Outside the interrogation room.
"What brings you here?" Crownslayer was extremely surprised to see Talulah, the leader across from her. Normally, the leader wouldn't personally inquire about such matters.
Crownslayer, a squad leader of the Reunion movement, going out to recruit is already a rare sight to see. Anyone in Xiu Xian's place would've felt honored.
Normally, no one could catch a glimpse of her, let alone Talulah, the leader.
"Just taking a look." Talulah said, "How many do we have?"
"Four," Crownslayer replied, "This one has performed the best."
"I've reviewed his information. What do you think?" Talulah inquired.
Crownslayer pondered for a moment and answered, "Logical, performance is good, and he acts decisively. Most importantly, even in extremely dangerous situations, he protects our comrades and doesn't abandon them to escape alone. His identity should be fine, or rather, I can't find a reason to doubt him. His abilities are also useful. It's just that it feels a bit too perfect."
However, Crownslayer quickly added, "His only issue now is that he hasn't been with us for long enough. We haven't had a chance to observe him properly."
Tsurara nodded, "Our informant in Lungmen is trapped, and he has some valuable information."
"I'll go right away," Crownslayer immediately said.
Talulah stopped her, "This is an opportunity."
"What do you mean?" Crownslayer asked.
"We've lost too many of our spies. Let's consider this mission a selection process, although it may be a bit risky for you," Tsurara explained.
Crownslayer chuckled, "There have been many attempts to capture me, but none have succeeded."
If Xiu Xian could hear these words, he would probably burst into laughter. After all, in the game, Crownslayer became the target of persecution in various memes due to her weight setting.
"I read in his dossier that he can suppress the spread of Oripathy?"
"Yes."
"Frostnova has ran into some trouble," Talulah turned and walked away, "Take a look at his abilities while you're at it."
"Understood."
..................
Xiu Xian sat in the room, pondering about where he was.
He only remembered following Crownslayer outside the city of Chernobog. Then, his eyes were covered, and he was put into a car.
After approximately fifteen minutes, the car came to a stop. However, the distance traveled should have only been about 80% of the total journey because the car took several turns along the way, presumably making a circle.
And then he was brought to this place.
As for the Reunion Movement, Chernobog's existence indicated that the timeline was before the main storyline of the game.
But the specific timeframe was still unknown. Despite spending so much time here, Xiu Xian didn't have the time to investigate the timeline. First, it was LGD training, and then he was sent out. His investigation in Chernobog was mainly about staying hidden, so he hasn't learned much.
As for the protagonists of the game, he only knew the name of Rhodes Island.
Moreover, Chen and Hoshiguma hadn't had any contact with Rhodes Island yet.
Based on the situation with Chen and Hoshiguma, Xiu Xian hypothesized that there might be more operators who hadn't joined Rhodes Island.
"Technically, I'm a doctor. When did Rhodes Island start publicly recruiting?" Xiu Xian muttered to himself, "Should I try sending hundreds of resumes when the time comes?"
At that moment, the door to the room was pushed open.
Xiu Xian looked towards the doorway and saw Crownslayer standing there.
"Follow me," she said.
Xiu Xian jingled the chains on his body.
"These can't hold you."
Xiu Xian forced a wry smile. "Then you'll have to let me touch you again."
Crownslayer furrowed her brow and walked over to unlock Xiu Xian's chains. "Why did you word that so weirdly?"
"Woah, that's just the way you interpreted it," Xiu Xian rubbed his wrists and stood up. "Where are we going?"
"Less talking, more walking," Crownslayer said, leading the way.
Xiu Xian followed behind Crownslayer, observing the surroundings.
It seemed to be an underground facility, tightly sealed off.
Xiu Xian also noticed that besides his own room, there were several other rooms nearby, all tightly shut, making it impossible to see what was inside.
Or perhaps, he just couldn't see from his position.
"Is this our base?" he asked.
"It's a temporary refuge," Crownslayer replied. "Why? Are you so eager to know where our headquarters is?"
"Never mind," Xiu Xian quickly said, "It's better if you don't tell me. I'm afraid I might have to be silenced if I know."
"Seems like you don't feel much belonging to Reunion."
"Come on, I don't even know your name. I got dragged into this mess with Reunion without knowing anything. How can I feel any belonging? Am I supposed to be like a spy and get fully immersed?" Xiu Xian retorted.
"You? A spy?" Crownslayer glanced at Xiu Xian and shook her head. "You knew Skullshatterer, right? I thought you knew all of us."
Xiu Xian squinted his eyes to think of an excuse. Fortunately, he was aware of some of the settings.
"I used to hang out in the outskirts of Lungmen," Xiu Xian said, rubbing the back of his head. "I had contact with the infected."
In the game, that guy wearing black stockings, Skullshatterer, was often seen in the outskirts of Lungmen.
"They call me Crownslayer."
"Oh."
Hearing his response, Crownslayer looked back at Xiu Xian.
"Your reaction is quite indifferent."
Xiu Xian instantly had excitement written all over his face. "Wow! Lord Crownslayer! So cool!!!" After shouting, he returned to his usual expression. "How was that?"
"What's wrong with you?"
"It's called Oripathy, you have it too."
Xiu Xian had actually considered various ways to interact with these Reunion officials. Should he be a bootlicker, a well-behaved person, an extremist, or, like now, a smooth and cunning asshole?
After much consideration, taking into account the character that Miss Chen had created for him, XiuXian abandoned the idea of being a bootlicker or a well-behaved person.
The Reunion Movement was originally a gathering of all kinds of people, without strict screening or the like. It was a place where oppressed infected, resentful infected, or a group of crazy infected ruffians gathered. Considering his role as a morally grey doctor, being a bootlicker, a well-behaved person, or a fanatic didn't suit him. Instead, a street-smart and smooth image was more in line with his character setting.
Of course, if he could meet Talulah, being a bootlicker seems tempting...
As Xiu Xian walked a distance with Crownslayer, he could clearly feel the temperature around him dropping. A thought suddenly popped into his head.
"Air conditioning in November? Really?"
Crownslayer turned around and glared at Xiu Xian, saying, "Stop talking, it's for your own good."
They turned a corner, and two individuals dressed in snow-white combat suits appeared before them.
These two individuals were like human refrigeration units, emanating waves of cold air.
This confirmed Xiu Xian's speculation.
As the door to the room was pushed open, Xiu Xian felt as if he had entered a cold storage. Frost covered the furnishings in the room as far as the eye could see.
And on the "ice bed" at the side of the room lay a silver-haired girl with donkey-like ears on her head.
Xiu Xian couldn't help but wonder why there were so many ears in Arknights that resembled those of a donkey.
And the identity of this lady naturally requires no further explanation.
The Yeti squadron's Princess, a commander of the Reunion Movement—Frostnova!