Eden's first tour in the Mu Continent had ended, and the video clips of her performance were released, receiving a lot of praise. Among them, the most highly praised was the 30-second power outage segment from "The Death of the Sleeping King."
Even the most critical critics believed that those thirty seconds of blackout directly elevated the artistic realm of "The Death of the Sleeping King," even enhancing the value of the entire concert.
Praise began to flood in, even surpassing the astonishment of the company behind Eden.
They did not need to amplify Eden's praise, as she already had countless fans. But this time, the speed at which the praise broke through the fan circle was beyond description.
Although no one from the academic community had come forward to express their opinions, Eden's premiere in the Mu Continent had already been an unexpected success.
"So, is your behavior of boosting Eden's ratings really okay?"
In the hotel where the two were temporarily staying, Chen Ran watched Vill-V tirelessly giving Eden good reviews, even directly creating a 'trojan horse' for boosting reviews, which left him both amused and exasperated.
He had also gained computer skills through the system, but he hadn't made it so 'down to earth.'
Vill-V said nonchalantly: "No matter how good something is, it needs time to ferment. You said it yourself, our time is limited."
"So, why not do things that can save time?"
The behavior of using fake reviews was clearly against the fairness of the world.
But what did that have to do with Vill-V?
Chen Ran shook his head helplessly.
At this moment, he was also holding a computer, using his computer knowledge.
However, unlike Vill-V's fake review behavior, he was in contact with Eden.
The girl had already adjusted the hellishly difficult task to a simple level; if he couldn't complete it, Chen Ran would feel too ashamed to stay in Fire Moth.
At the same time.
In the hotel, Eden was still listening to her manager's incessant chatter.
"Very good, you did great, Eden."
"The accident on stage was unexpected, yet you turned it into an opportunity; even I envy such talent."
"Now everyone outside is praising you, and the company will give you more resources. Eden, your future will shine like a beacon."
However, the praised Eden had no intention of responding.
She seemed to treat her manager as if they didn't exist, quietly listening to the segments of her performance.
At this moment, she was listening to this part of her own performance.
The singer was so immersed that she didn't even notice when the manager exited.
She didn't know how long she had been listening when she reluctantly put down her headphones and looked at the flickering screen.
A strange message was vibrating.
"I am the partner of the drone's owner; can we meet?"
...
...
Arranging to meet Eden was easier than expected.
On the third day of their arrival in the Mu Continent, they met Eden at a restaurant.
The restaurant was resplendent, and when Chen Ran and Vill-V arrived, they were led to the top floor by the waiter.
"This is my property."
The first words of the wealthy patron nearly stunned Chen Ran.
Although he knew that as the owner of the Golden Courtyard, Eden was very wealthy.
He didn't expect Eden to be this rich.
Just judging by the geographical location, this restaurant was worth no less than a billion.
He recalled the information he had previously investigated through Durandal and smiled slightly: "They say Miss Eden is not only a performer but also a savvy economist. No, even economists can make mistakes, and your investment talent is something even specialized scholars admire."
Simply relying on singing could not create a Golden Courtyard that even Fire Moth would marvel at.
This was not to belittle art, but rather the value humanity places on art is just that much.
In fact, she had to earn exorbitant amounts of money every day to support her queen-like expenses.
This was also why Chen Ran and Vill-V sought out Eden.
This wealthy patron was incredibly rich.
Chen Ran even suspected that the reason Eden could join Fire Moth in the end was simply because she was rich.
As long as there was wealth that could catch Fire Moth's attention, joining Fire Moth was naturally a matter of course.
But even with such immense wealth, what people remembered most about Eden was her pursuit of art.
Only art remains unchanged through the ages.
In response to Chen Ran's praise, Eden replied gently: "It's just some trivial matters."
This time, Vill-V had no intention of speaking; she handed over the rhythm of the negotiation entirely to Chen Ran.
Chen Ran smiled and said, "To be honest, we are here for your money."
"Alright, how much do you need?"
Eden asked: "One hundred million? One billion? One hundred billion?"
Chen Ran: "..."
"Although I had imagined a hundred ways to communicate with you, I didn't expect you to respond like this."
He suspected Eden might also be a bit neurotic.
Oh, to become a genius, not being neurotic would be the exception.
He sighed: "Aren't you going to ask what the money is for?"
"Does it matter?" Her eyes revealed a look of enchantment: "Those thirty seconds that day are worth a fortune."
Chen Ran: "..."
Then, his account received an income he could never have imagined.
"Vill-V, we have money now; we can buy Soulium!"
Vill-V rolled her eyes: "Over-the-top acting."
——
The wealthy patron Eden's generosity saved Chen Ran and Vill-V a lot of effort. When Chen Ran and Vill-V returned to Fire Moth, they began a massive shopping spree, spending money like water.
They didn't care at all about the money the investors had just put in.
Eden might have sensed the special status of the two and did not actively inquire about their identities, not even asking for their names.
It seemed that for her, this money was merely a trade for that thirty seconds of performance that night.
This was also a good thing for Chen Ran.
Now, the vast majority of people had sensed the disaster brought by Honkai, but they still didn't know about its existence. Even someone of Eden's high status, such as a singer, only joined Fire Moth after witnessing the great fire in Australia.
Chen Ran naturally wouldn't tell Eden about Honkai right now.
However, if they needed to continue raising funds later, he might reveal some information.
After the money issue was resolved.
He had another piece of good news.
[Ding, the maintenance of the anti-Honkai armed system No. 666 was successful.]
[This maintenance added some special functions; please check, host.]
[Due to Wendy retaining the memory of the simulation process in the Wind Color Scroll, which caused a disruption in the fate of the previous and subsequent simulation scenes, the system has added a firewall function to prevent this event from happening again.]
[No future individuals will retain memories related to the host.]
Chen Ran couldn't help but roll his eyes: "So you just patched it up?"
[No.]
[To be precise, this patch is still uncertain whether it will work, because due to your previous act of willfulness, I am still cleaning up after you.]
Chen Ran: "..."
[At the same time, because the host acts as the butterfly in the butterfly effect, the extensive impact generated will cause the simulated scenarios experienced by the host to lead to deviations in the actual future.]
"Is it the butterfly effect?"
Chen Ran has always felt that this system is unreliable.
In fact, the most unreliable aspect, without a doubt, is using people from fifty thousand years ago to determine the fates of characters fifty thousand years later. Especially since the system mentioned that there is a temporal inheritance relationship in the simulated scenarios.
Then, the simulations from earlier times must affect the simulations that occur later.
However, this situation did not appear in the two scenarios.
At that time, he did not ask this question, simply feeling that the system was too incompetent to solve such problems.
"I have a question."
Chen Ran said: "For example, if my next simulated scenario is set before 2014, and due to some events, the Ocean Branch is destroyed, will the first simulated scenario of the Wind Color Scroll lead to changes in the future?"
[Theoretically, yes.]
[In practice, it's unknown.]
The system replied.
[Even I can only outline a vague future; the temporal inheritance relationship of the simulated scenarios has very little actual impact on the future. The greatest possibility is that you destroyed the Ocean Branch earlier, but during the time you did not conduct simulations, the Ocean Branch was reestablished.]
[The system will self-correct the historical changes in the simulated scenarios to the greatest extent, but there is one thing that cannot be corrected.]
"What is it?"
[Taking Herrscher of Wind as an example, if you kill Herrscher of Wind Wendy in the simulated scenario before 2014, then Herrscher of Wind Wendy will no longer exist, and the Herrscher in the Wind Color Scroll will be replaced by another person.]
[The world does not have another person whose thoughts and actions are exactly the same as Wendy's, so the future fate nodes outlined by the system become void.]
The dead cannot be resurrected; this is a fundamental principle of the world's operation.
Chen Ran curiously asked: "What happens when it becomes void?"
[Nothing will happen.]
The system coldly replied.
[Your rewards will still not be reclaimed, and the voided nodes will be redefined by the system. For you, what you experience is the future of the current time coordinate; the future is inherently ever-changing.]
[What I am responsible for is to find the most promising path to defeat Honkai among various selectable futures.]
A butterfly in the tropical rainforest of the Amazon can occasionally flap its wings, causing a tornado in Texas two weeks later. Influencing the future from the past is something no one can stop.
[But because of your previous actions, Herrscher of Wind has already gained a tangible memory from the hypothetical future, and the future we are about to face will be even more chaotic.]
Although Chen Ran still felt he had done nothing wrong, he wisely chose not to confront the system.
The system has its own stance, and so does he.
One person cannot persuade another who holds a different stance.
Chen Ran changed the subject: "Then let's start the next simulation."
The issue of experimental materials has been resolved; he needs to find the power to combat Honkai in the new scenario.
[Welcome to the simulated scenario: The Void Calamity.]
[Current time: 2000.]
[Scenario objective: Retrieve the Herrscher of the Void, or prevent the Second Honkai Eruption from occurring.]
[Your corresponding identity has been generated.]
Chen Ran: "Four three two… system, don't tell me the next scenario is the First Honkai."
His brain began to process the information.
However, this time, the information made Chen Ran feel a bit strange.
"I am the chief director of the Babylon Laboratory?"
…
…
January 2000, Siberia, Babylon Tower.
As the Honkai disaster intensified, organizations led by Schicksal began various studies on Honkai Energy. Among the most radical was a special experiment that combined Honkai Energy with the human body to activate Stigmata.
After passing through the Schicksal Headquarters' council, this experiment was arranged to take place in Siberia.
"Dr. Chen, these are the reports of the new batch of experimental subjects."
Next to Chen Ran, a young assistant said: "The laboratory staff has cooperated to conduct outreach in Siberia and Moscow to gather orphans and abandoned infants, but the quality of these experimental subjects is not ideal."
"Then let's add more meat, eggs, and milk to their lunch and dinner." Chen Ran temporarily adapted to his identity and said: "If they lack nutrition, then increase their nutrition. Does Schicksal not even have money to feed children?"
"But…"
"What but?"
The young assistant whispered: "Didn't you say yesterday that to increase the success rate of the experiment, we need to cultivate the negative emotions of the experimental subjects, so should we let the staff mistreat these subjects?"
Chen Ran: "..."
At that time, people's understanding of Honkai research was generally insufficient, and many experiments were conducted based on assumptions.
For example, the fusion experiment between humans and Honkai Energy, Babylon Tower initially referenced the birth of the Herrscher. After all, the Herrscher itself is the most perfect product of the combination of humans and Honkai.
But a fatal problem is: the current understanding of the Herrscher is that it is an amplified and resentful collective created by Honkai.
They believe that negative emotions may resonate with Honkai in some way, thus granting humans special powers from Honkai.
Therefore, to better increase the success rate of the experiment, as the chief director, Chen Ran required the staff to mistreat the experimental subjects, and then through mental observation, find the subjects most compatible with Honkai and discover the correct method for Stigmata genes.
Chen Ran looked expressionlessly at the young assistant: "So you're saying I was wrong?"
"No, no, no, my mistake, my mistake."
He smiled and said: "I'll give the order right away to ensure they have plenty of meat, eggs, and milk for all three meals."
"Okay."
This is the benefit of power.
Now, his new identity is a specially appointed biologist by Schicksal, having discovered continuous segments of Stigmata in genetic fragments, thus becoming the chief director of the entire Babylon Laboratory.
Chen Ran felt he was becoming more and more like Yssring.
And because of this special identity, he had absolute authority over his subordinates.
Even if Otto caused trouble, he could push back.
Chen Ran casually flipped through the materials and unexpectedly found someone.
He pretended to casually ask: "Oh right, what's the situation with this child named Sirin? The data shows she is 12 years old; she should have a guardian, right?"
"Her father is missing, and her mother is ill." The assistant quickly replied: "She came to us seeking protection."
"As you know, Russia is very chaotic right now; a pretty child can hardly survive."
The young assistant's words dispelled Chen Ran's idea of secretly letting Sirin go.
He almost forgot that this is Russia in 2000.
A place where robbers, thugs, chaotic governments, corporate oligarchs, and warlords coexist.
The reason Babylon Tower was established in Siberia is that this land is always accompanied by widespread natural disasters and poverty.
Every year, hundreds of orphans die due to experiments in Babylon Tower.
But the number of orphans created by riots has already reached tens of thousands.
These orphans, aside from being recruited by Babylon Tower, many actually become new robbers, bandits, and thugs, sinking together with this land.
And Sirin, as a child who knows nothing, with a pretty face…
"Oh, take special care of that child; find her a tutor."
"A tutor?"
"Referring to the experiment, understand?" Chen Ran casually said: "I reviewed the previous experimental design ideas and found that the biggest problem was being too presumptuous. So for this batch of children, I plan to use preferential treatment, injecting Honkai Energy when their spirits are sufficiently nourished."
"Order them that their meals cannot be cut, and they are not allowed to be mistreated mentally; supervision and safety will be handled by the Valkyrie outside."
"Take special care of Sirin, Bella, Avrora, Agatha, and Galina; let them go to school and have fun as they should."
Chen Ran didn't care about Schicksal's experiments.
Since the results of the experiment are known, why repeat the process?
For him, with such a special identity, isn't it only natural to use his advantages to prevent the Second Honkai Eruption from occurring?
However, at this moment, Chen Ran still did not realize.
The butterfly effect generated by his actions would be terrifying.
…
…
2014, Saint Freya Academy.
In the Valkyrie dormitory, Raiden Mei looked at the sleepy Bronya and couldn't help but smile: "Breakfast is almost ready, Bronya, hurry and wake Kiana up."
Bronya rubbed her eyes: "Big Sister Mei, isn't Kiana from Schicksal Headquarters? We don't have Kiana here."
"Schicksal Headquarters?"
Raiden Mei's eyes showed surprise: "Bronya, you're not running a fever, are you?"
"Didn't she join Saint Freya with us?"
Bronya shook her head: "The only ones who joined Saint Freya together are Big Sister Mei and Bronya. Bronya remembers, there is no Kiana."
"According to the information Bronya investigated, the Kiana you mentioned is a Valkyrie of Schicksal who inherited her mother Cecilia's talents, and she has been with Schicksal for a long time, currently training in Lady Cecilia's team."
Her brief words left Raiden Mei confused.
"Bronya, today is not April Fool's Day, so don't joke with Big Sister Mei, or I will get angry."
Cecilia, didn't she die in the Second Honkai Eruption?
"Bronya doesn't joke around." Bronya said seriously.
In the Valkyrie dormitory of Saint Freya, there is no Kiana Kaslana.
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