When all the agents were blown away by the airflow, Keira frowned deeply. She looked at Alfred's face, and then asked him: "Aren't you curious who that person is?"
Alfred shook his head and said: "I am just an old butler. The major events that are about to happen in this world have nothing to do with me."
"What did you mean by what you said before?"
Keira walked up to Alfred and looked at him. After saying those words, Alfred seemed a little tired.
If he were an ordinary old man, Keira might think that he was tired. After all, thinking and talking consume a lot of energy, but Alfred is still very strong. Although he is no longer young, Keira has no doubt that he is fundamentally strong.
I can't defeat this old butler.
"Valeria, you asked me in your previous letter what I thought about my future plans for life. I didn't mention this in my reply, not because I didn't have an opinion, but because I was afraid that I
You don’t really want to hear my opinion…”
Keira tilted her head, not understanding what Alfred meant by this. She thought for a moment and then said:
"Are you worried that I won't adopt your suggestions? It doesn't matter. I think everything should be done by listening carefully. Even if some suggestions are not in line with my expectations, I am willing to use them as a reference and thank those who gave me suggestions...
"That's why you've been able to progress so fast, but it's also why you don't want to listen to my advice."
Keira thought Alfred was still worried about her not accepting the suggestion, so she walked up to Alfred, looked into his eyes and said, "Oh, Mr. Pennyworth, you really don't need to worry about this."
, I have always regarded you as my teacher and godfather..."
"...My suggestion is to bring your family to the United States as soon as possible, then find another job, spend the rest of your life stably, and don't mention your identity in the first half of your life again, not to anyone.
"
Kayla's brows slowly wrinkled, and her chest began to rise and fall faster. It was obvious that she was becoming a little angry, but she still asked as patiently as possible: "Why?"
Before Alfred could answer, Keira still couldn't help it. She said: "How can I betray my career? How can I betray my ideals? The shores of Lake Baikal are my hometown, and I will eventually return there.
"
The more she spoke, the more excited she became. Thinking of her hometown made her more emotional. She said with a trembling tone:
"Yes, I know that most people have a bad impression of Siberia. They think it is a permanently frozen land..."
"But it is also a child in the arms of a great mother. Lake Baikal is the pearl on her forehead and the teardrops in the corners of her eyes. That is my hometown. I was born there and will definitely die there."
"Calm down, Valeria, I'm not denying this, that's why I'm saying that you may not like to hear my advice."
"You have to tell me the reason, right? Alfred, how else would you expect me to accept this ridiculous suggestion?"
Alfred sighed and said:
"Decades ago, I was as passionate and full of ideals as you..."
"Even until I completed the task of delivering the list as instructed, I was intoxicated by the beautiful vision that the great cause could achieve..."
"But it all ends with my decision."
"what is that?"
"I remember that I mentioned that after hiding the list, I did not go directly back to the UK to find my boss and contact person, but went to Moscow."
Keira frowned and said, "I wanted to ask before, is it illegal to go directly to Moscow? Even if I am a Soviet, I can't do this easily."
"Yes, but I had no choice at the time, because I knew that only scientists in Moscow could possibly solve the monster's egg."
"The process of obtaining the egg from the owl was extremely difficult and dangerous. During the process, we saw many things that ordinary people have not seen. I realized that some kind of dark force may be threatening the world, and we must find a way.
Stop it."
"At that time, I felt that the crisis was imminent and the regulations were not that important in comparison, so I found a way to come to Moscow."
"Then what?"
"I was arrested...Of course, this is not unexpected. After all, I broke the rules, but after that..."
Alfred sighed, and then said:
"At that time, Philby had returned to Moscow, and he guaranteed me. Moscow decided not to pursue me for violating the regulations."
"But when I told them all this, their first reaction was not how to solve the monster egg and the mysterious dark power and ensure the safety of the people of the world. They understood it as a newly developed weapon by the United States.
…”
"They asked me about the detailed parameters of this weapon, hoping to get more detailed information. I repeatedly emphasized to them the danger of that thing and the fact that we must solve it and eliminate hidden dangers for all mankind."
"But the answer I got was disappointing."
"The person in charge of communicating with me told me that in order to ensure that this newly developed weapon will not be used by the United States against them, they will send other agents to investigate the matter."
"And if it is just an uncontrolled monster that cannot be exploited, then the United States will suffer first, and they are happy to see what happens."
Keira was a little silent. These stories seemed to be an understatement when told from Alfred's mouth, but she could relate to the disappointment and anger.
"Actually, I tried hard to convince myself at the time. For example, the Soviet Union's financial situation was quite worrying at the time, and it was unable to invest heavily in an illusory project. For example, maybe I didn't get more conclusive evidence and couldn't prove that thing.
The danger of…”
"Or, I also think...maybe in the final analysis, no one has the obligation to save all mankind."
Keira could hear Alfred's voice becoming choked up, especially when he uttered the last sentence. In that old and hoarse voice, there was a crisp sound of something breaking, which reached Keira's ears.
It made her feel suffocated.
"But what really disappointed me was that just as I was allowed to leave Moscow, I was assassinated."
"At that time, I thought it must be American spies lurking in Moscow who wanted to kill me. They almost succeeded. The person who did it was very powerful. Two bullets hit my calf and chest respectively."
"I narrowly escaped with my life, but when I recovered from my injuries and was about to investigate the matter, I discovered that the person who did it was not an American spy, but... one of my own."
Kayla's eyes widened and she said: "How is it possible? Why would they..."
"Because once the information about the monster egg and the dark forces I know is spread, it may greatly shake the confidence of the army. They don't want me to go out and spread panic..."
Alfred closed his eyes and said:
"Once upon a time, we were walking on a road that we would never be afraid of. When we wanted to move forward, we didn't have to go around the mountain. The mountain would bypass us out of fear."
"It all ends at the moment when we start to hesitate."
"Perhaps, no one in this world has the obligation to save the whole world. All of this is just an unrealistic fantasy. But when we give up this fantasy, we give up everything."
Keira saw the ravines on Alfred's face trembling, and he suddenly discovered that the butler's old age did not seem to come from physical decay, but more from the decadence of a spirit that had collapsed and been rebuilt.
and fatigue.
Keira suddenly understood that Alfred did not give up this career because of his relationship with Bruce. Rather, after he gave up his beliefs, Bruce became his only spiritual sustenance.
Thinking of this, Kayla suddenly said anxiously: "Wait a minute, Alfred, Benjamin got your information before, and your previous resume is recorded on it..."
"If, as you said, you didn't actually develop Little Wayne into a member of the organization, and he doesn't even know your past, then you have to destroy those materials as soon as possible!"
"Come with me quickly, I'll take you to that room!"
Alfred looked at Keira, with some surprise in his eyes, and said, "I thought you would scold me for making up stories, or be dissatisfied with me deliberately discrediting her..."
"You're not that kind of person."
Keira stopped moving forward, turned around, hesitated for a while, looked back at Alfred, and said:
"In difficult times, people like you and Philby tried to turn the tide under unimaginable pressure, and you did."
"When you are dying, you can say: 'My whole life and all my energy have been dedicated to the most magnificent cause in the world - the struggle for the liberation of mankind.'"
Keira paused and said with a trembling tone:
"Perhaps, all mankind will not be liberated..."
"Alfred..." Keira looked into Alfred's eyes and asked, "...but will you regret your past career?"
Alfred also looked into Keira's eyes. He was silent for a while, and then slowly shook his head.
Keira turned her back to him, paused, then started walking again.
Her voice echoed in the room, like an actor trying to finish the last line of a drama when the curtain fell early.