Herta Space Station. All staff members.
Right now, none of them were in the mood to continue watching the story.
They had gathered together, anxiously awaiting Asta's return.
Who wouldn't be on edge after learning that beneath the area they lived in lay a buried [Propagation] Emanator? Forget playing games or watching the story—even breathing became an exercise in caution!
The usually lively Master Control Zone today seemed as if it had been collectively hit with a [Silence] debuff.
The staff members were afraid that speaking too loudly might attract that Starcrusher Swarm King.
It was already hard enough to fight in the game—if it were released in reality, all the staff combined probably wouldn't even amount to a single bite for the Insect King!
"In the game's story, it self-destructed 56 seconds after birth, but in reality... what if the research breakthrough fails?"
"Miss Asta... we're counting on you...!"
"Shh! Keep it down—what if you attract the Starcrusher Swarm King?!"
"Theoretically speaking, if the Swarm King beneath our feet really wakes up, staying silent won't hide us from its detection."
"That's [Starcrusher Swarm King, Skaracabaz]—the one that used shattered stars as a breeding ground for its offspring, one of the nightmares of the Cosmic Locust Plague! Our space station wouldn't even be enough to whet its teeth."
"At this point, we might as well just carry on as usual..."
The staff whispered among themselves.
Finally—
Asta's figure appeared before everyone.
All the staff members looked at her as if she were their savior, yet they feared she might bring bad news.
Under their collective gaze, Asta spoke calmly:
"Everyone, you can relax for now."
"I've just contacted Madam Herta, and Ruan Mei has also sent me relevant information."
"According to reconnaissance drones and video surveillance..."
"...the threat in the sealed compartment has been personally dealt with by Ruan Mei. All that remains now are harmless little creatures resembling 'shooting stars.'"
"Next, I'll dispatch the Security Department to conduct further cleanup and inspections."
Hearing this, everyone let out a sigh of relief.
Some staff members even felt as if they had just taken a stroll past the gates of hell.
A few even collapsed to the ground as if their strength had drained away.
Asta could only smile wryly.
This part of the story had indeed been a bit too "stimulating" for the space station's players.
As for their impression of Ruan Mei... only one word remained—
—Madness!
Asta glanced at her phone and said,
"Everyone, let's continue watching the story together."
"The quest has concluded, and [Ruan Mei] has been confirmed as a limited 5-star character."
"Additionally, a short film related to Ruan Mei has been unlocked."
"Perhaps this short film will shed some light on why Ruan Mei acted the way she did."
The staff members nodded and returned to the large screen.
Asta pulled up the relevant short film.
This character short film for Ruan Mei was special—its title was a line of poetry:
"The Melody of Ruan Fades Like Falling Robes, the Bloom of Mei Emerges Like a Light Touch of Makeup."
"On the surface, she's a gentle and generous older sister who loves music and sweets—almost makes you forget that none of the Genius Society members are normal."
"Honestly, I feel like even Madam Herta is more human than Ruan Mei...!"
"I get the feeling Ruan Mei's ambitions are... enormous."
Before the video began, the staff members continued exchanging their thoughts.
But once the visuals and audio started, everyone fell silent.
After this part of the story, everyone had gained a deeper understanding of Ruan Mei.
It felt like they had gotten one step closer to comprehending what a "genius" truly was—
But the closer they got, the more they realized just how vast the gap was between "genius" and ordinary people.
And this video—
Perhaps it could better explain just what kind of person Ruan Mei really was.
The first thing that came into view was a Xianzhou-style lattice window.
Through the window, one could see the distant emerald-green sky and plum blossoms.
Ruan Mei's voice also sounded in the background:
"Dear Mother, I hope this letter finds you well."
"The plum blossoms bloom and wither, and occasionally, I catch a whiff of loneliness in their fragrance."
"It reminds me of my childhood with you."
"Our research in the 'Land of No One.'"
As the scene progressed, the audio layered Ruan Mei's gentle voice with the soft melodies of Pingtan and ambient sounds.
If one listened carefully, they could hear the babbling of a stream and the chirping of birds.
Up to this point, the tone of the video was still perfectly normal.
Anyone watching without context might have mistaken it for a biographical record of some wealthy young lady—
A documentation of an elegant, leisurely life.
Had they not seen the earlier part of the story, the staff members might have believed it too.
But now, they knew better.
This was just a single fragment of Ruan Mei's life.
A trivial moment of relaxation.
This genius—
Was absolutely not the type to settle for stability and enjoy a peaceful life!
Sure enough—
As the footage in the archives advanced, the scene shifted to a snowy mountain.
The ambient sound changed, replaced by the howling of icy winds, while the Pingtan melody was overlaid with a mysterious symphonic composition.
"A warm little cabin."
"Boundless, thriving lifeforms."
"Those days are unforgettable to me."
"I understood the vastness of the universe far too early..."
On one of the glaciers, a frozen monster suddenly opened its eyes.
Its body resembled a giant octopus, covered in countless eyes.
As its eyes opened, the ice encasing it rapidly cracked.
A little girl being led by the hand—young Ruan Mei—looked on in shock.
At this moment, no one was marveling at how adorable young Ruan Mei was or how different she seemed from her present self.
Because, judging by the background sounds—
This was clearly a disaster in the making.
People wearing transparent spherical helmets scattered in panic, shouting:
"Quick! Get out of here!"
"It's waking up!!"
Yet—
Unlike the terrified crowd, little Ruan Mei not only didn't flee but instead stood curiously before the monster, observing it intently.
There was no trace of fear or panic—only pure fascination at the sight of such a vibrant, extraordinary lifeform.
Paired with Ruan Mei's calm, intellectual voice in the background—
This moment felt profoundly surreal.
"Birth, growth, decay..."
"The cycle of life."
"This was the origin of my contemplation."
"I began to realize."
"That I longed for something... 'pure.'"
The scene shifted again, returning to the garden.
By now, that ancient god-like creature had been reduced to a mere puzzle piece in Ruan Mei's research materials.
Watching this, the staff members were stunned:
"So Ruan Mei was this extraordinary even as a child?"
"Facing a monster, she wasn't afraid—just curious?"
"Is this how a genius sees the world?"
"She literally faced an eldritch horror head-on!"
"Not just faced it—didn't you see? That planet's ancient god ended up as her research material!"
"Has she already discarded basic human emotions?"
"When observing life, Ruan Mei doesn't focus on its beauty or traits—she immediately visualizes the chemical formulas composing it."
However—
The next segment left everyone even more flabbergasted.
Inside a laboratory, Ruan Mei gazed out the window.
Her voice narrated:
"'Attachment'... is governed by the insular cortex, which processes anxiety and pain."
"And the nucleus accumbens, which generates desire."
"The laws of 'emotion' can be pitifully easy to dissect."
"Children become more... 'obedient'... when given 'random' rewards."
The view outside the window was fully revealed—
A colorful planet.
Surrounding it was not an asteroid belt, but a ribbon-like band of hues.
Then—
A pair of eyes and a mouth appeared on the planet's surface.
A small hand waved at Ruan Mei.
"(◕‿◕) Hi!"
The space station staff collectively froze.
And players watching this video—
Were equally stunned.
"???"
"Where is this planet? I want to go there!"
"Don't be fooled by how cute it looks in the video—that's a living planet!"
"Kinda reminds me of Black Grandeur..."
"...Typical Ruan Mei behavior."
"Creating life, animating planets—this is forbidden knowledge in many worlds!"
"The craziest part is how Ruan Mei treats all this as completely normal..."
"Aside from that first moment of curiosity when she saw the monster, her emotions have been scarily stable ever since."
"Ruan Mei is ascending to godhood!"
To be continued…