Chapter 162: Pretend You Didn't See It, It Has Nothing to Do With You
Still in the form of Qingque.
[Resonance Interplay - Full Scan: Erudition & Elation]
"Cirrus, is that the one that got away?"
"That's right," the Heliobus replied, its voice a fawning whisper in Rekka's mind. "Do you need me to... chew, chew, chew it up for you?"
"I don't think so."
Rekka mused on the absence of Scott today. It seemed the man had been transferred away in disgrace after the unfortunate incident with the Aurumaton, an event that had apparently tarnished the company's image. His digital pet was gone. The next time they met, it would probably be a dramatic reunion where the lone wolf returned to reclaim everything that was rightfully his.
A phantom chill traced its way up Rekka's neck. He could almost feel the cold, flat edge of a scalpel pressed against his skin. This sensation of his hair standing on end, of perpetually lingering on the precipice of life and death... was actually kind of thrilling.
"Hey! Don't chew it just yet," Rekka commanded. "Since you've magnified Qingque's desire to conquer the world with Celestial Jade, I might as well help her realize it."
"This... uh, are we really going to do this?" Cirrus asked, a hint of confusion coloring its ethereal voice.
"Of course." Rekka felt a natural obligation to repay Qingque properly. After all, she had been kind enough to take him out to play yesterday.
Meanwhile, in the Divination Commission, Fu Xuan stared down at the resignation letter Qingque had submitted, her expression darkening by the second. The paper was fine. The ink was fine. The content, however, was a problem.
A very big problem.
Qingque wanted to resign and start a business.
Fu Xuan had only sent her to Aurum Alley to run a few errands yesterday afternoon. How, in the name of the Matrix of Prescience, had Qingque already established an entertainment company today?
'Someone must be behind this,' she concluded instantly.
Why was the Master Diviner so certain? Because in the span of a single day—just one day—a significant number of diviners within her own commission had already begun discussing whether they should resign and go into business with Qingque.
Fu Xuan's fingers began to fly, her hands a blur as she initiated a divination on the spot.
Halfway through the calculation, her movements froze. She stared stiffly at the half-formed results shimmering in the air before her.
It had been interfered with.
And worse, the other party had even left a message.
"Pretend you didn't see it. This has nothing to do with you."
Arrogant. Far too arrogant.
Fu Xuan's brow furrowed in defiance, and she pushed her power further, continuing the calculation. A new message immediately flared to life.
"Why are you still here! Do you think I don't have ways to deal with you?"
Fu Xuan's jaw tightened.
"I know you're divining me right now. I also know your hair is pink, and you're a shorty, right!"
Short...y?
A furious blush crept up the neck of the esteemed Master Diviner, painting her cheeks a deep crimson.
Back in Aurum Alley, Qingque's brand-new Celestial Jade parlor had already opened its doors, and business was booming. All of her card-playing friends had come to show their support, and with the foot traffic in the alley steadily increasing, the place was packed.
"This will be the first step in promoting Celestial Jade to the entire universe!" the possessed Qingque boasted, her eyes gleaming with an unnatural fervor. "Strategist, tell me, where should we go next?"
"I believe that to properly promote Celestial Jade, the most important thing is..." Rekka, pushing a pair of black-rimmed glasses up his nose, began to speak eloquently to his new 'president'.
"Wonderful, wonderful! With the two of us working together, we will definitely carry Celestial Jade forward! We can make the entire universe play! We will pioneer... the Path of Cards!"
'Although it's a bit difficult, it's just the right amount of challenge,'Rekka thought, giving the idea serious consideration.'At the very least... creating a specific Path for a tile game is simpler than creating an entire civilization.'
He wasn't bragging; he was simply stating a fact.
On the Astral Express, Stelle and March 7th were completely oblivious to the cosmic business venture being launched. They were preoccupied with a far more important matter.
Welt's glasses were missing.
Welt Yang was, in reality, a rather frugal man. There was a past incident where he had eaten expired food, which resulted in a nasty bout of food poisoning that left him bedridden. The joke around the Express was that a container of expired food had managed to solo the former Herrscher of Reason.
"Dan Heng, come and help us look for it," March 7th called out.
"Look for what?" he asked, emerging from the archives.
"Uncle Yang's glasses!"
"Didn't Mr. Welt wear his glasses while looking for his glasses last time?" Dan Heng recalled dryly.
"Not this time! Uncle Yang isn't wearing glasses this time," March insisted.
"Why don't we ask Rekka if he can conjure up some kind of lost-and-found item today?" Stelle suggested. "I remember he's on the Path of Erudition. Crafting some gadget should be easy for him."
"That makes sense!"
A video call was initiated.
"Rekka, where are you?"
"I'm in Aurum Alley!" his voice chirped back.
"...Wait."
"Rekka, what are you wearing on your face...?"
"I'm a bit busy right now, I have a meeting to attend—I'll call you guys back when I'm free." The call ended abruptly.
Stelle held up her terminal, her finger still hovering over the screen. She turned her head and stared blankly at March 7th.
"That pair of black-rimmed glasses on his face... doesn't it look a bit familiar?"
March's eyes widened. "It's not just a bit familiar. Those are Uncle Yang's glasses."
Stelle gasped. "Those are Uncle Yang's true form! Uncle Yang without his glasses has no soul!"
"It's fine."
Welt stood up from the sofa.
"Hiss... why does it feel like Uncle Yang's aura just got even more intense without his glasses...?" March whispered, shrinking back slightly.
Far away in Aurum Alley, Rekka was sitting comfortably in a conference room, having a heart-to-heart with Qingque. He reached up and adjusted the frames, feeling a sense of inexplicable composure settle over him. No wonder Welt never took them off.
Sitting opposite him was the Heliobus-possessed Qingque. She completely lacked her usual slacker vibe of "I'd rather lie down than sit." Instead, she leaned forward, her hands planted on the table, eyes shining with an astonishing brightness. Her cheeks were flushed with an unnatural, feverish excitement.
"Strategist! That 'Thousand-Star Interstellar Circuit' plan you just mentioned is absolutely brilliant!" Qingque slapped the table, jostling the teacup and splashing a few drops of water onto the wood. "Turning Celestial Jade into an interstellar-level e-sport, setting up regional divisions on every planet, and even holding the grand universal finals at Pier Point! If we can pull this off..."
"Don't get too excited, President Qing." Rekka picked up his teacup and took a slow, measured sip. His tone was perfectly controlled, making him look every bit the master strategist who had everything planned out. "This is just the macroscopic blueprint. You have to eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time."
"You! You're the one who truly knows me!"
Just as the two were about to dive into the next phase of their discussion, the door to the room burst open.
"Who goes there! Who goes there!" Qingque yelped, startled. "Security, where is security!"
"The security guards have all been laid out!" a familiar voice announced.
Stelle stood in the doorway, casually wiping down her baseball bat.
"Rekka, stop this! It's not too late to turn back now!" March 7th pleaded.
"Stop?" The lenses on Rekka's face reflected a sheet of white light, obscuring his eyes. "What are you talking about? I am merely helping an ambitious young woman start a business and realize her life's ideals."
"No, I'm just here to take back the glasses."
Welt calmly stepped forward and plucked the glasses right off Rekka's face.
"Don't mess with my glasses," he said, his voice flat.
After a thorough explanation from Rekka, the group finally understood the situation. He was helping Qingque fulfill her dream of promoting Celestial Jade to the entire universe, creating a "Path of Celestial Jade," and eventually buying out the Divination Commission.
"So you mean..." March 7th tilted her head, looking at Rekka. "You sponsored someone who was possessed by a Heliobus?"
"The Heliobus only magnified a thought that occasionally drifted through her mind," Rekka stated coolly. "Everything is within my plan. Even the things that haven't happened, or might happen... everything is within my calculations, with no room for any error."
Of course, there was one exception to that rule: the Stelle-factor. A wild Stelle could smash the results of a plan Rekka spent half a day calculating into a million pieces with a single swing of her bat.
"Uncle Yang, why don't you give it a try, too?" Rekka offered with a grin.
"I'll pass."
"There are big robot models."
"When do we start?"
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me!
Want to read ahead on our official home, or unlock 50 advanced chapters (plus an Ad-Free experience) to feed your addiction? Help keep this shameless translator alive here:
(P.S. Replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
🌐 Official Website: elysianreads[.]com
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters & Ad-Free): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]