Click.
The lustrous white porcelain cup was set back onto its matching saucer, and within the now-emptied cup lingered a faint aroma of coffee. It was a small perk specially issued by Pier Point for senior employees.
After finishing the account of her most brilliant transaction, Jade crossed her long legs and smiled with confidence, tinged with faint satisfaction. "That's how it went—just like that, the Silverchain Galaxy was officially incorporated into the Corporation's trade territory."
Aventurine offered timely flattery. "That really is your style."
An ion storm so rare that one might only see it once in hundreds of Amber Eras suddenly formed. Though the Silverchain Galaxy was rich and famed for its countless gemstones, it was powerless to deal with such a catastrophe.
By sheer coincidence, a noble lady who made her fortune in jewelry had long heard of Jade's reputation, and she was well aware of the Bonajade Exchange under Jade's name—"the place said to be able to grant any wish".
And so, in order to save the Galaxy, that socialite actually took the initiative to seek Jade out herself.
In the end, the Silverchain Galaxy was saved. The noble lady became the Corporation-appointed governor of the system, and her every minute, every breath, would henceforth add bricks and mortar to the great cause of the Amber Lord…
Aventurine likewise crossed one leg over the other, an inscrutable smile appearing on his face. "If I hadn't asked you myself, I really wouldn't have believed someone could be lucky to this extent. Even I, the so-called [Lucky Child of Sigonia-IV], would pale in comparison."
He was never stingy when it came to expressing his admiration.
After all, his mother and his sister would soon be relying on Jade to ensure everything went flawlessly.
If there was anyone among all the people, he knew who would be willing to spend decades of time and vast amounts of resources for a single matter without complaint, then there was absolutely no suspense—it was practically the same as reciting Jade's employee ID number.
Though Jade was hardly some kindhearted bodhisattva, as long as the chips were sufficient, once she accepted the care of someone's loved ones, she would never go back on her word.
And the matter of the Silverchain Galaxy was precisely the chip he had prepared for his mother and sister.
A trace of apology flashed through his eyes, then quickly dissipated.
Sorry, Lady Jade—using information provided by your present self to exchange for a favor owed by your past self. Still, I won't do anything as shameless as stealing your credit.
To keep your former self from demanding an exorbitant price from me, this was the only way.
After offering a silent apology in his heart, Aventurine, now in an excellent mood, couldn't help but poke fun at himself.
Besides, my mother and sister don't eat that much. They won't cost you too much.
Mm… it's just a shame they probably won't be able to stay at your orphanage.
"If you have something pleasant to say, it's better said to clients—that's what creates more value," Jade replied with a reserved smile, not letting her colleague's praise go to her head.
She reached out and flicked the small bronze bell ornament at the center of the coffee table. It was also a communication device linked to the various assistants.
A capable employee pushed the door open and entered. "Lady Jade! And Mr. Aventurine, Ms. Topaz—what instructions do you have?"
Jade was completely unaware of Aventurine's plan. In her eyes, this was nothing more than an ordinary conversation, no different from any other day.
On the contrary, the gains from this [opening of the bucket] had pleasantly surprised her.
After casually snapping her fingers, she smiled and said, "Send a report to Diamond. Tell him that… on the scale of his bid for the board of directors, another weighty counterbalance has been added. Ask him to review it."
"Yes." After receiving the order, the employee did not linger for even a second, immediately pushing the door shut as they left.
Aventurine, meanwhile, frowned slightly.
Diamond, huh…
…
At the Curio Trash Can Shop.
A Pepeshi who had traveled a long way stared at the [Closed] sign hanging on the shop door, then glanced at the time, letting out an involuntary wail.
"It's only ten o'clock! You're closing already? I came all the way from the Asdana Star System—it took a ton of effort!"
He gazed mournfully at the tightly shut door. After a long while, he finally let out a breath of relief.
"Luckily, I'm here to watch the martial rites, and I've still got a few weeks to stay. Otherwise, this would've been a total loss."
The Pepeshi turned and left, heading toward the hotel where he was staying.
A potential customer left empty-handed. Meanwhile, up on the second floor of the small shop, Sylvester had already taken out his exclusive bucket, ready to tally the fruits of his labor.
He clicked [Claim] in the mail function on the system panel.
A dazzling platinum-white radiance flooded the room. Even the ordinary wooden furniture seemed to be soaked in that glow, as though coated in a layer of pearlescent luxury.
As the light gradually dimmed to a visible level, a white porcelain bucket adorned with gilded carvings appeared before Sylvester.
"Mmm~"
Sylvester looked at it with satisfaction.
So, this was his very own golden curio?!
Completely different from those tin trash cans; his exclusive container was far more pleasing to the eye. Compared to a trash can, it looked more like an opulent vase.
Who knew just how powerful the Curio that would burst out of such a beautiful bucket might be.
At the very least, it ought to live up to its looks, right?
No matter how perfect its appearance, Sylvester did not hesitate in the slightest and struck it down.
Yet the moment his fingers touched the bucket's surface, silent cracks immediately spread across it, and then it suddenly shattered, exploding into countless points of light that scattered through the room before vanishing.
In its place, three orbs of light floated quietly in midair.
Sylvester reached out and touched one of them, and a stream of text instantly flooded into his mind.
[Curio Absolute Control:All Curios that have been sold, regardless of distance, can be directly mobilized and made to unleash their full power. Curios may also serve as the host's mouthpiece; all images and sounds in their vicinity can be directly observed by the host.]
After clearly perceiving the contents of this orb, Sylvester raised an eyebrow slightly.
He already possessed the ability to control Curios—though it had previously been limited to within the confines of this shop.
This orb was essentially a pro-max version of that original ability. Whether it was powerful or not depended on how one looked at it.
If someone used a Curio to attack him, or to commit some heinous act, he could directly intervene and make them kneel on the spot before the Curio and sing their submission.
Though with his current strength, unless an Aeon THEMSELVES descended, there really wasn't much for him to fear.
And he had no intention of engaging in unscrupulous merchant behavior anyway—things like secretly recalling Curios to sell them a second time were beneath his dignity.
Put that way, this ability was more like icing on the cake.
He picked up the second orb of light, and another set of information poured into his mind.
[One Who Transcends Spacetime:The host's existence will no longer be bound by time or space. These two forces can no longer impose any negative effects upon the host. As a result, the host's lifespan will no longer diminish; the host's movement will no longer be restricted; and all attacks launched by the host will be imbued with the concept of [Absolute Hit]. "Oþ þæt endegebyrd, ǣfre swā tīd þīestraþ, sċyteþ sē ġesċot þæt ġemearc" (Until the world's ending, even as time darkens, thy shot seeks the mark)]
"Oh ho! Did I just become part of The Hunt?"
Sylvester exclaimed aloud.
Wasn't this one of Lan's authorities?!
Didn't that mean… he already had one foot through the door of the Aeons?
===BREAK===
Like the story and want more chapters?
Join and support me by joining my Patreon!
[email protected]/SiRoasa