"Kevin, let me see!"
"Hey!"
The bedroom door could no longer withstand everyone's shoving and burst open. Kevin and Elysia at the front nearly failed to react in time and fell to the floor.
Yaqing, carrying Mobius in a princess hold, looked at everything with indifference.
"Ah... haha, what a coincidence. Yaqing, have you eaten?" Kevin laughed awkwardly.
"Miss Pink Elf brought you all some desserts!" Elysia reacted the fastest, pulling a tray from behind her back. There were four snow mochi on it.
Kalpas stared at his hands in confusion. He could not understand how the tray that had just been in his hands had ended up with Elysia, nor why the ten snow mochi he had made had become only four.
Sensing that things were going badly, Pardo retreated behind everyone.
"Ling, hurry up and go to sleep. You still have school tomorrow."
"Ah... right, Sister, I'm sleepy. I want you to tell me a bedtime story."
Sakura and Ling immediately ran off.
"..." Kosma, who had not spoken all along, had a very eventful inner world. Dr. Mobius and Brother Yaqing? When did that happen? How did I not know? Judging by everyone's reactions, could I be the only one who doesn't know? But why didn't anyone tell me?
Unfortunately, Pardo was busy lowering her presence and did not translate for Kosma.
"Sigh..." Yaqing sighed and said, "Since you're here, Elysia, take Senior Mobius back. I'm not really... suited to entering a girl's room."
"Yay! Be good, Dr. Mobius. Let Miss Pink Elf carry you back." Elysia was delighted.
"No! I don't want that pink fat hag to carry me!" Mobius said in an adorably spoiled voice, looking at Yaqing with teary eyes.
Elysia was deeply dejected.
"Pfft." Mei could not hold back her laughter. She could not imagine that Mobius, who had always seemed as dangerous as a venomous snake, would become like this when drunk.
"Yaqing, since Mobius wants you to carry her, just take her back to the bedroom," Kevin said, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
In the end, Blanca, who had finished showering and was about to sleep, came downstairs. Only then did the drunken Mobius stop clinging to Yaqing and allow Mei and Blanca to support her back to the third-floor bedroom.
Before leaving, Kevin even patted Yaqing on the shoulder. That look in his eyes made Yaqing want to punch him.
After eating a snow mochi personally made by Master Kalpas, its sweet flavor spread through Yaqing's mouth. Lying in bed, he gradually fell asleep without realizing it.
The Second Movie Project
A week had passed since the animated Honkai movie premiered. The internet was full of praise for it, but quite a few hot-blooded netizens had also left furious comments beneath the film, tearing into Walter Yang.
"Walter Yang actually dared to kill off Cecilia at the end! I... I am irreconcilable with Anti-Entropy Entertainment!"
"Walter Yang, don't let me see you on ChangKong Street, or else..."
"Walter Yang, you deserve to die!"
Whenever Yaqing saw comments like these, he wore a subtle smile and could not help feeling a little fortunate.
His phone suddenly rang. Without even looking, Yaqing knew it was Walter Yang calling. Walter had called him countless times over the past week, but he had never answered.
But today, he did.
"Good morning, Mr. Walter. I wonder if you're feeling even a little pleased?"
"Stop talking nonsense, Yaqing Schariac. What exactly are you trying to do? I don't need your charity, and neither does Anti-Entropy." Yaqing's tone reminded Walter of Otto, so Walter's tone was far from pleasant. It was even somewhat stiff.
"Mr. Walter, I don't understand what you mean." Yaqing smiled. "For certain unavoidable reasons, I listed you as the screenwriter, yet you misunderstood me and bombarded me with calls for an entire week."
"Hmm, how should I put this?" Yaqing's tone grew increasingly teasing. "I did put your name in the screenwriter credit, but that was merely a small apology from me on behalf of the president."
"If that caused you unnecessary trouble, I'm sorry. How about I find a monument and kneel before it on the spot, putting on a tearful performance for you? Haha, though I imagine you wouldn't want to see that."
Walter furrowed his brow. He heard two completely different emotions in Yaqing's words: sincerity and mockery. He could not tell whether Yaqing was genuinely apologizing or making fun of him.
"I..." Walter opened his mouth. The reasons he had prepared for questioning Yaqing had been thrown into disarray, and for a moment, he did not know what to say.
"Mr. Walter, if there's nothing else, I'll hang up now. I look forward to our next collaboration, esteemed... screenwriter."
Yaqing hung up, leaving Walter Yang on the other end questioning his life.
After shutting down his computer, Yaqing stretched. He had not worn his beloved dinosaur pajamas for the past week. "Perhaps it's time to get to work."
Yaqing changed into casual clothes: a white long-sleeved shirt paired with loose jeans. It was nearly ten o'clock, and there was hardly anyone in the courtyard. Those who should have been at school were at school, and those who should have been at work were at work.
By the time Yaqing arrived downstairs at the company, it was exactly eleven.
"Lord Yaqing, you actually came to the company today." Rita looked at Yaqing in surprise while holding a proposal document. After all, they had returned to work on the third day after the movie premiered.
"Mm. Rita, notify everyone. Meeting room in half an hour." After saying that, Yaqing headed to the top floor.
Rita agreed. After organizing the proposal in her hands, she went to notify everyone one by one.
Half an hour later, in the meeting room, Yaqing opened the laptop he had brought from the courtyard and projected it onto the screen behind him. "Let's get straight to the point. Due to the success of the first movie, we need to strike while the iron is hot and make a sequel."
"Has the script already been written? Without a script and character descriptions, how are we supposed to create the models?" Patrick spoke first.
"The script has already been created. The timeline is set sixteen years after the first film. The working title is Collapse I: Ballad of the Wind Colors, and the movie will end with the Fourth Herrscher's exit."
"Boss, I have a question!" Shub said. "The first movie ended with the Second Herrscher's death, but the second movie is about the Fourth Herrscher. What about the Third Herrscher? Won't that make the plot feel disconnected?"
Salome said, "Shub, the solution is simple. Just make the Third Herrscher, like Walter, a Herrscher who fights for humanity. Give her plenty of appearances too, so the script can flesh out her storyline."
Yaqing silently took a sip of water.
"That's right, that's exactly what I was thinking. Wouldn't it work if the Third Herrscher became one of the main cast?" Yaqing pulled up the character introductions.
Kiana Kaslana: an energetic young girl with two braided pigtails. Her Valkyrie armor was a white bodysuit accented with orange and black stripes.
Raiden Mei: the Third Herrscher. Gentle in personality, with long purple hair and a mild, graceful temperament. Her Valkyrie armor consisted of a black threadlike undersuit and pink armor. Whenever the Herrscher personality was detected, the bomb at her heart would activate.
Bronya: emotionally deficient, a quiet little girl skilled in hacking, with an inexplicable relationship with Anti-Entropy. A mech named "Project Bunny" constantly followed behind her.
"Is this the main cast?" Cheng Lixue had a bad feeling. Kiana would not end up like Cecilia, would she? After all, Cecilia had been the female lead of the previous movie, and her ending had already...
"Will the original people still do the voice acting?" Shub asked. After all, everyone within Schicksal knew Yaqing had developed a machine that could imitate human speech.
"Let them do it themselves. The machine still needs further optimization. Some parts sound unnatural, and if you listen carefully, there's even a faint electrical hum." Yaqing said.
"By the way, I feel like I've forgotten something." Yaqing frowned.
The women felt the same way. They all had the vague feeling that they had forgotten something.
"Yeah, Boss, I feel the same way. What exactly did we forget?" Shub was completely baffled.
"Forget it, no point dwelling on it. The proposal has been sent to your emails. For now, we'll target the Christmas holiday slot. First, make a promotional video and take advantage of the first movie's popularity before it dies down." Yaqing gave out all the instructions.
The women got to work.
Yaqing was still deep in thought.
"What exactly did I forget?"
At ChangKong Airport, Shigure Kira had been waiting for half an hour with a huge pile of luggage. Unable to bear it any longer, she took out her phone and called Yaqing.
"Hello, Kira. Why are you calling me so early in the morning?"
Hearing Yaqing's lazy tone, Shigure Kira could not help becoming suspicious. "Don't tell me you're still in bed?"
"How could that be? I'm already at the company, working hard." Yaqing sampled the dessert Rita had bought and took another sip of refreshing coffee.
"Then why are you not! Here! To pick me up?!" Shigure Kira was furious. He had clearly promised to pick her up, yet he had stood her up.
"Damn, I forgot," Yaqing blurted out instinctively.
"What?! Yaqing, you're finished!" Shigure Kira wanted nothing more than to crush her phone.
"Kira, which airport are you at? I'll come pick you up now."
"No need. I'm already in a taxi. Just wait, Yaqing." Shigure Kira was so angry that her ample chest trembled continuously.
Without the slightest hesitation, Yaqing chose to run away.
When Shigure Kira arrived at the company, Yaqing was nowhere to be found. She was so angry that she kept shaking Cheng Lixue. "Aaaaaah!!!"
Shigure Kira's Shut-In State
"Run, then. Keep running!"
Having finally found a chance to corner Yaqing, Shigure Kira spoke with a smile that did not reach her eyes.
Yaqing glared at Rita, who was snickering behind Shigure Kira. Rita was not flustered in the slightest. Instead, she covered her mouth and laughed even more happily.
"Kira, long time no see. Welcome to the Far East." Yaqing put on a polite smile.
"Tell me, why did you forget to pick me up?" Shigure Kira's pretty face was serious.
"Because I forgot, obviously." Yaqing answered directly.
"What?!" Shigure Kira's beautiful eyes widened.
"How about I take you around St. Freya Academy?" Yaqing picked up his car keys.
"Huh?" Shigure Kira was so stunned that she even forgot to be angry.
Yaqing patted Kira on the shoulder.
Shigure Kira unconsciously followed behind him.
Yaqing had his own plans. He had originally intended to visit Theresa, Kiana, and the others at St. Freya Academy today. He also had the task of taking pictures of St. Freya's architectural layout.
St. Freya Academy covered far too much ground. Before accompanying Shigure Kira around, they needed to visit Theresa in the principal's office first.
Outside the office, Yaqing knocked on the door and waited a moment. Hearing hurried, strange sounds of collision from within, he heard Theresa's flustered voice.
"W-Wait a moment!"
About a minute later, the office door opened a crack. Theresa poked her little head out and looked suspiciously at Yaqing. "What are you here for?"
Theresa's wary gaze turned into delight when she saw Shigure Kira behind Yaqing. After all, no one would be afraid of a...
"Kira!"
Theresa pulled the door open.
Yaqing immediately spotted scraps of torn paper in the trash can and instantly understood. He looked at Theresa with amusement.
Theresa glared at him in embarrassment and anger.
Shigure Kira was completely confused. "Huh? Is that some kind of secret code between you two?"
"It's nothing. Kira, why did you suddenly come to the Far East too?" Theresa sat in her chair, her feet dangling above the ground as her tender white-stockinged legs swayed lightly.
The moment this was mentioned, Shigure Kira became furious. Sitting on the sofa with her hands on her slender waist, she puffed up her cheeks and said, "It's all this guy's fault."
Following the direction of Shigure Kira's finger, Theresa saw Yaqing, who was skillfully pouring himself a glass of water. He pointed at himself in disbelief. "Me?"
"Yes, you!" Shigure Kira was exceptionally certain, though her voice carried a hint of grievance. "If you hadn't come to the Far East to open a branch office, none of this would have happened. Theresa, can you believe it? I only went on vacation for three days, and when I came back, my work team had been disbanded."
For some reason, after hearing Shigure Kira's sad experience, Theresa wanted to sympathize with her, but she could not quite hold back her laughter.
"Sigh, just laugh if you want to." Shigure Kira said helplessly.
"Hahahahaha!" Theresa burst into laughter.
"Hahaha... ah!" The moment Yaqing laughed, he received a punch in the chest.
"Laugh? You're not allowed to laugh!"
"Fine, fine. Kira, you and little Theresa haven't seen each other in so long, so you must have a lot to talk about. I'll go get some work done first."
"Go on, go on~"
After Yaqing left, Shigure Kira finally could not help asking, "Theresa, I heard Director Cecilia is in the Far East too. How is she now...?"
Theresa looked puzzled. "Kira, didn't you know? Cecilia left the Far East yesterday. I think she went back to the Nordic headquarters."
Shigure Kira, who had arrived in the Far East from headquarters today: ...
Shigure Kira turned to stone.
After organizing all the documents and preparing to leave, Yaqing ran into Kiana, Raiden Mei, and Bronya. Kiana stared at him in surprise and said, "Stinky Uncle, what are you doing here?"
Before you continue