In the commercial district of St. Freya High School, at the platinum-signed "Roaring Moon Sea Cafe," a private establishment owned by Yàqīng, very few patrons were present. It was one of the more expensive spots in the academy, and classes were currently in session.
Yàqīng chose a seat by the window, where sunlight streamed through the glass, illuminating a potted succulent.
"Mr. Welt, it's been too long since New York. I've missed you," Yàqīng said. He recalled the advice Otto had given him as a child: a friendly smile can prevent a lot of trouble when dealing with strangers, for both parties.
The brown-haired man sitting across from him, Welt Yang, adjusted the black-framed glasses on his nose and watched Yàqīng warily. The familiar tone nearly made him suspect he was speaking to Otto himself.
"Hah. I have nothing to discuss with Otto's people."
Seated next to Welt, Siegfried looked awkward. Technically, he was also one of Otto's subordinates.
"Mr. Welt, let's not be so hasty," Yàqīng said, his manners as refined as an English gentleman's. He ordered an Americano for both Siegfried and Welt, and a coffee with sugar and milk for himself.
Yàqīng steepled his hands on the table, resting his chin on them with a faint, knowing smile. "Just as Lord Otto would never have imagined that the Vice-Lord of Anti-Entropy, an organization on par with Schicksal, would be quietly working as a history teacher at the Schicksal-funded St. Freya High School?"
Welt was rendered speechless.
"How about this, Mr. Welt? Shall we make a wager?"
Seeing Yàqīng's smile, Welt felt a strange sense of unease. "What kind of wager?" he asked cautiously.
"First, take a look at this script."
Yàqīng snapped his fingers.
His secretary, the alluring Rita, seemed to appear from nowhere. She approached the table and, with a smile, placed three cups of Americano before them.
"Rita, that's not what I meant," Yàqīng said, flustered.
Rita simply chuckled, retrieved a proposal from behind her back, and handed it to Welt. She then stood quietly behind Yàqīng.
Welt accepted the proposal, giving the composed Yàqīng and the fox-like Rita a suspicious glance. "You're just showing me such an important proposal this easily? Aren't you afraid Anti-Entropy will plagiarize it? After all, we entered the entertainment industry a full twelve years before Schicksal."
Under the table, Siegfried nudged Welt with his elbow.
"I trust in your character, Mr. Welt, just as I trust the integrity of the two doctors at Anti-Entropy," Yàqīng said, stirring his coffee and milk with a spoon before taking a delicate sip. He smiled. "Besides, I grew up watching the special-effects films the two doctors directed. The style and action of 'Arahato' left a deep impression on me."
"In terms of directing, the two doctors are practically my life's mentors," Yàqīng said, his tone respectful, yet lacking any deep admiration, as if he were discussing two complete strangers.
"Hah."
Welt ran his fingers over the slightly coarse paper. He had initially expected a joke, not believing this young master could write a decent script. But the more he read, the more engrossed he became.
He was especially captivated by the part where his own character, Welt, representing humanity, confronts the Herrscher of the Void. The passionate, nerdy soul deep within him began to burn.
Siegfried, who had already seen his own version of the script, couldn't help but lean over to look. He was instantly stunned. The version he had been shown was just black text on a white page. But to show their sincerity, Yàqīng had Patrick pull an all-nighter to draw a storyboard. This uncolored, black-and-white manga format delivered an even greater impact to Siegfried.
About half an hour later, Yàqīng was nibbling on a piece of bread, watching an enraged Siegfried shake Welt. "This is all your fault! My wife was so close to redeeming Sirin, why did you have to interfere?" Siegfried yelled, though he wasn't using much force.
Welt's head was spinning from being shaken. "Stop shaking me."
Welt shook his head, trying to clear it. He took off his glasses and looked at Yàqīng with a complex expression. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I have to admit, your script surpasses 'Arahato'."
"Hahaha," Yàqīng let out a low laugh. "To receive such high praise from you, Welt... I think this is the happiest day of my life."
"Anti-Entropy is willing to cooperate with the Far East Branch," Welt declared. "However, I must be involved in the creation of all future scripts."
Yàqīng's expression instantly turned cold. The friendly smile vanished, as if Welt's words had struck a nerve. "Are you joking, Mr. Welt?"
Welt's presence was no less imposing as he stared back into Yàqīng's eyes. "The script may be good, but I still don't trust Otto."
"Mr. Welt, I am not lying," Yàqīng said coldly.
Siegfried quickly intervened. "Hey, hey, Welt, Yàqīng, don't fight! Let's talk this out calmly."
Rita gently massaged Yàqīng's shoulders, signaling him to calm down.
"Let's each take a step back," Yàqīng finally said. "I will allow you to join the scriptwriting process, but you are not to alter my core ideas."
Welt considered this for a moment and agreed.
"May our collaboration be a sincere one."
"Agreed."
A few days after the agreement with Anti-Entropy was made, using their advanced special effects technology, Cheng Lixue worked day and night to finally complete the promotional trailer.
Suddenly, the internet, which had been quiet, exploded with promotion. With Schicksal's resources, they could ensure the entire world knew about the release of their first movie, Honkai.
[When did Schicksal decide to get into the entertainment industry?] [From the look of it—girls, mechs, the future—it seems like they're trying to compete with 'Arahato'.] [Arahato is the GOAT!] [You idiots, didn't you see it's a collaboration with Anti-Entropy's Welt Yang? Stop trying to stir up drama.]
Online comments were mixed.
In Miss Pink Elf♪'s livestream, three hundred thousand people were watching simultaneously. As Elysia's cute virtual avatar winked, the screen was instantly flooded with comments declaring "Elysia is the most beautiful in the world."
"Hiii, my dear fans, long time no see! Did you miss me~? ♥"
The chat scrolled endlessly.
"Mhmm~, on today's stream, we're going to watch that controversial movie trailer that's been all over the internet! ♥ But~, before we officially start, I've invited a very special guest~? ♥"
Elysia mysteriously opened her chat software.
[Who is it, who is it? Could it be Eden?] [No way, isn't Eden on her national concert tour? Could it be Kalpas?] [Is it really Kalpas? (Excited)]
Elysia was baffled. Every guest she invited was a beautiful woman, like Eden, Pardofelis, or Mobius. So why were her fans so obsessed with Kalpas?
And her fanbase was mostly male! Something was very, very wrong!
Elysia shook her head. "Nope~ It's a newcomer to the stream~? ♥"
Elysia spoke to the person on the voice call. "Welcome, Yàqīng, to Elysia's livestream for the first time~ Yàqīng~ Yàqīng~ Yàqīng~ Come say hello to everyone~? ♥"
"Hello everyone, I am Yàqīng Schariac."
As Yàqīng's magnetic voice filled the stream, the chat fell silent for a moment before erupting with even greater excitement.
[Whoa, his voice is so magnetic! Guys, I'm done for, my ears are pregnant! I think I'm gay now!] [Hey mister, do you have a girlfriend? If so, would you consider another boyfriend?] [I often feel inadequate because I can't fit in with this group of degenerates.] [Wait, Yàqīng Schariac? The President of Schicksal's Far East Division, the youngest billionaire on the world's top 100 list!] [Oh my god, a high-ranking executive from Schicksal! Miss Elf's connections shock me once again. Last time it was Dr. Mobius, who's in biology textbooks, and the time before that it was the world-class superstar, Eden.]
"Oh, stop it~ ♥" Elysia giggled mischievously. "The promotional video we're watching today is from Yàqīng's company~"
[A young president with a magnetic voice... if he's also handsome, wouldn't that be the ultimate combo? He's a total main character!] [I knew it. I was just born to be a background character in this world.]
"Alright, Ely," Yàqīng said, not particularly embarrassed but feeling a bit uncomfortable. He wasn't great at communicating with people.
"I know, I know." Elysia skillfully regained control of the stream, diverting her fans' attention with a single sentence. "Before we watch the video, I have a few questions for Yàqīng~"
"Go ahead."
"Is the story a tearjerker?"
Yàqīng took a sharp breath but kept his tone even. "The story of Honkai is bright, positive, and uplifting."
Join my patreon For Early access to Chapter : patreon.com/TheWorldGod
Tiamat 130 Chapter
Honkai 50 Chapter
Lobotomy 50 Chapter