Life Game In Other World
Chapter 220: Orphan (Please Subscribe, Add to Favorites, Request Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 220: Chapter 220: Orphan (Please Subscribe, Add to Favorites, Request Monthly Tickets)

He Ao was preparing to leave, but he paused as he caught the young boy’s gaze.

He stuffed the money into the boy’s chest and turned around, only to see a group of fierce-looking vagrants closely watching him and the boy from not far behind.

To be exact, they were focusing on the roll of banknotes in the boy’s arms.

The security in Dawn City was poor, mainly concentrated in the Aston District, while Kaye City’s lack of security would show up in the city’s various dark corners.

The leading vagrant stared at He Ao, motioning for the group behind him to briskly approach, and they surrounded He Ao.

"Kid, hand over the money if you know what’s good for you."

He pulled out a small black pistol from his chest, and said fiercely.

He Ao glanced at him, sidestepping, and with his empty hand, he swiftly reached out, grabbed the gun barrel, pivoted, lifted, and pulled. The vagrant leader had not yet reacted when the gun was snatched away by He Ao.

This black pistol had an old-fashioned mechanical structure, and it was clear that the vagrant leader did not know how to use firearms; the gun wasn’t even loaded.

He Ao held the grip, pointed the gun downward, and brushed it down on the outside of his thigh, cocking the gun with one swift move, and single-handedly loaded the chamber.

Then he raised the gun, aimed at the vagrant leader, and pulled the trigger,

Bang—

The searing bullet whizzed past the vagrant’s cheek, hitting the wall behind, "Scram."

"Ah!!! Murder!!!"

The vagrant shivered, his legs trembling, and he scurried away with a combination of rolling and crawling.

The vagrants who followed his lead scattered like birds and beasts, all fleeing into the distance.

He Ao put away the gun, engaged the safety, and looked toward the boy beside him.

The boy stared dumbfounded at He Ao, then imitated the gun-loading action He Ao had just performed, "Big brother, that was so cool."

He Ao glanced at him, picked up his briefcase, and walked towards the entrance of the alley, "Come with me."

The boy looked at his retreating figure, then at his own shabby little tent. He quickly dived inside, grabbed a blackened blanket, and, half-running, half-jumping, followed He Ao.

"Are there many kids like you around here?"

As he almost caught up with He Ao, He Ao asked calmly.

"Quite a few."

The boy scratched his head, "There must be several dozens."

"What do you usually rely on to live?"

"We rummage through trash cans. Sometimes kind people give us some money or bread, and sometimes there’s food distributed at the street corners. If we get it, we can eat well for several days,"

He paused, then stopped and pointed towards a towering building in the distance, displaying a gigantic emblem in its center, "Those who distribute food wear clothes with that symbol on them."

He Ao looked up at the emblem, the lower part of which was a cityscape silhouette and the upper part a sparkling night sky.

This emblem of Stars City was the insignia of Nolanka Group, and that grandest of buildings was the Nolanka Group Tower.

Giving out relief food to the poor was an initiative established by Vian’s father. Philip had tried to cancel it, but Vian stopped him; it was one of the few decisions Vian took initiative on.

But giving out relief food could never solve the problem.

"What about your family?"

He Ao didn’t comment on the matter but continued to ask,

"Dead, they’re all dead," the boy shook his head, "My dad fell from a construction site and died. My mom jumped off a building because of pressure from debt collectors. Everything we had was taken away by them, and then I ended up living on the streets."

"How did you get into so much debt?"

"My dad was sick before, Doctor said he could be cured, but it cost money. Banks wouldn’t lend to us, so my mom borrowed from outside. Later, my dad got better, but a few days after, he was gone."

The so-called ’outside’ probably referred to unofficial lending companies.

"Did your dad work for Nolanka Group before? They didn’t compensate you after his accidental death?"

"Before he got sick, he seemed to be working at some factory with ’Ka’ in its name. After he fell ill, the factory didn’t want him anymore. Once he recovered, he found a job at some construction site whose location I don’t know. After he died, we went to the construction site to claim his back pay, and the boss kicked us out. We didn’t have money for a lawyer, so that was that,"

As he said this, he suddenly paused, his tone flat, "Everything was gone."

He Ao did not continue this topic, but instead asked, "Haven’t you tried going to the orphanage?"

"The orphanage?" The boy was taken aback,

"We can’t go there. I am too old. They want younger kids, the ones who don’t know anything, preferably those who are good-looking. Those are more popular with the rich folks. I’ve heard that those rich people who adopt kids give the orphanage a lot of money."

"Even those with the emblem of Stars City?"

"Yeah, them too!"

As they spoke, the two had already arrived at the opulent entrance of the Nolanka Group building.

"Are we going in?"

The boy glanced at the gleaming, spotless floors inside, then at his own dirty body and clothes.

Like a beggar standing before a splendid palace, he dared not defile it.

"Mhm."

He Ao, carrying a briefcase, walked in.

The boy, mustering his courage, followed him.

Two beautiful women, dressed in black pencil skirts and white blouses, sat at the reception desk. Their tight blouses accentuated their full upper bodies, presenting an impressive sight.

When they saw He Ao walking in, they were first startled, then rubbed their eyes, frozen in place.

It wasn’t until He Ao had fully entered that they reacted.

"Mr. Vian!?"

The front desk clerk on the left exclaimed in disbelief, "You, you..."

"Mhm,"

He Ao nodded lightly, and then pointed to the boy behind him, "Find him a room to take a shower and change clothes, then send him to the Nolanka orphanage."

"Ah?"

This time, it wasn’t the front desk clerks who reacted first, but the boy behind them. He looked at He Ao, bewildered and at a loss for words, "I... I... I... You... You... You..."

"You don’t want to?"

He Ao turned around to look at him. The boy actually met the adoption criteria of the Nolanka orphanage, but from his story, it seemed there might be some unwritten rules within the orphanage.

However, if He Ao sent him there, the Nolanka orphanage would certainly take him.

The boy was stunned.

Who wouldn’t want that?

Although the conditions at the orphanage were not good, there was a place to sleep, a house to shelter from the cold, no need to wrap in a damp blanket, listening to the wind outside the tent, with eyes open till dawn.

There was even a chance of having a full meal.

He was just uncertain about how to respond.

He looked at the black blanket he was holding in his arms, then deeply bowed to He Ao, "Thank you."

He Ao nodded calmly, then gestured for the front desk to take the boy away while he himself entered the elevator.

His emotions did not fluctuate.

What actually puzzled him was why the Nolanka orphanage had started picking and choosing orphans.

When Vian’s father established the Nolanka orphanage, the requirement was to take in as many children as possible.

If the Nolanka orphanage was picking children because it was full, Vian had never heard news about it being full.