A Thousand-Person Ruler's Personal Opinion

However, Theresa was standing right behind Himeko with her hands clasped behind her back. No matter how quietly she spoke, Himeko's instructions couldn't escape the hearing of an S-rank Valkyrie.

Theresa kicked Himeko in the calf, her face stern as she said:

"Don't spread rumors about This Academy Overseer right in front of me! Get out of here and go to work. If I catch you maliciously spreading such baseless talk again, I'll dock your entire salary!"

Himeko remained unfazed, still wearing that lazy, unprofessional smile as she waved:

"Yes, yes, Overseer says so. Well then, I'll get to work now. I'll bring you lunch at noon. Bye-bye, little one."

"Bye-bye, Himeko!"

Anqi said her goodbyes earnestly, watching Himeko's figure push through the door before turning her gaze to Theresa before her.

Theresa had been observing Anqi's reactions the whole time. Now she curled her lips and spoke in a sweet, childish voice that still carried a hint of immaturity:

"Hehe! Looks like you and Himeko get along pretty well. From just now until now, your eyes have been glued to her. What's the matter? Is This Academy Overseer not cute enough?"

"..."

Anqi forked a piece of fruit, chewed, and stared blankly at Theresa without speaking.

'Cute, sure, but right now I'm a shut-in cat. Can't just chat with strangers. Gotta keep my cool!'

Anqi confidently put on a cool mask in front of Theresa.

'Also, the fruit Sister Himeko cut is really sweet~~'

Theresa raised an eyebrow but had nothing to say. She'd heard from Himeko that this kid was very wary, and since they weren't close, there was nothing to be done. She pulled a manga from behind her back and said:

"This Academy Overseer wholeheartedly recommends 'Honkai Legend: Great Adventure, Volume Six.' A masterpiece of unmatched depth and artistic quality, its popularity undiminished even after a decade of publication. Little one, take it and read it with gratitude. This is a rare author-signed commemorative collector's edition—I wouldn't give it to just anyone!"

Theresa placed the manga on the table, then turned and walked back to her desk, a confident smile on her face.

'Hehe! No one can resist the charm of Honkai Legend! Just you wait, Himeko. This little one will soon become a fellow enthusiast of This Academy Overseer, and then my loyal fan!'

Anqi tilted her head, unsure of Theresa's intentions. But while she wasn't particularly interested in this Honkai stuff, she had no other way to pass the time. So she casually flipped open the manga, eating the fruit plate Himeko had cut while reading half-heartedly.

Time ticked by, and the pages turned further and further. Anqi had to admit—Welt really had skill to make this a legendary IP. Beneath the childish art style, the story it told was romantic and lovely, carrying the pure emotions and touching moments that kids loved...

Wait. Something felt off.

Anqi's expression turned serious. She twisted her head toward the desk, but Theresa's figure was already hidden behind a towering stack of documents, out of Anqi's sight.

"Himeko's reward..."

Anqi remembered what Himeko had said before leaving, and her heart itched.

Himeko's reward. It was probably something wholesome for now, but what if, right?

Anqi's eyes sharpened.

At that moment, Theresa was happily reading her manga.

'Work's important, but doing it a little earlier or later doesn't make a difference. I'll just read for an hour. Just one hour. It won't hurt anything, right?'

Theresa flipped through the manga, and with a faint sense of guilt, she only immersed herself deeper into the story, reveling in the joy of slacking off, unable to stop.

"Click! Click!"

Suddenly, her keen senses as an S-rank Valkyrie caught the sound of a camera shutter from behind.

Theresa still wore a blissful smile from her indulgent slacking as she turned her head. There, atop the tall bookshelf behind her, Anqi was crouched like a kitten, her phone's camera aimed at Theresa, the screen's glow illuminating Anqi's expressionless little face.

"Ahem! Dear little Anqi, what are you doing up so high? Come down quickly. Look, This Academy Overseer just found the next volume of the manga and was about to bring it to you."

Theresa forced a stiff smile.

Then...

"Ding!"

A familiar sound rang out—Anqi's video message had been sent.

Theresa's smile vanished.

And Anqi obediently climbed down from the bookshelf, walked back to her original spot on the sofa, and sat down very, very properly.

Chapter 20: Anqi's Survival Index Rises

"Theresa, slacking off in front of a kid—that's not good, really."

At lunchtime in the Overseer's office, Himeko spoke earnestly to Theresa, whose expression was stiff and gaze wandering.

"I... I told you, I was just looking for the next volume because she was almost done. I wasn't reading it myself!"

"Oh, really?"

"Of course it's true. When has This Academy Overseer ever lied to you?"

"Heh, I don't believe you."

Himeko fed a bite of food into Anqi's obediently open mouth while teasing Theresa with a smirk.

Theresa's face flushed red with anger, but she couldn't argue back.

After a moment, she could only storm out of the office, escaping the awkward atmosphere of being caught red-handed.

"Hahaha!"

Himeko laughed joyfully, her whole body shaking with mirth.

Because Theresa had mastered the art of shredding manga at the speed of light, Himeko hadn't caught her slacking off with solid proof in a long time. Sure, everyone knew when she was goofing off, but without concrete evidence, Theresa could brazenly act like nothing happened.

This time, though, taking advantage of Theresa's unfamiliarity with and underestimation of Anqi, Himeko had actually captured the slacking-off scene on camera. And with Anqi, a junior, right there, even Theresa couldn't shamelessly deny it.

"Ah, finally put a dent in that lazy habit of hers. No idea how much efficiency will improve, but... you did great, little Anqi!"

Himeko smiled warmly as she wiped the corner of Anqi's mouth, then pinched her cheek in satisfaction.

Anqi scratched her head with her left hand, gave a modest smile, then looked at the red-haired beauty before her with sparkling eyes.

"Himeko, reward!"

"Oh, that... I'm still preparing it. Can I give it to you later?"

"Oh, okay."

Anqi blinked, understanding that Himeko was busy as St. Freya's second-in-command, and nodded obediently.

Himeko guiltily cleared the dishes. The reward had just been a casual remark she'd forgotten the moment she stepped out the door—facing Anqi's expectant look, she couldn't bring herself to admit that.

At St. Freya, Anqi was temporarily useless. Without using the Dominion Authority to repair herself, her arm would take a month or two to heal. During that time, aside from theoretical classes, she could hardly provide any valuable output.

On the other side, Young Lady Anqi's work was going exceptionally smoothly.

"The research vessel from the South Seas will dock at the port for three days, then head straight for the Arctic research station. It's easy to sneak onto a big ship like that—either as a crew member or as luggage. Either way, hitching a ride to the Arctic to set a respawn point shouldn't be hard."

"I've already checked the schedules for the next two international flights to North America and Europe. For the other two, I can adapt on the fly and easily board them to set up respawn points in the Western Hemisphere."

"Progress in Shenzhou and Siberia is smooth. I've perfectly hidden both of those on the planes. They should land one after another tonight, then find remote areas away from society, dig holes, and hibernate."

"Ah, after all these days of hassle, the perfect survival plan is finally moving forward again. It's been tough."

Anqi sat on the sunlit balcony, sipping premium black tea, letting out a tired yet relieved sigh.

Besides Young Lady Anqi, the theater had already released five more clones, all traveling to different parts of the world in ways completely unrelated to the young lady herself. The young lady only provided necessary intel—common information easily accessible at a certain social level, with no targeted gathering. Cautious to the extreme.

The Anqis' plan was to deploy ten clones in total.

Five would head to the Arctic, Americas, Europe, and Asia to find wilderness and hibernate. Losing five thinking threads at once was a shame, but from a long-term perspective, these five stationary, dormant individuals would be crucial insurance for turning the tables in future crises. As long as they were buried in the ground, Anqi couldn't truly die—so it was a necessary sacrifice.

The other five would find gaps to integrate into society, gaining social status and influence to serve as the Anqis' intel, resources, and logistics support. For now, though, they had no specific targets, so that was on hold. For the record, Young Lady Anqi was one of these five.

In any case, the Anqis' survival index was visibly climbing, which was reassuring.

Young Lady Anqi leaned back in her soft chair, gazing at the sunset, squinting her eyes in contentment.

Then she stood, went inside, changed into an exquisite, well-fitted dark green gown, and stepped out to the luxurious car waiting for her.

Tonight, the old man would introduce her to his so-called backer. Apparently, thanks to his friendly relationship with this big shot, he'd secured an advanced Titan Robot as his personal guard.

But the old man was secretive, refusing to reveal the big shot's name in advance.

If it weren't for the fact that she was already tangled up with Anti-Entropy and had to be extra cautious, Anqi would have brainwashed this cold-blooded old man long ago and squeezed all the info out of him.

"Executor Cocolia, this is my daughter, the next heir of the Tachibana Family."

"Greetings, esteemed lady."

Anqi curtsied with a proper smile.

'Fuck!'

'I knew it—any shady capitalist who'd hand a Titan to a civilian had to be from the Reformist Faction!'

'Didn't expect Cocolia to show up in person, though.'

'But I guess it makes sense.'

'Fuck!'

Anqi straightened up after the curtsy, her smile growing even more perfect and elegant.

On the massive screen in the underground meeting room, a woman with long boots and pale thighs, arms crossed beneath two heaving mounds of snow-white flesh, seductive as a golden fox—who else could it be but Cocolia herself?

On the screen, Cocolia looked down, as if sizing up Anqi. After a moment, she let out a casual laugh and said:

"So, she's taking over the business from now on?"

"Exactly, Lady Cocolia. But my daughter is just starting to take charge. If there are any oversights, I hope you'll forgive her."

"Relax. I've been very satisfied with our cooperation so far. I trust the Tachibana Family Head's judgment. I'm sure our future dealings will be just as pleasant. Next time I'm in the Far East, we should sit down and have a proper chat. A beauty as poetic as your daughter must brighten anyone's mood just by meeting her, right? Haha!"

"You flatter me, Lady Cocolia. That puts this old man's mind at ease. Hahaha!"

The two chatted familiarly for a while, with Anqi listening and smiling, occasionally chiming in with a soft laugh. The atmosphere was quite harmonious.

But Cocolia clearly didn't have time to waste on a small supplier. After casually acknowledging Anqi as the heir, the call ended quickly.

Anqi then accompanied the old man on a walk, following behind his wheelchair, listening to him reminisce and brag about his rise to wealth—black and white operations, gambling, drugs, human trafficking... He seemed to have dabbled in many things, at least run them, until the information age rolled in. Then he rode the tech boom with his accumulated capital, hopped on Anti-Entropy's express train, and sped all the way, even breaking into the Fortune Global 500 with his company.

Anqi listened, bored out of her mind. She had no intention of becoming a big capitalist. Instead, she thought: since she'd figured out who the old man's backer was, shouldn't she send him off to reunite with his proud heirs soon?

Anqi stared darkly at the old man's thinning hair, but ultimately held back, deciding not to stir up trouble.

Same old saying: lie low. Lying low is victory.

The old man has no more than a month or two of life left, and St. Freya's Anqi will need the same time to recover—it all balances out. It seems the Anqis will have no choice but to lie low for now.

Chapter 21: Anqi, Dependent on Himeko

The Arctic, a glacier plain swept by howling wind and snow. Anqi, clad in a thick cotton expedition coat, shielded her face with one hand as she trudged slowly forward, clutching a sensitive compass in the other. Only when the compass needle grew increasingly erratic did she stop, reach into the theater space, and pull out a shovel.

"It feels like I'm nearing the pole—completely lost my bearings—but this should be remote enough, right?"

Anqi shook her head, flicking the snow and ice from her hood, then swung the shovel, using immense strength to carve a burrow into the solid ice.

She lay down inside it.

"Then I'll sleep for now. I hope the day never comes when I need to wake up."

Thus spoke Anqi. In her mind, she heard the farewells and blessings of her other selves, and gradually, she was frozen solid, buried, leaving no trace behind.

The Americas, a vast, boundless western desert. A slender figure walked unhurriedly, her mysterious black cloak snapping loudly in the gale.

"Hmm, I've completely lost track of the exact coordinates, but I'm already very far from any city. I think this is enough."

Thus spoke Anqi. She found a wind-eroded rock face.

Then she dug a pit, entered the earth, buried herself, and finally severed her own consciousness.

Shenzhou, the Tibetan Plateau.

Bear Country, Siberia.

Europe, the Eastern European Plain.

Three Anqis, separated by tens of millions of li, each chose the most remote and random locations they could find, concealed themselves, and sank into slumber.