The Herta's Curio!

Lin Hai drove a midsize SUV along Belobog's snow-covered roads.

In some places, there was barely a road at all.

The vehicle moved slowly.

Inside, four striking women of vastly different styles made for a breathtaking sight.

The Herta leaned gracefully against her second-row seat, holding a tablet as though searching for more information.

Sparkle curled up in the front passenger seat like a lazy cat, her playful gaze wandering from one person to another.

Seele sat beside The Herta, her eyes bearing the toughness and forthrightness characteristic of an Underworld warrior.

Bronya sat quietly in the third row, her icy blue eyes watching the snow fly past the window. Worry for her mother's fate and uncertainty about the future mingled on her face.

"So..." The Herta broke the silence. "Lin Hai, are you planning to make your move now and take Cocolia into custody?"

The question was like a stone tossed into a still lake, and the atmosphere in the vehicle grew tense.

Bronya's body stiffened, and her fingers tightened involuntarily.

"No, not for now." Lin Hai kept his hands on the wheel. "The most important thing right now is to win broader public support. Without a solid foundation, acting in haste will only cause greater chaos."

The Herta nodded slightly, an appreciative look on her face. "A prudent strategy. Win people's hearts first, then deal with the problem."

"You can count on that!" Seele's voice came from behind him. "The whole Underworld will give you its full support. Everyone has seen what you've done for us."

Lin Hai picked up the conversation with a smile. "Small favors that don't reach everyone won't win the people's allegiance."

Seele didn't understand what he meant.

Bronya and Sparkle didn't understand either.

Lin Hai gave them a rough explanation.

If small favors failed to reach everyone, the people would not be truly won over.

Continued material aid could earn gratitude, but only fundamental change could win unwavering support.

Seele blinked, sensing the determination in Lin Hai's words.

The Herta asked directly, "Then where do you intend to begin making that fundamental change?"

Lin Hai turned to her. "The Herta, you have extraordinary intelligence. The Underworld doesn't just lack supplies; its air quality is also terrible. It's damp and polluted, and living there long-term does enormous harm to people's health. Is there a way to fundamentally improve the ventilation down there?"

"That would require rebuilding the air circulation system. Otherwise, there's no way to make the environment dry and clean."

The Herta pondered for a moment, then continued, "The technical side isn't much of a problem, but the biggest constraint is that this place is severely lacking in the necessary construction machinery."

Even the best cook couldn't make a meal without rice.

The small space station The Herta had with her had very limited facilities.

"I'll take care of the construction machinery." Lin Hai looked back at The Herta. "Make me a list of the specific equipment, models, and quantities you need, along with any special building materials. I'll be responsible for getting them."

As the vehicle drove back into the Underworld, familiar, rough-hewn streets came into view.

Lin Hai became noticeably more relaxed, even at ease.

Even if the worst happened—Cocolia wholeheartedly embraced the Stellaron's power and a conflict became inevitable—as long as The Herta was there, he had the confidence to face anything!

Looking at the familiar surroundings outside the window, Seele suggested, "Lin Hai, I think you should formally meet the leader of our Wildfire organization and let him hear your full plan. Things will be much easier with his full assistance."

Lin Hai readily agreed.

Soon, with Seele's introduction, they met in a newly renovated house.

These houses had been refurbished; the original structures had been old and dilapidated, long overdue for renovation.

In the past, resources had been scarce, and people had simply had to put up with their aging homes.

Now Lin Hai had arrived, and the resources he provided had given the Underworld confidence.

Oleg, the steady and pragmatic underground leader, was welcoming so many guests from other planets for the first time.

After all, a planet this desolate rarely received visitors.

Little contact also meant isolation.

Oleg knew neither Sparkle nor The Herta, and had no idea how powerful the two women were.

A few ore lamps provided light.

Oleg's gaze swept over the two unfamiliar women beside Lin Hai in turn.

Lin Hai introduced them briefly, but his next sentence brought a rare look of astonishment to Oleg's face.

"Sparkle and The Herta are my greatest trump cards."

Lin Hai's expression was serious.

Oleg's gaze returned to the two women.

One wore a charming smile, while the other was calm and composed. However he looked at them, they seemed a far cry from the ultimate power those words implied.

Yet Oleg knew Lin Hai's strength well.

Lin Hai had faced Cocolia outside Kliperburg and come away unscathed.

So Oleg quickly suppressed his doubts and chose to trust Lin Hai's judgment.

"What... do you plan to do?" Oleg asked.

"We'll start at the root and transform the Underworld completely," Lin Hai said.

Oleg took a deep breath. "Wildfire will give you its full support and help carry your plans forward!"

"First," Lin Hai said, pointing to the polluted air outside the window, "we'll build a brand-new air circulation system to clear away the stifling air and breathe new life into the Underworld."

Oleg stepped forward, his tone growing even more solemn. "From this moment on, everyone in Wildfire is at your command!"

"There's no time to lose." Lin Hai acted decisively. "The plan starts tonight."

Oleg nodded. "I'll go gather the people right away!"

Watching from the side, Seele was filled with joy. She had seen real hope for the Underworld.

Sparkle, meanwhile, remained silent throughout, like a bystander, seemingly very curious about what would happen next.

The Herta was silent too, lost in thought as she began constructing a technical blueprint for the air circulation system in her mind.

When the meeting ended, everyone returned to the midsize SUV.

The Herta quickly took out a sheet of paper. Her pen moved smoothly across it as she drew up a detailed list of supplies, which she handed to Lin Hai.

"These are the materials urgently needed for the initial stage," she said.

Lin Hai took the list and looked over the many items on it, frowning slightly.

"I'm afraid some of these supplies will be hard to gather on short notice."

"That's not a problem." The Herta's voice was calm. She then took out a small, faintly glowing cube and handed it to Lin Hai.

"This is...?" Lin Hai took the cube, but didn't understand what it did.

"A little gadget I modified. Call it the Little Black Box."

"It can open up a stable dimensional space," The Herta explained, "large enough for you to store and transport supplies in bulk."

"How big is the space?" Lin Hai pressed.

"Three hundred meters by three hundred meters by three hundred meters. It could even hold a small space station without a problem."

Hearing this, Lin Hai tightened his grip on the little cube.

This tiny black box actually had so much space inside.

It could hold far more than a space station.

It could fit an aircraft carrier with no trouble at all!

Lin Hai burst out laughing.

He couldn't help admiring The Herta's abilities.

The Little Black Box was essentially a spatial magical treasure.

With it, the problem of transporting supplies on a massive scale would be easily solved!