Type I Clone

Welt Yang returned to Anti-Entropy's base just then and saw a blue chicken-nest-haired woman drift past him. Einstein held a cup of coffee and poured one for Welt Yang as well.

After taking a sip of coffee, he glanced at the red-haired woman with twin ponytails who was diligently working away and asked in surprise, "Isn't today the premiere of Alahato? Didn't you watch it, Tesla?"

"Please, as the producer, I finished watching it ages ago, okay? Besides, I worked as one of the screenwriters too." Tesla flicked her twin ponytails and stared impatiently at the screen before her.

Welt did not say anything. He merely constructed a screen in his hand, playing none other than "Heavy Mech Alahato." Welt watched with great interest while also briefing Einstein on some matters concerning the academy, lest she return later completely clueless.

"By the way, Einstein, the student from Shenzhou that Ryoma recommended has arrived. When are you going to meet him? I've already arranged for him to stay in your laboratory."

"Mm, I'll go back and take a look in a few days. Oh, and H&K Company has been far too active lately. I originally thought Schicksal had made a move, but it seems more like they're acting on their own. Their methods are rather clumsy." Einstein calmly drank her coffee without the slightest hint of panic.

Seeing how idle the two of them were, Tesla grew annoyed. "Hey, chicken-nest head, get to work. There are some strange fluctuations near California. I just captured the parameters."

"Alright, alright." Einstein helplessly put down her coffee and helped Tesla calculate the parameters. For a while, the base was quiet, with only the sound of Welt watching his movie.

Everything had seemed peaceful, but when Welt reached the final stretch of the film, Tesla could no longer endure it. She roared, "Can't you see we're working? How can you just sit there watching a movie?!"

Welt Yang looked up at Tesla in confusion. "Don't I already have you and Einstein?"

"If you're not going to work, then get out! We don't need you here. Go be your professor!"

Having missed part of the ending, Welt Yang rewound the film a little. Just as he watched the heroine get rescued and fitted with a prosthetic right arm, the male and female leads began confessing their feelings.

At that moment, Tesla launched another barrage of profanity. "Those H&K bastards, those ******, they actually pirated my Titan Mech and made it look so ugly. Why don't they just go ***"

The endless stream of obscenities washed over him, and Welt Yang failed to hear what the male and female leads had said. Just then, Einstein spoke up as well. "Stop arguing. There's important news."

The screen opened to reveal a tall figure, at least two heads taller than both Einstein and Tesla. A seductive laugh rang out. "Still having fun as always, I see. But now isn't the time to relax. Something has happened."

Everyone put down what they were doing and listened as she continued. "Just as I was cooperating with Clone I to seize control of all H&K Company's subordinate branches, the HK Organizations in Houston, California, and Las Vegas somehow broke through the blockade and forcibly escaped with the mechs. Two Clone I units have also gone out of control. The HK Organization has already sent Ryoma to handle it with a Titan Mech unit. Right now, the Clone I units in California and Las Vegas need to be dealt with immediately."

After she finished speaking, the atmosphere in the base grew heavy. An organization losing control was not much of an issue, but Clone I units going out of control was no small matter.

"Alliance Leader, it seems you'll have to make the trip yourself." The figure on the screen looked at Welt. Einstein hesitated slightly. Ever since the Second Honkai Eruption, Welt Yang's injuries had never truly healed. Handling two at once would be too much of a strain.

Tesla spoke up as well. "I can pilot the Alahato prototype to deal with one Clone I. Since that Clone I is only as dangerous as a Temple-level Honkai Beast, it would be a good chance to test Alahato's performance."

Hearing that, Welt suddenly made up his mind. "No. It isn't time for Alahato to be exposed yet. I'll deal with both at once. Give me the coordinates, Cocolia."

"Perhaps you won't need to make two moves after all. I just checked the database, and it seems there's someone in California who can deal with Clone I."

Cocolia's tone was somewhat strange. After all, she had not expected such a coincidence—or perhaps it was not a coincidence at all.

Einstein and Welt were both surprised. Tesla was disappointed that she could not pilot Alahato, but she still perked up her ears to listen.

"It's the student Ryoma recommended to you, Li Ming, Dr. Einstein."

Einstein had never met Li Ming, so she did not react much. Welt, on the other hand, found it hard to believe. You're telling me that timid, shameless student I just met can deal with a Type I Clone? You've got to be kidding.

"According to the information Ryoma provided, Li Ming once worked with Ryoma in Qinghe City, Shenzhou, to deal with a Clone I. I've already notified the California combat team. As long as they cooperate with the local guards and protective suits, they can absolutely deal with one Clone I. And for some unknown reason, those Clone I units are moving toward Li Ming's location."

"For now, that's all we can do."

His first encounter had been with Clone I, and now Clone I was even heading toward him on its own. Was he some kind of monster magnet?

Leaving aside Anti-Entropy's arrangements, let's return to ten minutes earlier.

California, America. DreamWorks Cinema.

Mint Candy found the movie rather dull. She chewed on a lollipop and swept her gaze around the area, only to notice that something was wrong. She quietly vanished from where she stood.

Himeko, who had cried earlier, also wiped away her tears. Seeing Li Ming's half-smiling expression, she felt somewhat embarrassed but still glared at him. "What are you looking at?!"

Himeko was flustered and replied in Japanese, but Li Ming unexpectedly answered her in Japanese as well. "Alright, the movie's over, and it's still early. What should we do now?"

"Huh?" Himeko's eyes widened. "You can speak Japanese?"

"Shouldn't I be able to?" Li Ming looked confused by her question. Then, as though he had thought of something, he suddenly grinned. "Arigato, Miyabi-san!"

Himeko frowned. Li Ming's Japanese had been fairly standard before, but now it sounded oddly rustic. And who was Miyabi-san? Li Ming chuckled. "It's a slang phrase. My teacher said you should answer it with 'Feiyangyang, you baka yarou.'"

Hearing that, Himeko immediately realized that Li Ming was teasing her. Seeing him grin so broadly it looked like he was about to open a third eye, she raised her hand and slapped at him. "Li Ming, you baka yarou!"

But how could Himeko's soft, weak strike possibly hit Li Ming? He simply jumped aside, dodged, and ran out of the theater. Himeko chased after him, while the people nearby wore knowing smiles, assuming the two were a young couple flirting and bickering.

Himeko chased Li Ming out of the cinema. After finally catching up to him, she gave his back a hard slap.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion rang through the entire street. Another explosion suddenly erupted from the building beside them. Li Ming helplessly turned to look at Himeko, who panicked at once. "No, that wasn't me! It had nothing to do with me..."

The sudden change frightened Himeko so badly that she began babbling incoherently. Especially when Li Ming looked at her, she could not help feeling guilty.

"Who said it had anything to do with you? I was just saying, run." Li Ming was helpless before this silly girl. Only then did Himeko react. Li Ming grabbed her and pulled her into an alley, using the garbage bins there as cover.

At that moment, smoke and dust filled the roadside as a building collapsed. The dust quickly blanketed the entire block, and people nearby screamed as they fled.

The once lively and orderly district suddenly descended into chaos. Vehicles from California's local guard force appeared sporadically, but when they fired warning shots, they only agitated the panicked crowd further.

Some people, terrified out of their wits, even pulled guns on the guards. This only made the situation more chaotic. Though the guards were primarily targeting whoever had caused the building to collapse—

If they believed anyone nearby posed a threat, they would not hesitate to act.

Li Ming, who was hiding behind a garbage bin with Himeko and observing the situation, was speechless. "Is this America, where every day is a happy day? I can really feel the intense atmosphere!"

Mint Candy floated in the air and looked down at the suddenly collapsed building in confusion. "Such dense Honkai Energy. No, I need to tell Ryusuke."

A wormhole flashed briefly, and Mint Candy vanished from the air.

After the guards temporarily stabilized the street, a blue-haired man appeared atop the ruins, holding a black sphere in one hand. There was not the slightest trace of emotion in his azure eyes.

The moment that man appeared, Li Ming knew things were bad. Forgetting all propriety between men and women, he hoisted Himeko over his shoulder and ran.

Before Himeko could react, Li Ming had already stepped against the walls and leaped several times, climbing to the rooftop. But after taking a look at the mere four-story height, he decided it was still not safe enough. He swept his gaze around, found a storage room on the roof, and brought Himeko inside with him. "Hey, Li Ming, you bastard, what are you doing? You..."

Dragged here so suddenly by Li Ming, Himeko was panicking badly. After realizing Li Ming was far from ordinary, her panic only grew stronger, because it seemed she could not stop him at all.

"Sorry, Himeko. It's dangerous outside right now. Let's hide here for a while." After setting Himeko down, Li Ming leaned against the door and listened to the sounds outside. Suddenly, he felt a wave of Honkai Energy sweep through the surroundings, and his heart skipped a beat.

He hurried outside. Himeko leaned against the wall, still trying to catch her breath. Li Ming looked over the railing and saw dense Honkai Energy covering at least the entire block. Some of the injured and weak-willed had already been corrupted by Honkai Energy, and some had even begun transforming into zombies.

Of course, there were also people who could not endure the corrosion of Honkai Energy and simply turned to ash.

Li Ming frowned. He had never expected that merely taking Himeko out to watch a movie would lead to another bootleg Boss Yang. Could it be that my fate clashes with Boss Yang's? Otherwise, why does a bootleg Boss Yang show up every time something big happens?

Li Ming secretly made up his mind. From now on, he would skip Welt's classes whenever he could. If he could not skip them, he would think of another way. Otherwise, he feared that while conducting research in the laboratory, a bootleg Old Yang might suddenly walk in and tell him, "Today, I'm taking her away. Let's see who dares stop me."

But that was all Li Ming's personal speculation.