<h4>Chapter 43: Viin Simtor, Ch 43</h4>
As the final lyric ended, the energy of the entire venue reached its absolute peak once more.
"Barbara!"
"Barbara!"
"Barbara!"
Countless glow sticks and neon signs lit up the night, making it as bright as day.
"Thank you, everyone, foring to my performance. Over the years, I''ve only been able to keep going because of your support. But..." Barbara bowed deeply to the audience, tears in her eyes, and smiled as she said, "Today might be myst performance."
With those words, the previously loud and lively venue suddenly fell intoplete silence.
After all, Barbara was the most popr idol in all of Teyvat. Not only that, she had be the face of Mondstadt, and her singing had inspired countless people. It''s fair to say that Barbara yed a key role in helping Mondstadt emerge from its dark times in just a few years.
"I''m sorry, I''ve been lying to all of you," Barbara said, carefully enunciating each word. "I''m not as perfect as everyone thinks."
Raiden Mai sensed that something bad was about to happen, but... it was already toote for her to stop it.
"The truth is, I''ve been in an improper rtionship with the president of my agency... Lucas," Barbara revealed without hesitation. "And not just that, many other girls in the agency have been exploited by him as tools for profit."
Barbara''s voice, carried through the microphone, reached far into the crowd. Every single word was heard clearly by the audience.
Damn it! Where''s the sound engineer? Why isn''t the sound being cut off right now?
Lucas wanted to rush back to his own body, but it was already toote.
Barbara''s "speech" continued. She pulled out a stack of photos from her clothing, saying, "These are all the evidence I''ve collected over the years while staying by Lucas''s side. They document all of his unspeakable crimes."
As soon as she finished speaking, she tossed the photos into the air, sending them fluttering down onto the audience like snowkes,nding in the hands of countless fans.
"In addition to these photos, I''ve also collected evidence of Lucas bribing officials and forcing idols under his agency into underground deals. All of this has already been submitted," Barbara continued. "I know I alone may not be able to take on the capital behind Lucas, but I hope that you all will stand up and join me... on the side of justice."
So, I underestimated this little rabbit, didn''t I?
Raiden Mai finally realized why Barbara had been trying so hard to "please" her all this time—it had all been to gather evidence of her crimes.
After spending her whole life scheming and taking calcted steps, Raiden Mai never expected to be brought down by Barbara!
"For the past three years, I''ve been in immense pain, but I''ve also been very happy. Standing on stage as an idol and bringing joy to all of you has been the greatest fortune of my life," Barbara said as she walked step by step toward the edge of the stage. "However, someone as dirty as me no longer deserves to stand on stage in a ''pure white'' image..."
"Everyone, thank you, and... goodbye."
With those final words, Barbara leapt off the stage.
Indeed, she no longer had any reason to keep living. Her sister, the pir of her life, had passed away, and her shameful past had been exposed to everyone.
Sister, I''ming to join you.
"Barbara!"
In that moment, Raiden Mai seemed to forget her hatred for Barbara. She rushed forward, trying to save her, but it was toote. Barbara''s body fell like a puppet with its strings cut, plummeting toward the hard concrete ground below the stage.
[You have entered text mode]
[Due to the evidence provided by Barbara, you are being charged with multiple crimes, and many of the trainees and idols you once oppressed have bravely stepped forward as witnesses, inspired by Barbara.]
[As for Barbara, her suicide attempt did not seed. Just as she was about to fall, a sudden gust of wind caused the nearby filming set to copse, cushioning her fall. Though she lost consciousness, she survived.]
[Overnight, your reputation waspletely destroyed. Over the years, Barbara had been by your side, quietly gathering evidence, leaving you no chance of redemption. More severe than any legal punishment, your reputation, your connections, and everything you had built would be obliterated by the media''s negative portrayal.]
[It''s true that capital isn''t easy to overthrow, and Barbara''s actions won''t shake the foundations of it, but you know full well that your name is ruined beyond repair. Even if you escape legal consequences, you will be condemned for the rest of your life.]
[Yourwyer tells you he can try to reduce your sentence, but yourpany will take a massive hit due to the damage to your reputation. You decide...]
[1. Show no remorse.]
[2. Commit suicide to atone.]
[3. Pull off an escape.]
As for the three options, the first two are easy to understand. The third, "pull off an escape," means...
"I choose the third one!" Lucas answered.
[After a night of deep contemtion, you finally make up your mind. The next day, people find your hanging body and a suicide note. The note expresses your guilt toward Barbara, and you dere that you are leaving yourpany and all remaining assets to her. Of course, this is not an act of kindness. It''s all part of your n.]
[However, this is merely a diversion. Someone as cunning as you would never leave yourself without an escape route. News of your death spreads quickly across Teyvat, and your "body" is hastily buried. No one notices that your coffin is filled with nothing but stones.]
[The world believes the corrupt businessman Lucas is dead, but you''ve already hidden away enough wealth in various countries to live in luxury for several lifetimes. You are well-prepared to make aeback.]
[Of course, you''re not nning to let Barbara off that easily. You''vee up with the perfect n for revenge. As you leave Mondstadt, you once again enter Raiden Mai''s body, preparing for a final goodbye to Barbara.]
[You have sessfully entered immersive mode.]
"Barbara!" Raiden Mai cried out in excitement. "You''re finally awake!"
Indeed, it was Lucas now inhabiting Raiden Mai''s body. While the simtor had exposed his crimes, in reality, Lucas harbored no real hatred toward Barbara. To him, the events of the simtor were still just virtual.
"Is this... is this heaven? No, someone like me doesn''t deserve to be in heaven..." Barbara muttered as she noticed Raiden Mai by her bedside. Surprised, she asked, "Mai? You''re here too... does that mean you''re also dead?"
"You''re not dead! You''re very much alive!" Raiden Mai, with a face full of relief, said. "It must have been the Anemo Archon who saved you."
"Really?" A glimmer of hope appeared in Barbara''s eyes, but it quickly dimmed again. "But even if I lived, what''s the point?"
Her sister was gone, and her idol image was shattered beyond repair.
"Of course there''s a point," Raiden Mai reached out a hand toward Barbara, smiling. "There are still many people in this world who support you."
"But..." Barbara said emotionally, "After everything that happened, no one could possibly love an idol like me anymore."
"Are you kidding?" Raiden Mai opened the curtains, letting the sunlight pour in. "Look!"
Barbara supported herself and walked over to the window, and the sight before her filled her eyes with tears.
Outside the window, arge crowd of fans had gathered on the open ground without anyone noticing. They were all holding up signs filled with words of encouragement.
"Barbara, get well soon!"
"We''ll always be with you, Barbara!"
"No matter what happens, Barbara will always be our pure white angel!"
"The Dandelion Song will never end!"
...
"Everyone..." Barbara covered her mouth at the sight, tears streaming down her cheeks inrge drops.
"So, take good care of yourself and recover," Raiden Mai gently patted Barbara on the shoulder, her expression soft. "I believe that after you take over the agency, you''ll be able to create a whole new future."
[Entering text mode]
[Three monthster, Barbara was sessfully discharged from the hospital and inherited Lucas''spany. Although the stock price plummeted, Barbara decided to take over. She aimed to prove that idols could be sessful without relying on dirty rules and oppressive contracts.]
[Barbara disbanded the "Dandelion Song" group and focused on running the idol agency, implementing major reforms. Thanks to the poprity she had built up, thepany''s early development went quite well.]
[However, she quickly realized that while her ideals were beautiful, putting them into practice was incredibly difficult. Without the binding power of contracts, those so-called "idols" had no motivation to train. Naturally, idols without talent were not epted by fans.]
[Barbara finally understood that while your methods were "cruel," they had stood the test of the market. In the end, her dream shattered along with thepany''s financial copse. Not only did thepany go bankrupt, but she also fell into significant debt.]
...
[Age 30: After several years of silence, you rebranded yourself and made aeback, once again entering the idol agency business. This time, you were much more cautious, and with your past experience, your agency quickly gained traction,unching several popr idol groups.]
[You knew that the rules of this world had never changed. Barbara''s dreams were beautiful, but in the end, they were just dreams.]
[Age 31: One day, your agency weed a new batch of trainees. Among them, you noticed a familiar figure—Barbara. Due to the massive debt she had incurred, she had no choice but to return to the idol industry. She sought out the most popr agency at the time—your newly establishedpany. In just a few short years, you had regained everything you had lost.]
[Now came your favorite part: the interviews. Facing Barbara''s beautiful but weary face, you smiled—a smile you hadn''t worn in a long time. "Hello there, my little nun. Do you remember what I asked you to do during your first interview?"]
[Although you had changed your appearance, Barbara recognized your voice and smile. Her face showed utter shock, which eventually turned into a bitter smile.]
[Everything seemed toe full circle, and your little toy had returned to your hands.]
[Age 32: Although Barbara had passed the prime age for an idol, her talent, looks, and the fan base she had umted over the years quickly earned her poprity once again.]
[Of course, as punishment for her betrayal, you would send her "little gifts" every time she performed. While ying with a remote control, you would watch her struggle to keep up with the choreography.]
[Age 33: The Gunnhildr family, after losing both Jean and Barbara, finally met its demise. You bought their estate andnd, converting it into a cemetery, as if to dere the family''s final fate.]
[Of course, you didn''t forget Kent. He wasn''t left jobless but instead was given the role of caretaker for the cemetery.]
...
[Age 87: Barbara passed away. You buried her in the Gunnhildr family cemetery, right next to her sister, fulfilling her final wish.]
[Age 91: Sustained by massive medical bills, you managed to prolong your life. One ordinary morning, you quietly passed away.]
[This life simtion has ended.]
[Cause of death: Natural causes.]
[Comprehensive evaluation: Capital never changes.]
So, this is how it ends, huh?
[Your reward has been sent and is avable for viewing at any time.]
[Please choose one of the following talents as your innate ability: "Puppet Master" (Blue), "Chicken, You''re Too Beautiful" (Blue), or "Idol Master" (Green).]
There didn''t seem to be much of a choice, the other two were too niche, and only "Puppet Master" had practical use.
[Puppet Master (Blue): You are naturally gifted with a fully realistic puppet and can transfer your soul into it, temporarily acting through the puppet.]
[Due topleting four simtions, you have earned an additional reward: Pocket Waypoint.]
[Effect: You can set an anchor at a specified location and instantly teleport there. Activation requires one minute of preparation, and the cooldown time is 24 hours.]
The system had kept its promise and granted the Pocket Waypoint as a reward.
However, based on the description of the item, it takes a minute to prepare, meaning it''s not very useful in emergency escape situations.
Still, with this tool, Lucas no longer had to worry about being stranded far away in case of an emergency back in Liyue.
...
Upon exiting the simtor, Lucas slowly opened his eyes.
Unlike the previous simtion, this one wasn''t very long, and the story was far less dramatic. Although he still yed the role of the "viin," his hands were free of blood.
"Yawn~"
Lucas yawned contentedly and was about to turn over and go back to sleep when he was startled to find someone lying next to him.
It wasn''t moving, but it was soft and warm.
Lucas jumped up in fright, hurriedly turning on the light, only to see a tall, purple-haired young woman lying next to him.
It was none other than "Raiden Mai"!
[Due to the activation of "Puppet Master," the system has delivered the puppet to your side. Please check.]
Check, my foot! Does your delivery service drop things off directly in bed?
Though initially startled, Lucas quickly regained hisposure.
Sure enough, the "woman" in front of himypletely still, her eyes wide open yet devoid of any color, truly like a doll.
But the more he looked at it, the more familiar the doll seemed.
It felt strangely simr to Raiden Shogun...
Wait a minute, both are dolls, both carry the surname "Raiden," and they look so alike...
Could Raiden Mai and Raiden Shogun have been made by the same creator?
After all, the process of creating puppets likely involved many failed attempts, so having "wed versions" like Raiden Mai wouldn''t be unusual.
So, could this doll not actually be from the system?
[The system never said... that the doll was made by the system.]
-----
Author''s Note: Wellll~ Here ends our barbara arc! And as some of you guys voted... Yeah Lucas won! Now we are gonna have some real life interactions with one of my fav characters in genshin! Guess who''s she?
(Click here for hint )