"Wait, why are you still keeping this Slumbernana Monkey?"
At Paperfold University.
In a certain classroom.
Because there were too many people watching the plot on the central stage, some students chose to watch in groups in the classroom.
At this moment.
On the desk of a boy sitting in the corner.
There was a listless Slumbernana Monkey.
This,
naturally drew criticism from his classmates.
"The plot has exposed it! This is likely something created by members of the AtaviSearch Forest, it might even carry a Memetic Entity virus!"
"If you don't want to turn into a monkey, you better throw that thing away!"
The boy nodded: "Hehe, I know, I know."
"It's just that this Slumbernana Monkey really looks like Brother Chao!"
"I was planning to keep it to show Brother Chao, but forget it, I'll throw it away now, my life is more important."
Just as the boy was about to throw the Slumbernana Monkey into the Trashcan.
The Slumbernana Monkey suddenly moved!
Its two intelligent eyes rolled around.
It glanced at the boy.
Then,
let out a "Jiao Jiao Jiao" scream!
It jumped off the desk.
And like a frightened mouse, it quickly ran away and disappeared!
This scene.
Left all the students in the classroom stunned!
The boy looked at his hand, then at the empty desktop, and exclaimed, "Are toys this smart now?"
"That expression just now was way too real!"
"And I only spent the cost of a breakfast to buy it."
A student in the front row exclaimed, "Wow! Look at the plot, the monkey in the plot ran away too!"
...
"My brand new monkey!"
Stelle and Dan Heng were chasing the runaway Slumbernana Monkey.
Soon.
They arrived at Fortune Academy.
Here, the Slumbernana room was conducting a Dreamscape marketing class.
"Whether rich or poor, most people come to Penacony in search of a more meaningful life."
"But after spending some time in the dream, one quickly realizes this is nothing but empty words. Dream chasers soon collapse from exhaustion, and tourists grow weary after endless revelries."
"The legendary tycoons and festival superstars we chase lead lives so dazzling, they seem to belong to another world entirely..."
"Yet the Slumbernana Monkeys present a whole new attitude toward life! They spend their days sleeping and eating bananas, thinking of nothing else and doing nothing more, experiencing the purest happiness of bananas!"
"To help our students better understand, the Banana Master has prepared a special Slumbernana Monkey plushie. Students of Fortune Academy can enjoy an additional discount when purchasing..."
Starting from the Dream Banana Master, what seemed like a teaching session was actually a full-blown promotion of Slumbernana Monkey merchandise!
This Banana Master from Fortune Academy didn't even bother to hide it!
At that moment.
Dan Heng had a sudden idea: "...I have a thought, Stelle. Can you use Clockwork on it?"
Rappa, standing nearby, was excited: "Clockwork Ninjutsu! Lord Silvergun Shura once described its profound and wondrous nature to me. I must witness it firsthand."
Choose to use Clockwork on the monkey.
Result.
It really works!
The three emotions—[Calm], [Joy], and [Resentment]—can all be adjusted!
Little Gui chose the option of resentment.
[Under the influence of Clockwork, the little monkey began to emit an angry banana sound.]
[The moment you closed its dial, you seemed to resonate with its anger. You saw an unsatisfactory report card, an even more unsatisfactory paycheck, and the disappointed expression of a young boy...]
[Before you could digest these emotions, the little monkey excitedly ran off into the distance...]
Seeing this.
All the students in the classroom widened their eyes!
Especially the boy sitting in the back row.
Recalling what he had just said...
"It's mainly because this Slumbernana Monkey really looks like Brother Chao!"
And Brother Chao, it seemed, hadn't appeared since he bought the Slumbernana Monkey...
A strange feeling began to creep in!
The boy already had an idea in his mind.
His hand trembled slightly.
But he still didn't dare to confirm it!
At this moment.
In the story.
The main characters chased the Slumbernana Monkey to the end of the hallway.
The Wealth Banana Master was there, talking to a student named Richie.
"Wait, let's listen to what they're saying first," Dan Heng suggested.
Richie asked the Banana Master, "Wealth Banana Master, didn't you ask me to come pick up the goods? But there's nothing here."
"Sigh, the Dream Banana Master clearly said he'd handle the new batch of goods. Such an unreliable banana."
Richie's tone shifted slightly, hesitating as he spoke, "By the way, Banana Master..."
"Were these people who turned into monkeys really willing...?"
As soon as these words were spoken!
The comments exploded!
...
"Huh?"
"What?!"
"The story just took a sudden turn into horror."
"Damn, I guessed it right!"
"I was eating when I saw this line and choked hard!"
"Did Dr. Primitive turn himself into a monkey? And then made others do the same?? That's kind of terrifying."
"Now that I think about it, that promotional video from Slumbernana Corp is really chilling!"
"So selling Slumbernana Monkeys was actually human trafficking?"
"The students of Paperfold University are in for it!"
...
In the classroom.
Silence fell!
All the students involuntarily turned their gazes to the boy in the last row!
Just moments ago, they were amazed by the toy's intelligence...
It could make its own expressions and run away on its own.
Now,
The truth was revealed.
The boy was dumbfounded, as if struck by lightning!
The previous main storyline of Honkai: Star Rail had been about the conflicts between various factions and powers.
These students had just been watching for fun, following the plot with a casual, popcorn-munching attitude...
But this time,
The popcorn had landed right on their heads!
Turns out, the Slumbernana Monkey he had been playing with recently, even hanging it on the hook by his bed when he slept...
Was actually his roommate!
While he was sound asleep, his roommate was hanging there, staring at him without blinking!
After a long while.
The boy finally snapped out of it.
Only two words could express his feelings at this moment.
"Holy crap!?"
...
"It seems you haven't been paying attention at all. Or have those auditors been filling your head with unrealistic fantasies again?"
The Banana Master spoke like a kind and caring mentor, patiently analyzing the pros and cons with his student.
"But do you know the background of those Nameless? You're just a poor student who came all the way from a company-supported border planet to study here. How can you compare with them?"
"Of course I know. You want to make money, a lot of money. After all, the tuition fees at Paperfold University are astronomical, still too high for an ordinary middle-class family, Profnana."
"Oh, I heard your father also came to Penacony. He changed jobs and is working day and night at the Dawn Factory. Truly touching, Profnana."
Richie was immediately shocked: "H-how do you know?"
"Profnana, Profnana, Profnana, because just a few days ago, he came here to see how you were doing."
"I personally entertained your father. Poor man, at his age, having to leave behind most of his life savings to work in a place where he knows no one. I could feel his exhaustion and anxiety..."
"So I conducted Profnana Studies and guided him to become a Slumbernana Monkey—among the batch you just sent out. Didn't expect that, did you?"
Richie was completely stunned!
He,
had actually sold his own father as a toy?
The Wealth Profnana proudly said, "Because your father was too tired, Profnana. I asked him if he had any regrets, and he said no. But when I peeled back that Profnana disguise, what I found was the withdrawal warning letter you had hidden."
"Yes, how could I forget, Profnana? You're a hopelessly poor student. Rather than wasting teaching resources, it's better to turn you into a product of Fortune Academy. At least that way, you'll have some value, Profnana, Profnana, Profnana."
"I promised your father I would give you the same happiness. Richie, it's time to rest, Profnana."
...
"Bro, seriously?"
"Even the poor students here are relatively poor. Back in Richie's hometown, he'd be considered a savior."
"The immersion is strong, I'm boiling with anger, brothers!"
"Now even Richie is going to become a Slumbernana Monkey and be sold as a commodity."
"All neat and tidy, the whole family should be neat and tidy."
"Truly despicable!"
"What the hell are these Profnanas? Rappa calling them evil spirits is putting it mildly..."
"I can't take it anymore, I'm going to smash this TV to pieces!"
"Spreading lies and deceiving the masses! These aren't Profnanas, they're outright demons!"
"This is what AtaviSearch Forest has created..."