"Uh… am I dreaming? Or did someone drug my breakfast? Am I hallucinating?"
Topaz grabbed the nearby Numby, kneading its soft little belly as she wore a look of someone completely questioning her reality.
Wasn't she just discussing the future of Belobog with the young Supreme Guardian right in front of her? How did Stelle and March 7th suddenly appear beside them in a flash of white light, as if divine soldiers descending from the heavens? And they even brought two ridiculously absurd contracts and placed them on the table.
"Stelle? And March? How did you get here? And this contract…"
Bronya picked up the contract on the table with a bewildered expression. But after just a single glance at the heading, her gray pupils began to tremble uncontrollably with shock.
"This… This is…"
Bronya stared seriously at the grinning faces of March and Stelle.
"Hehe, I told you we'd come help you. See, this is the Astral Express's newest line of business. I'm sure it can help you solve this urgent crisis, Bronya!"
Stelle put her hands on her hips, a confident smirk gracing her smug little face, looking utterly self-assured.
"You want to help Jarilo-VI repay its loan? Forgive my bluntness, but you have no idea how much interest Jarilo-VI owes the Corporation. It's a truly astronomical figure. If you were to really take on that burden, the Astral Express would collapse under the financial strain."
After reading the contract, Topaz was the first to shake her head in refusal. Although she had no right to interfere with the Astral Express providing a loan to Jarilo-VI, the Express was, after all, an ally the Corporation had publicly announced. If they were to drag the Express down because of some of the Corporation's own internal accounting, who would ever want to be their ally in the future?
"I'm sorry, but I must refuse. You really don't have to do so much for us. Every citizen of Belobog will never forget your kindness. You have already saved us so many times, you don't need to make such a huge sacrifice…"
Bronya was also deeply moved… She never imagined the Astral Express would really go this far for them. But… even if it meant letting Jarilo-VI become a vassal of the Corporation, she could not lead her friends into a fatal situation!
"Huh? What are you guys talking about? Isn't this just a simple loan contract? We provide the money for Belobog to pay back the Corporation, and then Belobog pays us back a certain amount each month. What's the problem with that?"
March scratched her head, not quite understanding.
"March, do you have any idea how much money Belobog owes the Corporation? There is no way the Astral Express can afford it," Topaz shook her head, trying to persuade her.
In her eyes, Stelle and March's actions were just a case of going to great lengths for a friend. While she was also very touched by it, and her favorability towards the Astral Express had increased by more than just a little, she couldn't accept it, neither logically nor emotionally.
"So, how much does Belobog owe the Corporation? Why don't you just tell us? Stop getting hung up on this. How do you know for sure the Express can't afford it?"
Little March's tongue suddenly became exceptionally sharp as she got straight to the point, questioning Topaz and Bronya.
"Sigh… The bill Belobog owes the Corporation…"
Bronya sighed and shook her head, then pulled a document from under her desk and handed it to March.
"Hmm… This isn't that much, is it?"
March scratched her head, her tone nonchalant.
"Yes, I know it's a lot… but… wait? What did you say? Not that much?"
Two giant question marks seemed to appear in Bronya's gray eyes. This wasn't a lot? With Belobog's current productivity, they couldn't even produce a fifth of this amount in a hundred years…
"Hmph hmph… Don't you underestimate us! Stelle! Go on! Let's show them what we've really got up our sleeves!"
March put her hands on her hips, her nose held high with an air of pride, and gestured to Stelle with a lift of her chin.
"Mm, leave it to me."
Stelle nodded with a smile. Then, to the utter confusion of Bronya and Topaz, she took out her phone, opened her Credit balance, and showed the screen to the two of them.
This was the amount Dan Heng had initially calculated Belobog might owe, but Wende, just to be safe, had transferred a bit extra to Stelle and March. He had even generously stated that if it wasn't enough, he had plenty more, and if there was any money left over, Stelle and March could keep it as pocket money!
Hee hee hee! Pocket money! It looked like even after paying off Belobog's entire debt, the two of them would still have more than half of it left over to buy whatever they wanted!
"This… this is… so much money?"
Staring at the string of zeroes that she couldn't even count, Bronya once again felt her head spin. The last time she saw so many zeroes was when the first debt notice arrived!
"Where did the Astral Express get this much money?"
Looking at a sum of money that was even more astronomical than an astronomical figure, Topaz's brow furrowed instinctively. Without thinking, she subconsciously questioned the two. The reason was simple. The Astral Express… even with the Luofu as their biggest backer, and even with some connection to that genius from the Genius Society, there was no way they should have this much wealth! It was hard not to be suspicious!
"Oh, you mean this? It's from a game Wende made. It's called Honkai Impact 3rd. I wonder if Miss Topaz has heard of it?"
As she spoke, March opened the "Kiana" icon on her phone and handed it to Topaz.
"This… Dr. Wende developed this game?"
Topaz stared at the all-too-familiar screen, and her entire being was plunged into a state of shock even greater than before. So… so this game was produced by the Astral Express? This… this doesn't seem right, does it?
That's right. After finishing her business on Punklorde and getting back online, Topaz had intended to check on her Aetherium Wars progress, only to find that all her friends from the game were inexplicably offline. After asking around, she found out they had all gone to play a new game released by some unknown company.
And Topaz herself had become completely addicted to this new game within hours of trying it. That game was Honkai Impact 3rd!
If, before, Topaz had been suspicious that this money had been obtained through some illegitimate means, now, she truly believed in its legitimacy.
Because the Corporation had practically turned the entire universe upside down trying to find this game's publisher! But she never would have imagined… that the publisher of this game… was the very same ally they had just announced to the entire universe?