Prometheus told him through text: "Dr. Ai Yue, I've discovered that Miss Sakura is a very heavy woman."
"...Where did you learn that expression?"
Chapter Fourteen: A Sister-Type Younger Sister
Prometheus's use of internet slang once again confirmed Ai Yue's resolve to restrict his internet access, though he did not deny Prometheus's assessment.
But in this era, something like that was actually quite normal.
Sakura and Ling were both from the Far East. That country had been almost completely destroyed during the Third Great Honkai. The scale of that Third Great Honkai had been utterly terrifying—it had even affected Canghai City in the neighboring Shenzhou. In the end, through the efforts of the Moth to Fire and the United Nations, the truth of the massive disaster had been twisted into that of a violent, large-scale tsunami.
The sisters had struggled to escape that enormous disaster alive, so it was only natural that they treasured each other even more. As the elder sister, Sakura carried the responsibility of protecting Ling, but in reality, she was a gentle and fragile person. In order to make herself stronger, she attributed all her actions to "protecting Ling," and gradually came to regard Ling as her sole spiritual support.
It was perfectly reasonable for someone like that to seem heavy to Prometheus.
But if she had not done so, Sakura's mind would probably have collapsed long ago.
As soon as the two of them left the building, they saw a car slowly pull up outside. The window on the driver's side rolled down, revealing Hua. She nodded at them without saying much.
Hua felt that she was almost used to this life as a driver.
After the two got into the car, Ai Yue continued asking, "Have things on Ling's side been arranged?"
"Mhm." Sakura nodded. "We don't have much stuff. We can leave at any time."
After Sakura accepted Dr. Mei's terms and officially joined the Moth to Fire, Ling had also settled down in a city near the Moth to Fire's headquarters. However, the sisters had constantly moved from place to place before that, so they had both developed the habit of not accumulating unnecessary belongings, making it convenient to move at any time.
"That makes things easier." Ai Yue smiled. "I haven't told you the specific plan yet, have I? I intend to have Ling live in Twilight Street."
"The sanatorium?" Sakura recalled the place where she had first met Ai Yue and frowned slightly. "Dr. Ai Yue, may I ask who's in charge of the sanatorium now?"
Recalling Aponia's eerie ability, she instinctively felt the urge to flee.
As someone who relied on force to survive, being fixed in place by a casual word from someone else and left at their mercy had been a nightmarish experience.
"Don't worry. Aponia isn't in charge there." Ai Yue's expression became somewhat strange at the mention of Aponia, but quickly returned to normal. "The current plan for Twilight Street is to establish a new branch, primarily to build a shelter for orphans who have been left homeless by various disasters, where they can be taken in and educated. People from the education sector will be responsible for that. As for security, other people will guarantee it. Guess who?"
"Warriors from the Moth to Fire?" Sakura thought for a moment. Looking at Ai Yue's expression, she suddenly said, "Could it be Kalpas?"
Ai Yue looked at her in surprise. "Why would you think it was him?"
He knew that the two had gotten along well in the original storyline, but at this point, they should not have had much contact yet.
"Just a feeling. After all, Twilight Street is his home." Sakura thought for a moment. "Besides, I feel that he's the sort of person who really likes children. He'd be well suited to this place."
"You guessed right. I plan to have Kalpas handle security for this branch. Of course, ordinary warriors will also be stationed here." Ai Yue nodded, approving her answer. "Should I transfer you here as well? That way, you can see Ling whenever you want."
"No need. As long as she's safe, that's enough." Sakura had been somewhat tempted at first, but ultimately shook her head. "You've already gone to so much trouble over Ling. I can't make you worry about my affairs as well."
As an elder sister, she naturally wished to see her younger sister at all times. But Sakura knew very well that she was now a Fused Warrior, the Moth to Fire's most powerful weapon against the Honkai. For Ling's sake, and for the future of all the children like Ling, she had to be used where she was most needed.
Ai Yue watched Sakura's expression, then smiled. "It seems Rose wasn't entirely right."
He could naturally see what Sakura was thinking, and thus realized that his own view had been too one-sided. Sakura might indeed regard Ling as her spiritual support, but that did not mean her heart held only her younger sister.
Now, it seemed that life in the Moth to Fire had clearly influenced her as well, giving her life some other meanings.
The three soon arrived at Ling's residence. When Sakura knocked on the door in a special rhythm, a delighted girl's voice came from inside. "Sis?"
"It's me, Ling." Sakura replied gently. "My colleagues and I have come to take you with us."
The door quickly opened, and a pink-haired girl in a white dress threw herself into Sakura's arms. "Sis!"
"Sis." Sakura knelt down to catch Ling, then directly lifted her up. "Let me introduce you. This is Dr. Ai Yue, and this is Hua. They're both my colleagues."
Ai Yue smiled and waved at the girl, who wore her pink hair in a side ponytail. Hua also nodded to her. The girl seemed a little shy and immediately turned her head away. "Sis, put me down?"
After Sakura set her down, Ling pretended to clear her throat before bowing to Ai Yue and Hua. "Hello, you two. My name is Ling, and I'm Sakura's younger sister. Thank you both for helping our sister all this time."
If Ling had not looked only fourteen or fifteen, her behavior would have made her seem even more like the older sister than Sakura.
"Not at all. Your sister is a very capable person." Ai Yue replied, then looked into the house. "Ling, have you packed everything?"
Just as Sakura had said, there was very little furniture inside. It looked empty, giving the impression that the sisters had only recently moved in.
"All packed!" Ling answered, then ran into the house. A short while later, she dragged out a suitcase. In the end, she could not help looking back. "Everything's here. Are we leaving now?"
"Of course we can." Ai Yue noticed the reluctance in the girl's eyes and added, "Of course, if you want to stay a little longer, that's fine too."
"Let's leave now. We can't waste everyone's time." Ling ultimately shook her head. She refused Hua's help and dragged the suitcase away by herself.
"She's such a sensible child." Ai Yue could not help shaking his head slightly. "Prometheus, you should learn from her."
Prometheus did not respond. He simply sent a rolling-eyes emoji to Ai Yue's phone.
Chapter Fifteen: Promises Must Be Kept
Compared with the last time Ai Yue had visited, Twilight Street had not changed much.
That was only natural. It had been just a few days since his last visit, and even though Twilight Street had now become a key Moth to Fire project, construction speed was always affected by various factors.
However, the buildings around the sanatorium had basically all been demolished. According to the report, the residents there should have already been relocated to other settlements.
According to the plans, a town with relatively complete facilities would also be built near the branch. It would be used to integrate and accommodate the ordinary people from several nearby settlements, allowing them to return to a more convenient life while making them easier to protect and manage.
"This is... Twilight Street?" Ling followed behind Sakura, looking around curiously. "It seems... kind of quiet."
The girl was truly too good with words. She could still come up with such a tactful description while looking at a field of ruins. Her emotional intelligence was so much higher than her sister's that it was impossible to say by how much.
"It's currently being rebuilt. It'll get better and better in the future." Ai Yue carried the suitcase at the front and looked back at Ling with a smile. "Are you disappointed?"
"No, Brother Ai Yue." Ling shook her head. "If anything, I'm looking forward to its future."
The ruins covering the ground reminded Ling of her former homeland. If this place could be rebuilt, would she one day be able to return to that land and rebuild it with her own hands?
The girl subconsciously looked at her sister. Sakura rarely cared about other people's opinions, but when it came to her younger sister, her emotional intelligence was perfect. She understood everything from Ling's gaze alone, so she reached out and stroked Ling's head. "One day, we'll go back."
Ling said nothing more, simply nodding forcefully.
As they talked, the group soon arrived at their destination. A group of children was already waiting outside the shelter.
"It's Brother Ai Yue!"
When the children saw Ai Yue appear, they excitedly ran over. Ai Yue hurried forward and crouched down to welcome their enthusiastic hugs.
"Brother Ai Yue, you're so mean! Why did you only come now?" one child complained with a laugh. "Mama Aponia and Uncle Kalpas have already come back several times!"
"Oh, isn't it because I was preparing gifts for everyone?"
Ai Yue raised the suitcase in his hand and beamed. "Guess what's inside?"
Only today could he finally straighten his chest with pride beneath the children's hopeful gazes and tell them that he had kept his promise.
The batch of medicine Ai Yue had brought was a second-improved version created after collecting new recovery data from the patients in the Fifth Science Department. While eliminating the Honkai Sickness erosion within the patients' bodies, it could also preserve some harmless energy, strengthening their bodies to a certain degree and enhancing their Honkai Sickness Antibodies.
It could be said that this version of the Honkai Sickness Serum was already highly complete, but it still had some shortcomings: cost and mass production.
Ai Yue planned to leave those two problems to the new Fifth Research Institute led by Su. After all, he had already overcome the most difficult problem. The rest could be left for others to show what they could do.
About an hour later, the children who had finished treatment returned to the yard.
Their faces were filled with happy smiles, but all their hands were doing the same thing: gripping the Honkai Energy Absorbers against their chests and refusing to let go.
"Brother Ai Yue, is this really okay?" A little girl hesitated for a long time before looking at Ai Yue. "After taking it off, won't our bodies really feel bad?"
It was not that the children were unwilling to trust Ai Yue. The main problem was that even in the children's eyes, the treatment process had been far too simple.
They had only received an injection. It was not as if they had never had injections before. But this time, would the strange illness that had tormented them for so long really disappear?
Their symptoms were not severe, and they had long been suppressed by the Honkai Energy Absorbers. They therefore had no trouble moving around normally and could not clearly experience the process of recovery like patients with severe cases could.
"Of course it's okay. When have I ever lied to you?" Ai Yue gave them an encouraging smile. "Do you remember what I told you back then? These were only temporary gifts to help you through the most difficult period. Now, it's time to say goodbye to them."
The little girl hesitated, then nodded. "Mhm, I believe you!"
After saying that, she took the Honkai Energy Absorber from around her neck and gently placed it on the ground.
Once someone had taken the lead, the other children made the same choice. They removed the talismans that had protected them for so long and quietly waited for their bodies to change.
"It really doesn't hurt..." The little girl's eyes widened, tears swirling in them.
Before they had the Honkai Energy Absorbers, they had sometimes been in so much pain that they could not get out of bed, and many children had died because of it. Even after receiving the Honkai Energy Absorbers, they could not be separated from them for even a moment, or the pain would instantly return.
Yet this time, nothing happened. Everything seemed to have returned to the beginning, to the time before disaster had descended, when their families were still by their sides...
"Brother Ai Yue is really popular with the children."
Sakura and Ling stood in the corner of the yard, quietly watching the scene before them. Ling could not help smiling. "So, Sis, are you working for Brother Ai Yue now?"
"Yes. He's a very good person." Sakura nodded. "Whether as a friend or as a superior, he's excellent."
"Then I'm relieved." Ling nodded like an adult. "If it's Brother Ai Yue, he definitely won't force Sis to do work you don't want to do, right?"
"Ling..." Sakura looked at her in surprise. "You knew?"
Sakura never talked to Ling about her work. She wanted to remain, in Ling's eyes, the reliable and composed elder sister who could handle anything. Besides, the matters concerning the Poison Chrysalis were too filthy, and she should not make Ling worry about her.
But now, it seemed that it was not only the elder sister who understood the younger sister. The younger sister had seen through her elder sister just as well.
"I know Sis doesn't want me to worry, so I want to let Sis feel at ease too." Ling blinked playfully. "But now, we don't have to worry about those things anymore, right?"
Sakura said nothing more and simply stroked Ling's head.
On the other side, Ai Yue was waving for Ling to come over.
Chapter Sixteen: What Exactly Is Honkai Energy?
Ling integrated into the group even faster than Ai Yue had expected.
At first, he had thought that because the children of Twilight Street had rarely interacted with outsiders their age, they might feel more or less resistant to Ling's arrival. He had therefore been considering how to eliminate the distance between them.
Who would have thought that the matter he had been worrying over would never happen? After he simply introduced Ling's circumstances and explained that they would all be living together, the children quickly accepted her.
Ling did not feel uncomfortable interacting with the unfamiliar children, either. She even displayed an extremely maternal side. After spending only a short time with them, she had already vaguely become their leader and had been unanimously given the title of "Sis."
"After leaving her homeland, Ling hasn't smiled like this in a very long time." Sakura remained in the corner, watching Ling play with the children, a smile curling at the corners of her lips. "Thank you, Ai Yue."
"There's no need to thank me. Now that I think about it, arranging for Ling to stay here will also benefit Twilight Street's future development." Ai Yue smiled. "More homeless children will be taken in here in the future. When children from different places and with different experiences gather together, conflicts are bound to arise. That sort of thing is difficult to settle through adults' restrictions alone. But if it's Ling, she might be able to resolve them."
"Ling can definitely do it." Sakura spoke with certainty, but her tone then became somewhat downcast. "Actually, she's always been much stronger than me."
"Family members are supposed to support each other. How could it ever be a one-sided effort?" Ai Yue glanced at her. "Don't always think that Ling became so mature because you failed to do enough. If you keep thinking that way, you'll easily get trapped in a dead end."
Sakura merely nodded without speaking. Ai Yue also knew that such matters could not be solved by a few words from an outsider, so he said nothing more.
Just then, a tall figure walked out of the building and knocked on the gate, drawing everyone's attention.
"Brats," Kalpas said impatiently, "snack time!"
"It's snack time!" a child immediately asked excitedly. "Uncle Kalpas, what are we having today?"
Most of the others charged straight into the building, while Ling remained where she was, looking confused and unsure what was happening.
"Chocolate cookies." Kalpas answered casually. He swept his gaze across the yard, then focused it on Ling. "New kid?"
Perhaps intimidated by his unusual outfit, Ling merely nodded without speaking.
"Come along." As he spoke, Kalpas walked toward the building. "I didn't leave out a portion for you."
"Kalpas? Snack time?" Sakura looked at Ai Yue with a strange expression. "If I may be frank, I find it difficult to connect those two words."
There was a trace of doubt in her gaze toward Ai Yue. Clearly, if anything could combine those two words, it had to be Ai Yue.
"Don't look at me like that. I only mentioned it in passing." Ai Yue's expression was also complicated. "Who knew he'd take it seriously?"
Indeed, Kalpas was now not only the strongest fighter here, but also the children's pastry chef.
After attending a banquet organized by Elysia a few days earlier, he had spent most of his wages buying all kinds of baking tools and ingredients, then studied for an entire day. Aside from nearly sending his adjutant to the hospital by making him eat a failed batch of baked goods, everything had gone smoothly.
By the time Ai Yue received the news, Kalpas had already successfully changed professions from "uncle deliveryman" to "pastry chef."
Still, judging from how excited the children were, it was clear that Kalpas did have some talent in this area.
Thinking of that, Ai Yue was just about to go in and see how the children were enjoying the food when Prometheus suddenly spoke. "Dr. Ai Yue, the calculations for Project Purifier have been completed. Shall we inspect them now?"
"Completed? That quickly?" Ai Yue was stunned for a moment before becoming excited. "Looks like I won't get to eat those chocolate cookies."
"What happened?" Sakura noticed the change in Ai Yue's mood and could not help asking.
"Nothing. I just have to leave now." Ai Yue replied while contacting Hua on his phone, as she was responsible for taking over the report. "You can stay a few more days. There haven't been any missions lately. You can return with the plane transporting the supplies."
Before you continue