"A toast to the founding of the MOTHs!"
"A toast to the founding of the MOTHs!"
At the lively banquet, the leading men in suits sat gathered together, raising their glasses and clinking them against one another.
This was a game for the ruling class. While a few among them genuinely wanted to fight for humanity, the majority were merely there to reap the benefits.
Whenever the world faced a global catastrophe, a certain group of people would always emerge as vested beneficiaries. There were no exceptions.
Just like the Honkai—in its initial stages, it was barely stronger than an infectious disease. That was why they were laughing so heartily.
In stark contrast to these fools was another table. Compared to the boisterous celebration nearby, the people at this table were noticeably more reserved.
The green-haired woman at the head of the table propped her head up lazily, a trace of ridicule and contempt flashing in her eyes as she listened to the grandstanding scholars beside her.
As the youngest person at the table, yet the one with the strongest scientific prowess and reputation, Mobius naturally had the capital to be proud.
She could see much further than anyone else, but she also had quite a few things weighing on her mind.
That 300-million-dollar investment from before—who had secretly donated it, and for what purpose?
"Ugh, what a hassle."
As the crimson liquor rolled down her throat, Mobius's nose suddenly twitched. A strange fragrance had drifted to her nostrils.
Is this... catnip?
Although she didn't have a habit of keeping cats, as a doctor of biology, she quickly identified the source of the scent.
Did someone here raise cats? Or was it a stray?
As Mobius pondered this, she suddenly felt a light tap on the back of her neck. She turned her head to look, only to find that there was nothing there.
Was it my imagination?
Mobius turned back around, but then she froze.
A note had appeared by her hand at some point. It read: 'Come to the first-floor restroom for a moment. -Your Mysterious Donor'
"Excuse me for a moment."
Mobius stood up, offered her apologies, and left her seat without a second glance.
Naturally, she wouldn't be foolish enough to go to the meeting alone. After calling over two burly bodyguards in black suits, she took the elevator and left the banquet.
However, what they didn't know was that the moment they left via the elevator, the entire top floor of the hotel had been sealed, transformed into an unbreakable prison.
At the elevator entrance, Fu Li's figure slowly materialized.
As long as Mobius wasn't here, he would have no scruples about dealing with the remaining people.
A cold, sinister liquid surged from all directions, like lurking vipers, surrounding the still-reveling crowd.
"The game... has begun."
---o---
[With Mobius and her associates lured away, you once again wiped out the entire MOTHs high command in one fell swoop.]
[You placed two layers of insurance on each high-ranking member—Venom and subcutaneous micro-explosives—thoroughly turning them into your pawns.]
[When Mobius returned, holding the hard drive Fu Li had left for her, she stared blankly at the chaotic hall, which looked as if it had just been robbed.]
[The brief moment of revelry was over. Every person who attended the banquet now wore a long face, having lost all energy for celebration.]
[The next day, you left the Mu Continent with Pardo.]
[In the following years, the world continued to be plagued by natural disasters as usual. The Herrscher of the Void, the Herrscher of Wind, and others brought countless calamities and suffering to humanity.]
[However, thanks to the future technology you left for Mobius, humanity's losses were significantly reduced, even though no Fusion Soldiers had yet appeared.]
[But this had little impact on Twilight Street. It was hardly a problem for the sanatorium or the cat cafe that you and Pardo ran together.]
[Aside from an increase in stray cats and homeless people, there were no other issues.]
[During this period, you founded Shencheng Pharmaceutical, with Anderson in charge of management and you providing the technology. The company quickly grew bigger and stronger.]
[You gained a better Twilight Street, and Anderson obtained the power and money he desired.]
[In your spare time outside of managing the company, you traveled the globe with Pardo in search of special items to activate your talent's special effect.]
[Like a phantom thief, you stole Herrscher Cores, research data, and precious gems, but you always returned them after confirming they were of no use to you.]
[During this time, under your influence, Pardo would occasionally sleep on a bed of US dollars.]
[To your regret, because Pardo and Aponia became familiar with each other, you were unable to witness the famous scene of Pardo fleeing in terror.]
[One day, Pardo sought you out again.]
"Li, wake up! How can you be sleeping at a time like this?"
In the afternoon, as the sun began to wane, Fu Li was resting on the sofa when a slightly dusty Pardo burst in and shook him awake.
"Hmm... What's wrong... Pardo?"
Fu Li opened his eyes and looked at Pardo with a sense of helplessness.
The Twilight Street of today was not what it used to be. The only people who could freely enter and exit the Shencheng Pharmaceutical headquarters without anyone daring to stop them were Pardo and Aponia.
As for the children from the sanatorium, they would all receive free treatment with the Anti-Honkai Agent.
"It's like this." Although Pardo was covered in dust, her eyes were bright with excitement. "I saw it with my own eyes! Aponia brought a white-haired man wearing a strange mask back to the sanatorium."
Although Pardo didn't know why she was so happy about it, her first instinct was to share this news with Fu Li.
"White-haired? A man wearing a strange mask? Did he seem a bit... frosty?"
"That's right, he looked very cold! Li, how did you know?"
Pardo tilted her head, completely baffled.
Meanwhile, an image began to form in Fu Li's mind, starting from Kalpas's shapely rear and gradually sketching out the man's暴躁 but tsundere personality.
Without a doubt, the white-haired man Pardo was talking about was Kalpas.
"It's nothing. I know that man too. His name is Kalpas. He has a bad temper, but he's a good person."
After a moment of thought, Fu Li added, "But don't go out of your way to provoke him. His temper really is excessively tsundere."
"Tsundere? Excessively?" Pardo tilted her head again. She really had no idea what that man's personality was like.
"That's right." Fu Li nodded and, no longer feeling sleepy, sat up from the sofa.
Ever since arriving in this world, he hadn't had much to do.
Being with Pardo, he had somehow learned the art of slacking off. Aside from developing his forces a little, he had barely interfered with the matters of the first few Herrschers.
Now that Kalpas had arrived, it was only right and proper that he go and meet him.
"Pardo, let's go get ready. We're all friends here, it's good to get acquainted."
"Huh? Okay, I get it, meow."
Pardo never argued with Fu Li's suggestions, so she immediately nodded in agreement.