Volume 12: Cafe Heroes Chapter 17: Evil lurks in every corner (Part 2)
The atmosphere couldn't be more tense.
After this incident, the feeling of getting to know each other was shattered.
Although they knew that the girl had brought this upon herself, many people still felt uncomfortable. Several people were indignant about their behavior, and two of them simply withdrew. The other girls were not in high spirits either, and the originally lively venue suddenly became much quieter.
Although they knew it was the right thing to do, they were helpless in many cases. It was probably the embodiment of such words. Although they knew that the girl had problems, the inhumane approach of the Holy Light still made many girls feel a little resentful. The thoughts running through the minds of most people were who could not make mistakes and why they were so strict, which made the activities and actions become weak. Except for a few sincere and good children who had even awakened the Holy Light, the morale dropped visibly.
The end result was that, except for a few girls who greeted Li Lin and nodded with a smile , no one else showed any special reaction.
There was no interaction in such a bleak atmosphere, so Li Lin and George chatted on the side. Muse left to design new movements and new clothes, and only two gentlemen squatted in the corner with a bottle of water, watching the girls who were sweating and showing their beautiful curves and chatting casually.
“…I thought you would let me endure it.”
Looking at those girls who were trying hard to show themselves, Li Lin suddenly said:
"For the sake of greater benefits, you gave up slightly smaller benefits. I thought you would smooth things over and be more mature and tactful so as not to offend either side. Is this behavior okay now?"
"I can answer this question even if the Archbishop asks me. No problem. Although the cultural front is extremely important, it also depends on the culture. If someone who insults soldiers and compatriots, defames other people's achievements and personality, and makes personal attacks can become an idol, then this Holy Light is no longer Holy Light."
George lit a cigarette for himself and looked at the girls sweating in front of him, puffing away at the smoke.
Strictly speaking, this is against the rules and is not a good habit. But George seemed to be touched at this time and did not do anything to restrain himself. Instead, he sat next to Li Lin and looked at the girls.
After a while, when the girls had been exercising for more than a few minutes, George slowly finished smoking his cigarette and said with a little emotion:
"In fact, I know that you are very reluctant to do this kind of thing, and I also know that there are many things here that you are not happy with, and you often wore a mask and a burqa when you were in college to avoid any accidents. I know this. You are a true warrior, so judging you by your appearance is an insult. The archbishop really has no manpower this time, and the image of the others is really not up to standard, so he forced you to come here. The archbishop told me not to tell you, but I think it's better to say it out loud."
"The current cultural front is in a slump. It's not that we can't do it, but it's really disgusting. Defaming deceased predecessors, insulting martyrs, making fun of other people's flaws and faces, thinking they are humorous but vulgar and obscene. We all know about this kind of thing. This is the nature of intelligent life. They like violence and sex. There is nothing we can do about it. Everyone likes these things."
"But if we only have these things, and only rely on these things, then what is the meaning of life? What is the difference between us and beasts? So at the very least, we cannot let heroes be ridiculed after shedding blood. We cannot let people who have made contributions be treated as laughing stock."
This is the most basic principle.
If this can't be done, then there is no cultural front to speak of, so screw it.
George put out the cigarette butt between his fingers, looked at those listless idols, and smiled helplessly at Li Lin .
"If a hero is kicked to the side of the street and stepped on a few times just to make people laugh, if this really happens, if it is really universally recognized, I think the whole universe will be cleansed again. So I am holding the cultural front here to prevent such things from happening. Even if I am not understood, even if I am called a stubborn old man, there are always some honors and beliefs that need to be upheld."
"...Now that you say that, you seem to be even more intense than me, the person involved. I don't think it's a big deal, it was just a joke. Although it's a bit excessive, after the incident, I think the punishment might be a bit severe? After all, she didn't do anything big, she was just trying to attract attention."
"That's enough reason. To attract attention, first to attract attention and then to attract attention, means a change in cultural thinking."
Seeing his mentor comforting him, George's smile became more and more awkward.
"The hero thinks the fly is just buzzing and can be driven away. But to others, it looks like the fly is proudly insulting the hero. That's the truth. It's really hard for you to protect these children who haven't grown up yet."
"No, it's nothing for me. I just kill the enemy when I see him. It's very simple. But it looks like you guys are in a very dangerous situation."
It may seem like nothing, but if you look closely, you can see murderous intent at every step.
Faced with the unnatural looks of the people around him and even their mentality of making a fuss out of nothing, Li Lin didn't know what to say.
Compared to visible enemies, invisible enemies are obviously the most terrifying. Originally a relatively enthusiastic and positive circle, it was divided into several factions after an incident. Everyone believed that their own ideas were righteous, and then they were unconsciously distorted and deviated into another form.
"Yeah... There were even times when I didn't feel anything at all. I got used to it, and the Holy Light abandoned me. I even became the person I hated the most without even realizing it. At first I thought it was okay to joke around, and then I thought since I could joke around, it would be okay to make some minor changes. Then it became like, it's okay to make some minor changes, so it's okay to make big changes. I fell down step by step, and I don't know when it started, but everything around me changed."
"The trends of popular culture, people's thoughts, their respective definitions and aspirations for happiness, the cultural front seems fragile yet extremely solid, it seems united but can fall apart in the blink of an eye. The evil that can be seen is not a big deal, it can be eliminated as soon as it is seen. But what about these terrible thoughts? What about these remarks that seem normal as long as they are not excessive? The mental defense line collapses step by step. Once there is a first compromise, there will be a second, a third, and then there will be compromises everywhere, and only those things that are entertainment to death will exist. The devil can do it, but we can't. Evil lurks in every corner, but we don't know where it is."
We don’t even know whether our hearts are pure or not, but this is the meaning of the existence of the cultural front.
While filling everyone's hearts, it also draws the final bottom line in thought.
Looking at those idols who were trying hard to perform, George sighed, not knowing what to say next.
Li Lin didn't know what to say, he just watched the idols training, sitting in the corner and recalling his not-so-good memories of school. The depressing atmosphere was only slightly relieved when the door was opened again.
"Is Vanilla here?"
The staff member who pushed the door open greeted the people in the room and said to a purple-haired girl:
"Your fan club outside said they want to give you a gift. Because there are so many people, the traffic is blocked now. They said they can't wait to see you. Go out and take a look."
"Oh, all right. I'll be right there."
The girl in the purple headscarf responded, stood up and walked into the locker room.
