Chapter 303: Dan Heng: Wait a Minute, Let Me Say Something.
[Genshin Impact · Hu Tao]: "Consultant! I am begging you! When it comes to prices—especially when you start thinking something is 'worth it'—please, for the love of all that is holy, keep it to yourself! We can just quietly acknowledge it in our hearts!"
[Genshin Impact · Lumine]: "Yes, Zhongli. Regarding the points and the mall prices, it's really best if we just judge for ourselves. There's absolutely no need for you to trouble yourself with financial commentary. If you keep talking, I'm genuinely afraid my poor heart won't be able to take the shock." `[Sweating.jpg]`
Interrupted mid-thought, Zhongli paused. A moment of contemplative silence hung in the chat before he seemed to realize the underlying panic in his companions' words. Readily accepting their plea, he ceased his financial evaluations.
[Genshin Impact · Zhongli]: "Okay."
He sent the concise reply to indicate his understanding, brushing past the topic as if his previous statements—which had nearly triggered a localized economic crisis in Lumine's wallet—had never occurred.
Meanwhile, the group members from other worlds watched the exchange with mounting amusement. Through Lumine and Hu Tao's overly intense, borderline-desperate reactions, contrasted against Zhongli's calm and subtly confused demeanor—which practically screamed, 'Did I say something wrong?'—Stelle and Belle caught a rare glimpse behind the curtain. Mr. Zhongli, a man who was always as steady as a mountain, infinitely wise, and seemingly all-powerful, actually possessed a hilariously deadly "minor flaw" when it came to assessing monetary value.
Stelle clutched her stomach, laughing entirely too loudly in the Astral Express parlor car. She found the ancient, dignified man surprisingly "down-to-earth" in the most chaotic way possible.
This comedic little interlude successfully dispelled the heavy pressure brought on by the Qi-Ou avatars' exorbitant price tags. The atmosphere in the Chat Group softened, returning to its usual relaxed and lively state. With that, their initial trials and discussions regarding the Qi-Ou avatars temporarily drew to a close.
After all, every member present in the Chat Group was an elite within their respective universe. They possessed superior talent, unyielding temperaments, and monstrous comprehension speeds. Simply learning how to multitask—splitting their consciousness to control the Qi-Ou avatars for basic daily activities like walking, running, picking up objects, delivering items, and holding simple conversations—was hardly a challenge. A little bit of practice and mental adaptation was all it took to master the basics.
The true challenge lay in the future: learning how to precisely pilot the Qi-Ou for complex, high-speed combat maneuvers while smoothly executing their two loaded abilities. Making instant, pinpoint-accurate judgments in a rapidly changing battlefield environment was one thing; managing the sheer mental exhaustion of maintaining a dual-line operation for extended periods was another beast entirely. This level of synchronization would require time, grueling practical combat drills, and specialized mental training. It certainly wasn't a mastery that could be achieved overnight.
But for now, grueling training was pushed to the back burner. What truly captured everyone's attention—what tugged at their heartstrings and made their pulses involuntarily accelerate—was the highly anticipated, anxiety-inducing main event: the Points Lottery.
The first to break, completely unable to restrain her gacha addiction, was naturally Stelle. Waving her metaphorical banner of wealth in the chat, she enthusiastically invited everyone to dive headfirst into a spending spree. Having just "struck it rich," the Trailblazer was practically vibrating with the desperate need to experience the high of being a true whale.
During the recent large-scale World Commission, she had received extremely high praise for her hyperactive performance in Natlan. Between transforming into a literal Giant of Light to directly wrestle the abyssal beast Bakunawa on the battlefield, and aggressively clearing out swarms of monsters in the early stages, she had reaped a massive payout of over 1,300 points in a single go! This insane windfall instantly skyrocketed her total points reserve from its previous penny-pinching state to a staggering 1,800.
This massive injection of wealth allowed her to violently shed her previous habits of careful budgeting. Gone were the days of self-deprecatingly calling herself a 'Qionggui'—a broke pauper digging through trash cans for spare change. She had become filthy rich overnight. Her chest puffed out with absolute confidence, and her typed words suddenly carried the heavy, arrogant weight of a newly minted millionaire.
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "Come, come, come! My beloved family! Brothers and sisters! It is time for the lottery! Step right up, don't miss out if you're passing by!"
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "@Everyone, especially our newest friends! Don't hesitate! Don't just stand there watching from the sidelines! Look at the Zanpakuto Hyōrinmaru that Belle managed to draw! Do you know how incredibly cool it is to freeze absolutely everything in your path?!"
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "And then look at March 7th's Sode no Shirayuki! The sword energy is gorgeous! And don't even get me started on Star Paimon—it's super badass and can literally stop time! These are all top-tier items pulled from ten consecutive draws! It is absolute, concrete proof that our Chat Group's gacha pool is loaded with the good stuff!"
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "As an esteemed elder of this Chat Group, today I am going to show you all what the composure of a seasoned veteran truly looks like! I will demonstrate the correct and proper way to spend your hard-earned points!"
While she vigorously acted as a shameless promoter—hyping up the various excellent rewards and heaven-defying abilities that the lottery could yield, actively attempting to lure the new members into "jumping in" to experience the sheer, unadulterated thrill of gacha together—she was already rubbing her hands together in the physical world. Her consciousness hovered hungrily over the glowing gacha interface in the group mall. She was completely ready to splurge her points, desperate to experience the dopamine rush of a "rich person" throwing away a thousand gold pieces without blinking, all while solidifying her prestigious "senior" status in front of the rookies.
It had to be admitted; Stelle's aggressive incitement was incredibly tempting, especially with the vivid, highly successful case studies she had just listed out.
For Venti and Hu Tao—two new group members whose personalities were inherently easygoing, free-spirited, and constantly eager to chase after new sources of fun—seeing the various magical items and abilities previously showcased by the veterans had left a deep impression. To say they weren't itching to pull the lever themselves would be a blatant lie.
Venti stroked his chin, his emerald eyes sparkling with interest. He was deeply intrigued by the possibility that this multiversal gacha pool might yield exotic, legendary wines from other worlds, or perhaps ancient instruments and novel stories he had never heard before.
Hu Tao, on the other hand, operated with a much more unconventional mindset. Her plum-blossom eyes darted back and forth as she calculated the business angles. If she happened to draw a mystical artifact that could actively promote the multiversal expansion of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's business—or even just something flashy and fun to pass the time—then those points would be considered a worthy investment.
Just as the chat's atmosphere reached a boiling point, thoroughly ignited by Stelle's infectious enthusiasm, the temptation peaked. Many members stared at the alluring numbers in their point balances, their fingers twitching. They were just preparing to smash the 'Ten-Pull' button to test their luck, when—
[Honkai: Star Rail · Dan Heng]: "Wait a minute. Let me say something. The Chat Group has been operating for some time now. We have experienced multiple World Commissions and events, and its functions are continuously expanding, with its core intelligence gradually improving."
[Honkai: Star Rail · Dan Heng]: "From the initial, simple daily chat check-ins, to the later auxiliary functions in world activities and commissions, and now the sudden distribution of the Qi-Ou avatars... all of this directly indicates that the Chat Group itself is in a continuous process of 'growth'or'upgrading.'"
[Honkai: Star Rail · Dan Heng]: "Based on these signs, I can infer a pattern. Perhaps we won't even need to wait years. It is highly likely that after just a few more world activities, the Chat Group will officially unlock the next tier of the lottery pool."
[Honkai: Star Rail · Dan Heng]: "At that time, Blue and Purple quality items may no longer be our ultimate pursuit. There will likely be higher quality, vastly more powerful Gold-tier items—or perhaps even higher rarities—added directly to the gacha pool."
[Honkai: Star Rail · Dan Heng]: "If we blindly invest a massive number of points into the current primary gacha pool right now, we will face a severe deficit when that higher-tier pool finally opens. We risk lacking the necessary currency and completely missing out on truly top-tier opportunities."
[Honkai: Star Rail · Dan Heng]: "Therefore, I strongly suggest that everyone—especially those of us in the first batch of members who have accumulated a relatively high number of points—carefully consider the proportion of your investments in this primary lottery pool. Do not spend everything at once."
Dan Heng's words were sharp, logically clear, and completely devoid of the feverish gacha mania that had infected the others. His deductions were grounded entirely in observable facts, making his argument highly persuasive.
The reason he chose to speak up at this exact moment—right when everyone's emotions were peaking and their impulsive urge to spend was at its absolute strongest—was partly based on his long-term, objective observation. He had been quietly analyzing the Chat Group's hidden operating rules with calm, detached judgment.
On the other hand, it was also because his sharp instincts perceived a dangerous trend. The successive string of World Commission victory rewards, combined with the sudden distribution of the novel Qi-Ou avatars, had artificially pushed everyone's emotions to an overly excited, dangerously optimistic peak.
Especially Stelle, who was currently teetering right at the absolute apex of a "revenge spending" impulse, ready to blow her entire fortune just to feel something.
An appropriate cool-down period, a few rational reminders, and some solid long-term planning advice were exactly what the group needed to calm their agitation and settle back down to earth. By stepping in, Dan Heng was forcing them to make decisions that better aligned with their long-term developmental interests, saving them from the crushing, inevitable regret of impulsively blowing all their valuable points right before a major system update.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]