To be honest, Ryan didn't want to form a Flame-Chaser squad; he just wanted to create a small group for himself and humanity, and to counter the Fire Moth geniuses who needed a rival force.
After all, the world's timeline had changed dramatically; who knew who would fall early? But combined with the Fusion Warrior project, it became incredibly significant.
In the future, individual combat power would surpass military might. This approach perfectly aligned with Elysia's tastes. Ordinary people might wonder why Ryan was so confident in these individuals, but the extraordinary Ely didn't care.
"Ta-da! Here's my latest plan!"
Two hours later, Ryan was in the living room drinking tea. Sakura was mopping the floor when a flat-spectacled Elysia suddenly popped out, triumphantly waving a piece of paper.
Sakura looked confused; Ryan sighed, taking the paper. Elysia insisted on helping with everything.
What kind of plan is this?
Ryan looked at the 'plan,' a sketch of someone's portrait. There were few words, mostly doodles, but he understood the meaning.
"Wait, when did I say I wanted a celebration? And what's there to celebrate? What's the point?"
"You don't understand. Hope and feelings connect us. Bringing everyone together is what I do best, right, Sakura?"
The girl, still mopping, nodded blankly. That part was true; she'd become friends with Elysia in half a day. Elysia truly had a knack for it.
"Hey, holding a party right under Fire Moth's nose, isn't that a bit too high-profile?"
"They're all your friends. What's wrong with everyone having fun together? Even if you cut all ties, they'll still be suspicious, right?"
Ryan's mouth twitched; she had a point. It was similar to Kevin inviting everyone for dinner; there seemed to be no difference. Besides, Elysia's demeanor showed no signs of a secret meeting or rebellion plot.
Perhaps in all ages and places, no one plotting rebellion would be so high-profile. A group of people having fun at a vacation spot, who would suspect that?
"Why do I feel like you're enjoying this? Digging a pit for me to fall into?"
"Making everyone friends is naturally a happy thing!" Elysia clapped her hands, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "It's decided! And I've even found a reason for the celebration."
"What reason?"
"Your birthday, of course! Aren't you surprised?!"
Ryan froze, unconsciously looking at the calendar. Today was November 8th; in two days, he'd be 20. So much had happened that year, he hadn't even noticed.
After the initial blankness, there was a genuine touch of surprise. He couldn't help but smile. "I never celebrate my birthday."
"But I do! I'm one day younger than you."
"What? Your birthday is November 11th? How old will you be?!"
"You can't ask a girl her age! If you're really curious, I'm forever 17 ♪" Elysia wagged her finger, quickly snatching back the plan. "So, Ely's birthday celebration campaign begins now! You must obey my orders."
"Wait…"
Ryan raised a hand, but the girl had already bounded up the stairs, happily returning to her room, leaving him speechless.
He strongly suspected Elysia's true intentions, but from a rational perspective, he couldn't find any fault.
Since he'd decided to confront Honkai head-on, he needed to quickly gather powerful individuals around him. And the way to unite them, besides hope, was through emotion.
Starting with interests, then forming relationships through emotion. This was the most efficient and low-cost method.
"Miss Elysia is certainly hard to grasp." Sakura quietly approached, offering a faint smile.
"Who knows what she's thinking? But some things, only she can do. At least when it comes to dealing with humans, even I'm not her match."
"Perhaps she's just worried about you."
Sakura's words made Ryan look sideways. He wasn't offended by being underestimated; in fact, his pressure was immense. Someone who overthought things might even believe he was dragging humanity down with him.
"Sakura, how about we have a barbecue?"
"That sounds nice. I'll buy the ingredients tomorrow and build a few more grills. In this chaotic world, it's good to know people you can rely on, especially Dr. Mobius. I'm very curious about her."
Don't you dare be curious! Wait, that look in Elysia's eyes just now… wasn't she planning to watch a show?
Ryan suddenly regretted it. He could imagine Elysia was already making excited phone calls. He could only grit his teeth and nod.
"Then go prepare. We can discuss a few things while we're at it."
He already saw some benefits. That the nascent Flame-Chaser group could form under his leadership brought a sense of pride.
Clinging to powerful figures, clinging to powerful figures, clinging until finally, I became the core, and must become the core.
A touch of irony, yet not a shred of error upon reflection. If this was destiny, he accepted it calmly.
Two days later, Ryan was busy, without even time to consider who should become a Fusion Warrior first. He spent his days preparing ingredients, blowing up balloons, and preparing gifts.
Fire Moth quickly received the news; after all, Elysia had no intention of hiding anything. Intelligence analysts worked through the night, finding the guest list small but each person significant.
Mei, head of the Research Committee; Vill-V, head of the Fourth Research Institute; Mobius, head of the Fifth Research Institute; Kevin and Hua, the two most outstanding new recruits; Ato, head of the South Shenzhou Combat Squad, and his wife and daughter; Himiko, captain of the Far East Branch Combat Squad; and the most ordinary, Su, a medical research intern.
Upon further investigation, it posed little threat. These individuals were not high-ranking or powerful; they held no military authority. And they all shared one characteristic:
They were all friends of Dr. Ryan, or friends of friends; some hadn't even met each other.
Confirmed as a private gathering, Fire Moth had no regulations prohibiting birthday parties. Besides, if there was a conspiracy, it wouldn't be so public.
But the intelligence division remained uneasy, sending agents in various disguises to approach the gathering. And then, there was no 'then.'
Of course, Ryan wouldn't deal with them; the agents were all shanghaied by Elysia, joining the party setup in a daze.
"Yes, yes, hang the banner a little higher. And the balloons? Who wants to help blow them up?"
"Stick some paper cuttings. Huh? These are for Shenzhou New Year? Doesn't matter, it's like celebrating early."
"I'll pour everyone juice. Take a break after you finish."
Miss Pink Elf bustled around, directing everyone. Some, dressed in mechanic uniforms or tourist attire, were busy with various tasks, making the villa lively.
"Ryan, is this really okay?" Sakura cut colored ribbons with scissors, finding she couldn't keep up with Elysia's thinking.
As an assassin, the intelligence division was her natural enemy. She never imagined she'd be setting up a party with them. A single day had overturned her entire assassination career.
"This is Elysia. You'll get used to her." Ryan didn't know how many times he'd said that, watching the girl flitting around, exasperated but unable to complain.
This girl was more excited than confronting the Third Herrscher; her genuine enthusiasm was infectious, leaving no room for resistance.
He'd been so busy lately; using this opportunity to relax wasn't a bad idea.
"Don't worry. I can disable those bugging devices and hidden cameras anytime. I've also prepared emergency escape tunnels. If the Fourth Herrscher dares to come, she won't be leaving."
Ryan wasn't just focused on having fun; he planned to use this as bait. Hawaii was a crucial Fire Moth base. With the stationed troops and the combined strength of himself and Elysia, a Herrscher showing up would be a suicidal act.
"Elysia knows? She might get angry."
"Hmph, I'm being generous allowing her to cause this much chaos. She shouldn't dare be angry." Ryan snorted, his demeanor softening again. "Relax too. Even if tomorrow is the end of the world, make today count. Time is precious, but letting yourself enjoy it isn't a waste."
His words were wise. Some people get caught up in trivialities, feeling they haven't given their all, leading to increasingly desperate behavior. But Ryan had conducted scientific research countless times and understood a crucial principle:
Even if you prepare perfectly, experiments still have a failure rate. That rate cannot be controlled by humans; there's no need to obsess over it.
Sakura pondered for a moment, nodding firmly, then showed a hint of regret.
"It's a shame Rin couldn't attend."
"The fewer people know her identity, the better. Don't worry, there will be opportunities. I won't just have one birthday."
"I look forward to it."
Sakura's expression softened further. She truly looked forward to it and had a vague understanding of what Ryan meant by 'opportunities.' Once they purified Fire Moth, Rin could be free.
As she thought, she heard the distinct sound of rotor blades and turned to see a helicopter approaching.
"That marking belongs to the Research Committee. Dr. Mei and the others have arrived."
She didn't need to point it out; Ryan, with his sharper senses, had already seen a green-haired woman sitting by the window, a pair of snake eyes staring at him.
She actually came?
Mei's arrival was somewhat unexpected for Ryan. How could that busy woman find the time? After a moment's thought, he could only resign himself to welcoming her.
If Mei was here, then Mobius would definitely be here…
Elysia's birthday celebration campaign was fraught with tension. He couldn't help but look back at the delighted Miss Pink Elf, a vague premonition settling in:
His 20th birthday party would be lively, more lively than both his lifetimes combined.