o— [The Hunt] to the left, [The Harmony] to the right, [Erudition] in the heart, and [Preservation] on the chest!
It was a new day.
Following a custom from his hometown for bringing good fortune during special holidays or events, Hua Yi thought for a moment, then let his brush fly across the paper.
He wrote a phrase that held auspicious meaning while still showing respect for the Aeons, and placed it on his desk, hoping to use a bit of metaphysics to further increase his efficiency in absorbing knowledge, perceiving truth, and understanding the Paths.
He had already completed all his assignments as a new researcher.
The department hadn’t immediately given him new tasks based on the principle of “to the able, more labor,” even with his outstanding performance.
It wouldn’t have been a problem even if he hadn’t shown up at his workstation today.
However, one could only access the station’s internal database using a certified terminal.
Researcher levels, from lowest to highest, were roughly divided into Level I, II, III, and IV.
As a newcomer, Hua Yi was a Level II Researcher.
The reason he didn’t start at Level I wasn’t because his talents had caught the department’s eye and earned him a quick promotion, but because, under normal circumstances, there was no such thing as a Level I ID card.
In the Herta Space Station, where clearance was required for everything, a Level I ID card could probably only open the bathroom door.
The amount of data accessible with Level II clearance wasn’t vast.
Even so, with the convenience of his position in the Department of Lumina Archives, it wouldn’t be long before Hua Yi could read through all the valuable materials and form a complete picture of the scientific knowledge and basic Imaginary rules of the Honkai: Star Rail universe.
“Master Hua.” “…” “Master Hua, you look so handsome when you’re focused on your work!
Hehe, you really are the most brilliant star at the station besides Lady Herta!” It was only when the voice sounded again, a little closer this time, that Hua Yi finally confirmed the peculiar title was referring to him.
Behind him, a little girl in a researcher’s uniform stood with sparkling eyes.
“Wow, looking at you up close, I can see even more that Master Hua is gentle and humble, yet mature and calm.
It must be your wonderful personality that gives you such a perfect appearance…
Ah!
This must be what they mean by ‘beauty comes from within’!” Although the space station allowed outside visitors, it didn’t grant any special privileges to children, letting them wear custom-made researcher uniforms and experience the life of a scientist.
The little girl before him was definitely not a tourist.
“You’re Wen Shiling, a Level II Researcher from the Department of Universal Things?” “Whoa!
Master Hua knows who I am?
That’s amazing!” the little girl cheered.
“That’s right, that’s right!
Shiling is from the Department of Universal Things.
Does Master Hua want to research some Curios?
Shiling can get them for you!” In a place like the Herta Space Station, teeming with talent, it was a rare thing for a child to become an official researcher alongside the many adults who had passed the rigorous selection process.
If any other newcomer had suddenly seen a little girl claiming to be a researcher from the Department of Universal Things, they would have found it strange.
But Hua Yi had already grasped the basic information about the station and clearly remembered the file on Wen Shiling.
She was a child, just as she appeared, but also a child prodigy, capable of inspecting Curios and completing routine warehouse spot-checks according to the department’s requirements.
Of course, no matter how bright an ordinary child was, it would be difficult for them to travel between stars on their own, participate in the Herta Space Station’s selection process, and take care of themselves after joining.
However, both the former and current heads of the Department of Universal Things shared the surname Wen.
Wen Shiling’s path to employment was different from that of an ordinary researcher.
Without dwelling on the importance of background and connections, and with no intention of using the information he knew to take advantage of this little fan’s position to bypass tedious procedures and study the miraculously effective Curios—treasures scattered across the universe—Hua Yi put on the gentle air of a friendly big brother.
“You can just call me by my name.
‘Master Hua’ sounds so arrogant for a mere newcomer like me, little miss.” “Eh?…
Then can I call you Brother Hua Yi?” “Of course.” Some people are less impressive in person than their reputation suggests; for others, their reputation doesn’t do them justice.
Listening to Hua Yi’s gentle voice and seeing his friendly, handsome smile, Wen Shiling felt it more clearly than ever: this super-newcomer, who had been mentioned by members of so many departments in such a short time and was hailed as incredibly handsome, charismatic, and easy to get along with, truly lived up to his name.
If anything, their praise had been too modest.
“Shiling heard that the database index program for the Department of Star-Field Species was optimized by Brother Hua Yi, so I went to take a look.
Then, I copied your example and tried to optimize the warehouse inventory for the Department of Universal Things, and it worked really well!
I finished my work a whole system hour earlier than usual.
And then later—” Later, I saw some of the female researchers secretly taking pictures of you and realized that the person who could optimize a database with such a simple and effective method was also this handsome.
You have both brains and looks!
So I immediately decided to establish the ‘Master Hua Fan Club.’ She had come over now to see her idol in person.
He was even more perfect than she had imagined!
His smile was so charming.
“Does Brother Hua Yi want to research some Curios?
Hehe, it’s not that I’m bragging, but the Department of Lumina Archives and the other research departments all rely on the Department of Universal Things to some extent.
You either need funding or you need Curios.
My clearance level isn’t high enough to directly allocate funds to you, Brother Hua Yi, but helping you requisition Curios for research is no problem at all!” “That’s not right,” Hua Yi shook his head, putting on a serious expression to educate his unexpected little fan.
“Since you’re a researcher at the station, you should follow the proper regulations.
You can’t abuse your authority.” “How is this abuse?
Shiling knows that Brother Hua Yi has helped a lot of researchers.
Some of those research reports couldn’t even be properly completed by Level III researchers because they involved their blind spots, but you were able to offer invaluable suggestions!
Being a Level II Researcher is just temporary.
You’ll definitely be promoted soon.
Shiling is just treating you according to the standards of a senior researcher in advance.” “Do you run up to other senior researchers and actively ask them what Curios they need?
That would be a lot of work, and it’s not good for a child’s development.” “No, no, Brother Hua Yi is different—Hee hee, from now on, I’m your number one fan at the space station!” Compared to the seasoned veterans who had been navigating the station for years, or the younger researchers who could mostly control their emotions with logic, the little girl was clearly more innocent and unrestrained.
If Hua Yi were to encourage Wen Shiling to use her position to requisition highly restricted, advanced Curios for him, or even attempt to climb the ladder by leveraging the power of the two department heads surnamed Wen, it would surely have serious negative consequences for the little girl if he were exposed.
“Is that so?
Does this mean I have to prepare a gift for my fan?
That’s a difficult problem.
I’ll need to think about it.
As for helping me get Curios or saying anything else that violates the station’s rules, you can’t say or even think about that anymore.
Otherwise, if the Department of Universal Things finds out, the lightest punishment would be locking you in a dark little room.” —o—