Chapter 40: Jarilo-VI Is Ours—Corporate Showdown for Business Domination!
"Himeko!"
"Himeko!!"
"Himeko!!!"
"What's going on with this video you sent us?"
"Why are my character, Dan Heng's, and Stelle's featured in it?!"
"Is this some kind of game?!"
"How is our battle against Cocolia part of its content?!" March 7th exclaimed, her agitation evident as she bombarded the group chat "Astral Express Family" with over a dozen messages tagging Himeko.
Finally, Himeko replied, "Yes, it is a game."
"The game is called Honkai: Star Rail."
"For more details, let's wait until you return to the train. Welt and I will explain everything then."
After reading Himeko's message, March 7th sighed in relief. At least now she knew Himeko was aware of what was going on.
Dan Heng asked hesitantly, "Should we stay here longer?"
"Stay for what?! This game is all I can think about right now. Until I figure it out, I won't even be able to eat lunch," March 7th snapped.
"Hurry up! Come back with me to the train!"
With that, March 7th grabbed Dan Heng and Stelle by their arms and rushed them toward the designated coordinates.
Meanwhile, on the Starpeace Network, discussions about Honkai: Star Rail exploded across the web following Guinaifen's live stream of the climactic battle against Cocolia! A dedicated forum section sprang up overnight, buzzing with player reactions.
"I had no idea turn-based combat could feel so intense!"
"At first, I thought it was just another standard boss fight, but the story twists kept coming! When Cocolia's final scream synced perfectly with the music, I got goosebumps—it felt like fireworks going off in my brain!"
"This morning, I watched the entire event live during Little Gui's stream. It started cloudy outside, but as the music crescendoed, sunlight broke through the clouds and lit up my room. For a moment, I felt like I'd been chosen by an Aeon!"
"In that instant, I truly believed I was the villain!"
"To Cocolia, the Astral Express Crew really does seem like the bad guys! The Stellaron offers one path forward, while the Astral Express presents another. But their sudden appearance makes them untrustworthy; Cocolia prefers what she can see—the promise of a new world!"
"Cocolia may come off as a major antagonist, but after carefully following the story, I don't think she's pure evil. She genuinely wants Belobog to enter the new world and for Bronya to become its mother. Initially, she didn't blindly trust the Stellaron—she simply had no other choice. With Belobog facing certain doom, she had to rely on the Stellaron."
"The Stellaron has immense power. Even if she were deceived, the outcome likely wouldn't change much. So, despite the arrival of the Astral Express Crew, she couldn't risk betting on these unfamiliar outsiders to save them. If she lost that gamble, the only chance for entering the new world would vanish completely. Her decision wasn't easy, but the Stellaron seemed likely her only option."
"...Wait, do you guys progress through the plot so quickly?"
"True Arcana Friends play the game themselves and follow Little Gui's streams for extra story progression."
Suddenly, Star Rail and Jarilo-VI became the hottest topics online. This pristine white planet, which might have otherwise faded into obscurity with barely a mention in interstellar news, had now unfolded into a poignant epic tale under the collective gaze of the internet.
In the Talent Exchange Group of the Interastral Peace Corporation—a chat usually dominated by high-ranking executives who rarely spoke due to their busy schedules, each focused on advancing the company's vision in their own way—an unexpected flurry of activity erupted today! Messages flooded the group chat nonstop. Blinking away from your screen for even a second resulted in over 99 unread notifications.
"Jarilo-VI was originally our department's responsibility!"
"We registered transactions with Belobog during the Star Core Crisis!"
"But because Belobog was engulfed by cold weather and lost contact with the outside world, management wrote those transactions off as bad debts!"
"Now that Belobog has continued as an independent political entity, naturally, any subsequent dealings should fall under our department's jurisdiction!"
Almost immediately, Topaz from the Strategic Investment Department chimed in:
"Heh, you're referring to events from the Amber Era."
"Those transactions with Belobog have long since turned into abnormal debts."
"Handling and recovering such debts falls squarely within the scope of work for our Special Debt Enforcement Team—something everyone in the company knows well."
"I've already consulted with my superiors and submitted a preliminary plan for debt collection. Isn't it a bit too late for you to jump in now and try to claim this business?"
"You…" The head of the opposing department tried to argue further, but before things escalated, a higher-ranking official stepped in to mediate the brewing dispute.
"All right, isn't arguing like this in the company group beneath your dignity? Each of you here is a valued talent of the company. Must we resolve the allocation of work through quarrels?"
"Look at how heated your exchanges have become—you're practically behaving like stock traders shouting at each other on the trading floor."
"We all understand that Jarilo-VI is destined to become a hot commodity in the universe, with immense potential for both tourism and commerce. I trust you all share this foresight."
"However, rules govern our company, and indeed, this assignment rightfully belongs to the Topaz Group."
Topaz responded promptly, demonstrating their readiness: "Mission guaranteed, rest assured, leaders!"