It took Bai Luan quite some effort to explain the ins and outs of his collaboration with Ruan Mei to Herta.
He hadn't intended to go into detail, but for some reason, Herta was insistent on prying into every single one.
The eyes that watched him through the Herta Puppet forced him to lay out every step of the process.
He had originally thought that halfway through, Herta would interrupt him with her classic, "Hm, hm, is that all? Just do what you think is best," and then leave, losing interest.
But this time, she listened with unusual attentiveness, even asking, "And then?" during his pauses.
This uncharacteristic patience surprised Bai Luan, yet he also felt a faint warmth.
No matter what, compared to the Herta who used to be indifferent to everything, the current her seemed more willing to treat him as a special case, giving him more attention.
This was, after all, a good thing.
Speaking of which, lately, the real Herta seemed to be evolving into the one in the Little Black Room.
Sure enough, Herta was Herta; her choices were always the same.
Not long after Ruan Mei left, Screwllum also prepared to depart the Space Station.
As the monarch of Planet Screw, he was already swamped with work, and his extended stay at the Space Station had accumulated too many state affairs that needed handling.
On the platform, Screwllum's spaceship was quietly docked, its streamlined body reflecting the platform's lights.
"Good times are always fleeting; we must bid a temporary farewell."
Screwllum turned at the cabin door, a soft glow radiating from his metallic face.
"Here, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to you, Bai Luan."
Screwllum's voice, as always, carried the unique rhythm of machinery:
"Logic: Our conversations were delightful mental tangos.
Your insights always cleared the fog for me, optimized my logic modules, provided crucial parameters for research topics, and brought about key progress.
Conclusion: This time spent with you at the Space Station is destined to become a warm and luminous memory in my long journey."
"Oh, no, no... In the end, I merely pointed the way; you were the one who walked the path."
Bai Luan waved his hands repeatedly.
Please, Screwllum.
Don't praise me anymore.
I already regret giving you so many suggestions.
Don't remind me that I did this.
I'm truly begging you.
Perhaps Bai Luan's inner prayers finally worked, as Screwllum did not continue the topic, merely performed an elegant farewell bow, and then boarded his spaceship.
Watching the spaceship slowly pull away from the platform, Bai Luan let out a long sigh of relief.
In his eyes, this scene was practically the settlement screen for a dungeon clear—the nightmare dungeon marked "SSSSSS" difficulty, where three geniuses gathered, had finally come to an end.
Although the clear rating wasn't high (by Bai Luan's standards), and the workload hadn't decreased, none of that mattered anymore.
What mattered was that this dungeon was finally over!
In the distance, Herta, observing everything through her Herta Puppet, inexplicably felt a sense of crisis.
To be honest, she once again felt a strong sense of being poached.
It seemed that if Bai Luan merely expressed a desire to be an assistant to another genius, whether it was Ruan Mei or Screwllum, they would gladly accept.
Perhaps next time Bai Luan saw off a genius, her main body should also make an appearance.
But speaking of which... if Ruan Mei and Screwllum invited him, would he agree?
Even if he did agree, she had plenty of ways to bring him back, but... she suddenly really wanted to know the answer.
"Bai Luan."
"What is it?"
"If you had encountered them first, instead of me, would you have become their assistant?"
"..."
Bai Luan thought for a moment and then came up with the answer.
"No, if I had met other geniuses, I definitely wouldn't have become the way I am now."
If he had met Screwllum first, that mechanical gentleman would probably have offered some humanitarian aid, sent him to a suitable planet for survival, and then parted ways.
After all, organic life forms found it difficult to stay long on mechanical planets.
Perhaps he would have had some opportunities later, but whether he could have become who he was today would be hard to say—not everywhere had such an excellent learning environment as Herta Space Station.
If it weren't for the company of Herta in the Little Black Room, he probably would have found it very difficult to endure those long hours of solitary cultivation, and his learning efficiency would certainly have been greatly reduced.
As for meeting Ruan Mei first... he would probably have been directly dissected and researched, right?
So, if he hadn't met Herta, he wouldn't know what he would have become.
Thinking this way, it truly was lucky that he had come this far.
"Looking back on my life, to meet you in the vast sea of stars, it really is... lucky."
Bai Luan looked at the Herta Puppet and said softly:
"Perhaps all the luck in my life was used up in this encounter."
Upon hearing this, the Herta Puppet's lips curved into a smile.
She slowly walked closer, looking up at Bai Luan, her puppet eyes gleaming with an undeniable light:
"I used to rarely interfere with your choices because I didn't think it was necessary, but now... you are not allowed to be anyone else's assistant."
Bai Luan lowered his head slightly, looking at the Herta Puppet, who rarely showed such an expression, and the corners of his mouth uncontrollably turned up.
"What kind of smile is that?"
The puppet frowned slightly.
Bai Luan tried to suppress his smile, but couldn't control it, so he simply let himself smile even more brightly:
"Nothing, I just think... Ms. Herta's appearance when she was little is so cute! (*¯︶¯*)"
"Is that so?"
The puppet elegantly brushed her hair.
"This little puppet only reproduces about seventy percent of this genius's appearance when she was little."
She looked at the assistant in front of her, who was smiling like an idiot, and a hint of slyness flashed in her amethyst-like eyes:
"However, it's enough to deal with you."
Bai Luan shrugged indifferently.
This statement truly had no impact on him.
Ha, they should really ask around the Space Station.
Everyone on the entire Space Station knew that Herta had a special attack against him, Bai Luan, right?
"..."
"So what exactly are you so proud of?"
I don't know either. (Hands on hips)
Anyway, he finally cleared the super-difficult dungeon.
This definitely called for a celebration.
It was time to find Stelle and film some abstract short videos to relax.
What should they film this time... A rendition of "love is like fire" would be good.
Bai Luan quickly sprang into action and found Stelle.
Stelle was currently introducing 882 to the charm of Cake Cats.
882 was surrounded by Cake Cats, wearing an expression of pure bliss.
Who, he wondered, had researched these little cats?
They felt so good to touch.
A mechanical life without petting an Cake Cat was incomplete.
It was a pity he couldn't take one back.
If only there were similar creatures on Beta Star, he'd discuss it with Xiu later to see if it could research them.
Watching 882's enjoying expression, Bai Luan nodded in satisfaction.
Indeed, entrusting this matter to Stelle was the right choice.
Bai Luan called Stelle over and then told her his idea.
"Uncle, you mean for this video, you plan to wear a special costume?"
"That's right."
"And that special costume mimics a creature called an Abyss Mage?"
"Correct."
"Hm, I understand. I only have one question."
Stelle looked at the empty-handed Bai Luan and asked:
"Where's the costume?"
"That's simple. Do you still have the badge I gave you before?"
"Still have it."
Stelle rummaged through her person, then found the badge and handed it to Bai Luan.
Bai Luan immediately upgraded the badge, then returned it to Stelle.
"Now, the nanobots inside it have mimetic capabilities."
As he spoke, with a "bang," Bai Luan transformed into a Hydro Abyss Mage, holding a staff in his hand.
"The effect is like this. How is it? Very real, isn't it? Look at this fur, this texture..."
Stelle stared at Bai Luan's transformed appearance, stunned for a moment, then looked at the badge in her hand.
A brilliant idea popped into her little head.
Then, with a "bang," a Belobog trash can, the same height as Stelle, appeared.
Bai Luan looked at the trash can that Stelle had turned into.
How should he put it? He felt completely unsurprised.
"Uncle..."
Stelle's barely suppressed excited voice came from inside the trash can.
"You are truly the greatest inventor in the entire universe!"
"If you want to, you can do the trash can twist later."
"Really, Uncle?"
"Yes, you can. It's for a video; just have fun."
"Uncle..."
Stelle's rather moved voice came from inside the trash can:
"Let's film abstract short videos for the rest of our lives."
Huh?
Together forever?
...