Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 181 - 007. Game Planner: I Remember Happy Things

Chapter 181: 007. Game Planner: I Remember Happy Things

Luo Le, Xue Nian, and Lu Run sat on the bench in the interrogation room, facing skeptical looks from the Triangle Town guards. Luo Le scratched his neck and said,

"What I’m going to say next, you mustn’t be scared."

"Speak."

"The GTB bounty, and Frost Plated’s accusations against Li Aozi—it’s all a setup."

"Oh."

"What do you mean ’oh’?! What’s with your reaction?" Luo Le rolled his eyes. "Li Aozi wiped out Mingji Humanity, freeing the victims of human experiments—and Frost Plated framed such a person. Does that not stir any emotion in you?"

"So, what you’re saying is, Li Aozi didn’t destroy Mingji Humanity?" the interrogator asked suspiciously.

"Well, no, he indeed destroyed Mingji Humanity, but we’ve got evidence of Mingji Humanity’s numerous atrocities."

Luo Le said this as he handed over a copied video file and then muttered into the channel’s voice chat,

"I took a look. These guards are all at least Level 15. How is there such a powerful settlement in the Outer World?"

"Never mind that. Are you sure coming in so straightforwardly will help us find Li Aozi?" Xue Nian retorted. "Old Luo, I know recent overtime has been tough, with more than eight hours of work daily, but is your brain a bit overworked?"

"I think Brother Luo’s plan is quite feasible." Lu Run found it quite reasonable. "Li Aozi is so popular in the Outer World. If he appears in Triangle Town, he’s definitely a guest of the local warlord. If we say we’re here to clear his name, he’d likely want to meet us."

"Not necessarily. I took a look at the company’s data. The Triangle Town warlord, Oakland Zhutt, has weapon-grade enriched uranium. Wouldn’t someone like that be wary of Li Aozi?" Xue Nian wasn’t optimistic. "And look at our identities—two street punks and an internal GTB person. Especially you, with your sensitive identity. Do you think Li Aozi would trust us?"

As they talked, the door to the interrogation room opened. The guards immediately stood at attention and saluted, bellowing,

"Triangle Alliance!"

"Thank you for your hard work."

A boyish voice chimed in, and a team of well-equipped guards immediately escorted a short, slender young man forward. The boy, clad in a thick coat, walked with a friendly smile, chatting and laughing with the man beside him.

"In recent years, more and more men have become enlightened in Frost Plated. Aside from Mr. Leoz, many men are choosing to leave the country, even if it means entering the Outer World."

"It’s just the tide of history. Besides, the Outer World has well-established towns like Lord Oakland’s."

"Haha, not at all. Compared to a real country, Triangle Town is far behind."

The boy chuckled, turned, and took a seat with Li Aozi, facing the three framed Frost Plated men through a layer of bulletproof glass.

To Luo Le and the others, the Lord of Triangle Town, Oakland Zhutt, looked like a beautiful young man from the Outer World with white hair, red eyes, and pale skin. If not for his thick commander’s uniform and his demeanor, which did not match a ruthless warlord, he exuded a kind and gentle charm.

However, even though Lord Oakland was quite the dashing young man, compared to Li Aozi beside him, he was like a firefly next to the bright moon, completely overshadowed.

Since he wasn’t expecting combat anytime soon, Li Aozi had changed out of his Scavenger’s shabby, practical outfit. He bought a knitted sweater vest locally, paired with a shirt, canvas trousers, and a casual washed-cotton coat, making his demeanor much gentler. Additionally, with the help of a local hairdresser, he styled his hair, appearing sunnier and more approachable.

Lu Run immediately began recording. Li Aozi’s attire was secondary; what mattered was the spot-on demeanor, perfect for a promotional video of "Starry Abyss" highlighting its diverse fashion system.

"So, this is the real Li Aozi. He is indeed handsome." Luo Le’s voice was laced with jealousy. "Can’t he dress more flamboyantly? Then I could blame his looks on his outfit. Players would definitely be motivated to spend money on skins and fashion items."

"Why don’t you work in the planning department?" Xue Nian commented sharply.

"Don’t go near a game company’s planning department. You’ll lose both parents."

"That never existed in the first place..."

Lu Run focused on adjusting the camera, aiming it at Li Aozi. He noticed that this Dominator System NPC, with his extraordinary charm and power, didn’t appear as violent and terrifying as in previous storylines. The calm Li Aozi even gave off a serene beauty.

If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, it would be hard to believe that this peaceful man was the same human catastrophe who slaughtered everyone in Mingji Humanity.

That reminds me, he hadn’t seen Qiu Ran or Du Zexin. None of the surviving Mingji Humanity were present.

Ever since they got on the subway, they hadn’t seen any video footage.

Lu Run pondered, thinking the survivors and Qiu Ran must have left. They must have returned home.

"Hello to the three guests from Frost Plated."

Oakland spoke with a smile,

"There’s an old saying from the past: ’For those who come from afar, prepare fine wine and rifles.’ I’m a warlord, a rough man, and understand neither culture nor etiquette. Whether your reception is wine or rifles depends on your attitude."

The three discussed it and decided that Luo Le, with his highest charm attribute of 5, should do the talking.

"Tsk, I guess I’m up—watch and learn how to communicate with an NPC in the most natural way. I’m only demonstrating once."

Luo Le shrugged, opened the system interface, and skillfully found the [Camouflage Mode].

The next moment, in Xue Nian and Lu Run’s view, Luo Le’s interface transformed, showing him as a ’Daily NPC.’ Simultaneously, his ID changed from the company’s regulated name to a strange Frost Plated male name:

Qi Huaimu.

He cleared his throat twice and naturally spoke with a Frost Plated suburban accent,

"Hey, I prefer talking to straightforward people—truth be told, coming from Frost Plated and being hired by the GTB is true."

Under Lu Run’s astonished gaze, Luo Le seemed to morph into the actual game NPC ’Qi Huaimu,’ effortlessly continuing,

"I’m Qi Huaimu, this is Xue Parker who lives on my street, and this Mr. Luao Weike—okay, he really is a GTB employee. But Brother Luao has a strong sense of justice. After accidentally seeing the original footage of Li Aozi massacring Mingji Humanity, he noticed something off and decided to expose him."

His speech habits had turned into those of a Frost Plated street kid, leaving Lu Run slack-jawed.

What’s going on?

Was this a case of soul seizing?

Why did he even disconnect from the voice channel?

"This is [Camouflage Mode], still in the testing phase. It’ll be fully refined during the beta testing period."

Xue Nian explained,

"No matter how much we players understand the storyline and cultural background, there’s always a gap compared to native NPCs."

"So Brother Luo is now..." Lu Run asked.

"Overlaying the personality of the NPC you recruited."

Xue Nian explained,

"We’re mainly testing this system to enhance player immersion. Even players with social anxiety or poor language skills can smoothly interact with NPCs."

"Hmm, I feel like it has some practical use, but maybe... instead, add an in-game voice system." Lu Run suggested, "Look, when Brother Luo turns on [Camouflage Mode], other backend plugin functions become unusable. Communication among players will surely be cumbersome then."

"Don’t you have a regular gaming squad?"

"...I think most people who don’t have fixed friends come to play games."

Xue Nian remained silent for a moment before saying,

"When are you and Luo Le going to report to the planning department?"

"Uh, my mom is in good health and treats me well. I don’t want to lose her..."