Umamusume's days are numbered

"Isn't this a normal thing?" Jinqiang Liushi looked at Li Yuelongmen with a strange expression.

"How could this be... Clearly..." Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate looked around and realized that no one showed the slightest surprise.

...Oh right, that's how it is.

A Uma Musume's career is very short. On average, a Uma Musume can only run on the track for about three years as a professional racer.

While some female racehorses may have long careers, most female racehorses have careers of less than three years.

This is due to the intense competition in the races, and it is also related to the peak physical condition of the racehorses. In the shonen races, every race can be said to be burning one's life out, and almost every racehorse that retires from the shonen races has a lot of scars on its body.

The intensity of the races in Hong Kong is lower, but the Golden Gun Sixty has already been running on the track for four years.

For four years, an entire generation of female racehorses lived under the immense pressure of the Golden Gun Sixty. The King of Hong Kong Horses, truly deserving of the title.

"Hmm... because my recent results haven't been ideal." Golden Gun Sixty stretched his shoulders. "Thinking about it, it feels quite strange. After finishing the last race, I've been thinking—"

"Although it's not appropriate for me to say this at my age, am I too old to be competing anymore?"

"Shouldn't we... hand over the stage to the younger generation?"

As he said this, Golden Gun Sixty laughed again: "In addition, after these years of competitions, I've developed quite a few minor physical ailments. Individually, they don't seem like much, but when they're all piled up, they're starting to feel unbearable."

"Maybe I should take a year or two off and go out for a trip. Come to think of it, I've hardly ever left Hong Kong."

Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate was stunned, looking at Golden Spear Sixty with a complicated expression.

In her memory, Jinqiang Liushi had always considered himself the absolute superior, and he had never made such submissive statements before.

Two years ago, Golden Gun Sixty would have slapped anyone who wanted her out of the arena and kept fighting. But now, she's actually starting to consider retirement?

Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate always thought that someone like Golden Spear Sixty would one day die from exhaustion on the racetrack.

"That's why you told me..."

“Yes, the final match.” Golden Spear Sixty’s smile faded, and she looked at Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate with a serious expression. This was the first time in years that she had looked at Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate with such an expression.

“This special race won’t be my last. I’ll at least compete in the Hong Kong Mile Championship. But… given my current physical condition, the Hong Kong Mile Championship might be my last.”

"There's nothing we can do; you won't qualify for the Hong Kong Mile Championship. In other words, this special race is your last chance."

"Think it over carefully. Whether you come or not is none of my business. But I will leave you a gate."

The carp, after hesitating for a moment, sat down timidly.

Thinking about it carefully, I've been in Japan for two years now. And two years ago, Jinqiang Liushi was at the height of his fame.

Just before going to Japan, she had her biggest argument with Jinqiang Liushi, which directly led to her running off to Japan to study. This was also the first time in her life that she had made a decision on her own.

At that time, Jinqiang Liushi was irritable, promiscuous, and had a strong desire for control. He treated his younger sister, Liyue Longmen, as his own possession, manipulating her at will. He was a complete tyrant.

But now, Golden Spear Sixty could say such things so gently. Although I still felt she deserved to die, and although I felt her change was simply because she could no longer do as she pleased with herself…

However, for the first time, Jinqiang Liushi gave the power of choice to Li Yuelongmen himself.

Hai Dudu was the first to smile and applaud: "Retirement is a good thing. After retiring, you'll have plenty of free time, right?"

“I’ve been through this phase before. When I first retired, I felt like I had nothing to do every day and was completely lost. If you feel bored after retiring, why not come to Europe and find me and Haixingxing?”

"Life is still long ahead of us, and there are many, many life goals to achieve, right?"

Following up on Hai Dudu's words, Aili Digital continued, "Yes, yes, there are many hobbies that can only be pursued after retirement. Although the allure of running on the track with everyone is great, there are still many things I need to do on my own, such as..."

For example, closely monitoring each push, worrying about their injuries, and feeling gratified by their recovery.

For example...

For example, when they see their favorite couple starting to show affection, they might write an article overnight and post it on the forum to feed their eager fans.

For example...

For example, there are people like Jinqiang Liushi who ask him for writings, so he can't stop writing.

Aili Digital's voice trailed off as she painfully closed her eyes. It wasn't that she felt ashamed, but saying these things... it felt like the atmosphere that had been painstakingly built up in the room was gone.

The swindler didn't say anything, but simply filled the cup, gestured to Golden Gun Sixty, and drank it all in one gulp.

In this atmosphere, Jinqiang Liushi smiled and sat back in the main seat, though there was still a hint of loneliness in his eyes.

Everyone at the table was preoccupied with their own thoughts, but only Bai Jin seemed the most preoccupied, not even listening to what Jin Qiang Liu Shi had just said.

She remembered the prophecy she had heard at the Thanksgiving Festival.

One, at the mouth of ten thousand rivers, a port of gold.

This is a description of the second anchor point.

The mouth of ten thousand rivers... the port of gold...

Now that I think about it, wasn't it referring to Hong Kong?

Of course, there are other options. For example, cities like Singapore, Shanghai, New York, and Istanbul.

However, these cities either lack river confluence, have underdeveloped horse racing industries, or are too far away. All things considered, only Hong Kong boasts a thriving horse racing industry, a prosperous economy, and an excellent geographical location.

Adding to this bewildering experience of arriving in Hong Kong... Platinum felt as if a pair of large hands were slowly pushing her forward.

Platinum is almost certain that the second anchor point is in Hong Kong.

———It can even narrow down the scope; the second anchor point is among the racehorse girls present!

After all, the people gathered here should be the top-tier horse racers.

Platinum squinted at everyone present.

Haidu City, Golden Gun Sixty, Swindler, Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate, and Aili Digital.

Who could it be among these people?

Episode 85 Three-pronged approach

As soon as Alice returned to the villa, she saw Platinum sitting on a recliner, staring at the vase in front of her without even blinking.

Not sleeping, not using her phone, not playing games—this was the first time Alice had ever seen Platinum maintain such a pensive demeanor for so long. In her mind, Platinum was probably a single-celled organism like a paramecium, or at most a single-threaded organism like a planarian, whose mind was always preoccupied with how to eat, how to play, and maybe, how to sleep.

Platinum strikes a pose as if contemplating life, which, in Alice's eyes, is like a gorilla looking up at the sky. The first moon-gazer has appeared, and before the bone thrown into the sky has even landed, humanity has already burst out of the atmosphere.

In short, it's a milestone in evolution.

So she curiously went over and waved her hand in front of Platinum: "Are you alright?"

Platinum rocked back and forth on the recliner, her eyes flicking towards Alice before returning to their own.

"Suko. Tell me, if you had to choose one from Golden Gun Sixty, Haidu City, Swindler, and Aili Digital, which one would you pick?"

This question left Alice speechless for a moment: "What aspect are you asking about?"

"It's all about gut feeling. If you're going to go by gut feeling, which of these four people would you choose first?"

Alice thought for a moment and then said, "You want to hook up with a rich guy? Then I recommend Rudolph Symbol. She seems more honest and is a good catch."

"There are quite a few people surrounding Rudolf's symbol, so you'll have to fight your way through. If all else fails, I can give you some medicine."

"By then, Rudolf Symbol won't be able to renege on his debt."

Rudolph, far away in Japan, sneezed and felt a chill run down her spine, as if someone was talking about her.

Platinum maintained a subtle, hesitant expression, and after a while said, "It's not that kind of thing... Sigh, never mind, go have fun."

Bai Jin looked just like a middle school student lost in their own fantasies. So, Alice looked at Bai Jin with pity and affection and went upstairs.

When dealing with people like Ali Digital and Platinum, Ali Suko's attitude has always been one of compliance. When asked, she simply replies, "Yes, yes, yes," and compliance is enough.

You lose if you start arguing seriously.

As for what Platinum was thinking or doing, Alice didn't care. She didn't care if Platinum sent a confession message to the entire school and then jumped ship. Anyway, she didn't want Platinum's brains, just her legs.

Platinum, with a serious expression, lay back down on the recliner, looking at the vase in front of her.

If the prophecy is correct, I will undoubtedly encounter a second anchor point in Hong Kong.

As the first anchor, Alice, regardless of whether she cured her illness or not, made great progress as a pharmacist, even wanting to remember the length of every single hair on her head.

Anyway, Platinum seems to really enjoy watching Alice.

Although it hasn't been long and the improvements Alice has brought to him haven't been very noticeable yet, Platinum believes that Alice will play an increasingly important role in the future.

If you ask whether I regret going to see Alice, then I do regret it. If you ask whether Platinum would still go if time could be reversed, then she would still go.

Therefore, Platinum still firmly believes in this prophecy.

The anchor point is most likely in Hong Kong, and most likely in Hong Kong's top racehorse girls.

By narrowing down the scope further, we can basically confirm the number of people present.

Golden Gun Sixty, Haidu City, Swindler, Aili Digital, Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate.

First, let's rule out the "Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate" theory. This guy can be seen every day in Treson Academy, and he can even respawn in the bushes at any time, sometimes even bringing Fuji Koji with him.

Then... the possibility of it being with Ali Digital is also slim. Although we met because we came to Hong Kong for a special competition, since we're both at Teresa College, we'll run into each other sooner or later.

Therefore, the most likely candidates are Jinqiang Liushi, Haidu City, and the swindler.

Platinum had been racking his brains all afternoon trying to figure out which of the three people was the anchor point, and his head was aching from thinking so much.

Golden Gun Sixty, as the King of Horses in Hong Kong, is naturally the most outstanding female racehorse. However, it's hard to imagine how she could possibly help with her soul dissolution condition, especially since she herself is planning to retire.

Besides, the way this guy looked at me was really scary; he was just like her sister when it came to the idea of ​​leaping over the dragon gate.

Hai Du City, a die-hard siscon, never stops talking about Hai Du Star, and it's hard to imagine how she could possibly be of any help to him. Or perhaps, the one who can help him isn't her, but rather the Hai Du Star that Hai Du City always mentions?

And... what about the scammers?

The conman looked fierce, but was surprisingly easy to get along with, despite his fierce demeanor.

Although the conman was fierce, his cooking skills were surprisingly good; the plain noodles were delicious, despite his fierce demeanor.

The scammer seems like the kind of person who listens to you slowly and doesn't interrupt, which makes you feel very safe.

Although it's very fierce.

After a moment of silence, Platinum crossed her arms and rolled over to lie down on the recliner.

What if... what if... the anchor point isn't actually among these three people?

When I first met Eliseko, I was practically pushed to stand in front of her, wasn't I? But this time, facing these three people, I didn't have that feeling of... being able to break through that final barrier.

But then I thought, what if the first time is just a tutorial and Alice is the kind of person who gives you a guaranteed win in every ten pulls?

I wonder what Alice would think if she knew what Platinum was thinking right now.

In short, there's no point in thinking about it now. Platinum curled her lip.

Miracles happen with great effort. Since we can't tell which of the three is the right person, let's have all three of us take on the task at once!

Three-pronged approach!

Moreover, Platinum hasn't forgotten the full picture of this prophecy. The anchor point only accounts for half of the prophecy; the other half is to wrap himself as much of the "threads of fate" around himself as possible.

Because the fortune teller's interpretation was incomplete, Bai Jin could only guess at the clues himself.

In short, you either need to participate in more races and win, or you need to connect with more horse racers, or you need to get as many people as possible to know you.

These are not contradictory. They don't even conflict with finding your own anchor point.

Because you think about it? You deliberately distanced yourself from others at Treson Academy to prevent any unforeseen circumstances from spreading the Soul Dissolution Syndrome to others. It's not like you like being disliked.

I want to become friends with the other racehorse girls... Aren't there racehorse girls all over this house?

Moreover, after this special race, everyone will be scattered like stars in the sky. Even if the relationship is very close, the soul dissolution phenomenon can't just spread through the internet, right?

Platinum's eyes gradually brightened.

Episode 86 ~Heartbeat Heartbeat~ Memories of Autumn~

"Free time begins!" Stretching and rubbing the tears that had welled up in her eyes from drowsiness, Platinum lay alone in the hall, talking to herself.

Don't you think the current situation is a lot like a visual novel? Within a certain time limit, there are many heroines waiting for you to conquer... or rather, build a good relationship with.

Besides advancing the plot, you can deepen your relationship with different heroines and increase their affection during your free time each day. Once you reach a certain high affection threshold, you can continue to advance the plot.