vncnus Chapter 1: Since ancient times, there have been many orphans who transmigrate through time.
Chapter 1: Since ancient times, there have been many orphans who transmigrate through time.
The Douluo Continent is vast and boundless.
If divided geographically, the eastern coastal region is undoubtedly the most dynamic link in the mainland's economic network.
Tianhai City is the most dazzling pearl on this ring, standing at the top of the five first-tier cities in the east, overlooking the blue ocean like a giant beast.
This place boasts the widest and busiest coastal port in the Douluo Continent.
Every day before dawn, the huge lighthouse illuminates the sea as if it were daytime, and countless merchant ships and cargo ships flying various flags flock into the port like swarms of bees returning to their nest.
From the rare treasures of the deep sea and the spices and silks of the ocean to the minerals and specialties of the inland and the sophisticated components of soul guide devices, countless goods are loaded, unloaded, traded, and circulated here, converging into a never-ending torrent of wealth.
In terms of economic prosperity and commercial vitality, Tianhai City easily ranks among the top five on the continent. Only a handful of other mega-cities can truly surpass it.
Shrek City, located in the central part of the continent, is renowned throughout the world for Shrek Academy. It has a profound cultural heritage and produces many talented individuals, making it a holy land that countless soul masters yearn for.
Located in the central region, Tiandou City, as the former capital of the Tiandou Empire, carries the weight of ten thousand years of history, where royal majesty and cultural atmosphere coexist.
Meanwhile, Mingdu in the west is the power center of the Sun and Moon Federation, the heart of politics and soul guidance technology, and its overall strength should not be underestimated.
Although Tianhai City is slightly less famous, it remains the absolute core of the eastern gateway to Douluo Continent thanks to its unique geographical advantages and booming trade.
The western district of Tianhai City is slightly different from the bustling scene of the port.
This area is mostly residential and small shops. The streets are relatively narrow and the flow of people is somewhat sparse. The air is less salty and damp from the sea breeze and more filled with the warmth of everyday life.
Tianhai Orphanage is located deep in a quiet alley in this area.
This is a slightly old courtyard. The white walls are somewhat mottled, and there are even a few clumps of moss growing in the corners. However, the courtyard is very clean, and several old locust trees are lush and leafy, adding a touch of vitality to the courtyard.
Unlike other orphanages, this orphanage was able to resume operations thanks to a special benefactor—Lieutenant Cocolia of the Federal Army.
Lieutenant Cocolia was not a native of Tianhai. She came to the city due to a mission transfer and accidentally discovered this orphanage that was on the verge of closing.
Perhaps out of a soldier's sense of responsibility, or perhaps out of a soft spot deep in her heart, she took the initiative to shoulder all the expenses of the orphanage, allowing it to continue to take in those little lives abandoned by fate.
At this moment, in the orphanage's lounge, sunlight streamed through the old but gleaming glass windows, casting warm patches of light on the floor.
The air was filled with a faint smell of disinfectant and the distinctive milky scent of children.
"Lu Xingchen! Why are you sleeping in there again!"
A woman's voice, tinged with a hint of helplessness and a touch of exasperation, broke the silence of the room.
The speaker was a young woman. She had dazzling golden curly hair that reached her waist, and in the sunlight, the strands of hair looked like flowing golden threads.
She was tall and slender, dressed in well-tailored civilian clothes. Although she wasn't in military uniform, her upright posture and unique heroic spirit between her brows were still undeniable. She was Lieutenant Cocolia, the sponsor of this orphanage.
At this moment, Cocolia stood with her hands on her hips, looking at the scene before her, her delicate face filled with the word "headache".
On the floor in front of her was a 1.4-meter-tall silver metal trash can. And from the edge of the trash can, a small head was peeking out, along with a pair of clear eyes rubbing sleepy eyes.
"Cocolia's mother..."
A soft, slightly dazed voice came from the trash can.
With the sound, a small figure slowly crawled out of the trash can. It was a little boy who looked about five years old. He was less than a meter tall, thin, and dressed in white.
The little boy had short, soft, jet-black hair, slightly messy, with a few strands hanging down in front of his forehead, partially obscuring it. His skin was a healthy wheat color, and his cheeks were chubby and very cute.
What's most striking are his eyes, which are exceptionally clear and bright, as if they contain the stars and the sea. At this moment, because he had just woken up, they still had a bit of moisture on them, making him look dazed and innocent.
After Lu Xingchen climbed out of the trash can, he didn't pounce on Cocolia like the other children. Instead, he turned around, stretched out his chubby little hands, and carefully hugged the silver trash can as if it were some rare treasure.
"I've said it many times, Stars,"
Cocolia stepped forward, squatted down, and tried to make her eyes level with Lu Xingchen's. Her tone was gentle but carried an undeniable seriousness. "Trash cans are for holding trash, not your bed. They're dirty and full of bacteria. You'll get sick if you sleep in them."
Lu Xingchen tilted her little face up to look at Cocolia, her brows furrowing slightly as she retorted in a serious tone:
"Cocolia's mom, you're wrong. This isn't an ordinary trash can, it's my... my 'birthplace'! I can't sleep at all without holding it."
His voice was childish, yet it carried a stubbornness that belied his age.
"Birth point?" Cocolia was somewhat amused and exasperated. "What a strange concept."
"It's...it's the place where I first came into this world."
Lu Xingchen struggled to organize her limited vocabulary, her little face full of seriousness, "I feel that holding it is like...like returning to my mother's arms, very warm and reassuring."
As he spoke, he pressed his little face against the cold wall of the trash can, his eyes revealing a hint of dependence and confusion.
Cocolia's smile froze instantly.
She fell silent, her gaze, which had initially held a hint of reproach, now replaced by deep sorrow and pity. She reached out, wanting to pat Lu Xingchen's head, but stopped mid-air, finally letting out a soft sigh.
She certainly knew the meaning of this "birth point".
It was a night of torrential rain. After putting the children at the orphanage to sleep, Cocolia carried a garbage bag to the large garbage bin at the alley entrance.
Just as she was about to throw the trash in, a faint sobbing sound, almost drowned out by the sound of rain, reached her ears.
With a soldier's keen intuition, she stopped and carefully tried to pinpoint the source of the sound. Finally, she found the newborn baby in a huge, foul-smelling garbage bin overflowing with trash.
He was wrapped in a tattered, stained piece of cotton cloth, his little face was blue from the cold, and his cries were as faint as a candle flickering in the wind.
If Cocolia hadn't happened to pass by, and if it weren't for her extraordinary hearing that caught that faint sign of life, that little life would probably have already been swallowed up by the torrential rain and despair in that cold, dirty trash can.
Cocolia still can't imagine what kind of heartless parents could do such a cruel thing.
Even leaving a child at the entrance of an orphanage, or in any corner where they can be found, is a hundred times better than throwing them directly into a trash can.
This silver trash can is not the one that originally found Lu Xingchen, but it is the "replacement" that Lu Xingchen chose himself among the many "same kind" in the orphanage.
(PS: The reason for the trash can will be explained later.)