Final Civilization

Chapter 23: Heaven’s Will

"This doesn't really prove anything," Han Ming said quickly. "But as a lawyer, it's my duty to be familiar with Jinghai's traffic regulations. According to Jinghai city's truck restriction rules, the main urban area is a restricted zone after 8 PM. That means at that time, this truck shouldn't have been on Wenhai Road at all."

"Driving in violation of restrictions isn't that strange," Tao Jie said.

"True," Han Ming smiled and continued. "For a company that's been rated as a model of integrity, civility, and safe production for six consecutive years, such a minor mistake indeed isn't worth making a fuss about."

"But what I'm curious about is how feasible it is for three such vehicles to appear at the same time. Generally, when this happens, it means collective transportation is underway. Since I had too much free time, I checked and found that this Xing'an Energy company is mainly responsible for garbage collection in parts of Tonghui District and Fengcheng's grid areas, and their factory is in Songshan. Logically speaking, Xing'an Energy's vehicles shouldn't appear on Ming River's Jiading Road."

"Moreover, one of those three vehicles came from the direction of Wenhai Road."

Tao Jie's expression became still, listening quietly to Han Ming's words. Subtle changes were already visible in her eyes.

Han Ming picked up the tablet. "So I had a sudden idea—I wanted to see exactly how many Xing'an Energy trucks appeared in this area during the same time period. Coincidentally, I know someone who could help, so I asked him to find all the traffic footage from Jiading Road and Wenhai Road from about 20 minutes before to 20 minutes after the accident on May 25th, 2022. And I actually found something."

Tao Jie raised her eyes to look at Han Ming. Her breathing was no longer calm.

"What did you find?"

Han Ming pulled up an image and handed the tablet to Tao Jie."This is what I found and screenshotted from the traffic flow passing through those two roads during that period. There were actually 8 vehicles approaching that intersection during that time."

Seeing the image, Tao Jie's pupils contracted sharply, and her breath seemed to freeze for a moment.

She didn't speak, instead slowly stirring her coffee with the spoon. Her state of mind at that moment was like the swirling water before her—constantly churning.

Han Ming said, "We both studied law. A basic principle is that there aren't that many coincidences in the world. When I saw so many vehicles appearing on these two roads, approaching the same intersection from different directions at the same time, it reminded me of a term from the military field."

Han Ming put down the tablet and spoke calmly:

"Saturation strike."

Clang.

As soon as Han Ming finished speaking, the coffee spoon slipped from Tao Jie's hand, hitting the cup wall with a crisp sound.

Her breathing became somewhat heavy, her gaze constantly shifting.

"You..."

"There are two more things I haven't mentioned," Han Ming said, ready to dispel any remaining hope she might have. "First, while checking the traffic footage, I also checked the violation records of these vehicles for that day. I found that besides driving in restricted zones, they were also overloaded, and the overloaded cargo was river sand. Xing'an Energy's vehicles are garbage transport trucks—why would they be transporting river sand?"

"Second, Xing'an Energy's general manager suddenly disappeared after this accident. A month later, someone found his tissue remains in a corner area outside a garbage incinerator. It was discovered he had been dead for a month, meaning he died just a few days after the Wenhai Road accident. Isn't that strange?"

After hearing Han Ming's words, Tao Jie looked at him with astonished eyes. If she could still find some explanation for the simultaneous appearance of so many vehicles that Han mentioned earlier, what he said next was enough to make her whole body turn cold.

Tao Jie was very smart, a top student at Jinghai University of Law. When Han Ming presented this evidence, it completely overturned her understanding of that accident.

What followed was a long silence.

Han Ming didn't disturb Tao Jie's thinking, just silently drank his coffee. He knew such a revelation must represent a huge life change for Tao Jie.

After an unknown length of time, Tao Jie's voice sounded again.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Han Ming looked up, meeting Tao Jie's gaze directly.

He knew Tao Jie would definitely have this question.

An old friend she hadn't seen for years, a former admirer, suddenly sought her out just to tell her a cruel truth—a truth carrying dangerous signals and conspiracies.

"Because I admire you."

Han Ming stated frankly. "I admire that once proud, authentic Tao Jie who was determined to use the law to eradicate injustice in the world, who spoke of lofty banners like 'using order to maintain human civilization's progress,' who criticized my understanding of the law as too radical, only wanting to win without considering consequences, that Tao Jie who thought planting two saxaul trees was protecting the Earth."

As Han Ming said these words, his gaze met Tao Jie's without flinching, making Tao Jie momentarily dazed. She immediately avoided his gaze, saying somewhat flustered:

"What does that have to do with my question?"

"For others, perhaps not much. But for you, it matters a great deal."

"Why?"

Han Ming said with a composed expression, "Once, someone told me her original purpose for studying law was that while heavenly will might be unchangeable, malice must be severely punished."

Upon hearing this, Tao Jie's body trembled unnaturally. Han Ming's words were like a sharp sword piercing through endless darkness, stabbing straight into her heart, which had long been shrouded in gloom.

Over these past few years, she had gradually lost her longing for life and the future, had begun to believe in fate, even resenting its unfairness.

She buried all negative emotions deep in her heart. She had thought of ending it herself, but she still had unfinished business, an unresolved obsession, so she lived on strongly, began to put on a cheerful attitude toward life, smiling to face it.

But her heart remained hollow.

Yet Han Ming's words now almost instantly shattered that facade in her heart.

If that accident wasn't an accident, in Tao Jie's eyes, it took on a completely different meaning.

Heavenly will is hard to defy, but malice can be judged!

Han Ming wanted her to reignite her desire for life. Even defeating the mastermind behind this accident could ignite Tao Jie's fighting spirit.

Tao Jie now looked at Han Ming with complex emotions, an indescribable feeling spreading from within.

She gripped the wheelchair armrests tightly, not daring to meet Han Ming's gaze, her eyes lowered slightly:

"But I'm disabled."

Hearing this, Han Ming sighed inwardly. He naturally understood the dual meaning of Tao Jie's words.

I'm disabled—what can I change? If I want to investigate, can you help me?

I'm disabled—am I still worth you helping me? Or rather, am I still worth you pursuing?

Tao Jie was thoughtful and sensitive—she would naturally consider this.

Han Ming couldn't deny he had this motive, and he felt somewhat guilty inside.

Did he like Tao Jie? He certainly did.

But he knew he was deliberately approaching her with that purpose, and he felt somewhat sinful. Just from the slightly organized materials about that accident, he could see it involved huge stakes, possibly even putting Tao Jie in dangerous situations.

But what he just said was sincere. He didn't want to see Tao Jie so dispirited; only this could help her.

Having made up his mind, Han Ming responded with a smile.

"Then I don't have to worry about you kicking me in the backstage area like after losing that debate competition."

Pfft~

Tao Jie laughed. Her eyes reddened as she looked at Han Ming with an unyielding gaze, loudly retorting, "Who told you to use love perspectives as examples every time you spoke during debates? You kept confusing objective and subjective concepts—who does that?!"

"But what I said wasn't wrong. Love is the sinking of free will; free will can't kill your feeling of loving him," Han Ming said.

"But objectively speaking, everyone has standards in their heart for the person they love," Tao Jie leaned closer to say.

Han Ming said seriously, "Opposing debater, in your concept, you can love those who meet your standards, and not love those who don't. But your misunderstanding lies here—standards are for people you don't love. When that person you truly love appears, even if he doesn't meet a single standard, you'll still love him. And for that person you don't love, even if she meets all the standards you set, you'll still set more standards she doesn't meet to reject her."

"But what you call 'true love' is itself a very subjective concept. Opposing debater, I'd like to ask—how do you determine this is true love?" Tao Jie responded with a smile, her eyes carrying a stubborn, confident light.

Han Ming shrugged. "Then let me ask you in return—when you have true love, when do you confirm you have it? Is it at the beginning when the other person meets your standards, or at some special moment?"

"..."

The two went back and forth, beginning a bold debate, carrying the fiery aura of the morning sun, as if returning to the university-wide debate competition at Jinghai University of Law seven years ago, when they were still high-spirited and youthful.

In the café, others watched the two by the window debating fluently with varied expressions, casting curious glances.

"This couple—even their arguments are so reasonable?"