The words on the tip of her tongue changed into something else entirely once again, and Herta instantly realized what was happening. This was definitely Fu Zhu's doing!
She immediately glared at Fu Zhu, pointing a finger at the currently active Command Block. "Fu Zhu, did you input some kind of command into that block to force me to speak? Mr. Fu Zhu is brilliant beyond compare, Mr. Fu Zhu's handsomeness is unrivaled in this world!"
Seeing that she had lost control of her mouth again, Herta quickly slapped a hand over it. But after just a few seconds, she forced out the same embarrassing words through the gaps between her fingers.
"Mr. Fu Zhu is brilliant beyond compare, Mr. Fu Zhu's handsomeness is unrivaled in this world!"
Seeing Herta append every sentence with 'Mr. Fu Zhu is brilliant beyond compare, Mr. Fu Zhu's handsomeness is unrivaled in this world!', Fu Zhu couldn't help but laugh. However, seeing the deep blush that had already spread across her neck and cheeks, he quickly went to shut down the Command Block.
Herta wasn't March 7th; she couldn't handle this kind of teasing. If he kept it up, given Herta's proud personality, she would absolutely swing her hammer at him.
When Herta saw that Fu Zhu had finally stopped the Command Block, she cautiously removed the hand covering her mouth and shot him an annoyed glare.
"You and your vile hobbies! To think you'd use such an embarrassing command!"
As she suspected, this guy Fu Zhu was lusting after her beauty, deliberately forgoing commands like time-stop or rewind in favor of this... alternative type of command, all just to satisfy his own vanity!
As Herta hissed at Fu Zhu like a bristling cat, Screwllum and Ruan Mei immediately rushed to her side. They examined her from top to bottom with great curiosity, and Ruan Mei even reached out a hand, placing it on Herta's shoulder to immediately inspect her body.
A minute later, Ruan Mei frowned and delivered her findings. "There is no residual trace of anything abnormal..."
After hearing Ruan Mei's diagnosis, Screwllum asked Herta curiously, "Herta, did you experience any particular sensation just now?"
Herta shook her head, her eyes drooping as she slanted a look at Fu Zhu, her brow still furrowed with displeasure at his wicked prank.
"No. I didn't feel any power descending upon me. It was as if I had intended to say those words myself. Of course, don't you misunderstand—that wasn't what I wanted to say! If anyone was going to say it, it would be Fu Zhu saying it to me!"
Upon hearing Herta's words, even a mechanical lifeform like Screwllum couldn't help but mimic a human and suck in a sharp breath. The speculation about Fu Zhu's command had put immense pressure on his processor, causing a momentary stall. Perhaps this was the emotion that humans referred to as shock.
"The first time it worked on Phantylia, one could have hypothesized that some strange change occurred because she was actively sealed into the Nether by Fu Zhu. But for it to work on you a second time… it's clear that within this world, Fu Zhu's commands can alter anything. A power that defies all logic. Conclusion: this power has made me, unexpectedly, understand the human emotion called fear. This is a power that I cannot compute."
Screwllum turned to Fu Zhu, and his eyes, which should have been composed of nothing but a camera and other precision parts, somehow managed to convey a hint of human-like solemnity.
Ruan Mei stood to the side, silent, her eyes fixed dazedly on Fu Zhu. Her right hand rose unconsciously and came to rest on his shoulder.
"Mr. Fu Zhu, may I book your next vacation?"
Hearing this, Herta's brows shot up. She instantly moved over, slapping away the hand Ruan Mei had placed on Fu Zhu's shoulder. She positioned herself as a barrier between the two, her tone tinged with irritation as she refuted Ruan Mei.
"Even if it's you, Ruan Mei, there's still a matter of first come, first served. I was first!"
From the look on Ruan Mei's face, Herta knew exactly what she was planning. It was nothing more than wanting to study Fu Zhu, or rather, to study why this race represented by Steve was so miraculous.
Ruan Mei met Herta's gaze evenly. Though her tone was placid, one could hear a note of defiance.
"You only booked Mr. Fu Zhu for this period of time. His next vacation has not yet been reserved by anyone. Therefore, you are the latecomer, Herta."
Seeing the growing tension between the two women, Screwllum quickly stepped in to mediate.
"Ladies, please mind your decorum. Fu Zhu is still right in front of you. On that note, Fu Zhu, Planet Screwllum is a world entirely different from any other. I wonder if the Astral Express would be interested in a visit?"
Herta and Ruan Mei simultaneously shot Screwllum a glare. Nice try, your abacus is rattling loud enough for everyone to hear!
Off to the side, Silver Wolf timidly raised her hand and said, "Um, so…"
"Shut up!" Herta shot her a vicious glare. "You little shorty, just be a good background prop. You don't get a say here!"
Being rebuked by Herta like that, Silver Wolf was indignant but, given Herta's capabilities, could only swallow her words and obediently shut her mouth.
Seeing these three geniuses, who were normally completely uncooperative, now at each other's throats, Fu Zhu had no choice but to step in and politely decline their invitations.
"That won't be possible. My schedule is packed. If you need anything, please speak with my agent. By the way, my agent is Xing."
"That Stellaron brat?"
The moment Herta heard that Fu Zhu's agent was Xing, her mind immediately started churning.
If it were Himeko, it might be a bit troublesome to wrestle Fu Zhu's vacation time from her. But if it was Xing, it would be unexpectedly easy to handle. If she gave her some nice things, Xing would surely speak up for her!
Besides, compared to Screwllum and Ruan Mei, she had the advantage. She actually knew Xing!
Just as the three geniuses were contemplating how to book Fu Zhu's vacation time through Xing, Fu Zhu suddenly spoke up, pulling them from their thoughts.
"Ladies and gentlemen, have you forgotten the main business? Our purpose this time in the Simulated Universe is to study this world. Shouldn't we head to the Nether soon, and then proceed to our final destination, the End, as planned? If we just stay in the overworld, we won't be able to study anything. Also, that mob grinder, do you still want to see it or not?"
Fu Zhu had originally planned to let them witness the structures that were born in accordance with this world's rules, and then immediately speedrun through the Nether to reach the End.
He wanted to see that Ender Dragon, the one that for some reason possessed an additional mod.
He needed to know if this Ender Dragon, imbued with the power of the Path of [Finality], had brought the mods he would use in the future back to the present, all because of its connection to [Finality].
This was a question that could only be answered by going to the End.