“I don’t need it.” Lian Han put down his teacup and closed his eyes. “If Aunt Pei insists on sending Xiao Mei here, I will take good care of her, but she is going to school, not with me.”
"Sister, have some tea."
Pei Sumei handed the cup to her again, and Lian Han took it and drank it all in one gulp. "I treat her like a younger sister."
Pei Yuan's gaze fell on the girl's resolute face, and she said, "But I feel more at ease with another kind of relationship. Xiao Han, do you know the Pei family? I mean the Shadow Pei family."
Before Lian Han could react, Old Man Xing popped up, "[Is it the Pei family? I knew your neighbor was no ordinary person, but I didn't expect him to be this extraordinary! You've struck gold!]"
[So I have to agree to her request and let Xiao Mei be my shadow?] Lian Han thought of Qi Mu, that taciturn boy, the shadow her family arranged for her. It was clear that he didn't want to be by her side but had no choice but to do so.
[It's just a formality. Take Xiao Ye, for example; even though it's just cards, you still treat them like your lifeblood, right?]
Lian Han neither confirmed nor denied the old man's statement, and asked Pei Yuan, "The Shadow Pei family?"
"It's normal not to know." Pei Yuan rubbed her daughter's head. "Do you think Xiao Mei's fighting skills are a talent?"
She had personally witnessed Xiao Mei defeat six upperclassmen from the same school. Lian Han raised an eyebrow and asked, "What was that?"
“Fighting is a compulsory course for the Pei family, and the battlefield is where we should be. I want to tell you what the Pei family is later, Xiao Mei. This is the employment contract, which Xiao Mei has already signed. I hope you agree to it as well.” Pei Yuan took out three copies of the virtual document.
In the interstellar era, contracts witnessed by the mastermind are legally binding, but breaching them will result in punishment from the mastermind, including the revocation of Skynet accounts. This punishment is tantamount to making one unable to establish oneself in the Federation, and no one wants to bear it.
Meeting Pei Yuan's gaze, Lian Han finally took the contract, quickly flipped through it, and frowned, "Ten years of employment?"
"Yes. You will take care of and protect her. The house on the capital star, and everything Xiao Mei has, will be yours for the next ten years."
"Aren't you afraid I'll mistreat her?"
"Having known her for so many years, Aunt Pei can see that you truly consider Xiao Mei your younger sister. I believe that even without this, you would take good care of her. But I can't let you help for nothing." Besides, friendships can fade. Lian Han might be able to take good care of Xiao Mei for now, but what about later? With her talent, her future achievements will undoubtedly be extraordinary, meaning she will spend more and more energy on her studies and personal development. Where will she find the time to care for a child?
She had confidence in her daughter, Xiao Mei. Given time to grow, she was certain Xiao Mei would catch up with Lian Han and become a qualified shadow. With Lian Han always by her side, how could she possibly forget Xiao Mei?
Lian Han is incredibly kind to his own people, like that ice-type little beast.
Lian Han looked at Pei Sumei, "Do you agree?"
The little girl's eyes were red, but she forced herself not to cry anymore. "I'm too weak, so I'll listen to my mother."
Lian Han pursed his lips and turned the document back in front of Pei Yuan. "Let's revise the contract. It'll be a ten-year contract. I'll take care of Xiao Mei for the first four years. After that, provided she's capable of protecting herself, we can either choose to unilaterally terminate the contract."
“This is not good for you.” Pei Yuan was surprised. “You’re in college now, so you’re basically safe. Don’t you believe Xiao Mei can protect you?”
"No. I just feel that even if she's my sister, I can't possibly tie her ten years to me."
Pei Yuan did not agree with her statement, but she did not refuse her request. She was happy to make the change if it could secure more rights for her daughter.
After signing and uploading a copy to the mainframe, Pei Yuan and her daughter logged off. Lian Han rubbed his temples and returned to his birthplace.
[Tsk! You're not even an adult yet, and you just had a falling out with your family. How are you going to take care of a child?]
"Didn't you just say I made a profit?" Lian Han retorted.
Old Xing was deeply troubled. "You help her grow, and when she grows up, she gives back to you—you're the one who benefits. But now you help her, and she'll just fly away once she's ready—you'll lose out big time!"
[She'll only be 16 four years from now, right? How can she help me then?]
[Think about yourself four years ago, no, three years ago, before you speak.]
Three years ago, her mental strength wasn't even at the A level.
Lian Han paused for a moment, then said, "Anyway, the contract is signed. I'll take good care of Xiao Mei."
[Whatever makes you happy. I just don't know if your wallet can afford the expenses for two people plus three animals.]
Lian Han: ...She almost overlooked the money issue. It seems that Federal Currency is indeed running low.
After all, she had just severed ties, so the cards and money given to her by the Ling family were no longer valid. Thinking about how her family's beasts ate beast cores for food, Lian Han suddenly felt a heavy responsibility ahead.
Lian Han thought for a moment, then said, "[I'll make more cards when I get back.]"
[As long as you don't neglect your studies. Forget about the task of staying in the advanced class.]
Lian Han: […Life is short, every second wasted is a waste of life, I should start now. Are there any sales channels for intermediate-level cards? Something that won't expose my identity.]
[Of course, you can do it first. We can consign it when we get back to the capital.]
Seeing her engrossed in making cards, Old Man Xing chuckled helplessly. Temporarily leaving the Ling family wasn't so bad. At least the girl felt the pressure and would work even harder.
As for whether the pressure would be too much and break her, Old Man Xing said that was impossible; Lian Han was the most resilient child he had ever met. Life put immense pressure on her, and she bounced back with equal force…
Meanwhile, General Ning, who had been asked by Marshal Ling to look after the little girl, was turned away. Seeing that her AI replied that its owner was busy, General Ning hesitated for a moment and did not dare to open the door. He simply asked the AI to leave a message for him—it would be too embarrassing if the previous incident happened again.
However, even after he left the command room that evening, he still hadn't received a reply from Lian Han. General Ning felt his charm had diminished, but he didn't bother her and decided to wait and see when she would reply.
Two days later, Lian Han saw the message. The girl looked at Ning Jue and Bei Ting's messages one after the other and finally remembered that she seemed to have promised Bei Ting that she would go to Tianwang to find him on New Year's Day.
Two days have passed. [Old man, why didn't you remind me?]
[I've been too busy lately, I forgot.]
Lian Han: ...What else could this old man do besides watch her make cards?
Thinking this, Lian Han lay back down in the Skynet connection pod. Two days late; hopefully, it won't be long-term.
Otherwise, she wouldn't know how to coax people.
It was expected that Beiting was not online. Soldiers are all busy, especially since the enemy is currently engaged in numerous battles in the northern border. It would be abnormal if General Ning's troops weren't busy.
With that thought in mind, Lian Han quickly logged off the Skynet again and then dialed General Ning's communication.
"General, good evening." As soon as the video call connected, Lian Han greeted him with a smile.
Ning Jue nodded, then said, "I was just wondering when the AI started having a message delay function, and it's delayed for two days at a time."
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