"Yingxing, you're doing this on purpose!" Dan Feng's tone in the video was slightly stern, but the AI's delivery made it sound stiff and dull.
"A good dragon lives free—just tell me, Dan Feng! I'm desperate here!"
Dan Feng was about to lose his temper but ultimately sighed. "Jing Yuan said: 'I won't tell you, silly~'"
"Ugh, fine, keep your secrets." Yingxing pulled out another note from his pocket.
"Then what does this one say?"
Dan Feng glanced at it. "'If you don't want to call me sweetheart, then call me darling instead.'"
Yingxing fell silent for a few seconds. "...Uh, are you serious?"
"Not me—Jing Yuan!"
"What did Jing Yuan say?! Just tell me already!"
"'I won't tell you, silly~'"
"Darling Dan Feng, my sweetheart. Now will you tell me?"
Dan Feng's eyes widened in shock—then the screen cut to black, replaced by the sound of Tom Cat's iconic scream.
—
"Big bro, hahaha—I can't—I'm gonna laugh until I puke, hahaha…!" Belle collapsed onto the couch, cackling like a goose.
Dan Heng and Yingxing sat slumped on the floor, their expressions utterly lifeless.
Firefly walked up and handed them tissues. "Go ahead and cry if you need to."
Then she covered her mouth and scurried to a corner to giggle to herself.
A few minutes later, the laughter in the café finally died down.
Meanwhile, the mastermind behind it all lounged on the sofa, sipping an ice-cold cola with perfect contentment.
"Ah, another delightful Thursday team-building day!" Su Chen sighed happily.
Suddenly, two figures loomed behind him.
"Yingxing and Dan Heng? Hahaha—!"
Su Chen immediately stood up. "If I dared show that video, I came prepared. I've already called for backup!"
Clap clap! He patted his hands twice—but nothing happened.
"Yanqing? Where is he? Where'd he go?" Su Chen glanced around frantically. "Serval? Where are they? And Firefly?! Where's my perfectly sized Firefly?! Where?!"
Dan Feng's face was stone-cold. "They have consciences. They all left. Now it's just the three of us in here."
"Look, it's all just fun, right? Life's stressful—isn't it nice to watch a funny video?" Su Chen flashed an overly sincere smile.
It did absolutely nothing.
What followed was a vigorous, no-holds-barred wrestling match between the three.
—
Meanwhile, outside…
The crowd dispersed with cheerful chatter.
"Big bro, I gotta say—that was hilarious!" Belle bounced around Wise excitedly.
"First you say you wanna quit, then you say you like it here? Make up your mind."
"Honestly? I just can't bring myself to hate miHoYo. I'm all talk."
"Hope you don't change your mind again later."
Buzz… buzz…
Wise felt his phone vibrate and pulled it out.
He frowned at the caller ID. "Why's Nicole calling so late?"
"Hey, Nicole."
"Boss! Where are you guys? We're at Gate A!"
"You're here? What do you mean?"
"Long story short—you have no idea how much effort we put in for you two! Do you know how I—"
Wise sighed. "If there's nothing important, I'm hanging up."
"Wait, wait! Short version: We noticed your video store's been closed for days, and with how you acted before, Anby figured something must've happened. We thought you'd been kidnapped by some powerful group!"
"I had a friend track your phone—and it led us to miHoYo's Interactive Film City? Everything adds up! We've heard the rumors—miHoYo's boss eats people!"
"Don't worry, Phaethon siblings! We're here to save you! We won't let—"
Suddenly, a shout came through the receiver.
"Nicole, look out!"
Then the sound of a phone hitting the ground.
"Nicole?! Nicole?!" Wise yelled urgently.
Belle grabbed his arm. "Wait, big bro—I think there's still noise."
Faintly, they could still hear voices.
"Where'd you come from?!"
"I take the road less traveled. The Film City closes at 8 PM—yet some 'adventurers' never learn."
"Guess I'm sweating again. Time for another shower."
Then the call cut off.
Wise rubbed his chin. "Who was that guy? Never heard him before. So the whole Cunning Hares crew actually came here? Ugh…"
"Big bro, I'll go find Su Chen at the café. You go check on Nicole!" Belle sprinted off.
Wise shook his head and ran toward Gate A.
—
Meanwhile…
Nicole's group had run into Moze at the entrance. Despite being outnumbered, Moze—trained by Feixiao—was no pushover.
But for now, the two sides were locked in a stalemate.
"Sorry, handsome—we're just looking for a friend. Once we find them, we'll leave!" Nicole quickly stepped between Anby and Moze.
"Looking for a friend? Last time, some green-haired guy said he was 'lost' and wandered in here."
"But when I asked, he said he lived in New Eridu—that's hundreds of miles away! You think I buy that excuse?"
"Listen, hoodie guy—our friend's being held by miHoYo. Just like the rumors say: miHoYo eats people! Hand over Wise and Belle!"
"Wise and Belle?" Moze froze. "Wait, why do those names sound familiar?"
In that split second of hesitation—
Nicole winked at the others, and all four lunged at once.
Just then—
"STOP!!!"
Wise arrived, hands on his knees, panting. After catching his breath, he stepped forward.
"Sorry, they're my friends. Please don't fight."
"Boss!" Billy hugged him tearfully. "Thank goodness! I thought you were gone! Come on, let's go home!"
"No, it's not what you think. I really appreciate you coming, but you should stay away from—"
Suddenly, Moze's phone rang. He glanced at it, then handed it to Wise.
The caller? Su Chen.
"This is Wise."
"Invite your friends over! Since they're here, I should at least play host, right?"