Because of Honkai Impact 3rd's explosive popularity and extremely high player retention, the level of "concern" Honkai Impact 3rd players had for miHoYo's boss was equally unimaginable.
Shortly after the official pilipili account released the nominee list for the Annual Game Awards…
A Weibo post titled "miHoYo's Boss to Attend pilipili Annual Game Awards" shot straight up the trending list.
It soared with such overwhelming momentum that even those traffic-buying minor celebrities looked on with envy.
You know things are serious when the original pilipili post about the awards ceremony itself is still ranked over thirty spots lower.
Yet the mention of miHoYo's boss alone launched the topic into trending.
It was clear how "sincere" Honkai Impact 3rd players were toward miHoYo's boss.
Just click the trending topic—
And you'd see the passionate hopes of the players:
[Mr. "Otto" from miHoYo, please come quickly—we're already waiting outside the venue!]
[Mr. "Otto," let me pick you up! Can you tell me your flight number? (Shy)]
[Mr. "Otto," which hotel will you be staying at? I'll go stay there in advance to make sure it's comfortable for you.]
[Yay! I just happen to be free—flying to Hangzhou right away!]
[I must thank Mr. "Otto" in person! Developing Honkai Impact 3rd is no easy feat! Writing the story is even harder!]
...
The comment section was filled with harmony—not a single dissenting voice.
The enthusiasm of Honkai Impact 3rd players was truly "moving."
Amid this fervent discussion…
It was now Tuesday—the day before the Game Awards.
A very ordinary flight landed at Xiaoshan Airport.
Wearing a face mask, Hokuto calmly exited the gate. The girls were not with him.
They had taken a different flight a day earlier and arrived in Hangzhou ahead of him.
After all, if anything really did happen, having them nearby would only make things harder to control.
"Rita should be arriving soon."
Hokuto glanced at the message Rita had sent him, then found a spot in the arrivals hall to sit and wait.
After a while, bored out of his mind, he pulled out his phone to chat in group chats.
Teased Theresa, lectured Kiana, had a few casual exchanges with Himeko and Rita…
He even observed the strange chemistry that emerged whenever Fu Hua and Durandal were in the same room together.
From time to time, he'd get a private message from Miss Pink Fairy.
Bored? Not at all. Hokuto was downright enjoying himself.
While Hokuto happily bantered in chat, the number of people in Xiaoshan Airport quietly grew.
They wandered around the airport with serious expressions, staring at the gate as if searching for someone.
And that's when Hokuto felt a strange chill.
He put down his phone, raised his head, and surveyed his surroundings—quickly picking up on the unusual tension in the airport.
Just then, two young men scanning the crowd wandered near him as they chatted.
Hokuto instinctively perked up his ears.
"Are we seriously going to find anyone in this haystack?"
"Heh~ we've got nothing better to do today anyway."
"True, and if we actually manage to catch 'Otto' by chance, heheh~~"
The two youths shared a disturbingly gleeful smile, like they were imagining something delightful.
Hokuto reflexively reached up to touch the mask on his face—but then reassured himself. They wouldn't recognize him anyway.
"According to an insider leak, 'Otto' departed this morning and should be arriving around this time. He's wearing a white dress shirt and black slacks…"
Hokuto: ???
Even Rita didn't know what he was wearing today, so how did this "insider" know?
Wait… he did run into Miss Elysia just before leaving for Linjiang Airport this morning…
No way… Would Miss Elysia really do something like that?
Actually… she probably would.
To be fair, it wasn't really Elysia's fault. She just posted a photo of herself and Hokuto to her friend circle.
Unfortunately, out of the thirteen people in that circle, not all were exactly honest types.
As for who the "culprit" was—hard to say. Every one of them had a motive.
"Hey, doesn't that guy kind of look like…"
"White shirt, black pants… yeah, checks out."
The two youths gradually focused their gaze on Hokuto.
His expression shifted slightly. Given the current situation at Xiaoshan Airport, if those two caused a scene…
That would be bad.
He stood up and took the initiative to approach them. Lowering his voice, he struck first:
"You guys are here for 'Otto' too?"
"Huh? You are too?" *2 – The two were surprised.
"I arrived half an hour before you guys." Hokuto's face was full of sincerity. "Honestly, I haven't seen anyone matching the insider's description. I think the leak was just messing with us."
"I dunno, you kind of look like…"
"You guys must've been hit hard by the Honkai Impact 3rd plot, right? That's why you came here, yeah?"
He cut off their words and confidently declared, "Let me tell you—everything that made the story so painful is Otto's fault!"
"Oh?" *2 – Their attention was starting to drift.
"Think about it. If not for Otto, none of this would've happened. Kiana would still be lazing around at St. Freya!"
"You've got a point."
"Exactly. Otto is practically the root of all evil in the Honkai Impact 3rd world…"
Hokuto began an impassioned rant based on the current story arc—without spoiling anything.
The two young men, clearly fans of the game, were drawn into his analysis and completely forgot their original goal.
While talking, Hokuto subtly guided them toward the airport exit.
Using them as a shield, he slipped past the hostile fans.
In the distance, he finally spotted Rita arriving to pick him up.
"Let's stop here. My ride's here." Hokuto sincerely said, "Really appreciate the help today."
He bid the two farewell, then walked toward Rita.
"Help?"
The two behind him looked confused, not quite understanding.
That is—until they watched Hokuto get into a car marked with "pilipili Game Awards" signage, and it hit them like a truck.
That guy who chatted with them so casually all the way—
Was that… Otto!?
?????
Though Hokuto had successfully slipped away, the incident of Honkai Impact 3rd fans ambushing "Otto" still sparked heated discussions online.
Many users posted angrily:
[You damn Otto! If you've got the guts to write those plot twists, then don't run! Come face our blades!!]
[You've got the balls to write angst? Then face us head-on!!]
[Damn it! I got toyed with by that dog Otto today… I've failed everyone. If I'd recognized him, we could've rushed him together.]
That last post was clearly from one of the two youths, who proceeded to explain the entire incident to the others in detail.
[What a shame… but hey, don't beat yourself up. It's not your fault—it's that dog Otto being too slippery.]
[Someday, I'll personally stab Otto—whether in the game or out of it.]
[Ahem… the stabbing's just a joke, okay? We still need to play Honkai Impact 3rd… But when the time comes to fight Otto in-game, we better stab him hard.]
[Yeah! We have to stab him hard!]
It seemed the players' resentment toward Otto had only grown deeper.