On the top floor of the Star Tower, inside the Mayor's Office.
Secretaries and public officials were busy dealing with various problems and impacts caused by the city's lockdown. In a black glass cubicle not far from everyone, three people were having a conversation.
"Mr. Mayor, the notice has been sent out." A young secretary in a gray suit came to the side of a middle-aged man and reported the situation.
"Well, let's do this for now." He nodded slightly, and then the secretary exited the room, leaving only the middle-aged man as the mayor and another lady.
"Mrs. Isabel still cares so much about the children, I almost forgot about it."
"It's just that my focus is more on this aspect. The mayor has too many things to worry about." The noble lady picked up the coffee in front of her and blew it slowly, then took a small sip.
"I am indeed a little tired." Unlike the seriousness in front of outsiders, the mayor was very relaxed in front of this lady, leaning back on the chair, and his voice was full of fatigue.
"I originally thought it was some troublesome rats, but I didn't expect that there were biting sharks underwater." He sighed.
"Thanks to Pulin's concert the day before yesterday, the martial law was tightened a lot and the situation was not allowed to escalate."
"The problems in the underground world have been accumulating for a long time. The previous mayors have shelved them. I don't have the energy to pay attention to them. I thought it would be good to maintain a balance as in the past, but it seems that this is no longer possible."
"We don't know how many laboratories and bases that dangerous guy has hidden underground. Maybe all of them have been discovered, or maybe there are still fish that have slipped through the net, but we can't take the risk."
"So, it is imperative to clean up the entire underground world."
"The city's police and armed forces alone are not enough. We have to ask our superiors to lend some of our forces, which is probably another expense." He rubbed his forehead.
"Think of the best in everything. If it hadn't been discovered in advance this time, if the situation really got serious, I'm afraid you and I wouldn't be able to sit here." The noble lady shook her head.
"That's true." He sighed and sat up.
"Mrs. Isabella is still as understanding and comforting as ever. I remember when I first met you, I was just an ignorant college student." He is only a human, but the lady in front of him is both an elf and a human.
A mixed race has a much longer lifespan.
Then he talked about some things from that year. When he was studying in the Central Star Territory, he saw Lady Isabella giving a speech at the school as a guest.
"You probably didn't know me at that time. After all, there were too many students here."
"Xuanxinzi Academy is really a distant memory." The lady recalled.
Before she lived in seclusion here, she was a high-ranking member of the Federal Artists Association and an honorary professor at many prestigious universities. Even though she no longer holds an actual position, she still has considerable influence in the education and entertainment circles.
Although she has elf blood and comes from a famous family in the Central Star Territory, because she is mixed-blood, she does not get used to many pure-blood elf family members, so she moved to a remote place after living in seclusion.
The reason why she came to Payin City is because this city was named by the elders in her family, which means 'steel striking arpeggiated music'. It is quite poetic and fateful, and with her status, it would not be too bad to go anywhere.
.
She invested money to buy and run the 'Liu Li Dream' together with several local acquaintances. It serves as a place where she usually sits and spends time. After all, no matter how beautiful the scenery is, if there is no one to enjoy it with, it will feel lacking in color.
.
It is also because she is here that former singers and performers like 'Butis' and 'Andusia' will come to work in this store after retiring from the entertainment industry.
The younger generation of a friend's family, because he did not want to participate in the complicated power struggle in the family, went into self-exile and was introduced to live here.
The two chatted for a while, talking about past memories and the current generation of singers.
"Yolandoya once taught Pulin for a while, and their styles are very similar. However, compared to Yolandoja the Green Snake, Pulinkoko the Flame Candy is much more likable."
"But recently Yolan Duojia found a good seedling. Her luck has always been very good."
"Good talent? A new singer?" Upon hearing this, the mayor became interested.
"I guess I won't be able to hide it from you in the future. Yes, there is a young singer, only 16 years old. Her name is Hesia Tilan. She is now working at the 'Liu Li Dream'."
"What a surprise." The mayor rubbed his chin, thinking about how to use this singer to build momentum and publicity for his city.
"Put those thoughts aside for now. This child is still young and is not suitable for contact with the public at the moment. Otherwise, her growth trajectory will be interrupted." The lady shook her head.
"Okay, Mrs. Isabella said so." The mayor thought that it would probably be a few years later when the singer grew up, and he would still be in office or not by then, so he became indifferent.
Come down.
"It's good news anyway. If she achieves much in the future, the Governor of the Star Territory will have to follow her advice, and the Four-leaf Crystal Star Territory will be able to regain some vitality." The mayor thought quietly and tapped the table with his fingers.
"It's better to protect her now. By the way, where does she live?"
"It is said to be a ground floor residential area."
"How can this be done? It's too unsafe there." After this incident, the mayor was no longer at ease with the lower-level officials.
"Don't interrupt other people's lives rashly." Lady Isabella shook her head helplessly.
"Besides, she will go to high school soon, and she won't stay at the lower level for a long time."
"Since she was able to struggle and flourish from that darkness before, naturally she will not be trapped there in the future. We elders only need to appreciate it silently. It is not a good thing to encourage others. I have seen too many talented people before.
People who were frivolous and arrogant in their early years ruined their future and were unable to continue in the art world."
"Just provide her with a fair and stable platform, and she will walk up to it step by step." The lady slowly stirred the coffee in her hand.
"As expected of Mrs. Isabel, you have taught several singers of several levels. I wish Yolandoja had listened to your teachings more. This child is also a pity for our Four-leaf Crystal Star Territory." The mayor shook his head slightly.
"Although she has quit the show, she must be very happy in her current life. There is more to life than this. Don't judge others too firmly."
"Just like me, several sisters in my family persuaded me to stay in the Central Star Territory, but then I got tired of it. In fact, after being so far apart, the relationship between me and my sisters has become much better. Now I can get better every year.
I took the super-light spacecraft back to visit them a few times, and they were no longer as uncomfortable with each other as before."
"Let's end our conversation today. Mr. Mayor probably still has a lot of things to do, so I won't interrupt him."
Afterwards, the lady walked out of the office hall on the top floor, stepped into the vertical elevator on one side, and overlooked the night view of the underground city.
"Although it is not as magnificent as the central star field, the sound of steel echoes in the dark underground, like a giant beast slowly advancing. Perhaps such an industrial city is the backbone of the federation."
"Flower of Golden Flame, Isenissa, the wish you left behind back then has now bloomed in many star fields in the star sea. We, the elves, will also follow your will and fill the barren and iron-gray planets.
Thousands of flowers bloomed in the forests and meadows.”
She pressed her hands on her chest, and the golden rose rings on her knuckles shone brightly in the darkness, like real flowers.