Heh Heh Heh

"Erwin Schrödinger." Schrödinger, wearing a cat-head hood, also reached out toward Liu Bai and quickly received his response.

"Ah, Liu Bai seems to be quite popular."

Einstein lounged comfortably on the sofa, nibbling on chocolate.

"Tch, they're just curious because it's their first time seeing a ghost. This enthusiasm won't last more than three days." Tesla curled her lip.

But Einstein could smell a trace of sourness coming from Tesla.

"...This chocolate has gone bad. It's sour."

Although Einstein said that, she still swallowed the chocolate.

Tesla gave Einstein a puzzled look.

"Since Mr. Liu Bai is so popular, why not take turns living with him?" Einstein suggested. "As for the rest... if they want to sleep together, that's fine too. Sleeping on the floor or sofa is no problem, of course, Mr. Liu Bai..."

"I understand. No peeking. No matter what, I'm an honorable gentleman."

"No, Dr. Einstein meant that Mr. Liu Bai should communicate with everyone more through paper and pen. From any perspective, Dr. Einstein doesn't want your only conversation partners to be the two of us. That wouldn't be good for your physical or mental health."

Einstein said something that greatly surprised Liu Bai, and even Tesla fell silent.

Honestly, Einstein was the first person to consider Liu Bai so thoroughly.

Liu Bai could not help feeling moved.

"As for your character, Dr. Einstein trusts you."

"Don't, don't go touching people." Tesla said awkwardly. "Of course, if someone touches you, you don't need to be polite either."

"Can I touch them back?"

"...Don't tell me you weren't planning to resist at all?"

And so, for the sake of his physical and mental health, Lab 42 established a rotating cohabitation system.

Not long after, Otto responded to Edison's report—they were allowed to remain at the European Branch and assist Einstein with mech research.

Soon, the lab officially began mech experiments—though this was merely a cover for what they were really doing.

With the cooperation of Edison and Tesla, two of the world's greatest inventors, they completed the preliminary optimization using only one-twentieth of the research budget. Naturally, this was not reported. In Einstein's words—sit on it for another year or two, or wait until the funds ran out.

Good grief, they had not even submitted the first version of the mech, and they were already sitting on the optimized version.

The experiments centered around you began.

The first experiment went normally. The objects you possessed were merely things like radios and light bulbs. Edison was living with you that night, and you discussed inventions with her.

The second experiment also went normally. You began possessing larger appliances. Planck was living with you that night, and you listened to her complain all evening about the difficulties of teaching students.

The third experiment proceeded as always. Schrödinger was your roommate that day, and she expressionlessly told you about that famous experiment—"Schrödinger's Cat."

The fourth experiment went normally. Your roommate was Edison.

The fifth experiment went normally. Your roommate was Planck.

The sixth experiment went normally. Your roommate was Schrödinger.

Edison had finished your portable typewriter. As long as you typed quickly enough, you could communicate seamlessly with others. Now, Edison was preparing to make a screen capable of displaying text.

The experiment... got strange. Today's possible possession objects were: a cat-head hood provided by Schrödinger, a white shirt provided by Edison, a pair of white stockings provided by Planck, a wrench provided by Tesla, and a piece of chocolate provided by Einstein. Everyone told you to pick one, but before you could choose, this experiment turned into horseplay.

"It's almost been a year, hasn't it?"

Planck looked out at the summer scenery beyond the window and could not help smiling bitterly.

"I didn't expect it to take this long either." Edison sat openly beside Planck. "It's time to go back. They sent the notice... Of course, I think it's time for me to return as well. The two of us have been gone for nearly a year, and it seems the North American Branch has made a new discovery."

"I'm rather reluctant to leave this place." Planck looked at the girls eating nearby and revealed a gentle smile. "As expected, this experiment has stalled at the second stage."

"Are you reluctant to part with Liesel, or Mr. Liu Bai?"

"Well... Nancy, why don't you guess? There'll be a reward if you get it right."

"I'll pass." Edison stared at the typewriter she had made. "Still, I really do want to abduct one of those two and bring them back."

Hehehe

In the autumn of 1955, Einstein and Tesla submitted a report on the mechs to Otto. Afterward, Otto ordered the temporary suspension of mech development and assigned a new task to Lab 42.

"So, new guests are coming?"

Liu Bai looked at the quiet, somewhat lonely living room and asked Einstein.

No, there was no need to ask. This new guest... was the future Welt Joyce.

Of course, his current name was still Ω1.

"Yes, and he's quite an extraordinary person." Einstein rarely showed such a troubled expression.

She had not expected Otto to suddenly assign the famous Ω1 to their laboratory.

And... he had not given them any research funding whatsoever, meaning their research on Liu Bai could not proceed at all.

You could not make bricks without straw.

"Looks like your experimental project will have to be put on hold for now."

"I think we can live off Edison." Liu Bai said very honestly.

Though Edison had acted like an ordinary scientist during her year in the lab, who could ignore the Universal Group and North American Branch under her control? This was the foundation that would someday allow Anti-Entropy to contend with Schicksal.

Incidentally, in the history of the Honkai world, the European Recovery Program—the famous Marshall Plan—was precisely a long-term contract between Edison and Schicksal.

In Tesla's words: extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely rich.

Those five "extremelys" not only emphasized Edison's wealth, but also fully expressed Tesla's gritted-teeth resentment toward her.

"That person won't allow Edison to invest in our laboratory."

Einstein rose and looked toward the headlights lighting up in the forest beyond the window. "Looks like they've arrived."

"Come on, I'll go take a look too."

Liu Bai followed Einstein. As for Tesla?

She was asleep.

After the lab became quieter, Tesla returned to her habit of possibly sleeping at any given moment.

Liu Bai and Einstein crossed the somewhat eerie forest path at night. They could faintly hear the mournful calls of owls, and soon they saw a middle-aged man in a black suit leading forward a young man wearing a hood.

Einstein walked up to the middle-aged man. He handed over documents he had prepared beforehand, and Einstein merely glanced at them before signing her name.

Meanwhile, Liu Bai watched the hooded young man with interest, his body trembling slightly in fear.

"You may leave now."

After signing the documents in a businesslike manner, Einstein spoke to the middle-aged man before her.

"Yes, miss."

After confirming everything was in order, the middle-aged man gave Einstein a slight nod, released the young man's arm, and left without looking back.

The scene was like signing for a delivery...

Only after the middle-aged man disappeared from sight did Liu Bai slowly speak.

"I checked. He doesn't have any listening devices or anything like that on him."

"Mm, that's good." Einstein nodded. "Help him take it off."

The young man codenamed Ω1 felt completely bewildered.

Who was she... talking to?

Before Ω1 could figure it out, a force tugged at him, and the cloth covering his eyes was ripped away.

"Greenwich Mean Time, October 20th, 22:57—good work, little white mouse."

Einstein greeted him expressionlessly. Seeing that the young man before her seemed to want to say something, Einstein scratched her hair.

"Quiet. Follow me."

It was obvious that Einstein was not in a good mood.

Even someone as mild-tempered as Einstein would not be in a good mood after her experiment was suddenly interrupted and someone was shoved into her care.

Ω1 seemed to sense Einstein's foul mood as well. He shrank his neck and said nothing.

Suddenly, he felt something pat his shoulder.

A creepy forest path. The girl walking away without looking back.

Run?

The thought surfaced in Ω1's mind instinctively, but in the next moment, he seemed to see himself trapped with nowhere to retreat in a forest full of thorny vines, taken down by a tranquilizer gun.

Thinking of what would happen if he ran, Ω1 shuddered violently. He did not even dare turn around, hurrying after her in a few quick strides.

Before long, a two-story country villa appeared before Ω1.

"Don't be afraid." Einstein comforted him without turning around. "This place is different from the other labs. Besides, we haven't received any orders specifying what sort of dissection we're supposed to perform on you."

Otto's orders were indeed rather vague. Even Einstein could not make heads or tails of them.

The two of them were researching Honkai Energy... It was not that they knew nothing, but their level was indeed only average.

As a scientist of Schicksal, Einstein still had not had the chance to freely access Honkai. She had only proposed general relativity and earned her doctorate at the beginning of last year. Afterward, she had been researching mechs and ghosts, with little curiosity about Honkai.

Otto was practically stirring up trouble by having them research someone so closely connected to Honkai.

Leaving aside all those complications.

Einstein's words made Ω1 halt.

What did she mean?

Did that mean they would dissect him if they received the order?

Ω1 shuddered again. In his eyes, the petite woman before him instantly seemed like one of those mad scientists from stories.

"Imperial Research Institute, Lab 42." Einstein explained to herself. "You can stay here for now. As long as you don't run away or interfere with our experiments, no one will bother you."

Experiments?

This was the first time Ω1 had seen someone so unconcerned with him.

That made Ω1 somewhat curious about what kind of experiment it was.

Einstein pushed open the door and gestured for Ω1 to enter.

"Sit." Einstein pointed at the sofa, then pointed at herself. "Ein-Stein—Doctor, Einstein..."

She introduced herself to the somewhat dazed Ω1.

"...?"

Was that her name?

At some point, something that looked... vaguely like a typewriter appeared before Ω1.

—Floating.

"—Huh!?"

Ω1 jumped back in fright.

"A ghost... a ghost??"

The panicked Ω1 caught his heel on the threshold and fell directly onto the floor.

How rude.

The typewriter's mechanical arm wrote another line on the paper.

"No, it isn't a ghost..." Ω1 breathed a sigh of relief, dusting off his clothes as he prepared to stand. "So it's some advanced technology? That was quite a scare."

Then Ω1 saw the typewriter's mechanical arm begin moving rapidly again.