I Became Robin?! (Honkai Star Rail)

Robin gazed at the old man before her, his composure unshaken, as if victory were already assured. Her lips tightened, and she felt an overwhelming urge to blurt out, "But I refuse!"

After a moment's contemplation, she resisted the slightly reckless impulse. When you're under someone's roof, you have to lower your head. Instead, she cautiously inquired, "Um... if I refuse... what will happen?"

Observing Robin's hesitant demeanor, Xiao surprised her with a gentle smile, the kind a kindly elder might wear when greeting a beloved younger relative. "If you refuse," he said, "you'll be free to leave immediately after the Fuguang Society's operation concludes. I won't harm you."

Robin stared in bewilderment. Why wasn't he even threatening her after hearing her refusal? No warnings, no intimidation—instead, he was outright promising to let her go. Is this some kind of trap?

To be honest, though she was now leaning even more toward refusal, if he had threatened her life—Join or die—she might have caved. But it seemed he had no intention of resorting to such methods.

Xiao said, "It's simple. If you're willing to join us, that would be ideal. But if not, that's perfectly fine too. Whether you choose the Fuguang Society or the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations, your existence will benefit this nation. For that reason alone, the Fuguang Society would never harm you."

"Of course, I must apologize for Qin Chuming's actions. He wasn't one of us; he was merely a pawn who acted outside our plans. I assure you, such an incident will never happen again."

"Ah?" Robin's brow furrowed slightly. She recalled what Lü Heng had told her: that the Fuguang Society's true goal was to create more Evolvers to strengthen the nation. Could it be true? If so, the Fuguang Society would naturally have no reason to target her.

"So, your answer is no, then?"

"...Mm."

As expected, Robin still preferred to remain on the side of good. She couldn't be certain if the Fuguang Society genuinely had the nation's best interests at heart, but their methods were clearly far from virtuous.

"Then I'll have to ask you to stay here for a while," Xiao said. "It won't be long. My plan is already nearing its conclusion. I'm sorry, but I can't let you return to assist the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations. I hope you understand."

Xiao pulled a small card from his pocket and handed it to Robin. A string of numbers was printed on it. "This is my contact information," he said. "If you ever change your mind or need my help with anything else, you can call this number."

"Of course, the number itself is a dead line. You won't be able to reach me directly. But I'll know when you call and contact you myself. I advise against giving this number to the Bureau. They won't be able to trace anything from it, and you'll lose your only way to reach me."

His plan is nearing its end? Robin recalled Yu Lin's unusually busy demeanor recently. It seemed highly likely that this was connected.

Having left his contact information, Xiao showed no further intention of lingering. He turned and left immediately, leaving Robin alone in the dilapidated, abandoned factory.

Well, not exactly alone. At the factory gate, Robin spotted the driver who had kidnapped her. He stood ramrod straight, motionless as a gatekeeper. She glanced outside again, seeing only a bumpy dirt road and weeds stretching in every direction.

Should I run...? But Robin had no idea where she was, and the desolate surroundings offered no clues. Where could she even go?

With a sigh, she turned to leave when the driver suddenly spoke, his voice cold and detached. "Miss Robin, your singing is truly remarkable."

Robin froze, utterly bewildered. "Ah... uh? Th-thank you?"

Similar to Liang Haikun's situation, this driver rarely browsed the internet and had never heard of Robin. Then he suddenly received orders from his boss: even if it meant blowing his cover, he was to kidnap Robin—without using force.

When he first received this order, the driver had been utterly dumbfounded. Seriously, boss? After all this time undercover, you're making me do this?

The intelligence Xiao had provided about Robin naturally included various songs. Driven by curiosity, the driver had listened to them, leading to the present situation.

The driver grinned, his pearly white teeth nearly blinding Robin. "It's a shame I can't return to the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations in Qingcheng right now," he continued. "But no matter! When I get back to the Fuguang Society, I'll definitely recommend your songs to everyone. They'll love them!"

"..." Robin stared at him in exasperation. She understood the urge to share something you enjoyed, but the thought of a sinister organization full of her fans was utterly absurd.

Between Xiao earlier and this driver now, Robin's impression of the Fuguang Society was: strange, so very strange.

Afterward, Robin wandered around the factory, but it was clear there was nothing of interest. Her phone had long since died, and she was starting to feel bored to death.

Finally, she returned to the factory entrance and approached the driver. "Um... could you tell me how much longer I have to stay here?"

The driver glanced at his phone. "It's two in the afternoon. We should be finished before nightfall. Please bear with me a little longer."

And so, through an agonizingly dull afternoon, Robin lay sprawled by the window, quietly watching the sky. Occasionally, she exchanged idle words with the driver beside her, observing the sun's slow descent and the vibrant orange-red twilight painting the horizon.

"Ha~" Robin yawned. Just then, a police car sped into view, tearing down the desolate dirt road outside.

Robin instantly perked up. A police car in such a remote location could only mean one thing: they were coming for her. She stole a furtive glance at the driver nearby, but he showed no reaction.

The police car stopped a short distance from the factory entrance, and two figures Robin recognized all too well stepped out: Yu Lin and Lü Heng.