Chapter 102: Elysia Awakens a Strange Trait? Su Mu Fears Becoming Himeko's Plaything?
After finishing the phone call, Su Mu didn't continue writing the proposal. Instead, he opened the Bilibili video site.
The homepage recommendations were almost entirely dominated by Honkai Impact 3rd. There were clips of various game streamers playing the game, and without exception, they were all edited scenes of them breaking down in tears over "Final Lesson." There were also fan creations that took Su Mu's "healthy and sunny, positive and uplifting" quote from the livestream and spliced it together with the footage of "Final Lesson."
The view counts on these videos were extraordinarily high. In less than two days, Bilibili's rankings were monopolized by Honkai 3rd content. Among them, the clips from Pardo's livestream were at the very top. After all, inviting the real-life prototype of Himeko to watch "Final Lesson"... in a sense, it was too much "content," a literal hell-tier joke.
Su Mu clicked on the official "Honkai 3rd No. 1 Idol Ai-chan" account and saw that the "Final Lesson" animated short had reached 50 million views in less than two days. He was satisfied with this data. As for the comments section below, it had already surpassed 500,000 to 600,000 entries...
[I was wrong, I was really wrong! I shouldn't have boarded this broken ship! If I hadn't, I wouldn't have been stabbed like this. MiHoYo, just kill me already!]
[Kiana, take it, my final wave—the serum! HIMEKOOOOOO!]
[Himeko's theme song—Nightglow. An optical phenomenon where the night sky facing away from the sun is not completely dark even without starlight... You could also call it 'White Night.']
[Big Sister Himeko is number one in the world!]
The players under the short were all expressing their love for Himeko and their respect for this hero. Of course...
[Su Mu, you dog thief, come out and face death!]
[Old Thief! Take my spear!]
[I will be at odds with the dog thief Su Mu for the rest of my life!!]
[Old Thief Su Mu, can you perform that again? The one where you say: 'Healthy and sunny? Positive and uplifting!']
[I, Sampo of the Masked Fools, formally condemn Su Mu!]
[I'm the real Sampo, the comment above is an impostor!]
Clearly, countless players were frantically "greeting" Su Mu, denouncing him as a devil and a cold-blooded machine. Where is the heartwarming and healing part of Honkai 3rd? You made Kiana's school life so warm just to sharpen the blade, didn't you? You hid a knife under the cake just to stab us right here and now!
The players had completely fallen in love with the character of Murata Himeko and felt a profound sense of injustice. Otherwise, the reaction wouldn't be so intense. As for the overwhelming wave of insults, Su Mu merely gave a slight smile. He didn't take them to heart at all. He had anticipated this situation from the moment he started making the game. He could foresee that in the days to come, he would be cursed by players thousands of times...
Su Mu felt helpless and even innocent. After all, who told Honkai 3rd to be such a "heartwarming and healing" story? He couldn't be blamed for that.
Otto Apocalypse touched his pocket, remembering he didn't have a smoking habit. Now he couldn't even light a cigarette to recount the past and act like a mature man with a story...
Kallen was angry. Really angry. Extremely angry. Originally, he was only banned from the bed for one day, but since "Final Lesson" aired, the duration had been extended. The reason was that without Otto's plan, Himeko wouldn't have died. Therefore, Otto was the culprit who killed Himeko.
Wronged. He felt so wronged! Otto felt as if he were sitting at home and a disaster had fallen from the sky!
"I really need to have a good talk with that Kaslana brat..." Otto had the urge to rush to Arc City and interrogate Kiana on the spot.
"Lord Otto, Lady Kallen said that if you dare go find trouble for Kiana Kaslana..." Amber repeated Kallen's words. "Then don't think about coming to bed for a month."
Otto seemed to see a certain pink-haired fox wearing a smug smile, mockingly watching the scene. Why? Why did it turn out like this? He didn't understand. In the beginning, he only intended for Kallen to experience the excellence of Honkai 3rd. But why did it turn out like this? His beloved playing his favorite game—it should have been double the happiness. But why?
Otto Apocalypse looked up at the ceiling at a 45-degree angle, feeling more wronged than Dou E.
"At a time like this, only my lovely Theresa can comfort me..." Otto dialed Theresa's video call. Not long after, Theresa's figure appeared on the screen.
"Grandpa? I was about to call you; I didn't expect you to call first." On the screen, Theresa was wearing clothes Otto had personally and meticulously sewn. How cute, as expected of my granddaughter. Proactively calling her grandpa—it was true! His dear granddaughter Theresa was simply the best!
"Theresa, listen to me..." Otto immediately complained to Theresa about Kallen's "evil deeds," hoping for some comfort from his granddaughter.
"She's angry at Grandpa because of the game? Grandma Kallen is really..." Theresa's tone was quite helpless. "Although Grandpa in the game is indeed loathsome—even I want to crush Grandpa with Judah..."
Otto was instantly dumbfounded. "Theresa! I didn't expect you too?!"
Theresa quickly explained, "Ahem! It's the game, the game! Anyway, Grandpa, don't think too much. Grandma Kallen will come back once she figures it out. If it really doesn't work, I'll help you talk to her."
"Theresa, thank you so much! You truly are Grandpa's most beloved granddaughter! Next time you come back, I'll make you bitter melon juice!"
"Grandpa... how many times have I said it? I'm an adult, stop treating me like a child!"
"But in Grandpa's eyes, you are a child!"
"...Just find a way to coax Grandma Kallen yourself." Theresa hung up with a dark expression.
"No! Even Theresa hung up on me! It's not real, it's not real!!" Otto clutched his head, feeling his brain tremble!
Beside him, Amber said nothing. She didn't want to, and she couldn't. Lord Otto was like this—invincible in the business world, but the moment things involved Kallen or Theresa, he became a different person. If others knew that Otto... well, everyone in Schicksal knew Otto was a granddaughter-con, so that was fine. Sigh, she'd go persuade Lady Kallen later. It wasn't the first time, after all. Amber sighed to herself; without her, this company would truly be finished.
Bronya was pacing in the hallway in front of Su Mu's office. She looked at the office door, hesitating one moment, making up her mind the next, and then suddenly collapsing like a deflated ball.
"...Sister Bronya has been stalling for half an hour, right? What is she doing?" Pardo Felis and Carole were hiding around the corner, peeking at the scene.
"It's easy to understand, look." Behind them, Elysia began an analysis of Bronya's actions.
Bronya stopped. "She's hesitating whether to knock on the door."
Bronya moved. "She's made up her mind, feeling she can't go on like this, otherwise someone might beat her to it!"
Bronya stopped again. "But she's feeling anxious. What if? What if Su Mu doesn't like her? What if Su Mu likes someone else? What if the confession fails? How would they act in the company afterward? It would be so awkward; it would be better not to confess at all!!"
Elysia colorfully narrated Bronya's "internal struggle." Pardo felt black lines on her forehead. "But isn't Sister Bronya just going to ask Brother Su Mu if he wants to have dinner together? Sister Ellie, you're making it sound like a confession?"
Elysia shook her head and sighed. "The progress is just too slow! I'm truly worried from the bottom of my heart!"
The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is. (Chinese idiom). For some reason, that phrase popped into Pardo's head.
"Anyway! I really can't watch this anymore! Pardo, look at Bronya—usually such a decisive person, but why so indecisive at a time like this?"
Carole spoke up with mock-seriousness: "I can actually understand Bronya-senpai... After all, this is probably her first time liking someone, right? First love is so bittersweet and beautiful."
Elysia blinked, a gossipy look on her face. "Carole, you're so experienced, have you been in a relationship?"
Carole looked embarrassed. "Uh... ahem! Even if I haven't eaten pork, haven't I seen a pig run? I've seen it play out on TV all the time!"
Three women who had never been in a relationship somehow found common ground and formed a "Bronya Romance Expert Group." Heaven knows where their confidence came from...
"Sigh, Bronya's future is full of hardships. There was already Rita in the way, and recently another Firefly appeared..."
"Rita is incredibly capable, with perfect maid skills; she can easily win a heart through the stomach. Not to mention she's a rare beauty who looks like a perfect urban professional in a secretary outfit." Elysia sighed and analyzed the "enemy forces."
"Firefly-chan is pure and cute, with a hint of moe—practically the girl next door. Brother Su Mu looks after her for various reasons. For a workplace newbie, a mature and reliable boss like Brother Su Mu is hard not to fall for..."
Pardo's expression turned grim as well. "It seems Bronya's rivals are all very strong."
Carole, the new member of the group, suddenly raised her hand. "Pardo, Elysia, I actually have a question... why don't you ever include President Kiana when analyzing the situation?"
Pardo and Elysia looked at each other. Then...
"President Kiana is not within the scope of discussion."
Carole found it strange. "May I ask why?"
Elysia sighed. "It's a long story... anyway, you just need to know that if Kiana joins this battle, the fight is over."
Carole: "??"
Pardo nodded in deep agreement. "Kiana-chan has always held an important position in Brother Su Mu's heart."
Elysia then gave examples, including how Pardo and Su Mu met, and how Su Mu and Kiana convinced Eden and the others at the Golden Courtyard to join miHoYo. "And Bronya too—she didn't think much of Su Mu's game at first, but Kiana firmly chose Su Mu when he was just a fresh graduate with no background or experience... You could say Kiana was the one who recognized Su Mu's talent! Do you understand why Su Mu wanted to make Honkai Impact 3rd? Why he made Kiana the protagonist? It proves Kiana's status in his heart! I think Honkai 3rd might even be a love letter written by Su Mu to Kiana!"
Elysia's analysis left Carole with a string of question marks. "Is... is that so? But with a 'love letter' like this... won't he be beaten to death?" Carole felt a wave of cold sweat. A love letter? You mean the love letter including 'Reunion in the Snow,' 'Reencounter at Babylon Tower,' 'Queen's Descent,' and 'Final Lesson'? Are you sure Su Mu likes Kiana and doesn't actually hate her to the core? Carole finally realized that this romance group she was in was somewhat unreliable. Elysia also didn't know that the "love letter" topic had already been brought up by Theresa.
"Wait, something new is happening!" Carole's peripheral vision caught a striking figure. Under her warning, the other two poked their heads out as well. The three of them stacked their heads vertically—top, middle, and bottom—in a scene that was utterly hilarious.
An uninvited guest appeared before Bronya. With hair as red as fire and a hot physique, every gesture exuded the charm of a mature woman...
"H-Himeko-sensei?" Carole's jaw almost dropped.
In the hallway, Bronya also hadn't expected Himeko to appear. "Himeko-sensei, you should have told me if you were coming..." She stepped forward, feeling curious. Why would Himeko suddenly visit miHoYo?
"It's been a while, Bronya." Murata Himeko gave Bronya a slight smile. "Honkai Impact 3rd is a good game, truly excellent... I didn't expect you and Kiana could make a game like this. I'm proud of you."
Himeko's words made Bronya's face turn slightly red. "Thank you, Himeko-sensei." Although she had graduated years ago, she still held deep respect for her teacher. Hearing her praise made Bronya feel shy but very happy. "Since you're here, why don't you come sit in my office for a bit?"
"Ah, sorry, Bronya." Himeko said apologetically, "I'm actually here to find Su Mu today..."
Bronya froze, then seemed to realize something. "Is it about Firefly?" She couldn't think of anything else that would bring Himeko to miHoYo. Su Mu had told Bronya about Firefly before, so she knew Himeko had asked Su Mu to look after her.
"I'm not worried about that; with you and Su Mu there, Firefly should be fine." Murata Himeko smiled. "I'm here to pick up Su Mu. It should be about time to get off work, right? We have an appointment."
Bronya stood there, feeling her brain stall for a moment. An appointment? An appointment? Could it be...
"Here it comes!!" Elysia could hardly contain her excitement, nearly screaming. "This drama is too explosive! My love rival is actually my mentor! A teacher and student falling for the same man... is it a loss of morality or..."
Even Pardo started getting black lines on her face. "Sister Ellie, whose side are you on exactly?" Clearly, this made Bronya's path to love even harder, so why did Ellie seem so excited? It was as if she were dying to see this situation play out... she seemed quite delighted. What kind of strange trait has Sister Ellie awakened? Though she knew Elysia was a social terrorist and a gossip master, she felt she was becoming more and more strange!
"Glamorous secretary, pure junior, mature and beautiful female landlord..." Carole formed a telescope shape with her fingers. As a high-intensity internet surfer, she only had one phrase for this scene: "They are going to beat Director Su to his knees and force him to become their 'Star-Slave'!!" (Chinese internet slang for a plaything).
At that moment, the office door opened. Su Mu immediately saw Himeko and Bronya and noticed the trio of Elysia and the others peeping not far away.
"Is my office door some kind of strange spawn point? Every time I open it, there's always a group of people..."
END OF CHAPTER
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