Chapter 342
"No, it's not because of that." Dan Heng turned his head slightly, revealing a complicated expression. "It's because I also saw the Aeon of Intellect just now."
"Huh?"
"Did you all see the Aeon of Intellect?" Himeko finally came to her senses, a subtle expression on her face. "I thought it was my imagination, but now it seems more like some kind of collective hallucination."
"Are you talking about the machine head?" Vita interjected at the opportune moment, smiling as she said, "Actually, I saw it too, at the same time."
"Even Miss Vita ... how could this be?" March 7th looked bewildered, then lowered her head in disappointment. "It seems this wasn't a glance from the Star God after all."
A star god might glance at someone for reasons incomprehensible to ordinary people, but to say that a star god, especially Aeon of Intellect, could glance at four people simultaneously is clearly a fantastical illusion, and no one would believe it even if it were told.
"What do you mean, even me?" Vita looked hurt upon hearing March 7th's words. "So, my image in Little March's eyes is really that bad? I'm so sad..."
"Of course not!" March 7th quickly explained, "It's just that, how should I put it... I have a feeling that you, Miss Vita, are Mr. Ai Yue's messenger... uh, in short, something like that."
"Speaking of which, why hasn't Mr. Ai Yue said anything?" Dan Heng also realized something from March 7th's words. "Perhaps he knows what's going on?"
For a moment, all eyes in the carriage were on Ai Yue.
It was at this moment that Ai Yue opened his eyes. A complex emotion appeared on his face, as if he wanted to laugh, but also as if he was speechless.
"I heard everything. Don't overthink it. It wasn't a glance from the Star God, but it wasn't an illusion either," Ai Yue explained. "It was indeed a gaze from the Boshizun, but it was a little different from what you think. He came to find me."
"Looking for you?" March 7th repeated, a subtle expression appearing on his face. "Uh, what does the Aeon of Intellect want with you?"
Ai Yue paused for a moment, seemingly unsure how to respond, and finally could only shrug. "Well, He asked me if I wanted to become His messenger."
"... ah?"
Chapter Thirteen: If you're not a buddy, do you have that much influence?
"Although the general meaning may differ slightly, I really didn't lie to you."
Looking at the various expressions on everyone's faces, Ai Yue felt somewhat helpless.
It's not unheard of for a Star God to find someone and want them to become its messenger, but this usually happens among travelers on the same path of destiny. In other words, the Aeon of Intellect will only choose travelers on the path of wisdom to become its messengers. Someone like Ai Yue, who isn't even a traveler on the path of destiny, would theoretically not encounter this kind of situation.
Of course, there are always exceptions—for example, the Aeon of Joy, Ah Ha, once did something similar.
"No, no, no, of course we don't doubt you, Mr. Ai Yue," March 7th was the first to react, shaking his head quickly with a slightly subtle expression on his face. "It's just, how should I put it... this matter sounds a bit too strange, we probably need a little more time to process it."
Dan Heng also asked from the side, "However, regardless of the reason, judging from your reaction, you probably refused?"
"It can't be called a rejection, after all, His intention wasn't that direct," Ai Yue replied calmly. "It's more accurate to say that after a friendly exchange, we reached some kind of consensus."
As for what this consensus is, judging from Ai Yue's performance, it is certainly not about choosing to become the Wisdom Envoy.
"Wait, I'm still curious," Vita said, raising her hand like a student trying to speak, "If the machine head was looking for you, why did it also glance at us?"
"It's not just you guys, I bet everyone who came out of the Solar System has been looked at by Himeko." Ai Yue glanced at Himeko beside him, then shrugged. "After all, Himeko can't be sure which one is me, so she can only use this method to investigate."
Ai Yue possesses power at the level of a Star God, yet he is not a Star God himself. His existence is unknown even to the Aeon of Intellect. Therefore, the only way to find Ai Yue is through this rather cumbersome method.
As for why the other party was able to locate the Solar System, Ai Yue guessed that it was probably related to the light he released when he ascended to a higher level. With this information, plus the recent events in the universe, it was not surprising that Boshizun was able to find the Solar System.
The only thing that's hard to understand is why the other party would personally "stake out" here and make such a big deal out of it.
"You mean, the Aeon of Intellect scanned everyone who came out of the Solar System just to find you?" March 7th explained, his expression immediately filled with reverence. "Wow, Brother Yue, that sounds so cool!"
"As expected of you, you don't even put the machine head in your eyes," Vita smiled with pride, then frowned slightly. "But, is this alright? Won't He be targeting you?"
"Of course I will," Ai Yue said casually, "But it doesn't matter anyway, since I'll have to go to Him sooner or later, this way it saves me trouble."
While this level of scanning allowed Ai Yue and Boshizun to communicate to some extent, the distance was too great, making it extremely inefficient. This is why Ai Yue's words sounded somewhat vague—because the message from Boshizun was indeed ambiguous, and he wasn't sure if the information he conveyed was accurate enough.
Fortunately, this wasn't a major problem, because he knew of a place where he could establish a relatively clear connection with the Boshizun.
Moreover, that was one of their next destinations.
"I don't think we need to worry too much. Among the many Star Gods, the Boshizun is considered relatively mild-mannered. He shouldn't resort to violence or coercion against Mr. Ai Yue." Seemingly noticing Vita's concerns, Himeko added, "However, it's best to keep this matter a secret, after all..."
She paused for a moment, then gave a helpless smile, "Those who walk the path of knowledge, more or less, all have a... how should I put it, a mental state that is somewhat different from ordinary people?"
She knew very well that if this matter spread, countless people would become interested in Ai Yue, and by then, it would probably involve more than just the intellectual travelers.
However, the only saving grace at present is that only the company and the Stellar Train are able to enter and exit the Solar System, and probably not many people can guess Boshizun's true intentions. In addition, similar incidents are unlikely to occur again, so the difficulty of blocking the news should not be too high.
There's no need to worry about confidentiality with the Stellar Train, so the only thing to consider is the situation with the company.
"Miss Himeko's words sound a bit strange," March 7th whispered to Dan Heng beside her. "It's like she's saying that all the Intellectual Walkers are mentally ill."
"Think of Emperor Rupert, who sparked the Omnic Wars, and then think of the geniuses we've encountered," Dan Heng nodded seriously. "I don't think Miss Himeko's judgment is entirely wrong."
On March 7th, as if remembering something, her expression suddenly became subtle. "Now that you mention it, it does seem to be true."
"Himeko. Himeko, I think you've misunderstood. I'm not worried about this guy being in any danger." Vita blinked, then looked away. "However, I agree with you. It's best to keep this a secret to avoid causing trouble."
Although Vita may seem to be just putting on a brave face, her biggest concern is not Ai Yue's personal safety, but rather the situation with Boshizun.
After all, Vita knew very well that Ai Yue was the kind of guy who would stop at nothing to eliminate any potential threat. Back then, in order to prevent "So" from targeting Earth one day, he was even willing to lower himself to ambush a weaker person (relative to Ai Yue). Oswald, who was recently targeted by Ai Yue, also illustrates this point.
So if the Boshizun becomes too difficult to deal with, and Ai Yue feels that this guy is a hidden danger, Vita really can't imagine what would happen in the universe.
"What kind of person do you take me for?" Ai Yue, of course, could see through Vita's gaze. He waved his hand. "Don't worry, this matter isn't that serious—but you, now that we've left the Solar System, shouldn't you get off the train too?"
Compared to the matter of Boshizun, Ai Yue is now more interested in why Vita insisted on hitchhiking. It's time for her to get off, and if she has other motives, they should be revealing themselves by now...
To everyone's surprise, Vita nodded and walked towards the carriage door without looking back. "That's true, then I'll be going now. Have fun, everyone!"
And so Ai Yue watched as Vita left the Stellar Train, then summoned the Star-Crosser Chaser and vanished in a streak of light, showing no sign of wanting to stay.
No, he's really gone?
Ai Yue stroked his chin, feeling a little like a clown—could it be that he had really misunderstood, and had actually been outsmarting thin air just now?
But what does Vita want?
"Wow, what a cool mecha!" March 7th lay on the edge of the bed, gazing in the direction Vita had gone, then looked at Ai Yue, "But speaking of which, since Miss Vita can leave the Solar System, why doesn't she come with us?"
"Vita has her own things to do," Ai Yue glanced out the window, making sure she had really left before looking away. "Besides, her personality isn't suited to staying on the train."
As the only person Ai Yue allowed to leave the Solar System, Vita is now more like a bait released by Ai Yue. He knows very well that in the current situation, countless eyes are watching the Solar System. Even with strict external defenses, it is inevitable that some people with special skills will try to infiltrate it.
However, if someone from our Solar System were to act ostentatiously in the universe under such circumstances, it would easily draw most of the attention. After all, compared to a heavily guarded galaxy, it is obviously easier to approach someone acting alone.
For Vita, dealing with all sorts of people with ulterior motives was one of her hobbies, so when Ai Yue approached her, Vita agreed without much hesitation.
However, Ai Yue was still bothered by Vita's insistence on hitchhiking and couldn't understand her purpose in doing so.
Just then, Pardo sent a message: "A company's spaceship is approaching, and some people on board want to visit the train. Are you allowed?"
The moment they heard the news, everyone else focused their attention on Ai Yue, because everyone knew that the company's contact at this time could only be because of Ai Yue.
"It seems to be about the Aeon of Intellect." Himeko even connected it to previous events, "The company must have already realized something."
Just as Himeko had predicted, as Pom-Pom opened the car door, a girl with short white hair quickly stepped inside. She looked around and soon spotted Ai Yue: "Mr. Ai Yue, you've finally decided to set off?"
After greeting Ai Yue, she turned to the other passengers on the train and briefly spoke to them, "Hello everyone, I'm from the company's strategic investment department. You can call me Topaz. I'm currently handling matters in the Solar System."
"Miss Topaz, hello." Himeko nodded, then stood up and gave Dan Heng and March 7th a look. "You two talk, we have other things to do."
Clearly, Himeko intended to leave Ai Yue and the other person some space to talk alone.
"No need, it's nothing particularly important," Ai Yue interrupted the three of them as they left, "Right, Topaz?"
Now that he was already on the Stellar Train, there were many things he could no longer hide from Himeko and the others. In that case, it was better to be honest from the start.
"It seems Mr. Ai Yue trusts you all very much, so I'll get straight to the point," Topaz nodded with a smile, then looked at Ai Yue, "Mr. Ai Yue, based on what we've gathered, shouldn't the Aeon of Intellect have already contacted you?"
"He really does check everyone one by one," Ai Yue said, knowing that Topaz and the others had encountered the same thing. He shook his head helplessly. "Luckily, things shouldn't have gotten out of hand."
"So it really is you they're looking for, Mr. Ai Yue." Topaz also gleaned the information he wanted from Ai Yue's implied meaning and nodded. "Rest assured, when this situation first arose, Lady Jade ordered all spaceships leaving the Solar System to remain stationary to prevent the news from leaking out."
At first, Jade and the others were also unsure what this sudden, large-scale "glimpse" was all about, but as everyone on every spaceship claimed to have seen the Boshizun, they realized that it seemed to be the Aeon of Intellect searching for someone.
As for who the Aeon of Intellect was targeting, Jade and the others quickly found the answer—the only one the Aeon of Intellect valued so much, even going so far as to personally come to search for, was Ai Yue.
Now, Topaz has confirmed this from Ai Yue's words.
At this moment, her gaze towards Ai Yue held even more reverence—although Topaz had long understood that Ai Yue possessed unimaginable power, that was only the part that Ai Yue himself had shown, and the rest could only be filled in by their own imagination.
But now, the personal descent of the Aeon of Intellect has clearly increased Ai Yue's prestige once again, even causing Jade and others to change their plans.
"For a company, there are plenty of ways to block information, right?" Ai Yue nodded, then looked at Topaz, "So you came here in person, there must be another reason?"
"I knew I couldn't hide it from you," Topaz paused for a moment, then nodded. "It's like this, regarding our previous plans, Lady Jade has decided to make some changes—perhaps inviting you to meet with Amber Lord first might yield unexpected results."
"I think I understand what she means." Ai Yue nodded, a look of understanding on his face. "But, has that matter been settled? Is the board of directors really that easy to talk to?"
"Of course not, the board's decision-making process is always very complex," Topaz shook his head, then gave a subtle look. "But this time their reaction was indeed very quick. I guess it's probably because your abilities are truly convincing."
The thought that Jade had just sent the video she recorded in the Solar System back to headquarters, and that the board's instructions were transmitted back in less than half an hour, made Topaz imagine how frantically the board must have assembled after seeing the content.
"Having a big fist really does have its advantages," Ai Yue said with a smile, then looked at Himeko and the others, "How about we go for a trip to Belobog first?"
"Huh?" March 7th, who hadn't understood a word the two were saying, finally realized what was going on and pointed at herself. "Is there anything else for us to do?"
Chapter Fourteen: Your internal struggles are so fierce!
After a brief discussion, the group quickly reached a consensus on Ai Yue's proposal.
"According to the rules, we should resupply after each exploration," Himeko said. "However, the resupply work has already been completed on Earth, so it doesn't seem necessary to follow the rules exactly."
In fact, according to general theory, the resources of the Solar System are somewhat scarce compared to other places in the universe. After all, it has always been in a closed state and never communicates with the outside world. Many things that are traded in the universe are not available in the Solar System.
Unfortunately, there is an unreasonable Ai Yue in the Solar System —no matter what the Stellar Train needs, Ai Yue can conjure it up for them. Even the "fuel problem" that the Stellar Train has long been unable to solve was completely resolved in Ai Yue's modification plan.
It's important to understand that the fuel that powers the Stellar Train isn't a conventional energy source, but rather the concept of "exploration." Whenever the Stellar Train on an exploration journey, it can convert this concept into energy to sustain its operation, making it a remarkably ingenious system.
In this way, as long as the exploration continues, the Stellar Train can keep running, greatly reducing the need for external resources and the shortcomings in terms of endurance.
However, this system has a rather subtle problem: once the Stellar Train's consumption exceeds the fuel conversion rate, it will easily face the problem of energy depletion. Although the Stellar Train's fuel reserves have always been above the safety line, they are only barely above it.
According to Himeko's calculations, if they stay on the journey for an extended period, their fuel reserves will quickly drop below the safety threshold, leading to an energy crisis for the Stellar Train.
This problem also means that the Stellar Train only stops briefly for a few days wherever it goes before setting off again, making it difficult for people to enjoy a longer stay.
As Ai Yue upgraded and modified the Stellar Train, the energy system also underwent tremendous changes. He not only found a way to improve the conversion rate of the current energy conversion system, but also added an extra backup fuel depot that could Power of Light to convert energy.
In this way, as long as Ai Yue is still on the train, the train will not have to worry about running out of fuel.
Of course, even without Ai Yue's modifications, the Stellar Train wouldn't need to worry about fuel for the time being—after all, the Solar System they've entered this time is a world that no Star God has ever touched before, and the "exploration index" brought by entering this star system is roughly equivalent to ten regular explorations.
"Belobog, I've heard it's a very prosperous planet, I've wanted to go see it for ages!" March 7th exclaimed excitedly, clutching her camera and already fantasizing about her upcoming journey. "I heard you can see the Amber Lord directly on the planet, is that true?"
"Of course... it's fake," Topaz said with a smile. "If Belobog were that close to the Amber Lord, he would probably have used it to build a wall long ago."
"I'm also very interested to see what this legendary cradle of dreams is really like." Dan Heng had already taken out his notebook and started taking notes. "So, shall we set off now?"
"Of course, but please understand, I cannot travel with you," Topaz, who was specifically left behind to handle negotiations with the Terran Alliance, could not leave yet, so he could only offer an apologetic smile. "I have already handed over the travel route and authorization to the Stellar Train. Once we arrive at Belobog, someone will naturally meet you."
After giving a brief explanation, Topaz left the train and returned to his spaceship. After confirming Belobog's coordinates, the Stellar Train quickly initiated another jump, transforming into a blue streak of light and disappearing from Topaz's sight.
Back on her own spaceship, the girl hugged her pet, gazing at the direction where the Stellar Train had disappeared, lost in thought for a long time, "I wonder how things are going with Lady Jade..."
What Topaz didn't know was that, to this day, the matter of Ai Yue had still not been resolved in the internal meetings of the Seven-person Board of Directors. The internal meetings were held every day, but the progress was minimal.
Keep in mind that they haven't even discussed whether to give Ai Yue a seat on the board yet, and things are already this heated. If they were to actually bring this issue to the table, who knows what kind of turmoil it would cause.
However, this is understandable. The impact of a strange and powerful being on the entire universe is immeasurable. Although the Interastral Peace Corporation is the largest economy in the observed universe, it is nothing more than a tiny existence in front of the Star God.
Now, a being resembling a star god wants to approach the company. Their primary concern is not what the company can gain from this, but whether the company can survive such contact.
Despite current indications suggesting that Ai Yue possesses strong humanity and high moral character, some still worry whether this means he also harbors the negative aspects hidden within human nature.
Therefore, to this day, the only thing that has been confirmed within the company is to invite Ai Yue to meet with Amber Lord —at least the board of directors has absolute confidence in Amber Lord's strength, and they firmly believe that this powerful being can stand as solid as a rock forever, until the end of the universe.
This meeting will also be a good way to test Ai Yue's true colors—if the other party is just a showy, pretentious person, then he will surely be exposed under the radiance of the Aeon of Preservation.
"So, you brought Ai Yue to Belobog before the board had fully agreed?"
Inside Jade's office, a mysterious phone call was taking place, "This is more radical than I imagined."
"Because this is indeed a good opportunity." The voice on the other end of the communication was very calm. Judging from the tone of his voice alone, it was hard to believe that this person could make a gamble even more reckless than that of Aventurine. "Oswald is dead, and there is a huge gap in the new generation of radicals. This is the best time for us to seize the initiative."
Although the board of directors can be viewed as a whole, through which all decisions are made, in reality, the Seven-person Board of Directors is not monolithic. As the company's business empire continues to expand, it has also been divided into three factions.
The "radicals" mentioned by the calm voice are a growing new force, represented by people like Oswald who are radical and ruthless in their actions, and who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. As the company continues to grow, their power can be said to be the strongest.
However, with the death of Oswald, who was currently the most promising candidate to join the board, this unstoppable growth momentum has clearly suffered a heavy blow.
The other, more conservative faction, consists of the "Amber Lord Supporters," who existed before the company's inception. As loyal followers of the Amber Lord, although they have somewhat declined under the expansion of the radical faction, they still control the company's most important departments.
The third faction is the neutral faction, which aims to balance the internal power of the company and ensure its steady development. They have no fixed stance and will only decide which side to vote for based on the company's long-term development and internal stability.
With Oswald's death and Ai Yue's arrival, they will inevitably have to re-examine everything within the company in order to determine their future development strategy.
"Even so, how can we get Mr. Ai Yue to see the Amber Lord?" Jade nodded slightly, acknowledging the other party's statement. "Within the entire company, only the fleet of the Building Materials Logistics Department has access to the Amber Lord. Without their support, Mr. Ai Yue can only reach Belobog at most."