"Distinguished guests, welcome to miHoYo Interactive Film City. However, there's one thing I don't quite understand." Su Chen pointed at a sign.
"It's written right there—the Interactive City closes after 8 PM. May I ask why the four of you are still here?"
"Uh..." Nicole's pupils darted around. "Actually, it's all a misunderstanding! We thought you'd eaten up Wise and Belle. But turns out... hahaha... I told you there was nothing to worry about. Right, guys?"
"Right!"
"Right!"
"Right!"
The other three chimed in unison.
"So, we won't disturb you any further. Bye-bye."
"Wait a minute." Su Chen leisurely took a sip of tea.
Moze stood alone, blocking the café entrance.
"I think I've got it figured out." Su Chen rubbed his nose, watching as the four reluctantly returned to their seats.
"In short, you accepted a commission, then outsourced it to Wise and Belle—so you're just middlemen.
From what Belle described, you even took an advance payment from the client. Now, you only have two options: either pay the penalty or complete the task.
Unfortunately, due to conflicting allegiances, the Wise and Belle siblings can no longer fulfill the commission. Even if I let you go, how will you handle things afterward?
That said, your loyalty to these two siblings is undeniable."
"Wow!" Billy gave a thumbs-up.
"Boss Nicole, look—this is how a real team leader should act—experienced and composed. Too bad Nicole's only got the 'big' part left."
With a thud, Billy crumpled to the ground in a twisted pose.
"Well, Brother Su Chen, this is our own mess. The Cunning Hares pride ourselves on credibility. We'll handle our own business—we're adults, and I'll take responsibility for my words."
Nicole stared sharply at Su Chen.
"I know. But have you considered a third option? I'll issue a commission of my own." Su Chen snapped his fingers.
"I'd like to commission the Cunning Hares to help me find out who your client is. Do you accept?"
"Boss, this is a trap! If we find out, how are we supposed to keep operating?" Billy slowly picked himself up off the floor.
Su Chen smiled faintly. "I have a Sam mech suit on the Express. You can touch it."
"Pfft, who cares about that? It's not like I get to wear it."
"Of course not. That's reserved for my secretary.
How about this? I happen to have a Kamen Rider W costume. Wonder who could wear it?"
"Boss Nicole, I think you should seriously consider Boss Su Chen's proposal." Billy was already standing behind Su Chen.
"Hmm..." Anby pinched her chin. "When it comes to life-and-death situations, Billy is the biggest hazard. Nicole, I think..."
Before she could finish, Su Chen tossed a card onto the table. "A Burger King Supreme VIP card. With this, you can eat burgers for free in the Interactive City."
The next second, Anby pocketed the card and silently moved to Su Chen's side.
"But in life-and-death situations, Billy is the biggest safety net. It goes against my conscience, but I'll say it anyway. Yay!"
"Hmph!" Nekomiya Mana shrugged, crossing her arms. "You're all so weak-willed. If it were me, I wouldn't fall for the enemy's trap."
Su Chen glanced at his watch, then at Moze on the beam. "It's so late—what should we eat? How about a full fish banquet? I heard there's a tuna today."
Ahem. Nekomiya Mana also sidled up next to Anby. "I heard Boss Su Chen is treating us to a full fish banquet later. Just thinking about it gets me excited~"
Nicole, looking at her long-time teammates, flushed red. "No, I won't accept the commission."
"I'll pay ten times the price."
"Let me think." Nicole dropped all her defenses. "He didn't use his real name. I only know his alias—he's called Aventurine."
Su Chen wasn't too surprised.
After all, there was the Hoolay incident caused by Topaz's subordinate before.
Besides, that Owlbert mentioned Topaz, Aventurine, and Jade always stick together.
So it's simple.
The Child of Misfortune—he'd like to see if Aventurine can still win every bet against the Mahjong Goddess.
All or nothing!
With that thought, Su Chen looked up at Moze. "I'm going on a trip. I'll take Qingque and Sushang with me. As for everything else, Jing Yuan and Dan Heng will handle it."
Moze gave an "OK" sign.
Finally, Su Chen walked up to Wise. "Take your friends and have some fun. I haven't officially welcomed you yet—welcome to miHoYo."
"So soon? Season 3 is about to premiere—aren't you concerned?"
"Data is just noise. This time, the High-Cloud Quintet got roasted pretty hard anyway—no big deal." Su Chen spoke calmly.
For him, it really didn't matter. After all, hate and anger are just another form of emotional value.
So, purely from a system perspective, the High-Cloud Quintet arc generated even more emotional value this time.
He swore he'd make it bigger and better, achieving new heights.
——
As the seasons changed, the young man added layers to his outfit.
And today was a good day—he'd checked the time four times in just one minute
"Why isn't it 12 yet? Still a few minutes left—might as well lurk in the group chat."
So, he opened the chat group formed by his close friends, where the member count kept growing.
[Silver Wolf's Current Boyfriend: Been waiting so long—it's finally launching!]
[Kafka's Dog: I haven't seen Mom in so many days. I miss her.]
[I Love Drinking Himeko's Coffee: According to 'leaks,' Kafka has a major role this time, plus her own movie.]
[Kafka's Dog: Where'd you hear that? Accurate?]
[Honkai Star Rail's Succubus: It's alright. There's a miHoYo insider online who often drops hints. Netizens call them a 'leaker,' but you can't trust everything they say—maybe half of it's true.]
[Domineering Caelus Baby Loves Me: Honestly, I suspect this is all miHoYo's doing on purpose.]
[It's miHoYo Not Hoyoverse: What are you doing? It's almost 12—aren't you going for first place?]
[Herta's #1 Simp: miHoYo's being ridiculous. From now on, every season will have a badge in the top-left corner with a number based on login order. Isn't that just a UID? Who even cares about that?]
[Adorably Invincible March's Wife: Exactly! It's not like anyone cares. Whoever grabs it is a dog, okay?]
Just as the young man was about to reply, a notification popped up on his phone:
"Web Series Honkai: Star Rail Season 3 Now Live!"