77. New Simulation: Little Mei and the Kidnapping Case?
[Simulation Time: Modern Day, 2004.]
[Simulation Location: Nagazora City]
[Scenario Name: The Story Begins Here.]
Nagazora City. Upon hearing the name of this far-eastern city, Gao Qi's eyes lit up.
Nagazora City... he was way too familiar with it. This was the origin of all stories. He knew this place from the first time he touched Honkai Gakuen.
Back then, the stage of the Honkai world was just Nagazora City. The damage wasn't measured in units of billions yet, let alone concepts like the Quantum Sea, the Imaginary Tree, the Previous Era, or the Flame-Chasers of MOTH.
It was right here, after the Third Honkai Eruption, that Gao Qi, controlling his precious "daughter" Kiana, fought her way out of Chiba Academy with a baseball bat and a green pistol, meeting that destined companion—Raiden Mei.
The original art for the Herrscher of Thunder was pretty awful, and she was a pain to fight in the loop stages. Gao Qi had to grind her down for half an hour with a sniper rifle and shotgun, running out of ammo and heating up his phone in the process. While humans tend to romanticize memories, in that era when mobile gaming was just taking off, Gao Qi truly enjoyed the purest form of fun.
After that, Kiana met Bronya, Himeko... and then Cocolia successfully ended the world—you're really something!
Later, whether it was the new era, the chuunibyou Houraiji Kyuushou, or Kiana from the Honkai Impact 3rd world, they all started from Chiba Academy in Nagazora City. Who knows what that school did to deserve all this.
However, Gao Qi remembered that the Third Honkai Eruption happened in 2014.
"2004... isn't that a bit early? At this time, Bianka was just born not long ago, and Kiana hasn't even been cloned yet..."
Before Gao Qi could finish reminiscing, the simulation system in front of him began rapidly generating this life that belonged to Gao Qi.
Of course, the "orphan with both parents deceased" part was a given. Gao Qi didn't really want extra parents; being an orphan was quite convenient.
[You are an orphan living in Siberia. During the Second Honkai Eruption in 2000, your hometown was affected. Although Cecilia's White Flower soaked in blood saved tens of thousands, many still couldn't live in the contaminated zone and were forced to leave their homes.]
[As a Honkai refugee, you were taken to the Far East by the Schicksal organization. However, since you are a boy and showed no Honkai energy-related aptitude, you naturally couldn't enter the Far East Branch. Instead, you were raised in an orphanage.]
[As you grew up, you skillfully took on many tasks at the orphanage, and the staff considered you very reliable.]
[You early on refused the orphanage's financial aid, leaving the limited resources for your younger brothers and sisters. You started looking for part-time jobs early, working while studying.]
[Finally, you worked for Massive Electric Corporation—ME Corp, the Far East's largest and world-renowned electronics manufacturer. This company had good subsidy policies for Honkai orphans and allowed you, still in junior high, to join.]
[This kind of charity-like assistance was meant to teach the helped children self-reliance and didn't give you much real work, but you always took it seriously. Your talent for logistics, processing, and inter-department coordination was remarkable.]
[After your work ability earned recognition from colleagues and superiors, your department head even reported directly to the ME Corp president, approving your direct conversion to a full-time employee upon reaching the appropriate age.]
[Today was originally just an ordinary workday. You finished your tasks and were preparing to return to your rented room when... here, you encountered a little girl who looked somewhat pouty and angry.]
When Gao Qi regained his senses, he was already standing inside an elevator descending to the first floor.
Gao Qi looked at the mirror inside the elevator and saw he was still a teenager. Though not as young as in the Aponia Sanatorium, he looked only about fourteen or fifteen, far from adulthood.
The Herrscher authorities and MANTIS powers within Gao Qi were also lying dormant. While his body wasn't as weak as before, activating this power still put significant strain on him.
Gao Qi was wearing a slightly tailored-down suit with a work ID hanging around his neck, looking every bit the office worker.
"ME Corp... isn't this the Anti-Entropy branch in the Far East? The company president is Raiden Ryoma!"
Now in control of his body, Gao Qi was no longer the single-mindedly grateful worker. He quickly recalled the plot related to ME Corp and Anti-Entropy.
Raiden Ryoma, one of Anti-Entropy's Executors, wasn't a particularly formidable character and didn't have much screen time. His combat power couldn't match Welt's, his scientific talent couldn't compare to Einstein's or Tesla's, and even in internal strife, he couldn't outmaneuver Cocolia.
However, he shared the same achievement as the great hero Siegfried and the warlord Cocolia—having a good daughter.
He loved his daughter deeply. To protect her from the effects of her innate Stigmata, he even implanted the Gem of Conquest into her body.
Like Kiana and Bronya, Raiden Ryoma's daughter, Raiden Mei, was destined to be a protagonist of this world.
She was destined to suffer many trials, rampage as the Third Herrscher, trigger the Third Honkai Eruption, later be forced to separate from her closest friends, and repeatedly gain power using the correct password "I can do nothing." Despite having purple hair, she often played out the famous "pink-haired girl crying while pounding the ground" scene, becoming the purple-haired passerby girl.
Finally, she accepted the power of the Herrscher of Thunder, staged an unprecedented domestic conflict, entered the Elysian Realm, and met Gao Qi's Flame-Chaser friends.
And ultimately, she even joined hands with Bronya, appearing in Post-Honkai Odyssey as a human, participating in the fight against the alien race, the Sky People.
Know what's called an immunity talisman, an ironclad guarantee? This is it! No matter how sharp the writer's knives, they can't stab Raiden Mei.
Of course, her all-embracing gentle personality, her strong wife-like aura of a perfect helper, also made Gao Qi particularly fond of her.
Remember, the temporary food truck Mei ran at the Schicksal Floating Port is still there! Even though the Far East Branch rebelled, the food truck is innocent!
And beneath Raiden Mei's gentle exterior still hides the proud heart of a young lady. Even without transforming into the Third Herrscher, Mei occasionally displays a full queenly demeanor—how could one not like that?
If Herrschers didn't always want to end the world, Gao Qi really wished to be... ahem, stepped on by the Queen of the Void and the Herrscher of Thunder, one on each side...
"But, this seems like a good opportunity too?"
Adjusting his lapel, Gao Qi seriously pondered the goals of this simulation.
Getting stronger was naturally a basic requirement. At ME Corp, as long as Gao Qi worked diligently and remained loyal, being a "die-hard loyalist" cultivated from childhood meant his chances of eventually entering Anti-Entropy's inner circle were almost 100%.
Then, whether it's Anti-Entropy's knowledge and technology, or that one Gem of Conquest Anti-Entropy managed to obtain, all could enhance Gao Qi's power.
Currently, Gao Qi already controlled the authorities of Ice and Death. Sirin could multi-core process; Gao Qi could try that too. Adding a Thunder authority shouldn't be a problem.
Another goal Gao Qi had was to try, after the inevitable outbreak of the Third Honkai Eruption, to practice how to calm the Herrscher of Thunder and restore her rationality.
After all, Herrschers in the Current Era were all potential turncoats; every possible one defected. Starting from Welt Joyce, every single one of them—Herrschers never properly did their world-ending job. The Herrscher of the Void was just an inflated pufferfish; the Herrscher of Dominance was considered diligent; and Otto, that Herrscher of Dominance, fiercely fleeced the Will of Honkai. They were all so unprofessional!
But the Previous Era was different. Without the Schariac holy blood, without Anti-Honkai serum, let alone the God-Slayer Spear combining both, it was almost impossible to fight alongside a Herrscher.
The only ones who could still be considered on humanity's side were Sakura's sister, the innocent "Rin," and that 13th Herrscher... Elysia.
If Gao Qi wanted to avoid being "cleaned up" by the Will of Honkai as an "anomaly," he absolutely had to build good relations with the Herrschers who acted as "cleaners," and research how to make them side with him.
Hua's case of becoming a Herrscher of Dominance was a special exception; she was essentially only one-thousandth of a Herrscher, so Gao Qi could "purify" her. But other Herrschers couldn't be handled that way.
How to make them side with humanity, continue to hold firm to their human hearts—Gao Qi had many theories.
The God-Slayer Spear, the Maiden's blood, the power of the Quantum Sea, the power of MANTISes, companionship, care, familial love, friendship, romantic love—many factors could be at play.
Relying on the God-Slayer Spear and Himeko's love for Kiana, Otto succeeded in making a Herrscher human. Although he was a bastard, Gao Qi shared the same view as him.
Love truly is a terrifying power.
"This time, I might even get to see the original Kiana. At this time, she should still be naive, innocent, pure, and cute, right?"
This time, Gao Qi wanted to see how his precious daughter Kiana managed to turn Mei from a Herrscher back into a human.
"Forget it, no need to think that far ahead. That's ten years from now. Maybe before that, the Will of Honkai will finish me off. Better watch out for the Third Impact happening early."
Gao Qi shook off those thoughts just as the elevator reached the first floor.
The moment the doors opened, as Gao Qi stepped out, a little girl with purple hair, running quickly, suddenly bumped right into his chest with a thud.
"Ah, sorry! I apologize, sir! That was rude of me!"
Immediately scrambling out of Gao Qi's arms, the girl—who looked only seven or eight years old—bowed politely, her face full of apology. A large ribbon tied into her single ponytail at the back made it look like cat ears from the front.
Behind her, an old man with a gray beard came hurrying over, holding his waist.
"Young lady, young lady, don't run around! I'm begging you, you can't just dash through the company— Hey, Gao Qi! Quick, help me calm her down!"
Gao Qi certainly knew who he was. This old man was Raiden Ryoma's driver and an acquaintance of Gao Qi's, soon to retire.
And the little girl in front of him was naturally Raiden Ryoma's daughter—Raiden Mei. Gao Qi occasionally saw her waiting outside the company for her father to drive home together, though it often ended with no result.
"Hmph, I don't want to. Dad promised to come home and celebrate my birthday. Last time we agreed, he didn't come back. This time I'm coming to find him—I won't cause any trouble! Please let me go up!"
In front of Gao Qi, the little girl pouted and looked earnestly at the two, her small hands clutching at her black dress as she explained why she had come to the company. The more she spoke, the more wronged she felt, tears welling up in her large, pale-purple eyes.
"Whoa there, don't cry, don't cry. A girl's tears are like gold—you wouldn't want to waste them. Here, how could Chairman Raiden forget your birthday, Mei? He must be planning a surprise for you—look, it's a limited edition Homu plushie!"
There was nothing Gao Qi hated more than seeing a good kid cry in front of him. Seeing little Mei upset, he instinctively took action, deftly pulling a yellow Honkai Beast plushie from the bag in his hand—originally meant for the kids at the orphanage.
After raising children for so long, comforting them had become second nature to Gao Qi. He held up the plushie, skillfully mimicking its lines from the cartoon, and soon little Mei was soothed, her tears turning to laughter before long.
Gao Qi observed little Mei carefully, noticing that this young lady was exceptionally polite, likely due to strict upbringing—well-behaved and obedient. Her earlier act of defiance had probably taken all her courage.
She's really cute. Similar yet different from the future Mei. Kiana really lucked out… no, it's perfect.
Gao Qi's smooth handling of the situation left the old driver, who had been struggling with the young lady, utterly astonished.
"Hey, Gao Qi, I never knew you had this talent. I'm retiring in a couple of days—how about you take over as the young lady's driver?"
Being the chairman's driver was a cushy job but also exhausting. Without good judgment and rapport with the young lady, you'd be replaced quickly. But in the old driver's eyes, Gao Qi was perfect for the role.
"Forget it, you know how old I am. I can't even get a driver's license yet… Old man, take good care of her."
Having finally calmed little Mei down, Gao Qi wanted to chat with her a bit more. But then his peripheral vision caught several black vehicles parked outside the lobby, and his eyes narrowed.
Gao Qi's instincts as a Siberian mercenary kicked in. Recalling the assault tactics often used in capture missions, he immediately pulled little Mei behind him.
"Security, sound the alarm!"
The lobby guards were merely for show. What Gao Qi wanted to activate were Anti-Entropy's internal security measures—he suddenly remembered that Mei had been kidnapped once as a child!
Sure enough, the next moment, soldiers in full gear—wearing bulletproof vests and tactical vests, armed to the teeth—poured out of the seemingly ordinary military vehicles and stormed into the building.
"Target spotted. Proceed with capture—only take Raiden Mei. No, bring the old man too!"
The scene instantly descended into chaos. People either fled in panic or crouched down in fear. A few security guards tried to resist but were quickly hit with fast-acting tranquilizer darts in their necks and collapsed.
Soon, the mercenaries had control of the area and began approaching Raiden Mei. Little Mei was frozen in fear, unable to move.
Gao Qi narrowed his eyes, thought for a moment, and decided to act—they were just ordinary people, easy to handle!
He knew this kidnapping would leave a deep psychological scar on Mei. Though it was part of her life's journey, Gao Qi simply couldn't bear to see a child he cared about suffer!
To hell with the butterfly effect! If you're so powerful, just trigger the Third Impact and strike me dead with lightning!
"Don't be afraid. I'll protect you. Stay here and don't move."
With his mind made up, Gao Qi reassured little Mei and suddenly accelerated.
Since his martial arts technique wasn't limited by physical conditioning, Gao Qi's simulation backgrounds always included "years of martial arts training," so he wasn't worried about drawing suspicion.
"Hit!"
As one of the mercenaries approached, Gao Qi didn't hesitate. He struck with an unorthodox hand chop to the mercenary's throat, followed by a knee to the groin. His small, fourteen- or fifteen-year-old frame actually worked to his advantage, and the mercenary lost consciousness from the pain almost instantly—a hundred martial arts, but this was the Egg-Crushing Kick!
The next second, before the surrounding mercenaries could react, Gao Qi had already snatched the gun from the fallen man and precisely shot tranquilizer darts into their necks.
When Gao Qi was a mercenary in Siberia, his equipment was far more advanced than what was available in 2004.
The mercenaries carried no lethal weapons, likely meaning they weren't there to kill. Gao Qi held back accordingly.
"Break!"
Grabbing a riot shield, Gao Qi smashed it into another mercenary, knocking him down. At the same time, he rolled effortlessly, dodging a volley of shots from the mercenaries. Under their stunned gazes, he pulled a flashbang from one of their vests and tossed it.
The sudden appearance of this fierce fighter left the mercenaries bewildered. Their formation broke, and they were on the verge of being defeated by a mere teenager—since when was Chinese martial arts this powerful?
Gao Qi didn't plan to waste time. He leaped past several mercenaries and headed straight for the jeep that clearly held the commander. As the saying goes, capture the leader first, and the followers will scatter.
He was also curious about who wanted to kidnap Raiden Mei.
Soon, he opened the car door, smoothly pointing the pistol at the mercenary leader inside—and then froze.
He saw a young woman with long golden hair, dressed in heavy military uniform, cautiously aiming a tranquilizer gun at him. She looked... familiar?
Cocolia! Seeing her, Gao Qi hesitated for a moment.
Looking at the black-haired boy in front of her, Cocolia—then just an ordinary Anti-Entropy member and a minor warlord in Siberia—didn't hesitate to pull the trigger.
Biu!
Thud.
A few seconds later, the black-haired boy collapsed into her arms, his head landing squarely on her chest, making the young woman blush.
"This kid... Damn it. Raiden Ryoma didn't mention having someone this capable under him. Whatever. Drag those useless fools who couldn't handle a kid away. Just bring the little girl here! And let this boy take care of her. Don't scare the child!"
Cocolia thought about pushing the boy aside but, after some consideration, gently placed the sleeping boy in the passenger seat and sighed softly.
"Really... what a troublesome job. That bastard Raiden Ryoma owes me a favor for this. He better recommend me as an Executor!"
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
Please support the original author: warboss
Raw: 崩坏模拟器,你找的人是我么?