Star Railway: I'm developing the Star Railway mobile game at my company.

Perhaps we will never see each other again, Miss Xing, but—may the gentle universe bless every breath you take, my friend.

Chapter 286 Imagine a Rose of the Future

Leslie Dean slowly disappeared from sight as the mission ended.

The audience was filled with mixed emotions as they watched this scene. Some expressed regret for the love between Leslie and Flora, while others lamented the loss of such a galactic star.

But more than anything, people admire the Leslie Dean he created, who, even if he were to disappear, would follow his true self and help people return to reality.

The side quest from Pinocchio is still a pleasant surprise, and after completing this quest, Gui Naifen will then unlock the last side quest of version 2.1, "Imagine a Rose of the Future".

The story begins with an advertisement from a luxury store, which points to the protagonist, Kokona.

Upon seeing the name of this familiar person, Xing looked out the car window.

"I wonder how Kokona is doing now."

Later in the story, viewers also get to know this Pinocchio local sales clerk.

However, he seemed to be in a rather unusual mental state, appearing extremely tired and listless.

At this opportune moment, the Watch Boy appeared, and after communicating with him, the two decided to help the woman with the lovely voice find her whole self again.

When Kokona's mood was adjusted to be melancholic, she seemed to have released a long-accumulated emotional outburst, hugging herself tightly and trembling slightly.

[Take a deep breath, take a deep breath, Cocona, it's work time, you have to stay focused... Just wait until you wake up, just wait until you wake up...]

Just like before, take a deep breath, take a deep breath... don't cry...

[Just get through this period...]

Watching this scene, viewers felt a bit of PTSD.

When Xing travels to the real world to find the nurse Giovanna, it seems that Giovanna had previously provided treatment to Cocona.

[A respectable job with a good income, yet constantly plagued by this kind of problem—it's truly baffling.]

At this moment, Giovanna could not understand Cocona's troubles, and the treatment plan she offered was nothing more than sending her more specially made Sorida that could make people forget their memories.

Xing offered to help, and Giovanna happily handed the task over to Xing as if she had gotten rid of a troublesome person.

When they returned to the dream and found Cocona, she was still standing in front of the shop greeting customers, pretending to be strong as if she had recovered.

It's all in the past now... In the past, I would have hesitated and been indecisive... But now, I think I've finally found a way to solve everything.

I'm so happy, ma'am... I'm really happy.

Looking at this woman whose mental state was fluctuating, the audience began to have a bad feeling.

Seeing that Xing was still unwilling to leave, Kokona had no choice but to ask Xing to help her retrieve a record tape.

Regarding compensation, you don't need to worry... I can pay whatever it is, after all, money means nothing to me anymore.

This last sentence was meaningless, and it sent a chill down the spines of the audience.

"Holy crap, this guy isn't going to..."

"It seems very likely. They all need that kind of amnesia-reducing medication, Solomon's Selenium, as a treatment. The situation is very serious."

Is death the solution to everything?

Driven by curiosity, Xing found the dusty and cracked record tape, which contained only one song, the very one that was the mission title: "Imagine a Rose of the Future."

When she returned to Kokona's side, she seemed to have expelled the Sulda that had helped her forget her troubles, but she still remembered the existence of the star.

Thank you... Tonight, I want to fall asleep listening to it... Ideally, I'd like to sleep like this and never wake up again.

For a soul already riddled with wounds, this is probably the best ending.

These incredibly eerie words made one feel as if a precious life was about to be lost before their eyes, and they couldn't help but worry about it.

Even after regaining her whole self, Kokona's condition was still worrying, so in the end, Xing used a clock trick to enter Kokona's inner world.

Memories flooded back, and the perspective shifted to Kokona's side.

The girl's beautiful singing voice echoed, drawing continuous praise from the teacher in front of her, who affirmed Kokona's talent and hard work.

Faced with such outstanding talent, the teacher advised Cocona to cherish it and not to make a decision she would regret.

Having dreams is a cruel thing—once you can't have them, the pain of those shattered dreams can completely destroy a person.

Keep moving forward, child... don't look back. You belong on a wider, brighter stage.

This is the last lesson, Kokona—I will teach you everything I know... without holding anything back.

The teacher's advice motivated Kokona, but unfortunately, life is not always smooth sailing.

When Kokona told her parents about her desire to work in the music industry, she was met with fierce opposition.

What? Say it again, I'm afraid I didn't hear you clearly.

I knew it... I shouldn't have let her join that student choir!

Have you been tricked by that vocal coach again, which is why you're having these strange thoughts? He's just taking advantage of your naivety and gullibility, trying to squeeze more tuition fees out of you with his smooth talk!

[Nana, you must remember, we are different from our family and those wealthy dreamers... We are Pinocchio locals, and compared to those rich people, we don't have as many good choices.]

Seeing that Kokona was still insisting, her father couldn't help but speak up.

Why are you so stubborn, kid? Don't you find it strange to be talking about dreams at Pinocchio?

This part, which stemmed from family opposition, touched many viewers.

"I guessed it, a dream that couldn't be realized directly because of family."

"Land of Dreams"

"I find it laughable when you talk to me about dreams!"

"This is so realistic!"

"No, a friend of mine felt uncomfortable watching this, so he's logging off now!"

"I never thought there were poor people in Pinocchio too?"

"That goes without saying, it used to be all prison, our ancestors were all prisoners."

"To be honest, I think my parents' advice is not bad. A hobby is just a hobby after all. To make a living from a hobby, you need more than just a little talent."

At this moment, Kokona is faced with two options: working for a luxury brand or pursuing a music-related career.

Despite repeatedly choosing to work in music-related fields, I actually had no real choice.

Ultimately, all that remained was the option of working at a luxury goods store.

Her parents even said they would keep Cocoa's salary for her and return it to her husband after she got married.

At this moment, Kokona was completely heartbroken and sighed inwardly with self-pity.

Of course, Mom and Dad... no matter what they say or do...

It's all for my own good.

Chapter 287 The dream is broken

Compared to the geniuses, stars, and emperors in previous side quests, this ordinary sales clerk is more likely to resonate with the audience.

Especially the last line, "It's all for my own good," broke the hearts of countless viewers.

"Waaaaah, that sentence is making my heart ache!"

"I remember when I was little, I said I wanted to be the Masked Fool when I grew up, and my parents gave me a slap in the face—my favorite treat! It directly led to the downfall of a future Pleasure Commander!"

"You're amazing too!"

"Video 50, and I'll help you achieve your dreams!"

And so, the memory continued forward, and Kokona could only end up working as a sales clerk in a luxury goods store.

Because of her outstanding abilities and hard work, Kekena has won praise from many customers and has become a star salesperson in the store.

Her colleagues all said that Cocona was very clever; she could even get the most difficult customers to obediently take out their money.

In response, Kokona simply said that she was treating the guests sincerely, but she was immediately met with hostility from her colleagues.

Are you saying our work attitude isn't sincere enough?

We all understand... Last time, someone saw you having dinner with Mrs. Gulwin's son. We heard you two are quite close; how far have things progressed?

Oh, and another time you stayed in the boss's office for so long, chatting and laughing... I bet you got a lot of good clients then, right?

"Oh, it's okay... You're still so young, it's normal to be a little flamboyant. Do you think the seniors here don't want to take shortcuts? It's just that the circumstances don't allow it..."

[You Pinocchio locals are really something, you'll use any means necessary to get ahead—oh, by the way, I heard you got your job through connections too?]

After being subjected to such malicious speculation, and even said in front of Cocoa, Cocoa immediately burst into tears.

Seeing that things were not going well, the two colleagues quickly left, a scene that infuriated the audience.

"Holy crap, it's hard, my fist's hard!"

"Do you want this baseball bat or this flamethrower?"

"Born into this world, incompetent yet fond of spreading rumors!"

"You locals really go all out! What are you doing begging in Pinocchio, you out-of-towner!"

"I feel so helpless, especially the last sentence about getting the job through connections. It's clearly just a sales clerk job, but the parents insisted on pulling strings to find someone. I thought it was some kind of prestigious job!"

"Oh right, I just realized now that Cocona's parents were just making things worse and not helping at all!"

And so, amidst whispered laughter and envious glances, Kokona began to dread the arrival of the next day.

What followed was a conflict with her boss.

Because the store's products have recently started to have defects, but Cocoa truthfully informed her of these defects during sales, which displeased her boss.

[Kokona, remember this—in the golden age, wealthy customers value brand reputation more than product quality!]

Faced with Coco's refusal to lie, her boss, quite displeased, mentioned that many colleagues had recently complained that Coco was maliciously stealing clients.

To be honest, I'm quite disappointed in you...

[Your family probably isn't wealthy, right? Then stop putting on that high and mighty act. Do you really think Pinocchio is some kind of dream? Let me tell you, it burns so brightly because of us, the fuel!]

And so, the boss issued an ultimatum: if he didn't improve his performance, he would be fired.

Kokona is in great pain as she faces a career crisis, wondering if she is truly not suited to this dream world.

Before my eyes appeared a self exactly like myself, a self that represented innocence, kindness, honesty, and principles.

Ultimately, for the sake of reality, Kokona destroyed her past self with her own hands.

From today onward, I will begin to learn and live again; I will integrate into their world... I will transcend this sorrow.

I still remember that one and only bit of sweetness in my life...

Kokona, who lives in darkness and cold... once had a ray of warm light.

In the next memory, a young man appears before her.

I've thought it through. I don't want to live like this anymore. After winning this game, we can earn enough money to leave Pinocchio.

Remember that planet we talked about? It was covered in blue waters, had distinct seasons, and a real life. We would accompany each other and pursue our own dreams.

The young man, named Pound, was Cocona's boyfriend and her former hope.

At this moment, Pound wants to win enough money by participating in the Tycoon Motorball Tournament so that he can escape Pinocone with Kokona.

I wonder what the people who built Pinocchio would think if they saw this scene. People went to great lengths just to escape the paradise they built.

Beneath the glamorous dream lies the wreckage of too many people's dreams.

Now that her departure from Pinocchio is imminent, it feels like a bright future is just around the corner, making Cocona even think about how to end her song "Imagine a Rose of the Future".

Before the competition, when Pound teased her, Cocona tiptoed and gently kissed Pound's cheek.

Despite how beautiful this moment is, the story ultimately ends in tragedy.

On the day agreed upon with Pound, the person who arrived was Pound's friend, who brought bad news.

In order to leave Pinocchio, Pound borrowed a large sum of money from his family, betting that he could win the Motorball Championship, but unfortunately, he failed.

I understand that this is definitely hard to process right now, but you should be able to understand... Pound really cares about you and wants to keep his promise. Otherwise, he would never have taken such a big risk...