My Honkai Star Rail: Reversing All Phenomena

The young station master's eyes curved into crescents. She gave a deliberately solemn cough and lowered her voice.

"Go on, pick it up. The earth-shattering secret is right there."

So Hua Yi picked up the shocking mystery Asta had mentioned and found that it was a shopping list.

[Dear Lifetime Premium Member Miss Asta, thank you for shopping at Cosmic Goodies Online! We have received your order and arranged delivery. Please feel free to check your order status at any time.

This order contains one package. The detailed list of goods is as follows.

Brand Exclusive Refreshing Aroma: Stay awake and prevent drowsiness, fill the room with fragrance!

"The Art of Language": How to deal with difficulties without being rude.

Custom Order: Star Observation Mirror! High-magnification, high-definition professional stargazing.]

The girl's bright eyes remained fixed on Hua Yi. She had been waiting for him to realize that the so-called huge secret was just a shopping list, then show a helpless expression.

Perhaps because this newcomer had always seemed gentle and composed, as though he could handle anything with ease, Asta wanted just a little to tease him and see an interesting expression appear on that face.

Yet Hua Yi noticed many details from the simple shopping list.

"Station Master, you said I wasn't sleeping properly. What's with the refreshing aroma? Stay awake and prevent drowsiness, right?"

"Well, when I first came to the Space Station, I wasn't familiar with many things, and my work efficiency was a little low. I often had to work overtime... But things are different now! Didn't you just spend several System Time units in my office? You smelled the aroma, didn't you?"

"It's impossible to determine whether Miss Asta truly no longer works overtime, or whether she prepared her office in advance so I would get a good night's sleep. In any case, I remember there was no Lounge Chair when I first visited."

"Oh, honestly. You can come inspect my office whenever you want! See whether there's any aroma or not."

A Space Station staff member inspecting the station master's office was truly outrageous.

Yet Asta was not entirely joking. To the girl, Hua Yi was no longer merely a researcher.

What superior casually shared her little secrets with an ordinary subordinate?

The station master realized that things were unfolding differently from what she had expected. Now, it seemed she was the one at a loss.

She watched helplessly as Hua Yi's gaze fell upon the second item on the shopping list.

"The Art of Language."

Emily had bought this book too. It seemed its sales across the universe were quite good.

Could it be that Asta had once been just as poor at speaking as Emily and needed to learn communication skills separately?

No.

Hua Yi immediately dismissed that highly unlikely guess and instead pondered the phrase, "dealing with difficulties."

Interstellar Delicacies was a Membership Shopping Website, and Asta was a Lifetime Premium Member. Her order should have received special customer service handling. Even if it was merely an advertising slogan, it might still have been related to the Keywords she had searched and her actual needs at the time.

"The higher-ups of the various departments shouldn't be making things difficult for the station master, and ordinary researchers couldn't possibly cross several ranks to trouble you. Is the pressure coming from outside the Space Station?"

"You could even guess that?!"

"You need communication skills to deal with them instead of simply ignoring them, which means the other party has considerable standing. But they can't be from the Genius Club or the Interastral Peace Corporation. The geniuses have no reason to make things difficult for the Space Station Administrator Madam Herta personally appointed, while the Interastral Peace Corporation is both the Space Station's investor and business partner. They have even less reason to clash with a little rich girl."

The knowledge Hua Yi had continuously absorbed since arriving at the Space Station flowed through his mind. Ordinary and extraordinary intelligence linked together, allowing him to follow a tiny clue to an answer entirely beyond Asta's expectations.

"It was the Erudition Society, wasn't it?"

There were only a tiny handful of people who could truly enter the Genius Club, but the Erudition Society never let talent go to waste. They broadly welcomed those throughout the vast universe who pursued knowledge, promised them every condition needed to fully utilize their learning, and advocated that all knowledge should circulate like currency.

The utterly different ideals of the two organizations had led to many clashes. A prominent Genius Club member regarded the Erudition Society as a stubborn and foolish joke, calling them a rabble, while the Erudition Society was not particularly friendly toward the Genius Club members who claimed to have research achievements but rarely created value that benefited the entire universe.

The difficulties Asta faced were, at their core, an Academic Contest launched by the Erudition Society against Herta, a Genius Club member. Herta simply had never taken it seriously and left it all for the young station master to handle.

I Really Was Aggrieved Back Then

"Yes."

Asta took a deep breath, feeling that Hua Yi's mind had reached a level terrifying enough to be called frightening.

A trace she had thought unimportant became a document filled with information in his eyes, allowing him to deduce everything with perfect clarity. This thinking and judgment ability was no less impressive than his research talent—perhaps it was even more terrifying.

After all, the girl had watched Hua Yi think for only a moment before using a shopping list that barely qualified as a clue to arrive at a string of correct answers. It was as if the Cognitive Veil draped over complex reality could not obstruct him in the slightest.

But the station master had intended to share her little secret in the first place. Discovering once again that Hua Yi was incredible did not make her uneasy.

"Now, I can directly and politely answer all the Erudition Society's questions. Commanding the Space Station is always easier than inheriting the family business."

She moved two chairs into the room, giving one to Hua Yi and taking the other for herself before continuing.

"You don't need to guess the third item on the shopping list, the Star Observation Mirror. I like stars. I've liked them since I was little."

"Yet your family didn't approve of that."

"Mm. When I was young, I had already begun choosing telescopes for myself. I would vaguely hear praise from the elders around me, and I was quite proud at the time, because I could understand the Primary Mirror Craftsmanship and Guiding System at a glance. Until one day, when I walked closer to them and realized they were merely marveling at how a little girl could choose such expensive items."

Personal preferences did not exist in the eyes of onlookers. They only wanted to see Asta as a pampered little girl.

She likes stars? Oh, I get it. Little girls like sparkly things.

"I told them that I was studying Stellar Embryos. I hoped that one day, a star discovered by me could be named after me, just like those great astronomers... Can you guess how my elders replied?"

"The station master's family is extraordinary. I imagine those wealthy relatives didn't take it seriously. The more enthusiastic ones probably put their enthusiasm in the wrong place and prepared to spend money directly to buy Naming Rights for a star?"

"You really can guess it—yes. They said, 'Is that all? For this year's birthday gift, we'll name a planet after you. Two would be fine too. It doesn't cost much.'"

The girl's pure dream, born entirely from interest and affection and devoid of any consideration for profit, had been casually twisted by her elders.

Did those elders who controlled vast wealth truly not know whether Asta cared about the result or the process?

Perhaps they truly did not.

Because they did not genuinely care about the little girl's thoughts.

Once a family reached a certain scale, familial affection was diluted by struggles over power and wealth. Scheming against one another became the norm.

"Even stars can travel along their own trajectories. What about humans? Can't humans control their own destinies?"

"The current station master has already taken control of her own destiny. You should be happier."

"Where do I look unhappy? I can't be grinning while reminiscing, can I? I really was aggrieved back then! As I grew older, my dream of becoming an astronomer gradually came to be regarded by the family as an Unorthodox Path. I argued with my relatives over it at countless family meetings, only to be scolded by the elders time and time again."

By using righteousness as a pretext to suppress her, they could naturally take away the property that had originally belonged to Asta's Lineage.

The girl's eyes filled with nostalgia. When she recalled the final turning point, a smile finally appeared on her face.

"After one meeting ended, I saw an exquisite automaton girl push the door open and walk straight in. A moment earlier, an overbearing elder had been lecturing me, saying that my interest in stars was useless nonsense. He said that if I kept this up, I should simply hand over the Family Shares so I wouldn't waste important assets. When Madam Herta barged into the meeting without knocking, he turned around, ready to berate her furiously. But the instant he saw who it was, all the wind went out of him."

"I can imagine how dramatic that scene must have been."

"It really was dramatic. That fierce elder, who never allowed anyone to interrupt him when he spoke, became timid and submissive before Madam Herta's not particularly tall automaton. He lowered his head and bowed, while Madam Herta did not even spare him a proper glance. She merely said, 'This little girl, then.'"

Remembering the face of the vicious elder she had not seen in years, Asta wrinkled her nose and playfully began imitating his stunned reaction and Madam Herta's indifferent tone.

"'B-but she...' 'What do you mean, but? I came all this way to listen to your nonsensical academic reports. Listening to this little girl argue with you is much more interesting.' 'My apologies...' 'Within three days, I want to see her at the Space Station.'"

The little rich girl was rather talented at imitation. Her tone and movements were vividly lifelike. Hua Yi felt as if he had personally witnessed the scene, and the corners of his mouth could not help curling upward.

The station master herself was glowing with excitement.

"—And as you can see, I left that family filled with endless arguments and came to this Space Station, this Land of Dreams."

At the Space Station, there were no vicious elders trying to meddle in Asta's life, nor were there hypocritical distant relatives pretending to care while actually seeking greater benefits. Asta could use her pocket money to buy anything that interested her, observe the stars to her heart's content, and explore the mysteries of astronomy.

Of course, all of that was contingent on fulfilling Madam Herta's requirements and ensuring the Space Station operated steadily and developed healthily.

Though the Herta Automaton was petite, to Asta, she was far kinder than the vast majority of her own elders.

At that moment, the pink-haired girl no longer intended to let Hua Yi search for clues. She immediately ran to the bookshelf in the corner of the room, picked up several sheets of Letter Paper, and slapped them heavily onto the desk.

The family letters printed with a Gilded Family Crest looked exceptionally luxurious, but the conspicuous creases showed they had once been repeatedly crumpled.

"Hua Yi, look at what those elders of mine wrote. One moment, an uncle says my great-grandmother is critically ill and tells me to return immediately. The next, an aunt says my uncle has ulterior motives and tells me never to trust him, instead taking another arranged ship. Then the Family Trust Fund Committee tells me that my aunt secretly forged a Transfer Agreement in an attempt to seize my shares."

These were already matters of the past, and Asta had long since made peace with them.

Compared with anger toward those sinister elders, she was now more interested in pouring out her feelings and expressing emotions she usually kept hidden.

So Decisive?

The girl puffed out her cheeks in anger, hoping the researcher she had personally promoted would share her indignation and properly criticize those awful relatives.

Instead, Hua Yi extended a finger and poked Asta's puffed-up cheek.

"Pfft."

The station master's cherry lips parted slightly, her cheek deflated, and an amusing sound of escaping air came out.

"Hey, what are you doing?!"

"I'll contact the Five Departments right away and communicate with the Interastral Peace Corporation. As one of the corporation's important goods suppliers and a buyer of Curios, the Department of Applied Materials can say a few words. We'll stand up for the station master and give those ill-intentioned relatives the punishment they deserve."

Perhaps Herta · Universal Applied Materials alone did not carry enough weight, but with Madam Herta, who had already clearly shown her stance, added to the equation, the Interastral Peace Corporation would never remain indifferent.

And the family behind Asta likely would not remain indifferent either. They would certainly respond.

What kind of response would it be? Naturally, they could not possibly strike a stone with an egg and challenge the Interastral Peace Corporation that spanned the universe. That would be nothing but courting death.

The uncle and aunt the girl had just mentioned would most likely be Cut Off by the family at light speed. Forget seizing a junior's shares through trickery and force—them would fall into an abyss in an instant. The bystanders within the family would surely be more than willing to step forward and sever ties in the name of righteousness, accepting the unexpected gains and dividing the spoils left without their former owners.

"You have done so much for the Space Station. Don't feel that you stand alone. The entire Herta Space Station is behind you. Under the station master's careful management, the energy contained within this Starry Sky Museum has long been astonishing."

A researcher told the station master that an entire Herta Space Station stood behind her. What a subtle situation. Yet rather than dwelling on that, Asta was more speechless over another fact.

She had wanted Hua Yi to criticize her relatives with her, but he was already preparing to take concrete action and strike with precision.

So decisive?

And yet, after making a rough estimate, the young lady realized Hua Yi was not making empty boasts. Her relatives could not represent the entire family. As long as they were treated as enemies and enough stakes were placed on the table, victory or defeat could be determined easily.

"Th-there's no need to make such a big move. Ever since I stopped paying attention to them, those people gave up trying to work on me and instead focused on scheming against one another."

"Wholeheartedly fighting for power and profit. Perhaps they should be praised for remaining true to their original aspirations and unwavering in their resolve."

"Pfft."

This time, it was not air leaking from her mouth. Asta simply laughed aloud.

Her wish to confide in Hua Yi and vent her little frustrations had been fulfilled. She now felt refreshed and thoroughly at ease.

As for the miscellaneous advertisements and scam letters also kept in the room, one moment trying to sell the little rich girl financial products with exceptionally high returns, the next asking her to invest in some emerging industry full of development potential, she treated them as jokes.

The girl was half using them as examples for Hua Yi so he would not be deceived by bad people in the future, and half driven by a special feeling. She wanted to prove to the person before her that she had sharp eyes and that his station master was quite impressive too.

"—That's about it. So? Did it open your eyes? Did you learn many things you didn't know before?"

"Indeed. Thank you, Teacher Asta, for teaching through words and example and giving me an anti-fraud lesson full of examples. Unfortunately, I possess nothing of value, so there is nothing worth scamming from me."

"You can't think like that! You've already developed the Seed of Erudition, and you have the authority of an All-Department Level IV Researcher, as well as enough influence to make all Five Departments act together. How can you say there's nothing worth scamming? What if you let your guard down too much and someone eats you clean? You absolutely cannot underestimate how bold the girls in the Fan Support Club can be!"

"Fan Support Club?"

"Gulp..."

Oh no. Asta realized she had been having too much fun talking with Hua Yi and had gradually gotten carried away, accidentally letting it slip.

How could she admit that the Space Station's station master had anonymously joined his Fan Support Club, lurked and watched the chat, occasionally popped up to chat with group members?

Even if she solemnly claimed, "I am supervising the Chat Group to prevent the topic from developing in an uncontrollable direction," the girl still felt embarrassed.

She hurriedly changed the subject.

"That isn't the important part! The important part is... is... hm! Now that you know the great secret of this young lady's background, I can't let you swagger out of here. The moment you entered this room, you inhaled hallucinogenic gas. Its poison is so potent that even the Space Station Medical Department is beyond remedy—anyway, your life is forfeit!"

The station master bared her teeth and claws as she threatened him, while Hua Yi wore a shocked expression.

"I don't see the young lady wearing a gas mask or anything similar. Are you planning to perish with me? What kind of grudge is this?"

"Of course not!"

Asta's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She had hastily relied on nonsense to shift the attention away, but now she felt deeply ashamed.

As it happened, she and Hua Yi were sitting beside the desk, close to one another. This gave the little rich girl an opportunity to escape the awkwardness through means other than words.

She tilted her head and was about to ram into his nose, intending to express her emotions through practical action, but he stopped her with one hand. Their positions instantly reversed, and she became the one actively asking to have her head patted.

In that case, I won't stand on ceremony.

Hua Yi casually rubbed Asta's head a few times. Her pink hair was soft and smooth, with an excellent feel beneath his hand.

"You—"