Li Mo could only take things one step at a time. If he couldn't get into the first evacuation group, he really might die in Siberia.
Having lost all his Bizarre powers, even the chilling aura in his sea of consciousness had vanished. It seemed that in the Soul-Ferrying Passage on the fourth floor, he had truly died completely, to the point that even the Misfortune Ghost had left his sea of consciousness.
Without the power of the Bizarre, only his foreknowledge as a transmigrator could help him. By relying on his understanding of the plot, even if it had changed somewhat, at least the characters' personalities hadn't. Li Mo could only rely on this to find someone to get him out.
It didn't matter if that person was Cocolia or Cecilia. This time period should be close to the Second Great Honkai Eruption. If he didn't leave before it broke out... Tsk tsk, he couldn't imagine how miserably he would die.
In the command room, Cocolia rubbed her forehead, her gaze fixed on her account, looking extremely haggard. She wore a green double-breasted military jacket over a gray undershirt, a black belt, red trim, and white fur at the collar and cuffs to ward off the Siberian cold.
"Captain, there's no need to fight anymore. Our mission this time is not to confront the enemy."
"Yes, I know. Give me a week."
"Captain, the identities of all the children have been basically verified, except for a few we couldn't find. The rescued children are all fine and will be able to move normally in a week."
"Still a few missing? Forget it, we don't have the energy or manpower to search anymore. I was too late. It's good that the other children are okay..."
"Captain, our supplies are limited... We need you to make a decision immediately. Either take some of the children with you, or... leave them all here."
As soon as he finished speaking, Cocolia's face instantly darkened, her eyes turning fierce.
"I'll find a way. You can leave now."
"Yes, Captain."
Soon, the room was silent. The evening wind beat against the windowpane. Inside, Cocolia sat with her fingers interlaced, her head in her hands.
There was always a considerable gap between reality and ideals. On one hand, she wanted to save all the children; on the other, she had to consider the unavoidable factors of reality. The costs of war, the approval of the troops—all these procedures needed to be completed, and... the most crucial thing was time.
Her orders were to arrest Colonel Alexei for selling military supplies and bring him to a military tribunal. But she never expected the conflict between Alexei and another unit to instantly escalate from zero to white-hot, as if the other side had planned it all along.
Out of national interest, Cocolia joined Alexei's camp and participated in this sudden conflict. It was a very bad deal, and if it wasn't resolved, it would implicate even more innocent children... These past few days, she had been drifting further and further away from her lifelong dream.
"I need money, even if it's from an illegitimate source." Cocolia stood up and pushed open the door.
Although her sense of justice still held her back, Cocolia had no other choice right now.
She went alone to Colonel Alexei's camp. The room was cold, with only the two of them sitting opposite each other. To her surprise, Cocolia's journey had been smooth. There was no one in the enemy camp to even try and stop her, as if they had been waiting for her.
Cocolia got straight to the point, pulling out the arrest warrant. "Colonel Alexei, I have been sent by the military to arrest you on charges of selling military supplies."
Faced with Cocolia's aggressive stance, Alexei was unconcerned.
"Actually, we don't need to be so confrontational, Captain Cocolia."
"You have committed a crime. I hope you can be as calm as you are now when you face the military tribunal."
Alexei unhurriedly took out a pile of paper documents from a drawer and turned to look at a photo of himself and his wife, Alexandra, on the desk, his expression gentle.
"Haha... perhaps. I certainly won't have anything to say at the military tribunal. But Captain Cocolia, why did you come to see me at such a sensitive time?"
Cocolia remained silent.
"Selling arms was not my intention. Rest assured, I did not leak any core technology to potential enemies. I was just earning a little money for my family."
Alexei pushed a paper document in front of Cocolia and nonchalantly gestured for her to open it.
After a moment's hesitation, Cocolia took a deep breath, picked up the document, and opened it. It was a property deed.
"I think you know very well that people like us could die on the battlefield any day. If we put all our effort into our careers, we might... no, we will definitely regret it in the future. But by then, it will be too late. Instead of regretting it afterward, it's better to secure more benefits and protection for ourselves and our families while we still can."
"This manor is for you. I know you, Cocolia. You've always been taking in homeless and displaced orphans."
"But kindness comes at a price. You need enough capital to support your acts of kindness, which others see as meaningless."
"Not everyone treats orphans like their own children, as you do. Most see them as the lowest form of labor, working until they are bloody and dead in bottomless mines; becoming playthings for the rich, losing all dignity and shame; and a source of organs, being cut open on operating tables..."
Alexei's expression was serious. He pulled out a pair of silver handcuffs from somewhere and tossed them in front of Cocolia.
"Your choice is...?"
"..." Cocolia pushed the handcuffs back, her gaze averted. "Even if I cuff you now, I doubt your soldiers would agree. Next time, you might not be so lucky."
Then, she nonchalantly took the documents from the table. This was precisely why she had come to see Alexei: to engage in collusion under the guise of justice and judgment.
How despicable... As a soldier, she was already seriously derelict in her duty. If she was found out, her fate would be no better.
On the premise of ensuring the national interest, she could bear the infamy, but at least the children would no longer be homeless and lonely.
"Did it work?" Alexandra walked into the room and saw Alexei's relaxed expression, guessing the outcome.
"Yes, much easier than I thought."
"She doesn't seem like that kind of person..."
"Perhaps. I never thought I would do something that violates military discipline either. But no matter what, what's done is done. I can only move forward. Saying any more words of regret is meaningless; it only makes me look weak."
Alexei walked to Alexandra's side, his large, warm hand gently stroking her slightly protruding belly.
"She's one of us, risking everything for her own little selfish desires..."
"I have a feeling her end won't be much better than mine..."
"That manor is in the Japan, much safer than the Siberian border. Maybe when our child is born, we can go there and find a couple of friends for them to play with~" Alexei joked. "If it's a boy, we'll raise a well-mannered fiancée for him."
Alexandra asked curiously, "And what if our child is a girl?"
Alexei's smile faded, his expression becoming very stern. "She can play with girls, but don't let me see any little brat get close to her! Otherwise, even if Cocolia tries to stop me, I'll kick his ass in two."
Alexandra: "Pfft~"
On the way back, Cocolia sat in the car, her head turned to look at the dark night outside. A strange feeling stirred within her. She not only felt no guilt, but actually felt quite pleased... Was it because the children's future was settled?
Japan was a good place. Alexei had even prepared the paperwork for the orphanage. She had been thoroughly investigated. But that was to be expected. He was, after all, the famous Colonel Alexei, three ranks above her. Investigating her was a piece of cake.
He had given her an offer she couldn't refuse.
Cocolia could have rejected it, but if she missed this opportunity, she might never get such a good one again. Establishing an orphanage undoubtedly required a huge investment. At her current annual salary, she wouldn't have even half the required funds even if she worked until she died.
The great economic depression. No wonder even someone of Colonel Alexei's rank was willing to take risks. Who wouldn't want to add a layer of security for themselves and their family's future?
"What should I name it?" Cocolia's lips curved up involuntarily, her eyes filled with anticipation.
"Let's call it Cocolia's Orphanage, to give me a sense of participation. But I can't be the nominal owner of the orphanage, otherwise it would be easy to find out. I need to find someone I can trust."
Cocolia's brows furrowed, almost knitting together. Someone she could trust... she didn't seem to have anyone? Her subordinates were out of the question. Adults' minds were too complicated, and Cocolia felt they weren't as obedient as they appeared on the surface.
She had spent most of her time taking in orphans and had never cultivated any confidants. It was a difficult problem...
"No, I can just pick one of the children to be the nominal owner of the orphanage. The children have grown up together, so their relationships must be better. They see each other as family."
"But I still need to observe for a few days to decide who. I'll go back and look at the children's files from the past few days."
First, they had to be sentimental, so she wouldn't hand the orphanage over to an ungrateful person.
Second, they couldn't be too stupid. It would be best if they were a little clever and could judge situations.
Third, and most importantly, they had to be loyal and trustworthy, and take their promises very seriously.
Fourth, they couldn't be too ambitious. Otherwise, they would be thinking about starting their own business all day, which would be a headache for her. It would be best if they were the type who would just stay at home and chill.
It wasn't that hard, but it wasn't that simple either. At least for a group of three or four-year-old children, it was a bit difficult to satisfy all three conditions at once. Especially the third point. Children's promises were mostly like smoke, fleeting. They couldn't even remember them themselves, let alone keep them.
Cocolia hummed a little tune, returning to the camp in a good mood. She piled all the documents from the past few days on the table and began to browse them seriously.
Most of the children who had woken up didn't know much about their past, which was understandable given their young age. Most of them had recovered their mobility, with a few still needing some time to recuperate.
However... Cocolia found a special case.
Unlike the other children, when the soldiers found Li Mo, he had fainted not from the cold, but from blood loss. As a result, he had suffered irreversible aftereffects.
Cocolia frowned, pursed her lips, and carefully studied Li Mo's words and actions over the past few days.
Other children didn't shout or scream during surgery. Only he had a pained expression and kept calling out a name. He had even extended his hand several times while under general anesthesia, his fingers clenched, as if trying to grasp something.
But what did he want to grasp? What could he grasp?
Cocolia was puzzled and continued to read.
After waking up, Li Mo had been very withdrawn, vowing to repay her kindness. He didn't seem to care much even after learning about the serious aftereffects he had. But he had also asked some strange questions: "Will I die? If so, when?"
Li Mo wanted to know when he would die. At this age, to be able to face his own misfortune and calmly ask an adult about it, he must be very strong.
Cocolia: "...What a pity. If only his body were better, or if he were a little older."
Cocolia put down Li Mo's file and picked up the files of the other children, preparing for tomorrow's banquet...
"..."
After a few days of rest and adjustment, most of the children gradually opened up, forming small groups and playing happily with the toys Cocolia had provided, temporarily forgetting their troubles.
Building blocks, puzzles, marbles... ordinary toys, but they filled their empty and fearful hearts.
However, Li Mo was not one of them. He wasn't qualified to play. No one would want to play with someone who had to rest for half an hour after playing for a minute or two. Although he didn't care about having fun, in the eyes of others, he was like a lone bird, having to bear the biting cold wind alone.
Li Mo leaned against the window, his expression melancholic, his eyes filled with loss. He had thought Shigure Kira would be among these children, but he was wrong... He hadn't found her... he had been looking for a long, long time...
"..."
Li Mo clenched his small hands, his tender palms instantly turning red. A passing nurse saw this and quickly walked over, trying to cheer him up with a small toy.
"Little Li Mo, do you want to play with me?"
Obviously, she had mistaken Li Mo's unwillingness and self-blame for dissatisfaction and resentment at being excluded.
Li Mo rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I'm fine."
Nurse: "People who say they're fine usually aren't. Don't be so strong. You can tell me what's on your mind."
Li Mo: "..."
"Auntie, you look so old."
Nurse: "???"
The sudden heavy blow made the nurse's heart tremble. She instinctively wanted to say, "But you'll die before me," but then she realized how much that would hurt Li Mo and quickly stopped herself.