Chapter 263

"Even though I say that, the train can still struggle a bit at the end, right?!"

Yin Zhi lowered her head slightly, her emerald eyes filled with unwavering resolve: "Weilit, I will escort you to the destination; the knight will keep his promise."

Weilit rubbed their reddened eye sockets forcefully, their voice almost breaking into sobs: "Don't think that hearing this all the time will move me; I'm famously cold‑hearted!"

——

Black Robe Riot Squad.

Zuguo Ren stood before the conference room on the top floor of the Walt Building, his blue eyes reflecting New York's neon. His fingertips tapped the glass in rapid succession, each tap tightening the nerves of Shen Hai and Ashi Li standing behind him.

"Your approval rating has dropped ten percentage points," Ashi Li glanced at the data on the tablet and said cautiously, "Even among the iron fans, some think you're not as good as that pure‑beautiful knight."

"I really should twist this bitch's head off," Zuguo Ren thought. If she couldn't handle interest, taxes, personnel and the like…

Shen Hai swallowed, forcing out a sycophantic smile: "Those people don't get it at all; they're just a flock of trend‑following idiots—"

Zuguo Ren spun around abruptly, and Shen Hai's words halted mid‑sentence.

"Shut up, you fish‑smelling waste," he whispered.

He snatched the computer from Ashi Li's hand, his fingers scrolling the tablet's latest social‑media stats—discussions about "pure‑beautiful knight Yin Zhi" were soaring at a staggering rate, the comment section filled almost entirely with remarks like "This is the true hero" and "I wish there were knights like this in reality."

As his finger kept sliding down, Zuguo Ren's complexion grew increasingly ashen; online, numerous edited videos of Yin Zhi had already appeared, even topics comparing him to Zuguo Ren himself.

Ashi Li read the room and stepped forward immediately: "We can create some buzz, steer public opinion, or launch new members for the seven‑person group…"

"Oh."

Zuguo Ren stared at her for two seconds, then broke into a grin, lifted his hand and pinched her chin.

Terror and panic were etched into Ashi Li's eyes in an instant; her lips were squeezed into a comical shape, like two fish lips. Her throat strained to emit a hoarse, muffled sound, sounding both like a defense… and like a plea.

As the palm pressed harder, Ashi Li's complexion grew paler.

"You're right… but it's still not enough."

He finally released his grip, and Ashi Li greedily inhaled two breaths as if granted a pardon.

"I want this." Zuguo Ren lifted his hand and pointed at the sky dome, where the pure‑beautiful knight was comforting others with Xing. Watching Yin Zhi's gentle expression, his smile gradually twisted, "No, I want someone even more 'perfect' than him."

Ashi Li immediately understood his meaning, but Shen Hai didn't react right away and asked cautiously, "Do you mean that…"

The pure‑beautiful knight—one of Walt's newest seven‑person members, handsome, elegant, his noble bearing like a prince straight out of a fairy tale—he sneered, "You go find a suitable one; whatever abilities Yin Zhi has, find someone with the same."

Ashi Li pressed the tablet close to her chest; the thought of leaving the conference room made her brain, which had stalled for a few minutes, start racing again:

"I'll arrange the best plastic‑surgery doctor, then have a screenwriter tailor a character profile for him. Right… I'll also produce a promotional video showcasing the pure‑beautiful knight and the spirit of knighthood! I guarantee you'll be satisfied with this."

Zuguo Ren nodded contentedly, but the next second his expression darkened again.

"Listen," Zuguo Ren said. "Ashi Li, I don't give a damn how much PR and resources you use—but if my approval rating shows no sign of rebounding within three days… I'll pull the two chunks of silicone from your chest along your ribs and shove them into that sycophantic mouth of yours, understand?"

Ashi Li nodded frantically.

Zuguo Ren rose slowly, tidied his uniform, and regained that sunny, righteous‑hero expression.

"Hmm, then when you roll out, remember to bring the door with you."

——

While everyone was talking, Walte had finished checking the engine; if none of those present voiced strong objections, they could begin preparations.

"Mr. Walte—please wait a moment," Yin Zhi suddenly interrupted, "I'm sorry—I just had an idea that might help you all solve the crisis. During the train's preparation phase, I'd like a chance to discuss privately with Xing."

"You! At a time like this, can't you just speak plainly?" San Yue Qi expressed slight displeasure.

"This idea… if presented publicly, you would immediately reject it. But as a knight, I must help the train solve the problem."

Walte, seeing that there was still time, granted them a private discussion.

After pulling Xing aside, Yin Zhi candidly voiced her idea: "I think I can board the train and directly confront the giant true beetle—piercing its stomach wall with a long spear to make it spasm, causing the train to be vomited out."

Xing widened his eyes: "Just you alone?"

Yin Zhi nodded: "I can't describe this phenomenon… but when I witness certain things, a sense of beauty wells up from deep within me; it's vague and can only be sensed instinctively."

"Perhaps it's because I've been traveling the galaxy alone for so long, I don't know where this feeling originates. But as a knight, my duty is to protect the seed of beauty, stand before it, and resist everything…"

"And now, the Star‑Crowned Train is that seed. It gives me a sense of belonging, a warmth like home; I believe this stems from the deep friendship among you all. Therefore, I vow to become a shield with my body, defending this thread of warmth, rather than merely seeking safety and letting it become a shield that protects me."

——

fate.

"Interesting." Seeing Yin Zhi intend to strike alone, Gilgamesh rarely showed a hint of approval, "At least you know how to embellish your finale with blood, rather than whimper like a stray dog. Yin Zhi… I've noted his name."

Yan Feng Qili stood in the shadows, his tone tinged with surprise: "Oh? You actually appreciate such self‑sacrificial folly?"

"Foolish act?" Gilgamesh scoffed, "Qili, your vision is still so narrow. This person knows the front is a death trap yet charges forward; sheer bravery alone makes him a hero."

Looking at the slime left on the ground after those true beetles died inside the train, Gilgamesh frowned disgustedly: "It's the filthy insects that dare defile the battlefield with such ugliness; it truly displeases me."

Yan Feng Qili squinted: "But it's precisely because of this ugliness that the knight's grandeur is highlighted, isn't it?"

"Hmph, you actually said something decent," Gilgamesh swayed his glass lightly, "But I'm curious about the true form of that insect—one that could swallow the train whole. I'd really like to see it."