Chen Tiannuo quickly approached the figure.
Looking at the little girl before him, he recalled his Warframe and crouched down, asking, "Hey there, little one, it's dangerous here. You should head back."
"Are… you one of the recruiters?" the girl asked timidly.
"Recruiters?" Chen Tiannuo didn't quite catch on.
"You're not…?" The girl's expression dimmed.
"What do you mean by 'recruiters'?" Chen Tiannuo asked curiously.
"You don't know? The private security company headquarters sends people to search for qualified Initiators. Children who pass the tests get taken to headquarters, where they're adopted by their Promoters," the girl said, her eyes shining with hope.
"And what happens to them in the end?" A strange thought crossed Chen Tiannuo's mind.
"If they're lucky, their Promoter will treat them kindly—buy them suppressants so the Gastrea virus spreads slower. But eventually… they all die."
"If they're unlucky, the infection spreads faster. They might get beaten or bullied… but at least they'll have a 'home.'"
The girl's words, spoken so casually, reminded Chen Tiannuo of his own past. Though… perhaps his was even worse.
"And what about those who aren't chosen?"
"We live with the elder."
"Can I come see it?" Chen Tiannuo asked.
"Sure, follow me." The girl could tell Chen Tiannuo meant no harm and agreed to his request, leading the way to their home.
Chen Tiannuo recalled his Warframe and followed the girl.
After a short walk, she led him to a sewer entrance. She tapped on the manhole cover, and someone responded immediately from inside.
"Donghui-jie! You're back!" came the voice of an even younger child. She opened the manhole and climbed out.
"So, your name is Donghui," Chen Tiannuo realized he hadn't introduced himself yet. "Call me Tenno."
Following Donghui down into the sewer, Chen Tiannuo was surprised to see it cleaned and neatly arranged, a stark contrast to what one would expect. He glanced at Donghui.
"It's everyone's effort. Since we live here, keeping it clean is better," Donghui explained, understanding his look.
An old man wearing round glasses approached. "And this is?"
"Elder, he's probably from the city," Donghui answered.
"May I ask what brings you here? Oh, and I'm Matsuzaki, the elder of this place," said Elder Matsuzaki.
"I'm here to hunt Gastrea. I spotted this little one near the battlefield and followed her here. You can call me Tenno," Chen Tiannuo said truthfully.
"I see."
Looking at the children gathering around, Matsuzaki asked, "Would you consider adopting an Initiator?"
"These children are very well-behaved," he added, gently patting the head of the girl beside him.
Seeing the peaceful scene, Chen Tiannuo was reminded of how Margulis once treated them.
Snapping out of it, he recalled his Warframe and looked seriously at Matsuzaki. "I do need an Initiator, but I don't need one with strong combat skills. Everything else doesn't matter."
Matsuzaki looked at him in surprise. "But isn't combat usually the Initiator's job? Promoters are the ones who give commands."
Chen Tiannuo tapped on his Warframe. "I'm very capable in combat. And besides, my fights tend to cause a lot of collateral damage—" (he meant his explosive weapons).
Matsuzaki looked kindly at Donghui and said, "This child has dolphin genes. She's not strong in combat, but she's very smart. She just hasn't had formal education, so her knowledge is limited."
"Elder, I want to stay and take care of everyone," Donghui murmured, bowing her head.
"Donghui, I know you want to care for the children in the shelter, but you need to consider your own body too. It's starting to break down. If you fight again… you'll die."
Listening to them, Chen Tiannuo spoke up, "I'm only registering you in the PMC system, not taking you away for good. You can come back with the commission pay to support the shelter.
Also—what do you mean her body can't handle it?"
"This child's infection is nearly at its limit. She needs suppressants from the PMC. That's why… I hoped you would choose her." Matsuzaki was practically begging.
"Uh… how many kids here need suppressants?"
"A dozen or so… But this child's condition is the worst—she uses her powers the most…" Matsuzaki hadn't even finished when Donghui interrupted.
"Because I'm the big sister!" Donghui said with conviction.
"Donghui…" Matsuzaki choked on his words.
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of her." Chen Tiannuo promised.
Matsuzaki bowed deeply. "Thank you!"
"It's nothing—they're just children, after all." Chen Tiannuo waved it off and turned to Donghui. "Go say your goodbyes to your friends. You won't be seeing them for a while. I'll wait outside." With that, he leapt up and out.
…
"Brother Tenno, I'm ready." Donghui climbed out and walked to his side.
Chen Tiannuo sensed her unease.
"Yeah, let's go." He picked her up.
"Eh?!" Donghui looked at him in surprise, as if she wanted to say something.
Chen Tiannuo patted her head. "You've worked hard for your little sisters for so long. Now… it's okay to rely on me a bit."
"Thank you…" Donghui whispered.
"No problem," Chen Tiannuo said, a bit awkward. "So, uh… which way do we go?"
"Eh?" Donghui froze, then quickly pointed. "This way."
"Got it."
Chen Tiannuo said nothing more and quietly walked in the direction she indicated.
…
"We're here at last." Chen Tiannuo looked at the building in front of them.
"This is the place, right?" he asked Donghui.
Donghui nodded. "Yes, this is the Private Security Company. We just need to go in and register."
Suddenly, Chen Tiannuo remembered—he didn't have an identity in this world. But based on the system's info, that wasn't an issue. He could just name a now-defunct country.
"Hello, are you here to register with the PMC?" A staff member noticed him entering with a little girl and asked.
"Yes."
"Please follow me." The staff member led the way.
Chen Tiannuo followed her to a large training ground.
"What's this for?" he asked, curious.
"This is to test the combat strength of PMC members and their partners—for ranking purposes," she explained.
Noticing his Warframe, the staff member asked again, "Is this your combat gear?"
Chen Tiannuo had already taken off his helmet earlier and hooked it to his Warframe's back.
"Yeah, I'm the main fighter. She's my support."
"Understood." The staff member activated the simulated battlefield and began the trial.