Louise didn't come home all night, which worried Zach. Vertex 23S. The fastest update, but when she called Walter, Maggie didn’t know the reason, only that they hadn’t come back yet. Zach couldn't do anything. But fortunately, the worry is not about safety, because unless Walter doesn't want to live a good life in the real world, he will not let anything bad happen to Louise ~ This is just a simple logical judgment.
Before James went to work, he had a few words with Zach as usual, "Before noon today, your TV should be able to receive the Republic TV channel." Oh, this time, the Republic TV channel subscription, "If you don't get it, call TV!" Go to work.
Alice also looked at Zach as usual before heading to Parker Elementary School. Sires, who came to work, went to the display counter. Zach continued to have nothing to do, sitting in the rec room watching TV.
The phone in the office rang, and Zach went to answer it, "This is Grand Funeral Home..."
It has become a pattern. It is difficult to finish Zach's opening line about the funeral home. He will always be interrupted directly, and then the person on the other side of the receiver will go directly to the topic. But not this time.
"How can I help you?" After rarely saying this, Zach amused himself, suppressing his voice and giggling in the office. Don't complain about the weird uncle who is lonely.
"Zachary Toredo. Or I should call you Mr. Grande." Female voice.
"Just Mr. Grande." Zack stopped smiling, "Who are you?"
"Lily, I'm Mayor Lesembra's secretary."
"Oh." Zach was slightly surprised. He didn't expect to receive a call from this person. "Is something okay?"
"My daughter was taken away by social workers early this morning and I want to know why."
Zach raised his eyebrows. Vega City moved really fast. It only told James the suggestion yesterday, and it started taking action this morning... Oh no, social protection of children who cannot get a healthy growth environment is a basic operation. , James should be the one who moves quickly. It seems that last night, while Zach and Ian were catching up on old times, James occupied Zach's office for nothing.
"You should ask the social worker this question, not me." The reason why Zach said this is because he didn't want to take credit~... The nearly 100 interracial families in Vega City will lose their children in the next few days, all because of Zhan's 'credit' Ms.’s~
"I asked, and the answer I got was that the kindergarten teacher reported me for teaching my daughter something she shouldn't know, about death, human death. Social services decided that I was unfit to continue being my daughter's guardian."
It's as if Zach cares about the details. He held the receiver and waved, "Oh, then I'm really sorry for you. Do you have anything else?"
There was silence on the other side of the receiver for a while, "It's not just me, my friends have also experienced the same thing."
"Okay. Then I really feel sorry for you." Zach's defense was flawless.
"I'm the mayor's secretary. Although I don't have much power, I at least have the opportunity to inquire about some things. Mr. Grande, you don't have to hide it. I know about this. It's not that Vega's social services suddenly want to Give those children a 'normal family' environment. The Vega police are abusing their power and coercing social institutions into overstepping their own capabilities."
"Wow." It was a compliment, but immediately, "I'm not the Vega police, I'm the owner of Grand Funeral Home. Did you make a mistake?"
"Do you have to let me kill you? Okay." The voice on the other side of the receiver sounded calm, "As I just said, although I don't have much power, the mayor's secretary is still compared to civilians. There are some advantages. So, the information I got from the Vega police is that this operation came from Barton City."
"I am not the city of Barton, I am one of countless citizens of the city of Barton."
The receiver was quiet for a while, and then said, "As the mayor's secretary, one of my daily tasks is to deal with the chores that the mayor is too lazy to do himself." He changed the topic inexplicably, "One of them is to transfer a low-dollar bill to a bank account every day. To teach a laughable check to a sleep-deprived alien."
Hold on! This secretary Lily, is she giving away the reward for making curse calls at four o'clock in the morning every day
Zach raised his eyebrows, waiting for the other party's follow-up words.
"If you answer my question, I'll be happy to forget about this little incident from now on." There was a small pause. "Can we come to an agreement on this, Mr. Zachary Grande?"
After an extremely fierce psychological struggle, "Deal~" Zach agreed.
"Okay." Without wasting any time, "Why did you take my daughter away."
"Would you rather your daughter lose her mother again?" Zach asked rhetorically.
The response was quick, "I've been through an attack, I survived it, and now that I know what I might face, I will continue to survive."
"Other victims were not as lucky as you and they did not survive."
"I'm not going to discuss some 'big principles' with you now. I don't care about other people's lives. I'm just a mother who wants answers. It was you who made me lose my child. This is a personal grudge."
"It's really interesting that you brought up personal grudges. I just had a personal grudge with your boss yesterday~" Zach almost went off topic.
"I don't care. I don't ask for much. You let me understand why I should bear the pain of losing my daughter, and I will comply with the deal just now." Oh, of course, this secretary Lily doesn't know about Zach and Root's personal grudges What is it.
"Okay, it's not difficult." Zach held the receiver and adjusted his sitting position. "You just said that this was an action taken by the Vega police due to their own lack of ability. This means that you understand that this is to solve the case. ,Right."
"I understand that doesn't mean I agree with it. I also said that this is a personal grudge. I don't care about the truth or solving the case. I only care about myself now."
"You're admitting that calling me to demand answers was just an emotional act, right?" Zach's logic was correct.
"Yes. I am a mother who just watched her daughter being taken away. I am allowed to be emotional." The words in the receiver were very calm.
"Then no matter what I say, I won't be able to satisfy you." Don't worry, Zach didn't finish his sentence, "Unless I promise that when the matter is over and the case is solved, your daughter can come back to you."
There was silence on the other side of the receiver. After a long time, "You are right, no matter what you say, it is impossible to satisfy me. Except for this promise." The voice in the receiver became calmer, "But you and I both know that you are simply not capable of making such a promise. You're just a funeral director from Barton City."
"Then remind me, I am just a funeral owner in Barton City. How did I make you lose your daughter in Vega City?"
Daily pattern of talking to Zach on the phone, quiet. Not long, maybe five or six seconds, "The mayor is right, Toledo is a dangerous creature."
"Thank you. So does our agreement still stand?"
"Established, as long as you can fulfill your promise."
"Okay." Zach nodded, "I believe that as the mayor's secretary, you are not idle. This phone call should have already taken up your time. There is no need to continue to waste your precious time."
The receiver naturally knew that this was Zach's farewell. However, "I am on vacation and the mayor is meeting his father, so I will only be in the way." It may have been said casually.
"Oh." Zach raised his eyebrows, "Then enjoy your vacation, Lily."
"I will, and I will wait for you to fulfill your promise."
"Yeah." Zach put down the phone. After thinking for a moment, he picked up the receiver again and called Charlie in Vega.
Although in the phone call just now, Zach confidently boasted about his ability to influence a city thousands of miles away, the fact is that Zach had no clue at the time to fulfill his promise. If you think about it carefully now, it depends on Grande's subordinates in Vega City.
Zach wasn't surprised when the phone wasn't picked up. In his words to Ian last night, regarding the fact that Toledo will always bear the burden of being bullied, with Lutresembra’s father appearing, Charlie should be the first to feel the pain of being a Toledo. of.
So Zach left a message, "It's me. I want to ask how Logan's exploration of the alien race in Vega is going? There should be many alien families who have lost their human children in Vega recently. Let him go and inquire. , maybe it can provide some guidance for his future life as an alien. In addition, let him collect the reactions of those alien families to the loss of their children. Well, there is no need to call back. Please pay attention to your safety in Vega City."
Putting down the receiver, Zach thought again and started to dial Nick Giovanni's phone number... No, it was Zach's home phone number in Vega City. What he wants to say has nothing to do with the promise. Zach just wants to ask about the news about the ancestor of Lesenbra's family.
After waiting for a full minute, Zach put down the receiver without leaving a message. He shook his head and prepared to leave the office.
The phone rang, and Zach answered it quickly, "Grand Funeral Home." At the beginning, he was completely told again, "How can I help you?"
"Zach, Zach?" a female voice.
A slightly familiar female voice, but Zach couldn't remember where he had heard it.
"It's me, you?"
"I, I'm Gina."
It’s really*…
"Well, you, you may have seen me? I, I don't know if you have seen me... I, I am Mayor Anthony's secretary."
"I know who you are." Zach's voice was calm.
"Oh, great! You know me!"
Zach doesn't know what's good about this, but now he can only keep his emotions stable and listen to what the person on the receiver has to say.
"I, I don't know who else to turn to! I... I..." I thought for a long time, as if I was holding back a sentence after endless difficulties, "I, can I ask you something first? You, you are Human?"
Zach did not answer this question, but said, "If you have more accurate doubts about my identity, tell me the more accurate content, and I will answer you, yes or no." Only in this way can we confirm what Gina knows!
"Okay, okay! Are you a vampire? Or a very powerful one? Wha, what... the second generation of Tu, Tuo? Theoretically the strongest vampire generation in the Federation?!"
You can be sure, Gina knows a lot, hehe, in theory, the Federation is the strongest, how well said.
Zach’s answer was “Yes.”
"Ah! The most important thing is, are you Anthony's friend?!" As if he was about to cry, "Please say yes..."
"I'm Anthony's friend." Zach frowned, because immediately there was a completely relaxed exhale on the other side of the receiver.
Things are confusing.
"Listen!" After relaxing, the woman on the other side of the receiver became nervous again, "I don't have much time! You need to help Anthony! He can't continue to be the mayor of Barton! He is in danger!! You must help him!"
"Slow down." Zach was trying to be patient. First, "Where are you now? Are you safe?" First confirm the conversation environment. For vampires, another flaw of the phone is that, at least for now, Zach can't hear the background sound. to anything useful.
"No... I, I don't know... too many people want to catch me... I..."
"Who wants to catch you?"
"Everyone! Including Anthony!" The other side of the receiver seemed to be crying again, "He doesn't know I'm helping him! Zach! Listen! You can't tell Anthony that he can't be the mayor of Barton! That will put him in more trouble. In the midst of a great danger, did you know that there is an organization called the Sabbat that is forcing him to become the mayor of Barton! They are right next to Anthony! They have occupied our city! You can't let them find out that you want to help Anthony! That is even You! An organization that even the strongest vampires can’t compete with! Zach, do you understand what I’m saying?!”
Uh... Does Zach understand what Gina is saying? No! Totally, I don’t understand!
"I'm trying to digest it." Zach stared at the phone, tentatively, "Then tell me why Anthony can't become Mayor of Barton, so that I can better help Anthony eliminate the danger." Everyone can think of this situation. Next, is there a better way to ask
"Because of the Sabbat! They are planning to make Barton theirs..." He stopped suddenly, and then said extremely anxiously, "Listen Zach! You must help Anthony! You can't let Anthony become a tool of the Sabbat! Please! Help him!" Now that the voting is over, find a way to sabotage the results! Please! Anthony's future is in your hands!! And, stay safe! The Sabbat is everywhere!! I'm leaving!"
The phone was hung up.
Zach blinked while listening to the beeping hang-up sound. This is really... confusing.
Zach pressed hang up and immediately dialed again. After being connected, "Is it me, Louise and Walter are back?"
"Zach! I was just about to call you~" Maggie's voice said, "They are back, Louise just went out to go back to Grande~"
"Thank you." Zach was about to hang up the phone.
"Don't forget~the engagement party tomorrow~" Maggie added.
"I won't forget it." Zach put down the receiver and forced himself to wait patiently.
It is necessary, at least until Zach himself figures out the logic of the incident, Zach will not ask for trouble to tell Anthony the inexplicable phone call he just received. Zach, can't explain what Gina said. I hope that Louise, who has not returned home all night, can come back with an explanation.