"..."
Wende's eyes snapped open. He propped himself up slowly, a hand on his forehead.
What... was wrong with him?
Wende couldn't help but ask himself why he suddenly felt a wave of sinister cold wash over his body... and the distinct feeling of being watched...
---o---
Reality
"Look! Look! What do you guys think of my new wrist-rest mousepad! It's so soft and bouncy! Feels really comfortable to knead!"
Kakaya, having just been unbanned, was showing off her new mousepad in her live stream room. She angled her camera slightly to give the viewers a clear look at what was behind her.
[There are so many things to roast here I don't even know where to start.]
[Should I respectfully call you the ultimate Wende stan, or just call you a pure pervert?]
[Hiss... I'm done for, I'm feeling a little dizzy...]
[Dizzy from the boobs?]
[I'm dizzy from the entire room full of pectoral and abdominal muscles!]
[1111, sister, give me the link for the mousepad! It really looks like it would be a great help for my wrist!]
[Are you sure it's the mousepad you want?]
[If you gave this woman a chance to transmigrate, she'd go over there and suck Wende dry!]
[This... this is literally my dream room!]
The "wrist-rest" mousepad that Kakaya was holding was printed with Wende's handsome face. As for the "wrist-rest" part...
Ahem, it was very realistic. It was hard to say which factory made it, but one look and you could tell it was soft and comfortable. The factory had even thoughtfully added "massage points" on top, allowing one's wrist to enjoy the stimulation of two points with every movement...
"Ah~ Seriously, this treasure isn't just a wrist-rest, it's also really comfortable as a pillow!"
Kakaya proceeded to demonstrate the N+1 uses of the wrist-rest mousepad on the spot—lying on it, resting her head on it, even propping her chin on it.
The most outrageous part was when Kakaya gave the audience a detailed demonstration of the "massage points." Not only were they realistically colored, but they were also made of food-grade silicone. After being cleaned...
Kakaya demonstrated it for everyone right then and there...
Then she pulled out a bottle of AD Calcium Milk...
[Live stream has been banned]
[Are you surprised?]
[I'm used to it. I'm messaging her privately for the link.]
[Ask if they have Dan Heng and Jing Yuan versions!]
[? You don't love Wende anymore?]
[Why can't I have all three?]
[Am I just too innocent for this?]
[If you were so innocent, how did you find this stream? Get out!]
One day, a factory specializing in silicone products suddenly announced its entry into the computer peripherals industry, choosing the most famous game characters of the moment for its product designs. They originally just wanted to test the market for such unhinged merchandise.
After that...
"Boss! Boss! This is bad!"
An employee ran into the boss's office in a panic.
"What's wrong? Why are you in such a rush? Let me tell you, if you keep this up, how can I peacefully pass on the..."
"The pre-orders for our mousepad have hit one million!" the employee hurriedly interrupted the boss, who was about to start drawing a big cake. His voice was frantic.
"Pfft—!!! What!"
The boss immediately dug a finger into his ear, thinking he had misheard, or perhaps eaten too many funny mushrooms. He was sure he'd cooked them thoroughly yesterday, right?
"It's absolutely true, boss! We've run out of raw materials! The workers on the production line are going crazy! We can't make them fast enough! We really can't keep up!" the employee cried miserably to his boss. Their customer service lines were about to explode, and some people had even filed complaints against them. Luckily, all their certifications were in order, or they would have been in real trouble!
"This... Quick! Tell the purchasing department! Immediately procure five tons... no! Ten tons of raw materials for me! And tell logistics to send all of it to the front lines immediately!"
The boss's eyes instantly sharpened. He shot up from his office chair with a smack, his face flushed as he stared at the glass wall behind him, a hint of his former heroic and dashing demeanor returning.
"Oh, and notify the design team. Don't just focus on one area. Young people need to have a long-term vision. Tell them to go wild! The factory can handle it!"
The boss waved his hand with great flair!
"Boss..."
"Are you still dawdling here? Hurry up and go!"
"Yes, sir!"
---o---
"Hiss..."
Wende suddenly felt an inexplicable chill permeate his entire body, especially his chest and back. The temperature on the Express was supposed to be constant... how could this be happening?
Wende decisively opened the Xianzhou shopping app and ordered himself a few new sets of clothes. Then, dressed very thickly, he stepped out of his room.
"?"
"?"
In the corridor, two people dressed in heavy clothing stared at each other. Seeing Dan Heng looking fully armed for a blizzard, Wende nodded to himself.
It seemed there really was something wrong. Was the thermostat broken?
"Do you also feel that it's cold on the Express?" Dan Heng asked Wende quietly.
"I do. Today is really strange..."
The two of them walked to the observation car together. Seeing the "zongzi" sitting on the sofa, they once again fell into silence.
"Uncle Yang?" Wende called out tentatively to the "zongzi."
"Mmm..." came a muffled grunt from within the bundle, followed by silence.
And so, the scene in the observation car became one "large zongzi" surrounded by two "small zongzi."
"Gooood morning... huh?"
March 7th slowly lowered the hand she'd raised to wave, staring blankly at the trio sitting in the observation car.
"What are you three doing... preparing to go to Belobog?" March quipped.
"Huh? March, you're not cold?" Wende asked, looking at March, who was still in her regular clothes.
"Ah? No, I'm not. The temperature in the car hasn't changed, has it?"
Seeing Wende's questioning look, March scratched her head in equal confusion.
"What is it, Little March? Why are you so jumpy first thing in the morning?"
Himeko, who had just woken up, stretched her languid back and walked over to March's side, yawning.
"What are you three..."
Himeko couldn't help but cover her mouth, looking at the three "Eskimos" in astonishment.
"Er... the three of us don't know what's going on either," Welt's muffled voice came from inside his "zongzi."
"Wuu... so cold, Pom!"
Just as March and Himeko were wondering what kind of drama the three men were staging, they heard Pom-Pom's shivering voice from below.
They looked down to see Pom-Pom, wrapped tightly in a large coat, trembling as he scurried past their feet...
"Uh... what in the world... is happening?"
Wende silently shook his head, and then...
[Ding... Received 1000 Favorability Points...]
"..."
Alright, he probably, maybe, sort of knew what was going on now...