A high-pitched, affected voice came from behind Su Chen.
"Boss~"
Su Chen didn't even turn his head. He immediately quickened his pace.
"I didn't hear anything. I didn't hear anything!"
"Hey, Boss Su Chen, it's me!" The voice behind him grew more urgent, and the footsteps quickened as well.
"I didn't hear you! I didn't hear you!" Su Chen started sprinting.
"Wait up!"
As she spoke, Sparkle twisted her body in an eerie manner and rapidly crawled after him.
"Stop right there!" Sparkle finally caught up and grabbed the hem of Su Chen's pants. "Stop running already!"
Sparkle was panting heavily as she clung tightly to his trousers.
"For god's sake… Forget it, Director Sparkle. I'm really busy."
"Boss, I heard you're forming a team for the competition. Don't you need a gentle, cute, and easy-to-talk-to director?"
Su Chen glanced down at her. "No thanks. Bye."
"Wait, wait, wait! Let me join your team! It'll be like adding wings to a tiger, right? Please? Let me join!"
"No. I'm afraid the audience will kill me." Su Chen's steps were firm, as if he had made up his mind.
"Are you sure?" Sparkle stopped begging. "Don't you want to know Firefly's team lineup?"
Su Chen froze in place. "…Cough. On second thought, my team only has me right now. A team can have up to four people, so… you know, we still need to find more members before the competition starts."
"Hehe. Of course I have a way! First, we need a damage dealer!"
"A damage dealer?" Su Chen rubbed his chin. "Acheron? Feixiao? Jingliu?"
"How could they possibly have time?" Sparkle pulled out her phone. "Right now, Phainon doesn't have a team yet. If we can get him to join us, it would be perfect—eh?!"
Su Chen grabbed Sparkle's hand and started running at full speed.
"Don't worry. I'm his big brother. He'll definitely give me this much face!"
...
Not long after.
Su Chen brought Sparkle to Phainon.
Phainon was wearing his favorite yellow-and-purple outfit, smiling brightly. "Big bro, Director Sparkle, are you two hungry? Want some egg fried rice?"
Su Chen stared at him in disbelief. "Forget the rice. Third brother, I'm not trying to nag, but aren't you afraid Aglaea will kill you if you dress like that?"
"It's fine, she's been busy lately." Phainon pulled out a chair and sat down in front of Su Chen. "Big bro, about forming a team… I probably can't help you."
"Why not?!"
"Because I also want to participate in the competition. I have a wish I want to fulfill too."
"Pfft—" Sparkle couldn't hold back her laughter from the side.
"What are you laughing at?" Su Chen turned to glare at Sparkle. "Laugh again and I'll dye your hair white."
"Pfft— Sorry, sorry…" Sparkle desperately covered her mouth. "I'm his big brother, he'll definitely give me this much face!"
Su Chen's fists clenched and unclenched. "You…"
"Big bro." Phainon interrupted. "I really don't have time, but there are still plenty of people who do."
"Like who?"
"Mydei."
Su Chen suddenly understood. "Oh! I get it. You want to settle things with him on the competition stage?"
"Not really. I just think it would be a shame if he didn't participate in such an interesting event."
— —
Soon after.
Su Chen arrived at Mydei's apartment.
"Su Chen, Miss Sparkle, are you hungry? Should I make some dessert for you?"
Su Chen blinked and looked at Sparkle beside him. "Haven't I seen this scene somewhere before?"
Sparkle shrugged.
"I don't understand the tacit understanding between men. Anyway, Mydei? Want to join us?"
Mydei looked at the two of them. "Actually, I was thinking of using this chance to rest properly. My scenes are mostly finished anyway."
"Sigh… Alright then. We'll have to look for someone else." Sparkle sighed and winked at Su Chen. "Boss, who should we go find next?"
Su Chen immediately understood and rubbed his chin. "How about we go find Phainon?"
"Isn't he participating in the competition?"
"Wait, what?" Mydei's brows furrowed slightly. "Phainon is joining the competition?"
"Mm-hmm. Why?" Sparkle asked with feigned surprise. "Don't tell me you didn't know? And he didn't even invite you to join his team?"
Su Chen nodded seriously from the side. "Yeah, yeah. Phainon's team seems to be full already. Mydei, it looks like you've been forgotten?"
"HKS!" Mydei let out a heavy breath. "If that idiot is participating, then I'm participating too!"
Hearing this answer, Sparkle and Su Chen exchanged a glance and smiled.
"By the way, how many people are in our team now?" Mydei asked.
Su Chen replied, "Three right now. You, me, and Sparkle. We're still short one person."
"Who are we missing?"
"I was hoping to find another strategist. Hey, what about Teacher Anaxa?"
Sparkle quickly cut in. "That's definitely not happening. He's already joined the competition. Don't ask why—just know that Aglaea is also participating."
"Ugh…" Su Chen's face darkened. "Let me think… Jing Yuan's busy, Dan Heng is competing, Old Yang is developing games… Who else is there?"
Sparkle frantically winked at Su Chen. "Obviously, I'm the intelligent type."
"Alright, let me test you with three things. If you can remember them, I'll admit you're the intelligent type, okay?"
"Sure. There's nothing Flower Director can't remember."
"Listen carefully. Ball, national flag, tree. Remember them. I'll ask you later."
"Got it."
"1000 minus 7 equals?"
"993."
"Minus again."
"986."
"Minus again."
"979."
"Minus again…"
"972…"
...
Mydei, who was listening from the side, also began silently calculating in his head.
So just knowing how to do a few arithmetic problems counts as being intelligent? Isn't this too childish?
Su Chen suddenly stopped. "Do you still remember the three things from earlier?"
Sparkle blinked. "There was one about eating, right?"
"Sigh…" Su Chen patted Sparkle's shoulder. "Keep practicing. Let's go. Time to find our last member."
...
A long while later.
Su Chen, Sparkle, and Mydei sat in Himeko's coffee shop in despair.
Almost everyone else was either busy or already participating in the competition.
In the end, they couldn't even find a fourth person, let alone a strategist.
Su Chen rubbed his forehead. "Do we really have no choice but to go that far?"
Sparkle's expression was grave. "It seems we have no other option."
"But… is it really okay to let Skott join our team? I feel like you should've just called Hook instead," Mydei couldn't help but complain.
"There's no other way. We don't have anyone else."
However, at that moment, the wind chimes at the café entrance rang.
A figure they hadn't seen in a long time appeared before the three of them.
"I've only been gone for a year. How did Interactive City change so much?"
Su Chen looked toward the entrance following the voice.
He couldn't suppress the smile on his face.
"It's you? Little Herta!"