Lu Liuhe looked up.
The light screen also slowly ascended along the pair of long legs before her, revealing the full appearance of the newcomer.
It was a young man, about eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing camouflage fatigues. He was tall and slender, with handsome and striking features, exuding a touch of boldness. His demeanor was as clean and refreshing as his voice.
The bullet comment army arrived.
【Holy shit, this is literally a fantasy come to life—so handsome it could break legs and melt waists! Are there really men this good-looking in the Wasteland?】
【Don’t anyone stop me from drooling over the screen—this is exactly my type.】
【The muscle lines under his clothes look so good, so smooth, so tempting. Hey streamer, let’s make a deal—if I upgrade to a top fan, can you help me strip his clothes off?】
Lu Liuhe mentally conversed with them, cutting off their fantasies: “Don’t even think about it. Mercenaries are all Awakened. He could poke me to death with just one finger.”
“Little one, I’m asking you—what are you going out for?” The young man repeated his question when he saw her staring at him dumbfounded without answering.
Lu Liuhe looked up at him and flashed a bright smile. “I’m a Planter. I’m going out to collect some plant soil samples.”
“What’s your name?” The young man crouched down in front of her, his gaze still slightly higher than hers, looking down at her with a slight tilt of his brow.
“Lu Liuhe,” she answered honestly.
“I’m Tang Jing.” Tang Jing sized her up—thin and small, like a bean sprout, looking rather pitiful. He picked up the sign in front of her, flipped it over, and said, “Call me ‘brother,’ and I’ll take you out.”
Lu Liuhe thought to herself, What’s wrong with the people I’m meeting today? One wants to be called ‘daddy,’ another wants to be called ‘brother’—are they that desperate for family? Without hesitation, she called out, “Tang Jing brother.”
Tang Jing was amused by her straightforwardness and stood up with a laugh. “Alright, come with me to get registered.”
When he had entered the Mercenary Center’s area, he had spotted her at once—small and thin, yet sitting there with an air of ease and composure, unlike the usual timid and flustered children.
Afraid he might change his mind at any moment, Lu Liuhe grabbed her small blackboard and hurried after him on her short legs, handing him the promised reward—an energy bar and an IOU.
Tang Jing didn’t refuse and accepted them. Looking at the flowing, elegant, and natural and unrestrained handwriting on the IOU, he complimented, “Your handwriting is quite nice.”
Lu Liuhe smiled at him, her eyes curving sweetly. “Thank you, brother.”
She kept calling him “brother” over and over.
The fans couldn’t bear to watch.
【This streamer is the most adaptable one I’ve ever seen.】
【What do you know? This is called knowing when to yield. If a handsome guy like that stood in front of you and asked you to call him ‘brother,’ wouldn’t you do it?】
【Hey, the one upstairs, you better keep your word—give that handsome brother to me!】
【Wait, doesn’t the streamer have any sense of caution? You can’t judge by appearances, you know. What if he’s a human trafficker who’ll kidnap and sell you?】
【How did you even get in here? Haven’t you seen the streamer’s combat skills? If you were a human trafficker standing in front of her, she could punch a hundred of you to death in one go.】
In the blink of an eye.
Tang Jing had already reached the service hall.
Someone stood up, waving at him and calling out, “Captain, over here!”
Lu Liuhe looked over and saw four young people standing there, all around eighteen or nineteen years old.
Two were handsome young men, and two were bright, spirited young women.
It must be said that the looks of the Awakened are truly a genetic gift.
[Wait, are all mercenaries this good-looking?]
[Wrong, it should be that all Awakened are good-looking. Look around this hall—is there anyone who isn’t attractive?]
The fans’ gaze then focused on Lu Liuhe.
Dark, skinny, and thin, like a skeleton that would fall apart at the slightest touch, flat both front and back, with nothing to speak of.
Lu Liuhe felt offended: “Take a good look at me. Where am I not good-looking?
I’m just malnourished. Look at my bone structure, my facial features—they’re excellent, not inferior to theirs at all.
Besides, I’m only sixteen. As long as I get proper nutrition, I’ll definitely shoot up in height.”
Bullet Comments trolls emerged: [Streamer, is the beauty filter in your Livestream Room not synced with ours? Let me screenshot and show you.]
Lu Liuhe decided to ignore them for two minutes.
Tang Jing’s team members had already arrived. After hearing his introduction of Lu Liuhe, their gazes toward her were quite meaningful, but no one objected to taking her along.
They all knew that the captain had a younger sister who died of illness before he awakened his Abnormal Ability.
So, the captain always had a soft spot for girls around her age.
One of the team members had already taken a number in advance, and soon it was their turn to register for departure. Lu Liuhe’s name was added as well.
There were many people like her, attached to a Mercenary Corps and going out with them. The management center usually turned a blind eye to such cases.
The team member quickly returned and handed out the processed exit permits, one for each person.
Lu Liuhe took her exit permit and left with them.
Soon, they arrived at the parking lot in front of the management center.
Tang Jing stopped in front of an Off-road vehicle and motioned with his chin: “Get in!”
Lu Liuhe looked at the rugged, imposing military Off-road vehicle in front of her and felt genuine envy.
When would she be able to get one herself?
From the outside, it was hard to tell how big the vehicle was.
But once inside, she realized the space was truly spacious—it was a camper van with a bedroom, a living room, and a small bathroom.
Sitting on the sofa in the living room, she could see the bedroom opposite, separated from the rest.
On the outer side were three bunk beds stacked vertically, while the inner side had two bunk beds.
Tang Jing entered the bedroom and soon returned, handing her a piece of candy before lazily leaning back on the sofa. “Kid, this is your first time going out, right?”
Lu Liuhe nodded, reminding him: “My name is Lu Liuhe. I’m sixteen years old, not a kid.”
Tang Jing looked at her thin, bony frame and shook his head noncommittally. “It’s dangerous outside the Base. Don’t ever go beyond the green warning line on your own.”
“Mm, thank you.” Lu Liuhe had already done her homework beforehand.
Within ten kilometers of the settlement area, C-Class and above Mutated Flora and Fauna were regularly cleared, making it the lowest-risk green zone.
Beyond that were blue, yellow, orange, and red zones.
The farther out, the more dangerous it became.
And beyond that lay the most perilous Wilderness Uninhabited Zone.
The vehicle moved quickly.
After passing the massive High Wall of the farming area, they reached the Base’s exit checkpoint.
The Guard Army checked their exit permits and promptly let them through.
The car drove another kilometer before coming to a stop.
Lu Liuhe shouldered her large backpack and waved to them: “Goodbye, brother and sister, thank you.”
Tang Jing leaned back on the sofa, unwrapped a candy and popped it into his mouth, saying: “Scientist, keep it up.”
Lu Liuhe was somewhat moved by his encouragement. She pulled five sheets of spirit paper from her pocket and said: “These are protective Talismans I drew myself. I also wish you a smooth journey and a safe return.”