Chapter 421: A Long Story to Tell

Gui Naifen sits on the cold single bed, boredly staring at the pattern on the ceiling.

The room is small, its furnishings so simple they border on shabby—only a bed, a table and chairs, and a wall lamp that emits a soft glow, with not even a window.

"Sigh…"

She lets out a long sigh, repeatedly replaying her "fantastic" yet unlucky experience and the million fans who vanished before she could warm them, her heart bleeding.

At that moment, the Communicator above the door crackles with the guard's emotionless voice: "Number 9527, someone is visiting. Follow me."

Gui Naifen freezes briefly, then realizes "9527" probably refers to her.

She quickly climbs out of bed, smooths her slightly wrinkled clothes, follows the stern‑faced Cloud Cavalry guard at the door, walks through a few equally plain corridors, and arrives at a relatively spacious room.

The room is split in two by a thick, transparent Barrier.

Gui Naifen is taken to this side of the Barrier; as soon as she steadies herself, she sees two familiar, concerned faces on the other side.

"Su Su!"

Gui Naifen's eyes light up, and she can't help shouting.

On the opposite side of the Barrier stand her friend Su Shang and the "Miss Li" she just met—Li Su Shang—who looks strikingly like Su Shang yet has a very different temperament.

"Xiao Gui Zi! Are you alright?"

Su Shang's voice comes clearly through the transmission device, laced with obvious worry.

She is dressed today in a sleek outfit suitable for movement, her ponytail neatly tied, and now leans her face close to the Barrier, scanning Gui Naifen up and down, "Any injuries? Have they been giving you trouble?"

Li Su Shang stands behind Su Shang, still in a simple, elegant dress, a sword hanging at her waist.

She also looks at Gui Naifen, nods slightly—a greeting.

"It's fine, it's fine, I'm doing fine!"

Gui Naifen waves her hands hurriedly, but feels a bit shaky inside, "It's just… they've asked me a lot of questions."

"What exactly happened?"

Su Shang asks anxiously, "During the day at the teahouse, we were chatting, and you suddenly vanished in a flash! It scared us half to death! Su Shang and I looked for you for ages, even filed a report!"

Gui Naifen recalls that she and Su Shang happened upon the uniquely charismatic Li Su Shang, and the three, bound by a strange fate, enjoyed each other's company and decided to sit down at a teahouse for a deep chat.

But halfway through, an invitation letter dragged her away to Dongmu City.

"Well… that's a long story."

Gui Naifen scratches her head, expression helpless, "To put it simply… I somehow ended up in another world, took part in a rather odd competition, after the match… uh, after it ended, I came back. I can't explain this to the Ten Kings Office officials, and it seems linked to Huo Huo's disappearance, so… that's that."

She describes it in the most concise, "normal"-sounding way possible, omitting the absurd details.

"Another world? A competition?"

Su Shang hears it hazily, but out of trust she chooses to believe, "That's… unbelievably magical, right? Did you encounter any danger?"

"Danger… of course there was! But it's all over now!"

Gui Naifen doesn't want to detail the brutal battle, glosses over, "In short, I'm fine now; I just have to cooperate with the investigation."

Li Su Shang listens quietly, then suddenly speaks, her voice clear, "Xiao Gui Zi, if the laws here are unjust, or someone makes things hard for you…"

She pauses, glances at the room's layout and the faint guards outside, "Su Shang may be new here, but she knows a bit of martial arts. Perhaps… she could find a way to help you get out?"

Her tone is serious, clearly not a joke.

"Jie, prison break?!"

Gui Naifen is terrified, nearly leaping up, waving her hands, her head shaking like a rattle, "No, no, no! Miss Su Shang! Absolutely not! This is the Ten Kings Office! Not a bandit hideout! Prison break is a grave crime! And I didn't break any law, I'm just cooperating! If I truly broke out, I'd become a fugitive! That would be the real end!"

She certainly doesn't want to go from "a street performer cooperating with the investigation" to "a violent prison‑break terrorist."

Li Su Shang sees her intense reaction, furrows her brows slightly, seeming not to grasp why "saving a friend from captivity" would be so improper, but noting Gui Naifen's firm stance, she no longer raises the issue, merely nodding, "If that's the case, Xiao Gui Zi, take care of yourself. If you need help, find a way to let us know."

Su Shang quickly smooths things over, "Right, right, Xiao Gui Zi, don't rush. Explain everything clearly and it should be fine. By the way,"

She remembers something, her tone becoming subtle, "What about that Yuzhao account of yours… what's going on? How did it suddenly gain… over a million followers?"

She clearly also saw that exaggerated follower count change.

At the mention, Gui Naifen's expression collapses instantly, the vigor she had forced up vanishes, replaced by a deep, hopeless despondency.

"My fans… my million fans…"

Her voice cracks with sobs, as if she has lost her life's savings, "They… they still flew away! I try hard to forget… but thinking of how I fought for my life in that world… in the end it was all for nothing… sob…"

As she speaks, two clear streams of "seaweed tears" roll down from her eyes, matching the "utterly unlucky" expression on her face, making a striking effect.

"Hey hey hey! Xiao Gui Zi, don't cry!"

Su Shang panics, trying to comfort through the Barrier but can't reach her, "You can rebuild your fans! Your health is the most important! Stop crying, stop crying!"

Inside the monitoring room.

Han Ya and Xue Yi sit side by side, in front of a multi‑panel surveillance screen and an audio receiver.

They wear headsets, hearing the conversation in the visitation room crystal clear.

Xue Yi first removes her headset, gently places it on the table, expression calm: "The dialogue content aligns with the earlier statements, no new clues, no obvious contradictions. Emotional response… matches her personality."

Han Ya also removes her headset, still expressionless, but a barely perceptible fatigue flickers in her eyes.

"The preliminary report and Black Tower‑related information have been compiled and submitted to the General. The truth of this person's statements will be judged by the General and higher authorities."

She pauses, looks at her sister Xue Yi, "As for Huo Huo…"

Xue Yi reaches out, gently pats Han Ya's shoulder, voice softened: "Little sister, you needn't be overly self‑critical. Though Huo Huo is timid, with her Tail at her side she can protect herself in critical moments. This matter is far‑reaching, not solely your fault. The Ten Kings Office is pursuing it vigorously and will find clues."

Han Ya presses her lips tightly, says nothing, but her slightly drooping eyelids and clenched fists still betray her inner guilt.

As the person directly responsible for protecting Huo Huo, seeing Huo Huo disappear before her, that responsibility and guilt remain a heavy weight on her heart.

Inside the train.

Heimu lies on a soft sofa, gray‑white hair spread out, his violet‑black eyes gazing at the train's dome above, fingers unconsciously tapping a rhythm on the armrest.

Repair Degree… 60.1%.

Bai E's permission… 38.9%.