In the communications room, Caroline was rapidly scrubbing traces of the livestream from the backend.
Her slender fingers danced across the mechanical keyboard. Her green pupils were focused and calm, not missing a single lingering byte of data that might leak the base's location.
Jing Liuli squatted nearby, holding a piece of dried star-fruit, feeding it bit by bit to the Spirit Fox while mumbling under her breath.
"The fans all said you were cute just now. Shall I bring you on camera again for the next stream?"
"But we can't let Caroline find out, or she'll scold me again."
Ding!
The moment Jing Liuli finished speaking, her personal terminal began popping up with notifications in quick succession.
She tapped it open and found that, in addition to private messages from her fans and updates from her fan club, there were several collaboration offers from the Federation's top entertainment companies.
"Don't even think about secretly bringing the Spirit Fox onto a stream. If any more oversights occur, not only will you have to sort double the mechanical parts, but you'll also be banned from eating star-fruit mousse for a week."
"Also, turn off your terminal notifications. Don't let them interfere with my data analysis. The passion of your fans is nearly rivaling the mechanical signals of Tie Jin."
Hearing this, Jing Liuli immediately stood up.
Like a child, she sidled up to Caroline, grabbing her arm and shaking it gently.
"Don't be like that, Caroline! At worst, I promise to tell you in advance next time, okay?"
"I can't live without star-fruit mousse, and I can't just ignore my fans. They're still waiting for my reply!"
As Jing Liuli spoke, she quickly replied to a private message from a top-tier fan.
Seeing her like this, Caroline sighed and said, "Fine. Just pay attention next time."
With that, Caroline switched the screen to a tracking map of Tie Jin's residual signals.
"While processing the livestream data, I discovered that the previously blocked mechanical signal has reappeared. Although it's very weak, I can confirm it's coming from Tie Jin's communicator. The location is near the abandoned star-port in the western Federation."
"Also, clips of your stream have already hit the Star-Net's trending searches. The tags #JingLiuliBarefacedStream and #LiulisMysteriousStarBeast are both in the top five. If this continues, it's only a matter of time before someone finds a clue leading to this base."
The Jing Liuli who had been acting spoiled instantly shed her childish air. A hint of seriousness entered her purple eyes as she squatted by the console, staring at the points of light on the screen. Her tone took on the steady composure of a celebrity.
"I understand. I'll have the fan club manage the comments right away so the fans don't guess wildly. I'll tell them the person off-camera was a staff member and that the Spirit Fox is just an ordinary star-beast I picked up by chance. I won't let the base information leak."
"By the way, Tie Jin actually dares to send a signal? Is he contacting people at the backup factory? Do you want me to use my Dream Power to investigate?"
"Unnecessary."
Caroline refused immediately, her tone firm.
"Tie Jin's mechanical augmentations have already integrated the energy of the Miracle Stone fragments. Once your Dream Power enters his consciousness, it's highly likely to be backlashed by his Mechanical Dominion domain."
"Not only would you fail to gather any information, but you might also suffer a mental rebound. If something happens to you, your fans could turn the entire Federation upside down, which would disrupt our plans."
"Caroline is right."
Tendo's voice suddenly drifted in from the doorway.
Shortly after, he walked to Jing Liuli's side holding a cup of warm star-fruit juice and handed it to her.
"Liuli, your Dream Power is suited for early warnings, not for proactive probing. It's too risky."
"Moreover, you are a public figure. If you are injured, it will be difficult to hide your movements. Caroline is already tracking the signal trajectory. We only need to wait patiently to find the location of his backup factory."
Jing Liuli took the juice, took a sip, and pouted aggrievedly. "I know, I'm not a child. I just want to help."
Despite her words, she stood obediently to the side, her fingers flying across her terminal as she arranged for the fan club to manage the comments and release a short post to soothe her fans.
Every movement reflected the practiced ease of someone long accustomed to the spotlight, yet her purple eyes remained fixed on the points of light on the screen. She occasionally frowned, looking both serious and endearing.
Just then, Yun Meng walked in carrying a tray of freshly baked star-energy cookies. Little Jin followed behind her, tail wagging happily, occasionally nudging Yun Meng's pant leg with its head.
"Everyone, come and take a break. Caroline, you've been analyzing data all afternoon; don't overwork yourself."
Yun Meng placed the cookies on the table, her tone gentle.
"These are made with star-wheat from the eastern Federation. They're very crisp. Little Jin can eat them too; I specifically left a few pieces without star-energy seasoning for it."
"By the way, Liuli, I was scrolling through the Star-Net just now and saw clips of your stream. You look so good without makeup; the fans are all praising your natural beauty."
In its shrunken state, Little Jin showed none of the majesty of a "Calamity-grade Purgatory Demon Dragon." Instead, it looked very much like a Husky.
It ran to the table, lay on the floor, carefully picked up a cookie in its mouth, and chewed slowly, its eyes filled with satisfaction.
The Spirit Fox also leaped down from Jing Liuli's shoulder, approached the table, sniffed the cookies, and then looked up at Jing Liuli as if asking if it could eat.
Jing Liuli smiled, picked up a cookie, broke it into small pieces, and fed it. Her face instantly lit up with her signature celebrity smile.
"Thanks, Sister Yun! I usually wear heavy makeup on stage, so I didn't expect the fans to react so well to a bare-faced stream."
"Caroline, you should try some too. If you're willing, I can teach you how to do makeup next time. I guarantee I can turn you from a cold Mechanical Star-Envoy into a goddess worshipped by fans!"
Caroline paused her work, picked up a cookie, took a small bite, and the fatigue in her eyes lessened slightly. She declined in a flat tone.
"No thanks. Compared to makeup, I still prefer this 'sincere' data. At least it doesn't lie."
Faced with Caroline's rejection, Jing Liuli wasn't discouraged and shook her head with a smile.
"It's okay, it's okay. When the mission is over, I'll force a makeover on you. Then we can stream together—we'll definitely dominate the top of the Star-Net trends!"
Watching her enthusiastic expression, a flash of softness crossed Tendo's eyes. He picked up a cookie and bit into it, replenishing the energy consumed in previous battles.
In the communications room, the group sat around the table, eating cookies and chatting about trivial daily matters. The tension regarding Tie Jin from earlier was significantly diluted by this warmth.
"Oh, right, Caroline."
Jing Liuli spoke up suddenly, her mouth still full of cookie, speaking indistinctly. "In the data I got from the lab yesterday, I saw that the mechs of the Iron Dome family seem able to absorb the energy of star-beasts. Do you think they've tinkered with some new technology?"
Caroline set down her cookie, her fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard to pull up the relevant data.
"You're right. The Iron Dome family's new mechs can indeed absorb star-beast energy to strengthen their own star-energy circuits."
"As for the source of this technology... I think you can guess."
Jing Liuli blanked for a moment, and then she remembered the Doctor.
She remembered the Doctor's former identity as a disciple of the Iron Dome family before he became "human."
But looking at the people around her, the worry in Jing Liuli's purple eyes gradually faded, replaced by full confidence and anticipation.
She said with a smile, "It doesn't matter. With you guys here, nothing can go wrong."
"When this is over, I'm treating everyone to the star-rated dessert shop in the First Floating City to eat the most authentic star-fruit mousse!"
"Besides, I'm going to custom-make an exclusive 'support outfit' for each of you, just like my fan club. When we all appear on camera together, we'll definitely stun the entire New Federation!"
Caroline glanced at her, her tone flat. "As long as you don't cause trouble and cooperate seriously to complete the mission, that's enough."
"Also, forget the support outfits. I have no desire to 'trend' with you and be mobbed by your fans."
"Wuu~"
Jing Liuli puffed out her cheeks and glared at Caroline.
However, her dissatisfaction came and went quickly. Before long, she was hopping around holding the Spirit Fox, having returned to her childish self.
Watching her cheerful demeanor, everyone couldn't help but laugh.
The laughter in the communications room spread along the star-energy light strips to every corner of the base, interweaving with the low hum of machines and the soft growls of star-beasts to form a warm daily melody.
As the sun gradually set, the base's observation windows were dyed a warm orange. Jing Liuli leaned by the window holding the Spirit Fox, looking out at the starry sky. She hummed her hit song, her voice sweet and melodious with professional stage quality, looking relaxed and at ease.
The Spirit Fox lay in her arms, slowly closing its eyes to enjoy the peace.
She occasionally took out her terminal to scroll through fan comments, a sweet smile lingering on her lips. At this moment, the celebrity's vibrancy and tenderness were on full display.
Tendo leaned against the doorframe, pale blue star-force flowing gently around him. He gazed out the window, his eyes steady and vigilant.
He could faintly sense a slight anomaly in the star-energy fluctuations in the air. Though faint, it was enough to show that Tie Jin had not given up; a new crisis was quietly brewing.
Caroline remained at the console, focused on analyzing the signal trajectory. Her green pupils were full of cold logic. Her fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard, constantly optimizing the base's defensive deployments.
She would occasionally glance at Jing Liuli by the window, seeing her smiling at her terminal, and a nearly imperceptible hint of indulgence would flash in her eyes.
Yun Meng took Little Jin to the base's perimeter to check the deployment of traps. The flame star-force around Little Jin flared slightly as it vigilantly scanned the surroundings. If it detected anything unusual, it would issue an immediate warning.
Yun Meng looked at the well-behaved Little Jin beside her and then toward the base. She could faintly hear Jing Liuli's humming, and a gentle smile appeared on her lips.
She would do her utmost to protect this daily life, to protect everyone beside her, and to protect Jing Liuli's dream of being a star.
As the night deepened, the base's star-energy light strips remained lit, like a faint glimmer in the dark, dispelling the interstellar cold and danger.
Jing Liuli eventually fell asleep holding the Spirit Fox, a slight smile still on her face. Her personal terminal was still clutched tightly in her hand, the screen still on the fan comment interface.
Caroline was still analyzing data, her silhouette looking exceptionally resolute under the lights.
Tendo stood guard at the door, his eyes vigilantly watching the window.
Yun Meng and Little Jin remained at the perimeter, silently guarding this tranquility.
Early the next morning, the base's light strips gradually dimmed as the dawn light spilled through the observation window, falling on Jing Liuli's face. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes, her purple pupils still holding a hint of post-sleep haziness.
The Spirit Fox was already awake. It was gently nuzzling her cheek, exhaling a faint shimmer as if waking her up.
"Mm..."
Jing Liuli stretched, rubbed her eyes, and picked up her terminal. Hundreds of new private messages and fan club updates popped up.
The news said that clips of her stream from last night had been edited into short videos by fans and were already dominating the top of the Star-Net trends.
Even the Federation Entertainment News had published her bare-faced photo with the headline: "New-gen Star Jing Liuli Appears Barefaced; Vibrant Look Wins Countless Fans."
Seeing this news, Jing Liuli woke up instantly. A lively light sparkled in her eyes, and a sweet smile immediately graced her lips. Her fingers slid rapidly across the terminal as she read and replied to fan comments.
"Wow, the fans are so passionate!"
"Someone even said they're looking forward to my next appearance with the Spirit Fox. It looks like my Spirit Fox's path to stardom is going to start early!"
Her cheering woke Caroline nearby. Caroline rubbed her sore eyes, her green pupils still cold. She said flatly, "What are you shouting about so early? I stayed up all night tracking Tie Jin's signal trajectory. His backup factory should be underground at the abandoned star-port in the western Federation, but the signal is heavily shielded, so I can't determine the exact location yet."
"Also, you're looking at fan messages again. If this continues, Tie Jin won't even need to ambush us; your fans will find the base first."
Jing Liuli stuck out her tongue and immediately muted her terminal. She walked cautiously to Caroline's side, leaning over the console to stare at the signal map on the screen. Her tone was slightly apologetic. "I'm sorry, Caroline. I won't disturb you anymore."
"By the way, is Tie Jin's signal still very weak? Do you want me to use my Dream Power to try and sense the mechanical aura near the star-port? I promise, I'll only use a little bit of power; I won't get backlashed."
Caroline glanced at her. After thinking for a moment, her fingers tapped the keyboard to pull up the terrain map of the abandoned star-port.
"Fine. But only use a sliver of Dream Power. If you sense anything abnormal, withdraw immediately. No pushing yourself."
"The abandoned star-port was once a stronghold of the Iron Dome family. It's filled with mechanical traps. While your Dream Power can sense auras, it's also easily detected by Tie Jin's Mechanical Dominion."
"I know, I know!"
Jing Liuli nodded vigorously, an excited smile on her face.
"I'll be good and listen! I won't push myself!"
As she spoke, she closed her eyes. A thin strand of Dream Power emanated from her body, turning into a pale purple shimmer that slowly drifted toward the console screen, interweaving with the signal map.
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