Four days of "full" and intense holiday, comparable to continuous combat, finally came to an end. Fu Chen returned to the bridge of the Asgard with a sense of relief.
Compared to being dragged by Theresa through the Honkai Paradise, dealing with various emergencies, even handling mountains of administrative documents and complex battleship scheduling seemed exceptionally pure and reassuring... Not! Work is never fun!
"Captain, the third engine group reported abnormal power output fluctuations. We need your authorization for a thorough diagnosis."
"Captain, the logistics department is inquiring about the confirmation of the material list for the next long-range mission..."
"Captain, Valkyrie Team Three applied to use the advanced training simulation ground, requiring your authorization..."
"Captain, Bishop Otto's office sent an encrypted communication, requesting a report on the recent status of the Asgard..."
Inside the cold bridge, Fu Chen sat in the command chair, several light screens flickering simultaneously before him. Various reports, requests, and notifications surged in like an endless tide.
The soft yet continuous prompts from the ship's AI intertwined with communication requests from various departments, forming a unique "corporate drone symphony."
Fu Chen's fingers danced across the control panel, almost a blur. His sharp eyes scanned each piece of information, his brain working at high speed, making judgments, issuing commands, and signing documents.
"Approve diagnosis. Report the results directly to me."
"Forward the material list to the logistics supervisor for review. I want to see the final version before 3 PM."
"Training application for Team Three approved, but avoid today's afternoon hull structure resonance test period."
"Reply to the Bishop's office; the report will be sent punctually in one hour."
His efficiency was extremely high, years of experience allowing him to easily handle these complex tasks, but mental fatigue was inevitable.
Especially when he thought of the report requested by the Bishop's office, he felt a subtle headache coming on.
That important figure's thoughts were always difficult to fathom.
Just as he finished approving a pile of documents and was about to take a sip of water to catch his breath, his personal terminal rang again—the distinct Honkai ringtone.
Fu Chen: "..."
He took a deep breath, answered, and tried to keep his tone level: "Theresa, I'm very busy right now."
"A-Chen, A-Chen!" Theresa's voice was still full of energy, and the background sound seemed to be from a plaza. "What time do you get off work tonight? I found a new dessert shop, and they say the bitter melon mille-feuille cake is super delicious! Let's go together!"
Fu Chen pressed his temples: "I might have to work overtime tonight to write the report. And, Theresa, I just finished four days of vacation." Although that vacation was more tiring than work.
"Oh, work is never-ending! Work-life balance is the most important! You said that!" Theresa retorted righteously. "It's settled then! Tell me when you get off work, and I'll come find you! No running away!"
Without giving Fu Chen a chance to refuse, the communication was cut off.
Fu Chen looked at the terminal, which had returned to its standby screen, and sighed helplessly.
This girl... ever since the holiday ended, she seemed to be looking for him more frequently.
Before, it was just occasional "night raids" or communication harassment, but now she almost always tries to drag him out of the office whenever she gets a chance.
He shook his head, temporarily pushing this minor annoyance to the back of his mind, and re-immersed himself in the endless ocean of work.
The report had to be detailed yet without revealing key data; striking this balance required considerable mental effort.
By the time he finally sent out the encrypted report and dealt with all urgent matters, the simulated sky outside the window had already completely darkened.
He rubbed his aching shoulders, glanced at the time—8:30 PM. A little earlier than expected.
"Finally, I can get off work..." He stretched his neck, packed his things, and prepared to leave the bridge.
As he stepped out of the battleship berth and entered the living area corridor of the headquarters, before he could decide whether to grab something quick at the cafeteria or cook noodles in his dorm, a cheerful and childish voice cut through the corridor's bustle, precisely hitting him:
"Uncle Chen!!"
Fu Chen froze, looking in the direction of the voice.
At the other end of the corridor, Cecilia was smiling gently, holding recently purchased items in her hand.
And at her feet, a tiny figure in a cute white dress, with dazzling silver hair and bright blue eyes, was rushing towards him like a little cannonball—stumbling but moving extremely fast, excitedly waving her short little arms as she ran.
Who else could it be but Kiana?
Fu Chen instinctively crouched down, opening his arms.
The little one accurately plunged into his embrace, her soft body, smelling of milk and warm from running, crashing into him fully.
"Uncle Chen! Hug! High!" Kiana hugged his neck, her sapphire-like big eyes sparkling, full of affection and joy.
Fu Chen quickly steadied himself, carefully picking up the little one, but couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Is she really a Kaslana? Her first birthday is still a few days away, right? She can already run, jump, and call people clearly... Truly gifted..."
He remembered that most ordinary children at this age were just learning to walk unsteadily and say simple words.
"Kiana, slow down, don't bump into Uncle Chen." Cecilia walked over, smiling, her tone gentle. "A-Chen, just got off work?"
"Yes, Cecilia, taking her out to play?"
Fu Chen held the restless little one, who was squirming and curiously examining his epaulets, and his mood unconsciously softened. The fatigue from work seemed to have been greatly dispelled by this warm embrace.
"That's right, she couldn't stay at home and insisted on coming out to see." Cecilia looked at her daughter, her eyes full of doting affection. "She got even more excited when she saw you. This child really likes you."
"Uncle Chen! Fun!" Kiana pointed her chubby little hand towards the brightly lit recreational plaza in the distance down the corridor. "Go! Go!"
Fu Chen chuckled: "It's too late today, Kiana should go home to sleep. When it's your birthday, Uncle will come play with you, okay?"
He gently pinched the little one's soft cheek.
Kiana seemed to understand "birthday" and "play." Although a little reluctant, she still obediently nodded her small head: "Mhm! Pinky promise!"
Fu Chen cooperatively extended his pinky finger, hooking it with her tiny one.
Only then was the little one satisfied.
Then she lingered in Fu Chen's arms for a while longer before being reluctantly carried away by Cecilia.
"Then we won't bother you. Go back and rest quickly." Cecilia, holding her daughter, nodded to Fu Chen. "Don't forget the birthday party, okay?"
"I'll definitely be there," Fu Chen promised.
Watching Cecilia walk away with Kiana, who was still waving at him, Fu Chen stood rooted to the spot, a lingering smile on his lips.
A child's innocence always easily touches the softest part of one's heart. Protecting such a smile, perhaps, was one of the meanings behind his fight.
However, this warmth was quickly shattered.
"A—Chen—!"
Another familiar voice came from behind him, carrying a hint of displeasure and urgency.
Fu Chen's body stiffened, and he slowly turned around.
Theresa had appeared at the corridor entrance at some point, hands on her hips, pouting as she looked at him: "I knew you were off work! You didn't reply to my messages! Turns out you were here with Cecilia and Kiana!"
Her tone carried a subtle hint of sourness and accusation.
Fu Chen immediately felt a double headache: "I just came out, and happened to run into them..."
"I don't care!"
Theresa walked over, grabbed his arm, and said, "You promised to go to the dessert shop with me! Hurry, hurry, we'll have to queue if we're late!"
"Wait, Theresa, I haven't had dinner yet..."
"That shop also has light meals! We can solve it there!"
Without any chance to resist, Fu Chen was once again dragged away by Theresa.
He looked back in the direction where Cecilia and Kiana had disappeared, then at Theresa beside him, full of endless energy and seemingly always able to find him precisely. The warmth in his heart was instantly replaced by a deep sense of helplessness.
He felt as if he could already see his own bleak future.
Meanwhile, in the luxurious office on the top floor of the headquarters, Otto Apocalypse was lazily leaning back in a lavish chair. The light screen before her displayed the detailed report just received from the Asgard.
Her fingertips gently traced Fu Chen's electronic signature on the light screen, complex and unreadable emotions swirling in her emerald eyes, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.
"Still working so hard... Fu Chen." She murmured softly, her voice carrying a hint of nostalgia and an almost imperceptible tenderness. "It seems... I'll have to find you more 'breaks.'"
"Soon..." Her gaze drifted towards the vast starry sky outside the window, her eyes gradually becoming deep and resolute. "Once I handle everything... we can truly reunite."