Doubt

While the team was busy recovering bodies, Alexander took a brief rest and managed to stand up, albeit reluctantly.

"Don't sit down again. Your injury is quite severe!" Martha looked at him with concern. The tasks of the Enforcement Bureau were always dangerous, and Alexander was the strongest member, usually at the forefront. But today, his injuries were particularly serious.

"Don't underestimate me. This is just a minor injury." Alexander straightened his chest, but the motion triggered a sharp pain from his terrible wound at his waist. He clenched his teeth involuntarily.

Martha gave him a disapproving look; he always liked to play the hero. However, today, without Alexander, they might all have perished. After collecting evidence, Alexander walked to the garbage heap, examined the traces of dissolution, and then lit a cigarette.

"What do you think about that kid?" Martha stood next to him, recalling the words of the young and well-spoken Duke from earlier.

"He has potential. If his background were better and he established a solid foundation to become an Awakened, his future would be limitless."

"Is that all?"

"What else is there?"

Martha looked at him in bewilderment, and Alexander shook his head, not revealing his thoughts.

Duke's words had been firm and almost flawless, yet therein lay the problem. His plan was too meticulous, his answers too clear-cut. Regardless of how much preparation he had done, his composure seemed too rehearsed. To someone like Alexander, who had worked in the Enforcement Bureau for many years and solved numerous major cases, this in itself was the biggest suspicion.

But Alexander didn't voice it, because no matter what, Duke was the savior of their team. Digging deeper might disappoint the entire team.

"Perhaps I'm overthinking it." Alexander shrugged, just as the team had just recovered the remains of the second infected person. The lower half of the body had almost completely dissolved, leaving only the upper part. Covered in mud, it looked even more horrifying.

"This guy nearly got me killed." Several team members expressed their anger, pulling out knives and stabbing a few times, but the knives barely penetrated.

"This infected  is so tough! If only I could be this resilient." The team member's unintended comment caused Alexander's pupils to contract. Alexander pushed aside the team members, walked up to infected individual number 2, and observed closely. Despite its face being covered in bullet marks, its chin and mouth smashed, its skull was incredibly hard, with two bullet holes and two bullets embedded in its skull, unable to penetrate deeper.

Alexander recalled Duke's words, and the cigarette butt fell to the ground from his hand. This level of damage couldn't kill infected number 2; despite its destroyed mouth and chin, its brain was intact. No one understood the horror of infected number 2 better than Alexander. He suddenly grew serious, called Martha over, and whispered a few words to her.

After hearing Alexander's words, Martha displayed strong dissatisfaction. She glared at Alexander for a while, then gave an unwilling cold snort.

Watching Martha leave, Alexander narrowed his eyes. He really wanted to know what Duke was hiding.

"I'm back..." Duke's voice hadn't even finished when he felt a pair of delicate, slender arms wrap tightly around him.

Monica had changed out of her blood-stained clothes and into a patched linen dress, tears still on her face.

"Big brother, did you kill someone?" She trembled, her two soft, white hands clutching Duke's waist helplessly.Her body trembled slightly, clearly greatly frightened.

Duke's expression softened. He saw several small dishes on the table, leftovers from before, just heated by Monica, emitting a faint aroma. He didn't speak, only stroking his sister's smooth hair. After a moment, she gradually calmed down.

"What are you thinking? That's an infected person..." Duke had barely finished speaking when he realized the issue. Monica saw the infected person as a person because she herself was infected too.

"If you didn't act, it would have been me who died. Do you want your brother to die?" Indeed, as soon as these words left Duke's mouth, Monica shook her head vigorously, like a tambourine.

"No, no, I don't want that. If you die, I, I..." It was as if she truly saw herself losing Duke, and her eyes reddened.

"That's right, you've done great." Duke let out a soft sigh. Despite Monica's early maturity and understanding of his arrangements, she was a smart young girl after all. But she was only ten years old.

"Let's eat. I'm hungry." Duke picked up the remote control, turned on the old, faded television, and after some adjustments, managed to turn the snowy screen into an animated show.

The siblings sat on the couch, holding their plates, watching the television.Although this TV was purchased by him from the electronic waste recycling center in town, it had become one of their few sources of joy

Being young certainly had its advantages. After being comforted by Duke, Monica obediently sat on the couch, eating and watching the amusing and funny animations on the screen, quickly being cheered up.

"Brother, the Rocket Team is so foolish, they can't catch Pikachu."

The siblings ate and laughed, and unknowingly, a stranger quietly approached the window, carefully observing the scene inside the house.

The two siblings shared the scarce pork belly in their plates, watching the television, and bursting into innocent laughter. Before long, they seemed a bit tired, leaning against each other on the shabby sofa and falling asleep quietly.

With Monica nestled against her brother's side, and her brother embracing her, the occasional static on the television screen was a minor disturbance. In this less than thirty-square-meter small house, two lonely souls leaned on each other and found warmth.

The eyes outside the window became slightly red, she quietly turned off the recording pen and left. With a sense of anger, she ran through the streets, and when Alexander saw her, he was somewhat surprised.

"Just a moment ago, you were fine. Why are you back so soon?"

"I really don't understand how your mind works. Just watch it yourself!"

As it turns out, the person from before was Martha. By the time she arrived, the two siblings were already having their meal. Alexander connected to the screen, watching the two siblings eating their simple meal, happily laughing at animations from decades ago, and then falling asleep on the worn-out couch. For a moment, he also fell into silence.