Bai Luan politely declined Stelle's kind offer to teach him, causing Stelle to miss this opportunity to showcase her inventory of cold jokes.
It turns out that one bad joke teller at the bar is enough.
Clearly, what's missing here isn't someone to tell bad jokes, but a professional straight man.
Bai Luan felt confident he could handle this position.
Soon, the bar welcomed its first customer—Herta, accompanied by a Herta Puppet.
Bai Luan noticed the familiar camera in the Herta Puppet's hand.
It feels like ever since this Herta Puppet was accidentally created, Herta likes to take her everywhere she goes?
Herta keenly caught Bai Luan's gaze and spoke:
"What? Surprised I take her everywhere with me?"
Bai Luan nodded.
"Because she's smart, smarter than all the other puppets. You know, I always like the unexpected."
"Ms. Herta has a discerning eye. (Click) Ms. Herta knows how to use people well. (Click)"
The Herta Puppet mechanically praised, not forgetting to press the shutter, making her compliments sound especially perfunctory.
Bai Luan cooperatively picked up the bartending tools on the counter, striking various cool poses of a professional bartender.
The Herta Puppet cast an approving glance at him—he really understands me.
Stelle used this moment to look at Herta, asking curiously:
"Ms. Herta, why are you here?"
Herta shrugged, her tone profound:
"The weight of some answers is more than a seeker of knowledge can bear. All you need to know is 'I am already here.'"
Despite being busy with photography, the Herta Puppet's underlying praise code was still running.
She immediately interjected:
"To describe loitering (Click) so gracefully (Click) Ms. Herta (Click) is truly exceptionally wise. (Click)(Click)(Click)"
Of course, if all those clicks in the background could be removed, these words would sound much more sincere.
Stelle looked at the constantly photographing Herta Puppet with a strange expression, unable to help but exclaim:
"This Herta Puppet... is truly special."
Herta agreed, saying:
"Other puppets have their personality mapping modules overly fitted, like echo bugs.
Only she, when the module runs, it's like she's being forced to work."
Stelle curiously ask:
"Then why not turn off the personality mapping module, or modify her program?"
"Why turn it off? Why change it? Isn't it quite interesting the way it is now?"
Herta retorted, a playful smile on her lips.
"Look, no matter how much she wants to do other things, her mouth still has to follow the code. Isn't it fun to watch her being forced to work?"
But soon, Herta ended the topic and turned to Stelle, asking:
"Let me guess, you're tinkering with something new again."
"Recently, I discovered a batch of special cocktail recipes that produce some wonderful effects after drinking them."
"Oh? Sounds fun."
"Ms. Herta, would you like to test a recipe? We're currently seeking customers for experiments, these recipes have very magical effects."
Stelle flipped through the recipes in her hand, pointing to one and saying:
"For example, this one is said to allow personality growth and reversal."
"Personality growth?"
Herta glanced at the Herta Puppet, who was completely engrossed in the art of photography, and felt that her personality had already grown ridiculously.
But... having reached this point, what would she become if she grew even more?
Breaking the Herta Puppet's limits?
What would that be like?
A hint of curiosity arose in her heart, so she spoke, stopping the Herta Puppet's photography:
"You stop for a moment."
Then she looked at Bai Luan.
"You stop too, don't indulge her."
"Alrighty then~"
Bai Luan smiled and stopped posing, and the Herta Puppet obediently put down her camera.
"Give her one of your special concoctions, consider it patronizing your business."
Stelle smiled and nodded:
"Thanks for your patronage."
Then she began to mix the Personality Growth Special Concoction for the Herta Puppet.
Soon, a clear, cool special concoction, predominantly light blue-purple, was completed, garnished with a slice of bright yellow lemon on the rim.
Stelle pushed the special drink forward and said with a smile:
"Please enjoy."
Immediately after, she added a joke:
"Question: Why was the Herta Space Station, guarded by a bunch of Herta Puppets, safe and sound after being invaded?
Answer: Because at that time, the Space Station had a bunch of 'Defense Towers.'"
She explained seriously:
"Do you understand? Herta Puppets in defensive mode are abbreviated as 'Defense Towers,' which has a double meaning and is hilarious."
Bai Luan interjected from the side:
"It's clear that this excellent bartender has recently been obsessed with MOBA games."
Herta Puppet: ...
Herta sighed:
"No wonder you two often play together?"
Stelle continued to explain:
"Drinking this special concoction allows the drinker to grow into the person they subconsciously desire to be."
"That's a pretty interesting effect," Herta said with her arms crossed, her tone confident.
"However, the answer is obvious. Who else could the Herta Puppet want to become besides me, Herta? I'm afraid in the end there will be two of me staring at each other."
The Herta Puppet picked up the glass and took a small sip, and a puff of smoke immediately billowed around her.
When the smoke dissipated, she had indeed transformed into Herta's likeness—aside from the camera hanging on her, she was almost identical to the original.
Herta looked at Stelle, her face saying, "See, everything is as I expected."
Bai Luan, however, stroked his chin and observed carefully, always feeling that something was off about this "Herta."
Even without the camera, he could tell at a glance who was the original and who was the puppet.
His gaze finally fell on the other party's chest, and he suddenly understood—
It turned out the Herta Puppet had... Herta keenly noticed Bai Luan's gaze, followed it, and instantly understood what kind of "micro-adjustment" the Herta Puppet had made.
She narrowed her eyes, a dangerous aura spreading:
"Where are you looking?"
Herta enter scolding mode.
While he was being scolded, the Herta Puppet beside him revealed a triumphant smile.
Although the transformation effect only lasted for one minute, she won that minute.
Herta noticed this smile, so the scolded became two (and they were scolded separately).
Bai Luan was a bit depressed.
He just keenly noticed something was off, what was wrong with that?
Why was I the one suffering?
One minute later, the Herta Puppet returned to her original form, but more than half of the special drink remained in the cup.
Adhering to the principle of not wasting, she drank the remaining special concoction.
Another puff of smoke exploded.
When the smoke dissipated, Bai Luan was stunned—
He saw Herta wearing a pure white wedding dress.
???
Almost instantly, he was hit into a Super Break state by this image.
The Herta Puppet's eyes immediately lit up, and she picked up the camera and started snapping wildly, the shutter sounds as dense as firecrackers.
Bai Luan endured the negative buff of "Super Break" and spoke with difficulty:
"Wait... don't take pictures yet..."
But the Herta Puppet didn't listen at all; she was pressing the shutter so hard it was almost sparking.
Every click of the camera intensified Bai Luan's embarrassment, thereby extending the duration of the Super Break.
No!
Why am I the one suffering again!