"President!"
On the Brass Tower, several branch Star Envoys hurried forward to greet Liam as he emerged from the Steam Furnace.
However, before the joy on their faces could fade, two figures, one large and one small, followed closely behind.
Seeing the tall, upright Tendo and the petite Danica, the smiles of the surrounding Star Envoys instantly froze, and their hands involuntarily went to the Star Energy weapons at their waists.
Not long ago, Tendo had left an incredibly deep impression on them.
That unconventional level of power, and the Star Energy values and methods far exceeding his own rank.
He didn't just redefine the meaning of the word 'monster' for them, he also made them understand why the Headquarters had specifically written the warning "Do not act rashly" on the wanted notice for Tendo.
It wasn't a restriction on them, but protection for them.
Tendo's pale-blue eyes swept over the fully prepared Association Star Envoys, and he suddenly smiled.
"It looks like everyone is quite happy to see me."
Tendo's tone was easygoing, and he didn't seem to harbor any hostility.
Yet, the Star Envoys didn't smile; instead, their grip on their weapons tightened.
However, among this group, one person wore an expression of eager anticipation.
This person was none other than the captain of the Steam Branch's First Squad, Yae Zhai.
Although he hadn't successfully fought Tendo before.
He had felt the even more chilling 'Aura of Death' emanating from Tendo, a chill that surpassed even Chen Xing.
If his fight with Chen Xing was like dancing on a knife's edge, constantly tempting the brink of death.
Then fighting Tendo would be like already having both feet inside the gates of Hell, with life and death decided by Tendo's mere whim.
If it were anyone else, no matter how crazy they were, they wouldn't actively seek out death.
But Yae Zhai was different.
His obsession with combat superseded even his instinct for self-preservation.
Staring at Tendo, Yae Zhai licked his dry lips, his right hand resting on the broken blade at his waist. The engine from his mechanical body modifications began to roar, clearly ready for action.
However, before he could draw his blade, an angry shout preceded him.
"Put your weapon away, you old fool!"
Liam's beard was bristling as he jumped up, giving the lunatic a solid punch to the back of the head while cursing loudly.
"Yae Zhai, do you want to ruin the deal this old man just managed to strike?"
A finalized deal?
It seemed the President had reached some agreement with this harbinger of doom.
The Star Envoys exchanged glances, the wariness in their eyes softening a little.
From the current situation, Tendo didn't seem to be their 'enemy' anymore.
But before they could consider the matter further, a clear voice suddenly came from the side.
"Tendo!"
Tendo had just turned his head toward the sound when Jing Liuli, riding a Dream Pillow, turned into a purple missile and whizzed towards him with a "whoosh."
She didn't give Tendo time to react, slamming straight into his embrace with a "BAM!"
Even Tendo had to take half a step 'back' at that moment, barely preventing himself from being knocked senseless by the purple missile.
Looking at the much-grown Jing Liuli in his arms, Tendo immediately mimicked his actions from when she was a child, directly grabbing her collar and hoisting her into the air.
"Liuli, did you think I was living too well and wanted to send me off right here and now?"
Hearing Tendo's teasing, Jing Liuli chuckled.
"Because I haven't seen you in so long, Tendo, so of course I had to give you a super-duper-super—super big hug!"
Tendo shook his head helplessly at her playful antics. He gently flicked her forehead with his fingertip before carefully setting her down on the ground.
"If you do that again, don't blame me for telling everyone your embarrassing childhood stories."
"Ah?! Don't, Tendo! I was just joking!"
Jing Liuli immediately wrapped her arms around his and shook him, her soft voice full of playful affection.
Watching Tendo treat Jing Liuli with the fond indulgence of an older brother, the surrounding Association Star Envoys were stunned.
Was this really the 'danger zone' in their memory, the one who could suppress an entire branch squad with a wave of his hand?
He seemed... a little different.
Ignoring the complex expressions of the surrounding branch Star Envoys, Tendo first glanced at the troubled-looking Chen Kong not far away, and then at Chen Xing, who had already arrived on the Brass Tower and stood with his hands behind his back.
"Let's go. This is no place to talk."
"OKK!"
Jing Liuli instantly bounced back to life and followed along, skipping happily.
In the Steam Capital
Inside an unknown villa in the Steam Capital.
"Go on, Liuli. Why did you suddenly come here?"
Tendo looked at Jing Liuli. Although he had known about her arrival beforehand through the dimensional screen, he put on a flawless performance, asking the customary question without batting an eye.
Jing Liuli swung her legs while sitting on the sofa, ignoring Chen Xing's deeply gloomy expression—a face so dark it looked like water might drip from it—and said carelessly, "It's nothing, really. Caroline was just worried about Xingxing, so she told me to come and check on her."
"But I hadn't been here for long before I sensed your presence, so I waited outside for you."
Jing Liuli paused, then immediately asked with curiosity, "Oh right, Tendo, when did you wake up?"
"Why didn't you go find Caroline after you woke up? I think she misses you a lot."
At this, the atmosphere in the villa instantly became strange.
Tendo was momentarily speechless, while Chen Xing's face was so grim that it looked like it could drip water.
While Jing Liuli might have seemed innocent, both Tendo and Chen Xing knew that she was saying this entirely on purpose!
Her innocence was nothing more than a carefully crafted facade!
She was too skilled at leveraging her own advantages!
After a moment's thought, Tendo replied, "The situation was complicated back then. I wasn't absolutely confident I could solve the trouble from the Iron Dome Family and didn't want to involve others."
"Oh~"
Jing Liuli deliberately drew out the sound, tilted her head in thought, and a sly flicker quickly passed through her eyes.
"So now that you've come out in the open, does that mean all the problems have been solved?"
Tendo nodded, indicating that he indeed no longer needed to worry about those metal headaches from the Iron Dome Family.
"That's wonderful!"
Jing Liuli clapped her hands, then said excitedly, "If that's the case, why don't you and Xingxing come to my next concert? It would be a perfect surprise for Caroline."
Hearing this, Tendo gave Jing Liuli a meaningful look and said, "Isn't it very troublesome?"
Jing Liuli froze, then feigned ignorance: "What trouble?"
Tendo smiled, then looked at Jing Liuli's guardian, Mei Ling, not far away, and said pointedly, "The trouble from the Frost Blossom Faction. Even though I haven't been to the Frost Tone Family, I've heard a lot about the conflict between 'Frost' and 'Tone'."
Jing Liuli stuck out her tongue, then said very candidly, "Ah, Tendo, you're still the same as when you were a kid; nothing can be hidden from you."
"Yes, I do find those guys a little too annoying, so I thought of calling all of you."
"After all, Caroline represents the President of the Headquarters, and Xingxing represents the Blazing Sun Family. If those guys still want to cause me trouble, they'll have to consider their own standing."
"As for you, Tendo..."
Jing Liuli looked at Tendo, her eyes full of admiration, and her words carried an undisguised, absolute trust.
"...with you here, no matter what trouble there is, it won't be considered trouble at all!"
Although Jing Liuli's words were a bit exaggerated, everyone in the villa, as well as the dimensional audience on Station 13, didn't feel there was an ounce of exaggeration in her statement.
Throughout the current two seasons, Tendo's every appearance has resulted in the perfect resolution of all problems.
In this regard, he was far more reliable than Chen Kong, the nominal protagonist of the series.
At the same time, through the conversation, the dimensional audience also keenly detected a 'new plotline': Jing Liuli's upcoming concert.
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