It was now six o'clock in the evening.
Night had quietly fallen.
The upscale riverside restaurant—usually bustling in the evenings—was unusually quiet tonight.
Because someone had rented it out entirely.
Hokuto arrived with a large group in tow. Waiting to greet them were Mobius and Vill-V.
Mobius let out a strange chuckle as she looked at Hokuto.
Hokuto instantly felt a chill run down his spine. He had been thinking about this carefully. If Mobius, Vill-V... and so many others were all plotting something together—
His odds of not falling into the trap were effectively zero.
"Are you thinking we've got some kind of secret plan targeting you?" Mobius squinted as she scrutinized the nervous Hokuto.
Hokuto admitted bluntly, "Anyone in my shoes would think that."
"True. Anyone in your position would."
Mobius said meaningfully, "So from the moment you knew we invited you for a 'team-building' dinner, you've been suspicious."
"Even now, you're uneasy inside. Now do you understand what it feels like to be left in the dark?"
"Uh..." Hokuto was at a loss for words.
Mobius didn't wait for a reply and continued on her own: Thɪs chapter is updated by NovᴇlFire(.)nᴇt
"Unpleasant, isn't it? That's our way of returning the favor—for the storyline you gave us."
"What? Think our payback's too mild?"
"No, I'm thinking..."
"Even if you made Elysia cry so miserably, the latest story chapter was genuinely well-written."
"Objectively speaking, if we really had Vill-V kidnap you, and then had Kevin and Kalpas hold you at knifepoint to revise the plot—that'd be going too far."
Vill-V sighed beside them.
"What a shame my 'vanishing act' magic show was firmly vetoed by Mobius."
Did he just hear something outrageous?
"Ahem, Vill-V... no unnecessary comments." Mobius reminded.
Vill-V shrugged. "Got it, got it."
Mobius didn't want to linger on the topic. "We've talked long enough—Elysia and the others have already gone inside. Let's go."
She turned crisply and began leading the way.
Hokuto and Vill-V followed behind her.
"By the way, that idea you had about the online concert—was that actually just a ruse?" Hokuto took the initiative to ask Vill-V.
"Not a ruse. I really do have ideas..."
Vill-V paused for a moment and then stated frankly:
"I want to personally design the venue for the online concert."
"Design it yourself?" Hokuto slowed his steps slightly. "Can you elaborate? What do you mean by 'design it yourself'?"
At that, Vill-V crossed her arms and became visibly excited.
"Of course it means filling the place with loads of brilliant, Vill-V-exclusive gadgets! To give everyone a huge, HUGE surprise! Basically—go big!"
"Sorry. The Magician tends to get overly excited sometimes."
While Hokuto was still silent, the voice coming from Vill-V suddenly changed—calmer, more composed.
"Actually, we just wanted to lend a hand."
"Nice to meet you. I'm the Conductor."
Compared to the unpredictable, imaginative Magician, the Conductor was clearly much easier to talk to.
Mainly because the Conductor's thoughts were structured and considerate—she'd think about whether normal people could accept the plan.
Not like the Magician, who'd go "I feel would be fun," "I think this will be interesting," and then conjure up some explosive surprise just like that.
Hokuto quickly reached a consensus with the Conductor, entrusting them to help decorate the concert venue.
Amid cheerful conversation,
The three of them arrived at a brightly lit hall where everyone had already gathered. Tables around the space were covered in all kinds of food.
Cuisine from the Flower Kingdom, domestic dishes, international spreads—nearly everything imaginable.
For those who liked hands-on grilling, there was even a smokeless BBQ setup.
"Hokuto's here! Hokuto's here!"
As soon as Hokuto stepped into the hall, Kiana's voice rang out.
She ran over from afar and immediately grabbed him, dragging him to the center of the hall.
"What's this?" Hokuto was surprised.
Eden, who had been waiting, handed him a glass of red wine and spoke gently.
"Although I'm mostly going along with Mobius and Vill-V this time, seeing how successful Everlasting Flames was... I suddenly felt the need to celebrate you—and miHoYo—properly."
Several hours had passed since the official livestream ended, and the internet had long since erupted.
The Queen's farewell, Himeko's parting, Everlasting Flames...
Any one of these alone was worth writing about.
But all of them happening together?
Many content creators were overflowing with inspiration.
One video wasn't enough! They were already planning three in a row!
"So, Hokuto, say a few opening remarks."
"Opening remarks? Me?" Hokuto blinked as he took the glass.
He glanced to his left—the Flame-Chasers and MEI.
Then to his right—World Serpent, Schicksal, Anti-Entropy...
Standing center stage —
Would that even make sense in the Honkai world...?
He didn't dare imagine it.
"You are miHoYo's boss... Don't overthink it. We're all friends here. Just say a few casual words—it's all about the vibe." Eden reassured him.
"It's just... Eden, with how formal you've made this... it really doesn't feel like a normal team-building dinner." Hokuto still hesitated.
"I just wanted to make sure everyone could enjoy themselves, so I picked a nice place. That's all."
Hokuto looked around the lavish hall.
Rich people sure talk differently.
Still, since everyone here was familiar, he had no reason to be nervous.
"Alright, I'll say a few words."
Hokuto lightly raised his wine glass.
"Since we're here to celebrate the success of Everlasting Flames, let's first toast to a beautiful tomorrow."
His voice rippled across the room.
Little Shi, who had been passionately arguing with Fu Hua about telecom fraud, turned her gaze toward the center.
(The "argument" was mostly Little Shi venting:
"No matter how many times I watch this plot it pisses me off,"
"Fu Hua in-game has the exact same EQ as you, Old Fossil,"
"Look at Seele, then look at yourself—seriously.")
The actual Seele, who had been trying to weakly mediate between Little Shi and "Seele," also turned to look.
Chef Kalpas, handing grilled meat to Griseo, looked up.
The Vodka Girl, mid-Cossack dance, paused on her own.
Himeko stood with Kiana and the others, watching and smiling softly as they murmured among themselves.
Hokuto even spotted Welt, Einstein, and Tesla.
For a moment, it felt as if the banquet scene from Chapter 24 of the main story had come to life.
"And then, to this precious slice of daily life."
Everyone's attention was now fully on Hokuto, waiting to hear what he'd say next.
But under the spotlight, Hokuto simply spread his hands.
"That's it. I'm done."
"Well, maybe just one more line."
Hokuto raised his glass again.
"Oh, and—no drinking for minors."
Then someone laughed out loud, and the room burst into a cascade of laughter.