Chapter 337
"You're overthinking it," Ai Yue waved his hand, seeing through Vita's little scheme at a glance. "Alright, stop pretending. Go find Vill-V and ask her to upgrade your Star-Crosser for you. Is that alright?"
He didn't believe that Vita's expression at that moment meant she genuinely felt betrayed; she was simply steer the conversation in that direction to pave the way for her subsequent demands.
However, considering that the other party has indeed made contributions, a reward is naturally necessary.
"Of course, no problem!" Vita's expression instantly changed, and she stood up with a beaming smile. "Well then, your most loyal little Vita is off on her mission now, bye-bye~"
Ai Yue shook his head helplessly, then realized something and smiled.
In the other reception room, the three-person train crew finally made their final decision. The door then opened automatically, revealing Ai Yue: "It seems you've all reached a conclusion, haven't you?"
"Of course, Mr. Ai Yue." Himeko nodded, then stood up and said solemnly, "Would you be willing to allow us to stay as guests for a while?"
Although this statement is not direct, it does reveal the Stellar Train's stance—its willingness to stay after such an event clearly indicates its intention to participate in the matter and its support for the Solar System.
"Of course you're welcome. You will be the first and most distinguished guests welcomed by Earth's civilization." Ai Yue smiled and nodded. "During your stay, you are free to do whatever you want—believe me, this will definitely be the choice you won't regret."
Chapter Five: The Power of Light is Omnipotent!
Ai Yue wasn't worried at all that the train crew would ultimately refuse his invitation, because the implications were so simple that if Vita could understand it, Himeko and the others could naturally understand it as well.
The Interastral Peace Corporation is indeed the most powerful force in the observed universe, but it is not monolithic. Sometimes, the internal struggles within the company may be even more intense than their external struggles.
Under such circumstances, Oswald's fall will not become a reason for the company to unite against external forces; on the contrary, it will become a trigger for other departments to attack the Market Development Department. After all, the Solar System has demonstrated enough power in this project that the company must calm down and examine how to deal with this new force.
Furthermore, given Oswald's malicious actions, the Solar System's counterattack gained the moral high ground. Considering the public opinion in the interstellar space, the company would find it difficult not only to wage war but might even have to approach Earth civilization with an apology.
Among them, the train crew, as tools used by Oswald, were clearly also victims. By siding with Ai Yue in advance, it was easier for them to demand compensation from the company.
However, these are all just Ai Yue's personal interpretations. In fact, the reason why Himeko and the other two chose to accept Ai Yue's invitation was very simple—
"I think Mr. Ai Yue is a good person," March 7th said when Himeko asked for their opinions. "In any case, he punished Oswald, that's a fact, right?"
March 7th's point of view is simple: Oswald is a notorious villain who has committed countless crimes. Even though the company's public relations can maintain a generally positive image, that kind of thing can't fool the anonymous customers.
Regardless of Ai Yue's motives for targeting Oswald, his assessment of Oswald alone is enough to show that this person's values align with the standards of the anonymous group.
Given this, they naturally have no need to doubt each other's stance.
"Such thinking is far too simplistic," Dan Heng shook his head, but then added, "However, this time I also agree with March's opinion."
"That's quite rare, Dan Heng, for you to say something like that," not only was March 7th surprised, but even Himeko was astonished by his opinion. "What's your reason?"
"Mr. Ai Yue's plan to sanction Oswald was well-thought-out, which is enough to show that he understands the consequences," Dan Heng said. "Since he is willing to bear heavy pressure for sanctioning Oswald, it shows that he is indeed an upright and resolute person."
"There's also the possibility that, in Mr. Ai Yue's view, the company doesn't put much pressure on him." Himeko was clearly thinking more deeply than the other two. She repeatedly recalled Ai Yue's consistent attitude and finally came to a bold guess, "Perhaps we really do need to have more contact with this mysterious gentleman."
And so things were settled naturally—until Ai Yue made a somewhat excessive request.
"Wait, what did you say, Pa?"
Inside the Stellar Train, conductor Pom-Pom had just breathed a sigh of relief that his passengers had returned safely when he was stunned by the words of the people in front of him, "You... you want an outsider to inspect the train?!"
"Train conductor, please calm down." Faced with the somewhat panicked Pom-Pom, Himeko had to quickly reassure her, "In fact, Mr. Ai Yue's abilities and character are impeccable. I believe that with his strength, he should be able to make the Stellar Train even better."
"Yes, conductor," March 7th chimed in, "You've seen Mr. Ai Yue's abilities. With him involved, there's definitely nothing to worry about!"
Although Dan Heng remained silent, his silence itself represented an attitude.
As the one who proposed the conditions, Ai Yue stood apart from the others, waiting for the outcome of their discussion.
Inspecting the Stellar Train, like contacting the Star God, is actually an attempt by Ai Yue to unravel the secrets of destiny and the Star God.
After all, once a star god opens up a path of destiny, even if he has fallen, as long as the path of destiny is not devoured and assimilated, it will not disappear. Therefore, although Acheron has unfortunately died, since no other star god has touched the power to "open up" the path of destiny, this power still exists in the sea of stars.
As a vehicle that Acheron once used to explore and connect different star systems, the Stellar Train can almost be said to be the embodiment of the concept of "pioneering". Ai Yue even has reason to suspect that the mysterious train conductor Pom-Pom has some connection with the Pathfinder Star God.
Is Acheron really dead?
Ai Yue stared at Pom-Pom, the train conductor who looked like a rabbit with lop ears, lost in thought.
"No, no way!" Although Pom-Pom hesitated at first, he then shook his head violently as if he had just realized something. "As the train conductor, how can I allow this to happen?!"
As if responding to his will, the entire train seemed to come alive, exuding an aura of resistance.
Ai Yue felt as if a powerful force was rushing towards him, trying to force him out of the car without warning. But when he looked at Himeko and the others, he found that they were completely unaware of this. Clearly, this resistance and exclusion were only directed at him.
It's not surprising that Pom-Pom reacted so strongly. After all, Pom-Pom knew better than Himeko and the other two how strong Ai Yue was. Under these circumstances, it was inevitable that this stranger with an unknown attitude would put tremendous pressure on Pom-Pom when he wanted to inspect the Stellar Train, which she regarded as her life.
Who knows if you're just using this as an excuse to tamper with the train? What if you check it and find the train has turned into your shape? What am I supposed to do then?
Ai Yue instinctively tried to resist this oppression, but was surprised to find that even if he used the Power of Light, he could only remain frozen in place and could not completely escape it.
Even in this stalemate, he was actually at a slight disadvantage. If this continued, unless he used all his strength, he might really be kicked out.
However, even in this situation, Ai Yue quickly calmed down, because the current situation was not too unexpected.
Although the train conductor Pom-Pom looked like a harmless mascot, Ai Yue could sense a strong energy reaction hidden within him. Combined with some known information, he could be fairly certain that Pam had some kind of connection with Acheron.
The forces currently ostracizing him can naturally be considered equivalent to the will of the Star God.
Although the Power of Light Skirt. Chat Flag Emu ⑶ Lin Si Qiu Qi Temple has a special nature, it has not reached the level of surpassing the Star God. It is normal for it to be suppressed in someone else's home field.
However, this does not mean that Ai Yue is helpless in the face of the current situation. Even without using his full strength, he has a way to resolve it, and he may even be able to use this opportunity to "persuade" the other party.
Thinking of this, Ai Yue closed his eyes to sense the power of destiny that the other party was wielding. Gradually, the aura on his body began to change, and he silently merged into the power of opening up destiny.
He had miraculously used the Power of Light to imitate the power to forge one's destiny!
Realizing this, Ai Yue couldn't help but show a satisfied expression.
Vita told him that the Power of Light could mimic the power of other destinies. After all, in this Solar System shrouded in the Power of Light, where the power of other destinies could not enter, only Vita could come into close contact with the power of other destinies.
Even though he managed to do it, Ai Yue still hasn't figured out the underlying principles. He did it entirely on instinct, and to understand why, he needs to conduct more detailed research.
At this moment, Pom-Pom looked bewildered—his resistance was originally directed at unfamiliar outsiders, but where on the train could one find any trace of an outsider?
Standing before him was clearly a new, nameless stranger!
"You, I..." Pom-Pom stared blankly at Ai Yue, momentarily at a loss for words. "What exactly is going on?"
The other three were also somewhat taken aback. They had been trying to persuade the train conductor and hadn't noticed the unusual atmosphere on the train. Now, seeing Pom-Pom's sudden change in expression, they were also a little confused about what had happened.
"Can you calm down now, conductor?" Ai Yue finally found an opportunity to intervene in the conversation. He stepped forward, regaining his composure. "As you can see, if I wanted to gain your trust, I could have used other methods, but I didn't, did I?"
"You, you're really amazing..." Pom-Pom now had a deeper understanding of Ai Yue's strength. His bizarre ability to mimic was making him momentarily flustered. "But, but, the train is our most precious treasure, I can't..."
"It's alright, I can join the Stellar Train too." Ai Yue suddenly said this, leaving everyone stunned. "So, there shouldn't be any problems now, right?"
Pom-Pom paused, her already slow-witted brain finally completely shutting down. "Huh?"
After a short while, the group, having calmed down, sat back down around the table to continue their discussion.
"Mr. Ai Yue, are you really going to join the Stellar Train?" Himeko asked tentatively, still somewhat incredulous at her ears. "But what about Earth civilization?"
In her view, someone as powerful and transcendent as Ai Yue should be a civilization's most important guardian, an immovable defensive tower. But now this defensive tower is planning to grow legs and run away. Would the civilization that needs his protection be willing to accept that?
This is not some kind of presidential election; if not handled properly, it could easily cause widespread panic!
"Since you are all willing to become friends of the Solar System, then I will be frank," Ai Yue explained directly. "I originally planned to leave the Solar System to see the splendor of the cosmos, which is why I chose Oswald as a stepping stone for the Solar System to enter the realm of cosmic civilization, in order to deter those with ill intentions."
"So Dan Heng guessed right, that's really what you were planning..." March 7th realized that Dan Heng's prediction was completely correct, and subconsciously covered her mouth. "However, choosing Oswald right from the start... isn't that a bit too bold?"
"The more influential a person is, the more effective the deterrent effect will be when they are used as a stepping stone. From this perspective, Oswald is indeed the perfect target," Dan Heng said from the side. "I suppose the company's reaction will also be part of your plan?"
"So, are we going to release this information to make the company show its stance and establish the Solar System civilization's position in the universe?" Himeko said thoughtfully, holding her teacup. "If the company chooses to remain silent, the deterrent effect will be further amplified, but if the company chooses war..."
"Then Amber Lord will need to get a new batch of messengers," Ai Yue said casually. "After all, that Star God who's always engrossed in building walls wouldn't be willing to help the company, right?"
Upon hearing Ai Yue's answer, the group exchanged glances, all understanding the hidden meaning in his words—clearly, in Ai Yue's view, even if the company mobilized all its resources to invade the Solar System, they would still be the ultimate winner.
Previously, they might have thought Ai Yue's attitude was rather narrow-minded, as if he thought the company was nothing special. But now, hearing those words again, they had a nagging feeling that Ai Yue might actually be able to do it.
"I'll tell my friends at the company to try to be friendly," Himeko sighed. "You probably won't mind, will you?"
"Of course not, avoiding unnecessary sacrifices is a good thing." Ai Yue shrugged and said with a smile, "Besides, the company is still very valuable to this universe. If it's gone, who will take care of its niche?"
"Although there are some really awful guys in the company, I have to admit, it's still very important," March 7th said, unconsciously touching the camera hanging on her waist. "Hopefully, a fight won't actually break out."
"Anyway, we'll release the news soon, and then we'll know their reaction." Ai Yue seemed completely unconcerned. "By the way, since you've all decided to stay, why not take a trip around Earth? You might encounter some very interesting things."
He looked out the window and smiled.
In the original storyline, the behemoth that was the Interastral Peace Corporation had only revealed the tip of the iceberg. Even with the information brought back by Vita, Ai Yue's understanding of this force was still limited.
So he was really looking forward to seeing how the other party would react to such a sudden accident.
Honestly, a fight... isn't necessarily a bad thing?
After all, Kevin and his gang had been holding back for a long time.
Chapter Six: Seriously, officer? You guys are serious?
With the Masked Fools, a force that thrives on chaos, stirring things up, news of "Oswald's mishap" quickly spread throughout the Star Sea.
The video, which recorded the entire process, was especially widely circulated. The short video, lasting only a few minutes, documented the entire process from Oswald's fleet entering the Solar System to its complete annihilation.
The footage of Oswald being frozen by Kevin broke into the control center, was meticulously edited and repeatedly played from multiple angles, culminating in a close-up of his pleading face.
The footage was so complete that it was as if someone had anticipated all of this and had set up countless cameras on site to film it.
Originally, this news didn't receive much attention, because there are just too many talented people in this world who are bored and have nothing better to do than believers in the Aeon of Joy or some Imaginary Historians creating this for their own amusement.
However, the Stellar Train, which opened up the Silver Rail into the Solar System, subsequently confirmed the authenticity of the video, making everyone realize that something was wrong.
As a breath of fresh air in the vast sea of stars, the Stellar Train enjoys an excellent reputation. With such a powerful entity daring to stand up and guarantee the authenticity of this matter, the doubts immediately diminished.
Furthermore, the discovery that many people online had previously seen this fleet and confirmed the authenticity of its coordinates based on its movement patterns immediately amplified the hype surrounding the event.
But what truly convinced everyone was the company's actions. They began continuously deleting and banning related discussions online, preventing the spread of the video, and even using other events to suppress the matter's popularity, giving people the impression that they were trying to cover it up.
Such actions were not entirely ineffective; rather, they only added fuel to the fire. Instead of covering up the matter, they further fueled people's rebellious spirit. With the machinations of forces like the Masked Fools, Oswald's "glorious deeds" began to be unearthed.
At this point, more people realized just how inhuman this department head, who held such a high position in the company, truly was.
Meanwhile, the Solar System, a star system in a remote and desolate region, has finally come into the public eye.
Oswald certainly deserved to die, but the fact that he lived so long and even rose to the position of department head clearly shows his competence—in fact, although there is no absolute evidence, some suspect that Oswald Schneider was actually a messenger.
But how could someone like that be so easily defeated? What kind of strength must the opponent possess?
Most importantly, why had we never heard of such a powerful civilization before?
As certain "insiders" continued to spread fragmented information, people finally gained some understanding of this civilization from the "Solar System".
A tiny star system civilization (strictly speaking, not even that) not only possesses formidable combat power at the level of an Envoy, but according to hints from "insiders," they even harbor beings beyond the level of Envoys?
Upon seeing such news, the values and beliefs of countless civilizations collapsed.
Looking across the entire starry sea, the only forces capable of possessing a Commander are either giant corporations spanning countless star systems, like corporations, or loyal civilizations like Immortal Ships that closely follow the Star Gods. But now, a village that jumped out of some remote corner of the world can also have a Commander?
There's even a suspected existence above the level of a Commander... wouldn't that be a Star God?
Why? It's just a small star system.
No one could figure out the answer to this question, but it had to be admitted that countless people were intrigued by the news. Therefore, even though everyone knew that the matter was not yet settled and that the company and the Solar System civilization could go to war at any time, many people still rushed towards the location of the Solar System.
Among these people were Oswald's die-hard loyalists, who wanted to seize the opportunity to rescue him; some were Oswald's mortal enemies, who wanted to confirm his death as soon as possible and prevent anyone from trying to rescue him; but most were just people who wanted to watch the show, after all, joining in the fun is human nature, and the same applies to the Star Sea.
Of course, there are different levels of interest in joining in the fun. For example, some people want to see if there is an opportunity to profit from the chaos, while others are trying to have some fun and want to intensify the conflict. The cosmic chaos brought about by the intertwining of countless destinies can be glimpsed at this moment.
However, the Solar System has once again blocked the Silver Rail that crosses the Imaginary Energy tidal zone, so even if everyone is anxious, they can only gather at the edge of the tidal zone and wait for further changes.
Amid this chaotic situation, the company finally discussed and selected a plan to quell the storm.
Thus, another fleet belonging to the company began its journey toward the Solar System.
All eyes in the entire star system were now focused on this fleet.
Everyone was curious: on one side was the established, powerful Interastral Peace Corporation, which possessed at least three Commanders; on the other was a mysterious new force, confirmed to have at least three Commanders and a Solar System civilization suspected of being a Star God. If war were to break out between the two, what would the outcome be?
Will the established company prevail due to its strong capabilities and deep-rooted foundation, or will a rising force defy the odds and directly shake the entire observable universe?
It's important to understand that the company's painstaking efforts over a long period have already integrated its influence into every aspect of the observable universe. It can be said that this giant enterprise has truly become an integral part of people's lives. If it were to collapse, the power structure of the entire galaxy would undergo a complete reshuffle.
Theoretically speaking, one is a behemoth with influence spanning the entire star system, while the other is a weak civilization that hasn't even left the Origin Star System. The gap between the two is so large that even describing it as "vastly different" would be somewhat frivolous. But let alone the company, even bystanders watching the show wouldn't dare to guarantee that it can't win.
Because in this universe, the power of an individual can truly overturn everything.
"So, there really isn't a star god in that star system, is there?"
On the lead ship of the fleet, a blond man wearing a top hat and luxurious clothes was holding a wine glass, scrolling through messages on his phone. "The Masked Fools... is the intelligence from those guys really reliable?"
"Even if it's not entirely credible, it's still the firsthand information we have right now." The woman sitting on the sofa not far away looked up, her white hair with a few red highlights standing out. "After all, based on the information we've gathered, the Masked Fools is directly involved in this plan."
So stop complaining, Aventurine.
"You know I'm not complaining, I just wish the chips I have were more reliable." The blond man called Aventurine turned around. "After all, this is a life-or-death gamble. You don't want to lose your life over something unreliable, do you, Topaz?"