Chapter 16 Sad Technicians
"Alright, joke's over, let's talk business."
Herta got up from the ground, dusted herself off, and regained her composed demeanor.
Gu Tang wasn't sure at which point she had started joking.
"Here, take this detection device. You'll need it to collect data on that star core vessel," Herta pointed to a device in the corner of the room.
"She has a name, you know. It's Stelle," Gu Tang said as he stuffed the device into his waist bag.
Herta was indifferent. "My brain is too valuable to store other people's names."
"By the way, why not use the detection device I invented?"
"Your detection device randomly changes people's species. I don't want to see her turn into a frog next time; it would interfere with my research."
"Ugh, in research, how can you be so concerned with trivial details..."
"Hmph, I'm not like you. I'm meticulous."
As Gu Tang and Herta bickered, he pulled a box of clothes out from under the bed.
These were the clothes he wore when he left the space station and wandered the universe, designed and crafted by Herta herself.
He took off his employee uniform and changed into the clothes from the box.
"Wow..." Even though she had seen it many times, Herta couldn't help but marvel.
Gu Tang fastened the first button of his suit.
It was like a master artist's sketch or a photographer's candid shot, capturing that moment of astonishment.
A pure black suit, with straight shoulder lines, exquisite lapels, and a perfect fit, exuding an air of elegance and composure.
The Klein blue tie, adorned with a luxurious paisley pattern, contrasted with the black suit, creating a delicate, intricate, and dazzling effect.
A pocket square with navy blue and off-white palm patterns peeked out from the right chest pocket, adding a touch of flamboyance.
His upright posture, steady demeanor, and chiseled features made Gu Tang look like a perfect work of art, making the myriad stars pale in comparison.
"If you meet a pure knight, they'll surely embrace you and kiss you..." Herta sighed.
"That's something I'd rather avoid," Gu Tang shook his head.
"Hmph... you never know. By the way, take this." Despite not wearing clothes, Herta somehow produced a small doll, "This is the communication device I made, called [Tiny Herta]. Use this to contact me if needed."
It was a palm-sized doll, a chibi version of Herta with a smiling face, sitting obediently.
"This is quite cute..." Gu Tang murmured as he accepted the doll.
Herta nodded and added, "By the way, if you can't resist, this thing can spin too, maybe not as fast, but..."
"Shut up, Herta," Gu Tang's face showed a pained expression.
He felt he would never be able to look at the doll the same way again.
"Alright, I'm off," Gu Tang tossed the doll into his storage bag, waved, and headed for the door.
Herta watched Gu Tang's back, swallowing hard.
She couldn't deny that the shoulders and waistline outlined by the suit were very tempting.
So she decisively pulled out a massive mechanical hammer, almost as tall as herself.
"Become my captive!"
Herta leaped up, swinging the hammer at Gu Tang's head.
At that moment, the storage box in the room had had enough.
Its durability had reached zero.
The lock popped open, the lid swung back, and a flood of virtual fragments poured out.
"Aaah—!" The tsunami of virtual fragments engulfed Herta.
"?" Gu Tang turned around in confusion.
He could only see Herta's arm sticking out, the rest of her buried.
"Hmph..." Gu Tang scoffed, shrugged, and left.
…
…
-----------------------------------
Stelle stepped out of Herta's office, rubbing her head.
The Simulated Universe test left her head spinning.
No wonder it was developed by a group of geniuses; it was intense.
Aeons, the universe, star cores… all these impressive and explosive concepts made the Doomsday Beast seem insignificant.
But what concerned her more was something else.
She remembered the space station technician's suggestion and asked about Gu Tang.
"You mean Gu Tang… Honestly, I don't know him that well. But if you stick around him, you'll always find something fun. Just experience it on your journey," Herta had said with her hands on her hips.
Then, she put on a rare serious expression, "Kid, since you asked, I'll give you some advice. Get along with him. The better your relationship with him, the more it benefits me."
Standing at the office door, Stelle pondered this conversation.
What did Herta really mean?
After thinking for a while, she sighed and pushed the puzzle aside.
Geniuses were always hard to understand; better not to overthink it.
Though she was sure that if Gu Tang were here, he'd tell her to beat the genius until they explained every word clearly.
"Alright, let's find Himeko."
Stelle started walking towards the platform.
Along the way, she saw many busy technicians.
The defeat of the Doomsday Beast and Herta's return had lifted their spirits.
But fatigue and sorrow were not easily dispelled.
Stelle saw a technician sitting on a bench, holding his head, motionless.
"Sigh..." Stelle couldn't help but sigh.
The recent attack had been enough to leave a psychological shadow on these technicians, who had never faced danger before.
Stelle approached the despondent technician, reaching out to pat his shoulder in comfort.
"How could this happen, how could this happen..." she heard his despairing mutter.
"Gu Tang is leaving with the train, which means less time with Asta. How can this be..."
"...." Stelle fell silent.
On closer inspection, it was Technician B.
She withdrew her hand in disgust.
After a few more steps, she saw another technician collapsed on the ground.
Stelle hurriedly went to help him up, shouting, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
Then, Technician A's face came into view.
His eyes were vacant, tears streaming down his cheeks, muttering, "This is a dream, this must be a dream… When I wake up, Gu Tang will still be here, close with Herta, researching new life forms together..."
Thud.
Stelle dropped him back on the ground and walked away expressionlessly.