"Rin, it won't hurt."
"It's just an injection, I'm not... hiss—"
Before she finished speaking, the needle pierced her skin. Rin shuddered violently, her small face instantly scrunching up as golden tears welled in her watery eyes.
"Pfft."
Ryuga laughed. Didn't you say you weren't scared?
"Amazing! This is the 'Synesthesia Beacon'?"
Mei's eyes widened in amazement. Previously she couldn't understand all that gibberish, but now she understood even the mechanical language.
"That Elias Salas is truly remarkable."
Mobius exclaimed.
With just one injection, through the perceptual system, they could directly transform internal language encoding, achieving cross-species, cross-language instant communication without translation.
"That's a lovely old man, and one of only two department heads elected by popular vote in Club history."
Herta said.
"Um, does Griseo need an injection too?"
Blanca nervously asked.
Herta: "Griseo doesn't need one for now. Let's wait until she's a bit older."
"So, where are my students?"
Ruan Mei took a sip of black tea, gently placing the cup back on the saucer, gazing curiously at the young women through the screen.
One second later, she locked onto Mobius.
"It's this one, right?"
"My name is Ruan Mei. When pronouncing my name, please don't forget the pause for breath in between."
"Hello, Miss Ruan Mei. I'm Mobius."
Mobius's throat tightened, unconsciously swallowing.
The woman before her wore an elegant qipao, her temperament as gentle as a lady from a painting of Jiangnan, yet this soft woman made Mobius's spine run cold.
She felt like prey being stared at by a great serpent, its tongue flicking toward her.
Now she finally understood how others used to view her.
Being watched. Being analyzed.
Ruan Mei's eyes didn't look at a person, but rather examined a 'lab rat' about to be dissected.
Mobius finally understood what it meant to be 'the subject of research.'
She wasn't afraid though.
Rather, she was exhilarated.
Because she knew clearly—they were the same kind of person.
Ryuga hadn't lied to her.
"Well, as expected of Miss Ruan Mei."
Ryuga clapped his hands, then pointed at the young women one by one, introducing them.
"Mobius and Klein, I'll trouble Miss Ruan Mei to guide them."
"Mei, Cyan, Cinnabar, and Blanca will stay at the space station—Herta, please take some care. Rin and Griseo will also grow up here for now."
"They're all my future generals."
Meaning—put in some effort, you all.
"It seems Ryuga really favors Herta. I only got two."
Ruan Mei's cool eyes held a hint of teasing.
"Blanca needs to train while also caring for Griseo and Rin. They wouldn't be suitable at your place."
Ryuga shook his head.
Everyone knew—your place was the lair of Star Rail's Orochimaru.
All kinds of bizarre things were there.
For the children's mental health, better they stay at the space station.
"You already have it good with two. As for me?"
"Search..."
"Conclusion: This beautiful lady with cherry-colored features should not be my student."
Screwllum glanced over. His sapphire mechanical pupils seemed to contain countless data streams flowing through, having already perceived everything.
The young woman before him was a warrior.
Her breathing frequency, her stance, her blade-sharp eyes—all proclaimed her identity as a warrior, not a scholar.
Sakura: "..."
Am I really that bad?
So annoying.
"Hehe~ She's my life assistant."
"Mr. Screwllum, your student is still on the way."
"I've already arranged for someone to wait like a hunter by a stump. I believe you'll meet soon."
Ryuga smiled.
Screwllum: "Oh, that's rather curious?"
Herta and Ruan Mei also looked over. Both were somewhat speechless—you even forcibly capture people to be students?
"Her name is Vill-V. She represents humanity's apex. In some ways, her IQ might be even higher than Mei's or Mobius's. She's the type who can achieve whatever she thinks of."
Hearing this, Mei and Mobius were both displeased.
We're all geniuses—who's inferior to whom?
They had the air of wanting to compare.
Ryuga glanced at them and continued: "Put it this way—drop her on a barren island, and within a month, she'll teach the monkeys there to use firearms in battles."
Mobius: "..."
Mei: "..."
Herta: "Sounds quite dangerous. The opposite of the 'Primal Doctor.'"
"Seems she shares some commonality with me. How about packaging her together for me?"
Ruan Mei showed interest.
"Analysis: This Miss Vill-V seems more specialized in weapons and machinery! Conclusion: She's more suited to come to Planet Screwllum."
Screwllum stated.
"..."
Ruan Mei smiled gently, no longer speaking.
"Vill-V is very skilled at using 'Truth' to create illusions, using 'Contradiction' to reverse meaning, using the 'Unknown' to forge miracles, subverting the world's 'Common Sense.'"
Ryuga added.
Screwllum: "Oh~ I'm increasingly interested in her."
"But Mr. Screwllum, the current her should have 'split personalities,' and might disassemble herself if not careful."
"I hope you can guide her with your exceptional mechanical mind."
Ryuga specifically emphasized this point.
Screwllum fell silent, his lenses reflecting a cold blue glow: "Inference: A shared trait of geniuses! The more precise the creation, the easier it loses order in the labyrinth of self-cognition."
Then he nodded: "I understand."
On Planet Screwllum, Intellitrons frequently run another 'underlying logic' through self-operation—split consciousness.
He was very skilled at correcting this.
Soon, the young women were led away by space station staff to arrange their living quarters.
Each was given a long-range sensing phone and two months' advance living expenses.
In the days ahead, Mei and the others would study and work part-time at the space station.
Yes, work part-time.
At the space station, meals were free.
But if you wanted to earn Herta Coins, you had to use your own brain.
Sakura stayed glued to Rin's side—after all, the sisters would be separated for quite a long time after this.
Ryuga waved, tears brimming: "Study hard, all of you. You're all my dear win... employees!"
"You were about to say wings, weren't you!?"
Mobius spun around, glaring fiercely yet adorably.
"Ahem~ You misheard. It's 'employees.'"
"Hmph! Ryuga, bad!"
"..."
Learning from Elysia again.
(￣_￣)
...
"Alright, Ryuga. State your purpose."
"Please don't waste this moment when three geniuses are communicating together."
Herta crossed her arms, tilted up her small face, and hummed with a half-smile.
"Little brother, you seem to be plotting something?"
"Machinery, life, quantum entanglement... I believe you're gathering them not just out of mutual admiration, right?"
Ruan Mei spoke softly, tilting her head slightly, her gaze growing increasingly sharp, as if able to reach the deepest part of Ryuga's soul.
"Affirmation: Cultivating talent, planning for the future—Friend Ryuga is playing a very large game of chess."
Screwllum slowly nodded.
"I really can't hide anything from you three geniuses."
Ryuga smiled and revealed the 'Virtual Universe Company' plan.
He never intended to hide it.
This time was also to test the three's reactions—these were his company's three founding elders after all.
Sure enough!
After hearing it, even geniuses were shocked by Ryuga's audacious scheme.
"Derive Paths, cultivate your own Path followers? Your dreams are truly enormous!! Also, isn't this just deploying a universe-wide 'Simulated Universe'?"
Herta pondered briefly, her brow furrowing slightly, her gaze sharp with shock as she looked at Ryuga.
"Very interesting! Once truly realized, your force will rival Louis Fleming's."
"But, little brother, are you prepared to go to war with the IPC?"
Ruan Mei's eyes rippled with layers, part mockery, part scrutiny, as she stared at Ryuga's resolute eyes.
She still remembered Ryuga's words.
『I want your slice.』
『I want you too!』
Her response: 『When you can rival an Aeon.』
That was the threshold she set, the boundary she drew.
She thought it was an unreachable endpoint.
But now, that 'little brother' from back then was truly marching toward that path?
Step by step, toward that supreme throne.
"Query: Have you found a Scepter?"
Screwllum spoke word by word.
As his words fell, Herta's pupils contracted sharply.
Ruan Mei's face, usually as cool as plum blossoms under moonlight, also froze, biting her lip tightly.
"This is impossible."
To be continued…