Mrs.Griffin closed her eyes.Most of a day passed，it seemed，then her lips quivered.“I’d just like to commit suicide.I just want not to look like a disgrace after I’m dead.Even if I foam at the mouth，you will take care of my corpse for me，right？”
“Of course.I exist to serve you.”
“That’s good then.”Mrs.Griffin nodded.“As for the pain…Throughout my entire life，I’ve endured too much pain.I’ve long gone numb.Open the drawer and check.How many sleeping pills are left？”
“Mrs.Griffin，this happens to be the second problem.We don’t have enough sleeping pills.”LW31 opened the drawer and took out the drugs.“A total of seventeen pills.This is a prescription drug.A pharmacy will sell twenty pills at most.Given your build，to cause death you may need eighty-six pills.”
“Can’t you go out and buy them for me？”
“Mrs.Griffin，maybe you forgot.The great migration has already begun.Practically everyone has already gone.There are no more pharmacies.”
Mrs.Griffin sighed.The lamp lit her face.She seemed a little sallow.The years had left gullies on her face.
LW31 said politely，“Mrs.Griffin，it would be better if you tell me more.Besides your parents，there were other people who loved you，right？”
“Yes.”Mrs.Griffin swiped the photo again.This time who appeared was a lanky young man.Mrs.Griffin glanced at him.Thick tears drifted from her eyes.One night from many years ago floated up to the present.
Late night.
Silence.
Peter and Jason stood silent at the gate at start of the street.
A street like this one，there shouldn’t be anyone standing there.
A street like this one，
there shouldn’t have been two men in designer suits standing there at night.
The start of the street was broken.
The middle of the street was cold.
The end of the street was dark.
This was the most run down street in the city.Normally，few people walked it.It was a crime-ridden street.In dark places，countless eyes opened，stomachs rumbled，waiting for prey to enter.
Afterwards，the prey were swallowed and digested.Nothing left of them to be spit back out.
But Peter and Jason stood at the head of the street，relaxed，as though they belonged there.As though this was their home.
Peter was tall and thin.Standing there，motionless，he seemed like a sharp pencil.
Jason was short and fat，just like a wax gourd that had rolled all over the ground.
Jason was smoking.With a deep drag，the flame fled from the head of the cigarette to the end.The entire cigarette was burnt up.
Peter asked，“Now？”
Jason blew a puff of thick smoke.“Now.”
The two men started down the long，dark street.
The wind blew by.It whimpered like tearful ghosts.
The people who lived on the street，they weren’t law-abiding folk.
They were of all sorts.The beggar’s neighbor was a thief.Above the thief lived a prostitute.Across from the prostitute’s balcony was a reliably blundering cheat.
But they all had one thing common.
They were poor.
So poor that they could only live on this old，dilapidated street like snails in their shells.
To be poor is to suffer.It’s the kind of suffering that freezes the heart stone cold.
So，whenever someone walked down this street，they usually entered the gaze of the beggar，the thief，the prostitute，and the cheat.
They’d swindled old men out of their clothes.They’d taken candy from babies.
They never let even a single cent slip past them.
But，now，they didn’t dare even plan.They shut their windows.They lay on their beds，grinding their teeth until they sucked blood，not daring to make a sound.
Because Peter and Jason were walking down the street.
They walked neither quickly nor slowly.Their every step clicked on the pavement，solid and steady.
Peter walked six hundred fifty-nine steps altogether.Jason one thousand three hundred fifteen.
They stopped in front of a room at the tail of the street.
The room was dark.Its light was out.
But Jason heard breathing.
Panting like a fawn running from a hunter’s gun.
Jason lifted his head and laughed grimly.
They haven’t found the wrong place.
They beat the door three times like drum.
No one answered.
Jason continued to pound the door.
Dull and dreary，the dense dark of the night flustered them.
“Who is it？”At last，a sound from inside.It was a female voice，as clear as a bell，but trembling.
Jason said，“It’s me.”
Peter said，“And me.”
The woman inside the room said，“Who are you？”
Peter and Jason said，“We are detectives from Public Safety Bureau of the Alliance of City-States.”
The woman said，“You shouldn’t have come.”
Peter said，“But we’re already here.”
The woman said，“Can’t you just go back？”
Jason said，“The last person who wanted us to go back is now sleeping in prison.”
The woman in the room sighed.
She couldn’t hide from disaster.
The woman opened the door.
When she opened the door，she saw short and fat Jason and she saw tall and thin Peter.
And Peter looked at the woman.
He couldn’t help but gape at her.She was an extremely beautiful woman.
There were many standards for judging a woman’s beauty.Some preferred the face，particularly the nose and mouth.Some preferred the figure，obsessing over the breasts，waist，ass，and legs.But no matter who the judges were，once they looked at this woman，they couldn’t deny her beauty.
Because，regardless of face or figure，she was completely flawless.
Pretty brows，seductive eyes，a jade nose，a cherry mouth.
Ample breasts，tiny waist，a round ass，long and slender legs.
Combined to perfection.
Jason，instead，looked at the room behind the woman.
The room was small.The walls were old，but clean.It made one unspeakably comfortable just to look at it.The room didn’t have much furniture，but the owner had clearly chosen every piece with care.Every piece was placed exactly where it ought to be.
The woman said，“You’ve come to my home in the middle of the night.What do you want？”
Jason said，“You don’t know what we want？”
The woman said，“How would I，a weak woman，know what you want？”
Jason said，“But you know about the book，right？”
The woman shivered，but quickly composed herself.“What book？”
Jason took everything in his gaze.Calmly，he reached inside his jacket and pulled out his tablet.Its screen changed as he swiped it.
A front cover of a book appeared on the screen.
The front cover was bronze colored，with the title at the top.
The title was only five words.Five ordinary words.
But the woman looked as though she’d seen a ghost.Her face changed expression.
The Domestic Robot Administration Amendment Peter，who’d been silent so far，started to speak.
His words were like his body，lean and taut.“We have information.You’re hiding an LW model robot.”
Jason said，“And according to the amendment，all the robots must be reclaimed.”
The woman said，“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jason said，“Of course you know.Your face betrays you.”
The woman said nothing.
Peter looked at her with care.His voice grew gentle.“A month ago，a PRW model domestic robot，while its owner was asleep，severed his throat.The deceased was an Alliance assemblyman.The Alliance has already passed a law.All robots are to be reclaimed.”
The woman shook her head.“There’s no robot here.”
Jason laughed coldly.“I’m afraid you don’t get the last word here.”
With that，Jason pushed the woman away，then entered the room.
The woman crashed into the wall.
She looked to Peter for help，but Peter lowered his head，his expression difficult to read.
Jason narrowed his gaze.He looked all around the room.No robot.
Peter said，“There’s no robot.Let’s go.”
Jason raised his hand.His gaze fell on the bed，the snow white sheets，the neatly folded blanket.The foot posts were made of a metal alloy.They were coated with dust.
This woman with the meticulously arranged room，how could she put up with the dust on the foot posts？
Jason laughed.His laughter was joyous.
He pointed at the bed.“Is something hiding under the bed？”
The woman’s face instantly went pale.
Jason lit another cigarette.“Now you have two options.”
The woman quickly nodded her head.
Jason said，“Option one，I take the robot back.It’ll be melted down and，for the crime of hiding it，you’ll be put in prison.”
The woman said，“Please，I beg you.Don’t take away LW31.It’s the only thing my parents left me.”
Jason said，“Then you have option two.Give me five thousand points and I’ve seen nothing.”
The woman furrowed her brow.“But I don’t have that much money.Take everything else in my home.Just leave me LW31.”
The corners of Jason’s mouth curled into a slight smile.His gaze slid from the woman’s face down，“Even if I took everything in your house，it still wouldn’t be enough.”
Jason’s gaze felt like a serpent.Clammy and cool，it slithered over her skin.
The woman’s chest tightened.
Calmly，Jason stared at the woman.He enjoyed the fear that spread across the woman’s face.He was pleased，and a certain part of his body began to respond.
A long time had passed before he spoke.“I want you for ten nights.”
The woman violently shook her head.
Jason made an apologetic sigh.“Then say goodbye to your robot.”
Before he’d even finished speaking，the woman raised her hand to hit him.
She only needed one chance.This one chance was enough to subdue him.
She assembled machines at the factory.Her work every day was to reach her hand in to shove motherboards into the machines.
So，she’d already practiced this move for four years，five months and twenty-eight days.She was absolutely certain that no one in this room could stop her.
But，this once，she was wrong.
Astonishment gradually solidified on her face.One hand，one fat，white，and strong hand clutched her throat.
The hand belonged to Jason.
No one had ever thought that someone short and fat could reach his hand out so quickly.
The woman implored him.“LW31 isn’t dangerous.It’s just responsible for taking care of me.For a long time now.I can’t lose it.I beg you.”
Jason said，“I’ll give you a chance to beg，but it’ll be when we’re both naked.People who try to hit me don’t come to a good end.You’ll quickly know how living can be worse than dying.”
He wasn’t lying.Jason never lied.If you met Jason one day and he told you he wanted to kill you，there was only thing you should do：go home and make out your will.
You couldn’t resist and there was no escape because he was Jason.
The woman’s face filled with despair.This time，her eyes suddenly widened.She saw something she absolutely wasn’t supposed to see.
A gun pressed against the back of Jason’s head.
Peter said，“Let her go.”
Jason said，“You want to betray me because of her？”
Peter，his face expressionless，said，“I can’t take it any more.Searching for robots as an excuse，you’ve extorted nearly two hundred thousand Alliance points，raped seven women，hounded nineteen residents of the city to death.”
Jason said，“And you’re a good guy？”
Peter said，“I’m not，but now I want to be.”
Jason sneered.“I bet you can’t kill me.”
Peter laughed.“Why？”
Jason said，“Because you wouldn’t dare.”
Peter pulled the trigger.
Blood splashed.
The man fell.
The woman looked at Peter.Astonished，she sized him up.Tears fell from her eyes.“Thank you.”
Peter shrugged.“Peter upheld justice for you.He begs you not to cry.If the world is unjust，get drunk，wave a sword，then cut off heads.”
The woman nodded.“But you killed him and he died in my home.Maybe I should get ready to flee.”
Peter said，“But，one person fleeing will be very lonely.”
The woman said，“What do you suggest then？”
Peter studied the woman.
For a long time，they looked at each other and laughed.Peter extended his hand.“Hello，my name is Peter，Peter Griffin.”
The woman said，“I’m Xue Yi.”
Peter took a step forward，then held the woman.
The woman felt his embrace.
He was very tall.
Very thin.
His face was cool.
His arms were stiff.
But his chest was warm.
“That night，we spent a lot of time digging a hole and buried you in it.Afterward，he took me and we fled here，there，and everywhere until the Alliance collapsed.We didn’t return until the orders for our arrest were canceled.”
LW31 looked at her serenely.After a while，Mrs.Griffin let out an inaudible sigh.
She said lightly，“But the good times didn’t last.Not long after we settled down，he grew ill and died.In the years when we were on the run，he always gave the good things to our daughter and me.All the injuries and illnesses accumulated in his body…”
“I remember him a little.He was laconic，capable，and he loved you very much.”
Mrs.Griffin exposed her wrists.She tossed the grief from her mind.“I want to open a blood vessel.Come and help me.”
LW31 nodded its head，then took a thin knife from a drawer.It gleamed as though it were lacquered with a layer of light.
Mrs.Griffin held out her wrists.The knife edge immediately pressed down on an old，wrinkled，pulsing vessel.A chill started at her skin then oozed into the blood vessel.She began to shiver.
“I’m going to start cutting.Are you ready？”LW31 asked.
“I’m ready.Just get on it.”Mrs.Griffin snapped.She closed her eyes then immediately opened them again.Shivering，she asked，“What happens after you open a blood vessel？”
“That depends on which one I cut.If it’s a vein，then your blood will flow out right away，but not like a river in volume.That’s because your platelets will have already congealed at the wound.If it’s an artery，then you’ll die quickly.However，in that scenario，blood will spurt like a fountain.It may be hard to keep this within the limits of propriety.Blood will drench your body.I fear that you’ll look horribly mutilated.”LW31 spoke at a steady pace.“Should I start cutting now？”
“In that case，is there some other way？”
“Yes，there’s a way that is highly appropriate for you.However，before I tell you，you have to tell me again about someone who loved you.”
The photo frame’s screen flickered.Quickly，a smiling girl，bright and beautiful，pulling a suitcase behind her appeared.The screen also displayed three short arcs.That indicated that this photo also had sound.Mrs.Griffin’s trembling hand touched the screen.Immediately，a graceful but ordinary voice surrounded the room.
In the winter of 2335，dragging my suitcase，I returned to the small town I left seven years ago.
The airport was deserted.Wind from a distant place blew here and my hair fluttered in that wind.I grew dizzy at the sight of a sky that was filled with clouds，a vast expanse of exquisite grace sweeping past the town.I began to understand that when a woman was looking at the sky，she wasn’t looking for anything.She was just being still.
