Honkai Diary: Start With Picking Up A White-Haired Treasure

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Borlon Albert had proposed their meeting at a prince's residence in Dubai.

"Can't he just come to Siberia?" Zeke asked with his lifeless eyes, reluctant to travel such a distance—to a desert, no less.

He firmly continued, "Three days from now, Mount Huangshan in Shenzhou. He can show up if he wants."

"Well... you know Borlon is quite fearful for his life. Going to Mount Huangshan..." Under Zeke's unblinking gaze, Cocolia's voice trailed off until she finally coughed and replied, "Fine, Shenzhou works too. Schicksal's influence there is still relatively limited. Plus, the scenery is lovely, not far behind Dubai. I'll inform him right away."

As Cocolia reached the door, Zeke suddenly muttered, seemingly out of nowhere:

"I want eighty percent of what we receive from Borlon."

"On what grounds? That money is mine, earned fair and square!"

As if her fox tail had been stepped on, Cocolia's expression shifted abruptly, showing no sign of compromise.

"Based solely on this matter, you still need my cooperation. Additionally, I've been covering the orphanage's food expenses for these past few months."

"You... Eighty percent is too much! At most, I'll give you forty...no, sixty...fine, seventy percent! Just seventy; consider it payment for meals, and that's my final offer!"

In Zeke's unflinching, deadpan gaze, Cocolia's initial asking price steadily decreased until settling at slightly better than his own valuation—seventy percent.

Zeke nodded in agreement.

Cocolia gritted her teeth, slamming the door furiously as she stormed out.

"F**k!" Her sharp roar echoed outside, accompanied by the sound of forceful stomping.

Inside, Zeke's lips curved upwards. It wasn't about the small amount of money; why pass up a chance to get something for free? Moreover, this was also a subtle maneuver to assert dominance, not merely an act of petty cruelty!

"Bronya, notify everyone to pack their bags. We're going on a trip, departing at noon."

"Alright, where to?"

"Shenzhou, Yellow Mountain."

"Oh..."

Bronya paused her work calibrating the drone. It featured rabbit ear-like signal amplifiers, standing almost half as tall as she was, equipped with various light and heavy weapons alongside laser armaments.

After a momentary delay, she looked up hesitantly.

"A trip? To Yellow Mountain?"

Both terms were unfamiliar to Bronya, making her doubt if she had misheard something.

"While you girls enjoy your trip, I have some business to attend to," Zeke added.

Now it made more sense: attending to business while taking a detour for tourism. Bronya wasn't entirely new to the concept of company-funded vacations from her time in the military, although this would be her first actual experience.

"Understood. Bronya will plan the itinerary well."

"Oh right, is Kiana still asleep?"

"She said there's no training today, so she wanted to sleep in. Before bed, she specifically asked us not to wake her up."

Zeke nodded, glancing outside at the clear sky bathed in sunlight.

"Icarus, execute Program A-04."

"Yes, My Lord."

Ten seconds later, a loud crash echoed from the bedroom.

A white-haired girl found herself sprawled face-down on the corridor floor, her rear raised, clutching her blanket tightly, drool visible at the corner of her mouth, utterly bewildered.

"Get yourself ready; we're leaving at noon. Breakfast is in the kitchen—help yourself."

Without sparing her a glance, Zeke left these instructions, then disappeared around the hallway corner.

At a military base in Siberia, a luxurious chartered passenger jet awaited them.

"Yeehaw! We're taking off!" exclaimed Kiana, standing at the front of the plane with her arms raised high in excitement.

Beside her, Rozaliya mirrored her stance, exclaiming with equal enthusiasm: "Taking off!"

"Rozaliya, have you ever been on an airplane before?"

"Nope!"

"Hmph-hmph! I sure have, though it was one of Zeke's flying devices—quite different from this."

"Oh wow, Big Sister Kiana, you're so cool!"

"Of course!"

One feeling awestruck, the other smug, they carried on their childlike banter as if no one else were around.

Among the remaining children, Sin and Bronya appeared the calmest. The former had grown up accustomed to such privileges, while the latter had seen numerous types of military aircraft, rendering this experience unremarkable for both.

Liliya and Seele were also excited and eager but maintained their composure, following closely behind Zeke and Cocolia instead of dashing off like those two rascals.

"Greetings, officers! I'm Captain Brank of the Snow Foxes, and we'll be responsible for your safety throughout this trip. It's an honor to serve you!" A tall, muscular officer approached Zeke and Cocolia, saluting with impeccable posture.

Zeke glanced at him briefly and nodded. "Good work; keep it up."

Cocolia circled around him once before tapping his chest muscles with her knuckles. As Brank tensed instinctively, she smiled warmly and said, "We're counting on you then. I've heard that you're one of Anti-Entropy's top elite squads—don't disappoint me."

"Yes, ma'am!"

With that, two worker bees carried Kiana and Rozaliya to the boarding area, marking the start of their journey.

Yellow Mountain stands as one of Shenzhou's most distinctive and breathtaking landscapes. On clear days, its rugged peaks rise majestically tier upon tier; on cloudy days, they are enveloped by mist, resembling celestial abodes. It is often said that after visiting the Five Sacred Mountains, no other mountains compare, but after seeing Yellow Mountain, even those pale in comparison.

The group hopped merrily up the mountain trail. Kiana and Rozaliya were the liveliest, bouncing around enthusiastically, followed closely by Liliya and Seele. Bronya had to keep pace behind them to watch over Seele, so Sin trailed along too.

In the end, only Zeke and Cocolia remained, strolling leisurely at the rear.

Around the Snow Fox squad, some members dressed in black suits with sunglasses maintained a conspicuous presence, while others operated covertly within the forest, ready for immediate fire support. Their professionalism impressed Cocolia.

"Hm, not bad. High individual skills, proper formation coordination—worthy of commendation."

Despite her words, Cocolia didn't rely on the Snow Foxes' security measures at all.

The true guardians ensuring their safety were: first, the hidden Titan forces stationed nearby; second, Zeke's various unknown capabilities; and third... despite the group consisting mainly of women and children, over half possessed exceptional combat skills, rendering most ordinary dangers insignificant.

The Snow Foxes' role was primarily to maintain appearances and provide occasional assistance when needed.

As for Zeke, leaning on the side railing, he ascended the mountain while taking in the scenery that felt both familiar yet strangely alien, reminiscent memories stirring within him.

Compared to the Yellow Mountain he had visited before, this place seemed even more dreamlike and enchanting. The travelers along the mountain path predominantly had black hair and eyes, but there was also a vibrant array of diverse colors. Consequently, aside from standing out due to age demographics and attractiveness, Zeke's group blended surprisingly well among the crowd with their varied hairstyles.

"What's on your mind?" Cocolia asked, noticing Zeke's slight distraction.

Zeke brushed away his mild unease and replied calmly, "I'm thinking about how Borlon Albert agreed to such demands. It seems the matters we need to discuss may not be as straightforward as they appear."

"Are you alright? We're both Enforcers now; our influence cannot be underestimated. It's only natural for Borlon to make concessions. Besides, whoever arrives later is likely just a messenger acting as a stand-in. The location of the meeting doesn't matter much to them."

"Hmm, indeed it doesn't, not for me either. Have we contacted Shenzhou Region's representative yet?"

"She'll arrive tonight."

"Good. Enjoy the trip while you can. Scenery like this must be rare for you."

Zeke's remark earned him a roll of Cocolia's eyes.

"If these mountains were made of gold and silver, I'd gladly take in the view. As they are, no interest whatsoever."

"...Lacking sophistication, aren't we?"

"What good is sophistication to me? It won't help build more Titans or generate extra cash."

Zeke fell silent. Her point was valid, but it didn't stop him from losing interest in continuing the conversation.

Cocolia, too, had no desire to prolong such an unproductive exchange. She quietly resumed her climb, mentally calculating if there might still be some benefits she could secure on this trip.

That night at the summit of Yellow Mountain, Zeke met with the representative of Anti-Entropy's Shenzhou branch at a lodge—a seemingly ordinary establishment that served as a small outpost for Anti-Entropy.

"Commander Zeke, Commander Cocolia, it is my honor to meet both of you. My name is Su Tan."

In his room, Zeke was flipping through a thick dictionary when he heard this and looked up.

The newcomer wore a blouse and a long gray coat, her delicate features radiant like a painting, eyes shimmering with starlight. She spoke fluent Russian, indicating she had been proficient in the language for quite some time.

"Su Tan, would you be interested in joining the Spark Faction?" Zeke asked.

Both Su Tan and Cocolia were taken aback by this question. Partly due to its content, but also because Zeke addressed them in Mandarin—not the stilted foreign accent one might expect, but with perfect pronunciation, as if it were his native tongue.

Quickly composing herself, Su Tan responded in Mandarin: "I am truly humbled and grateful for your interest, Commander. However, the Shenzhou branch of Anti-Entropy has always focused on deep cultivation and development within our region, with no intention of aligning with any faction. I hope you understand."

"No worries, it was just a casual inquiry. Your current approach seems fine."

"Thank you for your gracious understanding."

After brief pleasantries, Zeke didn't wish to beat around the bush and got straight to the point:

"I've heard that controlling Honkai Energy through martial arts is a distinctive feature long preserved in Shenzhou's traditions. I'm deeply interested in this aspect. Would you be willing to share some techniques? Name your terms."

"Well... martial arts have always been closely guarded secrets of ancient noble families and sects. I fear Su Tan may not be able to assist."

"One hundred units of the latest Titan models."

"That's not about compensation..."

As Su Tan hesitated, Zeke immediately upped the offer: "Five hundred Titans, plus three years' worth of operational funding. We're all researching ways to combat Honkai; I assure you, your secret won't be misused. My sincerity speaks for itself. If you decline, I'll simply seek deals with those sects instead-it would just take more time."

"This... let me make a call first."

"As you please."

Su Tan stepped over to the window, muttered briefly into the phone, then returned with a radiant smile, as if rejuvenated by a spring breeze:

"Sir, our Su family coincidentally has access to some martial manuals that could assist you."

"They must include cultivation techniques, not just incomplete fighting styles. Otherwise, I might as well seek military combat techniques."

"...Understood."