My Honkai Star Rail: Reversing All Phenomena

Just as he had said, improving the Space Station's ability to withstand risks could only help. In the past, a researcher from the Department of Land Surveying had blown a huge hole in the Space Station, causing staggering losses.

Of course, the ones who had been shocked were the members of the Department of Land Surveying and the Department of Applied Materials—not the little rich girl.

"I can pay for this project out of my own pocket. You don't need to worry about funding. Go ahead and do it."

"No, please follow the Space Station's procedures. Let the Department of Applied Materials handle the expenses. Credits can accomplish many things, but there are also plenty of things they can't buy, no matter how high the price is."

"True~"

Hua Yi had shown that he valued strengthening the Space Station's defenses, but he did not seem anxious about it. Otherwise, he would not have once again insisted on following procedure.

Realizing this, Asta's previously tense heart relaxed.

"Star Destroyers are hard to buy. When I saw Madam Herta's notice earlier, I considered directly ordering a Star Destroyer online to strengthen the Space Station. But after browsing all the major shopping sites and manufacturer pages, there was no stock anywhere. Even future orders are booked far in advance."

"Yikes, that's some terrifying shopping efficiency."

"Are you complimenting me or making fun of me?"

The Station Master raised her tiny fist and symbolically tapped Hua Yi on the chest. This rather intimate gesture naturally did not escape Lamina, who was quietly standing by nearby and awaiting orders.

The young researcher was utterly stunned!

When had these two become so close? How long had Hua Yi even been at the Space Station? Had Station Master Asta moved that fast?!

Should she mention this in the Fan Support Club?

Power, rank... how could those people in the group chat compare to the Station Master? If she accidentally discovered everyone's feelings for Hua Yi, they would go from ordinary superiors and subordinates to romantic rivals. Who knew how many group members would suffer?

She had to warn everyone, but she could not be too direct. There were too many group members. If she outright said, "Station Master Asta might also like Hua Yi," the entire Space Station would probably know before long. Rumors were bound to become distorted through repeated retellings. In the end, it might turn into, "Station Master Asta has already eaten Hua Yi alive."

Then, as the source of the rumor, she would definitely be targeted by the Station Master. Being sent packing would be the least of it—she might simply vanish from the face of the universe.

The fate of herself and her like-minded friends in the group was so heavy that it nearly crushed the breath from Lamina's lungs.

She shuddered. In such a short time, her emotions had undergone several enormous swings. She felt as though all the strength had drained from her body and slumped weakly into her seat, racking her brains for a balance between warning her fellow group members and avoiding angering the Station Master.

"Lamina, are you all right?"

Asta asked in confusion. She had clearly tapped Hua Yi with her little pink fist, and she had not even used any force—it had merely been a light touch. Why had the young researcher beside them suddenly gone pale?

When did I learn how to strike through the air?

"N-No, I'm fine! Completely fine!"

"It was just an ordinary question. You don't need to stand up to answer—if you're feeling unwell, you should visit the Medical Department for a checkup. There is nothing else you need to help with in the office."

"Yes."

Watching Lamina take her Personal Terminal and leave with her entire body tense, Asta felt that she did not look sick at all.

The pink-haired girl turned to Hua Yi instead.

"Did you ask her any unusual questions just now?"

"What kind of question counts as unusual?"

"For example, asking how Lamina joined the Space Station. There are some circumstances behind that, and I actually know all about them... Anyway, Lamina is a very Lamina sort of girl. You need to understand a young girl's worries."

"Then may I ask what worries Station Master has?"

"None! I already shared so many secrets with you before. What else do you want to know?!"

You Have Some Kind of Strange Fetish, Don't You?

A Station Master had a Station Master's responsibilities. Since Hua Yi had clearly pointed out how to strengthen the Space Station's defensive capabilities, Asta naturally had to take on the task of coordinating the various departments and became busy.

Personnel from the Five Research Departments and the Defense Department moved throughout the Space Station, while the Maintenance Department inspected the reliability of all sorts of facilities. This Starry Sky Museum had entered a period of high-speed operation rarely seen even over the past several Amber Eras.

On the surface, Madam Herta had issued an abrupt order to begin a new key project. However, the seasoned and worldly-wise elders of the various departments connected it with the Genius Miss's two consecutive direct notices and vaguely guessed that Hua Yi was the true driving force behind it all.

Was that a bad thing?

Of course not!

Madam Herta, who had long been absent from the Space Station, had recently made her presence known repeatedly. That precisely showed just how extraordinarily talented Hua Yi was.

A newcomer to the Space Station was so outstanding, and one of the universe's most renowned geniuses had once again turned her attention to this Starry Sky Museum. Those two joys combined into an even greater joy.

Never mind a project as reasonable as increasing the Space Station's defense level. Even if Hua Yi wanted to use the Space Station's resources to develop his home planet—whether by sending cutting-edge equipment and researchers, injecting technology and wealth, or expanding designated recruitment quotas to bring in companions he knew—as long as Madam Herta did not explicitly object, none of the departments would have a problem with it.

Two System Time later, Asta had finally more or less handled the initial stage of the project after visiting each department in turn to inspect conditions firsthand and direct the work.

Remembering Lamina's earlier odd behavior, the Station Master, concerned for her subordinate researcher, checked the Medical Department's records in hopes of finding out what exactly was wrong with the girl. Yet she did not see Lamina's name.

Instead, notifications from the [Hua Yi Fan Club] kept appearing in her terminal's regular notification bar. When Asta opened it, she found that there were over a thousand new messages.

Faced with such an outrageous amount of information, the Station Master curiously scrolled to the very top of the chat history.

Around two System Time earlier, not long after Lamina had left Hua Yi's office, she had sent a message to the group.

"Station Master Asta is beautiful and gentle. She earned Madam Herta's appreciation at such a young age and manages the entire Space Station. She's amazing."

"She really is amazing."

"Wait a minute, isn't this Lord Hua Yi's fan group? Why are you suddenly praising the Station Master with no warning? Although the Station Master is indeed pretty great."

"Did Lamina meet with the Station Master?"

"Could it be that the sheer amount of snacks we sent Lord Hua Yi alarmed Station Master Asta, but rather than reprimanding us, she showed understanding? Is that why Lamina is so moved?"

"Does that mean the Fan Support Club has gained Station Master's approval? Yay!"

"No, that's not what I mean..."

After Lamina's account denied the group members' speculation, she did not immediately provide a follow-up explanation. She seemed to be choosing her words carefully, while everyone else reacted in all sorts of ways.

"Then what do you mean?"

"I know! Lamina must be a fan of Station Master Asta! Unlike her admiration for Lord Hua Yi, this is a perfectly normal kind of worship."

"Hey, hey, hey. Are you implying that the rest of us group members aren't normal?"

"Speaking of admiration—I really admire Ms. Himeko. You know Himeko, right? A mature and beautiful older sister, the navigator of the Astral Express. She has visited the Space Station several times and brought novel things interesting enough to catch Madam Herta's attention. I really hope I can become such an elegant woman someday."

The topic had drifted slightly off course, but Hua Yi's fan group had long since grown large enough that they could chat about anything.

"I know. The train once ridden by Akivili, the fallen Aeon of [The Path of Exploration]. It is one branch of the Nameless, following the will of exploration to travel the universe without seeking fame or profit. There had been no news of the Astral Express for several Amber Eras, and when it reappeared, that Himeko was its navigator."

"So Lamina wants to become a girl like Station Master Asta?"

"I-I mean, since Lord Hua Yi is so outstanding, his girlfriend should also be incredibly impressive. I think Station Master Asta is amazing. In the entire Space Station, she should be the most outstanding woman besides Madam Herta."

"?"

"?"

A string of identical question marks was sent by different group members. It was not just the people chatting at the time—those who had been lurking and watching silently also surfaced to question Lamina's remarks.

"No, Lamina, are you shipping Lord Hua Yi and Station Master Asta? What's wrong with you?!"

"This is Lord Hua Yi's fan group. We're all like-minded companions gathered here. Even if we're going to ship a couple, we should ship ourselves with Lord Hua Yi! Do you have some kind of strange fetish?"

"Exactly! Even if Station Master Asta is great, I will never hand Lord Hua Yi over to her!"

"The person above, do you dare say that in front of the Station Master? If you do, I'll nominate you to be the Group Leader."

The group member who had made that bold declaration did not speak again, clearly frightened.

A huge number of messages had appeared in the chat history in a short span of time. Lamina's unauthorized "shipping" had caused widespread dissatisfaction, and it also made Asta, who was reading through the old messages, blush furiously.

Yet Lamina, still bearing the weight of everyone's fate, continued trying to indirectly warn her fellow group members in her own way.

"What I mean is, Lord Hua Yi is already so outstanding and has become the brightest star in the Space Station. This time, he will be leading the key defense project, which means he will frequently interact with Station Master Asta. After that... you understand, right?"

"I don't understand! I don't understand!"

"Please stop talking. I've already accepted that I'm ordinary. Do you have to cruelly crush my pitiful fantasy too?"

The atmosphere in the Chat Group took a sharp turn for the worse.

"Exactly. On my home planet, I was considered part of the most outstanding minority. But after entering the Space Station, I became just another face in the crowd. That would be one thing—I know I'm ordinary on a cosmic stage like the Space Station. But I never expected that after joining Lord Hua Yi's fan group and indulging in a tiny fantasy, I'd still get smacked by reality."

"Wuwuwu, I'm sorry. I'm useless."

"I want to find an empty corner and have a good cry, but I can't. I still need to properly complete the Space Station's most important project right now. Even if I can only make a tiny contribution, if my personal negligence affects the overall situation and makes Madam Herta think there is something wrong with Lord Hua Yi as the project leader, then I'd be the worst."

[Name Redacted] Will Protect Group Members from Asta's Oppression

After scrolling from the chat history to the latest messages and finding the group still filled with sighs and despondency, Asta no longer had the leisure to feel embarrassed.

If things continued this way, with the group members constantly blaming themselves and growing disheartened, their work and lives would inevitably be affected. Moreover, the young Station Master was certain that even if they became depressed to the extreme, they probably would not seek psychological counseling from the Medical Department. They would only keep it bottled up inside.

Someone had to stand up! Otherwise, there would be serious trouble.

She could not speak to these people face-to-face as the Station Master. For most of them, the gap in rank was an insurmountable chasm, and they would be unable to speak honestly. Instead, Asta's other identity—as [Name Redacted], a member of the fan group—could play a greater role.

"Please cheer up, everyone. I believe Lord Hua Yi... Lord Hua Yi would not treat people differently based on their position or authority. He would not greet higher-ranking people with a smile, then pull a stern face when dealing with ordinary researchers. That has never happened, has it? You should understand his character."

"Mm, that's true. Even when Lord Hua Yi was suddenly promoted from a Level II Researcher in the Department of Secret Scrolls to an All-Department Level IV Researcher, he still completed all the projects he had previously promised to help ordinary researchers with."

"Now, ordinary researchers don't trouble Lord Hua Yi anymore. Mainly because the department higher-ups won't allow it. They think the problems we encounter are too simple, and it would be embarrassing if word got out."

Seeing this, Asta's lovely brows furrowed slightly.

"Then how do you solve project-related difficulties now?"

"The department higher-ups explain them to us personally. I feel a little bad watching old scholars puff out their beards and glare at me in anger over my stupidity, but when I remember how our superiors used to keep a stern face and could not be bothered to say even one extra word about basic questions, it also feels kind of funny."

"It seems Lord Hua Yi has unknowingly improved the overall research atmosphere of the Space Station. That's wonderful."

That was, if one did not count the time Herta Space Station's expert scholars spent teaching researchers, as well as the damage to their health from being angered by elementary questions.

Ordinary researchers actually knew their own limits. Unless they truly could not figure something out, they tried their best not to trouble the big shots in their departments. Besides, the members of the fan group were like-minded and all very, very good people. Academic questions that did not involve confidential matters could be asked in the group.

Before Lamina caused this disturbance, the group's learning atmosphere had been quite strong. Calling it a model group chat for the Space Station would not have been an exaggeration.

"Wait, [Name Redacted], since you're asking how ordinary researchers solve project-related problems, does that mean you're a senior researcher yourself? Or some gifted daughter of heaven who has never faced many obstacles!"

"Wow, now that you mention it, that does make sense."

"I'm just another member of the Space Station, nothing special."

"That's too modest... Though you're right. Compared to Station Master's advantages, even a senior researcher is nothing. Lamina is already a Level III Researcher, stronger than most people, yet she won't even compete. Wuwuwu, if Lord Hua Yi and Station Master Asta really fall in love and secretly date around the Space Station someday, I would believe it if you said Lamina would help keep watch for them."

The Chat Group was once again filled with cries of despair. Asta did not know whether she should laugh or feel embarrassed, but with her heart in turmoil, she continued comforting the group members.

"Actually, I don't think everyone needs to be so pessimistic. The Station Master isn't someone who abuses her authority."

The moment she sent that message, the pink-haired girl suddenly felt guilty.

Thinking carefully, she had seemingly just used the excuse of learning the project details to visit Hua Yi in his office not long ago. Although she had indeed gained a clearer understanding of the departments' division of responsibilities, she could not deny that she had also wanted to spend more time with him.

Fortunately, the group members did not object to [Name Redacted]'s statement.

"Some people used to secretly speculate that Station Master was misappropriating Space Station funds to buy so many packages online. But Madam Herta recently sent an internal letter saying that Station Master Asta had actually paid out of pocket to supplement the Space Station's facilities. She really is a very good person—but when you think about it, she has authority and money. That's practically a dimensionality reduction strike."

"I think that even if Station Master Asta knew there was such a fan group and knew so many people liked Lord Hua Yi, she would only feel that she had found fellow enthusiasts. She wouldn't make things difficult for everyone."

"At most, she wouldn't make it difficult for high-ranking researchers like you, [Name Redacted]. If it were little researchers like us, we might have to pack up and go home right away. Sigh, the Space Station is ultimately a place where strength speaks, and rank is the embodiment of strength."

"No. I guarantee that things absolutely will not develop in a bad direction."

The Chat Group fell silent. No one sent a new message for several breaths.

Asta thought there might be a problem with the network signal, so she tried typing another message.

"I'm serious. Are you still there?"

"We are... Even though I don't know [Name Redacted]'s real identity, I think she's a good person."

"Yeah. For quite a while just now, everyone was wallowing in self-pity. Even Emily, who can't speak, couldn't say anything fierce. Only [Name Redacted] stepped forward to comfort everyone. In terms of mentality alone, she might be one of the best among the group."

"I nominate [Name Redacted] to become the Group Leader of our fan group! Only someone as strong, positive, and optimistic as her can lead us in finding a balance between cruel reality and beautiful ideals, so that we can continue supporting Lord Hua Yi together."

"I agree."

"I agree too!"

The group members voiced their support one after another. Within a short time, more than half of the Chat Group's members voted for [Name Redacted] to become the Group Leader and hold the highest administrator permissions.

At this point, Lamina could only pray that the mysterious [Name Redacted] would know how to judge the situation. If Station Master Asta truly fell in love with Lord Hua Yi in the future, she absolutely must not lead everyone in the fan group to cause trouble in a fit of anger.

"I voted in favor too. I only hope that after becoming Group Leader, [Name Redacted] can keep a proper sense of proportion and, while observing the Space Station's rules and regulations, lead us in expressing our concern for Lord Hua Yi in appropriate ways."