Stelle exclaimed, "Huh? I actually won?"
Qingque glanced at Stelle's hand and froze. "This lucky?! A Heavenly Hand?"
Pei Guang and March 7th leaned in for a look. Sure enough, Stelle had won, and quite impressively at that.
Confused, Stelle asked, "Why is everyone reacting ? Is it really that rare?"
Qingque replied, "It's pretty uncommon, but not impossible. Still… looks like today isn't a good day for playing."
Qingque took this as a warning from destiny, urging her to stop playing and focus on her actual duties. Nothing derailed a card game like running into a lucky newbie. And considering the earlier joke about playingCelestial Jade, Qingque felt uneasy—any further games might lead to trouble.
Her intuition was spot on. At that moment, Pei Guang was already strategizing how to outplay her, though he planned to ease into it by getting a feel for the game first.
After all, as someone skilled in "Souls-like" games, Pei Guang considered mahjong—or in this case, Celestial Jade—a spiritual battle. Something like "Jade Soul" maybe?
Stelle, meanwhile, smiled at her hand. "I think we should go another round. I feel lucky!"
Pei Guang laughed, "Let's not push it. You've got newbie luck—classic first-timer charm. It's bound to run out."
March 7th glanced at her chaotic hand and grumbled, "Then how come I, as another first-timer, got a mess of random tiles?"
Pei Guang pondered, "Luck is conserved. If you're lucky in one area, you're unlucky in another. You struck gold yesterday, so today your tile luck's bad. Stelle didn't get anything good yesterday, so she's hitting the jackpot now."
Stelle tilted her head. "Are you saying my good luck is all spent on this game?"
Pei Guang shrugged, "Who knows? Want to test it?"
Qingque joined in, mulling over Pei Guang's logic. "You might be onto something. Sometimes I feel like my luck is either completely on fire or completely cursed. Anyway, when all this is over, let's play again. Sounds good?"
Pei Guang nodded, "Sure thing. Once we've wrapped everything up, we'll play another round. Honestly, I think this could be popular across the galaxy. I could even make it part of my missions—accepting tasks while sneaking in a quick game."
Qingque chuckled, "Couldn't agree more! A round of Celestial Jade, whether for work or play, is guaranteed to brighten anyone's day. Alright, enough slacking. Let's get to business. Oh, and when we reach the Divination Commission, you have to try the food. Our cafeteria is legendary… for how uniquely awful it is."
As Qingque led the group toward their destination, March 7th leaned in close to Pei Guang and whispered, "You two seem to have a lot in common, huh?"
Pei Guang nodded, "Probably the shared camaraderie of working slaves There's a saying: If you're not slacking off at work, something's wrong with your mindset."
Qingque, overhearing, raised her hand in approval. "Exactly! Work isn't about fulfilling labor value—it's about earning a paycheck. Slacking off is the only way to gain true value for yourself."
Pei Guang replied, "Great minds think alike. Work hard enough, and your boss gets a luxury car."
Qingque laughed, "Exactly! And if the sky falls, the taller ones can hold it up. No big deal."
Pei Guang mused, "Your attitude reminds me of a song."
March 7th and Stelle had been casually listening to the banter, but the moment Pei Guang said this, March 7th lunged to cover his mouth.
"Mmmph! Mmmph!" Pei Guang protested.
Stelle's eyes widened as she turned to Qingque, "Don't question this. I'm saving your life. Trust me."
This reaction puzzled Qingque, but for Stelle, the memory of Pei Guang singing in Belobog was still fresh. His voice wasn't just tone-deaf—it defied all logic!
Pei Guang wasn't someone who growled through songs like a rock star. No, he poured his heart into them with unmatched emotional intensity, which unfortunately had the side effect of making anyone listening feel physically overwhelmed.
Qingque, curious, asked, "Really? He's that talented?"
March 7th, still covering his mouth, nodded solemnly. "Incredibly talented. For the sake of everyone's health, though, don't let Ah Guang sing."
March 7th then felt something strange and quickly released Pei Guang, turning away to discreetly use her Six-Phased Ice to cool down her suddenly flushed face.
Stelle noticed March 7th's odd reaction but chose not to comment.
Meanwhile, Pei Guang spoke up, "Relax. I don't need to sing—I trained my Herta Puppet well for that."
The name "Herta" made Qingque pause. Surely this couldn't be that Herta?
When Pei Guang pulled out Herta Puppet No. 1, Qingque blinked in confusion, wondering how he had managed to acquire something so bizarre.
The puppet scanned its surroundings before turning to Pei Guang. "What now? Another battle? Just so you know, I expect increased favour points for this."
Pei Guang sighed, "Where did you even pick up that attitude?"
The puppet smirked, "Whoever 'borrowed' me is who I learned it from. Isn't that obvious?"
March 7th and Stelle couldn't contain their laughter. It was clear the puppet had learned this sass directly from Pei Guang himself!
Qingque inspected the puppet and quipped, "Never seen something so clever, attractive, and talented in combat and singing all at once. Remarkable."
The puppet crossed its arms smugly. "Glad you noticed. I'm one-of-a-kind."
Pei Guang interjected, "Alright, enough. I didn't bring you out to fight—I need you to sing."
The puppet rolled its eyes. "Fine. Which song? I can't believe how much you've stuffed into me. Ugh, all fresh tracks too."
Pei Guang smirked, "Go with Attitude towards Life. It suits the mood."
Herta Puppet No. 1: "Oh~ That slacker anthem? Although, after some analysis, I'd say it's not pure slacking. It's more of a unique Attitude towards Life, right? Are you planning to slack off now? If so, give me more freedom first—without something fresh, you won't raise my approval rating."
As a Herta creation imbued with "wisdom" by Pei Guang, Herta Puppet No. 1 had become skilled at outsmarting her creator. Despite her origin as a replica, she had developed a personality drastically different from the other puppets accompanying the Astral Express team.
Pei Guang sighed, "Alright, just sing already. Everyone says my singing is unbearable."
Herta Puppet No. 1: "My dear Trailblazer, my esteemed master? Your singing isn't just unbearable; if you sang at a family gathering, I guarantee someone would beg you to stop by the next day. Alright, move aside. Let me show you how it's done. You all keep walking—I'm not human, so environmental factors won't affect me."
Pei Guang reflected on his decision to program random wisdom into Herta Puppet No. 1, realizing it might have been a mistake. Her sharp tongue? Definitely learned from him. Oh well, nothing to worry about!