Against the Algorithm

Chapter 43: Off-Script

Cute, soft, utterly harmless—

Unless launched with the righteous fury of a tactical analyst who had been ignored.

She pinged the first straight at Pang's forehead. It bounced off with a soft boop and made the man jolt upright.

"What the—?!"

Next, Lao K caught one to the shoulder, blinking like he hadn't just been reawakened by divine bunny wrath.

"Hey!"

Lao Mao ducked and got pegged anyway, dead center on his temple.

And then—

With surgical precision born of long practice—

She flicked one right at Sicheng's chest.

He didn't even flinch when it hit, but he definitely narrowed his eyes at her, one brow raising slowly like you dare.

She met his gaze flatly.

"Don't test me, Baobei," she said, tone even, "or next time I'm pulling out the stickers."

Coach Kwon coughed loudly into his fist to hide the bark of laughter.

Sicheng stared at her for one more beat... and then sat forward, elbows on knees, eyes finally fully on the board.

Yao pointed again, unbothered, calm and precise.

"Now. As I was saying. If you all don't follow the script in game two, I'm going to update your bios on the ZGDX website to include your ELO drop projections from before you joined the team."

A beat of silence.

Pang leaned toward Yue and whispered, "Why is that actually terrifying?"

"Because she means it," Yue whispered back.

Yao turned around slowly.

And Yue immediately shut up.

The eraser was still in her hand. And everyone suddenly remembered why the Tiny Boss Bunny didn't need to raise her voice to command a room.

She owned it.

Yao stood there with calm certainty, her platinum braid shifting slightly as she turned back to the whiteboard, arms folding slowly as she fixed each of them with that piercing hazel-eyed stare that somehow managed to be both soft and soul-skewering. The Shikigami erasers had returned to her pocket, but the warning lingered thick in the air—each of the boys sitting straighter, more alert, and now definitely paying attention. And just when they thought she was done, when they assumed they had narrowly escaped further wrath from their adorably lethal analyst—

She turned.

Her voice, gentle as ever, carried no edge... but there was a subtle threat laced within the warmth, the kind that made their collective spines stiffen. "Just so we're clear," she said quietly, "if I do decide to follow through with those bio edits? I'm not doing it alone." Her gaze landed firmly on Pang first. "Aunt Lan finds it way too entertaining when I get like this."

Pang visibly paled. "No. No, she does. She really does."

Yao's eyes shifted, locking on Lao K, Lao Mao, then finally, finally back on Sicheng—her gaze sharper now, more deliberate. "And if she's too busy?" She tilted her head slightly, the way only she could, so very innocent and yet wholly unforgiving. "I'm quite sure Uncle Lu—" her tone sweetened deceptively, "—would be happy to help. He did say, quote, 'If you ever need anything, sweetheart, anything at all, just say the word.'"