Chapter 174: Faction War Event [Honkai Kingdoms]! Make the Great Huang Empire Great Again!
The current situation was truly difficult to evaluate.
Su Mu never expected that because Seele and his phones were turned off, Bronya would assume something terrible had happened and book a red-eye flight back. She went straight to Su Mu's home the moment she stepped off the plane.
Su Mu marveled at the Big Duck's decisiveness and mobility. At the same time, he realized that for a known workaholic like himself to have a powered-down phone was, in the eyes of others, an extremely abnormal event. Now, facing three women in the same room, Su Mu truly didn't know what expression to make.
Just smile. Just keep smiling. Jpg.
After the travel-worn Big Duck finally took a sip of water, she sized up Mobius and Seele with suspicious eyes. Clearly, now that she knew Su Mu and Seele were perfectly fine, her inner doubts began to surface.
"Seele, why are you and Professor Mobius here? And why was your phone off..."
Here it comes! Facing the Big Duck's interrogation, Su Mu's body stiffened as he racked his brain for a way to smooth things over...
"I asked Su Mu and Seele to act as my lab assistants last night. We just finished up," Mobius spoke up. Her statement left both Su Mu and Seele momentarily stunned. "Since there are precision instruments in the lab, all electronic devices must be turned off before entering... My apologies, the experiment reached a critical stage suddenly, so I didn't give them time to send messages."
Mobius's explanation caused an expression of realization to dawn on Bronya's face.
"So that was it... That's good then, that's good." she patted her chest. "I thought something happened to you and Seele, Su Mu... no replies to texts, couldn't reach you by phone. So you were helping Dr. Mobius with experiments..."
With the explanation, Bronya's tense nerves finally relaxed, and exhaustion surged through her. she leaned back against the sofa and let out a long sigh of relief.
"I'm sorry, Sister Bronya. Seele should have told you as soon as the experiment ended." Seele took Bronya's arm apologetically, though only she knew the true reason for her apology. "Sister Bronya was busy all day and was supposed to be resting at the hotel, yet you had to worry about Seele... You must be so tired. Let Seele take you back to rest."
Bronya shook her head and spoke: "Since you and Su Mu are fine, I need to catch the earliest flight back to Arc City... There are several decent studios there interested in collaborating with us."
Su Mu interjected at this point: "Bronya, why don't let me go instead? You should rest; your health is more important."
"No. I won't feel at ease if you aren't at MiHoYo to hold down the fort." Bronya shook her head, firmly refusing Su Mu. "Only with you at MiHoYo can I travel for business with peace of mind... otherwise, I'm truly afraid Kiana will play the whole company into bankruptcy one day."
"Haha..." Su Mu gave a dry laugh. Bankrupt in a few days? Not likely... Bronya is being a bit too dramatic.
"Besides, the new version of Honkai Impact 3rd is about to be updated, right? If you, the project lead, aren't there, any issues that arise will be hard to handle."
"Bronya, how about finding a reliable person to take over your role as HR Director? You're acting as Vice President and managing HR at the same time; it's too exhausting."
Su Mu wasn't just making polite conversation; he truly felt for Bronya. Since Kiana, the President, could only serve as a mascot, Bronya handled most of the company's external business and internal personnel shifts. In Bronya's words, people are the foundation of a company and must be vetted carefully; she couldn't just let anyone in. she had to see them with her own eyes to be at peace.
Although Su Mu could handle these things, Bronya had ordered him long ago to focus purely on the games while she handled the rest. Looking at Bronya's pale face, Su Mu sighed. MiHoYo had indeed been revived and achieved great success, but Bronya had poured immense blood and sweat into it. Unlike Su Mu, who could work at high intensity thanks to the system, Bronya was pushing through on sheer willpower!
"Yes, Seele doesn't want Sister Bronya to overwork herself to exhaustion. Seele would be very sad."
Under the combined persuasion of Su Mu and Seele, and because Bronya had indeed been feeling overwhelmed and exhausted lately, she finally nodded.
"But even so, who would be a good fit for HR Director?"
Bronya cycled through names in her head. There were management talents, but she couldn't exactly poach from her mentor, Welt. Schicksal had good candidates too, but poaching from them was equally difficult.
"Regarding that, I actually have a candidate in mind. But let's talk about it after you return from Arc City."
Su Mu had been observing the internal situation and noticed no shortage of management talent. He had also obtained lists from Kevin, Welt, and Otto—names of people they recommended for recruitment (or poaching) as CEOs themselves. He saw many familiar names, like Topaz and Aventurine... but poaching them was impossible; they were already top-tier powerhouses in their own companies. Why would they come to MiHoYo?
However, the list in Kevin's hand piqued Su Mu's interest.
Xianzhou Luofu Co., Ltd...
This was a company with a significant background, backed by the Xianzhou Alliance—an organization with terrifying influence in Shenzhou. Spanning across various industries, many people clamored to join this massive alliance. It occupied space in the military, political, and commercial sectors, gathering countless heavyweights.
However, the Luofu branch hadn't been doing well lately. The main reason was that the former CEO had contracted a strange illness called "Mara-Struck." she had stepped down for various reasons, causing a period of instability and a brain drain. The company dealt mainly in antiques and jade—a high-end, "big shark" industry. Antiques and jade were expensive hobbies that most people couldn't afford. Both were deep-water industries; if you played without knowing the ropes, you'd lose your shirt.
Moreover, the antique and jade business often flirted with legal boundaries. Recently, regulations had tightened, impacting the industry. Antiques were tricky; if handled poorly, you'd end up "eating state food" (going to prison). After all, where did these items come from? How many were truly ancestral? Official archaeological teams turned their finds over to the state, so why were there so many in the market? Grave-robbing was no small matter. Even in the Three Kingdoms era, Cao Cao established specific military ranks for tomb raiding to fund his army. If it happened then, it certainly happened now.
Reportedly, the former CEO of Luofu might have handled too many antiques, leading to "inauspicious energy" contamination that triggered the "Mara-Struck" condition. When it wasn't flaring up, she was normal, but when it hit, she became extreme and prone to mania. While Su Mu didn't believe in ghosts and gods, he reminded himself he had a system and was reincarnated; in such a world, anything was possible.
Wait, former CEO? Mara-Struck? Holy crap... her name really is Jingliu? Current CEO Jing Yuan? Makes sense. Employees? Fu Xuan, Qingque, Tingyun...
These familiar names appeared in the manual. Kevin had even noted their resumes and personal info. As a "completionist" collector, Su Mu didn't want to miss out on these people; their abilities were outstanding. But he knew that as a game developer, poaching across industries would be harder than reaching the heavens.
But what if... what if the current CEO of Luofu noticed the massive profits in the gaming industry and considered entering a new track? Then it wouldn't be unrelated. In fact, the companies on the lists from Kevin, Welt, and Otto all showed interest in entering the entertainment industry. Honkai 3rd's terrifying revenue had caused a sensation not just in gaming, but in the financial world too.
Since they had the interest, there was a way to cooperate! Su Mu happened to have a perfect game in hand: Honkai: Star Rail. The Xianzhou Luofu segment would definitely catch Jing Yuan's eye. It was guaranteed to satisfy! Poaching them for collaboration and investment meant the "waifu collectors" would be happy, and the money would roll in. It was a total win!
Su Mu made a mental plan to visit Jing Yuan soon. As for introductions... it just so happened that Guinaifen's good friend Huohuo worked there. Getting an introduction wouldn't be a problem.
After driving Bronya to the airport and seeing her off, Su Mu drove Mobius back to her lab at St. Freya University.
"Thanks for today." After stopping the car, Su Mu nodded gratefully to Mobius.
In the back seat, Mobius crossed her arms and snorted. "Lab rat, don't forget—you owe me a favor."
"Of course. Reach out anytime. As long as it doesn't violate the law or my personal dignity, I'll help."
"Remember your words... Also, keep that signal transmitter on you at all times, understand? I don't want to see you leave it in the car again." Mobius got out and walked toward the lab without looking back.
"Thanks to Dr. Mobius... otherwise Sister Bronya really would have found out." Seele, in the passenger seat, felt guilty. If not for Mobius's cover, she wouldn't have known how to answer Bronya.
Looking at Seele, Su Mu smiled and said, "We're acting like literal thieves."
Seele blushed: "Brother Su Mu, how can you joke! If Sister Bronya found out about us, I don't know what we'd do!"
Su Mu shrugged: "What else? I'd take your hand, walk up to Bronya with a thick face, and say, 'I love you both, so let's all be together. I'll cherish you both sincerely'—how does that sound?"
"More nonsense! You're so bad, Brother Su Mu!" Seele punched his shoulder with her small fists, her mock indignation making Su Mu laugh.
"There's a saying in Shenzhou: 'The boat straightens itself when it reaches the bridge pier'." Su Mu started the car. "I won't break my promise to Seele. When Bronya returns, I will take the initiative."
Seele looked at his profile, her gaze curious. "I feel like Brother Su Mu is a bit different than before."
Su Mu teased: "Is that so? Well, it can't be helped. After all, I've been turned into an 'adult' by Seele now."
"Wuh! You're teasing me again! Bad Brother Su Mu, Seele is ignoring you!" Seele's face was as red as an apple. Thinking of last night, she still felt a surge of overwhelming shame! she had actually taken that step and said such embarrassing things... her bashful look made one want to kiss her. But Su Mu held back; safety first.
With the end of the second half of the Honkai 3rd version, the countdown for the new update began. During the preview stream, Su Mu used the 3D avatar Theresa had made for him, finally streaming without a mask. He thanked the players for their support and announced the MiHoYo office move and the server maintenance compensation.
In the next two weeks, MiHoYo would gradually move out of the Arc Commercial Building into the tower Theresa had given Su Mu and Kiana—now renamed the MiHoYo Commercial Tower. Owning a whole building in Arc City signified that MiHoYo now held a vital position in the city.
The new version content would include Main Story Chapter 14: Lost in the Sand, alongside the faction war event: Honkai Kingdoms. This faction war was similar to the previous swimsuit one; players would compete in three factions: the Great Huang Empire, the Schicksal Theocracy, and the Pirate Federation.
Following Sanka Saga, Su Mu was laying the groundwork for the later Honkai Kingdoms: ZERO and The Day You Vanished with the Stars. The initial Honkai Kingdoms story was quite lighthearted and fun, especially with the Olenyeva sisters being themselves; it was guaranteed to make players smile.
As the saying goes: The woodcutter who whets his axe doesn't delay his work. Constant "depression" plots would eventually numb the players. He needed to provide some "healing" content. After all, you have to let the leeks grow before you harvest them!
Players were excited for the faction war, all hoping to be randomly assigned to the faction of their favorite Valkyrie!
[My Great Huang Empire is #1! Rita, I'm coming!!]
[Sister Himeko! Sister Himeko!]
[Celestial Fu Hua! Ki-Impact!]
The preview also showcased the new Valkyrie—the demonstration video for Durandal's A-rank battlesuit [Valkyrie Gloria]! Dressed in black combat gear, the heroic blonde girl swung her lance. Her valiant appearance caught everyone's eye, especially the lance skill that could literally "pick up" enemies and hold them high—a hit with players who loved to meme!
Just as the update for the new version [Dawn of Glory]approached... Su Mu encountered a significant problem.
"Wuu-wuu-wuu! Su Mu! Please, take me in!"
After work one day, Kiana grabbed Su Mu's hand in the underground parking lot, tears streaming down her face. Su Mu looked at the miserable-looking Kiana and slowly typed a question mark.
"What happened?"
Kiana immediately began denouncing her older sister Bianca as a monster! "Big Sister is dissatisfied with my performance! she says I'm a waste who only relies on my sister's care! she said it's time I learned self-reliance and kicked me out of the house! I'm homeless! Only you can take me in, please! I'll do anything!"
Su Mu's expression turned strange. Kiana got kicked out by Bianca? What's the deal? Looking at the snotty, crying Kiana, Su Mu rubbed his temples. I can't take her in, can I? Again, men and women are different; when he cared for her before, he always went home at night. Kiana was talking about staying over... the rumors aside, if Seele found out, she might actually stab him.
"You said you'd do anything, right?" A certain person's face popped into Su Mu's head. His expression turned playful. "Get in the car."
He let Kiana into his car and drove toward his home. "Su Mu, you're the best! Only you're willing to help me in my time of need!" Kiana was all smiles in the passenger seat, having no idea what was about to happen.
When they reached the building, they didn't go to Su Mu's floor but went one level up, stopping at Himeko's door. He pushed the door; it was ajar. Su Mu knocked, and getting no response, he sighed and entered.
The first thing that met their eyes was a mountain of beer cans. They were everywhere, almost filling the entire living room. Amidst the cans, Murata Himeko lay sprawled on the floor in thin pajamas, snoring loudly.
"...Auntie Himeko?" Kiana was confused and bewildered.
"Mhm...? Am I dreaming? Is that Kiana?" Himeko was woken by the noise. she rubbed her eyes and looked at Su Mu and Kiana.
"Drinking this much again... there's nowhere to even step!" Kiana's scalp felt numb looking at the sheer number of cans. Himeko had been a drunkard since Kiana was in university, but this was getting worse. How much did she love alcohol!
"Come! Kiana! You're an adult now, have a drink with your teacher!" A tipsy Himeko grabbed Kiana's shoulder and tried to shove a beer into her hand. The overwhelming smell of alcohol nearly made Kiana's eyes water.
"I don't drink! Su Mu, what exactly are you doing bringing me here!" she tried to shake off the octopus-like Himeko, casting a resentful look at Su Mu.
Su Mu said righteously: "Didn't you say you'd do anything? You're homeless, and Himeko's place needs a cleaner. You clean for her, and you stay here. Problem solved!"
With that, Su Mu turned and left without mercy. He had experienced Himeko's "drunk behavior" before; Kiana was in for a busy time. He wasn't being cold-hearted; he simply felt Bianca was right! It was because Sirin was always there that Kiana was so complacent. she performed well as customer service at work, but reverted to a paramecium at home.
It was proven that with Kiana, "heavy doses" were necessary. He had to fight fire with fire. Stuck with a "lazy dog" like Himeko in a drunken hell, if Kiana could pass this trial, she might finally understand how difficult it is to take care of someone.
Kiana, repent!!
END OF CHAPTER
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