"Hello, Dr. Mei."
"Hello, Dr. Spaciel."
A composed middle-aged man dressed in standard laboratory attire was already waiting on the tarmac to greet the arriving party. Before Lin could even check the database, Prometheus thoughtfully brought up Spaciel's profile for him.
Dr. Spaciel was the head of the Fifth Science Department and the person in charge of the Fifth Branch. Before being invited to join the Moth of the Flame, he was an accomplished scientist in the field of biology. He was the first to discover the method of surgically excising Honkai-corroded areas. He was married with one daughter.
Lin didn't dwell on the information. It was just a brief initial impression. The kind of person Spaciel was would only be known after a personal encounter.
"Dr. Mei, I was profoundly impressed after reading your paper on quantum mechanics. The novel perspectives within it are truly unheard of. It is a fortunate coincidence to meet the author in person today." Spaciel's smile was not that of a typical academic worker; it was more astute, yet not malicious.
"You flatter me, Dr. Spaciel."
Small talk was an indispensable part of human interaction. Mei clearly hadn't studied this deeply, but she often used her astounding capabilities to bypass this stage and jump straight into work.
As for Lin, Kevin, and Seele, their status was completely different from Mei's, so there was no need for an introduction.
However, Lin still had to go through the motions. He was, after all, a Captain—the highest-ranking officer among the three. His usual silence was not suitable for most situations. After a brief exchange between the two, he stepped forward and said to Spaciel, "Dr. Spaciel, we are Dr. Mei's escorts for this trip. May we begin the handover process?"
"You are..." Spaciel's mind flashed when he saw Lin's helmet. He frowned, asking uncertainly, "Are you Lin? The soldier who killed the Third Herrscher?"
"..." This was unexpected for Lin. It seemed the impact of the Third Honkai Eruption was greater than he had imagined, both the Honkai itself and the events that transpired within it.
"My apologies for the slip," seeing Lin remain silent, Spaciel realized he might not want to discuss the matter. He turned to the other man standing behind him. "Brolan, please guide them for the handover process."
"Understood." The man named Brolan nodded to Lin.
Lin glanced at Kevin, whose attention was fixed on Mei, and instructed, "Kevin, stay with Dr. Mei."
This was Lin's first time visiting a branch. The base structure was vastly different from headquarters. Since it was disguised as a pharmaceutical company, all aspects were similar to one, complete with production lines and R&D departments, so a visitor wouldn't be able to find any faults.
"The main area of the Fifth Branch is on the fifteenth floor and above in this building. Your rooms are here. You can make requests using the call button if you need anything."
Brolan first gave them a tour of the branch. The layout was necessary knowledge for them as escorts. Thus, experiencing it firsthand was better than just reading blueprints.
He then led them to their temporary quarters. The rooms were similar to those at headquarters—fully equipped and comparable to a presidential suite, except the computers couldn't connect to the external network.
"Where are your labs and the Science Department?" Lin asked Brolan, noticing a slight anxiety gradually creeping onto Seele's face, thinking it was time to confirm the most critical information about the lab.
The Fifth Science Department focused on human Honkai energy adaptability and resistance. This would definitely include live studies. Zombies, small Honkai Beasts, and corroded objects would likely be present in the labs.
This also meant sufficient safety precautions were needed. Close contact with Honkai energy meant protective suits had limited effectiveness, and Lin was living proof of that.
...And in a little while, he might become a dead example.
"Please follow me..."
"Found you, Brolan!"
A childish voice suddenly rang out from the end of the corridor. After a series of rapid footsteps, a small figure grabbed Brolan's pant leg.
Pale white, shoulder-length hair, a black and white dress, and a plump, baby-cheeked face.
It was a young girl, only reaching a little past Brolan's hip. Her innocent, young face was full of joyful laughter.
"Brolan! Where did Daddy go! I looked everywhere and couldn't find him!" The little girl whined, tugging at Brolan's distressed pant leg. "He promised to celebrate Mommy's birthday today, but then he said he had to work again! That's so unfair!"
"Oh dear, Miss Sijin, the Doctor really has very important work today. Can he spend time with you and Miss Karte after he gets off work?" Brolan's bodyguard-like face showed some bitterness. He clearly didn't know how to handle the little girl, and he couldn't spend extra time coaxing her in front of Lin and the others.
"I don't want to! Daddy always lies! I bet he's lying today too!"
"This..." Brolan was not good with words and didn't know how to respond to her.
Sijin's adorable large eyes turned, spotting the standing helmeted man to the side. She immediately looked up curiously at the stranger.
"Why are you wearing a helmet?"
"..."
Brolan gave Lin an apologetic look and tried to pull Sijin away, but the little girl darted over to Lin's feet, peering through the gap in his neck, trying to see what was underneath.
Sijin widened her eyes but couldn't see anything inside. This was natural; what Elysia couldn't do, others certainly couldn't. After looking disappointed for a while, she suddenly shouted loudly, "I can't see... I know! You're Daddy, aren't you? You must be wearing a helmet to pretend to be someone else and give Mommy a surprise!"
"..." Lin remained silent. Seele was amused by the child's innocent guess and was about to squat down to explain when Lin shook his head.
"Huh? You're not?" Sijin drooped her head in disappointment.
"Your father has something to do right now. He will come to be with you soon," Lin repeated Brolan's words calmly, but miraculously, the words that had no effect coming from Brolan, when spoken with Lin's calm, somewhat unfriendly tone, actually made Sijin obediently nod.
Seele looked at Lin in surprise. He seemed to know how to coax children, including the last time...
Seele's expression stiffened as she remembered the last time.
"Then what are you doing here, big brother?"
"I don't have anything to do right now. Can you show us where the uncles and aunts in white coats are?"
"Mhm, okay! Follow me!"
Lin nodded to the stunned Brolan and followed Sijin's hopping footsteps.