"Ring, ring, ring…"
The clear sound of the bell rang out, and Huohuo, Stelle, and Fu Xuan immediately entered Qingque's inner world.
Sushang stayed behind to guard the scene.
The group found themselves inside a building.
Clearly, this was a reused set from the Commission of Urban Affairs.
[Xianzhou's public security office turned into a card room? Qingque, 6!]
[Didn't even notice at first, hahaha.]
A Cloud Knight saw the three and immediately asked, "Hold it. Are you here for an interview or a business deal?"
"Wanna play a round of Emperor's Bowls?"
The Cloud Knight coughed lightly.
"It's still work hours. Come back after hours, and don't run off."
Huohuo quickly grabbed Stelle. "What are you even saying? Now's not the time for that!"
She turned to the gatekeeping Cloud Knight. "Hello, we know Miss Qingque! We're her good friends!"
"Exactly!" Fu Xuan stepped forward, looking up at the Cloud Knight. "I'm her boss. Tell her to snap out of this get-rich-quick pipe dream and come see me!"
The Cloud Knight smirked with disdain.
"Know CEO Qing? Who on the Luofu doesn't know CEO Qing? Good friends? I bet a celebrity like CEO Qing has tons of 'good friends' she doesn't even know about."
[Real, that's so real.]
[Like Quan Hongchan after winning the Olympics, suddenly gaining a bunch of random relatives.]
[I'm starting to suspect the Honkai writers are hardcore internet surfers.]
The Cloud Knight looked down at Fu Xuan. "And you, shorty, daring to call yourself CEO Qing's boss? Hahaha, that's a riot."
[Hahaha, I'm losing it too.]
[Shorty! Fu Xuan's got it rough.]
[Lmao, I can't hold it together. Every word's a gut punch.]
Fu Xuan's eyes seemed to spark with fire. "What did you say?! I'm furious!"
The Cloud Knight kept sneering. "Don't you know CEO Qing single-handedly founded the Luofu Emperor Jade Group, making Emperor's Bowls a galaxy-wide hit? She's the supreme boss here, swamped with work. You think you can just demand to see her?"
He stepped aside, revealing a long queue behind him.
"See this line? People wanting to meet CEO Qing stretch from here to the end of Aurum Alley. Grab a number and wait."
Stelle blinked at the queue. "How long's the wait?"
"Maybe a week, maybe months, who knows? The guy at the front's been waiting three months."
"Sigh." Stelle pulled out her bat. "Looks like it's time for some forceful exorcism."
Tail's eyes gleamed. "Fight! Fight! I wanna see blood flow like rivers!"
After a brawl, the Cloud Knight was sprawled on the ground.
Suddenly, a familiar voice reached their ears.
The three and the heliobi looked up, jaws dropping.
Another Fu Xuan appeared, pointing at the battered Cloud Knight. "No causing trouble. This Miss Stelle is a friend CEO Qing knew before her rise to fame."
The Cloud Knight muttered "6" before passing out.
[Did the art style just change? Why's this so cheerful?]
[My stomach hurts from laughing. Poor Cloud Knight.]
[Fu Xuan calling Qingque CEO Qing? Why am I dreaming this?!]
Huohuo glanced at the Fu Xuan beside her, then at the "Fu Xuan" across from them.
"Another Master Diviner?"
Stelle: "What's with this Master Diviner?"
The fake Fu Xuan sighed. "I'm no longer the Master Diviner, please don't call me that. I'm just a lowly clerk under the Luofu Emperor Jade Group, using my meager insight to predict stock indices for Lady Qingque."
Stelle: "…"
Huohuo: "…"
Tail: "…"
[Your silence is deafening.]
[Oh man, their expressions, hahaha.]
Fu Xuan exhaled, crossing her arms over her chest. "Seems my daily teachings left no gratitude, only deep psychological scars."
Stelle: "What did Qingque do to you?"
Fake Fu Xuan clutched her head. "CEO Qing gave me too much."
[Hahahahaha.]
[Never thought I'd hear Fu Xuan say that.]
[A web series that OOCs its own characters? I'm dying of laughter. Wherever Qingque is, it's pure joy.]
Fu Xuan gritted her teeth, pointing at the fake Fu Xuan. "Tch! You useless thing!"
Huohuo quickly reassured her. "Pfft… Lady Fu Xuan, don't mind it, it's just an illusion! An illusion!"
The group then told the fake Fu Xuan they needed to see Qingque.
The fake Fu Xuan agreed, since Qingque was also looking for Stelle.
Soon, they arrived at the Stargazer Navalia, repurposed as an Emperor's Bowls parlor. The fake Fu Xuan left after bringing them.
The place was filled with employees shouting.
"Emperor's Bowls gameplay is too one-dimensional."
"We need reform, reform!"
"The new gameplay's already tanked…"
Qingque stood at the front, addressing her employees.
"Everyone, when proposing ideas, focus on the differentiated niche for Emperor's Bowls. Create a new industry ecosystem, hit consumer pain points, and spark demand. Remember our motto: 'Emperor's Bowls creates joy'!"
[Why does that sound so familiar?]
[I feel like I've seen it somewhere.]
An operations staff nodded. "Our department plans to add more paid features to Emperor's Bowls—customizable card backs, tables, and player avatars."
Qingque pondered, finding it reasonable, then asked the next question.
"Our competitors love to nitpick our gameplay. What new modes have you prepared?"
"CEO Qing, look! I designed a real-time card-throwing battle mode called 'Jade Duel'."
"CEO Qing, this one lets players take on different roles with unique abilities—'Cards and Dungeons'!"
"Great! Great! These ideas are perfect. Soon, even the Bavelurians will fall for Emperor's Bowls!"
Qingque glanced behind her. "Looks like my guests are getting impatient. Keep developing, I've got personal matters to attend to."
The scene shifted, the camera cutting.
Qingque approached Stelle like an old friend, even trying to recruit her to the company.
Stelle shook her head. "Actually, the Master Diviner's worried about you…"
Qingque frowned, looking at Fu Xuan. "Master Diviner? Hmph, isn't this Little Xuan? Why are you still slacking here? Get to work!"
[Too hilarious, Little Xuan?]
[Qingque's got a big 'Danger' sign over her head.]
[Does it need to be this funny, hahaha.]
Huohuo, fearing Fu Xuan would snap, said, "Lady Fu Xuan, it's all an illusion."
"Hmph! I know that!" Fu Xuan nodded at Qingque. "Yes, yes, CEO Qing, I'll get to work."
To thank Stelle for inspiring her entrepreneurial drive, Qingque wanted to show her something special, while assigning the others light, non-lethal tasks.
Soon, Stelle and Qingque entered a new room.
Qingque patted her chest. "The Luofu Emperor Jade Group aims to provide the most thrilling experience for card players across the universe!
Sadly, Emperor's Bowls' rules are too old-fashioned. To make different civilizations go wild for it, we need fresh vitality."
Qingque pointed to a box behind her.
"Open the box! Players open random boxes for a chance to get the missing Jade cards, deciding victory in one draw!
Every box opened has a chance for a golden legendary!
Try it. It won't take long before you're hooked on this feeling."
Stelle approached the boxes and started opening them, one after another.
She got ten pieces of black trash.
Stelle looked at Qingque, deadpan. "No ten-pull guarantee?"
Qingque had an epiphany. "Must be the drop rates. I'll tweak them. Try again."
Soon, ten new boxes appeared before Stelle. With a wave, she opened them all instantly.
One actually yielded a golden legendary—a golden trash bag.
Qingque raised an eyebrow. "Stelle, you like that feeling?"
"I just wanna know why it's golden trash."
"It's the feeling! The way it sparkles out of the box—aren't you happy?
If you can't find joy in it, I'll keep you here opening boxes until you truly get it."
Stelle's eyes widened at Qingque. "This heliobi's trying to trap me like this?"
As Stelle hesitated on how to escape, someone urgently knocked and burst in…
Fu Xuan rushed to Qingque's side. "Oh no, CEO Qing!"
[Hm. Calling her CEO Qing? Must be the illusion.]
[Yeah, the real Fu Xuan wouldn't be this humble.]
"What's wrong?"
Fake Fu Xuan: "Bad news. Interastral Peace Entertainment copied Emperor's Bowls' rules and released a new card game!"
"What?! File a lawsuit, sue them for infringement!"
"Uh… worse news. The Interastral Peace Corporation already announced a new product!"
"Damn it, damn it!" Qingque stomped twice.
"It's just technical tweaks. Stelle, should I double down on new gameplay?"
Stelle shook her head. "That's a huge gamble, friend!"
[Hahahaha, are the Honkai writers binging fan content daily?]
[I'm dying, their internet surfing game is strong.]
[The web series playing its own memes? I nearly died laughing.]
Qingque nodded. "You're right. I'll bet everything. Little Xuan, activate our emergency assets…"
Fake Fu Xuan sighed. "Too late. The Interastral Peace Corporation bought all of Emperor Jade Group's stocks."
Fu Xuan added, "Lost in a rout, friend."
[Hahaha, satisfying.]
[Oh man, I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe.]
[Fu Xuan saying that? I can't hold it together anymore.]
"Why? Why did it turn out like this?"
Qingque's voice grew shrill and hoarse, echoing through the room.
The next moment, eerie green flames swirled around her.
"You useless thing, you're fired."
Fake Fu Xuan smiled faintly at the sight.
"This heliobi CEO's got quite a temper, trapping even someone as laid-back as Qingque in a vortex of fame and profit. But in the end, these are just illusions deceiving the host—poke them, and they break."
"Nice try, almost had me fooled!"
Fu Xuan glared at Stelle. "I'm nothing like that counterfeit! I thought you'd see through it instantly."
[Huh? That's the real Fu Xuan? Your acting's pretty great, then.]
[Little Xuan actually played along with Qingque? Lowkey shipping.]
The heliobi had appeared but still refused to give up, trying to tempt Stelle further.
But Stelle pulled out her bat. It was too late—she just wanted her old Qingque back.
At the same time, Huohuo and Tail rushed in.
What followed was a one-sided thrashing.
Soon, the heliobi was sealed into Huohuo's gourd.
The screen went black.
When light returned, they were back in reality. Sushang was leaning against a wall, fast asleep.
The three ignored Sushang and approached a dazed Qingque.
Qingque looked at them. "Miss Stelle? Master Diviner? Miss Huohuo? Why are you here?"
Fu Xuan asked with concern, "Are you okay, Qingque? Anything feel off? Headaches, nausea, weird dreams?"
Qingque propped her chin. "Now that you mention it, I did fall asleep and had a super long dream where I got filthy rich, hehe."
"As long as you're fine. Don't let me catch you napping on the job again. Go tidy the library."
"Y-Yes, Master Diviner."
Fu Xuan patted Qingque's head and turned to leave.
Watching Fu Xuan's retreating figure, Qingque let out a long breath. "The Master Diviner's gone. Phew, I must've been possessed by a heliobi, right?"
Huohuo was surprised. "Miss Qingque, you remember?"
"Of course." Qingque was sharp as ever. Seeing Huohuo and piecing together her unrealistic get-rich dream, it was easy to deduce she'd been tainted by something unclean.
Stelle cut in. "By the way, you really don't want to start a business?"
"Ha?" Qingque shook her head like a rattle. "Don't scare me. I don't have the energy or guts for that."
"Fair enough."
After confirming Qingque was truly fine, Huohuo woke Sushang, who'd been a bystander the whole time, and the three returned to Fyxestroll Garden.
With the ghost-hunting squad's efforts, they dealt with many more heliobi.
In the end, Guinaifen's account hit one million followers.
Guinaifen looked at the golden plaque in her hand, feeling an indescribable thrill.
She turned to Stelle, speaking slowly as the camera zoomed in on her face, as if addressing the audience directly.
"Thank you. Without you sticking with me, I'd probably still be an obscure streamer. Thank you, the ghost-hunting squad, and all the fans who've been with us!
If you've got fun ideas next time, let me know.
Soon, I'll livestream my first convention, my first live popularity poll. Remember, we're all in this together."
In the ghost-hunting squad's group photo, the movie drew to a close.
The Astral Express logo appeared, and it was finally over—no post-credits scene.
A young man yawned. "Ahh, it's this late? Gotta get up early tomorrow."
Out of curiosity, he opened the group chat and sent a message:
[Silver Wolf's Current Boyfriend: Yo, what time we heading out tomorrow?]
[It's miHoYo Not Hoyoverse: Bro, you're still up?]
[Honkai Star Rail's Succubus: Yo, everyone's still awake?]
[Kafka's Dog: So, everyone decided on their cosplay characters?]
[Want to Eat Ruan Mei's Rice: Duh, of course. Rest up tomorrow, 'cause the day after's the Interactive City con!]
[Guinaifen's #2 Simp: This con's not just Honkai characters—you can cosplay anyone.]
[Let Me Melt Jingliu: Interactive City's got huge traffic. Wonder if there'll be space this time? It's such a big event.]
[Huohuo's True Wife: For real. Most importantly, this event has a popularity poll for Honkai characters. Who'll take the top spot?]
[Herta's #1 Simp: Why talk so much? Why not meet up now, grab some BBQ, and head straight there?]
[Domineering Caelus Baby Loves Me: Sounds good!]
Meanwhile, at the Dreamscape Hotel.
Aventurine sat at a roulette table, ignoring the spinning ball.
Instead, he smiled at the person standing by the table.
As expected, it was Sunday.
Then, Aventurine's gaze shifted to the white-haired man across from him.
"All or nothing…? Should I call you Su Chen?"
"I told you, you've got the wrong guy. My name's Kevin."
Chapter 219, just a reminder.