vstars Chapter 73 Sony's crimes are heinous, and the people are filled with resentment.
Chapter 73 Sony's crimes are heinous, and the people are filled with resentment.
Night deepened, and the president, exhausted from a long day, fell into a deep sleep. Moonlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, illuminating her slightly parted lips, a subtle glint of light—perhaps a warning sign from her body after a long day of rest. Rito took a tissue and gently wiped her face, then went to the window to seal the gap. She lay back down on the bed, closed her eyes, and entered the system space.
Because he was busy with his wedding, he hadn't been here for a while. He didn't expect that the pure white space had undergone quite a change: the gashapon machine still stood quietly in the center, with the light patterns on its surface slowly flowing, but a small sofa had appeared next to it at some point, and two girls were squeezing together, laughing and arguing about something.
"Dentist, shake it! You two, is this some kind of extracurricular activity area?"
Li Ren rubbed his forehead, thinking that these two little brats were really getting out of control if they weren't disciplined for three days. If this continued, they might even be able to build a three-bedroom apartment in the space. Did they even ask for his opinion as their owner? He quickly walked over, grabbed one of them with each hand, and scolded them angrily.
The two caught in the act turned to look at him simultaneously. Meiqing reacted first, quickly releasing her grip on Yangzi's cheek, casually adjusting her bra strap, sitting up straight, glancing at him with some surprise, and asking:
"Why are you here? Isn't tonight our wedding night?"
Rito shrugged: "It's over. Yumiko's asleep. I want to see what changes have occurred since the mission ended. What about you guys? Staying up so late at night, you might not grow tall."
"Can you still grow taller at nineteen?" Yangzi muttered, then laughed and said to him, "I've discovered that if I don't sleep in the space, I don't feel sleepy when I wake up in the morning, so I just don't sleep at all. Doesn't that mean I live half as long as a normal person?"
"Huh? Is that so?"
Li Ren opened his mouth in surprise. He had always used the space as a tavern for collecting quests and rewards in the game, and had never thought of exploring more uses. He had already been surprised when Mei Qing used it as a bedroom. The clever little dog could go even further and come up with new functions, which made him wonder if he was getting old and couldn't keep up with the thinking of young people.
"Yes, I should have thought of that sooner, even though I've had this experience before."
Meiqing pouted in annoyance. She had been sleeping here for so long and should have noticed this long ago, but because it was the darkest place under the lamp, Yangzi beat her to it. It was really wrong of her.
Seeing Mio's expression of utter disbelief at losing to a complete idiot, Rito chuckled. Just as he was about to comfort her, telling her not to take it to heart, since they were in the same high school, it didn't matter whether she was smart or not, the gashapon machine in the center suddenly shook, and a pale golden light shone from above.
The three of them turned their heads at the same time. The light condensed in the air into a familiar screen, and a line of text slowly appeared on the screen, which read: Early marriage mission completed, begin calculating rewards.
"It's finally here." Rito stood up and walked to the screen, rubbing his hands excitedly. Mio and Yoko also got up from the sofa and moved to his side, one on each side.
A few seconds later, the original text faded away, revealing more information. The title read: "[Explanation of the Revamped General Pool Draw Mechanism]"
"Huh? The regular pool has been revamped? Isn't it supposed to be a reward?" Yoko tilted her head and read aloud, "What's so great about changing the regular pool? It's still just the same members after all the changes, isn't it?"
Liren didn't answer, but clicked on the title. Soon, a more detailed explanation interface slowly unfolded, filled with dense text. He read it line by line, and as he read, his expression subtly changed. He wasn't exactly happy, but he wasn't angry either; it was more of a complex mix of emotions.
Yangzi and Meiqing exchanged a glance and then leaned forward to read the announcement.
The announcement is quite long, but to summarize it simply, it can be divided into three parts:
First, the C-position pool has been changed to a limited pool. Instead of using C-position tokens for drawing, ordinary tokens that are used in the regular pool are used instead. However, the probability of drawing a C-position member is as low as 0.5%, and there are only some members in the pool. Moreover, there is no pity system. Even in second-generation games, it is the worst one. The only advantage is that it can be targeted, which means that you can decide who the next C-position member will be.
Second, duplicate characters can now be drawn from all pools. When you draw a character, you can choose to give it to a member who has already been summoned, which will randomly increase a certain ability. Alternatively, you can choose to recycle ten members to exchange for a new token.
Third, the long-awaited modification function has also been launched. The purely fraudulent gacha feature has been swept into the dustbin of history along with the C-position pool. Now, he can use ordinary tickets to make targeted modifications to members. The extent of the modification is proportional to the amount consumed. Minor flaws, such as crooked teeth or dull skin, can be modified with a few dozen tokens. However, modifying intrinsic attributes such as personality and values is extremely expensive. At least the tokens that Liren currently has are not even a fraction of that.
"Luckily, I never thought that way. If someone's personality changes, are they still the same person?"
Rito tilted his head and commented on it, but Yoko thought of her former companion Kishi-kun, shook her head noncommittally, and said that it might come in handy sometime.
"With so many tokens, I'm starting to doubt if I'll have enough after completing all the achievements."
Just as Liren was complaining, the system notified her again: Due to the adjustment of the extraction mechanism, the rewards for the Bond Missions have been refreshed, and you can obtain a large number of tokens from them.
Seeing this, Meiqing gave a forced smile and said indifferently, "I knew this system wasn't anything legitimate. Don't you understand what it means? Go sleep with all the Nogizaka46 members and you'll have everything you need."
"Why are you targeting Nogizaka46? Why don't you just say you'll sleep with all of your own Whitebeard members?"
Rito couldn't stand her sarcastic manner and immediately retorted, but Miko used this as leverage to loudly accuse him of having ulterior motives towards his companion. The two exchanged a few words before Yoko, who couldn't stand it anymore, separated them.
Gazing at Meiqing, Rito stroked his chin and suddenly realized something was wrong: he had clearly come to collect the reward, so what did it mean for the system to show him the version changes? Could it be that the system was keeping the reward for itself?
After protesting to the system, an electronic voice finally arrived a while later, offering a hollow explanation of the advantages of the new lottery mechanism before finally presenting the rewards: 500 tokens, two basic modification permissions, and one extra refresh of the Bond Mission.
Seeing that the rewards included basic editing privileges, Yoko's eyes suddenly lit up, and she scurried over to Rito, raising one foot:
"Brother Rito, do you think my feet are a little big—"
"Don't even think about it." Rito snorted and decisively rejected her. Meiqing, who was itching to do so but couldn't bring herself to do it, simply clicked on the screen and selected the permission.
"Select object?"
"Seki Yumiko."
"What should I modify?"
"A stronger stomach, hormonal regulation."
With a crisp "ding," the two modification permissions that Rito had just obtained were returned to the system's embrace. He didn't feel sorry for them. Pampering his wife was a matter of course. If the terms he had drawn before hadn't been so insignificant, he would have given them to the president long ago. As for the two brats next to him, they were still young, so there was no need to rush.
"snort!"
Perhaps hurt by his decisive rejection, the lively puppy was a little embarrassed. After glaring at him, it turned into starlight and returned to the real world without even saying goodbye to Meiqing.
"This girl." Rito shook his head with a smile, not taking her childish temper too seriously, and turned to Mio: "Sorry, I'm going to use my first designated privilege on Saito Asuka. I already promised Nana Min."
This wasn't the first time he'd brought this up with Mei-ching, so while Mei-ching felt regretful, she wasn't too surprised. She simply said, somewhat reluctantly, "Then I'll book next time," and accepted the offer.
Seeing that she had been successfully appeased, Rito breathed a small sigh of relief, took out five hundred tokens, and piled them up with the remaining dozens of tokens into a small mountain. He rubbed his hands together, ready to start drawing cards.
Meiqing stood to the side with her arms crossed, watching his confident look, and couldn't help but pour cold water on his enthusiasm:
"Just a heads up, the odds of winning are only 0.5%, and there's no safety net. You should understand what that means, right?"
As a future citizen who had received higher education, Rito naturally knew what she wanted to say, so he smiled and replied:
"Of course, you mean this method is prone to extreme possibilities, right? Well, there's nothing we can do about it, we can't just not smoke."
Seeing that he was already prepared, Meiqing didn't say anything more. Compared to Youzi, who was addicted to gambling on blind boxes, she considered herself to have average luck. She only drew cards in games after she had prepared a guaranteed number of draws. She had never been a fan of this kind of mode that relied purely on luck. Unfortunately, this system was not like a second game, and there were no substitutes on the market. Even if she knew that there was a pit ahead, she could only watch the man step into it.
Ten draws, twenty draws, fifty draws, one hundred draws...
"It's okay. The expected value is 200 draws. If you draw it before that, it's considered a victory."
The two exchanged a glance, both having a bad feeling. Meiqing smiled wryly, rubbed her facial muscles, and comforted him.
Two hundred draws, three hundred draws, four hundred draws... still no luck. The clutter around them was almost burying them.
"Um, what did you say about the expected value of the mathematical equation?"
Even though he had prepared himself mentally, Rito was still a little flustered. He grinned and asked with a hint of bitterness.
Meiqing had no heart to comfort him at this point. She muttered that she had told him long ago that there was a possibility of extreme consequences, and then tentatively asked him if he wanted to stop here for today and fight again another day.
"No way!" Rito, already caught up in the excitement, couldn't care less about anything else. Determined to catch a bird today, he forcefully stuffed another stack of tokens into the gashapon machine. Finally, on the 426th draw, a golden gashapon fell to the ground with a thud due to gravity. The system notification "This round of selection is over. Please select your next target" finally rang in their ears.
"Huff—huff—" Rito, who had finally gotten her wish, collapsed on the floor, panting heavily as if she had just run a marathon. She was covered in sweat, and it was hard to tell whether it was from tension or anger, probably both. Even Meiqing, who was watching from the side, could feel the deep exhaustion. She shook her head helplessly and said that if there were cameras around, she would really like to record this desperate scene and use it as a gambling prevention video, so that she could watch it every time she couldn't help but want to draw cards.
"Luck will always prevail. I was unlucky this time, but I'll definitely be lucky next time."
Li Ren's face was ashen, and he muttered words of comfort to himself.
"You're wrong. Small sample sizes and random fluctuations are normal. Each time is a new beginning. Don't try to comfort yourself."
The calm and collected Meiqing ruthlessly shattered the beautiful dream he had woven for himself. Of course, it could also be a form of retaliation for not giving her any modification rights earlier.
Speechless, Rito glared at her, indicating that he wouldn't listen. He turned his back to her, opened the gashapon machine, and the image of the silly bird appeared in mid-air. It was still as cute and silly as he remembered. But when he thought that he had spent more than 400 draws to get it, Rito couldn't help but look at her with some resentment.
"Saito Asuka, a first-generation member of Nogizaka46, huh? Currently 14 years old, currently in Myanmar, triggering the bond quest: Hashimoto and his father, requires Hashimoto Nanami to go to Myanmar to activate it."
After reading the line of text below the profile picture, Li Ren smacked his lips and quickly checked the details and rewards of the task. The screen clearly displayed:
Both members have been summoned. You will receive 300 tokens after having a relationship with one of them. However, if you have a relationship with the other person, you will be penalized by Bunshun and lose 3 tokens. This penalty can reduce your token count to a negative number. Do you want to accept this mission?
Li Ren glanced at it, and without thinking, clicked to accept the request. This surprised Mei Qing, who looked at him and reminded him with a half-smile:
"This is Saito Asuka, you know. She can definitely earn back 500 tokens. You can't miss this opportunity once it's gone."
"What's wrong with Saito Asuka? Isn't she cuter than my Nono Mio?"
Rito retorted confidently, which made her quite embarrassed. Meiqing, who often said self-deprecating things, certainly wouldn't dare to compare herself to the senior members of the Purple Group. However, judging from the way she couldn't shake off the smile, she was quite satisfied with Rito's words.
Realizing this, Meiqing felt embarrassed to stay any longer. She quickly made up an excuse that she herself didn't believe, and then transformed into a ray of starlight and logged off.
And so, the space, which had been noisy when he arrived, finally returned to the tranquility he remembered. He stretched, and although he could have used the 500 tokens he got from the bond quest to try again, his bad luck earlier had left him feeling uneasy. He was also a bit tired, so he quickly put away the tokens and left the space.
When he opened his eyes again, his newlywed wife's beautiful face appeared before him once more. Perhaps it was because of the effects of his previous modifications, but Yumiko's slightly furrowed brows, which had been furrowed in her sleep, were now relaxed. Seeing this, Rito felt much more at ease. He gently kissed her forehead, covered her with the blanket, and fell asleep as well.
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After spending about half a month dealing with the end of the wedding, Rito was finally able to free up his hands to handle the remaining matters. The first thing he did was to arrange a business trip to Myanmar for Nana Min. She was very anxious when she heard that she could catch that bird on the trip and even wanted to ask for leave to leave as soon as possible. However, Rito was always skeptical about the security situation in Myanmar, so he insisted on keeping her there until everything was ready before letting her go.
Next came the gacha session that Meiqing had planned. After much deliberation, she decided to summon the Ramen Sisters, Hitomi and Tsuki, first. Before drawing, she still had a sliver of hope that if she got them early, she might be able to summon Charmander as well during these three or four hundred draws. However, it turned out that bad luck was contagious. Rito, Yoko, and she all took turns trying a hundred draws, but none of them got them. Finally, they made another fifty or sixty draws before finally getting Hitomi. However, this also meant that her token inventory, which had just recovered a little from the rewards, was running out again, and she couldn't do anything else for a while.
"If you ask me, you should go sleep with Hoshino Minami. Anyway, you've already won over Eto Misa. Look, the satellite bond reward is a full 500 coins."
Defeated, Mei Qing lay lazily on the sofa and said something truly shocking.
"Then why don't I go sleep with Rika Ishimori? Look, you have 500 coins in your bond with her."
Rito rolled her eyes and pointed to a screen further away, complaining.
"Hey, what's the point of you sleeping with her? Did I agree to it? You're talking like I'm some kind of promiscuous woman."
Mei Qing clicked her tongue and kicked him, almost knocking him off the sofa. Li Ren was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat. He was about to turn around and teach her a lesson when his expression suddenly changed. He said, "My wife is here," and then quickly disappeared.
Looking at the starlight that had faded and left only scattered specks, Meiqing shook her head and sighed, "He's someone else's husband after all." Yangzi, not to be outdone, immediately launched into a vulgar and violent remark.
"It's only interesting to sleep with someone else's husband," she said, then glanced at Meiqing, whose eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets, and asked somewhat uncertainly, "Isn't that right?"
Meiqing was speechless for a moment. After a while, she patted her shoulder and earnestly advised her: "If you become an idol in the future, you must keep your mouth shut. Don't blurt out anything just because you're happy."
"I know, do you think I'm an idol for the first time?" Yangzi pouted, thinking to herself, "Meiqing, you don't know, do you? I've seen several parallel versions of myself at the Death Transfer Station. So many times, I've never slept with my own husband. I've always been slept with by other people's husbands. So what? Life still goes on, doesn't it?"
Unaware that the lively little dog had been corrupted by fate and was no longer as innocent as before, Rito was receiving the haul from his wife's shopping today. Another melancholy little dog followed behind the chairman with a restrained expression, its big eyes constantly scanning the couple's new house, as if calculating how each item could be worth several months of her salary.
"Oh, Yui Pom, you're here too. Don't be shy, my slippers are in the shoe cabinet, please get them yourself."
Rito's hands were full of bags, and not wanting to trouble his wife, he somewhat rudely asked Kobayashi to do it herself. Kobayashi naturally didn't think anything of it and was about to open the shoe cabinet when the president beat her to it, helping while playfully complaining, "Don't make it seem like I don't do any chores at home. Luckily it was Yui; if it were anyone else, my image would look weird."
Rito smiled with narrowed eyes, put the things in the living room, then came back, picked her up without saying a word, and spun her around in the air. The president blushed with embarrassment and slapped and hit him before he stopped his childish behavior.
"Let whoever wants to say it, say it. What's wrong with me spoiling my wife, right, Yui Pom?"
Rito made a face and said with a grin, not forgetting to pull Kobayashi, who was standing there dumbfounded, along. Kobayashi was stunned for a moment before she woke up as if from a dream and said "Hi" in a low voice. She then hurriedly made an excuse to go and redo her makeup. Under the chairman's guidance, she stumbled and staggered into their bathroom, which was bigger than the living room of an average house.
The bathroom door was gently closed, the latch clicked shut, and Kobayashi Yui let out a long breath, looking at herself in the mirror, the blush on her face still lingering.
"What? I came along because I was worried that Yumiko wouldn't be happy, but it turns out I'm the clown."
She shook her head with a wry smile, tidied her hair in front of the mirror, and gently wiped off the lip gloss she had borrowed from Misa with a tissue. She thought to herself that happiness was indeed a personal feeling; others could only glimpse it, never truly understand it. Then she took a deep breath, smiled slightly at herself in the mirror, and pushed open the door to leave.
The hallway was quiet. Before she even reached the living room, she heard a sound coming from the direction of the bedroom. She stopped, a little curious.
"—Say that again? It's just a minor supporting role in a morning drama. What do you mean 'no way'? You, Yoshio Konno, have been in this industry for decades, and now you're telling me you can't even get a small supporting role in a morning drama?"
Hearing the president's deep, angry roar through the door, Kobayashi became even more eager. He peeked out and saw Yumiko watching TV on the sofa, then cautiously walked to the bedroom door to continue listening.
"I know, I didn't give it my all, but you should have contacted me the moment the problem arose. It's not a big deal, but we can't let others think we're easy to bully. Tell me which company stole this role, and I'll take care of it."
"FLaMme's newcomer, Arimura Kasumi? I see, I'm hanging up."
Upon hearing this, Kobayashi, who was outside the door, suddenly opened her eyes, quickly walked back to the bathroom, and then walked out as if nothing had happened. She happened to run into Rito, who was leaving, and smiled slightly, pretending that she hadn't heard anything.
Keyakizaka46's costumes are truly divine; the costumes for the recent orders should just go to hell.