Chapter 294

Ordinary binding wouldn't have mattered, since the two sides were enemies at the time. What Tesla found most unbearable was that Rita apologized while swiftly binding her, and even sprayed perfume on the ribbon binding her. Tesla had never experienced such humiliation in her life, so she always regarded Rita as her lifelong enemy, but Rita didn't take it to heart.

Hopefully Dr. Tesla has rested well. After all, she herself didn't sleep, so how could she be sleeping so soundly?

Chapter Four: Bronya's Slight Growth

Damn it, that maid definitely contacted me at this time on purpose. She just wanted to keep me from sleeping. I could tell from her knowing look. She's a real bastard...

That maid always gave off a loyal dog vibe, so I'll just call her Dog Tower from now on. I've stayed up all night again, I hope I don't get dark circles under my eyes.

Muttering curses to herself, Tesla walked unsteadily down the base corridor. She was already exhausted from working on experiments late into the night, and the news of Schicksal had kept her awake all night after she finally managed to fall asleep. But it was indeed a very important matter, so she could only summarize the intelligence and make the necessary arrangements. This feeling of being angry and helpless was really frustrating.

Hopefully something good will happen today... There should be something good, after all, Shen Gonglin is at the Salt Lake Base now. Just seeing him makes Tesla feel good. I'll take him to eat Anti-Entropy's xiaolongbao this morning, he should like it a lot.

Thinking of this, Tesla perked up and headed toward the room assigned to Shen Gonglin. However, just after turning the corner, she saw Bronya and Seele. These two girls got up quite early. It seemed that they had slept together again yesterday. They were probably here to see Shen Gonglin at this time.

Good morning, Doctor.

The two girls also saw Tesla. Bronya greeted her without changing her tone, and Tesla didn't seem to care. That's just Bronya's personality. Seele also nodded timidly to Tesla. Although this girl had been at the Salt Lake Base for a while, she still didn't seem to be very open. Maybe that's just her personality.

"Hmm, good morning. Are you here to see Shen Gonglin too?"

Tesla glanced to the side. Their rooms weren't here, so they must have come to see Shen Gonglin. They were even here before him; they were not to be underestimated.

"Yes, Bronya wanted Shen Gonglin to try the cream puffs that were prepared in the restaurant this morning. He really likes sweets, so Bronya came."

Sure enough, this girl thought the same as him. She looked like a little girl who didn't know anything, but she took good care of Shen Gonglin, or rather, was tolerant of her? Anyway, it seemed like all the Valkyrie in the Far East Branch spoiled Shen Gonglin. Tesla felt that he had become so willful and arrogant because they had spoiled him... although he didn't really have the right to say such things.

Because my purpose in coming here is the same as hers.

However, Tesla felt that he would definitely prefer xiaolongbao (soup dumplings).

"Perfect timing, I'm also here to have breakfast with him, let's go together."

Tesla greeted them. Although she was a little disappointed that she couldn't have breakfast with him alone, eating with a group of people was a pretty good idea. Food always tastes better when there are many people around. The three of them walked towards Shen Gonglin's room together. However, as soon as they turned the corner, they heard a noise coming from that direction. Tesla and the others stopped. That was... Kiana?

Standing at the corner, Tesla and the others were surprised to find that the door to Shen Gonglin's bedroom had been quietly opened a crack, and then a white head poked out from inside. They were very familiar with this girl; wasn't this Kiana? What was she doing in Shen Gonglin's room, and at this time...? Could it be that this girl had been in Shen Gonglin's room all night?

Upon considering this possibility, Tesla frowned and became quite annoyed. He had been busy all night, and when he came to have breakfast with Shen Gonglin in the morning, he encountered this kind of thing. While he was burning the midnight oil, Jingu Rin was spending the night with a girl. Shen Gonglin really had no humanity... Why did he suddenly feel a little cold?

Feeling quite displeased, Tesla then felt a chill. Following the source of the chill, Tesla focused his gaze on Bronya. What was wrong with her? This girl seemed to be emanating some kind of dark aura. Although her face remained expressionless, Tesla felt that Bronya could practically devour a person alive. Even Seele over there seemed off. Were her eyes always red?

Kiana, you sly cat.

A cold voice squeezed out of Bronya's mouth. She never expected Kiana to do such a thing on the surface, despite her seemingly honest and innocent nature. Forming a girls' alliance with her was definitely the stupidest thing she had ever done. They agreed to stand together through thick and thin, but this girl would abandon her and go it alone whenever she had the chance. Is this something a human being would do?

Kiana is a beast... no, she's worse than a beast!

"Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong with you two? Maybe Kiana just went to talk to Shen Gonglin this morning, no need to be so nervous."

Standing next to the two girls, Tesla, who wasn't a combat type, felt a cold sweat pour down her back. She quickly comforted Bronya and Seele. Hearing Tesla's words, the two girls finally calmed down a bit, and Seele's eyes turned blue again. What had just happened? Had another version of herself come out for some fresh air?

"...Phew, Dr. Tesla was right, maybe they just came to chat...my foot, why is the Class President in there too?"

Bronya's gray eyes were filled with coldness, and Tesla and Seele also looked over. In their sight, Kiana quietly opened the door and the dog sneaked out. But that wasn't all. She looked around and then made a gesture behind her. Then, a girl with long gray hair and red-rimmed glasses also emerged from Shen Gonglin's room. It was the Class President. Why, why were they both in Shen Gonglin's room?!

Bronya felt betrayed. She and Kiana had agreed to stand up for the Class President together, but now she found that the two of them had become best friends. She felt like she had been ostracized. Kiana was really inhuman. She would never trust her again. That girl was a beast!

At this moment, Bronya finally realized how treacherous this society was. Was this what they called superficial sisters? There might even be three separate groups among the three of them. From now on, she shouldn't trust anyone. The only person she could completely trust in this world was herself.

"Hiss... There are two of them... Eh? Bronya, what's wrong with you? You seem to have suddenly changed?"

Tesla looked at Bronya curiously; this feeling was different from before.

"It's nothing, Bronya has just grown a little."

Chapter Five: A Spoonful of Stew

Putting aside Bronya's inexplicable growth, Tesla was speechless as she watched Fu Hua emerge from Shen Gonglin's room. She hadn't had many opportunities to interact with this girl, but in her memory, Fu Hua was supposed to be quite serious, even rigid. But now she was...

It's true that you can't judge a book by its cover. This is what they call quietly making a big impact. Compared to her, Tesla feels like a naive and innocent fool.

I've always prided myself on being a genius inventor, but it seems that all I'm good at is being an inventor.

With puffed-out cheeks and a gloomy face, Tesla was about to charge forward. For this fiery inventor, charging forward was the most appropriate reaction. Bronya followed in her footsteps, while Seele, who was lagging behind, was somewhat at a loss. What was wrong with the two of them? What should she do now?

[Is that even a question? Hurry up and follow them, put on a questioning look, if you can't handle it, I'll take your place!]

Encouraged by her other self, Seele bit her lip and followed. Why did she have to act so accusatory? What if Shen Gonglin saw her being so assertive and didn't like it? She really couldn't understand why she did it. But her other self probably wouldn't hurt her, right? Listening to her would definitely be the right thing to do.

"Headmaster, it's safe now, you can come out... Wait, don't come out yet..."

Like Kiana, Fu Hua looked around and was just about to call Theresa out when she spotted Tesla and the others walking straight towards her. It wouldn't look good if she was seen coming out of her apprentice's room in the morning. However, before she could stop them, Theresa popped her head out, and Tesla and the others were completely stunned. They stood there dumbfounded in front of Shen Gonglin's room.

I never expected Theresa to be in there too. They didn't even spare someone like Theresa? Why should they spare me...? Wait, how could Theresa do something like this?! Others can be excused for being young and ignorant, but as the headmistress of St. Freya Academy, how can she not set a good example?!

"Hey, Doctor, Bronya, and Seele... what brings you all here?"

Unlike Kiana and Fu Hua, whose expressions were unnatural, Theresa's face showed no other emotion besides a little embarrassment. After all, in her view, she was just staying at Shen Gonglin's place, just like when she slept at Himeko's and Kiana's places before. Although such behavior was a bit detrimental to her image as the headmistress, it wasn't entirely unreasonable, so what was there to be afraid of?

"Theresa, you... Ahhhhh, I don't care anymore, your Far East Branch is full of mentally unstable people!"

Theresa was there too. Tesla suddenly felt like he had a lot of complaints he couldn't express. The Red-haired Twin Tails grabbed his head and was furious with impotence. What's wrong with the people in the Far East Branch? Why do they all like to sleep with Shen Gonglin? Is it so nice to sleep with him or something?

At the Anti-Entropy Restaurant, everyone sat around a table laden with exquisite dishes. However, apart from Shen Gonglin, no one was in the mood to eat. Seele wanted to eat, but under the reprimand of her other self, she could only endure her rumbling stomach. She didn't know why her other self was making her maintain such a serious demeanor. Watching Shen Gonglin Jingu wield his chopsticks with such vigor, she realized he was genuinely hungry.

"So, Theresa, you went to sleep with Shen Gonglin because Rosaria and Liliya had taken your room? Then you ran into Kiana on the way, and the two of you had something to say, so you went over together. Then you happened to run into Fu Hua, who was testing Shen Gonglin's training progress, and you talked by candlelight for a long time. In the end, you just stayed overnight at Shen Gonglin. Is that what you mean?"

Tesla's expression softened after piecing together everything Theresa had said. If that was the case, then he had been overthinking things. It was normal for them to have something to talk about. With so much happening recently, it was only natural that Shen Gonglin and the others would have something to discuss after their hard-won return.

"Yes, that's exactly what happened. So, Doctor, you're overthinking it."

Theresa spoke with a slightly unnatural expression, while also giving Fu Hua and Kiana a subtle glare. The two girls had their heads down, knowing their own situation. They knew what they were planning to do when they went to see Shen Gonglin, but now they wanted Theresa to cover for them... The headmistress is such a good person. If you want to get closer to Shen Gonglin in the future, just bring her along. Putting aside everything else, she'll definitely be a perfect shield.

"Seele, why aren't you eating? Here, have some. Do you want some chili? I don't need any."

Ignoring Tesla and the others' conversation, Shen Gonglin only wanted to eat as soon as possible. He hadn't had a proper breakfast in a while, and this bowl of tofu pudding made him very happy. However, in order to save room for other things, he only ate a little and then stopped. They were all talking, and only Seele was sitting next to him, so he decided to let her have it.

She usually likes sweets, but when it comes to tofu pudding, Shen Gonglin is a die-hard savory lover. She pushed the tofu Shen Gonglin next to Seele and thoughtfully picked up a chili jar. This girl seems to eat everything without being picky, but sometimes she seems to like eating something spicy.

"Thank you, thank you... no need..."

[Want!]

"... Never mind, I'll take it anyway."

Seele instinctively refused, but her other self spoke up decisively. Faced with this assertive self, Seele quickly yielded. She was never picky about food and could accept anything, though she preferred sweeter things. But her other self was completely different. She wouldn't eat food she didn't like and preferred more stimulating foods. Since she liked it so much, Seele naturally complied.

"... I didn't realize you were such a true warrior."

Watching Seele scoop a large spoonful of chili into the tofu pudding, Shen Gonglin showed an expression of admiration. He admired her for doing something he himself couldn't do. Seele looked gentle and weak, but he didn't expect her to have such a strong palate. It seemed that she was probably more accepting of certain things.

Chapter Six: News of Schicksal

"Yes, it's another one I want to eat like this..."

Praised by Shen Gonglin, Seele seemed to blush. Shen Gonglin really liked teasing this girl's soft and gentle personality. The girl scooped up a spoonful of tofu pudding and put it in her mouth, completely unconcerned that Shen Gonglin had eaten it before. The chili flavor burst in her mouth, and Seele's face turned red from the spiciness, but she seemed to be able to handle it. After chewing slowly, the girl stuck out her tongue and explained to Shen Gonglin in a low voice.

Shen Gonglin knew about the existence of her other self, but she wondered if he would have any objections to her eating spicy food so much. After all, Seele knew that Shen Gonglin never ate spicy food.

"Oh, it's that girl. I'm not surprised she likes spicy food. So, Seele, what do you want to eat? How about some xiaolongbao?"

Shen Gonglin nodded knowingly. Shen Gonglin had also interacted with the other Seele, who had a completely opposite personality. Thinking about this, Shen Gonglin felt that the Class President and Kiana should learn from Seele. Look how well the two personalities got along, almost like Seele. How come the two of them turned their dual personalities into enemies? Think about it, whether it was Little Herrscher of Consciousness or the Herrscher of the Void, they both wished they could take over the body for themselves. Compared to Seele, they couldn't compare.

This girl looks delicate and frail, but she's really quite capable when it comes to handling this kind of situation. She deserves a good compliment, so let's reward her with half a xiaolongbao (soup dumpling).

Using chopsticks, she brought the xiaolongbao (soup dumpling) to Seele's lips. This time, the girl couldn't help but blush. It wasn't from the spiciness; she was genuinely blushing. After hesitating for a moment, she opened her small mouth and bit into the xiaolongbao. Shen Gonglin was so thoughtful. Knowing that Seele's mouth was small, she specially bit off half of it before feeding it to her. There aren't many people like Shen Gonglin these days.

Stare-----

Before anyone knew it, everyone at the table had turned their attention to Shen Gonglin and Seele. Complex, jealous, and eager eyes were fixed on Seele. While they were discussing important matters, these two were secretly playing some kind of feeding game. If I wasn't mistaken, Shen Gonglin had eaten the tofu pudding and steamed buns, right?

This guy is throwing food he doesn't want to eat onto others again. Just because Seele looks easy to bully doesn't mean he can bully her all the time. This isn't the first time Shen Gonglin has done this. He used to do this all the time back in St. Freya. Kiana and Bronya were the ones who helped him deal with it then. Has he found an even better target to bully now?

Oh no, we've been discovered...

Seele quickly lowered her head and focused on shoveling the tofu pudding into her mouth, while her other self kept urging her to look up at the others defiantly... It was so spicy! She felt her face must be incredibly red right now!

"Shen Gonglin, don't bully Seele. If you really can't finish it, Bronya can help you."

After hearing Theresa's explanation, Bronya's mood improved considerably. At least the girl was now eating seriously, and Bronya was quite enthusiastic about eating. Only by eating well could she grow faster. She understood Shen Gonglin's preferences and knew she needed to grow up quickly to meet Shen Gonglin's criteria for a partner... Bronya had indeed thought so before, but now she realized that Shen Gonglin seemed to have changed as well.

He could even lay a hand on someone like the Class President or the headmaster, so there's no reason he'd let someone like her go. But anyway, it's always good to grow up as quickly as possible. Bronya is really looking forward to her future self. She feels that she has potential that's no less than Mei's.

"Shen Gonglin, eat properly. It's because you never concentrate on your meals that your health hasn't improved. For the sake of nutrition, you have to eat even things you don't like. This egg... don't give it to Kiana, and Kiana too! Don't eat whatever Shen Gonglin gives you!"

Fu Hua peeled eggs one by one and put them into Shen Gonglin's bowl. She urged Shen Gonglin to pay attention to a balanced diet. Only she, his master and future wife, cared about his health. Shen Gonglin was a picky eater, and she had to keep a close eye on him.

"What does it matter? He doesn't like it anyway... Ugh... Water... Give me water..."

The silly girl choked on the egg in one bite, and as expected, she swallowed it whole. Seeing this, Shen Gonglin laughed heartlessly. Theresa, meanwhile, frantically tried to feed Kiana the soy milk, but the choking girl's arm flailing wildly caused her to spill the soy milk. Bronya, her face dark with anger, grabbed a fork and prepared to hit Kiana. If she didn't say something soon, they might really start fighting.

"Hey, hey, hey, did you guys really not hear what we were talking about? Rita contacted me yesterday and sent me a bunch of weird information. I have a feeling that something big is about to happen... or is happening right now."

Just as it was about to turn into a strange feeding frenzy, Tesla quickly spoke up. Kiana managed to swallow the egg with great difficulty, while Seele used a tissue to wipe the soy milk off Bronya's face. Everyone's attention then turned to Tesla. What was the important matter she was talking about?

Could it be even bigger than Kiana almost choking to death just now?

"... I knew you weren't listening carefully. Yesterday, Schicksal contacted me very sincerely. The person who contacted me was that maid. They determined that something extraordinary was happening all over the world during this period. The specifics of the event are still unclear, but she hopes that Schicksal and Anti-Entropy can share information with each other. Chicken Coop Head and I don't think this is a conspiracy by Schicksal. What do you think?"

Tesla sighed and reiterated the situation. Although Schicksal was not to be trusted, the one currently executing Schicksal was Durandal, not Otto. Moreover, considering Durandal's relationship with Rita and Shen Gonglin, Tesla did not believe they were secretly sabotaging Anti-Entropy. As for the two of them... Although Tesla had a grudge against Rita, she was still willing to believe in Durandal.

Although they were enemies before, even Tesla admired Durandal's character. The strongest Valkyrie who stood in front of all humanity to fight against the Honkai, no one could help but truly respect her.

Chapter Seven: Anti-Entropy Anniversary Celebration

"It's Rita ... That news should be credible, but it's too general and can't be traced back to the root of the problem. The world is so big, and strange things happen every day, and we don't have any specific common ground right now... It would be too difficult to investigate if we did."

Theresa felt she should be more serious and not let the doctors think that the Hyperion people were all just fools. The little girl stood up, supporting herself on the table. Theresa didn't think Rita and Durandal were talking nonsense, but given the current situation, they didn't have any good solutions.

"That's true. All we can do now is gather intelligence... Don't worry, leave these things to us. For now, focus on gathering intelligence. The anniversary of Anti-Entropy will be here soon, and we can have a proper celebration then. Let's try to resolve these issues before the anniversary!"

The purpose of bringing this up was to make them take it to heart, but there was no need to worry too much. This period was a rare opportunity for them to rest. Tesla understood that Shen Gonglin others had gone through too much recently, so she wanted them to take this time to rest. It was just intelligence gathering, and Anti-Entropy wasn't short of people. Rather than worrying about this kind of crisis that might come at any time, Tesla felt it was better to let them take charge of the upcoming Anti-Entropy anniversary celebration.

"Anniversary celebration? Anti-Entropy has this kind of event?"

Upon hearing about the celebration, the girls, who had finally settled down to eat, suddenly became excited again. In their eyes, this was much more interesting than what Tesla had just mentioned, and they preferred to focus their energy on such things, at least that way everyone would be happy.

"Yes, it's the 60th anniversary of Anti-Entropy's official founding. Chicken Coop Head and I are planning to throw a party that night to boost morale. After all, so much has happened in the past few months, and everyone is on edge. We need to find a good opportunity to catch our breath. We can go shopping together soon. Whether it's balloons, ribbons, or anything else needed for the celebration, everyone can go shopping."

Tesla nodded and explained, while also getting excited. Before, even when she went out, she didn't feel much interest in it and could only wander around aimlessly with the Chicken Coop Head. But now it's different. Now Anti-Entropy is lively, with so many people. And... and when she goes out shopping, she'll have a chance to spend some time with Shen Gonglin. The others are all sneaking into Shen Gonglin's room so she can go shopping with him. That's not too much to ask, is it?

"I definitely need to catch my breath; I've been through so much these past few months."

Theresa nodded in deep agreement. Anti-Entropy was no longer in a situation with just a few people. The Anti-Entropy Salt Lake Base was now quite lively. Not only were Yuan Schicksal and his group there, but Tesla also had taken in the orphans from the original orphanage. It would be quite inspiring if everyone gathered together to hold a grand celebration.

When the possibility of a major disaster was mentioned earlier, everyone seemed uninterested. However, when the topic of the celebration came up, their enthusiasm was immediately aroused, and everyone started talking at once. Meanwhile, Shen Gonglin noticed something else: no one was around the table where they were eating. Was it because they had defected from Schicksal?

Looking at the Anti-Entropy employees who were hiding far away, Shen Gonglin was a little confused, but the wary looks they were giving her... seemed to be directed at Kiana.

In the Anti-Entropy training room, Shen Gonglin leaned against the railing, idly watching the training field below. After breakfast, everyone dispersed, each with their own duties. Tesla had to handle many daily tasks at the Salt Lake Base, while the Valkyrie began their daily training. Even Theresa had to take Rosaria and Liliya on a mission. Yesterday, everyone gathered to welcome him and Kiana back, but now Anti-Entropy had returned to normal operation.

In that case, Shen Gonglin got bored.

"2B, I want to eat pineapple... but not the center part."

Looking down at Kiana and the others training, Shen Gonglin gave instructions to the girl next to her who wore a mechanical eye patch. This was the humanoid robot girl that had been retrieved from Gray Serpent in Sky City. After Tesla brought her back to Anti-Entropy, Gray Serpent's control over her was completely removed. Now she was also cooperating with Anti-Entropy in information processing. Shen Gonglin happened to see her and then pulled her around to wander around. 2B was the name Shen Gonglin gave her. It wouldn't be bad to be her feeding maid.

"Yes."

The android girl obediently carried out Shen Gonglin's orders. She held a tray and brought a slice of pineapple to Shen Gonglin's mouth. She had accepted Shen Gonglin's orders when her personality was reshaped. Whether it was naming or master-servant relationship, it was only natural for her to obey Shen Gonglin's orders. But to others, Shen Gonglin seemed to be exploiting her.

"You're using her as a maid... I remember that the S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal always claimed to be your personal maid. So, you're interested in this kind of thing."

With a calm tone and delicate voice, Einstein walked over from a distance. After seeing the way the maid was taking care of the young master, she couldn't help but complain. This guy really knows how to order people around. She had seen Shen Gonglin ordering Seele to give him a lap pillow and feed him fruit before. Now it's android girl. Shen Gonglin really knows how to enjoy life. Judging from this, people would definitely think of him as a young master who indulges in pleasure. Who would have thought that such a person is the bond that connects everyone?

"Aiyin, I didn't see you at breakfast. Here, have a piece of pineapple."

Reaching out to greet Einstein, Shen Gonglin offered Einstein a piece of pineapple skewered on a toothpick. To him, this was as simple as eating or drinking, but for this Chicken Coop Head professor... truly, Shen Gonglin is something else entirely.

For some reason, she remembered what happened in Sea Abyss City before, Einstein's calm little face suddenly turned slightly red. She looked around and, after finding no one, the Doctor gently opened her small mouth and took a bite of the pineapple that Shen Gonglin handed her.

It's quite sweet; the pineapples from this farm taste pretty good.

Chapter Eight