"You know what, Katie.

The first director of Guanghui Welfare Hospital showed a smile full of joy and longing, but also a little uneasy: "Today is a big day.

She rubbed the corner of her clothes nervously, and tightened the bow tie that made her feel uncomfortable.

This old man who is almost 60 years old now, as if he was going to see an old friend whom he had not seen for decades, got up at four o'clock in the morning, urging them to clean every corner of the hospital. She herself had put on her most respectable clothes—a yellowish, but clean, neat purple-and-white corset, and a blue-and-white silk cravat.

It looks like it was a popular style at least twenty years ago. Katie commented in her heart.

"A big day to celebrate?"

asked the girl in a nurse uniform made of white linen.

yes. "

The old man said in a low voice: "Today the lord is coming to inspect.

"Which adult?"

That's too much, Katie muttered dissatisfiedly.

To them, many people are called "adults".

"It's the one who funded the construction of the Welfare Hospital."

The old dean lowered his voice again: "Go and put on good clothes, comb your hair, and wash your face. You will come to receive that adult later... I didn't ask you to clean up. This job is easy for you. Be careful not to offend him.

The implication is clear—you're good at it.

Katie felt cold.

But the old dean begged softly again: "We depend on you, Katie...don't let that adult withdraw the capital.

After a moment of hesitation, Katie finally relented and sighed.

She understood that they—they who worked in welfare institutions—were nothing more than unwanted trash.

They can neither read nor count. They don't have the physical fitness of men or the tall and strong northern women, they don't have the skills handed down from the artisan family, they can't sing or dance, they can't write poetry or paint wine, and they don't even have good looks and figures. Incompetence is nothing but they are kind. Mingming grew up in the North District. But he is still not aggressive enough, not selfish enough, and he still has a little kindness in his heart... and he is still willing to believe in Mo's incompetent and kind person. It is not suitable for living in an environment like the North District. Perhaps this kind of quality can make them a well-behaved canary, sold by their parents as commodities—but who made them not even give birth well? Even in the countryside.

They can only live in welfare homes or welfare hospitals. Not because of their kindness, but because they are not greedy enough.

Because the labor here is heavy and dirty, but the income is not much, there is no way to advance, and there is no money to earn... Those girls who are smarter, prettier, and younger than them don't look down on the work here .

The only hope is that it is safe here. Nobody would loot or vandalize—it was poor and there was a great danger of vandalism. The poor who need alms are like beasts. They are dirty, cunning, greedy, numb...but they have no scruples. The slums are naturally a frequent spot for criminal cases. But among the murders, six out of ten are these poor people who are homeless, have no clothes to eat, have no food to eat, and have nowhere to go...or the victims come from villages near the city and have been attacked The border of China or the black zone I factory of the rebels, and even refugees from neighboring countries. in last despair. They thought of the welfare homes and welfare hospitals that every big city must have. These welfare institutions, which are invested and built in the image of entrepreneurs and may be dismissed at any time, are their last hope for survival.

Once this hope is lost

But if someone kills them, they kill everyone.

In Sardinia, this is called a "revolt of the victims". It is called by other names in other countries. Since the birth of the orphanage, a similar situation has been initiated in a certain area of ​​a certain country every year. It is almost impossible to prevent such a situation—it is impossible to completely eliminate the victims of disasters, and it is even more impossible to open up to those companies investing in the construction of welfare institutions and provide them with more loans. In the end, the policy adopted by the Principality of Sardinia was funded by the government to ensure that there were at least one welfare institution and welfare hospital in each large city to prevent riots caused by the simultaneous disbandment of all private welfare institutions; The behavior of attacking hospitals and schools was raised to the same level. If the behavior is bad, it will be sentenced to death, which will greatly increase the cost of attacking welfare institutions. The Teutons completely banned welfare institutions and managed "volunteer schools" with similar mechanisms. Let these useless people who really can't find a job do the hardest and most tiring work. And only give them the minimum reward that can fill their stomachs and not freeze to death.

The only difference between them and prisoners is that they can leave at any time - if they are willing to take the risk of death.

They couldn't escape even if they wanted to. in Teutonic. The movement of people between each region will be strictly regulated. Every year, there is an upper limit on the number of people passing inside and outside each area. For example, between this area and this area, 15,000 people can enter and 23,000 people can leave this year. Once the number reaches the upper limit, those who forcibly cross the border will commit the crime of illegal border crossing, which is equivalent to the crime of espionage.

The meaning of the Teutonic King is very clear—whatever you do, you can’t eat enough, and you can’t eat enough. You will either starve to death or freeze to death as soon as possible, or use your residual heat to die of exhaustion or disease. You have to choose the right way to die.

As for those who have been slow to choose a way to die and are unwilling to learn, we can directly identify them as "unstable elements" and find opportunities to suppress or eradicate them.

After all, Teutonic was not the same as Frank or Sardinian. Except for the very painful leader in the south, the control of the Teutonic royal family is very strong in the territory directly under their gentry. Because they are the second king in name, the first king and founder in essence of the Holy Roman Empire, the direct descendants of the Lionheart King Leonardo Povato, and the successor of the Holy Roman Empire for hundreds of years. Cultural traditions made the Teutonic royal power extremely stable.

They don't need to consider their approval ratings, and they don't have to worry about nobles agitating public opinion and taking the opportunity to attack—because the only thing the people believe in is the power of righteousness that comes from the blood of the "Lionheart King" to distinguish evil from evil. Therefore, if one cannot prove that one has such psychic powers, any attempt to usurp power is ridiculous and comical. For hundreds of years, Teutonic national policy has not changed.

They always stay on the defensive, keep internal propaganda, keep doing nothing, and are responsible for appointing wise and not evil people to participate in the work of various positions, and let others take the blame when there is any trouble, and always remain the "king" A non-stick pan for this position. Even in the most difficult times on the front line. Each generation of Teutonic kings still confidently inspected his kingdom. He repeated Teutonic invincibility to his people over and over again.

...The only thing that went wrong was the battle of the founding of Sardinia a hundred years ago.

But even that time, the Teutonic royal family finally gave an account of the lives of eleven great nobles and one former king.

Formally, this kind of trust passed down from generation to generation and integrated into cultural symbols made the Teutonic monarchy so stable that even the Pope could not easily shake it.

Although the territory is not large, the stable royal power of Teutonic even made the Papal States and the Frankish nobles in the West very afraid. Poems about praising the Teutonic kings of all dynasties are forbidden to spread in Western countries. But even so, there are legends everywhere about the royal family that flows like a lion's blood.

Of course, there are royal families with "blood of lions" in these legends. The case of not acting as boldly as their ancestors was naturally ignored by people.

The Teutonic kings of this generation were an anomaly. He has a great voice at home and abroad, and has been actively doing something... Therefore, he is also the most controversial in the Teutonic country.

But even so, the Teutonic king of this generation persecuted the victims semi-openly, and people would not stand up against him, they would just follow along and persecute the victims. This is a special national condition that only exists in Teutonic - if he cannot prove to the king that he is wrong, then the king is right. Katie's father was a young ship doctor who narrowly escaped from Teutonia. He has a handsome appearance and a lazy personality that are extremely rare in poor families.

Therefore, after his captain and the ship were buried in the belly of the fish in an accident, and he lost his job, he refused to do hard work, so he flattered the eldest lady of a caravan. But after he escaped from Teutonic, he accidentally got carried away and angered the young lady. After she sent someone to knock off his right index finger, she drove him off the boat and stayed in Florence. Lost index finger. He can't even do his job as a doctor, so he can only make a living in the port as a gangster. Relying on her father's ability to brag and chat, with the eyesight of two years on the boat. I don't have to worry about food and clothing.

That's when he met Katie's mother. And gave birth to Katie.

The stable life has lasted for several years, but he still wants to do a job that is "suitable for him" and "can make a fortune overnight". So one day, after talking with a captain who planned to go to America for development, he suddenly disappeared.

And their family also lost the source of funds for living.

Katie was less than six years old at the time, and her younger siblings were two and three. It's hard for them to live in the expensive West End. So after slowly using up their little savings, the family sold their property and moved to the North District. Katie thought to herself. Those who recite it over and over again strengthen their confidence. I'm not going back to my previous life... I'm just telling herself over and over again, but her eyes are a little blurry. Obviously she has gotten used to it countless times, but this time she felt disgusted—even more disgusted and unwilling than the first time. By Solomon, by **** I hope that good-hearted man, a real good-hearted man She wipes away her tears and prays in a low voice.

Then, the door of the Welfare Hospital was pushed open.