C City Order Management Bureau, Community Service Department, Archives.
Rows of tall iron filing cabinets filled the room.
Li Huayu, wearing a volunteer vest, stood on a ladder amidst a pile of archive boxes.
She pulled out files, verified their categories according to their ID numbers, and pushed them into their correct storage locations.
This was her first day of community service.
Officer Wang had arranged relatively simple clerical work for her, saying it would allow her to become familiar with the bureau’s operations while also building her patience.
These documents were from decades ago.
Back then, the Order Management Bureau, Magical Girls, and Monsters had not yet appeared.
The files were of almost no use now; the only possible reason to keep them was in case someone from above ordered a retroactive audit.
No one dared to throw them away.
However, Officer Wang had another motive.
Since Li Huayu was originally illiterate, this task would allow her to see more words and learn how to read and write.
She had been working for nearly half the day, but her progress was slow.
She couldn’t speed up at all.
Some files needed to be moved, while others did not.
Many were quite heavy and had to be pulled from the old cabinets just to determine their status.
Some were stored high up, requiring her to climb the ladder to reach them.
She had to take them down one by one before she could categorize them.
“Need some help?”
A crisp voice called out from behind her.
Li Huayu turned her head and saw a girl who looked to be about her age standing a few feet away.
The girl wore the same volunteer vest.
Her hair was tied in a neat bun, her eyes were large, and she had a sweet smile as she looked at Huayu.
“Ah, thank you,” Li Huayu said, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“They are a bit heavy…”
“Let me help you.”
The girl walked over quickly and easily took the top two boxes from Huayu’s hands.
“These go over here, right? ID numbers Archive Box C-2019-07 through 09?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Li Huayu nodded quickly, feeling surprised that the girl had recognized the numbers at a glance.
It took Huayu a long time just to identify them.
Together, they filled the cart, sorted the files, confirmed the destination, and slowly pushed it toward the designated archiving area.
“I’m Su Xiaoxiao, I’m also here for community service,” the girl introduced herself, her voice lively.
“Last month, I got into a fight over something small and damaged some public facilities. I was sentenced to sixty hours of service. How about you?”
Li Huayu hesitated for a moment before whispering, “I’m Li Huayu. I’m here because of… theft.”
As she said the word, her cheeks burned, but she forced herself to meet Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes.
‘Admit my mistakes, don’t run away.’
This was the standard she set for herself.
Su Xiaoxiao didn’t seem to care.
Instead, she offered an understanding expression.
“Oh, that! It’s no big deal. Officer Wang says that anyone willing to serve and reform is doing great.”
Her cheerfulness helped Li Huayu relax a little.
“How long have you been doing this?” Li Huayu asked.
“Almost one week. I’ll be finished in another twenty hours.”
Su Xiaoxiao pushed the cart, skillfully navigating a corner.
“The work here is actually pretty boring. It’s just organizing, archiving, and occasionally answering the phones at the front desk. But they provide lunch, and the hours are flexible. If you work hard, the time goes by fast.”
The two stopped the cart in front of a designated iron cabinet and began putting the archive boxes back in order.
Su Xiaoxiao was very talkative.
She chatted with Li Huayu as they worked, moving from how cold the archive room’s air conditioning was to today’s cafeteria menu, and then from bureau gossip to recently released movies.
Li Huayu listened quietly most of the time, occasionally offering a response.
It had been a long time since she had experienced a normal conversation with someone her age.
It felt a bit novel and made her feel happy.
“By the way, Huayu,” Su Xiaoxiao suddenly lowered her voice and leaned in closer.
“What do you plan to do after your community service ends? Since you stole money, you have to pay it back, right? The Order Management Bureau must have given you a deadline to return the money as soon as possible. If you don’t pay it back, your community service will just continue.”
Li Huayu nodded.
“Yes. Officer Wang said I can pay in installments. I plan to find a part-time job after my service ends and pay it back slowly.”
Su Xiaoxiao curled her lip.
“A part-time job? How long will that take? Working as a waitress or a convenience store cashier—how much money can you even make in a month? After living expenses, how much will be left for your debt?”
Li Huayu pursed her lips.
She knew Su Xiaoxiao was right, but she didn’t want to take shortcuts.
“It’s okay if it’s slow, as long as the money is earned honestly.”
“Oh, you’re too honest.”
Su Xiaoxiao looked left and right, her voice dropping even lower.
“I have a lead. It’s fast money and it’s safe. You just run errands for people and deliver things. It’s not heavy or tiring, and you get paid this much per trip.”
She quietly made a hand gesture.
Li Huayu took a glance and was startled.
The amount was much higher than she had imagined.
“What kind of things?” she asked cautiously.
“Just some documents, small packages, stuff like that. The clients are all legitimate businesspeople, but sometimes they’re in a hurry and can’t wait for regular logistics. We help them out and earn a little extra for our trouble.”
It sounded like there was nothing wrong with it.
However, Li Huayu knew she lacked good judgment right now.
She shook her head.
“Thank you, Xiaoxiao, but I still want to find a proper job. Officer Wang said that if my community service record is good, she can write a recommendation letter for me to try some regular companies.”
Su Xiaoxiao stared at her for a few seconds and then suddenly laughed.
“Alright, alright. There aren’t many honest kids like you left these days.”
She didn’t sound pushy, which made Li Huayu like her a bit more.
The two continued to work, chatting occasionally.
Su Xiaoxiao was good at finding topics, and they soon drifted toward their respective pasts.
“I used to hang out with a group of friends back in my hometown,” Su Xiaoxiao said as she applied a label to a new archive box. “I was young and stupid, got into trouble, and ran away on my own. Thinking back, I feel bad for those friends. I wonder how they’re doing.”
Li Huayu felt a stir in her heart.
“I have people I want to find, too.”
“Oh? Like who?”
Su Xiaoxiao turned her head curiously.
“Some children I was with before.”
Li Huayu hesitated, unsure of how to describe her companions who had been controlled by the Organization to beg and steal.
“We were separated. I don’t know where they are now or if they’re okay. I want to see them.”
This was one of the wishes she buried deep in her heart.
Besides atoning for her crimes and staying by Tianyou’s side, she wanted to find those companions who had also been acting against their will.
At the very least, she wanted to confirm if they had been rescued and if they had started new lives.
Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up.
“Looking for people? I have a way!”
“Really?”
Li Huayu looked at her expectantly.
“Of course.”
Su Xiaoxiao patted her chest.
“I know a few friends who specialize in information consulting. They have broad connections, many leads, and they’re super efficient at finding people or items. Plus, the price is fair!”
“But I don’t have much money,” Li Huayu said dejectedly.
She still owed money to the Order Management Bureau.
Su Xiaoxiao was very enthusiastic.
“Oh, they can start the search for you first! We can worry about the fees once they find them. And since we’re colleagues, I can get you a discount. Give me the names of the people you’re looking for, their descriptions, and the last time and place you saw them. The more information, the better. I’ll ask around for you!”
Li Huayu’s heart raced.
‘If I could really find them…’
Vague faces of young children appeared in her mind.
How were they doing? Officer Wang had said a large number of children had been rescued and were currently receiving education and treatment.
Perhaps they were among them.
“Thank you, Xiaoxiao,” Li Huayu said sincerely.
“I’ll organize the information I have when I get home tonight.”
“Leave it to me.”
Su Xiaoxiao smiled.
“But Huayu, my friends are very professional. If they’re going to look for someone for you, you’ll have to go to their office in person to sign a simple commission agreement and verify your identity. It’s the rule.”
“Where is it?”
Li Huayu asked.
Su Xiaoxiao leaned in even closer.
“Northern Myanmar.”