Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

"Then what about the Fenghuang Down in your hand? How could Fu Hua let anyone else use it?" Tesla still doesn't believe Lin Wei. She saw him use the feathers with her own eyes, and her aversion is much stronger than Einstein's. "What else could it be but the Void Archives?"

Tesla's anger hasn't subsided. If it weren't for the network connection, she would punch this hateful guy.

"You mean this? It's because of the Divine Key's unique properties, of course."

Lin Wei's voice is gentle and calm, yet it startles Tesla—the voice is coming from behind her!

Tesla, in the North American base, whips around. She sees Lin Wei's figure standing amidst the screens in her room, holding an ordinary-looking cane.

He smiles at her through the screen. "Let me introduce you. This is the 12th Divine Key. I call it 'Pandora.' What do you think, nice name, right?"

"You!" Tesla is rendered speechless by this surprise. Are Anti-Entropy's systems really this defenseless against him?

"Don't get so worked up. It's just this room. It won't affect the other functions of your base, nor will it disturb the work and rest of other employees~"

Lin Wei, in the ME Corp. meeting room, taps the cane on the table in front of Tesla's projection, prompting her to snap out of it. "Just a simple demonstration. Do you believe in my goodwill now?"

"There are no records of such a Divine Key in the Previous Era's archives, but the nature of this virus is consistent with the descriptions of the Herrscher of Corruption's powers." Einstein, having also experienced the same thing as Tesla, remains relatively calm, able to think clearly.

She glances at Lin Wei, her calm tone masking her anger and apprehension. "Sir, even if you're not Otto, you're still dangerous…"

"This kind of Divine Key shouldn't exist!" Tesla interjects, finally losing her composure.

What the hell? With this Divine Key around, are they trying to put me out of a job?

And isn't this too big of a threat to human civilization?!

"Heh, I don't think an organization that caused the Nagazora City Honkai incident has the right to call others 'dangerous.'" Lin Wei ignores Tesla and looks directly at Einstein.

As a former Nagazora City resident, Lin Wei has the moral high ground to criticize Anti-Entropy.

They won't become friends today, and Lin Wei isn't expecting to establish trust in one go. That's simply impossible. Not to mention that the existence of the Key of Corruption can't be hidden for long. The current internal divisions within Anti-Entropy alone are enough to make them distrustful of anyone.

"Drop those pointless thoughts. Even without this Key of Corruption, the Herrscher of Corruption will eventually appear, and they won't be as easy to talk to as me. What, are you planning to negotiate with a Herrscher and ask them to behave?"

Actually, it's not impossible, Lin Wei adds in his mind. Using this argument against them here is definitely effective.

"...So, Mr. Lin Wei, can you finally tell us your purpose? If you're thinking of joining Anti-Entropy, don't bother." Einstein preemptively shuts down a possible topic—Anti-Entropy is messy enough without adding someone with an unknown background.

In fact, the moment the Key of Corruption was revealed, the two doctors believed that this person wasn't Otto. It's simple. Otto would never allow such a weapon that posed a fatal threat to him to exist. He would eliminate it immediately!

But the unexpected appearance of this Divine Key is too important. They have to discuss it with Welt before making a decision.

Lin Wei is a bit surprised. "Aren't you curious about where the Key of Corruption came from?"

"...I thought Mr. Lin Wei would keep being mysterious." Einstein speaks calmly.

Of course they want to know! They didn't ask to avoid embarrassing themselves.

"It's actually quite simple. Five hundred years ago, Schicksal's Kallen Kaslana fled to the Far East with the Black Box. Kallen was later captured and executed, and the Black Box's whereabouts remained unknown."

Lin Wei looks at the two doctors with a strange expression. "Unfortunately, the Black Box contained the Herrscher of Corruption from the Previous Era. Unfortunately, it was buried in Nagazora City. Even more unfortunately, I was once corrupted by it. And the biggest coincidence was that Otto sent Fu Hua to investigate me."

Like a master editor, Lin Wei weaves a complete story from fragments of information, unrelated to the truth, yet forming its own logic.

"So, with Fu Hua's help, I got rid of the Corruption's influence and obtained the Divine Key. Fu Hua went back to report to Otto, omitting some information about me, and I managed to avoid further pursuit from Schicksal, hiding until now."

"..."

Could this story be any more ridiculous?

Even the hot-tempered Tesla can't stand it anymore.

Do you think we don't know Fu Hua?

Do you think I wouldn't call her right now for a face-to-face confrontation?

"That's what happened. You can investigate it yourselves later, and then judge for yourselves."

Lin Wei knows that Anti-Entropy has some private dealings with Fu Hua, and they will definitely contact her to verify his story. And with Fu Hua's shrewdness, she'll definitely guess that he's asking for her help and cooperate to a certain extent.

Tch, how much more do I owe her?

Dismissing the strange thoughts, Lin Wei finally states his purpose for this visit. "As for me, I have nothing to hide. I'm here today to ask for a favor."

Here it comes! The two doctors exchange glances, on high alert.

"Relax, it's not a difficult request." Lin Wei smiles, raising his hand to calm them down. "I just want Anti-Entropy to help me arrange a new identity, a legal identity with a complete history. I believe with Anti-Entropy's capabilities, such a small matter should be easy, right?"

His past identity is known to Otto and can't be used anymore. He needs a new one. This is Lin Wei's main purpose for this "visit." He wants to remain hidden and decide when to reveal himself to Schicksal!

This is about having control, and he can't afford to be careless.

"Mr. Lin Wei, since you possess the Key of Corruption, wouldn't it be easier to hack into the household registration system and modify the information yourself?" Einstein is taken aback. All this for such a trivial matter?

It's like seeing someone prepare a full set of protective gear and buy the most expensive off-road vehicle, thinking they're going on an expedition, only to be told they just want to buy some groceries.

"My abilities are limited. The arrangements made by an organization like Anti-Entropy will definitely be a legitimate identity that can withstand scrutiny. That's not something I can easily achieve by hacking into the system and forging documents."

Lin Wei speaks the truth. Even if Anti-Entropy is weaker, it's only relative to World Serpent and Schicksal. They are still a powerful organization!

"And, most importantly, even if Otto notices me again in the future, tracing the source of this identity will lead back to Anti-Entropy."

Lin Wei smiles. "After all, it was because of Anti-Entropy that Otto noticed me. I can't be expected to bear all the consequences alone, can I?"

Pulling Anti-Entropy into his "three-way game" is Lin Wei's long-term goal, and it needs time to ferment. He's just planting a seed now. He needs Fu Hua to act as a bridge before he can establish friendship and trust with Anti-Entropy.

Then, he'll wait for it to take root and sprout!

It's not good to always fight alone. Lin Wei has carefully analyzed things. Why was Welt so miserable while the St. Freya protagonists had it relatively easy, even though they're all Herrschers?

Of course, it's not just because Welt is a man…

The fundamental reason is that Welt was born too early and didn't have teammates!

Think about it, fighting alone for decades, while others have a whole group of Herrschers, always fighting alongside companions… The difficulty of the game is naturally different, right?

So, teammates! To survive in the Honkai world, you must have teammates!

"Damn it, why should we trust you? If you provoke Schicksal, are you expecting Anti-Entropy to take the blame?!" Tesla's voice, filled with gritted teeth, cuts through Lin Wei's thoughts.

This guy has been acting all high and mighty like a victim. And the most infuriating thing is… they're actually at fault and can't refute him!

Lin Wei asks in surprise, "Huh? Are you short on blame to take?"

Too hateful, he's pushing it too far!

When has Tesla ever been so wronged?

"The identity issue is just a small matter, but we're not going to take risks from Schicksal for someone with unknown origins for free," Einstein, ever calm, has roughly guessed Lin Wei's true intentions and wants a verbal promise from him.

"How about this, when facing Honkai-related issues, or threats from Schicksal, I can assist you if Anti-Entropy needs it. How's that?"

After all, he's asking for help, so it doesn't hurt to be humble.

"Then it's a deal. How should we contact you later?"

...

After a brief exchange, Lin Wei takes his leave.

"...Do you really believe him?" Tesla feels exhausted.

Einstein shakes her head. "This is the best outcome. Even if it really were Otto messing with us, we could only endure it, couldn't we?"

"..." Tesla remains silent, frustrated by this all-around passive situation.

"Let's discuss this with the Sovereign later. To deal with the threat of a Divine Key, we'll need the Herrscher of Reason's power." Einstein makes the decision, and Tesla can only nod dejectedly. Indeed, this is the best outcome now.

"What about Cocolia? Should we keep her in the dark?" Tesla looks at Cocolia, who is gradually regaining consciousness, hesitant.

"Yes, since Lin Wei said Cocolia won't remember today's events, let's not mention anything to her."

Einstein, however, is more focused on something else. She uses EIN to access ME Corp.'s surveillance system and finds no footage of Lin Wei at all. Her thoughts are complex. "She has stolen too many resources from the organization for her own selfish desires over the years. Anti-Entropy is already overburdened and can't let her continue like this."

They agree on this matter. As for how Lin Wei erased Cocolia's memory, they tacitly agree not to mention it. It's best to play dumb for now.

"Ms. Cocolia, are you still adamant about the issue of ME Corp.'s control?"

What happened to me just now? Cocolia has just come to her senses, feeling something is off. Before she can think further, Einstein interrupts her thoughts.

"Hmph, I've said it before, the organization's resources should be in the hands of the most loyal warriors to maximize their value!" Cocolia quickly gets back into character, but still feels something is amiss.

"In that case, we'll wait for the Sovereign's return to make the final decision." Einstein leaves a parting shot and logs off with Tesla.

"Hmph, two incompetent fools. The old man should have stepped down long ago and let new blood take over." Cocolia revels in her victory, but she still feels a faint unease, like something is out of place.

What is it?

Cocolia racks her brains, finally realizing what's wrong—why was Tesla so quiet? With her personality, she should have been yelling at me!

Was I played?

Cocolia is startled. She rushes to the control system to check her authority, confirming that her communication and command authority over her subordinates, as well as the building's security and surveillance systems, are all normal. Relieved, she dismisses her concerns.

Tch, I'm being too paranoid.

But did arguing with those two old geezers really take that much time?

Heh, it seems I still need to minimize unnecessary waste!

Cocolia basks in the joy of her victory.

...

Under Pandora's cover, all security systems ignore Lin Wei, and the surveillance cameras don't capture him. Like a ghost detached from the world, he arrives unimpeded at the deepest level of the ME Corp. building.

"Haven't you achieved your goal? Why are you here?" Yae Sakura's voice echoes in his mind.

"To see something interesting, to verify some guesses."

Lin Wei chuckles, walking past a mysterious and massive mechanical production workshop without a second glance, heading straight to a more hidden area.

"Sakura, say, if you had a very important comrade and senior who sacrificed themselves to save you, would you use their cells for experiments?" Lin Wei suddenly asks Yae Sakura a seemingly nonsensical question. "Wouldn't that be desecrating the dead?"

Yae Sakura is puzzled. As a former shrine maiden who served gods, she's very resistant to such things.

"Right? I don't think so either. The two doctors of Anti-Entropy still have some humanity. And that Welt Yang, whom I've never met, shouldn't do anything to desecrate heroic spirits."

Lin Wei arrives at a hidden biological laboratory, a place he found in Cocolia's memories.

"And the three of them are clearly unaware of Cocolia's cloning experiments. If the genes Cocolia used were originally organizational assets, it wouldn't make sense for Anti-Entropy's top brass to be unaware."

The heavy door opens automatically, the laser grid retreating as Lin Wei approaches. He walks to the rows of incubation pods and looks at the human test subjects of varying ages inside, all in a state of slumber.

They share similar facial features and blue-purple hair, clearly clones from the same person's genes.

"If I remember correctly, that Welt Joyce was initially studied in Schicksal's biological laboratory for quite some time."

Lin Wei stands there, looking at the sleeping test subjects, his eyes deep, his expression playful.

"Guess whether Cocolia stole these genes from Anti-Entropy or obtained them from Otto?"

"After all, all of Cocolia's self-righteous plans have objectively advanced Otto's plans. Heh, don't you find this coincidence interesting?"

"That Otto's plans are far deeper and more hidden than I imagined..."

Lin Wei smiles dangerously, silently and freely, revealing a few sharp teeth.

"This kind of person is truly disgusting, isn't he?"