"Be careful."
Just as Jing Liuli was about to begin, Tendo walked in. His tone was flat, yet it carried a hint of concern. "Liuli, if you feel any backlash, stop immediately. Do not push yourself."
Faced with Tendo's concern, Jing Liuli nodded gently without speaking, immersing herself entirely in her dream-state perception.
A few minutes later, Jing Liuli slowly opened her eyes. Though her purple pupils showed signs of fatigue, they also sparkled with a hint of excitement.
"Tendo, Caroline, I sensed it!"
"It's right beneath the abandoned starport. There are very strong mechanical energy fluctuations there, and I caught the scent of Miracle Stone fragments. It must be Tie Jin's backup factory."
"However, there are a lot of combat mechs there, and a very strong energy barrier is shielding most of the signals."
Caroline immediately pulled up a simulated map of the starport's underground, her fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard. Combining Jing Liuli's sensory data, Caroline quickly marked the approximate location of the backup factory and the weak points in its energy barrier.
As this information came to light, a flicker of emotion crossed Caroline's usually calm eyes.
"Very good. With this, we can formulate a detailed raid plan."
"Tendo, you will be responsible for breaking through the energy barrier. Sister Yun and Little Jin will handle the perimeter mechs. I will be in charge of hacking the factory's control system. As for Liuli..." Caroline looked at Jing Liuli and thought for a moment before saying, "You will use your dream power for early warning and to pin down Tie Jin's subordinates, preventing them from triggering the self-destruct sequence."
"Message received! Mission guaranteed!" Jing Liuli stood tall as she spoke, striking a cool stage pose with a face full of confidence.
As soon as her salute ended, she suddenly leaned in close to Caroline and said, "So, Caroline, once the mission is over, can I film a raid vlog at the starport to show my fans?"
"I want them to know that their idol can do more than just sing and dance—she can fight mechs too. It'll be totally awesome!"
Looking at Jing Liuli's mixture of childishness and confidence, the group couldn't help but laugh.
A touch of softness flashed in Tendo's eyes as he nodded. "No problem. However, during the mission, no distractions are allowed, and no operational details can be leaked. Once the mission is successfully completed, you can film however you like."
"Don't worry, Tendo, I'm a professional!" Jing Liuli patted her chest, then picked up her portable terminal and snapped a profile shot of herself. During the process, she even specifically pulled the Spirit Fox close to her to include it in the frame.
Before long, she quickly edited a short post and sent it to the Star-Net.
'To all my fan-babies: I have something very important to do lately, so I won't be able to livestream for a bit. Wait for me to come back with a surprise! Working hard together with my little Spirit Fox baby. Fighting!'
The post had barely been out for a moment before it received hundreds of replies.
'Keep it up, Liuli-baby! We'll wait for your return!'
'Stay safe! No matter what it is, we support you!'
'Looking forward to the surprise. Come back safely with the little Spirit Fox~'
Reading the warm comments, a trace of warmth rose in Jing Liuli's eyes, and her resolve to complete the mission and return safely grew even firmer.
"Alright, everyone stop for a moment and eat something."
Just as Jing Liuli was scrolling through the fan comments, Yun Meng walked in carrying breakfast. It included warm Star-Rice porridge, crispy Star-Wheat bread, and Jing Liuli's favorite: Star-Fruit mousse. It was clear that Yun Meng had prepared this in advance.
"After breakfast, we will start drafting the detailed raid plan. We need to seize Tie Jin's backup factory as quickly as possible and completely crush his conspiracy." Yun Meng spoke gently as she placed the food on the table.
Jing Liuli immediately ran to the table, took a bite of the Star-Fruit mousse, and squinted her eyes in satisfaction, her purple pupils full of happiness. "So delicious!"
Yun Meng took a small bite of Star-Wheat bread, her tone flat but tinged with indulgence. "Finish the mission first. If anything goes wrong, don't blame me if I punish you then."
Despite her words, there was no harshness in Yun Meng's eyes; instead, they were filled with tenderness.
Tendo and Caroline sat down as well. The group discussed the details of the raid over breakfast, occasionally interspersed with Jing Liuli's small suggestions and her plans for vlogging after the mission.
After eating, Caroline gathered everyone in the comms room and displayed a detailed underground map of the abandoned starport. Combining the info from Jing Liuli, she marked out everyone's individual routes and points of caution.
Jing Liuli listened intently, her purple eyes filled with seriousness as she used her terminal to record key information. Tendo stood by the side, offering timely suggestions to ensure the raid plan was foolproof. Yun Meng adjusted the deployment of perimeter traps on her terminal and communicated combat details with Little Jin. The flame-type Star power around Little Jin flickered slightly, showing its excitement.
With everything ready, the group changed into combat gear. Jing Liuli specifically tied her pale purple hair into a high ponytail, looking exceptionally capable, while not forgetting to apply a light layer of protective cream to her face. This wouldn't hinder the battle and would protect her skin—a win-win! After all, she was a beauty-conscious star; even in battle, she had to remain refined.
"Is everyone ready?" Tendo looked at the others, his tone steady. Pale blue Star power condensed around him as he prepared to depart.
"Ready!" Jing Liuli raised her hand, her purple eyes shining. "Let's go! Take down the factory, then go back to meet my fans and start my new stage!"
Caroline, Yun Meng, and Little Jin nodded in succession. The group walked out of the comms room toward the landing pad. The sunlight fell upon them, reflecting the different colors of their Star power—Jing Liuli's pale purple, Tendo's pale blue, Caroline's silver-white, Yun Meng's pale pink, and Little Jin's fiery red. Intertwined, they were exceptionally dazzling.
The aircraft slowly started up and sped toward the abandoned starport in the western part of the Federation. Inside the cabin, Jing Liuli leaned against the window watching the starry sky, her terminal gripped tightly in her hand, the screen displaying the blessing of her fans.
She knew this battle was destined to be dangerous, but she also knew that with her partners by her side and the support of her fans, she could face it bravely.
Meanwhile, beneath the abandoned starport, Tie Jin sat before a control console. His body was still covered in scars, but his eyes burned with a manic rage. He watched the flight path of the Project Light Team on his screen, his lips curling into a cold smile.
"Tendo, Jing Liuli... you've finally come."
[Half a day later]
The aircraft slowly landed in a hidden corner on the outskirts of the abandoned starport. Tendo was the first to push open the cabin door, his pale blue Star power spreading out to quickly scout the surroundings. After confirming there were no anomalies, he turned to the others and nodded.
"Let's go. Stay safe."
The group stepped off the aircraft one by one. Along the way, they stepped on old, broken mechanical debris, creating slight "crunching" sounds that were particularly piercing in the silent port.
Jing Liuli instinctively covered her mouth, her purple pupils shrinking slightly as she whispered, "Tendo, this place is so desolate. It's even creepier than the abandoned sets where I film MVs. Luckily I applied protective cream, or the dust would have ruined my face."
As she spoke, she didn't forget to raise her hand to gently brush the dust from her hair, maintaining her celebrity poise. The Spirit Fox followed closely at her heels, its nose twitching as it warily scanned the area.
Caroline rolled her eyes at her, her fingers tapping rapidly on her wrist-mounted terminal to pull up a map of the perimeter traps. Her voice was low but calm. "Liuli, focus. The perimeter is full of sensory traps set by Tie Jin. If we trigger them, we'll be swarmed by mechs. Keep your dream power on alert, sense the mechanical signatures, and warn us immediately if anything is off."
"I know!" Jing Liuli immediately dropped her playful demeanor. She took a deep breath, and a faint purple glow emanated from her body as her dream power silently spread, sensing every ripple in the environment.
A moment later, she tugged at Caroline's sleeve, her voice urgent but soft. "Caroline, thirty meters to the left. There's a sensory trap and two patrol mechs heading our way. They're moving slowly."
Tendo's gaze sharpened, pale blue power condensing at his fingertips. "Sister Yun, Little Jin, pin down the patrol mechs. Be quick and keep it quiet. Caroline, you disarm the trap. Liuli and I will cover you. If anything goes wrong, evacuate immediately."
"Understood." Yun Meng nodded gently, stroking Little Jin's head. Little Jin understood, pulling back its flames until only a faint warmth remained, crouching low to sneak toward the left. Its steps were light, making almost no sound. Yun Meng followed close behind, pale pink power swirling at her fingertips.
Caroline moved quickly to the trap's location, kneeling down to touch the metal sensory device on the ground. As silver-white power was slowly injected, complex code popped up on her terminal. Her fingers began to fly across the interface, her eyes focused.
During this process, she found a moment to remind her teammate: "Liuli, watch the surroundings. Don't let other mechs approach. And no secret photos—if you expose us, you can forget about the Star-Fruit mousse."
Jing Liuli stuck out her tongue and immediately raised her hands to show she wasn't moving. She scanned the surroundings with serious purple eyes. "Don't worry, Caroline. I don't want to be swarmed by mechs, and I definitely don't want to lose my mousse!"
That said, she still quietly took out her terminal, set it to silent mode, and snapped a quick photo of the mechanical debris at her feet and Caroline's profile as she hacked the trap. She whispered to herself, "Just one. I'll show the fans how amazing my partners are later."
Just then, a low mechanical hum reached them. Two tall patrol mechs paced forward, their bodies covered in cold metal plating and their eyes flashing with red light. The energy cannons on their arms were ready to fire.
Little Jin immediately stayed low and lunged forward. Its flame power erupted into a tongue of fire, searing the leg of one of the mechs.
Sizzle!
A black hole was burned into the metal casing, and the mech emitted a piercing alarm.
"Not good, the alarm triggered!"
"Little Jin, faster! Finish them before they draw more in!"
Yun Meng acted immediately, using her "Star Source: Dream in the Clouds to buff herself with a plant-type pet's ability. Large vines sprouted from thin air, entangling the other mech's arm to prevent it from firing its energy cannon.
At the same time, Tendo blurred into motion, his pale blue power forming a blade that slashed through the mech sounding the alarm, instantly severing its warning device.
"Liuli, use dream power to jam their control systems and immobilize them!"
"On it!" Jing Liuli stowed her terminal and threw herself into the fight. Her purple dream power surged out as two streaks of light, wrapping around the heads of the mechs to interfere with their programming.
The movements of the two mechs instantly became sluggish. The red light in their eyes flickered as they fell into confusion, flailing their arms wildly.
Seizing the gap, Little Jin exerted its full power, wrapping its flames around the core of one of the mechs.
Boom!
The mech exploded into a pile of scrap metal. Yun Meng tightened her vines and gave a violent pull, snapping the other mech's arm clean off. Meanwhile, Caroline finished disarming the trap, stood up, and flicked a bolt of silver-white power that struck the core of the remaining mech. A second later, it slumped to the ground, motionless.
"Move. The alarm has been sent out. It won't be long before more combat mechs arrive!" Caroline quickly stowed her terminal, her voice urgent as she led the way deeper into the starport. "According to the plan, Tendo, you lead the way to the east ventilation duct entrance. That's the weak point in the energy barrier."
The group followed quickly, their steps hurried as they carefully avoided mechanical debris and potential traps.
As she ran, Jing Liuli gently fixed her ponytail, muttering, "Good thing I have fast reflexes, or my hair would be a mess. It wouldn't look good for the vlog later."
The Spirit Fox followed closely by her side, occasionally spitting out a glimmer of light to clear small obstacles in her path. Tendo walked at the very front, his pale blue power constantly probing the road ahead for mechanical signatures. He paused occasionally to warn the group.
"There's a row of abandoned factory workshops ahead. There might be hidden mechs inside. Everyone stay alert, keep close, and don't fall behind."