Stelle didn't take long to find Ruan Mei.
The next scene showed her arriving at the platform, the same place where she and Ruan Mei first met.
Ruan Mei, gazing at the azure planet outside the window, heard footsteps behind her and slowly turned, smiling at Stelle. "The geniuses' meeting is over. The future of the Simulated Universe… the conclusion isn't important. What matters is your side."
Stelle, unusually serious, didn't respond.
She felt she was understanding Ruan Mei less and less.
Ruan Mei was kind to her yet fed her an "anti-truth serum" and kept her true experimental goals hidden.
Despite her seemingly aloof nature, Ruan Mei's ambitions were unfathomably deep…
What kind of person was she?
Ruan Mei's words carried a hint of apology.
"You look… upset, don't you? I'm sorry, I have no excuses. To this day, my experiments have failed countless times, and the outcomes are always within expectations.
I created a 'replica,' but the distance between it and that Emanator… is ultimately unreachable."
"It self-annihilated."
"Yes, exactly as calculated: 56 seconds, not a moment off."
"You didn't have to hide it from me."
"How should I explain it to you? I'm not good at communicating with people…"
Ruan Mei then launched into a long monologue, revealing that she had almost lost her human emotions.
Moreover, the lingering effects of the "anti-truth serum" would cause Stelle to gradually forget this shared experience in a slow, hazy process.
Stelle patted her chest. "No, I won't forget you."
"I know.
Screwllum will stay at the space station a bit longer; he and Herta still have unresolved matters. I'll be leaving soon, but I won't make a point of saying goodbye to everyone.
…
I hope we don't run into #4 Polka Kakamond; that could be quite troublesome.
If there's a chance, and if you're willing—when we meet again, we could travel to the 'No-Man's Land,' sailing across serene glaciers together."
[What can I say? Of the three geniuses, the mechanical one is the most human—kind of ironic.]
[Geniuses are like that: genius on the left, lunatic on the right, and us in the middle, the 'emperors.']
[????]
Ruan Mei focused on her experiment report as Cheese Lava Heart and Bean Paste Gray-Gray gathered at her feet.
She gave her creations a faint smile.
Cheese Lava Heart and Bean Paste Gray-Gray followed Ruan Mei as she left the room.
Meanwhile, Stelle, still at the space station, was tending to the shaomai spirit and Kitty Cake when her phone pinged.
Checking it, she saw a message from Ruan Mei asking about the creations.
After answering, Stelle asked a new question: "By the way, that plaster head guy—is he someone you know?"
Ruan Mei: "…"
She sent a Ruan Mei emoji with a giant question mark.
After witnessing Ruan Mei's departure, Stelle decided to report to Asta first, since she was the acting station chief.
However, when Stelle arrived at Asta's usual spot, she wasn't there.
Pondering for a moment, Stelle muttered, "Asta's not here… I'll go tell Herta then."
At that moment, her phone started buzzing with notifications.
Stelle half-opened her eyes, exasperated. "What group chat is this now?"
The screen showed an anonymous group chat interface called "Herta's Patrol Team."
Someone shared a video claiming that the great Lady Herta had been attacked and gone missing, followed by a staff member striking a "o7" pose.
After grasping the situation, Stelle rushed to the door of Herta's office.
She noticed that all of Herta's puppets in the space station were truly gone—even the one next to the Simulated Universe was missing when she entered the office!
Suddenly, Stelle let out an "Eh," and the screen went black.
[Huh? No way!]
[Why does this plot feel off?]
[I even exited to check, thinking I was watching 3D fan content.]
[Good people live safely! Share it, big shot!]
[+1]
[+1]
[+1]
[ … ]
[Good people live safely!]
The camera switched to Stelle's first-person perspective as she slowly opened her eyes, finding herself seated in an iron chair.
The screen was blurry, clearly indicating Stelle was still regaining consciousness.
A familiar voice reached her ears.
"Mr. Screwllum, this was a premeditated attack…"
"Conclusion: The enemy's target is the space station. But their methods… remain unknown."
The screen, like Stelle's eyes, blinked and gradually focused, becoming clearer.
Screwllum and Asta appeared in the frame.
"Correct. That's why we need her."
The camera panned left, revealing an elegant man approaching. A closer look confirmed he was the plaster head man.
But the barrage erupted with fervor again.
[It's Godfather! So cool, Godfather!]
[Godfather, take a seat!]
[This Godfather is just handsome.]
[Ohhh, listen to that powerful voice acting—Godfather's voice is so authentic!]
"The last person to see Herta's puppet before the attack was her."
Stelle blinked. "You're…?"
Asta spoke up. "This is the company's academic representative, Mr. Ratio from the Intelligentsia Guild."
"Since she's just regaining consciousness and her mind isn't clear, she needs…" Dr. Ratio put on the familiar plaster head, "a little prompting."
"We meet again. Remember me? Doesn't matter if you don't—I didn't expect you to."
Stelle looked at Dr. Ratio, then glanced at Screwllum and Asta in confusion.
Screwllum explained courteously, "Madam, you must have many questions. Be patient, and Asta will explain everything."
Asta: "You roughly know the situation. A few system hours ago, one of Lady Herta's puppets was attacked for unknown reasons, went missing, and its signal can't be traced."
"Where's Herta now?"
"Lady Herta didn't take it seriously and went off on an inspection tour."
Dr. Ratio took over, explaining the events leading up to the incident. To save time, he cut to the chase. "Madam, tell me—what did you do the last time you saw that puppet?"
Stelle pondered for a few seconds. "Walking Pepe with Arlan?"
Asta looked at Stelle in surprise. "What? Playing with Pepe without me?"
Stelle gave Asta a blank stare and sank back into thought.
"Thinking carefully, at that time, I was probably…"
The subsequent plot saw Stelle searching for her lost memories, using a montage technique to scramble the story.
Stelle recalled that Herta had tasked her with finding a certain oddity, so she sought Asta's help. But Asta knew little and suggested asking Sinkler from the species research department.
This led to a chain of events,
ultimately pointing to Adler. Stelle remembered he was with Arlan at the time.
The scene shifted,
Stelle watched as Arlan heatedly argued with a security staff member.
"What? He took Pepe to the scene alone?! How could you let him…" Arlan's eyes were full of urgency.
Security staff: "Big bro, don't worry, I know you're anxious."
"What are you guys doing?" Stelle shouted at them.
"I-I was walking the dog…"
"I-I was taking a stroll…"
Stelle was speechless. "Can you get your stories straight?"
Arlan: "I was walking the dog."
Security staff: "I'm the dog."
[Hahaha!]
[Another wild attempt?]
[Help!]
[I'm the dog! Hahaha.]
[I'm dying of laughter.]
[I hope miHoYo goes big next time.]
After some negotiation, Arlan, unable to keep hiding, took Stelle to find Adler.
On the way, Arlan revealed some information, hinting that the space station was enveloped in a peculiar incident, which he was actively handling.
Stelle pieced together the event by jumping between memory fragments.
She was searching for an energy lifeform similar to the Xianzhou Alliance's heliobi, and the space station was experiencing consecutive staff disappearances, each accompanied by spontaneous human combustion.
Back to the present,
Stelle vividly recounted everything she remembered to Dr. Ratio.
Dr. Ratio rubbed his forehead. "Thanks for that long, tedious narrative. You must be tired—I know I am.
So, your last meeting with Herta was in her office. You took on a commission to search for an oddity, running around without knowing anything else until Miss Asta contacted you.
If that's your claim, then it's my turn to ask: Can anyone corroborate this?"
"Herta?"
Screwllum answered for Stelle. "Logic: We can verify with Herta herself."
Dr. Ratio shook his head. "Sure, start running now, and you might catch the company's shuttle in four system hours. For now, no third party can vouch for her."
Screwllum continued courteously on Stelle's behalf. "Mr. Ratio, your questioning style tends to presume guilt."
Dr. Ratio turned, nodding slightly.
"My apologies, a bad habit. Those in academic research often find it hard to believe something. Questioning it is much easier.
In my experience, this is the most efficient approach: seeking answers with a skeptical mindset is still seeking, and it can lead us to the right destination.
If she's truly innocent, let her answers clear her name."
What followed was a rapid-fire Q&A between Dr. Ratio and Stelle. The usually not-so-bright Stelle displayed remarkable wit, making the audience wonder if she had a stunt double.
Though this segment seemed long and dull, viewers who rewatched would realize Dr. Ratio's good intentions.
Despite his seemingly cold questioning, he was guiding Stelle to find her own solutions.
After Stelle cleared her name, Dr. Ratio's demeanor softened. "If both incidents were caused by the same person, your suspicion would drop significantly. But that assumes the system has records supporting your claims."
Asta had a spark of inspiration. "Let's check the main control room. Let's go… wait, what's that noise?"
Stelle pulled out her phone, seeing a new video posted in the group chat:
A burning goat head, exuding immense pressure, muttering,
"The gods among the stars perish in alien ways, heedless of insignificant beings.
Only the wounded Sovereign, ordained to bathe the worlds in the fire of 'Destruction.'
There are always cowardly fools who dare to reject grace and flee the bestowed wounds.
Flee, keep fleeing—no matter where you escape, annihilation will come!"
"What's this?" Asta was shaken after watching the video.
Dr. Ratio: "A declaration of war, a notice of intent—you've been targeted. The Legion's aftermath hasn't settled, and the Annihilation Gang follows close behind. It seems the space station has a stronger affinity with the Path of Destruction than Erudition."
Screwllum turned his gaze from Dr. Ratio, explaining the goat head's origin.
"This 'Duke Inferno' hails from the extinct planet 'Tofet.' The ever-burning fire demon race sees Nanook as their emperor, calling him their Sovereign, yet they've never earned the Aeon's glance."
Dr. Ratio added, "A bunch of pitiful lunatics. I like the Primitive Doctor's assessment: 'The value Nanook sees in the so-called 'Annihilation Gang' is likely less than that of a child who deliberately breaks a vase.'"
To prevent the situation from escalating, Dr. Ratio called Stelle's name, urging her to follow.
Stelle pointed at herself. "Just me?"
"Who else? Let those two run around with 'space station in trouble' written on their faces?"
Soon after,
Dr. Ratio led Stelle to Arlan and successfully obtained a list of missing personnel.
He handed it to Stelle. "Take this, memorize the names, then find a well-connected friend and say you want to know how to contact these people."
"Huh? Got a lead? What's the plan?"
Dr. Ratio shook his head. "No idea. That depends on your friend."
Stelle opened her phone's interactive screen, scrolling through contacts, and chose a Himeko fangirl, sending her the list,
while also asking Dan Heng about the story of Duke Inferno.
Later, Dr. Ratio wanted to find the species research member most knowledgeable about oddities, but he too was missing. However, a colleague mentioned Adler's odd behavior and his mention of a "fragrance."
…
Finally, all the clues came together: the missing staff were vocal critics of management, and Duke Inferno's flames seemed to have phase-shifting abilities.
Dr. Ratio appeared to have pieced together the answer from these traces. Stelle followed him back to the containment segment to review the entire incident.
Asta sighed in relief upon seeing them return. "You're back. I had people monitor the dark web, barely containing the video's spread. The situation hasn't escalated further. How about you? Any results?"
Dr. Ratio sighed. "Not optimistic—or rather, it's terrible.
Time's short, so let's review the situation from the start. From the known information, we can identify three breakthroughs."