"Such a clamor..."
Su skirted around the rowdy crowds clutching their wine glasses, forced by the sheer density of people to follow closely behind the person in front, weaving through the venue.
Even though he had marveled at it many times before, the true scale of Fire Moth as it presented itself to him was still an unimaginable behemoth. The venue alone, arranged by Headquarters for the soldiers' leisure, was comparable to a standard concert hall. Having served as Spas's assistant for half a year, he had come to understand Fire Moth's internal structure and operations, but the chasm between a branch and Headquarters only truly manifested once experienced firsthand.
"Still, unexpectedly... there are far too many people."
Even if the internal space was so vast it made one wonder if they had mastered quantum folding technology, the current number of recruited newcomers combined with branch personnel like Su transferred to Headquarters filled the entire venue to the brim.
How am I supposed to find Kevin in this... I wonder how much he's changed over the years.
In truth, when Su first joined Fire Moth, he didn't know Kevin had already joined long ago. It wasn't until after the Seventh Honkai Eruption, when two people volunteered for the Project Soldier surgery and the successful one was named Kevin, that he realized Kevin hadn't died in the Third Eruption but had joined Fire Moth instead. This was the reason he had applied to Spas to come to Headquarters for a period after a significant internal struggle.
Upon arriving at Headquarters, it was Mei who contacted him, telling him Kevin would be at this ball and to look for him here.
"Dr. Su, hello."
A cold, synthesized-sounding female voice spoke behind him. The soothing music of the venue seemed to hitch at her tone. Su froze, turning to see a gray-haired girl.
"I am Prometheus I. Please follow me."
Prometheus... I remember the one who saved me was Prometheus III. Is there a connection between them?
Though filled with confusion, Su followed. At that very moment, he brushed past someone.
"..."
Lin stood still, his gaze sweeping from the front to his side, catching a glimpse of the passing Prometheus and the man behind her—someone who seemed to trigger a faint, distant memory.
After the interruption by those two idiots (Nuwa and Fuxi) who couldn't keep their mouths shut, Mobius simply couldn't bring herself to say they should continue. Seeing that she didn't intend to proceed with that so-called "experiment," Lin put his helmet back on.
Actually, he wasn't particularly willing either. Primarily because Mobius had just said to stick out his tongue while kissing, but with his current lack of motor control, he might accidentally bite his tongue or lip. For safety's sake, it was best to avoid such dangerous experiments, at least for the near future.
"Phew..." Mobius walked back after scolding Nuwa and Fuxi. She wanted to say something, but after holding back a mountain of words, nothing came out. She could only change the subject: "What are you doing tonight?"
"..."
Mobius realized her words might be ambiguous, but since the guy had lost his sense of touch, he shouldn't be thinking in that direction.
She quickly corrected herself: "What else do you have to do next?"
Lin said flatly, "Go back to the ball to hear Eden sing."
"...Huh?" Mobius stared in shock at the cold visor of Lin helmet. "Why?" she blurted out.
"..." This was the third time today Lin found Mobius words difficult to grasp. He pondered for a moment, then spread his hands. "Both you and Eden invited me to the ball today."
"Yes."
"..."
"And then?"
"And then what?"
Mobius stared at Lin helmet for several seconds. She suddenly wished Lin would turn on that system that displayed emojis on the visor; that way, she could at least tell if this bastard was being sincere.
"Because Eden and I both invited you, you came to the ball for both our invitations?" Mobius analyzed calmly. "And after looking for me, you're going to find Eden?"
"Yes, because you invited me first."
Is there actually a 'first come, first served' logic here?
Mobius instantly understood Lin logic, but she wished she could be stupider—as stupid as her brain had been when it was fried by the heat in her face earlier. Then she wouldn't have to know Lin pitifully linear way of thinking.
"I... you..." Mobius held her breath, staring at the seemingly harmless Lin, not even knowing if she should get angry. From Lin perspective, there really wasn't anything wrong. Finally, she could only clutch her rising and falling chest and throw out a cold sentence:
"Get your ass to the lab tomorrow."
Lin then returned to the ballroom and saw the scene from just now.
Su, is it...Lin memory was exceptional, and the deep impression Su had left on him remained crystal clear to this day. Prometheus was leading him away—was that an instruction from Mei?
However, Lin didn't intend to dwell on the matter. He only wanted to wait for Eden's performance to start. He'd find a random spot to wait for a while.
Lin gaze leveled, looking for a place to settle, but as he scanned a certain area, his eyes locked onto a hooded back. It wasn't just familiarity; it was recognition.
Lin pushed through the crowd, walked to the side of that hooded figure, and sat on the chair next to her, his finger tapping the wooden table reflecting the lights. To be honest, seeing this person at the ball was perhaps as surprising as some people finding his presence there.
Long pink hair poured down. Her eyes were closed as she hummed a tune—likely a song from the wireless earbuds she was wearing. In front of her sat an empty plate from a finished meal. She sat there with her hood up, creating a personal space isolated from the world. After all, if she didn't wear the hood, elegant gentlemen would surely come to invite her for a dance.
She was sensitive to the space around her. After Lin sat down, her brow twitched; sensing someone close, she stopped humming and waited quietly for the person beside her to leave. But after waiting a long time without the person moving, she decided to walk away herself. However, when she opened her eyes and cast an indifferent glance at the person, she froze.
"Lin?"
Sakura took off her earphones. She looked at the helmeted man in surprise, seemingly not expecting him to appear here.
"You..." Sakura was speechless, a flash of complex thoughts passing through her eyes. "Are you... okay now?"
"...Yes."
"That's good. I thought... no, it's nothing." Sakura hesitated, then offered a gentle smile, discarding her usual coldness. "It's good that you're fine. Do you want to eat? I just got some..." Sakura turned to look, found only empty plates, and coughed, her cheeks slightly flushed. "I-I'll go get some more..."
"No need," Lin stopped her, saying flatly. "I just came to see you."
"Huh?"