Chapter 204

Time passed slowly like this.

The following day, Chu Yuanqing and his party arrived at Sea Capital Hongguang International Airport and boarded a plane bound for Vienna without incident, which was also their last flight, a flight that could be described as a happy one.

Volume 1: Chapter 195. The Shine Front, Vienna, A So-Called Encounter. (5k2)

Chu Yuanqing looked out the porthole at the drifting clouds and blue sky.

This steel monster, born from civilization, roared through the thick clouds. Its turbofan engines, like a heart constantly pumping blood, roared as they burned their horsepower, lifting its steel wings and propelling it into the sky at extremely high speeds.

As the clouds drifted by, a subtle sense of weightlessness washed over me, and the world outside the porthole became increasingly clear. The clouds were tinged with golden light, and the sky's color became even more luminous, as if it had been washed clean.

Chu Yuanqing felt a pang of nostalgia. In the old days, after the Disaster God descended upon the thirteen forbidden lands, the world's tectonic plates continued to shift, causing natural disasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes, storms, and volcanic eruptions, which destroyed most of the industrial system of civilization.

The sky became a forbidden zone ruled by various "Disaster God." Ordinary vehicles like passenger planes not only lost their right to fly, but within a few years, not a single one could be found in good condition anymore, just like the decline of civilization, its wings broken in the afterglow of the end of the world.

And it is precisely because he experienced that era that Chu Yuanqing is so easily satisfied.

Even in this peaceful New Era, there are still famines, inequalities, wars, natural disasters, and a whole host of unhappy and unpleasant things. Yet, even so, the consequences brought about by any Disaster God are still a thousand times, ten thousand times, gentler.

The Disaster God never destroys civilization itself, but an entire planet; humanity is merely a speck of dust that is swept away by them while they are cleaning the world.

Otherwise, my past self would never have had the chance to be born.

Chu Yuanqing put an end to her thoughts. She sat on the hand-stitched leather sofa, pulled the curtain of the porthole closed, and glanced helplessly at Xie Qingxuan sitting opposite her, feeling a strong gaze upon her.

The girl's delicate face was expressionless, her light makeup making her skin look exceptionally supple. Her well-maintained demeanor and naturally beautiful features combined to create an air of nobility. Yet, her eyes were fixed on him, her gaze lingering and affectionate, like Golden Haired Doggy that had recognized its owner, brimming with joy—quite adorable.

Chu Yuanqing smiled, her eyes crinkling. Watching this scene, she felt an urge to pat the other's fluffy head. Suddenly, she remembered something, tapped an app called [Shine Front] with her fingertip, and used her phone to capture Xie Qingxuan's face in the app's camera.

Then, dazzling special effects appeared, and a cute cartoon character popped out.

Chu Yuanqing poked the cute animated figure, which condensed into a card shimmering with gold, adorned with five noble stars. The animated figure then transformed into an exquisite two-dimensional illustration, seemingly based on Xie Qingxuan's past photos in fashion magazines, perfectly highlighting her unique characteristics.

--Golden retriever, aloof, proud (questionable), domineering, assertive, large-breasted.

Finally, the card's name is the rather cheesy "Stage Tyrant," and clicking on it reveals a series of impressive stats.

Chu Yuanqing thought for a moment, then exited the QR code scanning window of the card drawing interface, opened the main game, and tried playing the initial level with [Stage Tyrant].

Yes, Dream Weaver Rabbit not only pulled off a hilarious Pokémon catching stunt, but also used its Super AI computing power to turn the app into an excellent rhythm game that allows for in-game purchases, gacha pulls, and even online multiplayer battles.

This thing just came out today and immediately topped the trending searches. With its cutting-edge technology and the popularity of "Flash Dance," it has swept the gaming industry and become a viral sensation across the entire internet.

In short, this thing collected data on all the contestants from Sea Capital and Capital, and turned them all into high-quality idol cards with unique voice lines and illustrations.

It's worth mentioning that there are over three hundred cards in total, meaning that previously eliminated contestants are also included, creating a somewhat absurd feeling of a three-dimensional dream shattered while a two-dimensional dream comes true.

The most interesting part is that the game allows players to spend money to draw cards, and it also uses state-of-the-art facial recognition to give the account a corresponding in-game character when the Little Idol is scanned.

Currently, the A-Class character cards are the most special. It's said that they will be given different names based on online information, and none of them have been added to the card pool. They can only be obtained through offline capture.

Well, that means that out of the five Little Idol in first class, only Chu Wangshu can be selected, and the probability is a pitiful 0.069%.

Of course, Chu Yuanqing had already obtained her Little Cotton-padded Jacket's character card. After downloading [Shine Front], the first character she scanned was Chu Wangshu, and only then did she scan the Golden Haired Doggy that had been staring at her.

After playing for ten minutes, Chu Yuanqing reluctantly put down her phone. She had never played mobile games before, and this first time she found it perfect for killing time. Her face immediately turned serious as she analyzed the situation:

"Qingxuan's stats are so high, clearing stages is practically as fast as sweeping through them."

As soon as the words were spoken, apart from the Little Cotton-padded Jacket was too excited to sleep and spent the whole night searching for common German vocabulary, the other Little Idol all found the keywords and looked at Chu Yuanqing with bright eyes.

Even if a certain child prodigy is recognized by a large number of fans on the street, endures the urge to become an abstract entity and obediently signs an autograph for one of them, and has exhausted all his social energy, he will suddenly revive at this moment.

The Green Eyed Cat rallied, forgetting her fear of facing a bunch of fans in person for a "one-on-one" challenge. She brought her adorable face close to Chu Yuanqing, blinked her emerald green eyes, and said:

"Xiao Qing, please use my character card too!"

Kiriwake Yayoi took off her sunglasses and put them in her bag, and she couldn't help but say:

"I'd also like to see Xiao Qing use mine; it always feels weird for me to use mine myself."

Chu Yuanqing thought for a moment and did not refuse. She scanned her two teammates and found two more unique five-star cards in her game account.

--The Tranquil Sea Siren

This is the name of Little Liuli's card.

The combination of Green Eyed Cat's [Flow State] state and vocal quality makes it easy for many people online to be moved by her songs, ultimately leading to a sense of peaceful tranquility, like breathing in the fresh air of a forest, hence the nickname.

Hmm, surprisingly serious? But just as childish as the Stage Tyrant.

As for the card stats, apart from vocal stats, all the others are much lower than Xie Qingxuan's. However, the skill effects are different, and she is an indispensable lead singer in the team in the game. The two stats combined will not be diluted.

Chu Yuanqing continued looking down.

--The Cherry Blossom Blessed by Gods.

Kiriwake Yayoi's card border is decorated with cherry blossoms, and her illustration is equally exquisite. Her smile is incredibly infectious, her eyes are like Pink Diamond, and she wears a stage outfit with a strong idol vibe, which fits the style of an idol rhythm game.

But... Yayoi's nickname is even more childish than the previous two!

But it's also very cute.

To ensure fairness, Chu Yuanqing used two cards to clear the initial level once, then edited all the other teammates' character cards into a team and marched into the later levels, rampaging through them to the end. The results screen featured four 2D Little Idol improvising poses, almost always different each time, which was quite a pleasant surprise.

The only constant is the Dream Weaver Rabbit, the mascot of Flash Dance, who is always on the sidelines.

The Green Eyed Cat complained:

"That red-eyed rabbit is really not doing anything productive. There are so many different performance scenes, and there's not a trace of AI in them. Could it be using its privileges to do something like this?"

As a veteran player who has played more than one idol rhythm game, Kiriwake Yayoi couldn't help but offer her sharp comment:

"FlashDance has definitely bought the copyrights to Idolmaster, Shining Girls, Producers, and a bunch of other game companies, and borrowed all their code and data!"

"This is outrageous. This is the first time I've ever seen character cards that can be switched to 3D modeling in the settings, and the quality is so high. Does this mean that Super AI can do whatever it wants?"

"No wonder [Shine Front] became so popular so quickly. Although it's Chimera, it's incredibly generous with its content, even the storyline is very well-developed."

Xie Qingxuan commented:

"This is the first mobile game based on a live talent show and developed using a two-dimensional IP. It has both novelty and hype, and given the popularity of the show, this feedback is not surprising."

"I read the contract when I signed it, and it mentioned the need for this kind of usage permission. It seems that the <FlashDance> project had been preparing to release a mobile game for a long time, but that's not surprising, given its size and resources to venture into any field."

"The Program Group will likely provide some compensation to the contestants who enter the card pool later, but we don't know the specifics of how it will be calculated yet."

As the Golden Haired Doggy spoke, it picked up its phone and quietly opened the capture button on [Shine Front]. It successfully captured a certain Pure White Witch. The screen was filled with a golden light mixed with seven colors, and then the two-dimensional version of Qing Bao, with white hair and golden eyes, popped out.

--Donghuang Amaterasu / Donghuang Unrivaled Empress

Xie Qingxuan's eyes sparkled. Ignoring the two extremely cringeworthy card names, she tapped the chibi-style character inside, looked at the newly created, beautiful card, and her pink lips curved into a smile as she happily said:

"Xiao Qing, so cute."

Kiriwake Yayoi had already obtained Qing Bao's character card after downloading the game, and not wanting to be outdone, she switched the game to 3D mode, poked the hem of the Pure White Witch's skirt, and watched the graceful girl inside spin around, feeling extremely satisfied.

Even if it's just for Qing Bao's character card, this game has to be permanently installed on your phone!

Tang Liuli got her cards faster than Xie Qingxuan. She didn't draw from any card pools or sweep other teammates, leaving Chu Yuanqing and her own character cards in the warehouse. When forming a team, she only used two people, as if she was trying her best to prove that she was very pure, or as if she was trying to seal the demon in her heart.

As an old-fashioned person, Chu Yuanqing was experiencing the novelty of mobile games for the first time. She looked at the other three Little Idol and suggested:

"Let's play online together! We can each use our own character cards to have a duel."

Tang Liuli perked up upon hearing this. She could beat this simple rhythm game with one hand, even using the worst character. What could those useless Sakura Girl and those Stupid Dog who only knew rock-paper-scissors possibly do compared to her?

Green Eyed Cat had already come up with the script: she would kick Little Sakura, punch the Great Demon King, and then act as Qing Bao, pretending to give it her all before sliding to her knees in defeat, making a huge statement.

Ten minutes later, the invincible Tranquil Sea Siren "easily" defeated the incompetent Sakura Girl.

Twenty minutes later, the esteemed Cat King arrived at the new battlefield and, with a perfect understanding of the game mechanics, effortlessly crushed the Stage Tyrant who had activated [Meditation State].

At this moment,

Tang Liuli felt incredibly refreshed. She had successfully overcome the nightmare in her heart, and for a moment she felt as if she had been transported to Chu Yuanqing. She was immersed in joy and happiness, and like a pufferfish, she swelled up rapidly. She began her duel with great pride.

The game ended five minutes later.

Chu Yuanqing moved with the agility of a butterfly flitting among flowers, her incredibly nimble fingertips landing gracefully. Without a second thought, she closed the victory screen, took a deep breath, and exclaimed happily:

"This game isn't that difficult."

The Green Eyed Cat seemed to have burned out all her energy, leaving only a grayish-white soul floating on the seat. She had been ruthlessly ravaged by the great Donghuang Amaterasu, and looked as if she had been played with to pieces. She would go limp and sticky on the ground with the slightest touch, like an abstract slime, overflowing with the despair of shattered dreams.

Little Sakura hesitated, her eyes filled with envy and joy.

To be honest, Liuli's reflexes and understanding of the game are already outrageous, but Qing Bao is even more superhuman. Despite it being her first time playing a rhythm game, she can move her fingers so fast that they create phantoms without any thought, achieving a precision with zero mistakes.

Is this the power of Magical Girl? Xiao Qing is truly amazing!

Xie Qingxuan's attention was very subtle.

So... Xiao Qing's fingers can move that fast? Next time, would letting her use it on me be more "efficient" in that respect than generating electricity myself?

After careful consideration, the Golden Haired Doggy decided that, based on the principle that practice makes perfect and out of its simple curiosity about the unknown, it would launch a night raid on Qing Bao tonight and experience the truth firsthand.

Chu Yuanqing had no idea that the serious-looking Little Idol sitting opposite her was harboring terrifying "conspiracies" in his mind. She pinched the grayed-out Green Eyed Cat and started playing [Flash Dance Front] in pairs, using black and white as the team, for several rounds until an hour later.

On the other side, Chen Xiaoxiao, as an assistant, and several other staff members were also sitting in first class.

However, to avoid suspicion and to allow the Little Idol to feel more comfortable, they all sat in seats far away from us, and we could only vaguely hear their trivial conversations and laughter.

At that moment, the worker sighed, reminisced for a while about his lost youth, and then continued to tirelessly arrange various tasks and coordinate various matters after the plane landed.

Although it's described as free time, the personal safety of the participants must still be guaranteed, and many potential safety hazards must be eliminated in advance.

From this perspective, the official announcement by <Flash Dance> that the contestants are leaving the base to perform commercially around the world has significantly increased their workload. Take Tang Liuli's previous encounter with many fans at the airport, for example; if she hadn't brought security personnel, problems could easily have arisen.

The good news is that few people in Austria know them, so once they land, they're free to roam the world.

The bad news is that once the news of Tang Liuli boarding the plane was exposed and spread online, Vienna, the destination, was no longer a secret and required caution.

At the same time, when returning to China, one must also be careful not to be ambushed by fans or paparazzi.

Chen Xiaoxiao felt increasingly overwhelmed, but then she thought, isn't shining and contributing value for Qing Bao the greatest support? This is the sacred work of ensuring her Little Idol's safety! How could she complain about being tired?

When a woman's mindset changes, even annoying jobs become endearing, and she can happily and cheerfully continue working.

The weather outside the porthole changes constantly, and the color temperature of the sunlight shifts with the passage of time.

When the plane arrived on the territory of the Holy United States, the Little Cotton-padded Jacket who had been catching up on her sleep had already woken up. She excitedly played the addictive game [Shine Front] with everyone for a while, before returning to her serious attitude and continuing to study hard.

The scenery outside the window gradually became more vibrant, and the Alps, stretching like a reclining dragon, could be vaguely seen, indicating that we had arrived in the capital of Austria.

The plane landed slowly at the airport.

As everyone disembarked from the plane, breathing in the fresh air, they were all in a very good mood. Since most of them had taken a nap during the journey, the ten-hour trip was not tiring.

The glow of dusk descended, but it seemed the journey had only just begun; the gradual arcs of light that enveloped us shone like the rising sun.

After asking the staff for directions, Chu Yuanqing found her belongings at the baggage check-in area by identifying the tags. Her German was exceptionally fluent, which made the girl in the Little Cotton-padded Jacket behind her a little envious.

This was thanks to Charlotte, whose hometown spoke German, so she had intentionally learned it for a while. Even though time had passed, she was still able to pick up the relevant skills when she heard the familiar language.

Upon closer reflection, Vienna seems like a place perfectly suited to produce someone like her.

Chen Xiaoxiao originally wanted to book a bus to carry the five contestants and several staff members to the hotel where they had booked rooms.

But since they were new to the area, everyone wanted to see the city scenery along the way before returning to the hotel, so they decided to take the express train from the airport before they arrived.

The train's final stop is Vienna's Central Station, which connects to the subway, suburban trains, trams, and buses, making travel quite convenient.

Twenty minutes later, the city center came into view.

The old town here is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with large areas of classical European architecture mixed with modern styles. When you take a tram ride and patiently explore the area, you have the illusion of traveling through a time tunnel. The Danube River, in the twilight and evening breeze, shatters the reflection of the city.

Chu Yuanqing dragged her suitcase along the crowded pedestrian street, surrounded by the sounds of her Little Idol —some sighing, some excited, some sleepy—creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere.

Chu Yuanqing crossed this area and arrived at a more commercially themed plaza. The hotel was not far away, but she stopped in her tracks amidst the strange looks from those around her. She looked up at the giant screen on the hundred-meter-long shopping mall, which resembled Times Square, and stared blankly.

The people in the picture are all too familiar.

The girl's exquisite face radiated a soft, warm enthusiasm. Her eyes, like beautiful phosphorescent spheroids, gradually shifted in color like a kaleidoscope, traversing time farther than the Danube River, meeting those shimmering, golden pupils across the void.

At this moment, time seemed to stand still, yet surged forth with an overwhelming force.

It's just like a ship laden with flowers that ran aground and plunged into the deep sea, only to see the light of day again after many years. The sealed regrets are like a torrential downpour, so sad, yet so joyful.

Seventeen years later, the shadows of the past finally caught up with her, allowing her to see the Diva of the City of Doomsday, and also... Charlotte, who belongs to the New Era.

Do you think this can still be considered a reunion?

Volume 1: 196. A Shocking Entrance, A Chain Reaction, Old Dreams. (5K2)

The last rays of dusk faded.

The Danube River reflects the stars in the sky.