become an opportunity to wake me up. You see, that's why you found this place."
"But it was Zero who told me that I found this place." Renata shook her head. In her heart, Asashio was more trustworthy than Zero because she and Asashio had known each other earlier and he was willing to tell her other secrets.
"Zero?" Asashio was slightly stunned by this name he had never heard of before.
"A girl a little older than me, living in room zero. Haven't you seen her?"
"I've said before that only a few people can see my illusions. The memories of the illusions are independent of my memories. I woke up unexpectedly not long ago, and the illusion returned to me, so I can remember you. In these memories, I didn't find a child named Zero." Chao Chao thought for a moment, "But I didn't have time to tell you how to find me before you got here. Maybe the girl named Zero is someone I missed."
Zero is really omnipotent. She even knows about Asashio, but Asashio's sister doesn't know her. Renata is becoming more and more curious about who Zero is. She has always called herself a devil. Is there really something in this world that is willing to pay a price and help achieve everything?
"You made friends with me in the hope that I could wake you up? But you're already awake." Renata is smart. There is no such thing as a free lunch. The price for the children in Black Swan Harbor to have their blood drawn for experiments is that a friend who suddenly appeared out of nowhere is definitely not just a friend. She has a purpose. But Renata doesn't care. She likes talking to Asashio very much and is willing to help Asashio.
"I will fall asleep again, and it will be difficult to wake up this time. So I have to find someone to help me take something very important out." Chao Chao was always very tactful when telling stories to Renata, and she deliberately concealed all the bad things. She was a bit like a gentle elder, and she really deserved to be called sister by Renata.
"Are you taking me somewhere far away?" Renata had already accepted the task. She had not thought of refusing, but was just doubting whether she could do it.
"Just go outside. Isn't there a dock next to the sea? Throw it into the sea and the mission is accomplished. I cast a special spell on it, so there's no need to worry about any problems."
Asashio understood Renata's thoughts. She gently took out her right eyeball and slowly handed it to Renata's palm.
Renata thought this scene was a bit scary at first , but her attention was soon attracted by the small ball in her palm. It didn't look like an eyeball at all, but more like a golden glass ball. It was about half the size of her palm, emitting a warm temperature. What was even more strange was that it seemed to be alive, with extremely long and thin lines on its surface. Renata could feel a rhythmic heartbeat coming from the small ball. It seemed to know that it had changed its controller, and the heartbeat of the small ball gradually moved closer to Renata's heartbeat rhythm, and finally completely synchronized.
"Do we really just need to throw it into the sea at the dock?" Renata began to worry that it might be accidentally fished up by the port staff. The port only had so much rations, and there was a fixed weekly diet, so there would always be people who wanted to have a bite. So nurses or officers would go fishing near the port, and sometimes they would bring back rich trophies, but they would also catch some unlucky garbage. Renata was afraid that the pearl would be eaten by some fish and then caught by someone else.
"Once it enters the water, it will drift towards the place I set. No animals will be curious about it. Once they get close, they will be disturbed by the strong spiritual field and feel pain and choose to stay away." Chao Chao said, "Thank you for helping me... Unfortunately, I have nothing to give you in return."
"You've given me a lot." Renata put the beads into the pocket of her skirt and buttoned it carefully, looking up at Chao Chao, "Knowledge about the outside world and many boring nights. Compared to any material things, companionship is the most precious because it can't be bought."
Asashio was a little surprised, she really didn't expect such a young child to see things so clearly. Poor children always mature earlier. Renata's few entertainments were spent in the library, using the few words she knew to learn the countless knowledge in the world. Although no one could teach her in many places, she had slowly realized many truths in her unfortunate life.
"Companionship is mutual. I am very happy to meet you, Renata. It would be great if we could be friends for a while longer." Chao Chao said softly. She retracted her sharp claws and carefully touched the top of Renata's head with only those strong muscles.
This was probably the only way she could express her kindness. Soon she would fall asleep again, and this time she would not have any more time to sleep. Closing her eyes would mean death.
The time is coming, Chao Chao raised her head again and returned to her original proud posture. She needed to make everything that happened tonight seem as if it had never happened, otherwise those humans would begin to doubt because of the changes in the bones and the lack of an eye.
"Live well, Renata." Asashio gave his final blessing, and the last bit of light in his eyes gradually faded away.
Renata hadn't realized what Asashio had done. She felt a little bitter. How could someone who didn't even know where her future was going live? Maybe she would die after helping Asashio. It wasn't the first time that a child or a nurse suddenly disappeared in the harbor.
At this moment, she thought of someone, someone she had just met not long ago, an omnipotent demon who claimed that he could help her leave Black Swan Port, but the price was that she had to become her friend.
"Will you leave here with me?" She suddenly raised her head and said loudly. At this moment she had decided to give herself to Zero. No matter if she was really a devil or something else, as long as she could do what she promised, then she, Renata, was willing to give up everything she had, just asking Zero to take one more person... or a dragon.
Her childish courage echoed in the ice cave, but no one responded to her. Chao Chao, who had just been talking to her, would not move. The vitality he once displayed was completely gone, and even his one remaining eye had lost its luster. Only a dry and bald surface was left, like a glass ball that would roll out if you pushed it hard.
It was already late at night when Renata returned to Room 0. The road to the underground ice cave was very long and it took a long time to go back and forth. This made her physical strength a little stretched at her age, and she gasped for breath.
"How is it? Did I not lie to you?" As soon as she entered the room, she heard Zero's triumphant voice. Renata saw that the shackles on Zero's body were gone, and the bloodstains were gone. She was so clean that she looked like a different person, with beautiful straight and smooth hair, as if even the light could only reflect her.
"How did you get out...has anyone else been here?" Renata immediately became worried about safety.
"Of course the devil can do anything." Zero came over and held Renata's hand. Their hands were both cold as if they had no temperature. "Are you cold?"
"It's not cold." Renata shook her head. She was indeed not afraid of the cold, but her body temperature would be as low as that of girls of her age who had been to an ice cave.
"Okay, let's go outside!" Zero grabbed Renata's hand and ran.
Renata was almost scared to death. Zero seemed to have no idea that the nurses' duty room was just outside the corridor. Her voice was so loud and uninhibited, as if she was fearless.
"Are you crazy? Someone will come outside to catch us!" Renata quickly reminded her in a low voice.
"No, only tonight. I can leave the room temporarily. Now that I have decided to leave, let's say goodbye to this disgusting place." Zero smiled. She seemed to know that Renata would make a decision when she came back, but Renata didn't even have time to say it.
As Zero said, all the nurses in the duty room were drunk and couldn't wake up. She was more familiar with the spider-web-like corridor than Renata. They passed through one half-open door after another, passed through passages with silent alarms, and climbed up the rusty iron ladder.
They ran wildly holding hands. As they ran, Renata also laughed boldly like Zero. She hadn't laughed like this for a long time. The last time she laughed was when she was watching a movie. This feeling was like flying. Tonight was special. No one could catch up with your pace of escape. You no longer had to live in fear.
As they ran, they saw the officer standing at the wall. Renata was scared, but Zero shook his head and said it was okay. As they walked past the officer, Zero kicked the officer and stuck out his tongue, but the officer did not react. Renata was so happy that she jumped up and kicked the officer's knee hard, because it was this guy who caught her last time.
Zero climbed out from the rusted gap in the iron window and reached out to pull Renata up to the rooftop. This was the highest place in Black Swan Harbor. Jagged icebergs stood in the distance, huge ice floes floated on the sea, and the red flag symbolizing the Soviet Union fluttered above their heads, covered with icicles and snowflakes.
"Over there, 453 kilometers away, is the North Pole." Zero turned around, "Over there, 3781 kilometers away, is Moscow."
Renata stood on tiptoe and looked down, feeling like a giant conquering the world. She had never been to this place before, and she didn't know that Black Swan Harbor existed. With its back against the riverbank, she could see the pier where the Lenin docked every year.
She thought about it, took out the small ball from her pocket and threw it out with force.
The small golden ball drew a perfect parabola. Even Renata could have thrown it very far from such a high place. Unfortunately, a gust of wind blew at this time, causing it to deviate from its original trajectory and fall on the deck of the dock. Finally, it bounced and rolled into the water.
"Head Shoot! It fell into the water." Zero seemed to know that the destination of that thing was the sea. She and Renata high-fived and congratulated, "Congratulations, Comrade Renata Yevgeni Chicherin, your shooting was perfect."
"What did you call me?" Renata was stunned.
"Renata Yevgeni Chicherin, I have seen your file, this is your full name." Zero said proudly.
"You really know me..." Renata felt that Zero might know her better than she did, at least she didn't even know her full name.
"Because we are all the same!" Zero walked gracefully on the edge of the rooftop, revealing her slender legs under her clean white dress, and her arms flipped lightly, making a magnificent gesture, as if asking for something from the sky. Renata didn't know what she was doing, she only guessed that it was some kind of dance.
"There are always some people in this world who are different. Only by hugging each other can we feel a little warmth. It's easy to notice that unique child in the crowd." Zero spun around Renata like a fallen leaf, gently brushing her face with his fingertips. "We are like this, so I care about you very much and I am only willing to share secrets with you. Although it seems to you that we have known each other for a short time, we will have many opportunities to become the kind of friends you want in the future, but not now. We don't have much time. There is only one chance to escape, and we must hurry and prepare."
Renata followed Zero's eyes. Her slightly narrowed eyes made her look like a princess in a high position, secretly laughing at the boy who was peeking at her. She was so beautiful that it made people's heart beat faster. Renata also wanted to be like her.
"Your words sound like a confession..." Renata whispered. She had read some novels and stories, and in those stories about love, there were often lines like "It seems like you will always be mine."
This sentence caused Zero's beautiful dance to pause for a moment. Her legs almost tripped over each other and she stumbled. Renata quickly reached out to support her. This was the first time Renata saw an embarrassed expression on Zero's face.
"If I were a boy, I would be driven crazy by you right now !" Zero had a helpless look on his face, looking angry and amused at the same time.
"Girls can't do that? I think you're really cute, and you look good in everything you do... unlike me." Renata's mood gradually became depressed.
"Every girl is born a princess. It's understandable to like beautiful things. A girl without good looks will have a hard time standing, even if she has a kind heart." Zero began to say something that Renata couldn't understand. "And you, my Renata, you have a beautiful heart. Of course you are not ugly, but you haven't had time to become beautiful yet. In the future, you are destined to become the same as me."
She hugged Renata gently: "I will give you freedom. You can leave here and try to be whoever you want to be. The price is that you will be my friend forever. Are you willing?"
"Of course I do!" Renata responded loudly without any hesitation. She had nothing to lose. Her family, her future, or her life, even these basic things that ordinary people have are a luxury for her. People who are in despair will not miss any life-saving straw, because they have nothing to lose and do not need to worry about the consequences.
"Then, Renata Yevgeni Chicherin." Zero's eyes seemed to have faint golden ripples, staring into Renata's eyes, "Are you willing to flee with me? Along the way, we will not abandon each other, nor betray each other, until the end of death."
