Ling Cage: Twelve Talismans? I have everything I need.

Chapter 181 Kinship Files
Bai Yuekui withdrew his gaze from the sky, looked down at Xiao Yuekui and Maiduo beside him, and said gently, "Xiao Kui, play here with Maiduo, don't run around, we'll be back soon."

Little Yuekui nodded obediently, her little hand tightly holding Maiduo's.

Maido puffed out her little chest, looking as reliable as if to say, "Leave it to me."

Bai Yuekui said no more, nodded slightly to Nanji Xing and several village stewards who were waiting beside him, and the group headed towards the temporary resettlement area outside Village No. 2.

In the sky, the massive, mountain-like lighthouse, under Yang Chen's control, slowly adjusted its posture and finally hovered steadily directly above the temporary resettlement area.

A huge shadow was cast down, covering a large area.

At the edge of the resettlement area, the Guiyuan warriors, who had already been notified, stood in formation, maintaining order.

More villagers stood a little further away, watching the enormous vessel that had descended from the sky with curiosity and scrutiny.

On the edge of the platform atop the lighthouse, the Dust People huddled together, peering down at the ground and the crowds below.

For a moment, the people above and below stared at each other, observing each other intently.

Red Egret stood beside the elevator platform with a communicator in hand, and its voice was broadcast over the loudspeaker.

"People of the lighthouse, this is Red Heron! Please descend in an orderly manner via the elevator platform, following the instructions!"

"All children under the age of ten, regardless of whether they are upper class or lower class, assemble immediately at the designated elevator platform! Repeat, all children under the age of ten!"

Inside the lighthouse, the already prepared Guiyuan warriors began guiding the crowd.

The children were led to gather on several large, slowly descending lifting platforms.

The sounds of crying and shouting mixed together with the voices of people trying to maintain order, creating a somewhat chaotic atmosphere, but the process generally went smoothly.

The elevator platform carrying the first batch of about a hundred children slowly descended to the ground.

When their feet touched the solid, vibrant earth and they breathed in the fresh scent of soil and plants, many children stopped crying and stared wide-eyed with curiosity at this brightly colored world.

Hongkou looked at the children whose faces were still streaked with tears and whose eyes were timid.

She stepped forward, a gentle smile on her face: "Children, welcome to the ground. Don't be afraid, it's safe here. This will be your new home from now on."

Her warm voice, coupled with her striking red hair, made many initially anxious children feel as if they had found a pillar of support, and their emotions gradually stabilized.

Some of the children who had seen Red Bloom at the lighthouse whispered, "Captain Red Bloom."

"Hongkou, take them to the residential area and settle them in, giving priority to the young and those who are unwell," Honglu instructed.

“Understood, sister.” Hongkou nodded, then called to the children, “Everyone, come with me, we’ll go see your new rooms, there are beds and delicious food prepared there.”

She gestured for the Guiyuan warriors and villagers who had come to help to step forward, leading the group of bewildered children toward the residential area within Village No. 2.

Meanwhile, subsequent elevators began to transport other people down.

Adults, especially those living in dusty environments, have more complex reactions when they set foot on the ground.

But when Dawn led a group of people to the vacant area of ​​Village No. 2, a problem arose.

"What? You want us to live with... with the Dust People?" a middle-aged man from the Upper Class, dressed neatly, exclaimed, his face full of resistance.

Several other upper-class people around him also showed expressions of disgust and resistance.

They were used to the strict hierarchy at the lighthouse, and to the humility and obedience of the common people. Now, to have to live under the same roof with these "inferior people" in their eyes was an insult to their status.

Po Xiao frowned slightly, about to explain, when the Guiyuan warriors standing guard with guns stepped forward. Although the cold muzzles of their guns were not raised, their murderous aura already enveloped the Shangmin.

"Here, there are no Upper Class or Lower Class," the Guiyuan warrior's voice was flat. "Only the villagers of Dragonbone Village. Follow the arrangements, or..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his gaze swept over another Origin Warrior who was guiding the Dust People's procession not far away, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Anyone who doesn't follow the rules will be treated as a threat.

The citizens turned pale as they recalled the people who had been cleared from the lighthouse and the potential "life essence recycling."

They dared not speak out in anger, and could only lower their heads and slink away as they followed the instructions.

Some of the common people who witnessed this scene showed a complex expression in their eyes, a sense of relief, but more so a feeling of disbelief.

They followed the group silently, not daring to make any unnecessary movements, for fear that this hard-won hope was just a pipe dream.

As Dawn watched this scene, he sighed inwardly.

He knew that changing mindsets would not happen overnight, and that class divisions and hostility would not disappear easily.

But as long as he operates within the rules of Dragonbone Village, has strong military backing, and is attracted by tangible resources for survival, he believes that time will smooth out these rough edges.

After all, when faced with the choice between survival and dignity, no one would willingly choose to live at the bottom forever if given equal hope.

Honglu watched as the first group of children were successfully led away, her gaze sweeping over the adult people whose faces still bore fear and unease, especially the undisguised superiority and resistance on the faces of some of the upper class.

She turned around and stepped onto the elevator platform again.

The platform slowly rose, bringing her back to the lighthouse.

Yang Chen stood in a position that gave him a panoramic view, and nodded slightly when he saw Honglu return.

His gaze swept over the piles of weapons and several quietly standing gravity machines in the Lighthouse Armory, and a thought stirred within him.

The next moment, the heavy guns, ammunition boxes, and even the massive gravity objects all rose into the air and flew down from the edge of the lighthouse.

The faint sound of a heavy object falling to the ground came from below.

Dr. Carrie stood not far away, watching this unimaginable scene, her desire to explore Yang Chen's power even stronger.

She walked to Honglu's side, her gaze sweeping over the resettlement area below, and the outlines of Longgu Village and No. 2 Village further away.

“Red Heron, I’ve seen the scale of your place; it certainly exceeds my expectations. However, to fully accommodate the tens of thousands of people in the Lighthouse and provide them with sustainable living space and resources, what I’ve seen so far is probably not enough, is it?”

Red Heron turned his gaze from the emptying armory to Carrie: "The existing residential area really can't accommodate everyone at once. The lighthouse's structure can temporarily accommodate a portion. As for the future... the village will be expanded, and resources aren't a concern."

Hearing Honglu's answer, Carrie nodded thoughtfully and said no more, but her gaze still couldn't help but drift towards Yang Chen.

On the other side, Drake walked up to Victor, who had a complicated expression and remained silent.

He glanced at the changes taking place below and asked, "Victor, where are the kinship files? Where are they?"

Victor's body stiffened slightly, a hint of struggle and shame flashing across his face, before finally turning into a heavy sigh.

"...Destroyed. Morgan ordered the destruction of the kinship records after your death."

Drake's brow furrowed deeply.

Just as the atmosphere became tense, a slightly aged voice came from the side.

"Commander... Drake?"

Drake and Victor turned their heads at the same time and saw an elderly man in a civilian uniform with graying hair looking at Drake with a mixture of excitement and timidity.

Drake looked closely, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Gordon? It's you? You're still in the data management room?"

The elderly man named Gordon nodded quickly: "Yes, it's me, Commander Drake. I didn't expect you to remember me."

He lowered his voice and said, "Sir... the kinship records... were not completely destroyed."

These words stunned both Drake and Victor, who was standing next to him.

"What?" Victor asked, puzzled.

Gordon continued, "Back then... when the destruction order was carried out, I... I secretly made a backup. I... I felt that those names and relationships shouldn't just disappear like that..."

As he spoke, his voice choked with emotion: "Many children don't even know who their parents are... Many couples are forced to separate, pretending to be strangers... I... I just can't bear it..."

Drake looked intently at Gordon, this old administrator who had always been quiet and cautious in the Lighthouse system, who, under immense pressure, had risked great danger to preserve this only hope of kinship and humanity for the people of the Lighthouse.

He reached out and patted Gordon's thin shoulder heavily: "Gordon, you did a great job! Where is this file now?" Gordon felt the affirmation in Drake's words and nodded excitedly.

"It's in the mezzanine of the archives!"

“Take me there immediately!” Drake said without hesitation.

Honglu noticed the commotion and walked over. After listening to Drake's brief explanation, she looked at Gordon with more approval.

Viktor looked at the scene before him, his feelings a complex mix of emotions.

He looked at the long line of people taking turns to ascend to the ground via the elevator platform, and his gaze finally settled on Honglu.

After hesitating for a moment, I still stepped forward and walked over.

"Red egret..."

“Those…those children, like…Charles, and Jingnan…you plan to…”

He asked the question with some difficulty.

Although Charles was Morgan's son, he was still just a teenager; the same was true for Jingnan.

Victor was unsure how the Red Heron would treat them.

Upon hearing this, Honglu turned to look at Victor, seeing through his lingering worries.

“Victor, I’m not that ruthless. I’m dealing with the executors with blood on their hands and the stubborn core members, not the children who haven’t grown up yet. They’re safe.”

She paused for a moment: "As for Charles... although he is the head of the Light and Shadow Society, what can a child understand?"

"I will raise them both together."

“Red Heron, you…” Victor was at a loss for words.

Honglu raised her hand to interrupt Victor, who seemed to want to say something more, and turned to walk back to the elevator platform, preparing to personally guide the next group of people.

This time, most of the people standing on the lifting platform were elderly people with unsteady steps.

Like 0609, most of them wore yellowed and patched clothes, their faces etched with the marks of time and the weariness of long hours of labor.

They carried very little luggage; many were empty-handed, or like 0609, they simply clutched an old-looking cardboard box, which seemed to be all their possessions.

0609 stood at the edge of the platform, his gray hair slightly disheveled in the breeze.

He clutched the cardboard box tightly, his cloudy eyes constantly darting around, as if searching for something in the crowded throng.

As the elevator slowly descended, his gaze remained fixed on the lighthouse platform.

The red egret noticed the old man's unusual behavior; even as he stepped onto solid ground, he couldn't help but look back at the lighthouse in the sky.

She asked, "What are you looking at? Did you leave something behind? Or... are you looking for someone?"

Startled by Honglu's voice, 0609 trembled slightly, hurriedly averted its gaze, lowered its head, and shook it vigorously.

He murmured a few times, but ultimately said nothing. He simply hugged the cardboard box in his arms tighter, as if it were his only support.

Seeing his expression, Honglu didn't press him further.

In this cold, airborne prison, tragedies and regrets are countless.

She simply gestured for a Guiyuan warrior to step forward and said to 0609 and the other civilians, "Follow him, he will take you to the resettlement point, where there is food and a place to rest."

As 0609 and the other elderly followed the Guiyuan warriors, taking a few unsteady steps toward the resettlement point, Honglu's voice rang out again.

"If you have children, or partners or relatives still on the lighthouse, don't worry too much. Once the relocation is settled, we will help you find and reunite with them."

These words made many elderly people who had been hanging their heads suddenly raise their heads, their eyes shining, and they turned to look at the red egret.

0609's hands trembled slightly as he held the box, but he ultimately said nothing, only lowered his head further and quickened his pace.

The resettlement site was set up on a relatively flat open space on the outskirts of Village No. 2, where many temporary prefabricated houses were erected.

There are staff at the entrance responsible for registration and preliminary checks.

Qianli and several other awakened practitioners sat idly behind a table, watching the endless stream of new residents coming to register.

When it was 0609's turn, he gestured for the old man to put the cardboard box he was holding on the table.

"Sir, the items need to be checked. Please understand."

As Qianli spoke, his hands moved quickly, opening the old cardboard box directly.

There are very few things inside, and it's very simple.

Several neatly folded old clothes, a metal water cup with a slightly chipped edge, and a cell phone with a cracked screen.

Qianli picked up the phone and examined it.

0609's breathing quickened as she watched Qianli rummage through the items he treasured, especially his phone.

He couldn't help but plead, "These...these...can't we keep them? I...I only have these..."

Qianli looked up and was stunned when he saw the old man's almost tearful expression.

He then grinned and carefully put the items back into the box.

"Sure, of course you can keep it!" Qianli said casually. "Don't be nervous, sir. I'm just doing a routine check to see if there are any weapons or other dangerous contraband."

"Don't worry, you can keep them all."

As he spoke, he glanced at the phone with its shattered screen, which should have been unusable long ago, and casually asked, "But sir, your phone... it looks like it's been broken for a long time, right? It's just something to keep as a memento."

"If you want something usable, I'll find you a new one once you've settled in?"

Upon hearing this, 0609 quickly shook her head vigorously: "No...no need, thank you...this...this is fine."

He looked at the worn-out cell phone, his eyes revealing a complex emotion of reluctance to part with it.

Looking at him like this, Qianli's keen intuition seemed to make him understand something.

He toned down his casual tone a bit: "Sir, I can tell you care quite a bit about this phone."

"How about... you trust me and leave this phone with me for a day? I usually like tinkering with these old-world gadgets, and I'm pretty good at it. Maybe I can fix it for you?"

Upon hearing this, 0609 felt a surge of joy, but this was quickly replaced by doubt and hesitation.

Qianli added with a smile, "Don't worry, I won't demolish it recklessly. If I can't handle it, I'll go find our boss, Mr. Yang. How about it? Would you like me to give it a try?"

0609 looked at Qianli's face, which was filled with a sincere smile, and then looked down at the cell phone in the cardboard box that held his memories.

Finally, he carefully took the worn-out cell phone out of the box and handed it to Qianli: "...Thank you... for your help."

"No trouble at all," Qianli said with a smile. "By the way, you used to have a name, right? I need to register it."

"."

Qianli nodded and called out, "Next."

The other practitioners were also registering, their conversations never ceasing.

"No name? If you don't have a name, just think of one yourself."

"Then I'll call myself Zhao Hao!"

"Good, next one. Oh~ 2222? Your number is a triple number!"

(End of this chapter)