Xiao Guizi's Livestream
Guinaifen adjusted her phone camera to focus on the announcement displayed on the screen.
"Listen up, everyone! Yu Ling just dropped the preview!"
"Kafka's banner will go live at exactly 20:00 system time!"
"Along with that, her character PV will also be released!"
"We Star Rail players are eating good tonight!"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement, as if tiny stars had lit up in them.
There was just over an hour left.
Guinaifen had already cleaned her room in advance and even taken a shower.
This was the long-awaited debut of the charming and lovable antagonist—Kafka!
She even brought out her gongs and drums, ready to join in the countdown celebration with a lively performance.
To announce to the world—the return of the Stellaron Hunters!
...
The livestream chat was buzzing with excitement.
"I've saved a guaranteed pity just for Kafka!"
"As long as Mom doesn't dodge my pulls, Star Rail will never close!"
"Ahhh! Mom! Kafka! I haven't pulled since I started the game! Please come home!"
"Do you know how long I've waited for this moment? Do you know how I survived these past two versions?!"
"The first time I saw Kafka was in the Space Station's Curio Collection room. When she picked up her guns and said, 'All good things must come to an end,' I knew I was done for."
...
Guinaifen idly chatted with her viewers to pass the time before Kafka's release.
The more she talked, the more restless she became—she could barely sit still!
"Before 20:00 system time, I'll grind out 10,000 stellar jades!"
Suddenly—
A knock came at the door.
"Xiao Guizi, it's me!"
"Shang Shang, I already unlocked the door for you! Just come in!"
The door swung open with a bang.
Shang Shang rushed in, excitement written all over her face.
"I just came back from patrolling outside—Central Starskiff Haven is packed with people!"
"And all of them are Star Rail players!"
"There are even a bunch of cosplayers! My god, it's livelier than any festival!"
Guinaifen's eyes widened.
"I heard about that too! There's a huge screen there where a lot of Luofu players like to gather and watch character PVs, along with all the shorts Yu Ling releases."
"Now it's become a hotspot?"
"Hold on, let me check the Luofu forums."
She typed in "Central Starskiff Haven"—
Instantly, countless posts flooded the screen.
[Found an amazing spot! Watching PVs together with friends is so hype!]
[Reply: Thank you, Honkai: Star Rail! I've already made 100K a month here!]
[Reply: I lost all my 50/50s before, but here I got a double 5-star in one ten-pull!]
[Some jerk (probably a Company rep) said Blade is an S-class fugitive of the Interastral Peace Corporation and tried to stop us from playing his PV in public. LMAO! Who do you think you are?]
[Reply: The big screen in Central Starskiff Haven Square has been leased by us Star Rail players for the next 50 years—we'll play whatever we want!]
[Reply: Not only will we play Blade's PV, once Kafka's banner drops, we're looping her video 24/7!]
[Reply: If that's true, I'm camping out in the square!]
[Pulling in Central Starskiff Haven Square is lucky!]
[Reply: It's legit! I pulled for Blade during his PV and got him + his signature in 100 pulls!]
[Reply: Rumor has it that when the Woof! Walk Time! line played, someone passed out from excitement.]
After scrolling through several posts, Guinaifen grew more and more intrigued.
"Is it really that magical?"
"Hmm… It's been a while since I did an outdoor stream."
Shang Shang nodded. "Sure, I'm down."
"But stick close to me—you're a big streamer now. Who knows if there are creeps in the crowd?"
"Hahaha, I'll count on you then!"
After a quick prep, they headed out.
Kafka's banner was less than half a system hour away.
As soon as they arrived, Guinaifen excitedly turned the camera around.
"See this, everyone? There are so many Star Rail players here!"
"Look, there's even a March 7th and Dan Heng cosplay!"
"Though, honestly, they're fun to look at, but no one can really capture the Astral Express crew's vibe."
Then—
Some players noticed Xiao Guizi's livestream and rushed over excitedly, holding up their devices showing her stream.
"Haha! Xiao Guizi actually came!"
"Xiao Guizi, I've been a fan for ten years!"
"Go, Xiao Guizi!"
"The moment we've been waiting for is finally here!"
Shang Shang immediately stepped in front of Guinaifen, blocking the enthusiastic fans like an unshakable shield.
But soon, she became the center of attention.
"Wait… Are you—?"
"You're…?"
"Shang Shang?!"
"Is this the real one? Not a cosplayer or fake?"
"If she's with Xiao Guizi, she's gotta be real!"
"Shang Shang, can you do the 'Phoenix—Soar!' line?!"
Shang Shang had intended to help Guinaifen, but now she was the one being swarmed.
This was her first time in such a situation—her head was spinning.
Luckily, Guinaifen had plenty of street performance experience.
From behind, she called out, "Shang Shang!"
"This is how you handle crowds!"
"Alright, everyone, step back a bit! Give Xiao Guizi and the livestream some space!"
"Kafka's banner is about to drop—let's see who has the best luck!"
"Xiao Guizi will be giving out random red packets to viewers and people here!"
"If you wanna join, give the stream a like and support! Let's gooo!"
Meanwhile—
Other lively gatherings had formed across the square.
Some staff were already setting up firecrackers and fireworks.
Anyone unaware might think the Luofu was celebrating a grand festival.
Just as everyone was immersed in the festive atmosphere—
Every screen in the square suddenly lit up in unison with a blue glow.
The crowd froze.
Murmurs spread—
Had some players set up special effects for Kafka's debut?
But—
Instead of Honkai: Star Rail's logo—
The emblem of the Interastral Peace Corporation appeared.
A Company-branded host appeared on-screen.
"Greetings, viewers. This is an Interastral Peace Broadcast."
"Recently, certain individuals have attempted to 'whitewash' the Stellaron Hunters through improper channels."
"The Corporation hereby issues a stern warning."
"Kafka and the Stellaron Hunters are an extremely dangerous terrorist organization, responsible for countless atrocities."
"Their crimes are innumerable, and the disasters they've caused are unspeakable."
"Do not be deceived by superficial charm—the Stellaron Hunters are criminals at their core."
"The Interastral Peace Corporation remains committed to galactic order."
"Now, we present—exclusive footage of Kafka's trial."
Silence.
The once-celebratory atmosphere turned ice-cold.
No one expected—
The Company would strike now, at this exact moment.
And this wasn't just happening in Central Starskiff Haven.
Across the universe—
Every region where the game had topped revenue charts—
This broadcast was being forcibly transmitted.
It was a lethal timing.
Like a bucket of cold water dumped on the players' excitement.
"No way…"
"The Company went all out this time!"
"They might as well doxx Honkai: Star Rail's account at this point!"
"Trial footage of Kafka?!"
"No way they actually caught her!"
The crowd erupted in murmurs.
Then—
A stern voice echoed from the dark screen.
"Stellaron Hunter, Kafka."
"Do you plead guilty?"
The next moment—
Kafka appeared on-screen, bound to a chair, hands restrained.
The square exploded in chaos.
To be continued…
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