Chapter 60: The Path, the Company, and the Fourth Genius, "Old Man Tian..."
"Teacher Tian! What are you doing here..."
Logically speaking, all the Golden Blood should have met their end... but what about Tian...?
"Tian doesn't know the specifics either."
Tian wiped her tears all over your sleeve, crying so hard she could barely breathe. You could only squat down and hug her tightly, gently stroking her thin back to comfort her.
"Ever since the last time the red power from Little Grey entered Tian's body in the Tree Garden, our condition has been much better than before. Even when we opened the Hundred Realms Gate, the red power helped us…!"
She was very excited at first, but as she talked, she seemed to remember something and became downcast.
"But Tibo and Tinin... were probably not by Little Grey's side during the crisis and didn't receive help from the red power, so Tian can hardly sense them anymore..."
[[Joy] is best at using tricks, schemes, jokes, deception, and being capricious and unpredictable... It's most effective at helping others escape capture or surveillance.]
Fireworks said:
[Tian received help from Aha's primordial power. Although it was only a small wisp, it was enough to deal with a mere Iron Tomb and Zandal; this power directly from the Star God was sufficient. The God of Joy's thoughts are truly unpredictable; who knows when He will cast His gaze upon you? But undeniably, you hold a special place in His heart. How strange, could you two have some connection?]
[But don't overthink it. Helping Tian was probably just a side effect or for fun, and not helping the other Golden Blood was probably simply because He wasn't around. After all, if He were to intervene, it's hard to say whether this planet would even exist—but that would be too boring. It's more interesting to see you working hard to save the world.]
...Aha, you bastard.
"Is the touching reunion story over?"
Black Tower waved:
"Hmm... Your name is Tian, right? You not only possess the power of [Gateway], but you also have a close relationship with [Time]. It just so happens that March 7th possesses the power of [Time]. Your team is a perfect match."
“Star Core Kid, listen up. Next, you need to go into the core architecture of Onfaros, navigate through the data deluge, and overturn their logic from the ground up. If you don’t understand anything, just ask Tian.”
*
Give me a reason to invest.
Inside the [Emerald] office of Interstellar Peace Corporation.
The elegant purple-haired woman swirled her teacup. "...Bathhouses, unexplored new worlds, the intersection of three destinies—it certainly sounds appealing...but equally dangerous. How can the company ensure that its interstellar guests can enjoy their vacations safely without losing their lives?"
What Gold Sands and Toppa didn't tell you is that the company's investment in an entire planet—especially a planet like Onpharos, which has never existed in the universe's economic system and has undergone such a major change—often requires repeated consideration and is not a decision that Emerald alone can make. It also requires discussion in internal meetings.
"Topa".
Emerald's sharp gaze fell upon the white-haired girl standing solemnly to the side. "Your rank recently underwent a period of fluctuation. You should be aware of the consequences of implementing this decision, shouldn't you?"
“Yes, Ms. Emerald.” Toppa straightened his back even more, speaking with composure and dignity, “I have conducted a comprehensive assessment of the risks and value of the Onfaros investment and submitted a proposal a while ago. I humbly request that you take the time to review it. In my opinion, this decision presents both risks and opportunities…”
Emerald raised an eyebrow, casually flipped through the thick proposal in front of her, which was clearly the result of a lot of hard work, and her gaze softened a little.
She turned to the other side to the blond youth who was smiling and seemed completely unfazed by the pressure.
"And what about you, Gold Dust?... Your trial has just ended. Is it worth risking everything again for such a perplexing gamble?"
She paused, her tone becoming somewhat threatening, "Or is it that what's supporting you this time, besides reason and madness... there's also a trace of emotion? You've worked your way up to become a director after all these years, don't tell me it's all for this so-called [love]... Do I need to remind you, the company has always prioritized profit above all else."
Topa's eyes betrayed his nervousness, while Sandstone's answer was quite relaxed:
"Not entirely, Lady Emerald. Besides [Exploration], [Pleasure], [Intelligence], [Destruction], [Memory]... will all participate in this grand event. Although our industries span the universe, our research on the Star Gods is still very limited—that's precisely why we previously sent people to invest in Lady Black Tower's simulated universe project. I believe this gamble will help us gain a more comprehensive understanding of the Star Gods' traces, especially the elusive [Pleasure]."
"And in the [War of the Gods] that will eventually come, this information will surely help us gain the upper hand and seize the initiative."
The air was completely silent.
Jade's expression was hidden in the darkness, flickering and indistinct.
Thump, thump, thump. The only sound was Emerald tapping her knuckles on the wooden table, indicating that she was thinking.
"You are as eloquent as ever."
She smiled.
"Well, it seems I have to admit that the company really is full of gamblers; the greater the risk, the greater the reward."
“Sajin, I’m so glad to see that you have something to worry about… It means that you’re growing up and have learned to pay attention to your own safety. You’re the child, what I used to worry about most was your dangerous nature.”
"And Ekaterina, you're becoming more and more decisive like a director. I'll read the proposal carefully."
"And, to be honest, I do really like her. I'll consider your suggestions after I've reviewed the proposal."
Sand Gold smiled and nodded. "Miss Star Core does indeed possess considerable personal charm. She always knows when to advance and retreat, is passionate yet unassuming. How long has it been since I've seen such a purely good person?... She warms everyone like the sun, yet her warmth is not so intense as to be hurtful."
“I told you you’d like Sand Gold.” Topa breathed a sigh of relief, put one hand on his hip, and teased, “Back in Yalilo VI, you clearly looked down on my description.”
"...Cough, that's because I hadn't met her in person yet. Toppa, don't bring up such old stories in front of her."
She raised the back of her jade hand, concealing the smile on her lips.
"That's hard to say."
"Hey, I'm serious, I'll treat you to a meal later...!"
"What's the big deal about treating me to a meal? Do you think I need those credit points? You need to give me tangible benefits. You can't be unaware of the unspoken rules of the business world, can you, Director Sand Gold?"
"Tsk, Zhang Zhang, look at your master...!"
"Gurgle?"
*
at the same time.
On a certain planet, there is a fruit shop that looks completely unremarkable.
A little boy is taking a bath in his own bathtub.
"Stephen—! Stephen! You little rascal, are you going to stay in the bath for so long? Don't hurt yourself. Come help out at the shop after you're done!"
"...I understand!"
Stephen Lloyd wiped the foam off his face and pushed the little yellow ducks around him a little away towards the water's surface. The bright yellow toy ducks squeaked as they were pushed together.
Stephen had a cold expression on his face, his eyebrows drooping, looking very unhappy.
He was talking to himself seriously, but his voice was so childish that it only made people think he was cute.
"...Troublesome. I don't want to get involved."
"But, but—"
He recalled the day when the simulated universe experienced unusual activity, and he went online out of curiosity to check it out, only to be confronted with the impact of the [Pleasure] power.
He didn't want to get involved in this super-duper troublesome situation, but he couldn't suppress his curiosity, so he followed the red light and attached a wisp of data consciousness to that strange "Raising White Calamity Simulator" game.
Stephen saw your first encounter with Bai Er, his ears turned red, and he covered his face:
"This little white rabbit is even younger than me, why is it so clingy—it's so embarrassing!"
Stephen, seeing you carefully instructing Bai Er, idly eavesdropped while playing a game:
"...The battles are so boring. It's not as fun as playing games or listening to music, but the background music in this game is barely listenable."
Stephen saw you handing Behr a banana pie—a banana pie!
The tempting surface, with its slightly crispy crust, was carefully decorated into the shape of a flower, and topped with a cute little raccoon drawn with ketchup, exuding an enticing aroma.
Its golden surface... reminded him of a rubber duck. He really liked rubber ducks!
Stephen's eyes widened instantly. He stopped playing games and listening to music, picked up his phone and zoomed in on the perfect banana pie, feeling his mouth water and swallowing involuntarily.
...It looks incredibly delicious!
The bananas must have been perfectly ripe; they were the kind of premium bananas he had never even seen in his adoptive father's fruit shop before!
He began to take an interest in your relationship with Bai Er.
However, as time went on, the temporary protection he installed became weak. You entered Onfaros, and the game turned into a black screen. The antivirus software finally realized the existence of this intruder and kicked him out.
Stephen frowned in frustration, but unable to contact you, he could only repeatedly mentally prepare himself before using the simulated universe's geographical location to eavesdrop on the conversation between Black Tower, Ruan Mei, and Screw Gum.
...Onphalus's journey to seek fire sounds so complicated and troublesome.
What?! If left unchecked, this could even affect the entire universe—that won't do! What will happen to his family's fruit shop if the universe is destroyed?!
He recalled the days he would hide behind the fence to listen to music. Light and shadow would filter through the tree canopy onto his lawn, and the chirping of birds would blend perfectly with the music.
"How annoying."
Stephen grumbled and got up, splashing water all over the bathtub.
“If Black Tower and the others come looking for me, I’ll consider helping her… For now, let’s investigate this so-called [Onfaros]. It’s not because I’m worried about her, it’s just… well, I just want to eat banana pie.”
Yes, it's just because I wanted to eat the banana pie she made.
It wasn't because he was worried about her and her adoptive father's safety.
-----------------------
Author's Note: I just realized I can't type the symbol in the middle of Stephen's name ( ). So, everyone, please pretend I typed all of them, including Ruan Mei's. [crying emoji]
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