After making arrangements for Senti, there was nothing left to do.
MEI was catching up on sleep, and Kiana and Senti were training, so Tian Shi slipped away to talk with Rita and Bianka again.
There wasn't much to say to Rita due to a vague awkwardness, and with Bianka... there were even fewer things to say.
At least Rita could sustain awkward conversations.
Therefore, Tian Shi rarely had a very peaceful day.
Well, no children, no plans, no one bothering him—a peaceful and tranquil day.
In the middle of the night, Tian Shi naturally started a new random simulation.
It turns out that the number of simulations obtained by actively simulating is much faster than slow accumulation.
However, the meeting reward with MEI granted him a total of thirteen skill points worth of "Divine Key Crafting Lv. 6" and "Honkai Studies Lv. 7."
Maybe because what MEI learned came from Tian Shi, the skills granted and improved by the meeting reward are very valuable.
However, Tian Shi feels a little regretful for not acquiring the skills related to the super transformation operation or the Honkai energy sealing technology.
In some ways, it's considered a case of greed.
Not to mention skills, just looking at the number of simulations, he doesn't lose anything, right? Besides, Kevin, who is still in the quantum sea, is still a gain... Wait, did he forget to find Kevin, the unfortunate child?
Forget it, I'll look for him later when I have time.
Tian Shi thought indifferently.
At the same time, a new simulation panel appeared in front of Tian Shi.
[New plot segments found! Bronya Zaychik has been located!]
[This simulation's location: Current Civilization, Siberia]
[Simulation host: Bronya Zaychik]
[Simulation begins!]
..................
January 2012, Siberia.
On the endless snowfield, a young soldier in white camouflage held a sniper rifle motionless, aiming at the blonde woman below through the scope.
This is her assassination target this time, the former captain of the Russian special forces, Cocolia.
Speaking of young soldiers, after the Second Collapse, countless families were torn apart, causing a large number of children to become orphans and be adopted by the military and trained to become cold-blooded killing machines.
A nicer name is young soldiers. Of course, this doesn't sound very nice.
There's even a saying here: "The young soldiers of this country have learned to hold a gun before they have learned to hold a fork."
Obviously, the young soldier in front of him, Bronya, is one of them, but compared to what she will be like in the future, Bronya's eyes are currently vacant.
Speaking of which, if it weren't for Otto, the Second Honkai Collapse originally, although inevitable, wouldn't necessarily have spread to such an extent: the second collapse in this world line involved both Reanna and Joyce!
Of course, this kind of thing has nothing to do with Bronya, who is now staring at Cocolia.
All she has to do is wait for the moment the other party relaxes her guard and shoot her in the head.
But, anyway, Cocolia is the former captain of the special forces, and she isn't just a pretty face—no, it can even be said that she is very strong in the range of ordinary people.
Completely different from the thirteen senior officers who were strangled to death by Bronya with stockings and who had neglected the battlefield.
When Bronya just aimed the scope at Cocolia's head, Cocolia had already moved her gaze as if she had sensed something and looked in Bronya's direction with a smile on her face.
Not good!
For a moment, Bronya seemed to feel the so-called murderous aura.
She clearly felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't pull the trigger.
Her fingers were numb. Enduring the cold snowfield at minus seventy degrees, Bronya felt sweat dripping from her forehead.
However, the cruel training she had been through made Bronya quickly dispel the fear in her heart.
When she was about to pull the trigger, she suddenly found that the figure in the scope had disappeared.
"!!!"
Where?! Where is she? No, the most important thing now is to retreat! But the situation is very bad. She isn't far from the other party. If...
"I found you, little sniper."
Just when Bronya gritted her teeth and thought, the familiar murderous aura came again, accompanied by a light and playful tone.
But this time, this murderous pressure won't stop her again.
"Go to hell! Witch!"
With a shout, Bronya tore off the white camouflage cloth on her body, held a short knife in her hand, and charged towards Cocolia with a suicidal attitude.
"Too naive."
Cocolia narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Sleep for a bit."
The direct suicidal attack was easily dodged by Cocolia, and then she knocked her out with a palm strike.
"I hope she doesn't have bombs or anything."
Cocolia held Bronya, who was about to fall to the ground.
She doesn't kill children.
Although Cocolia was the mastermind behind the Honkai in the early days, when it comes to life and the orphanage, she is sincere.
After all, when the Cocolia Orphanage was established, Cocolia herself was not a well-known person, and the reason for her contact with the Honkai was quite strange: she was falsely accused and imprisoned after exposing the boss's failure to sell materials, and then she was sentenced for a second time.
The crazed beast called Honkai destroyed the detention center, and Cocolia herself was lucky enough to survive. And the children in the orphanage also sincerely call Cocolia their mother.
But after a series of events, Cocolia became what Grey Serpent scoffed at in the future: "You are truly an 'outstanding' mother."
Neither as an executor nor as a mother is she qualified. In a way, she is a bit of a tragic character.
"Don't worry, she doesn't."
After seeing that Bronya was unconscious, Tian Shi floated above the white cloth.
In the ninth level of Troublemaker, Tian Shi can possess normal objects and communicate with people who have not been his host.
"What are you!?"
Cocolia quickly pulled out her weapon and aimed at the white cloth in front of her. Well, this is a normal soldier's reaction.
"What? Hmm... maybe the immediate boss of your boss's boss?"
The white cloth twisted into a human shape in front of Cocolia's eyes, showing a posture of supporting its chin.
What the hell is this?
Even Cocolia is well-trained, but when she saw this in front of her, she silently uttered a cuss word in her heart.
But seeing that the other party seems to be able to communicate, Cocolia still bit the bullet and continued to ask.
"What do you mean?"
During this period, Cocolia's pistol was still aimed at the white cloth in front of her.
"Isn't your boss Reanna?"
"Yes, it's Lady Reanna."
Cocolia lost her calm attitude and looked nervously at Tian Shi.
Her experience working against the Honkai taught her that when you see something that is completely incomprehensible, don't continue to ask, especially if it's not profitable.
"Don't you know? I'm Reanna's immediate boss."
In a way, Reanna is Tian Shi's real body.
I have to say that Otto's masterpiece is really easy to use.
"This joke is not funny at all..."
Cocolia sneered while presenting a rebellious attitude.
"Our leader in Anti-Entropy is Lady Nancy—Nancy Thomas Alva Edison."
After finishing speaking, Cocolia recalled the matter seriously, so as not to be deceived by any spirit.
"..."
Seeing Cocolia's cautious appearance, Tian Shi felt that he and Cocolia probably wouldn't get anywhere by talking.
"Have you brought a communicator?"
"I brought one."
Cocolia feels a little silly now, negotiating with a white camouflage cloth.
"Turn on the communication device and find Reanna... or Nancy. No, you should say you can find any high-level executive."
"..."
Cocolia made a strange face. Why does this sound a bit... odd?
After hesitating for a while, Cocolia chose to take out the communicator.
After all, she didn't want the negotiation to break in the face of something inexplicable, and she was not ready to bear the unknown consequences if she was unprepared.
Soon, Cocolia contacted her immediate boss, Reanna.
"What's wrong, Cocolia?"
Reanna's voice came from the communicator.
"Um... Reanna-sama, how can I put it...?"
Cocolia looked at the twisted white cloth in the shape of a human in front of her eyes, and she didn't know what to say, but now that this is the case, Cocolia can only be dumbfounded.
"Lady Reanna, there's a piece of white cloth that wants to see you."
"Huh?"
As expected, Reanna's bewildered voice came from the communicator.
"Uh... Cocolia... will you repeat what you just said again?"
"Don't repeat it, it's me."
Tian Shi sighed and floated to the center of the communicator's perspective, blocking Cocolia's face.
"Lord Leader?"
Reanna was only startled a little, and then she showed a surprised look.
"You've come back?"
"Well, even if it's just for a little while."
"Do you have any orders?"
"Not yet, but if you're free, you can lend me your body for a while."
"Is that so... I understand. Do you need me to report your matter to Miss Nancy?"
Although she was usually called Alliance Leader Nancy, since Tian Shi came back, the title naturally changed to "miss" again.
Reanna has always been very strict in this regard.
"You can do that. I'm here to prove my identity, so I won't bother you."
"Yes, my lord."
Then, Tian Shi hung up the communication device and turned to look at Cocolia, who had some symptoms of dementia.
"Can you believe it now? I'm the first-generation leader, Tian Shi!"
"..."
Under Reanna's strong proof, Cocolia let her guard down, but her whole person became moody.
"The original leader was a piece of white cloth or something..."
"No, I'm a ghost in a strict sense. I'm just possessed by the white cloth. Do you want to see if I can possess your uniform?"
Tian Shi corrected severely.
"I don't dare to bother the leader."
Cocolia felt that the setting of ghosts was barely acceptable.
And it's better to forget about personal clothes being possessed by someone.
"So, is your next step to go back to the orphanage with me?"
"Yes, due to certain restrictions, I can't be too far away from this child for the time being."
Tian Shi said, pointing at Bronya, who was caught under the arm by Cocolia.
"In that case, please come with me."
Cocolia, who was a soldier in serious matters, did not hesitate and then invited Tian Shi into her car.
By the way, she collected the dog tags of other people she killed.
Although these dog tags are nicknamed "dog tags" by their soldiers, Cocolia collects them as a habit.
"Lord Leader, were you watching while I knocked out that child?"
"Yes, or what do you want to let her do? Let her go back and strangle people with stockings?"
For a helpless young soldier like Bronya, Cocolia's orphanage is undoubtedly the best place to go.
That's why Tian Shi watched Cocolia defeat Bronya.
"Stockings... Strangling people... That Ural Silver Wolf?"
Cocolia looked at Bronya lying in the back seat with interest, but then her eyes turned into a slightly indignant look.
"Tsk, those guys, it's really a blessing for them to do that, and it's really a blessing that this girl was able to assassinate thirteen people and still come out."
"This is the world..."
Tian Shi shrugged.
"But then again, this child's name is Bronya Zaychik."
"Zaychik?"
Bronya's name didn't make Cocolia react, but the last name Zaychik made Cocolia remember something.
"Colonel Alexei's daughter. I didn't expect her to be reduced to becoming a young soldier."
Colonel Alexei is the boss who was once discovered by Cocolia for reselling army supplies and then bit her and got her imprisoned.
For Cocolia, it was also an old past twelve years ago, but there was no resentment on Cocolia's face: she had passed the age of holding a grudge.
Besides, Alexei himself had already died in the Second Honkai Collapse.
"Back then, I ran away with her mother, Alexandra... well, I actually had to hold her car at gunpoint... and Lady Reanna rescued me. I thought she would be safe after that life; now it seems..."
Bronya has become a young soldier, so there is no need to say what happened to her mother.
If there is no Second Collapse, the feud between her and Alexei may become a plot like The Shawshank Redemption.
But the Second Collapse came, and all of this disappeared, not to mention it was twelve years ago, but Cocolia's eyes were all about memories.
"In that case, this child is considered the child of an old friend."