"Yes. I'm Meng Yao, Lan Xichen's sworn brother."

Tintin absolutely will not let any trace of shock show on his face. He bows instead, slightly belatedly. "I am very pleased to make your acquaintance. As I was granted my slot by Shanghai's testing system, I thought I should come and pay my respects to the enclave that is responsible for my good fortune."

So he's either aware enough to know that Meng Yao is Lan Xichen's second-in-command or... he chose to pay his respects to the maintenance track kid. Interesting, either way.

Also, he's white, which is odd.

"Pleased to meet you. The tests are awful, aren't they? Especially if you didn't grow up in an enclave."

"They are... rigorous. It is fortunate that my parents were able to instill in me a love for poetry." At the expense, probably, of other skills, not that he's going to say that out loud. "I forget my manners. My name is Tintin - Corentin Saint-Martin, in the western style. I am from Singapore. It remains a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"What track are you planning to go for? I'm languages." Maintenance.

"Alchemy." He gestures to his gun. "Milu requires a great deal of care, if he is to stay by my side for four years. I am sure I would not do well with languages - even growing up in Singapore, I barely speak English and Tamil. My respects to you."

"It's unusual to have a gun in the Scholomance."

"Most students of the Scholomance do not have an affinity for firearms. They may be glad of it. - I, of course, am very happy to have my faithful Milu. But I must admit that were I any heavier than I am, he would not be a convenient ally."

"One of the Shanghai freshmen, Lan Wangji, has a sword. It's named Bichen."

"Exciting. He is the brother of your sworn brother? Bichen is an auspicious name for a sword." (It's weird, actually, but it's not like he's going to say that. But really, who wants their sword to avoid worldly matters? A sword should be entrenched in worldly matters. Frankly, it's what a sword does.)

"He is. We're all looking forward to having someone with a combat affinity, Shanghai enclave has been low on those."

Subtext obvious.

Subtext very obvious. Meng Yao is clearly not someone who drops bombs like that lightly. Tintin very nearly raises his eyebrows.

"Shanghai enclave is strong in many ways. Force of arms is but one facet of a successful polity."

"We're very lucky to have a person with a healing affinity and a person with a warding affinity, and I'm lucky that Lan Xichen has been gracious enough to allow me to take advantage."

"It is fortunate indeed to have such magic at your disposal. And I am sure it is not his abundant grace but his good sense that causes him to keep you so close to his side."

Does he think he will butter him up. Meng Yao ducks his head. "Lan Xichen is very gracious."

He inclines his in turn, and lowers his voice. "If I may be so unkind as to ask - your sworn brother's young friend. Is he going to be alright?"

"Lan Xichen considers it his duty to make sure everyone in Shanghai enclave gets out alive," Meng Yao says, which is not an answer.

Signed, sealed, and delivered.

"He is a very good man, then. I hope to have the privilege to be able to provide Lan Xichen and the Shanghai enclave with any small service I may offer."

That boy has a gun. 

"Hello," he says, sniffly but brave, "I'm Nie Huaisang."

Oh shit.

"Hello. I am Tintin, from Singapore; it is a pleasure to meet you, Nie Huaisang."

Sniff sniff. "A pleasure to meet you too."

(And part of him is thinking, because part of him is always thinking, he needs to be pathetic enough to see if this Tintin has a thing for saving people, or wants to take advantage of him, but not so pathetic that he's unappealing right away--)

"I just. I don't know what to do."

A flash of unhappy sympathy.

"I am sorry. I know that Lan Xichen will help you to the best of his ability - I have heard he is a great man. And the first thing to do is to learn what to do."

"I've tried," he says, "but my affinity is art-- you want birds that really fly, I can do that for you--"

An affinity for art. Tintin has heard of worse affinities. He's sure he could name one, given some time.

"My affinity is for firearms, and some people said that this would get me killed. I have turned it to my advantage. Does your affinity extend to, um, engravings on artifacts?"

"My affinity is very opinionated. It wants things to be pretty."

(He could probably do a ward if he wanted to drain half the power of the Shanghai enclave to do it. This he's not going to mention. Some kinds of useless are safer than others.)