Rhys Chase was adapting well to life at the villa. He even had Liam Sterling bring many books from the base for Zoe and Annie. He usually worked in the guest room, only occasionally coming out to grind medicinal powders with everyone.
Recently, two children had gone missing from Kestrel Villa. The parents caused a scene at the Flumen municipal building, and officials dispatched thirty patrol officers to investigate. They went door-to-door with guns, but after scouring the entire villa district, they still couldn’t find the two children.
"Kestrel Villa is surrounded by a fence, and there are security guards at the front and back gates. No one can get in except residents. Could the two children be hidden somewhere within the villa district?"
"It couldn’t be traffickers, could it? Or Ogres? Do you all remember? The same thing happened back in the safe zone. Several kids went missing one after another, and they were eventually found in the warehouse of the medical building."
Of course, everyone remembered. It had caused a huge panic at the time. In the end, it was Mina who helped them find the suspect and the few surviving children.
Evelyn Ford thought for a moment. "That was in broad daylight. Now it’s pitch-black outside. Even with streetlights, it’s too easy to hide someone. The villa district has no surveillance cameras, so the chances of finding the two children are very slim."
Thinking of the two children in her own home, Evelyn’s expression turned serious. "Zoe, Annie, you two are not to sneak outside to play, understand?"
"We know. We definitely won’t go out."
Annie was more obedient; if she said she wouldn’t go out, she meant it. Zoe, on the other hand, was just like Quincy—a restless little monkey. To make her understand the gravity of the situation, Quincy and Wyatt Vaughn had to use a combination of threats and bribes before Zoe finally promised not to go out to play.
"We should reinforce the gate. The gaps between the iron bars are a bit wide; a small child could slip through. We should secure it with some hemp rope or iron wire."
Miles Vaughn nodded. "Okay, leave it to me. I’ll take care of it."
"It’s not easy to raise children these days. There are over a thousand households in this villa district, but so few kids. If a child goes missing, the family must be worried sick." Zion Lowell seemed to think of something and looked up at the silent Rhys Chase.
"Mr. Chase, there are a lot of orphans in the refugee camp. How are they being settled?"
"There’s a dedicated place to house them."
The orphans from the refugee camp were the first to move into the resettlement housing. Lynn Pierce gave them all full-body check-ups, and all the young children without hereditary diseases were taken away by Liam Sterling. Rhys Chase needed a younger team, and selecting and training them from among the orphans was the best option.
Hearing Rhys Chase’s reply, Zion Lowell nodded. He trusted the military’s arrangements. Instead of just scraping by in the refugee camp, going to work for the military meant they would not only get enough to eat but also have a better chance at life.
"What about the elderly?"
"The elderly can choose to work. Those who don’t can still receive relief rations, but only about three pounds a month. If they take on a job, they can get an extra five pounds of grain for a total of eight pounds. That’s enough to live on."
Taylor Vance nodded. "That’s a good system. No matter the era, people need to be self-reliant. That’s the only way to have enough to eat and maintain your dignity."
"It would be great if Flumen had a police station. If there were a police station, the residents’ sense of security would skyrocket."
Everyone looked at Wyatt Vaughn. She rubbed her hands together uncomfortably. "Is that a bit too fanciful?"
Evelyn Ford waved her hand. "That’s an excellent idea. A police station would definitely improve residents’ sense of security, and it would also deter criminals. Crime would probably drop significantly. The only thing is, a police station requires a lot of manpower, and more importantly, it’s hard to find people with that kind of talent right now."
"Couldn’t we just give them some quick training? We could pull some people from the patrol officers and form a special police unit. Honestly, the word ’police’ just sounds more reliable than ’patrol officer’." Quincy glanced at Officer Graham. "We could have Mr. Graham give them special training. They’d be ready for duty in less than three days."
"Mr. Chase, what do you think?"
Rhys Chase looked at everyone while holding his teacup. "I think it’s an excellent idea. You can all discuss the details."
When Liam Sterling arrived, Quincy excitedly told him the "good news." Liam was already swamped. The leaders just had to move their lips, and their subordinates had to run their legs off. Great. The resettlement housing wasn’t even finished, the internal strife at the base wasn’t resolved, and now they had to set up a police station.
And all of this was his job alone.
’Who’s going to sympathize with a working stiff like me?’
"You don’t look very happy. Something on your mind?"
Liam Sterling shot Quincy a glare. "Trade jobs with me, and you’ll see why I’m not happy."
Quincy gave an awkward laugh. "You’ve been working hard. Eat some more later. As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. Liam, I’ve got faith in you."
Liam Sterling saw Evelyn Ford, and an idea sparked. "Evelyn, since Quincy has so much free time, could he help me with a few things?"
Evelyn Ford nodded. "Of course."
"I’ve been really busy lately and need an assistant. Could Quincy be my assistant for a few days?"
Quincy was furious. He never thought Liam Sterling would repay his kindness with such treachery. And to think he’d saved a plate of meat skewers for him!
"He can, but he’s so clumsy. Can he really handle being an assistant?"
"It’s fine, I can teach him. It’s just that the work will be rather tough." Liam Sterling gave Quincy a pointed look. "I’m just worried he can’t handle the hardship."
Evelyn Ford slapped Quincy on the shoulder. "He can handle it."
Wincing in pain, Quincy quickly nodded. "Yes, I can handle it! It’s just an assistant, right? I’ll do it."
And so, the matter of the police station was settled. But besides Quincy, Liam Sterling also took Peter Owens and Miles Vaughn with him.
It was good for the three of them to go out with him and get some experience. Staying cooped up at home all the time could easily make a person lazy.
The two missing children still hadn’t been found, and now May Warren’s son was gone too. The patrol officers searched for a while, found nothing, and left. May Warren was at home, wailing like a madwoman. With her son missing, she vented all her fury on her slow-witted daughter. In just two days, she seemed to have aged more than ten years, with streaks of white appearing in her hair. Grabbing a flashlight, May Warren ran out of her house, crying and screaming her son’s name. When she reached the gate of Villa 11, she started ramming into it like a lunatic, cursing and accusing Evelyn Ford of kidnapping her son.
"It must be you! You kidnapped my son to get back at me! Let me in! I need to find my son! Is there no justice in this world? How could you have the heart to harm such a little child? If anything happens to my son, I’ll kill you all!"
Hearing the commotion, the neighbors came out of their houses to watch the spectacle.
May Warren’s voice was high-pitched and shrill. When she cried, she sounded like a goose being strangled, letting out a "GAK GAK GAK" noise.
When she found she couldn’t break through the iron gate, she plopped down on the ground, slapping her thighs and wailing.
"My son is definitely in Villa 11! He was kidnapped by these black-hearted, rotten-souled people! Give me back my son, or I’ll smash my head against this gate and die right here!"
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