Seeing Tribbie's attitude, like a cat whose Tail had been stepped on, Madam Herta's exquisite, doll-like face was almost overflowing with helplessness.
She took a gentle breath, deciding to change her strategy, and her tone softened, with a hint of coaxing: "In that case… I'll bring you something from 'outside,' then? Something you can experience without going out."
As expected, like a small stone dropped into a calm lake, the word "outside" instantly captured Tribbie's attention.
Her ruby-like eyes suddenly lit up, shimmering with pure curiosity, fixated on Black Herta, as if asking: "What is it? What is it?"
Black Herta unhurriedly took out a palm-sized, sleek, thin device from her storage space, shimmering with a faint blue light—it looked similar to a mobile phone.
"This is called 'Currency War'."
Black Herta handed the device over, watching Tribbie carefully hold it in her hands, as if receiving a fragile treasure, examining it from left to right.
"It's… a strategy game, I suppose. If you're interested, you can open it up and play around with it."
Tribbie's finger touched the cool screen, and the device immediately lit up, displaying a futuristic interface.
Black Herta leaned over and briefly demonstrated the controls—swipe, tap, select.
On the interface, many familiar character portraits appeared, accompanied by complex attribute and skill descriptions, including even… Tribbie herself!
(This was actually a semi-test program the system had cobbled together using core data from the simulated universe "borrowed" from Herta Space Station. Black Herta thought this thing could both collect combat data and pass the time, and perhaps even help Tribbie indirectly "contact" the outside world to some extent, so she brought it along.)
Tribbie's attention was almost instantly drawn to the flashing lights and shadows and the playable characters on the screen.
She clumsily yet intently poked and tapped with her fingers. Her eyes, which had been somewhat dim due to resistance, now sparkled with life again, and her red lips even parted slightly in a silent gasp of amazement.
While Tribbie was completely engrossed in "Currency War," seizing the precious moment when she was too preoccupied to notice, Cyrene, who had been "imprisoned" in Tribbie's arms for a long time, finally seized the opportunity. Like a slippery little fish, she carefully broke free from the warm embrace, stumbled, and hid behind Black Herta, still shaken as she tidied her slightly disheveled pink short hair and dress, the blush on her cheeks not yet completely faded.
Black Herta watched Tribbie, completely "captured" by electronic entertainment, and a flicker of successful scheming passed through her eyes.
She took out a few pre-prepared clear photos from her embrace and gently placed them on the table beside Tribbie's hand.
The photos showed images of Jack, Long Night Moon, and Baiheng.
"Here, this is for you too."
Black Herta pointed to the photos, trying to keep her tone calm, but when she mentioned a certain address, she almost imperceptibly paused, finding it a bit difficult to say, "These… are… um… Mama's friends."
She almost forced herself to finish the sentence.
"Later… they might come and talk to you, to keep you company."
Having done all this, Black Herta did not linger. She softly said to Tribbie, who was still engrossed in the game: "Take your time playing, we'll come see you next time."
Then she turned, gestured for Cyrene to follow, and the two quietly exited the warmly atmospheric room.
Returning to the familiar pure white space, the subtle feeling that Black Herta had developed from playing the "mother" slowly dissipated.
She stopped and looked at Cyrene beside her, who seemed to still be replaying the "thrilling" experience.
"Did you notice anything?"
Black Herta asked directly.
Cyrene, startled from her slight distraction, blinked her azure eyes, thought seriously for a moment, then softly said with an uncertain tone: "They… are all?"
She pointed in the direction they had just left, referring to the Tribbie dolls scattered throughout the room.
Black Herta nodded approvingly, her expression becoming a little more serious: "Yes, those extra dolls in the room… they are all 'Tribbie'."
She looked around the pure white surroundings, "Although it's unclear why they didn't appear during the last investigation, this time, every single one of those suddenly numerous dolls emits a spiritual fluctuation originating from Tiripis. They are definitely not ordinary…"
Astral Express · Black Herta's Car
After a brief rest and analysis, Black Herta reappeared in the hidden car of the Astral Express.
The system puppet sat quietly in a corner chair, her hands neatly placed on her knees, like an exquisite ornament.
Sensing Black Herta's appearance, she immediately stood up and greeted her respectfully with an uninflected electronic voice: "Welcome back, Lady."
Black Herta waved her hand casually, walked to the observation window, and looked at the flowing starlight outside, asking the question she was currently most concerned about: "How has Herta been these past few days?"
Several days had passed since the "Sister Scandal" and the Space Station purge.
The system puppet immediately responded, her tone calm and steady: "According to multi-source data monitoring and comprehensive intelligence analysis, target 'Herta' and her affiliated Space Station's recent behavioral patterns are highly stable. External activity frequency has significantly decreased, and internal management intensity has returned to normal levels. No clear retaliatory action signals targeting our side or the Astral Express have been detected."
Upon hearing this, Black Herta's lips curved into a knowing smile, as if she had already anticipated this outcome.
"Normal."
She said softly, "For a true Genius, a momentary loss of control might be unavoidable, but to be provoked by this level of prank for a long time would be an unqualified performance. Anger interferes with judgment, and Herta… is most proud of her rationality and wisdom."
She paused, her fingertips gently tapping the window sill, and added with a hint of playfulness:
"Of course, this 'calm'… if one can ignore the fact that the Masked Fools, who usually love to stir up trouble in the universe, have suddenly vanished as if they collectively signed a peace treaty, then indeed… there hasn't been much impact."
Herta Space Station · Herta's Office
The system's report to Black Herta of "very calm" might have been an objective conclusion based on data monitoring.
But what undercurrents surged beneath this "calm" was probably only truly known by Herta herself, seated deep within her office.
Days passed, but the aftermath of that absurd farce had not completely subsided.
Those unsightly rumors, the unscrupulous provocation of the mastermind, and the fact that she had been fooled… each was like a slender yet sharp needle, precisely pricking the nerves of this proud Genius.
To put it bluntly, throughout all the universes she knew, there was no other being who dared to offend her so "despicably"!
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