Chapter 164: The Most Shameless Q&A Game!
If it turned out to be Aventurine who met his end, that would be a relief for fans.
Though attractive, the groundwork laid by the story had left Aventurine with a poor reputation online.
However, not long after, someone posted a screenshot on Witter.
It captured the moment when the Stelle turned back atop the building, and the figure behind her faded away.
The screenshot froze the figure halfway through their disappearance. Judging by the attire and silhouette, the fading figure seemed to be Firefly!
------------------------
Although Firefly debuted unexpectedly, its popularity remains quite high.
Especially the scene where Stelle took a photo.
It made the audience feel deeply moved.
Currently, the responses under this post are quite intense.
...
: I'm shocked. The previous MV was all covered up, but wow, now things are outright heating up."
: Out of so many people, why does everyone keep staring at Firefly's blade?"
: Damn, my emotions are in chaos!"
: But no worries, I don't believe MiHoYo would go that far to cut us down."
...
Interestingly, those worried and fearful comments only take up a small portion.
More than that, the fans have already started "going wild."
...
: Hmph, MiHoYo underestimated us. After being tempered by the Xianzhou arc, ordinary knives can't cut through us anymore."
: Baiheng and Tingyun managed to affect us because their story arcs were so lengthy. But Penacony is different."
: Exactly, with so many characters in Penacony, there's no way they can properly develop them all. A random emotional blow? Meh, no big deal."
: With all these new characters dropping in, if I shed a single tear, I'll admit defeat!"
: I just want to see Penacony bathed in rivers of blood!"
: Xia Wen's knives are no longer effective. We fans have long upgraded to new gear—hearts of stone."
: We fans grow stronger too. (Cool sunglasses emoji)"
...
The audiences' words are brimming with confidence.
On MiHoYo's official website, cool emojis with sunglasses are everywhere.
The skies are clear, the rain has stopped, and the lovely audience feel invincible again.
Just MiHoYo?
That's nothing.
While the internet is abuzz with high expectations for Penacony…
The next day.
At MiHoYo's company, in the new set, the Penacony related staff were engrossed in intense filming.
Due to the heavy workload, Xia Wen and Furina have been shooting nearly eight hours a day.
If it weren't for Xia Wen keeping things in check…
The team might even voluntarily work overtime.
But there's no need for that.
Finally, the same day evening, everyone wrapped up filming and took a short break.
"Ahem, I think we could reshoot that last scene," Robin said nervously, following behind her brother.
"My lines had some issues."
"Don't worry too much, Robin," Sunday gently comforted his sister.
"We'll reshoot that part tomorrow."
They had just filmed a scene where Sunday revealed the truth, and Robin reacted to it.
Perhaps because the whole scene was under Xia Wen's watchful eyes, Robin was overly nervous and eager to deliver her best performance.
But the more she cared, the more prone she was to mistakes.
This left her quite troubled.
"Mm… I'm just afraid of holding everyone back. I'm not very good at acting," Robin said shyly.
"But thankfully, the boss is really kind. Even after so many NGs, he didn't get mad at me."
At that moment, Xia Wen's voice came through the loudspeaker.
"Everyone, take a short break. Tonight, we'll try out a new game together."
"I'll be playing along with everyone as well. Filming has been exhausting lately, so let's have some fun and relax."
Hearing Xia Wen's announcement, Robin's eyes lit up, and her mood immediately improved.
"A new game? I'm so excited!" Turning to her brother, Robin said with a hint of excitement, "I'm heading to the game room first. I'm not very good at games, and if the spots near the boss get taken, I'll be really disappointed."
"Alright, go ahead," Sunday nodded.
He watched his sister leave happily.
"This girl… She's already developed strong feelings for the boss."
"But with her personality, she likely won't express it outright."
With his hands behind his back, Sunday's eyes gleamed with thoughtfulness.
He usually only focuses on the tasks assigned by Xia Wen, but noticing the change in his sister…
He resolved to prevent any unpleasant situations between his sister and Xia Wen.
"When the time comes, I'll have to give my sister a little help from behind the scenes. Otherwise, nothing might happen even by next year."
"Besides, there are plenty of other girls around the boss who like him. If we leave it to him to choose, Robin will need an extra edge."
Sunday's mind concocted an elaborate palace intrigue drama.
Although he's talented in managing organizations, he's clueless when it comes to matters of the heart.
So, he applied his management thinking to the issue.
As a result, he decided, he would work even harder, ensuring that when the boss makes a choice, he'll see Robin standing there with a capable brother behind her.
This would increase Robin's chances.
At the same time, in his eyes, the greatest threat to his sister within MiHoYo is Kamisato Ayaka from the Kamisato family.
Although no works have been filmed yet, with the boss's personality, he will surely start a new drama in the future, and the opportunities for Ayaka will naturally increase.
Moreover, the Kamisato family is a prestigious clan.
If one were to choose a spouse for the boss, from Sunday's perspective, Kamisato Ayaka would undoubtedly be an excellent choice.
What's even more worrying is that Kamisato Ayato, the current head of the Kamisato family, has gained exclusive copyrights for some Honkai-related projects and he has been managing them with great success.
The commercial performance has been quite impressive.
This was the result of Sunday's involvement in company management.
Therefore, he is a formidable rival!
'But to surpass all this in the boss's eyes, I need to work harder and showcase even greater abilities to help my sister gain an advantage. Kamisato family…' Sunday thought about this name as he strode into the company's public management department.
He was ready to work overtime.
On the other side, in the Kamisato family residence far away,
Kamisato Ayato was on the phone with his sister.
After starting a secret relationship with Xia Wen and discussing it with his 'parent figure' Ningguang, Ayaka had shared the news with her brother.
Regarding his sister's choice, Ayato was respectful and gave his blessing, letting out a sigh of relief.
The name MiHoYo is now widely recognized, and the Kamisato family, through Ayaka's efforts, secured exclusive rights and regained a stable foothold.
It's clear that they will ride the MiHoYo wave to return to the Kamisato family's most glorious times, perhaps even surpassing them!
Ayato, who dearly loves his sister Ayaka, did not wish for her to be involved in any arranged marriages or such matters.
Now that she has found someone she genuinely loves and who is also so capable, it's the best outcome.
"Alright, Ayaka, focus on your work over there. When matters here are mostly settled, I'll personally bring gifts to visit Xia Wen and Ningguang in person."
Holding the phone, Ayato gently reminded her.
After finishing the call, he took a sip of milk tea and casually asked, "By the way, is there anything interesting happening at your company that you can share with me?"
"Interesting things?" Ayaka sounded puzzled over the phone.
"For example, stories about your friends or the boss's friends. Of course, private matters can remain private."
After Ayato's clarification, Ayaka began to share tidbits about MiHoYo's affairs with her brother.
From the dynamics within the company to amusing incidents during filming, as well as her interactions with Xia Wen, she rambled on for over ten minutes.
During this time, Ayato listened patiently. These seemingly fragmented details allowed him to glean quite a bit of information.
When he heard about a pair of siblings named Sunday and Robin, Ayato's expression remained unchanged.
In a way, the two families were somewhat similar—both involved a pair of siblings who caught Xia Wen's eye and soared to prominence.
However, when Ayaka casually mentioned Sunday helping the company successfully host a museum event, and gaining Xia Wen's favor to start participating in company decisions, Ayato's expression subtly changed.
"Seeing Robin and her brother thrive, I truly feel happy, just like our family,"
Ayaka sincerely said on the other end of the phone.
This naive little sister…
Ayato shook his head. Ayaka could afford to be kind and pure, but he couldn't.
From the description, this Sunday is a genius!
With a terrifying ability for project management—managing a museum event involving tens of thousands of people without any hitch.
Such talent would shine anywhere.
And MiHoYo's boss, Xia Wen, surely wouldn't overlook it.
It won't be long before Sunday becomes one of the boss's closest confidants, and Robin will naturally be brought along as well.
As the head of a family, Ayato deeply understands the implications of such matters.
Until Xia Wen and Ningguang finalize their choice, anything is possible.
"Alright, Ayaka, let's stop here. Didn't you say you were going to try out a new game?"
"Take a good rest."
After gathering enough information, Ayato ended the call.
His eyes grew deep and contemplative.
"It's not enough; the commercial plans here in Sakura must be expedited. Produce outstanding results, then bring gifts and pay a visit in person."
Thinking of this, Ayato glanced at the milk tea beside him and suddenly lost his appetite.
Siblings aren't scary, and geniuses aren't scary. What's scary is when a brother sets his sights on a goal and begins to take action.
Once there's a clear target, anything can happen.
Ayato originally planned to take a day off.
But now, it seems there's no chance for rest.
"Sunday." With this name in mind, Ayato left home with a heavy expression, carrying a case from the public storage unit.
He had to work. He had to work overtime!
At this moment, two peculiar people who would do anything for their sisters were determined and collided in an invisible way.
But no matter what, the final decision always rests in Xia Wen's hands.
...
"I want them all!" In the game room, Xia Wen's voice sounded.
"Wow, the boss is amazing!"
"The boss is the best!"
The people clapped enthusiastically from the side.
Dan Heng, drenched in sweat, looked at the pool table.
It was already cleared.
Xia Wen had cleared the table in one shot.
Even some people who didn't really understand billiards rules were gasping in amazement.
"How about that?" Xia Wen wiped his cue stick and smiled, raising an eyebrow at Dan Heng.
Even he hadn't expected his hand to be so good today.
"Impressive, I still need to practice more," Dan Heng shook his head, fully admitting defeat.
Xia Wen didn't say more.
After setting down the stick, he checked the time.
There were only a few minutes left until the launch of his designed game.
"Almost time, everyone should be here, right?"
"You can open your phones and check the game on the official website now. I've hidden quite a few Easter eggs in it."
"Hooray, we can finally play the game!"
With that, March 7th and Stelle were the most excited.
They had heard that this game had deep connections to the Trailblaze.
…
Everyone eagerly moved to the lounge nearby, forming small groups, taking out their phones, and preparing to wait.
Xia Wen also sat down, took out his phone, and clicked into the official website.
On the left side of the page, a new column for interstellar travel had appeared.
Inside, there was a rich array of content on the webpage.
Aside from the gaming section, there was also a "Trailblaze Fuel Value" system.
It was divided into global and personal contributions.
Each person could contribute up to several million points.
Meanwhile, the global total was an astronomical figure—just reading it aloud made March 7th's eyes sparkle with stars.
Whether it's individual or global contribution, once reaching a certain level, global fans will leap with enthusiasm.
A few minutes passed.
The game officially launched.
Xia Wen clicked in with a sense of nostalgia. The layout and UI inside were exactly the same as when the game was initially played.
The only difference was that the grid-walking characters had changed.
This was because, apart from its official website, MiHoYo also operated a meme-like site, which was the official site of the Interastral Peace Corporation.
The tickets given to fans back then were made through this website.
After Jade, Aventurine and Topaz joined them, Xia Wen planned to hand this website over to them to manage properly.
But for now, it could only feature characters created within Honkai: Star Rail.
The in-game avatars were simulated based on each fan's ticket.
Moreover, everyone in the game's universe had already become a flourishing trailblazer.
From this point on, no matter the type of fan, their choices and results in the game would represent their interpretation of exploration.
At this moment, on the phone screen, Xia Wen's cute little avatar was adorably waiting inside.
Clicking, the small character began to act.
Buying land, collecting money, and encountering different events.
The gameplay experience was incredibly smooth.
Before Xia Wen could take a few steps.
Laughter erupted nearby.
It seemed others were progressing faster than him.
"Hahaha, what is this? This is so funny." March 7th, Stelle, and Silver Wolf were hanging out together.
On March 7th's phone screen, due to her rapid progress, a grand event had already been triggered.
"Exploration Preference Test. Your friend Old Sampo has been arrested by the Silvermane Guards, but you clearly know he's been framed."
"The Silvermane Guards caught the wrong person, and it's up to you to help him. What will you choose?"
"1: File an appeal immediately; the sooner, the better."
"2: Demand the Silvermane Guards give you some respect."
Seeing these two options, the girls burst into laughter.
"Of course, choose option 1!"
Stelle joined in the commotion, March 7th laughed along with Stelle, but in the end, she went with her instincts.
"Hmph, I'll make the Silvermane Guards give me some respect!"
March 7th clicked on option 2.
After clicking, they noticed that each option displayed the percentage of global players who chose it.
At that moment, among all the global 'trailblazers' encountering this question, 70% had chosen to help him.
"This shows that most people in the world are good-hearted." March 7th chuckled and teased.
Meanwhile, Stelle laughed while calling out to Sampo nearby, "Sampo, which one did you pick?"
"Me? With my character as Old Sampo, of course, it was option 1." Sampo answered laughed heartily.
The lounge was instantly filled with joyful laughter.
Just as everyone had enough laughter and was about to continue the game, the second question popped up.
"A mining area occupied by vagrants was found during lower-zone development. Wildfire knows they've hindered the surrounding towns' growth."
"But the vagrants also have their rights. What will you choose?"
"1: Ask both sides to give me some respect and have a chat."
"2: What bandits? I'm the only bandit here!"
Seemingly anticipating everyone's reaction, a note was thoughtfully added below.
Regardless of the choice, it would still be a decision made as the Trailblazer.
Very reasonable.