"By the way… you really don't mind not being able to go back?"
Liu Bai glanced curiously at the energetic Guinaifen as she bounced along beside him.
"Well…" Guinaifen scratched her head sheepishly. "The money you gave is enough to let my little brothers and sisters live comfortably on the Luofu without worrying about food or clothes. Forget just being stuck here temporarily—even if it's climbing mountains of blades or diving into seas of fire, I'll stick with you, boss."
The backstory felt… surprisingly grounded.
While Liu Bai marveled inwardly, Guinaifen leaned in and lowered her voice.
"So boss, how about we use this cash to buy streaming gear? Then…"
She dropped her tone even further.
"Forget just you—we could support the whole crew without breaking a sweat!"
Guinaifen had grown up in tough circumstances herself; she naturally knew which topics to skirt and which to avoid.
Firefly? Who's that? Never heard of her!
"Building a fanbase takes time, though."
Liu Bai felt the temptation, but reason held firm.
"I've got a way to make money fast. Follow me."
He tugged Guinaifen along the corridor toward the exit.
Legitimate money-making methods were plentiful: crafting and selling items, playing middleman, various part-time gigs.
But as a player, how could he possibly ignore the less-than-legitimate routes?
Legit grinding? That's for normies.
At the far end of the World Serpent corridor stood a staircase. Up they went, arriving at a heavy black mechanical door. Both wristbands beeped in unison; the door slid open automatically.
Beyond lay a bustling lobby filled with people in matching uniforms—and even a few robots moving about.
"This is…?"
"A company called Kamijou Pharmaceuticals."
Liu Bai explained casually.
No one in the lobby paid the pair any mind as they emerged from the restricted door. These people had long since mastered the art of corporate zombiehood.
"Big Pharmacy, huh…" Guinaifen nodded vaguely, half-understanding.
"Not quite the same thing… come on."
No one stopped them along the way. Spotting their wristbands, several even offered crisp "Good day, sir/ma'am."
Ten minutes later, Liu Bai halted in front of a vending machine tucked into an upstairs conference room.
…Honestly, having a vending machine in a conference room was absurd on its own.
Who buys snacks during meetings?
Even Guinaifen stared blankly at it.
"Some things are placed here for very specific reasons."
Liu Bai eyed the machine.
This was the one vending machine in the entire building that—provided you avoided grinding favor with the right people—let you buy top-tier World Serpent faction medicines at double price.
Sure enough, it was still there.
[Failure Potion]
[A failed drug produced by World Serpent's Second Division scientists under Jackal's supervision. Upon consumption, may restore moderate physical strength to the target. After decomposition, certain random components may be obtained.]
[Price: 1000g]
Liu Bai purchased four vials without hesitation.
-4000g
With the remaining 1000g, he spent 50g on bread and bottled water, then slipped back into the Serenitea Pot to hand them to Firefly.
"…Um, Liu Bai sir, you're not planning anything dangerous, are you?"
Firefly accepted the items with visible worry in her eyes.
"Actually… don't let my appearance fool you—I can fight too."
"Don't worry. Everything is still proceeding according to plan."
For now, letting Firefly out wasn't feasible.
Liu Bai retrieved the [Elixir of Love Trial Version] from the chest, then returned to reality.
Guinaifen sat idly in a conference room chair, legs swinging.
"Let's go, Little Guizi. Time to make money!"
"Roger that!"
[Instance: Ice Sickle Duet]
[Enemy Composition: Frost Sickle]
[Special Ability: Super Armor]
[Quantity: Very few]
This was it!
He knew high-level Dead Soldier variants spawned in the alleys around Kamijou Pharmaceuticals.
"Little Guizi, when people show up, just smash these potions in their faces."
Liu Bai handed all five vials to Guinaifen.
"These… what are they?"
Guinaifen looked confused. The other four gray ones were unclear, but the pink one he'd brought from the pot screamed trouble.
"Don't ask. Just do it."
Liu Bai pressed his hand against a bud-like structure that resembled a Simulated Blossom nine-tenths of the way. The bud instantly bloomed.
To Guinaifen, it looked like he simply clenched empty air.
"…Snow?"
Snowflakes drifted against her cheek; she blinked in confusion.
Tap… tap…
Footsteps echoed from the alley. Two pale-skinned girls emerged from the shadows—expressionless, eyes glinting with faint bloodlust, each gripping scythes as tall as themselves.
"B-Boss! What are those?!"
Guinaifen's body jerked instinctively at their gazes.
Those were the eyes of pure killing machines.
"Think of them as mara-struck on the Xianzhou!"
"Oh… oh—wait, that's way worse!"
Guinaifen fumbled the potions out in a panic.
"Which one do I throw?!"
"Whichever comes out first!"
"Got it!"
She took a deep breath. Panic vanished; her performer's calm settled in.
"Here we go!"
As a street performer, Guinaifen's short-range throwing was sharper than many professionals.
Two gray Failure Potions arced gracefully, curving past the scythes and smacking both girls square in the forehead.
[Frost Sickle 1 affected by Failure Potion. Favor +200. Current Favor: 100]
[Frost Sickle 2 affected by Failure Potion. Favor +200. Current Favor: 100]
The girls—radiating lethal intent—froze mid-step.
Their blood-red pupils locked onto Liu Bai. Just as Guinaifen's heart sank, pink heart-shapes slowly bloomed in those crimson eyes.
"…Huh?"
[You have successfully appraised one potion]
[Failure Potion → Elixir of Love · Vigor Enhancement]
[Appraisal skill unlocked. Current Appraisal level: 1]
"Ah… ah…"
As Honkai-infected Dead Soldiers, Frost Sickles had long lost the ability to speak. Yet that didn't stop them from murmuring softly, hearts in their eyes, as they shuffled toward Liu Bai.
"They… they're not going to fight anymore?"
Guinaifen stared at the love-struck gazes, feeling the entire situation had taken a bizarre turn.
It was like watching Xianzhou citizens fall for mara-struck—only worse.
No, the vibe was too weird. What exactly had she just thrown?
"Um… boss, they're coming right for you."
"I know."
Everything… was still under control…
…right?