An Uneasy Zhenzhu

At the same time, in the conference room of the Strategic Investment Department in Thousand Stars City, Zhenzhu sat upright, her tea untouched.

The meeting lasted all day, with one topic after another being discussed: project settlement, new investment targets, the fate of several bad debts...

However, most of the time, unless she needed to speak, Zhenzhu was thinking about the Dual-Phase Paradise. The people from Yaboli had been in the country for several days, but the information reported by their employees was pitifully scarce.

She always felt that she had only grasped the surface, and that there were still blind spots in the deeper waters that she hadn't noticed.

"But what can Yaboli do? With the Phantasmoon Games not yet restarted, the Death Warden from back then can never be replicated..."

At the end of the long table, Diamond's voice drowned out all the noise. At that moment, Zhenzhu's phone vibrated. She glanced down at it, her face darkening.

"Zhenzhu." Diamond noticed the change in Zhenzhu's expression. "Is it news from Dual-Phase Paradise?"

Without hesitation, Zhenzhu pushed her phone to the center of the table. "Gentlemen, there's a new development at Dual-Phase Paradise. This morning, while social groups from Haiyuan City were active on the streets, my informant discovered that some of them carried signs of Voracity Contamination."

The conference room fell silent.

"The people from the Technical Research and Development Department entered the Dual-Phase Paradise under the guise of an academic visit, and this happened right afterward," Zhenzhu said. "I don't yet have concrete information about what the people from Yaboli are up to. But we absolutely cannot confirm that Yaboli replicated the Death Warden incident from before. After all, back then it was the Market Development Department that was harmed, but now that it's happening again, we're the ones who will be harmed."

"Oh, I know how to do this one." On the left side of the long table, a blond young man twirled the chip in his hand, smiling politely. "If Miss Zhenzhu is too busy, I can lend a hand at Dual-Phase Paradise. I really need some new sales."

The one speaking was Aventurine. As the newest member of the Ten Stonehearts employees, he was seated furthest out, yet he acted as if he had organized the whole gathering.

"Your primary job right now isn't putting out fires for others," Diamond retorted, cutting off Aventurine's earlier comment.

Despite being criticized by his superior, Aventurine's smile remained bright, "Alright, whatever you say."

Diamond shifted her gaze to Zhenzhu: "After the meeting, head back to Dual-Phase Paradise immediately. Find out what the Technical Research and Development Department is up to. We mustn't let her ruin the resources we got from the Market Development Department."

"Understood." Zhenzhu nodded.

More than a decade ago, she personally handled the aftermath of the Death Warden incident. The Phantom Phantasmoon Games caused the Market Development Department to lose control of public opinion, and the Strategic Investment Department stepped in under the guise of "firefighting," ultimately forcing the Market Development Department to relinquish the Dual-Phase Paradise.

With the next Phantasmoon Games still far off, and now that Yaboli has once again intervened in the Dual-Phase Paradise, Zhenzhu knows she must be 100% vigilant.

After the meeting, Zhenzhu stood up and looked at Diamond: "There's one more thing I'd like you to consider."

"I'd like to recommend a painter to you named Jingxing. He's the orphan of one of the company's fallen employees," Zhenzhu said. "He's recently embarked on Path. Although he's not Preservation and doesn't have much of a reputation yet, I think he has great potential, and I hope we can give him an early investment."

"Hey, speaking of the name Jingxing— " Topaz leaned in from the side, clutching her "Numby" in her arms, "What a coincidence. A few days ago when I went to the Herta Space Station to check the accounts, that genius casually mentioned to me that there was a painter named Jingxing who had a debt of 30 billion Credits with her. I was even thinking about whether I should help her collect the debt to make it easier to build a good relationship."

Zhenzhu was stunned. "Three hundred billion?"

"Yes, 30 billion Credits." Topaz nodded. "Ms. Herta didn't say what the specifics were or how the debt was incurred, and I didn't ask. But this amount is enough for Herta Space Station to operate for six months. If it continues to sit on the books, I think it's necessary for me to get involved."

Zhenzhu stood there, her brows slowly furrowing. Three hundred billion Credits was an amount that ordinary people could never repay in several lifetimes. How could Jingxing, a painter who had come from the Klimt Constitutional Republic, owe Herta such a huge sum?

Is it an investment, compensation, or some shady deal?

Does he... have some kind of grudge against Herta? Or does Herta have something on him? Why did he hide this from me?

The more Zhenzhu thought about it, the more she felt her thought processes were starting to overload.

"Miss Zhenzhu," Aventurine, noticing Zhenzhu's unusual expression, passed by her and teased, "It seems your 'potential prospect' has a rather messy record. Want me to check it out for you?"

"Mind your own business," Zhenzhu said icily. "Dual-Phase Paradise doesn't need anyone else's interference."

Aventurine shrugged and left with the others. Only Zhenzhu remained standing at the entrance of the conference hall, clutching her phone, the screen still showing the message from Jingxing.

Topaz's observations were like a thorn stuck in her throat. She had just spoken up for Jingxing in front of Diamond when Topaz poured cold water on her—whether intentional or unintentional, it reminded her that she didn't really understand Jingxing either.

She thought for a moment and sent Jingxing a message:

[Zhenzhu: Received. I'm leaving for Dual-Phase Paradise tonight. If you're free tomorrow, come see me at Pearl Star Building.]

After sending the message, she looked up at the sky outside Thousand Stars City —the night scene here was even more bustling than Dual-Phase Paradise, and it was comparable to the Golden Hour of Penacony. She tightened her uniform jacket and strode towards the Mooring Port, dialing the number of her subordinates stationed at the Pearl Star Building as she walked.

"Investigate two things. First, the relevant information about the Haiyuan 'Re-entering the Painting' Association in Haiyuan City; give me their member list tonight. Second, find out the current status of all the hotels where the 'inspection team' from the Technical Research and Development Department stayed and the people they contacted." She paused, then added, "Also, help me check the previous flight path of that Interstellar Spaceship called 'Chasing the Chasing the Moon' in Mooring Port."

The person on the other end responded and then hung up.

Zhenzhu clutched her phone, suddenly realizing how much she had to do next— Yaboli's purpose, the Haiyuan "Re-entering the Painting" Association Voracity Contamination, and that little painter burdened with 30 billion in debt who hadn't mentioned a word to her...

And what face should she wear when he comes to the Pearl Star Building tomorrow?

"Jingxing, what exactly did you make a deal with the genius from Azure Star?"

Will that transaction affect Dual-Phase Paradise?