Chapter 7 Apologies and the Past, the Beginning of Change, and the Fall of Stars...
Xingyun wandered around outside for a long time, until it was completely dark and there were fewer and fewer pedestrians on the road, before he went back.
When she got back, she found Ethan there. Starfall thought it was really silly of her to stay outside and mentally prepare herself instead of going home, while Ethan acted like nothing had happened.
Ethan noticed him and stopped sitting there. Instead, he walked straight up to Starfall. Just when Starfall thought they were going to argue again, he suddenly said something.
"sorry."
Starfall stared at him in astonishment, seemingly not expecting Ethan to apologize so readily, and thought they would argue for a while longer.
Xingyun had spent several hours convincing himself to have a proper heart-to-heart talk with Ethan today. He was prepared to endure even if Ethan said something that would make him angry. He never expected that Ethan would apologize first.
Ethan didn't receive a response, but he didn't care. He continued rehearsing his lines, which he had practiced many times: "I'm sorry, City Lord, I shouldn't have doubted you like that. Actually, I regretted it as soon as I said it. I admit I was a bit extreme about my mother's situation..."
However, Ethan's extremism was not without reason.
Ethan's father is a gambling, alcoholic who, when drunk, vents all his frustrations on his children.
Selene had a job, so he didn't often lay a hand on Selene because he needed to save money for him to spend. Young Ethan became his target.
Ethan dared not resist, for resistance would only provoke a more ferocious rage. Instead of raining down punches the size of sandbags, he would be met with something sharper, like empty wine bottles.
He could only try to protect his head and curl up. Crying was useless; his biological father would not soften because of this and might even anger him.
His mother often protected him, but she would only stand in front of him to shield him. It is said that he used to be even more ruthless, but Selene used money to blackmail him, which forced him to restrain himself. However, he still took his anger out on Ethan.
Ethan once cried and said that he had no reason to have a father like him, and that living was so painful.
Ethan swore that Selene paused for a moment upon hearing these words, his gaze fixed on the direction of that scumbag's room, a chill running through him. He knew something bad was about to happen, and he had to stop it.
So he grabbed Selene, who was about to go to the kitchen, and sobbed, saying that he was lucky to have her. Without Selene, he would have no hope of living. He only hoped that Selene would be alright.
Ethan acted purely on instinct at the time, only later realizing that Selene intended to kill his biological father.
Selene was already feeling very depressed during that period, and was on the verge of collapse when she discovered that Ethan, the only person she cared about, harbored some suicidal thoughts, and she was finally about to explode.
Selene had considered divorce, but she couldn't take Ethan with her. Without her protection and financial support, that scumbag acted as if he had a mortal feud with Ethan, sending him to the ICU several times and completely disregarding his life.
Selene has been divorced many times and has even fought with him, but without exception, she finds that the scumbags always take their anger out on Ethan. Without her protection, Ethan would really die.
Selene also tried to ask others for help, such as the gangs in Starfall City, but unfortunately, the scumbag also knew another gang. The gang he asked for help felt that it was not worth going up against the other gang, so Selene did not succeed.
Even if they divorced, they couldn't take Ethan with them. If they hadn't left, they could have protected him a little. For a long time, Selene was numb, living like a zombie in a daze.
She felt useless and conflicted, unable to even escape her misery with her child. She couldn't win custody of Ethan because the scumbag had powerful connections.
Selene had considered not killing them, and not sticking to any bottom line anymore. Look at the state of the mother and son. If she hadn't been there, she wouldn't have suspected that even if Ethan had survived by chance, he would have developed a twisted personality.
In such an environment, becoming a pervert is as easy as breathing, and Selene finds the thought of her little Ethan turning into a gloomy criminal unbearable.
In this city, crime is commonplace; everyone has some kind of criminal record. It's her, an ordinary person, who feels out of place. This is understandable, since she's not a local.
At that time, she hadn't seen the true nature beneath the scumbag's gentle exterior. She unexpectedly became pregnant out of wedlock, and as a result, they got married as a matter of course and came to the scumbag's birthplace, Starfall City.
By the time he discovered the scumbag's true colors, Ethan had already given birth.
Ethan's childhood was bleak, but Selene was the only spark that kept him alive. Because of the harsh environment, his dependence on Selene became somewhat obsessive, to the point that he would not live if Selene died.
He couldn't stand any negative comments about Selene, and was quite sensitive and suspicious in this regard, easily losing control, but after losing control, he would realize his problem.
He will apologize and change, but his sensitive and suspicious nature will remain unchanged.
As Starfall listened to Ethan explain why he was so sensitive and extreme, recounting fragments of his childhood experiences.
Xingyun calmly thought, "Starting tomorrow, let's add a clause to the law that domestic violence is punishable by death. Gangs and such have been lurking for decades; it's time for a reshuffle."
He wasn't angry; he was genuinely calm. He could assure himself that his mind was clear and not clouded by any anger. He truly felt calm and composed.
Xingyun even felt like laughing a little. Unlike his angry laugh in the coffee shop earlier, he really just wanted to laugh a little, haha.
He really shouldn't have thrown a tantrum. He'd been so self-centered for so long, it was only natural for him to get angry at being doubted for the first time. But after hearing Ethan's apology, he just kept thinking that he really shouldn't have been angry.
“Ethan Nix, listen to me.” Starfall turned his head to face him, his expression serious, and said, word by word, “I assure you, this will never happen again. There will be no more domestic violence in Starfall City. I will completely eradicate this, and domestic violence will be a criminal offense.”
Ethan looked at him for a long time before nodding. Starfall's excellent eyesight allowed him to see Ethan's eyes redden for a moment.
"Thank you, City Lord." He carefully hid it, not wanting Starfall to discover that he wanted to cry.
"Just call me Starfall," he said after a moment of silence.
"Lord Starfall," Ethan obediently changed his address.
In the early hours of the morning, the city's will, which had been largely inactive, visited one by one the key figures in Starfall City who held power, using their personal charisma to persuade them to reform Starfall City's criminal law.
Those in power, dragged to the rooftop of the tallest building in the middle of the night: It's just domestic violence, it should have been a criminal offense long ago! What kind of business is it to bully family members? City leaders, let's talk this out. It's a bit windy, why don't we let them come down first? Let them sit down and discuss which criminal laws need further amendments?
The next day, Starfall City's new criminal law was promulgated, with domestic violence as the first offense. They even started to criminalize those who did not complete compulsory education, just like other cities. There was also a series of criminal laws to crack down on gangs. Starfall City was in turmoil for a time.
Some of the more conservative rebels chose to march and protest, while the more radical ones chose to assassinate those in power. All of them were brought down. Only those who had done wrong and felt guilty would react.
Ethan registered accounts under the name "Starfall City Guardian - Ethan" on various social media platforms and forwarded the new regulations issued by the Starfall City Criminal Law account, as well as posts from the Women's Protection Association and the Child Protection Association.
At this point, the people of Starfall City realized that the guardian of Starfall City had been selected without their knowledge, and it seemed that he was closely related to this matter, making him an instant thorn in the side of many people.
What a clever move! He took on the role of guardian quietly, yet he caused such a commotion as soon as he took office. Does that guy intend to completely overhaul Starfall City?
You must be joking, but he has the means to get the new rules issued.
The people of Starfall City were deeply moved and sent their warm greetings to everyone under Ethan's account. Ethan patiently reported and banned all the comments that insulted his mother, and liked the comments that called his scumbag father.
The changes in Starfall City quickly became a trend online, with many people discussing how interesting the new guardian is. Although it hasn't appeared yet, it seems to be a peace-loving type.
The laws of each city are somewhat different. For example, Starfall City does not have the basic laws that other cities possess. It has a high tolerance for crime. The main problem is that if the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked as well. Everyone has some connections and interests involved, and they protect each other at every level, which has led to the current state of corruption.
The day after the new law was issued, Starfall City broadcasted the execution of criminals caught the previous day whose crimes were already serious enough. People in other cities watching the live stream were shocked to find that it was for real, and they sent even more gifts.
Starfall, on the other hand, mingled with Ethan in the crowd, cast a spell on themselves to confuse their presence, and then brazenly squeezed into the front row to watch.
Unlike the gas chambers or lethal injections in other cities, executions in Starfall City are carried out by firing squad. Before the execution, the crime committed is read aloud to justify the death penalty.
Ethan watched helplessly as they were all executed. In their final moments, their faces contorted with fear or resentment, all of it would freeze into eerie expressions.
Bullets pierced their temples, exploding into bursts of blood. Although the amount of blood lost from a single gunshot wound was not much, what if it was from hundreds of people? The thick stench of blood permeated the entire scene.
Ethan smelled blood, and he felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He didn't like killing, but they deserved it; their hands were stained with blood.
But Ethan still felt nauseous. Even knowing the grave sins of their kind, he was still uncomfortable seeing so many of his fellow humans being killed.
"I want to change this city." Ethan's resolve grew stronger.
Upon hearing this, Xingyun, who was standing beside him, merely glanced at him and gave a soft "hmm".
A note from the author:
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Let me share a bit of the past. Mom almost got forced into the villain's storyline, but actually we're all good kids [sprinkling flowers]. Knicks is Mom's last name. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but scum doesn't deserve a name.
If Mom really does take action, then she'll integrate into Starfall City much better. Her gentle yet resilient mother [I don't know if this was written out] will become like Black Widow [upright-eared rabbit head].
This is a subtle metaphor about anti-violence and focusing on children's mental health. Even the Women and Children's Protection Association can't get into Starfall City yet. Ethan will try harder, because his experience makes him understand the importance of anti-violence and mental health even more.
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