To Luo Hong's surprise, the first person to go [Online] tonight was Theresa.
"Mr. Luo Hong, there are things I wish to know. Can we meet?" Theresa, standing in the Lord's Office, spoke softly to the air. She knew her voice would reach him.
"I'm here." Luo Hong, who had just finished converting Qingque into a subordinate NPC in the bedroom, refreshed his status and teleported to the chair opposite Theresa. Back on the bed, the Qingque doll was still twitching, occasionally "performing" just like her boss. If Qingque were to go online at that moment, it would be a life-altering trauma. Luo Hong never went easy on the dolls.
"You aren't too busy, are you, Mr. Luo Hong?" Despite her petite stature, Theresa was an adult and tried to start with small talk.
"No need for formalities," Luo Hong said with a warm smile. "Speak your mind. I'm a man of leisure; I have nothing but time. If anything, it's my honor that you've come to keep me company."
"In that case, I'll be blunt." Theresa dropped the act. "Regarding my grandfather... Otto's abnormal behavior lately. I assume you've heard about it?" Since they were entering a trade, she used a more formal tone.
"Yes," Luo Hong nodded. "I heard from Cangxuan and Danzhu. His recent lack of action is indeed out of character. Based on what I know of him, he either was replaced or is planning something massive. Regardless, I've prepared a plan for the sisters. You can ask them." He wasn't going to sell the same solution twice.
"You're certainly fair, Lord." Theresa pressed further. "Then tell me: how can I sway Durandal and Rita to our side?" Those two were Otto's greatest generals. She had a chance with Rita, but Durandal seemed impossible.
"You know the price for this intel won't be low. Are you ready to pay?" Luo Hong's smirk grew more playful.
"Name it," Theresa said, meeting his gaze with absolute resolve. For the sake of defeating the Honkai, she would pay anything.
"Heh." Seeing her determination, Luo Hong said, "I have a game tonight. Participate, and I'll tell you."
"Regardless of winning or losing?" Theresa was surprised by the simplicity.
"If you still care about winning or losing by the end," Luo Hong replied cryptically. He didn't give her a chance to ask more before teleporting to the barracks. He realized Theresa had likely been coached on how to lead the conversation—probably by Himeko, her "external brain."
If he didn't cut the talk short, she probably would have brought up the events at the cafeteria!
He arrived at the barracks, ready to "level up" Himeko. Even if it was just the NPC version, he'd collect some interest. As for the game tonight, he still needed one more player. He pondered who to bring along as he "trained" Himeko.
After he left the Lord's Office—
"Tsk."
Theresa let out a soft click of her tongue. The calm composure she had maintained so well finally crumbled, replaced by a look of regret as her plan failed at the final step. She was so close—just one step away from using the events of that night in the cafeteria to turn her disadvantageous situation around.
Of course, she hadn't expected to use that incident to force Luo Hong into giving her the intel for free; she only hoped to use it as leverage to bar him from using such "underhanded" methods again. According to Himeko's analysis, if Luo Hong truly wanted to keep her in the dark, she never would have sensed anything strange that day. The fact that she did meant Luo Hong had left a trail on purpose.
Therefore, she could have used that opening to demand a "reward" or a concession. Otherwise, if Luo Hong continued to use that power, she would have no room to resist at all.
The only thing that gave her some peace of mind was that she had checked with Mei and confirmed that Mei hadn't been treated that way... Unfortunately, she hadn't run into Bronya yet. As for her own "losses," Theresa was quite open-minded about it; compared to the goal of defeating the Honkai, her personal dignity was a small price to pay.
Besides, whatever happened that night felt perfectly normal in her memory, with no sense of violation—except for that vivid impression of a "leg" that was both hard and soft at the same time.
In other words, she wasn't even 100% sure if Luo Hong had actually toyed with her. That was why she had approached him with such a cautious attitude.
"Tonight, I should finally be able to see your true colors." Though phrased as a thought, her tone was one of absolute certainty.
As Qingque had feared, tonight's match of Celestial Jade was anything but proper. Yet... it was unexpectedly fun!
"Tonight, we are playing 'Transparent' Celestial Jade."
Luo Hong shook the translucent tiles in his hand and smiled. "The system will inform you of the specific rules. I'll just explain the stakes regarding winning and losing."
"The ultimate winner can ask me one question. If you don't have a question now, you can save it for later."
"However, the loser of each round must remove one piece of clothing."
"And if I end up as the overall winner, you all must agree to one small favor for me. I promise it won't go as far as 'main event' (H-scene) territory."
Since all three women present knew his true nature, he spoke quite bluntly. After a pause, seeing all three nod in understanding, he continued: "During this process, I guarantee I won't use any form of cheating. Everything will be based on fairness. Now, let the game begin!"
He announced the start of the match with a grin. His opponents were: Qingque to his right (upper house), Theresa opposite him, and Bronya to his left (lower house).
The night that would later be known as the "Legendary Night" had officially begun!