I Became Robin?! (Honkai Star Rail)

At Zhong Wanhong's command, Robin's singing abruptly ceased. She sighed in relief, casually placed the microphone on the nearby table, and slumped back in her Bureau of Anomalous Investigations chair. She had done all she could; now it was up to Zhong Wanhong and his team.

The microphone clattered against the smooth tabletop, cutting off the music streaming through the speakers for all five Bureau squads. An ear-splitting buzzing sound followed.

Robin's sudden action jolted her teammates, who had been enjoying the song while fighting, leaving them with ringing ears. The abrupt loss of her amplification also noticeably weakened the Bureau squads' combat effectiveness.

Fortunately, each squad was now significantly larger. Since the rescue operation, breaking through the zombie encirclement had become relatively easy. Zhong Wanhong's squad alone had gained over twenty Evolvers along the way—roughly equivalent to the total number of Evolvers in the entire Longcheng Bureau of Anomalous Investigations.

As the song abruptly stopped and his strength diminished, Song Kang asked, "What was that song?"

Meanwhile, nearly all the Evolvers who had joined the group along the way turned to Zhong Wanhong, their curiosity palpable. Zhong Wanhong didn't hesitate to explain. "That's Robin's song. She's a member of the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations. Her singing calms emotions and strengthens her teammates."

"She's been singing for over an hour now and must be exhausted. Let her rest," Zhong Wanhong said, glancing at the dense swarm of zombies ahead. The horde was so thick it resembled a crowded tourist attraction during a holiday, except instead of people packed shoulder to shoulder, it was zombies piled upon zombies.

"Abandon the cars! We'll move across the rooftops!"

As Zhong Wanhong and his group began to move, an elderly man stood on the rooftop of a distant skyscraper, surveying the scene below. This was undoubtedly Xiao, the mastermind behind the unfolding events and the leader of the Fuguang Society. He chuckled, "It seems our plan is proceeding perfectly. Let's move on and prepare for the next phase."

Beside Xiao stood the traitor driver from the Qingcheng Bureau of Anomalous Investigations, his brow furrowed. "But... are you sure this is all going according to plan?"

The driver was referring to the fact that Robin's song had almost single-handedly saved all the Evolvers. But this also meant that those she had rescued would inevitably become her fans, perhaps even fanatical ones.

After all, it was her song that had given them hope, allowing them to think calmly amidst despair and ultimately survive. As a result of this incident, Longcheng would gain at least a hundred new Evolvers. What did it mean to have over a hundred Evolvers as fervent fans?

Regardless of whether these Evolvers joined the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations or returned to ordinary lives, they were destined for extraordinary paths. Robin, in turn, would gain a network of terrifyingly powerful connections.

"She's still an Outsider, after all. If she decided to do something malicious..."

"She won't," Xiao said with unwavering certainty. "I can tell that girl is genuinely kind, and she's already developed a sense of belonging to the Dragon Nation."

"Because she refused to betray the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations?"

"That's part of it, I suppose."

The driver pondered for a moment, then asked curiously, "What if she had agreed to join the Fuguang Society back then? What would you have done?"

Xiao chuckled softly at the driver's question. "She didn't choose that path, did she? Who knows what might have happened?"

One thing was certain: when Xiao negotiated with Robin, his promise to help her return home was nothing more than a casual remark. Even if she had agreed to join the Fuguang Society, he never intended to fulfill that pledge.

Researching methods to help Outsiders return home would undoubtedly be a massive undertaking, requiring immense time, effort, and resources. What benefit would such a project bring to the Fuguang Society?

The investment and potential returns were clearly disproportionate. To the Outsiders, this world was unfamiliar and irrelevant. Conversely, to the people of this world, Outsiders were essentially like aliens—foreign and alien.

Therefore, Robin's rejection of Xiao's invitation was ultimately the wisest choice. Of course, she herself likely didn't fully grasp all the intricate reasoning behind it.

On the rooftop, Xiao and his driver dissolved into shadows and vanished without a trace, as if they had never been there at all.

The perspective shifts back to Robin. Bai Yuanju approached her and handed her a glass of water. "You've worked hard," she said. "Get some rest now."

"Mm," Robin replied weakly.

After resting for a while, she finally mustered the strength to stand. Robin's apartment complex was located very close to downtown Longcheng. While Longcheng had indeed provided housing for refugees from Fancheng, these accommodations were all located in the more remote outskirts of the city, leaving the downtown area relatively safe.

Even so, Bai Yuanju insisted on arranging for two police officers to escort Robin home. The journey was uneventful. Thanks to timely alerts, the streets were nearly deserted, with shops shuttered and vendors packing up their stalls. The entire city exuded an eerie desolation.

This made it impossible for Robin to buy dinner. In the end, she had to settle for a bowl of instant noodles at home.

Yet this humble meal, devoured when she was utterly exhausted and ravenous, brought Robin immense satisfaction. She even managed to finish one and a half packets! The remaining half-packet proved too much, and she left it unfinished.

With her hunger quenched, the most tempting thing would have been to collapse into bed. But Robin dragged her weary body toward the bathroom instead.

In her previous life, Robin wouldn't have thought twice about showering only every three or four days, or even once a week. But now, skipping a single day left her feeling distinctly uncomfortable.

To put it another way, Robin reasoned that someone with average or below-average looks might not be particularly interested in grooming themselves. Conversely, perhaps precisely because her current body was so strikingly beautiful, with such an exceptional appearance, she felt compelled to take proper care of it and not let such natural gifts go to waste.

After undressing, Robin first held her clothes up to her nose to sniff them, then smelled her own arm. Finding no unusual odors, she wasn't surprised. Whether pleasant or foul, people rarely notice their own scent.

By the time Robin finished washing, changed into her pajamas, and blow-dried her hair, half an hour had passed—and that was after rushing through the process as quickly as possible.