The timeline shifts back to when Dan Heng emerged from Clock Studios Theme Park.
The moment he learned that Stelle had encountered trouble, his heart steeled with resolve: no matter the cost, he would ensure her safety!
Even though Stelle could be quite eccentric at times, there was no denying that ever since she joined the Astral Express, the warmth within the train's crew had steadily grown.
Though she often seemed clumsy and ineffective, Dan Heng knew full well that this seemingly useless person was, in fact, the core of the current Express crew.
If it truly came to that point… he could always prepare a name for his next life in advance. With the experience from his previous life's "save file," this time, he might actually succeed…
As for the consequences? No matter what, he wouldn't allow his companion to leave so carelessly.
When it came to his attitude toward his companions, Dan Heng was no less devoted than Dan Feng had been. Or rather, because of the memory of "losing a companion," he cherished those around him even more.
Ring ring ring—
At that moment, Dan Heng's phone suddenly rang with an unknown caller. He answered it without slowing his pace. "Who's this?"
"Imbibitor Lunae, you little ******, are you the one who wrote that anime?"
On the other end was a familiar low male voice, ranting with the unmistakable accent of a Stellaron Hunter, venting his fury. "Didn't get enough of a lesson back in Scalegorge Waterscape, huh? Hah, just wait—when I get to Penacony, you're done for!"
—"Blade, please listen to me. You're not angry at all right now."
—"I'm furious, don't stop me! Silver Wolf, if you try to stop me again, I'll spill all about your online dating!"
—"What?!"
"…"
Beep beep beep—
Dan Heng decisively hung up the phone. What was that all about? Who was that guy? Must've been a wrong number.
These days, it's better to avoid answering calls from strangers.
Ring ring ring—
But no sooner had he hung up than another call came through. This time, it wasn't a stranger—it was marked as Jing Yuan.
Dan Heng: "Hello? Old Jing? What's up? I'm kind of busy right now."
Jing Yuan: "Hahaha—Dan Heng, hold off on being busy for a sec. I've got a question. There's this anime adaptation that's suddenly blown up. It's called Memoirs of the Cloud. Ring any bells?"
Dan Heng: "Hmm… no idea. Sounds like it's got a Xianzhou vibe. What's the deal?"
Jing Yuan: "Alright, let me give you a hint. The male lead's named Ying Yuan, and the female lead's named Jing Xing. Any clues now?"
Dan Heng: "Oh? The names sound a bit familiar. Probably just a coincidence, right?"
Jing Yuan: "Come on, Dan Heng, no need to play coy with me. We go way back! How many true brothers do you get in life? Two lifetimes of friendship! What can I even say?"
Dan Heng: "Phew… alright, I'm relieved then. Yeah, I'm the one who wrote that anime, but I didn't expect it to do this well. It blew up right after I released it."
Jing Yuan: "So you're admitting it's your work?"
Jing Yuan: "Brother, I don't care if you're making fanworks or whatever, but here's the thing—can you at least toss me some appearance fees? I mean, I did sacrifice a bit of my dignity here."
Dan Heng: "…Appearance fees?"
Jing Yuan: "You know what I mean!"
Dan Heng: "I don't."
Jing Yuan: "…Dan Heng, you little punk. Just wait till I get to Penacony in a couple of days—you're in for it! Expect my lawyer's letter!"
Beep beep beep—
Dan Heng hung up the phone without hesitation. These days, even scammers pretending to be acquaintances were everywhere. Did they really think he was that gullible?
While talking, he was already crossing the street. At that moment, he spotted a man with long golden hair, dressed in white, standing on the other side of the road.
This figure… he vaguely resembled a certain passenger Mr. Welt had mentioned before… Was that Shush?
Shush noticed him and waved energetically, as if greeting him.
Dan Heng pondered. It seemed like it was indeed Shush. He looked a bit anxious—what was going on?
Boom!
A red-and-blue truck roared forward, crashing into Dan Heng and shattering him into fragments of memoria. The driver leaned out the window, frantically apologizing: "I couldn't stop, I couldn't stop…"
…
Shush downed the red wine in his glass in one gulp. "That's the whole story."
"Logically, if someone 'dies' in the dream, their physical body in reality should wake up. But when I tried messaging Passenger Dan Heng to confirm he was alright, I got no response. So I can hypothesize—both he and Passenger Stelle are likely experiencing the same situation."
"I can even make a bold assumption: Passenger Stelle and Passenger Dan Heng are probably safe and sound right now. This isn't just about the safety of the dream anymore—it's about Penacony's reputation."
"If death in the dream were this haphazard, reality would've been in chaos long ago. How could things still be as calm as they are now?"
"So… you're saying that to find Stelle and Dan Heng, we just need to… die once?" March 7th mused thoughtfully.
Shush nodded. "Passenger March 7th, I'm not lying."
If that were the case, it would indeed be a more efficient option. Not only was it quick and effective, but it didn't cost a thing.
"Sigh, doing business is tough," Black Swan suddenly let out a sigh. "Mr. Shush, I admit what you're saying makes sense. But I'm not the type to take money and do nothing. Without me, even if you reached that dream through 'death,' you'd still be stuck."
"Of course… the choice is yours."
March 7th hesitated for a moment. "Alright, I trust you."
Considering Black Swan had helped out back at the hotel, March 7th decided to trust her. She'd treat this payment as a thank-you.
"Of course!"
Seeing March 7th agree, Black Swan flashed a satisfied smile. She drew a deck of cards from under her skirt, which assembled into a door leading to an unknown realm.
"Let's go."
Black Swan stepped through the doorway, with the other two following close behind. As space twisted around them, a dazzling golden world appeared before their eyes…
…
"You two, put these on."
Black Swan produced two plaster headsets out of thin air. "Listen carefully: you must wear these headsets here. No matter what happens, do not take them off, unless you want to be attacked by the defense towers. Understood?"
"Defense towers attacking? What…"
March 7th and Shush exchanged glances, their eyes full of confusion.
What did she mean by being attacked by defense towers? Was there something in the dream even more terrifying than foreign memes?
"That's right. In short, you can only move freely with the headsets on. Bye-bye, darlings—I've got other business to attend to."
Black Swan winked at them, stepped back through the doorway, and vanished.
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Anime Crossover: Diego's Bizarre Adventure