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"Let's go on the weekend, if the balloon hasn't left Tokyo yet."
Chapter 209 Humanity's Choice
"The balloon didn't take off?"
After hearing Shan Zhong’s report, Captain Long was a little surprised.
"Yes, it probably needed maintenance. The balloon boat didn't take the children into the air. In the end, the two pilots flew away in the balloon themselves."
"Could it be that they were scared because they saw the TAC team?" Konno guessed, "That must be the case. They didn't dare to provoke the TAC team, so they ran away when they saw the Airo."
This might be possible, but after thinking about it, Yamanaka mentioned another unimportant thing:
"Come to think of it, I saw someone familiar among the kids lining up at the hot air balloon park. Was it Oshima Reiya? Hokuto, your little friend."
That was what Yamanaka saw on the Airo. Yamanaka had very good eyesight, and when the Airo was hovering at low altitude, he could even see the faces of people on the ground. He had seen them several times before, so he was considered an acquaintance.
"Ah, she's there too?"
Beidou was stunned for a moment, then realized that if there was really a problem with the balloon ship, then the reason for not taking off with the children was probably not because they were afraid of the TAC team.
Beidou is not the only one who realizes this.
"Ningzi, what are the results of the investigation on the balloon ship?" asked Captain Long.
Before asking Yamanaka to investigate on the scene, he also asked Noriko to contact the Ministry of Disaster Prevention, the Metropolitan Police Department and other relevant departments to confirm the information about the balloon.
"Yes, I checked here. The National Police Agency showed that the balloon ship was first seen a month ago. It first landed in Aokigahara, and then began to tour the country. After that, it went through Aichi, Nagoya, Nagano, and Gunma. It stayed in each place for three to five days, and then came to Tokyo this week."
"You've been to so many cities. Have you received any complaints from citizens or called the police?"
"Not at all. Parents are very welcoming and say that their children who have ridden the balloon boat have become very obedient. Children who originally didn't like to study have started to do their homework seriously. Naughty children no longer get into trouble. So those who have come into contact with it are very grateful to the balloon boat."
"But isn't this very strange?" Beidou couldn't help but interject, "Parents aren't worried when their children become different from before?"
"Beidou, that's because you don't have children. When some little ones are naughty, their mothers want to stuff them back into their stomachs." Konno smiled, "Being able to not cry or make a fuss and still love to study is what many parents dream of. Who wouldn't be dissatisfied?"
"It's like you have a child," Beidou muttered.
Among this group of people, the eldest brother doesn't laugh at the second brother, including Captain Long and Noriko. They don't even have a partner, let alone getting married. The only one who has hope of being single, Yamanaka, also had his fiancée meet with an accident.
The entire TAC team, both men and women, are single. This is not accidental, as people with families generally do not join the TAC team.
The work here is day and night, and if something happens, I often can't go home for days. I can't support my family.
As Konno said, the balloon boat had a great impact, and some parents even took to the streets, not to protest, but to petition for the balloon boat to come to their city as soon as possible. These parents who took to the streets even alerted the police department.
"Captain, can our TAC team just ignore this kind of thing?"
"How can we just leave it alone?" Yamanaka was not satisfied with Beidou's statement. "Beidou, you have to understand that although we, the TAC, have high authority and priority over the National Police Agency and the military, we are also subject to public supervision. If the public does not want us to fight, then we have no reason to fight."
Beidou looked at the captain. This time, Captain Long did not refute. Including Konno and Noriko, they all knew that Yamanaka was right.
"Unless we can prove that balloons are a real hazard to children, parents around the country will not agree that we should take action against balloons."
"Real dangers... In that case, Captain, let me investigate!"
"Investigate? How can you investigate? The balloon ship won't accept a child like you. After all, although we are cautious and pretend that the balloon ship is an enemy, no one knows the truth. Maybe it is really a balloon ship that brings happiness?"
Yamanaka wanted to speak more, but Captain Long clapped his hands.
"Beidou, if you have a way to investigate, please use your method. The others will resume normal patrols. Beidou, I allow you to continue to follow up on the balloon boat incident."
On Monday morning, Sakura woke up late again.
Why do we say "again"?
"It's okay if you don't rush, Sakura." Nadeshiko found it a little funny to see Sakura stuff her mouth like a squirrel with breakfast. "If you are worried about being late, I can take you directly to school."
As long as you use the dimensional ring, it will only take one step from home to school.
"No, Mom, I can do it myself!"
"really?"
"Well, really!"
Sakura was not very willing to see her mother use that mysterious power, as if she was deliberately reminding her of the cold facts seven years ago.
A mother is a mother, the more ordinary she is, the better.
"I'm full!" After quickly finishing her breakfast, Ying picked up her schoolbag and was about to go out.
"Ying, don't take that balloon boat."
"Ah?" Sakura was a little surprised that her mother would say this.
"Yakura, it's better for you to be more lively. It's okay if you don't have to be too obedient. Mom was like that when she was a child." Although Nadeshiko looks quiet, she was not like that at all when she was a child.
No child is born obedient, that would be erasing their nature.
"If Sakura wants to go up to the sky, we can go on a plane during spring break. Or a roller coaster would be nice too."
"Mom, do you dare to ride the roller coaster?"
"Of course."
So, Nadeshiko's appearance is really deceptive. Just sitting there, she looks like a literary girl who likes flower arranging and reading quietly. But in fact, Nadeshiko has loved climbing trees since she was a child, and she is not afraid of roller coasters or even bungee jumping.
"Is there really something wrong with that balloon boat?" Fujitaka asked from the side.
"I don't know either. It's just that I always feel something is weird. I don't like that feeling."
When the balloon flew over the city, it always gave Fuzi some special feelings.
What was it like? Nadeshiko couldn't really put it into words, but it probably reminded her of the Yawa people and the Ultra Beasts.
"Okay Sakura, now we're completely late."
"Ah!" Sakura exclaimed after looking at the clock on the wall.
"So, let me deliver it once in a while. It's okay, mom is always mom. You are the Cardcaptor Girl, and I am the Dimensional Witch."
Saying this, Nadeshiko took Sakura's hand, and the next second they both disappeared into the house.
Fujitaka began to clear the breakfast dishes.
"What about me? Am I Clow Reedo?" He smiled self-deprecatingly. He was probably the most useless Clow Reedo. Apart from professional history, he didn't know anything else.
The Kinomoto family has been living here, and after Nadeshiko came back a while ago, it did cause some gossip among the neighbors.
Some people remember that Mrs. Kinomoto, the young woman who looked like a high school student, should have died many years ago. But after all, more than seven years have passed, and such memories seem unclear.
"My wife went back to the countryside. Her home is in Akita." Fujitaka always explained this way.
Although some people were confused at first, as it seemed that Nadeshiko had indeed passed away in their memories, now a living person was here. Compared to memory, reality was more definite evidence.
Someone said, "It seems that they did say they went back to their hometown." Then, even the person with the most vivid memory began to think that they had made a mistake. Group memory confusion sometimes happens. Gradually, everyone thought that Nadeshiko did go back to her hometown.
Some people said that they had a quarrel and broke cups and dishes. Some people said that the surname Tiangong was a big family and they eloped and got married, so they were found and taken back by the family.
The story was vivid and colorful, and neither Nadeshiko nor Fujitaka refuted it. Even though it was used as a topic of conversation after dinner, the fact that "Ndeshiko was dead" was gradually forgotten by everyone. What the neighbors could remember was the story of a woman from a large family who eloped with her university teacher and was caught by the family.
This is much more interesting than the cold and heartless story of beauty being envied by God and dying young.
"There's something wrong with that balloon boat—that's what Aunt Nadeshiko said?"
"Yes, so I promised mom that I would not go. I'm sorry, Lingye, we agreed to sit together."
"It's okay." Ling didn't care whether to take the balloon boat or not. It was because Sakura wanted to take it before and pulled her along. She agreed because she thought it didn't matter.
Now that Sakura has changed her mind, she doesn't care even more.
Ling herself didn't find it new or curious at all about the idea of flying into the sky to take a look.
But what Lingya is concerned about is, does Fuzi also think that there is something wrong with the balloon boat?
Ling also looked up at the sky. In the distance, the balloon ship was floating again, carrying a boat full of children.
Is that an enemy?
When Lingye came to the park again, unlike Sunday morning, there was a long line today and most of the children were brought by their parents.
"Reiya, this way!"
She unexpectedly heard someone calling her name, and then Ling also saw Beidou, who was wearing casual clothes.
"Brother Beidou, is the white suit your only casual wear?"
I didn't expect Lingye's first sentence to be this, and Beidou's smile, which was intended to be a greeting, was a little stuck.
He was investigating in plain clothes. Isn't the content of the investigation more important? It has nothing to do with what he wears, right?
However, when Beidou thought about it carefully, it seemed that apart from the TAC team uniform, there was really only a white suit in his closet.
"Doesn't this dress look good?"
"It's pretty nice. Sister Xizi bought it for you, right?"
Beidou was embarrassed to answer after hearing that, because it was indeed Yuko who helped him choose it.
I usually wear the team uniform, so I rarely get the chance to wear it.
"Did you find anything?"
Beidou, in a suit, stood out in the crowd at the park. He was certainly not a child, but he looked much younger than the children's parents.
"Ace said that the balloon ship might be a super beast." Beidou said.
"Super beast?" It's not a monster, it's not an alien, is it a super beast?
"So, that's one of the super beasts that the Yabo people left behind on Earth? I wonder when they can be cleaned up."
"That's not the problem now. I'm sorry, but this Ultra Beast Ace probably won't do anything."
The Kingdom of Light will not interfere with the choices of civilizations. If humans themselves feel that there is no problem and choose to send their children here, then the Ultra Warriors will not appear.
"Is that really a good thing? It makes your children different from before. Even if they love learning more and are more obedient."
Beidou didn't understand.
Chapter 210 Gods in Heaven, Peace on Earth
Children and parents lined up in a long queue on the lawn of Kameido Park.
From a distance, the entire lawn square was filled with people. This scene felt more lively than the temple fair in summer.
Beidou and Ling also looked at the balloon boat in the sky. After cruising over Tokyo, it slowly descended. Beidou found that the children who got off the boat had lost their enthusiasm and excitement when they got on the boat. They were like numb. Even the most naughty children became quiet and obedient.