As the saying goes, the bird that sticks its head out gets shot first.
Hao Fan understood the value of keeping a low profile, and he didn't consider himself the kind of guy who meddled in everything.
But he wasn't cold-hearted either. After learning that Hub Base—where people had treated him well—now had a large number of wounded and was short on medical supplies, he couldn't help wanting to do something within his ability.
His idea was simple:
Go out into the wild, gather more qiaohua (buckwheat flowers), bring them back, and hand them to Doctor Miguel so the medical stock could be replenished and the injured could recover.
But after hearing him out, Qin Jiangchi's expression turned complicated.
"Doctor, you haven't formally joined Hub Base. Strictly speaking, you're a guest—so I can't let you risk your life out in the wilderness."
Her voice was gentle, much kinder than when they first met.
Clearly, she had already started treating the suspicious hooded man as one of their own.
"And besides—your battle command in the control tower, and the way you helped guide people around… we've already inconvenienced you enough. I can't keep adding to your burden."
"It's fine. I'm doing this voluntarily."
Hao Fan waved it off like it was nothing.
The first two times, he'd basically been shoved into it.
But this time, he was the one offering.
He genuinely wanted to contribute.
"Don't worry about my safety. You know I can spot enemies ahead of time… and I've walked that route once already, so I'm pretty familiar with it."
He pointed toward the distant column of smoke.
Perlica had said that was the planned Protocol Core deployment zone.
And it happened to line up with the route Hao Fan had taken when he first reached Hub Base—so his game map still displayed that area… along with a dense cluster of red dots.
That meant the dangerous Landbreakers really were roaming along that road.
And it also meant Hao Fan could detect them in advance and avoid danger.
Even so, Qin Jiangchi still didn't relent.
Just as she'd worried about Andre earlier, she now worried about the Doctor's safety.
If something happened to him while he was collecting buckwheat for the sake of the base, she knew she'd never forgive herself.
Seeing this, Perlica judged she'd already gotten a clear read on what kind of person this Doctor was.
So she extended an invitation at exactly the right moment.
"Doctor—are you interested in becoming a member of Endfield's Crisis Response Team?"
She extended her right hand, speaking softly.
"Just like Chen Qianyu—become an Endfield operator… and our true companion."
Hao Fan froze slightly, clearly not expecting to be personally invited by Endfield's Supervisor at a moment like this.
Honestly, he was surprised.
But… did he really have any reason to refuse?
Back when he first arrived at Hub Base, he'd wanted a job—and a place to stand in this new world.
And Hub Base belonged to Endfield Industries.
So in a sense, he'd wanted to join Endfield from the very beginning…
And now was the best possible time.
"I'm honored to become your companion."
Hao Fan took her hand, and in that instant, he felt that he'd finally—truly—become part of this unfamiliar world.
"Welcome to Endfield, Doctor."
Perlica's lips curved upward into a gentle smile.
Of course, even with her recommendation, he would still need approval from HR, then go through signatures, iris scans, authorization binding, and other procedures before officially becoming an Endfield operator.
Right now, there was obviously no way to do any of that.
First, they had to deal with the Landbreakers outside the base, then head to the Protocol Core deployment zone, bring the Protocol Core down, and restore Hub Base's power.
"Engineer Qin—Doctor is now considered a member of the Crisis Response Team. Facing crises is part of his duty. You no longer have a reason to stop him."
Perlica turned to Qin Jiangchi, serious.
"But please rest assured. With us here, the Doctor won't be put in danger… so let him go out to collect buckwheat, and also have him guide us—just like before."
"…Alright. I agree."
After wrestling with it, Qin Jiangchi finally nodded.
"Doctor, be careful."
"Relax. I'm a coward—if there's danger, I'll be the first one hiding."
Hao Fan gave a thumbs-up, completely unashamed of his instinct for self-preservation.
Though… if he was willing to head into the wilderness voluntarily, could he really still call himself a coward?
That was up to interpretation.
"Alright! Let's go teach those masked bandits a lesson!"
Chen Qianyu patted Hao Fan's shoulder. Her attitude seemed even more familiar than before.
After all, they'd only been acquaintances earlier.
Now they were comrades—on the same side—and the relationship was completely different.
"And I'll help gather buckwheat too!"
"Yeah, thanks—Chen… If you don't abandon me, I'm willing to swear you as my godmother!"
"Stop, stop! Don't bring that up again, or I'm getting mad!"
Chen Qianyu clenched her small fist, glaring at Hao Fan with puffed cheeks.
I treat you like a friend, and you want to call me Mom?!
What a weirdo.
While the two of them were bonding, Perlica was also discussing something with the Administrator.
"Administrator… I actually hope you can stay here."
She spoke with concern.
"Landbreakers and angels are fundamentally different. In your current condition…"
"Don't worry. I can handle it."
The Administrator replied softly, insisting that even with amnesia, she was still willing to face the crisis.
"I'm part of Endfield too. I can't just watch while you all take the risk."
Besides—if even the Doctor, who was weak as a chick, was willing to go out and risk it, how could she possibly back down?
That was what the Administrator thought to herself.
"…Thank you."
Perlica understood her resolve.
So she stopped trying to persuade her to stay and instead turned back to Qin Jiangchi.
"That's the plan, Engineer Qin. We'll reduce the enemy's strength as much as possible, bring down the Protocol Core at the designated point, then transport power through relays and restore base operations."
She outlined the overall plan.
Then she turned to Andre—that 'Fat Big Bird' guy… no, right, Andre.
"Mr. Andre, once we've ensured the route is safe, I'll contact you again… sorry to have you go deep into the wilderness, but we'll need your help."
"No problem. Honestly, being able to help makes me feel better."
Andre crossed his arms, making it clear he wouldn't back down now.
He was afraid of the Landbreakers, sure—but he cared more about Hub Base. When it counted, he could always force himself to be brave, just like when the anchor fell and he ran to the underground lab alone.
"Kid—after we deploy the Protocol Core, you can give the buckwheat you gather to me. I'll use a grinder to turn it all into buckwheat powder. No need to waste time hand-grinding."
"Really? Fat Big Bird, I knew you were reliable!"
"Hey! Brat—who are you calling Fat Big Bird?! Don't call me that! I have dignity!"
Andre shot Hao Fan a furious look.
His attitude wasn't great, but he really was giving everything he had—and was even willing to risk going out into the wilderness.
"Let's set aside that reckless old man for now."
Qin Jiangchi steered the topic back.
"Administrator, Operator Chen Qianyu, Supervisor Perlica… and Doctor—you all must be extremely careful."
She looked at them with deep concern—these people willing to risk themselves for Hub Base.
Then, as if remembering something, she lifted her hand and pointed at a special facility not far away.
"Also—Protocol transfer points operate independently of the power system. If you run into danger, don't force it. You can come back here, resupply, and prepare…"
"It's in your hands. I'm counting on you."
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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