79. Mei's Thoughts, The Daughters Come to Find Daddy!
[Ten years have passed like calm water, and you have grown accustomed to your role as Mei's bodyguard.]
[Though called a bodyguard, you actually juggle multiple roles—chef, driver, housekeeper—each of the others who once held these positions seriously tendered their resignations one by one. At some point, you realized that, by your side, it seemed only you remained.]
[For three years after the kidnapping incident, Mei stayed in a special hospital. Though the entire staff deliberately kept it from you, you knew that every employee there was a member of Anti-Entropy. They implanted the Gem of Conquest in Mei, initiating the "Mei Project."]
[You did not interfere in this process, instead taking meticulous care of Mei, because you understood that implanting the Gem of Conquest was truly saving Mei's life.]
[As you aged, your body soon became capable of supporting the use of MANTIS powers, making ME Corp and its Anti-Entropy branch almost transparent to you.]
[You used this to acquire many valuable pieces of knowledge and technology... which weren't of much direct use to you but became important bargaining chips for future transactions.]
[After the Gem of Conquest was implanted, Raiden Mei's chronically frail and sickly body finally began to improve. She gradually grew more cheerful and became increasingly close to you.]
[Raiden Ryoma remained busy, but he always made time for Mei's birthday—a father's love is often wordless. Not everyone can devote everything to their child like you do, so you held no harsh judgment against Raiden Ryoma; he had already done a lot.]
[In 2005, after his daughter's surgery, Raiden Ryoma even made a special trip to North America, presumably to deal with the mess caused by Himeko's father, Nagamitsu Ryōsuke, alongside Anti-Entropy—unfortunately, you missed out on that grand affair.]
[Similarly, you gave up any thought of visiting Schicksal to see Bianka and Kiana. Given your deep ties to Anti-Entropy, you simply couldn't make it to Vienna.]
[Thus, you set aside unnecessary thoughts, tucked away your intention to deliberately provoke the Will of Honkai, and decided to peacefully accompany Mei, treating it as a long vacation for yourself.]
[After all... you were a bit tired.]
Ten years was not a short time, even for Gao Qi, who was used to simulated lives.
The simulation system only helped Gao Qi adjust his perception of time. Looking back, he could recall many things he remembered without feeling as if too much time had passed.
This was a thoughtful setting. After all, from Gao Qi's perspective, the time he spent in the simulation system would undoubtedly be substantial. If too much time passed and he began to develop a detached mindset, he might become unlike his former self, or even fall into obsession.
Otto went without saying—his obsession had little to do with how long he lived. Fu Hua, under the control of the Divine Key's "Divine Voice," wasn't surprising for being a bit obsessed either. But Kevin was different—he profoundly demonstrated that the longer one lives, the more one experiences, and the more horrific tragedies one witnesses... the more obsessed one becomes!
So, even within simulations, Gao Qi always paid attention to his mindset. Whether in the Previous Era or the Current Era, while striving for power and honing combat skills, he also cultivated hobbies to maintain his mental fortitude.
In every simulation, Gao Qi tried his utmost to change the tragic stories he disliked, but he also inevitably became deeply entangled in them.
Parting with Fu Hua, Kiana, Mobius, Bronya, Aponia... not knowing when he might see them again—this also made Gao Qi feel deeply distressed.
Especially when he saw, in reality, the girls who were identical to those in the simulations but no longer knew him, forcing him to start from scratch—this made Gao Qi even more upset.
He was human, a biological human—not a Honkai beast of the psychic attribute, nor a robot of the mechanical attribute. He had a heart, and he could feel pain. Even though he smiled most of the time, in moments alone, he would sigh with melancholy and anguish.
To be honest, Gao Qi was truly afraid that everything he experienced in the simulation system was merely an illusory world.
In reality, less than half a month had passed, yet Gao Qi had lived decades in the simulations. He also feared that he would change imperceptibly, becoming unlike himself.
Perhaps one day, as his power grew, he would no longer take the simulation system seriously, treating simulated worlds merely as testing grounds to seize power, places to wantonly destroy or play in—Gao Qi was terrified of becoming like that.
As for why... although his "cheat" wasn't death and rebirth, protagonists from neighboring works like Re:Zero had suffered psychological breakdowns. If Gao Qi didn't take precautions, perhaps one day he, too, would fall into confusion and obsession.
So, this time, accompanying Mei as she grew up, Gao Qi didn't dwell on confronting the Will of Honkai. Instead, he gave himself a ten-year-long vacation.
"Brother Gao Qi, Brother Gao Qi? What are you thinking about?"
Suddenly, a gentle voice brought Gao Qi back to reality. He snapped out of his thoughts and saw before him the lovely, sixteen-year-old girl, her face flushed shyly as she nestled in his embrace.
"Um, you've... you've been hugging for too long... but, it's okay."
At this moment, Raiden Mei was bashful, but her arms around the man in front of her remained unwilling to let go.
Although hugging Brother Gao Qi after school had long become a habit for Mei, today, Mei felt... he held her especially tightly?
"At least, not here..."
Since nearly ten years ago, on the day of her birthday when the kidnapping occurred, Mei was rescued from that terrifying den by the older brother who was kidnapped alongside her. From then on, their fates became intertwined.
That night, her almost always absent father surprisingly came home seriously to celebrate her birthday with her. And because Mei invited him, the older brother named Gao Qi joined them.
Afterward, Brother Gao Qi became her bodyguard. With his combat skills that could take down several burly men in an instant—at least in the realm of ordinary people—no one was more suited for the job.
For the next three years, Mei was transferred by her father to a heavily guarded hospital, hoping to treat the physical and psychological trauma from the kidnapping, as well as the health issues she'd had since childhood.
Mei felt she hadn't suffered much harm, and Brother Gao Qi had always protected her, so she hadn't felt particularly scared.
But considering her father's genuine concern, and because she did occasionally feel physical discomfort and often fell ill, she stayed in the hospital for three years.
However, after several surgeries, her body no longer ached, and her father even allowed her to exercise more—wonderful! Now she could play with Brother Gao Qi!
During her hospital stay, Brother Gao Qi stayed by her side, not only preparing three meals a day but also providing round-the-clock care, to the point where the nurses assigned to her complained that Brother Gao Qi was stealing their jobs.
After Mei was discharged from the hospital at age ten, Brother Gao Qi took care of her even more.
Gradually, beyond the bodyguard role, the duties of chef, driver, and even housekeeper and maid were all taken over by Brother Gao Qi alone.
After all, when it came down to it, Mei was just one person and didn't need so many people looking after her—it definitely wasn't because she used her privilege as the ME Corp heiress to transfer those employees to other, higher-paying positions, leaving just the two of them in their own world!
In any case, since starting high school, only Brother Gao Qi accompanied Mei in her daily life. They lived in a spacious villa, leading a—perfectly normal life.
What are you thinking! Mei was still just a child, raised under strict traditional Eastern family education, so of course she couldn't have any strange ideas in her heart.
After all, she was the young lady of ME Corp, receiving top-tier education and upbringing. From her illustrious background and outstanding appearance to her interpersonal skills and achievements, she was impeccable. In kendo, she even had professional-level skill!
Even at Chiba Academy, an all-girls school, she had the title "Raiden Queen" and quite a few younger admirers calling her "Onee-sama," which rather troubled Raiden Mei.
However, Brother Gao Qi taught her to carefully discern people's motives and intentions: how many approached her because of her excellence, how many because of her background, and how many simply followed "Eastern conventions," wanting to get close to her to bask in the glow of the "school's upper class" and avoid being ostracized.
Mei humbly accepted Brother Gao Qi's advice and followed his suggestions. With just a little observation, and by encouraging a few of her "die-hard admirers" to investigate negative remarks about her, Mei quickly discovered... that those she had considered good friends were merely opportunists who even gossiped about her behind her back.
That was one thing, but the most infuriating part was that they even said Brother Gao Qi was her kept boy toy!
Those bi—ahem, composure, composure. The composure of an ME Corp young lady is important.
Mei felt that her relationship with Brother Gao Qi couldn't possibly be so debased and sordid. Their bond was more like a fairy-tale encounter!
Mei had heard many stories from Gao Qi, but her favorite was the tale of the prince on a white horse—a handsome prince appearing out of nowhere, accompanying the princess day and night, just like her and... ack!
Alright, Mei... did have a little something in mind, but only a tiny bit, and she hid it very well.
"Sorry, sorry, I was spacing out. What would you like to eat tonight? I'll make it for you. Let's go home, my young lady?"
Gao Qi smiled slightly, released his arms from around Mei, gently ruffled her hair, opened the car door for her, and elegantly ushered her into the vehicle.
The current Gao Qi was already a versatile, professional butler. Compared to his time with Mobius, his skills in various areas had greatly improved—though not including his flirting skills with Mobius.
Since Mei saw Gao Qi as an older brother, he naturally wouldn't make a move on his little sister. He felt he had returned to the time spent with Fu Hua. Being needed by a younger sister felt really nice, and Mei definitely had no strange thoughts about him.
Mei and Fu Hua were similar in some ways—both were very traditional figures in their respective cultures (Shenzhou and the Far East), both well-behaved and sensible. Compared to the little troublemakers Kiana (openly mischievous) and Bronya (covertly mischievous), they were naturally more endearing. No wonder the two got along well in the future.
"Hmph, Brother Gao Qi is pretending to be proper again. My cooking skills now won't lose to yours. Tonight, I want to cook—with you!"
Sticking her tongue out at Gao Qi, Mei elegantly got into the car.
In front of others, she was gentle, refined, and courteous. But in front of Brother Gao Qi, Mei would unleash the playful side of a young girl that she usually kept hidden!
Mei doesn't want to just be a pampered, helpless princess relying on Gao Qi to take care of her every need. Ever since she grew tall enough to reach the kitchen counter, she has been humbly asking Gao Qi to teach her cooking skills. On her own, she has also secretly watched online tutorials on household chores and how to care for others.
How should I put it? It's like... like... newlywed training! Ah—this absolutely can't be said to Brother Gao Qi!
Anyway, even though she hasn't confessed to Brother Gao Qi, in her heart, Mei already considers him the best, and the only choice!
After all, there's still plenty of time, and Mei isn't in a hurry. As long as she works hard, Brother Gao Qi will surely understand her feelings!
"Alright, alright, whatever you want to learn, I'll teach you."
Making a funny face at Mei through the rearview mirror, Gao Qi, the experienced driver, steadily started the car.
Gao Qi knew that a major upheaval would soon change Mei's life. To prevent her from falling into depression, he needed to pay close attention to Mei lately and promptly help her resolve her worries.
"Mei, did anything interesting happen at school today? Tell me about it."
The time now was late 2013, not far from the destined outbreak of the Third Honkai Eruption.
Therefore, Gao Qi wanted to prepare in advance to minimize the losses from this Honkai outbreak.
At the same time, he also had to protect Mei... and his precious daughter who would come to this city.
Even though they probably wouldn't recognize him, Gao Qi... still wanted to fulfill his responsibility as a stand-in father!
"Not much, just heard from classmates that Chiba Academy recently transferred in two new students, both foreigners. I'm a bit curious... Oh, right, in a few days, I have a kendo competition. Brother Gao Qi, you must come watch!"
Meanwhile, Mei leaned back in her seat, watching Gao Qi's face intently through the rearview mirror, occasionally breaking into a knowing smile.
She thought, how wonderful it would be if she could always see this smile, and not just as a little sister!
"Alright, alright, don't worry, I'll definitely go watch then. We've already bought the groceries, let's head home!"
Gao Qi nodded in agreement to Mei while suddenly stepping on the gas.
However, in his heart, he also had a big question.
[That's not right... I remember, there should only be one transfer student!]
——————
At this moment, outside the guardrail fence on the rooftop of the high school building at Chiba Academy, a girl with two white braids and bright blue eyes was sitting dangerously perched dozens of meters above the ground, gazing at the distant sunset.
Her uniform was worn sloppily, one hand holding a dry piece of bread, the other gently rubbing a crescent-shaped pendant.
Kiana Kaslana had transferred into this all-girls high school called Chiba Academy, and right now, she was feeling particularly annoyed.
It couldn't be helped. Ever since she could remember, she had lived with her dad, and later wandered alone. A school with such a high population density, and girls chattering around her upon seeing her foreign appearance, really made Kiana feel immense pressure.
"Really, Aunt Theresa is such a bother. I wanted to find Dad first, but she had to assign me this boring task. Not only did she make me enroll, but I also have to investigate the abnormal Honkai phenomena here and the movements of Anti-Entropy... These Anti-Entropy people are so troublesome, dividing into factions, even more complicated than Schicksal."
Kiana sighed, stretched out with a big yawn, quickly adjusted her state, and showed a bright, energetic smile.
"When I met Uncle Siegfried earlier, he actually said he didn't know where Dad was either. Some good friend he is. I hope this time he can find a way to rescue Sister Bianka. Thankfully she changed her name, or it really would be hard to tell them apart. I should say, I should have the same surname as Dad... but what's Dad's surname again? Ah, right, almost forgot, it's Gao!"
Even though she was alone, Kiana kept talking to herself; she was used to doing so.
Having wandered across Eurasia, surviving in the wild while fighting Honkai, Kiana had developed a resilient, unyielding spirit, unafraid of any loneliness.
She knew her dad was definitely somewhere in the world, continuing the fight against Honkai, and she had to catch up to him, proving herself a capable, qualified warrior who wouldn't get in the way!
In a few bites, she stuffed the yakisoba bread into her mouth, then pulled out an old photo from her pocket.
Though it was tattered in many places with burn marks, making the photo look full of holes, and the larger of the two figures had lost half its body, fortunately, the tall man's face was still exceptionally clear. Every time the forgetful Kiana forgot her father's face, she would look at the photo, specially reinforcing her memory once more.
"I should have written Dad's name on the back. Oh well, it's normal for a clone to have a slow brain. Anyway, once I see Dad, I'm sure I'll recognize him! Later, when I go to Aunt Theresa's, she'll definitely have higher-resolution photos—when I find Dad, I'll give him a good punch or two!"
Putting away the necklace and photo, Kiana picked up the baseball bat beside her, slung it over her shoulder stylishly, then spread her arms, leaned forward, and free-fell toward the ground below.
Soon after, a series of chaotic crashing sounds were heard, followed by Kiana's annoyed complaints.
"Ah! Who put this clothes rack here?! My hair!!!"
——————
Meanwhile, in another direction of the school, outside the middle school building, a girl with gray twin-spiral pigtails was walking somewhat unsteadily on her way home from school. Her lips barely moved as she reported something into her earpiece.
"It's fine, Mom. Everything's normal at Chiba Academy. I've already found out which class Raiden Mei is in and can approach her anytime."
She was petite, her expression extremely indifferent, her voice notably cool and aloof, but her legs moving on the ground were somewhat uncoordinated, often bumping her left foot against her right, as if she wasn't familiar with the basic act of walking.
"Walking? No problem, Mom. I told you, I just have a slight issue with balance. My legs are still fully functional. As long as I stay focused, I won't fall—"
Before she could finish, the girl tripped over her own feet on the flat cement path, falling straight forward with a splat, experiencing a solid, level-ground fall.
Luckily, no one was around to see the girl's embarrassing move. She quickly pushed herself up and continued walking as if nothing happened.
"It's fine, really fine. I just need to get used to it—Seele can't handle places with so many people. Liliya and Rozaliya would definitely cause chaos. It's better if I do it."
Hearing her mother's worried reminders over the phone, Bronya Zaychik nodded expressionlessly.
"We agreed, Mother Cocolia. All experiments are only targeting Mei herself. Even if we need to trigger an artificial Honkai outbreak, we must find a way to evacuate everyone first—tsunami warning, volcanic eruption alert, whatever reason you come up with. Otherwise, Seele and I definitely won't cooperate with your actions."
No longer just an obedient killing machine, but having become full of initiative, Bronya instead warned Mother Cocolia on the other end of the line.
"I know, Mom, you really want to find a way to bring Father back. But if you resort to unscrupulous means, even if Dad returns, he won't agree with your methods—Mom, you like Dad, everyone can see that. You definitely want to be with him, and we'll all help you!"
After saying this, Bronya silently took off her earpiece and held it away. She knew that on the other end, that lonely, love-starved middle-aged woman would now deny her true feelings like a shy little girl for a long time.
Shaking her head silently, Bronya waited a moment before putting the earpiece back in.
"Anyway, before Dad left, he told me not to let you do anything foolish, Mom. So this time, we'll just deal with the Honkai beasts; we don't need to fight the zombies."
Very resolutely and independently, Bronya finalized the purpose of this operation in Nagazora City, then proactively hung up the phone.
"Say hello to Seele for me, Mom. I'll soon get Mr. Raiden Ryoma's internal blackmail material and send it over. Don't worry. Bye."
Then, Bronya hung up the phone coolly and looked at the sunset in the distance.
It had been over two months since Father left. Everyone at the orphanage was feeling very down.
Sister Raven also left the orphanage, saying she was going to World Serpent to find a way to bring Gao Qi out of the Sea of Quanta.
She firmly believed that if Gao Qi had the ability to grant Bronya and Seele the power of the Sea of Quanta, then he could definitely survive within it—there were precedents for this.
And Cocolia also planned to use Honkai's power to find a way to open the Sea of Quanta.
Although Bronya would stop Cocolia from committing irreparable crimes, in finding Dad, all the children supported her.
"Dad, wait for me. I'm coming to save you!"
Thus, the small city of Nagazora suddenly became... a gathering point for stormy forces!
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
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Raw: 崩坏模拟器,你找的人是我么?