Never Underestimate.

''How is it? Delicious right?'' The red-haired woman, called Helena asked with a smile.

Zhou Heng nodded and continued eating. After encountering Helena in the fortune teller's tent, she took him to a building at the side of the circus, she spoke with a clerk and received two trays of food.

In the way, the two introduced themselves properly to each other. At this moment the two were sitting on the stairs of a house in the same street.

Zhou Heng looked at the food he was eating, it was far better than the normal food of the orphanage, having two chicken legs, salad, and potatoes. He ate silently while apologizing inwardly to Alisa for being unfaithful to her food.

Remembering that, he smiled a little, after she became 14 years she started helping in the kitchen when she didn't train with him in the morning, she cooked for him in the afternoon, at that moment he would feel sorry for the expensive meat she burns when practicing.

''Who are you thinking about?.'' Zhou Heng snapped from his nostalgia and looked at Helena.

''... A friend.'' Maybe because she gave him food, Zhou Heng felt comfortable with her. There was also no reason to hide it from her, if they are suspicious about him, it will be easy to track him down to the Gray Way Orphanage.

''Oh? Hehe, if you had such a friend that makes you look so gentle, why are you here?'' Helena asked with her usual gentle face.

''Because this is the best place to get what I want.'' Zhou Heng answered.

''The place that most people want to stay away from... And you came with such motivation... Why?'' Helena narrowed a little her eyes.

''Because there is someone I need to kill.'' Zhou Heng said tightening the wood fork in his hand.

Helena raised her eyebrows and looked at him deeply, a sad glint went through her eyes, and she raised her hand to caress his head.

Her hand touched his blue hair and gently stroked him, it didn't matter to her that his hair was quite oily from the sweat.

Zhou Heng didn't react to her action and let her pet him, it isn't the first time someone did that to him, some members of the orphanage and Alisa used to do that once in a while. But her caress felt different.

If in the past, this care was playful, right now he could only feel a soothing feeling, as if she tried to ease his worries.

He didn't reject the feeling, while he was not a little kid and didn't have the idea of acting like one, he also wasn't going to flaunt how mature he was by rejecting a feeling that he clearly enjoyed.

Zhou Heng never had a mother in these two lives of his, so he enjoyed the feeling for a few seconds before raising his head and meeting with her eyes.

She smiled at him and retracted her hand, but when it was halfway she suddenly flicked his forehead and said, ''I don't know what is your reason for coming here. But before you fall into problems let me give you advice.''

Zhou Heng was a bit stunned at her words and saw how she brought her face near his ears and said in a whisper.

''The revenge you are saying is a lie.'' Her tone was gentle and warm, but the words brought cold sweat to his back.

Zhou Heng's pupils shrank and he was about to jump but her next words made him stop.

''Don't worry, you are in no danger.'' She bring distance from him and said with a mischievous look.

''No one comes here without their own plans. Everyone has desires, there are far more people more suspicious than you.'' She winked at him.

Zhou Heng suppressed his feelings and asked her, ''...How did you know?''

She smiled dimly, ''You have too much life in your eyes.''

She put the food tray at her side and looked at the sky, ''What I said before is no lie, not many want to stay here. The ones that come here willingly are like you, they want something and when they get it, this place is a nuisance.''

''Revenge... That word is too common here. If you have revenge on you, there are two ways to know it.'' She looked at him, her eyes were now serious like a mother warning he child.

''The first. The hatred burns in your eyes like a flame that never extinguishes. This doesn't mean that the flame is always aggressive, destroying everything in the way, but, that revenge is what guides you, everything else is a distraction.''

''The second, the hatred burns in your heart, you can smile, laugh, and dance and no one will notice it. This kind of person is someone that will only show the flame when it's time to use it.''

When she finished her explanation, her hand went again to his head, caressing him like before.

''Your flame is too fake, as if you wanted everyone to see it, looking like a cheap mask that you carry in your pockets...'' She giggled at him a little before continuing,

''Even if is like this, you don't have to worry, you are in no danger. There should be reasons for you to be here and use an excuse like that as a shield, but you aren't a threat in their eyes, so at most, they will just laugh.''

When she said that, he couldn't help but think about Anthony, the kids from before had great respect for him and the way he acted with the 'Little' boss without fear when everyone was looking as if it was natural for him to be like that.

He is certainly dangerous and experienced, he probably noticed that Zhou Heng was acting from the start and that is why he was so entertained with him.

''My advice is simple, never underestimate others. You are not the only one that can be strong, smart, talented, or experienced.'' Seeing him listening, Helena was satisfied, she retracted her hand, grabbed the tray, and continued eating, letting him think about her words.

Zhou Heng was full of her words, he felt chills in his spine, he planned many things before coming here, he wanted to use dangers to temper himself but he surely didn't want trouble just arriving.

He smiled bitterly, no matter how many preparations he can make, if he doesn't have the skills, he will fall to a miserable end.

She said that there are many people far more suspicious than him, but he can be sure they are dead as soon as the suspicion is confirmed.

The only reason he is still safe is his age, he isn't a threat, he is more an interesting kid, someone they use as entertainment.

That thought brought relief to him. Only the first day and he was already exposed and saved for being a kid. Maybe there was also luck by his side, after all, Anthony, Bern, and Helena had their way of doing things, he can't be sure that if he was found by someone else, being a child would save him.

''... Aren't you going to ask me about my true motives?'' Zhou Heng asked with a tired sigh, only a few hours since morning and he already escaped death once.

Helena finished eating and took a handkerchief from a bag she has been carrying since he met her earlier in the tent.

She cleaned her mouth and shaking her head said, ''No, you are a child, for me, all children deserve opportunities. Even if you came here with malicious intentions, the root of those intentions is surely someone else.''

This was the reason she felt sad when she saw him talking about killing, for Helena, a child should have a free childhood, not be used by others like tools.

''... I could have a grudge against this place and bring troubles when I grow up...'' He said.

''Even if is like that, I will only deal with you when you are older, that is my way of taking responsibility.'' She answered with a resolute face.

''Then... What should I do in your opinion?'' He didn't know why, but he felt a certain dependence on her after she advised him.

''What you want to do.'' She said with expectant eyes as if telling him 'Let me help you'.

Zhou Heng felt conflicted because he knew she was thinking that he was being manipulated.

She was not wrong, after all, he was certainly used by the system and its creator, but he saw it more like business, he was receiving something in exchange, and what he wanted to do was to protect his family.

''It is true that I want strength.'' He said.

''... You are too young, why don't you wait a few more years...?'' She said with a concerned look.

''The sooner the stronger.'' He shook his head.

''Then, what kind of strength do you want to acquire?'' Helena asked,

'' Theft, survival, stealth, tracking, disguise, fighting... Can you introduce me to a swindler?'' Zhou Heng said all the skills he had planned to learn, asking her if she knew experts that could teach him.

She wanted to help him, and even if she saw it as a joke, as long as he gets the information it will be okay.

''...'' Helena was baffled, just a moment ago she told him that he was suspicious and should take care, but now he directly told her one of the most suspicious things she ever heard.

''...Why do you want to learn things like that?'' With a puzzled face, she asked.

"Because is strength.'' And with a serious face, he answered.

Helena frowned, not for caution against him, but concern, what has he lived? For him wanting to learn things like that.

''There are many that can teach you, but, the problem is convincing them to help you.'' She said after thinking for a moment.

''I will look for a way, can you help me with their information?'' Zhou Heng asked.

"Finish your food and I will take you to another place.'' Helena nodded and took the empty tray.

Zhou Heng nodded, he suddenly remembered something and asked, ''By the way, can you tell me about a man with white gloves and glasses?''

Helena's body shook, and the tray in her hands fell to the floor.