Chapter 40: It's My Turn (3/4)

Chapter 40: My Turn (3/4)

There was certainly no need for fine dining; Karen couldn't be bothered to prepare anything elaborate. Fried spring rolls, fried eggplant cakes, and egg fried rice—these three items in ample supply would suffice.

Next, as he busied himself in the kitchen, Karen could clearly hear the mounting clamor from downstairs;

there were those weeping,

those giving speeches,

and at one point, they even chanted in unison:

"Hickson, come out and atone for your sins!"

At half past ten,

Karen carried the spring rolls downstairs. Seeing this, Mina, Lunt, and Chris hurried upstairs to help fetch the food and arrange the plates. It was served buffet-style; anyone who wanted to eat could grab a plate and help themselves, and the same went for the drinks.

Setting down the platter,

Karen wiped his hands on his apron;

at this moment, Grandfather stood by the coffins, offering a prayer, while the crowd below put on a full-fledged performance;

several local celebrities were acting particularly flamboyant, clutching the coffins of Siso's family and wailing as though the deceased were their own parents.

The reporters scrambled to capture these moments;

there was also a female star, dressed in a black gown, looking rather cold and aloof. She first walked into the corner by the restroom with her assistant. When she emerged, something must have been applied to her eyes; standing straight beneath the coffins, tears slowly trickled from her eyes.

The nearby assistant immediately ordered the reporters to hurry up and take photos.

Once the shots were taken,

she took a handkerchief from the assistant's hand to wipe her eyes while complaining under her breath:

"It's far too noisy here, it's ruining my rest."

The assistant consoled her in a low voice, "It's almost over, it's almost over, the appearance fee of one hundred thousand lubis is as good as ours."

The actress's expression softened considerably at once.

Yet during their conversation, they completely ignored the waiter standing beside them in an apron... Karen.

Next came some elites of Luoja City. They stepped forward to present flowers and offer condolences, then stood one by one in the center of the stage to speak, their denunciations all directed at the old mayor, Hickson.

That Mr. Morfe caught Karen's attention.

"Mr. Morfe is here, quick, take the picture."

"Take the shot quickly! Everyone in front, step aside, you're blocking the lens."

Morfe?

A tall, well-proportioned, and elegant middle-aged man.

He attracted Karen not because of his appearance, but because Karen happened to have a pack of Morfe Gold Frame cigarettes in his pocket, produced by this man's tobacco factory.

"Karen."

A familiar voice called out; it was Piaget.

"Mr. Piaget, if you wish to offer condolences, you must go over there and line up," Karen reminded him.

Piaget shook his head and said, "I don't know them, I won't be mourning."

"Oh, alright. Would you like a spring roll?"

"Hmm? Let me try one."

Piaget took a bite of a spring roll, then pointed at the dipping sauces nearby and asked, "Is this fruit vinegar? Why is it black?"

"It is vinegar," Karen replied.

Beside the spring rolls and eggplant cakes were several varieties of dipping sauces: sweet sauce, spicy sauce, sesame sauce, as well as sauces suited to local Luoja tastes.

Piaget dipped the spring roll into the vinegar before putting it in his mouth, nodding as he said:

"I think this food pairs best with this."

"Yes, your taste is just like mine."

However, while many spring rolls had been eaten from the table and the other sauces had been replenished two or three times, this vinegar remained practically untouched.

"Delis is here! Delis!"

The environmental activist girl, Delis, appeared, instantly drawing a burst of cheers from the crowd.

Delis delivered a speech as well, and the reporters rapidly scribbled her words into their notebooks.

It was not about protecting the environment, but rather an attack, claiming that the four coffins lying here today represented a trampling of freedom and democracy, a trampling of human rights.

Especially her final shouts:

"Who gave him the courage to do this!

Who gave him the right to do this!

How dare he do this!"

Delis used "him" instead of "them," a very clear and specific designation.

"What a terrible speech," Piaget remarked, still eating his vinegar-dipped spring roll.

Karen said, "I thought she came to protest against burying four coffins together, since it's not environmentally friendly."

"Heh," Piaget chuckled, "busy day today, isn't it?"

"Yes," Karen nodded.

But looking around, aside from the three children—Mina, Lunt, and Chris—weaving through the crowd to deliver food or pour water, people like Uncle Mason, Aunt Mary, and Aunt Winnie were actually just standing there, their expressions frozen like puppets.

"I don't like this feeling," Karen said.

It felt as though they were in the Crown Ballroom, with a crowd of people dancing upon corpses.

Out of so many people present, how many were truly here for Siso's family?

Piaget nodded, seemingly understanding something, and thus did not mention that he was the one who recommended this business to Karen's family.

After Delis, the environmental girl, stepped down, the old councilman, Haggert, took the stage, leading a group of councilmen as they began to chant slogans:

"For the East District! For the East District! For the East District!"

"Send the traitor to hell! Send the traitor to hell!"

Chanting their slogans, they made their way out of the mourning venue. Next, they would head all the way to the East District, where things had already been sufficiently warmed up. They only needed to arrive and join forces with Mr. Ford to fully ignite the public outrage in the East District, turning the old mayor's ironclad voting base into the vanguard against him.

"Sigh," Piaget let out a sigh. Seemingly full, he set down his plate. "I don't like politics."

"Yes, neither do I."

Piaget said, "Just thinking about competing for votes with a bunch of fools gives me a headache; yet at other times, I realize that I, too, am a fool."

"Your summary is very precise. Would you like some egg fried rice?"

"Sure."

Midday passed, and the afternoon faded away. By the time twilight fell, a fat man with a protruding belly arrived at the scene.

He resembled a designer, hands clasped behind his back, admiring the arrangement of the space as he strolled past the four coffins.

"Splendid, I am quite satisfied."

Mr. Oka gestured to his assistant to settle the remaining balance.

The demonstrations in the East District had been fully organized by afternoon, and the protest columns from other directions had already caught up.

Aunt Winnie felt a lingering dread;

Karen, of course, knew exactly what she feared.

In the end,

it was Karen who stepped forward to settle the final payment with the fat gentleman's assistant; as before, they still paid in cash.

While the bill was being settled, Mr. Oka stood nearby, munching on spring rolls and eggplant patties:

"Mmm, what kind of food is this? Though cold, the flavor is still quite wonderful."

"They are spring rolls and eggplant patties."

"I can understand eggplant patties, but what a peculiar name 'spring roll' is. Are there hot ones?"

"Not at the moment, but I can have some prepared and delivered to your residence to ensure they are hot, provided you leave an address."

"Very well." Mr. Oka nodded, signaling his assistant to leave the address.

Afterward,

Mr. Oka walked out of the mourning hall;

"Boss, I thought you wouldn't bother coming to settle the final payment. I know how massive the profit margins are for funeral parlors; just from the deposit alone, they couldn't possibly lose money."

Mr. Oka chuckled softly and said,

"I did it out of respect for Adams."

The memorial service had drawn to a close,

and Uncle Mason called over Ron and Alfred, preparing to load the coffins onto the hearse for burial at the cemetery.

Karen stepped forward: "Uncle, Grandfather said to keep them at home today and proceed with the burial tomorrow."

"Keep them at home?" Mason was somewhat perplexed, but since it was his own father's wish, he acquiesced without seeking confirmation; after all, how could his own nephew deceive him?

Thus, the four coffins were transported back down into the basement;

Dinner consisted of noodles.

Karen whipped up a simple minced meat sauce; though everyone's spirits were somewhat low, after a long day of toil, they were genuinely famished, and at a time like this, a generous portion of satisfying carbohydrates was a true delicacy.

After the meal, Aunt Winnie handed a slip of paper to Karen:

"Karen, just as you requested, I have listed them here according to their social status and standing, with their addresses written right behind. Furthermore, Mr. Ford himself did not attend today, but his assistant came and left an address where the gifts should be delivered."

"Wonderful, thank you for your hard work, Auntie."

Karen tucked the paper into his pocket before heading off to take a bath.