Ch 4 Suspicious Director

At seven in the morning, Leon was lazily watching the CCTV feed when he noticed movement in one of the corridors.

Nothing alarming just a tired looking old man making his way down the hallway. Seeing this, Leon rose to his feet and stepped outside.

He watched the man enter the common room, set out steaming instant noodle cups, and call the children over.

This man was the orphanage’s director. Without a word, Leon approached him.

“Good morning, Walter. I need to talk about something serious dead serious.” Leon looked at the old man, who let out a weary sigh.

“Alright, kid. If you want to resign, just say so. I’ll give you your month’s salary and… could you pack up the CCTV equipment? I can’t afford the electricity.” Walter, the old director, looked at Leon with pity, knowing how much he cared for the orphans even with a hidden motive..

Leon blinked in surprise. “What? I’ve only been here three days why would you think I want to quit? No, I really do need to talk about something serious. There are four kids who need… well, medical attention. And maybe we should also take a look at this place’s hygiene and think about renovating a few things.”

He starts to explain things and then “Look, I’ve noticed that Jane, Emilie, Roy, and James have been sleepwalking, moreover, this is already the third time. I’m guessing you’re aware of it, right?”

“They need some medical attention. Just tell me if you don’t have the funds… uh, as long as it’s not too much, I can cover it….” Leon scratched the back of his neck, a little embarrassed.

What Leon didn’t notice was that when he listed the children’s names, Walter flinched slightly. But at the mention of covering the bill, the old man’s eyes lit up. “Oh… are you sure you want to cover their expenses?”

Leon nods but still emphasizes “as long as it is not much…”

he old man nodded. “Sure. I appreciate it, thank you. But you seem a bit uncomfortable, so how about this, just tell me how much you’re willing to donate, and I’ll cover the rest.”

Leon pulled some money from his pocket and handed it to the old man. “Here, one thousand. I’m not sure if that’s enough, and… please bring me the bill. It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just… uh, I need to write it down….”

Walter couldn’t help but laugh at Leon’s reaction. “Don’t worry, I understand. I’ll give you the bill later hahaha….. Now, I’ll fetch the kids and send them straight to a doctor.” He patted Leon’s shoulder, still chuckling, before taking the money and walking away.

“Oh right, please give the kids their food while I’m away,” Walter said without looking back. He kept walking until he vanished from Leon’s sight.

“…Wait, I’m supposed to be sleeping! I did the night watch yesterday! Damn it!”

Leon quickly called out to the children. “HEY, KIDS! WAKE UP! COME EAT THIS SH..uh, I mean, come eat this food!”

Soon, boys and girls under ten walked into the room, rubbing their eyes and greeting him one by one.

“Good morning, Mr. Security…”

“Hey, Leon! Can we sell another power bank today? I’ll make sure to sell ten in a single day!”

Leon could only smile. “Alright, morning, kids. Now eat up, and today, each of you will get ten power banks, so make sure to sell even more than yesterday, hahaha!”

As he handed out the food, he did a quick headcount. Twenty girls, nineteen boys, thirty nine in total.

That meant three hundred ninety power banks, even with four of them heading to the doctor if all of these kids manage to sell a few…. Oh, how great it would be!

The kids happily took their food without a single complaint that it was the same instant noodles they’d been having every day.

Soon, they were eating with relish on the floor, though a few slipped outside to form their own little cliques.

The orphanage was desperately poor, so poor that there were no other caretakers at all. Only Walter, the director, and Leon, who had been hired just three days ago as the security guard.

Leon had no idea what went through Walter’s mind. These kids needed education, healthcare…

Sure, the funds were limited, but if they posted their situation online, put on a pitiful expression, and asked for donations, many people would be moved to help.

With that, the children could still live a decent life. At the very least, they could have proper meals and an emergency fund for medical care.

“Sheesh… old people really can’t adapt to new technology, huh? …Okay, maybe that’s a bit harsh,” Leon muttered, shaking his head.

There was hardly any activity in the orphanage, since the director went out every single day. That left Leon with little choice but to step in and do something.

He was still new here, but this was a time when the kids would still “obey” him.

Alright, kids. The director’s out with a few of you, so… now it’s my turn to lay down some rules.” Leon clapped his hands and looked around at the group.

“From now on, no horror themed novels or movies. Hand over every single one of them, I’m confiscating them all, but don’t worry, I’ll find you new comics or books to read instead.”

“Next, you can play whatever you want and sell power banks all you like, but be careful. Don’t trust strangers too much. If someone gives you candy, take it but don’t eat it right away.”

“And when you’re selling power banks, remember these rules, buy three, get one free! Then explain to your customer that one for fifteen dollars, two for thirty, but four for only forty five. That’s a steal! You got that, kids?”

“Yesssss!” all the children said at the same time, some even made a salute gesture….. Leon had no idea where they learned these little gestures….

After eating, the kids took their baths and went about their own things, then gathered again in the common room for Leon to hand out their products.

“Be careful out there. If anything happens, call me. I’ll be in my room sleeping, got it?”

“YES, SIR!” the kids shouted in unison once again.

“Good job! Now off you go!” Leon clapped his hands again, watching as the children headed out before he turned and trudged toward his room.

“Finally… sleep,” he muttered, collapsing onto the bed. “Sheesh, I’m exhausted. Hey, Nova, remember to give me a report on our virtual honey trap.”

With that, Leon slept soundly for six hours…… until a sudden knock at the door jolted him awake.

Groggily, Leon opened the door to find Walter standing there, holding out a piece of paper, a bill…

One glance at it, and Leon’s drowsiness vanished instantly.

“Wha… this....” Leon stared at the price, utterly baffled.

“It’s true, I didn’t take any change,” Walter cut in quickly. “I even covered the gas and transportation costs.”

Leon’s eyes stayed fixed on the bill.

Initial Pediatrician Check up - 150 x 4 = 600

Psychological Evaluation (1 hr) - 100 x 4 = 400

Total = 1.000 dollars

“…So, how are the kids?” Leon asked, forcing the words out. He wanted to curse at how high the medical bill was, but he kept it buried deep inside.

Walter sighed. “The doctor checked each one of them, physically, they’re fine.”

He went on, “When I told him we’re from an orphanage, he even agreed to run neurological scans and blood tests for free.”

“But so far, nothing’s come up. In the end, he suggested we see a psychologist, and… well, we did just that.”

Hearing this, Leon nodded. At least the kids were physically healthy. “So… what about the psychologist? Did something come up?”

Walter shook his head again. “There’s no sign of psychosis, schizophrenia, or delusional behavior during the check.”

“Two of them showed mild past trauma, but it’s unrelated to their current sleepwalking. So, we’ll need more observation and, if possible, some sleep recordings.” Walter tell everything that he know to Leon.

“Hmm… okay, seems like a waste of money..uh, I mean, it’s good the kids are fine. By the way, have they been sleepwalking for a long time? I mean, even before I came here?”

While lamenting the thousand dollars he’d just spent on all this, Leon asked Walter about the children’s past behavior.

“No, I didn’t even know they were sleepwalking,” Walter said, shaking his head. That only made Leon more puzzled.

“Uh… I thought sleepwalking was normal for them, so I didn’t think to ask. Is there anything else I should watch for? Any strange behavior maybe?”

Walter paused, thinking for a moment, then shook his head. “Nothing comes to mind. Anyway, I’ve got to go, I can’t delay it any longer.”

With that, Walter turned and walked away without another word.

This is where Leon remembered that this old director.. Always come and go and not interact much with the kids…

“Damn… I’m… speechless. How did he even become the director? He seems suspicious…” Leon squinted, then sighed. There was nothing he could do, he was just an employee here.

Leon then glanced at his game panel, remembering the suggestion about sleep recordings.

Right, it was fine to use his crafting system to make something for that, it is personal use anyway.

“Okay, first I need to map this orphanage, figure out which areas need repairs, and identify any high risk spots.”

“Well… if I’m really going to do this and record the kids while they sleep, I guess I can craft some drones.” Leon looked at the only drone he could craft. “Basic models, but they come with thermal detectors and cameras way clearer than the best tech of this era.”

Without hesitation, he crafted ten drones right away. Believe it or not, these little devices looked more like a flying black ball than anything else.

“Sci-fi tech, sci-fi design… no problem. It’s not like anyone’s going to think this place is haunted or invaded by aliens.” Leon nodded to himself. The kids couldn't leak any secrets as no one would believe their nonsense… hopefully. But it is best to keep things discreet.