Chapter 381

"What exactly do you want, sir?" After learning the situation, old Odie calmed down. "I think you're not here simply to destroy your family's business in Penacony, are you?"

Although the current situation was beyond Old Odie's expectations, he still keenly grasped the key point: Ai Yue's purpose should not be simply aimed at the family. Otherwise, he would not have needed to participate in this meeting at all. He could have just released the bombshell information he had to deal the heaviest blow to Penacony.

In other words, since Ai Yue is here, his family must need to do something for him.

"I don't want much. The achievements of the nameless individuals cannot be covered up, whether in the past or present," Ai Yue smiled and continued, "Similarly, since you intend to go public, then you should do it thoroughly and not deceive everyone."

"Then I'll be frank. 'Self-listing' is just a scheme to force the company to make concessions; it has no real possibility of being realized," Old Odie had gradually figured out Ai Yue's temperament and began to speak more bluntly. "But now it seems that even if we choose to make concessions, you will definitely spread the news, right?"

"Of course, I've said it before. As for the reason, it's quite simple," Ai Yue said calmly. "Penacony should no longer be a false dream of extravagance and debauchery. Since it's called 'Land of Dreams,' let it play its proper role."

"Just for something like this, you want to destroy the family's long-established business in Penacony? Your Excellency is being far too domineering." Old Odie sighed. "If you really insist on this, then what's the point of talking? I'll go back and have everyone pack their things and leave Penacony immediately!"

After saying this, Old Odie stood up to leave, while Ai Yue was in no hurry. He simply crossed his arms and leaned back on the sofa, watching the other's every move.

Sure enough, old Odie had only taken two steps when he turned back, revealing a pitiful expression. "Does Your Excellency really intend to torment this old man like this? Even now, you won't even give me a little something in return?"

He finally realized that the businessman's tricks were completely ineffective against the man in front of him, because the other party was at a height that Penacony could only look up to, and such an unequal meeting had been meaningless from the start.

It now seems that Penacony has no other choice but to obediently bow its head and accept all the conditions offered by the other party.

Realizing this, old Odie immediately changed his attitude and, without anyone offering him a way out, returned to the negotiating table as if nothing had happened.

"I'm just giving you a chance to start over. Does your family think that as long as you cover it up well, you won't have to pay the price?" Ai Yue watched as Old Odie bowed his head and returned to the table before continuing, "What, does Odie lack confidence in making a comeback under these circumstances?"

"I'm an old man now, what ambition do I have left? I just want to live a peaceful life, that's enough for me." Old Odie stroked his beard, adopting an expression of indifference to life and death. "Penacony's rise was a miracle, even if we started all over again, no one could replicate what he did back then."

"I didn't expect Mr. Odie to have seen things so clearly," Ai Yue shook his head slightly, revealing a regretful expression. "What a pity. I was thinking that facing a completely new dream that is many times larger than Penacony could ignite your entrepreneurial spirit."

"Ahem, but then again, since I, old Odie, was able to start from scratch and build such a huge empire, the future doesn't necessarily mean I can't succeed, right?" Hearing Ai Yue's words, old Odie immediately changed his tone, and his expression became serious. "Mr. Ai Yue, would you please elaborate?"

"Simply put, we all know that Penacony's dream is built upon a massive amount of Idrit leaking from the memory domain, but the total amount of Idrit is ultimately limited, which also restricts the scale of Penacony," Ai Yue said with a smile. "The Oak Family was able to expand Great One's Dream to the size of the Asdener Star System with the help of the power of the 'Star Core,' but I can do the same thing without relying on those messy things."

"Imagine a dreamscape truly on the scale of the Asdener Star System, open to the entire universe, welcoming any ambitious individual to explore it—only then can it truly be considered a land of dreams, right?"

As Ai Yue spoke, he gazed at the old man before him. "While the family may lose the original wealth of Penacony, it is not destitute. In this entirely new dream realm, you possess rich experience in Dreamscape Pioneering. Are you really going to fall behind those newcomers?"

"Heh heh, this really is..." Old Odie closed his eyes, seemingly imagining such a grand scene, or perhaps just to hide his emotions from others. After a moment, he slowly spoke, "A scene that's hard to refuse."

"If you are willing to cooperate, then your family will still have a place in the new Penacony," Ai Yue added at this moment. "But if you insist on going your own way, then I will expel every single one of your family's forces in the Asdener Star System —believe me, I can absolutely do it."

"It seems we have no other choice." Old Odie opened his eyes and looked at Ai Yue again. At this moment, his eyes were sharp and his expression was serious, as if he had returned to the era when he was ambitious and pioneering in the dream world. "But how can I believe that everything you have said is true?"

"Which part do you suspect? The ownership of Penacony, or the expansion of the dream's scale?" Ai Yue raised an eyebrow. "How about I demonstrate right now how to eject all the family members from the dream and make sure you can never come back?"

"I don't think that's necessary," Old Odie quickly said. "But, Mr. Ai Yue, words are not enough. You should at least show me something so that I can convince others when I get back."

"It seems Mr. Odie has agreed?" Ai Yue smiled, then looked behind Odie. "In that case, I can't be too stingy, can I?"

Old Odie followed Ai Yue's gaze and looked back, only to find a member of the Clover family running towards them, panting and coughing, with a mixture of surprise and shock on his face.

"Master, you must see this!" He walked to Old Odie's side, trying to lower his voice, but it still couldn't escape the ears of everyone present. "The dream explorers just sent a message that the border of Penacony has suddenly expanded countless times! Preliminary surveys indicate that it has expanded to an area equivalent to at least ten Penacony!"

Old Odie just stared blankly at Ai Yue, saying nothing more.

And so the meeting ended without any controversy—in exchange of revealing the facts and relinquishing part of their foundation, the family gained priority in developing the new Dreamland. They would cooperate with the company to jointly develop and operate the Dreamland under the name "New Penacony," while monitoring each other to ensure that the tragedy of the past would not be repeated.

In this process, Stellar Train will also join as an "independent director" and hold 10% of the shares in "New Penacony," in recognition of the sacrifices and contributions made by the nameless travelers in history to the land of dreams.

At the same time, families and companies can also use the "pioneering" path of the Stellar Train to promote themselves and attract more people to explore this brand-new dreamland.

At that time, wisdom, the Hunt, memory, abundance, joy... and even more of the forces of destiny will converge here, truly making this dreamland a "land of dreams" where everyone has the opportunity to realize their ambitions.

"As expected of Mr. Ai Yue, every move he makes is so awe-inspiring."

After the meeting, Old Odie and his entourage left first, leaving only the company and train staff behind to rest and chat.

Recalling what had just happened, Jade couldn't help but sigh, "Penacony's current scale is already enough to give birth to the 'Grand Gathering Star,' which the entire galaxy yearns for. When this dream reaches the scale of a galaxy, what kind of dreams will it be able to hatch? Just thinking about it makes me look forward to it."

"So, even if the family's business in Penacony is completely overturned, as long as they don't lose their ability to explore the dream world, they can quickly reclaim everything they've lost in the new dream world, and even reach a higher level," Topaz continued to calculate. "It seems like they've actually benefited from this misfortune."

"Taking control of Penacony from Xipe always requires some concessions, otherwise it would be robbery," Ai Yue shrugged. "However, pioneering the Dream Realm always requires experienced people to lead the way and set an example for others. No one but the family is capable of this position."

"Speaking of which, I was just about to ask," Topaz and Jade exchanged a glance after hearing Ai Yue mention the name of the Harmony Star God, before asking, "Mr. Ai Yue, are all the things you said before true?"

"When have I ever lied?" Ai Yue retorted, then raised an eyebrow. "But which part are you concerned about? My negotiations with Xipe? Or the ownership of the Penacony Dream?"

"We... we're all quite concerned."

"It's a pity I can't tell you the specifics," Ai Yue said with a smile. "But that doesn't matter, right?"

Seeing that Topaz and Jade wisely refrained from pressing the matter, Ai Yue then shifted his gaze.

Actually, there's nothing to hide about this matter; it's just too troublesome to explain, so Ai Yue is a bit too lazy to talk about it.

From the moment Ai Yue and Sunday reached an agreement to remain on the sidelines, he had already begun secretly exploring the dream world and even the entire Asdener Star System, all in order to analyze the power of harmony and order and lay the foundation for what would happen next.

When Sunday finally brought the power of the star core to life, causing the "Qi Xiang Choir" to materialize in the dream, Ai Yue took the opportunity to contact Xipe, who was watching the play.

Yes, Xipe had known about this for a long time, but he did not interfere. As for the reason, Ai Yue did not know. But in any case, he not only contacted Xipe through Sunday's actions, but also took this opportunity to come into contact with the power of the Order Destiny.

Incidentally, control of Penacony and even the entire Asdener Star System was actually given to Ai Yue by Xipe as a gift. If Hipe hadn't voluntarily withdrawn, Ai Yue wouldn't have been able to completely control this dream world so easily.

After all, the family's long-term operation here has long since instilled the power of "Tongxie" into Penacony. Even Ai Yue would have to put in a lot of effort to seize control of Penacony under Tongxie's rules.

Unexpectedly, Xipe handed it over so easily in the end, and it's unknown how the family will react when they find out.

Of course, Xipe wasn't entirely without conditions. In exchange, the family had to maintain a place in the new dream world. So when Ai Yue said he would "drive out every single member of the family," he was actually just trying to scare Old Odie. Fortunately, the old man was too disoriented to notice.

Regardless, under his own control, Penacony's future will inevitably no longer develop according to the family's wishes. As more and more forces are involved, it is destined that this place will no longer be that false dream.

In that case, shouldn't we also invite the people of the Solar System to come and get a share of the profits?

Chapter Seventy-Seven: Treatment Begins Within Five Seconds of Meeting

The Idrit matter is indeed worth studying.

When Ai Yue first came into contact with this thing, he thought it was the same thing as the spiritual realm he had studied before, just with a different name. But as he delved deeper into the analysis of dreams, he gradually realized that they seemed to be two completely different things.

However, this thing has a relatively low priority in Ai Yue's current research plan, so Ai Yue is thinking about whether to call the people of the Solar System over to open a branch mine here - after all, strictly speaking, Penacony can already be considered his private property, and there is no reason not to give his own people a piece of land.

After all, this place is quite suitable as a window to showcase the depth of civilization to the outside world. Now that the Solar System has just connected with the Milky Way, it is a good opportunity to make contact with more civilizations through this channel.

However, when he tried to contact the other side of the Solar System, he received an unexpected reply.

"I'm too busy, brother! I'm really overwhelmed!" This time, he couldn't even get in touch with Mobius. After searching around, the only person who responded was Vill-V. "If you want to find someone to go to that Penacony, I'm afraid you'll have to wait a while longer!"

"What's going on? What's happening on Earth?" Ai Yue immediately tensed up, searching his mind for any unusual events that might have kept everyone tied up. "Should I go back?"

Could it be that "people from outer space" have arrived? No, those guys don't need so many people; a few second-generation Fused Warrior would have been enough to take care of them.

What happened on Mars? But that matter is Schicksal's responsibility. With Kiana and the others there, they can't possibly fail to handle it, right?

Does this mean it's connected to the Honkai Impact 2 timeline?

Just as Ai Yue was beginning to envision Earth turning into a crematorium, Vill-V's reply reassured him considerably, "It won't come to that. If you come back, everyone will have nothing to do again."

"It doesn't sound like any crisis has occurred," Ai Yue breathed a slight sigh of relief, but then became curious again, "Then what could be so busy over there?"

"A huge mess has happened at the Abyssal Eye, and everyone's busy dealing with the Sea of Quantum right now. Not to mention Flame-Chasers, even the second-generation Fused Warrior have been sent out," Vill-V explained vaguely. "If you're looking for someone who can keep things under control right now, Adam is the only one left on Earth to choose from."

Ai Yue was speechless. As everyone knows, Adam, as Dr. Mei and Kevin's child, couldn't possibly be older than five years old, even counting from the time of conception. He's not even old enough to start elementary school. Even if he's born extraordinary, Ai Yue would never let a child take on this kind of responsibility.

However, he only hesitated for a moment on that sentence before being drawn to Vill-V's previous question, "What is the Abyssal Eye doing? Could it be that the land reclamation project has been launched?"

The land reclamation project was a future direction set forth by Ai Yue when he built the Abyssal Eye. In this project, they will gradually establish stable "land" in the Sea of Quantum, thereby gradually changing the chaotic nature of the Sea of Quantum itself.

However, based on Ai Yue's understanding of the Abyssal Eye's growth rate, they shouldn't have grown to the point where they could execute this plan at this time.

However, Vill-V's answer also explained why Ai Yue couldn't contact the others— the Abyssal Eye is already separated from the real world by a layer, and if you include the Sea of Quantum, the difference is even greater. Given such a vast distance, it's quite normal that they couldn't make contact.

"It's a preliminary plan for the land reclamation project... a preliminary plan for the land reclamation project." Vill-V sighed. "There's no way around it, that's how it is for us mediocre people. We have to lay several layers of groundwork before we can even reach the threshold of genius."

"Don't act like you're so pitiful. The land reclamation project is the ultimate goal of the Abyssal Eye, so it's normal for it to be difficult." Ai Yue couldn't help but smile mischievously when he heard Vill-V's affected words. "But you, I heard the Machine Head contacted you? What position did He offer you?"

"You found out? That Mobius guy is really unreliable!" Vill-V was stunned for a moment, then began to complain, "Heaven and earth bear witness, I didn't accept his invitation! What Genius Club? A single stick of Star of Light is much better!"

"There's no need to put it that way, but right now the machine head probably doesn't have time for you, so refusing isn't necessarily a mistake." Ai Yue steered the conversation back on track. "But it seems you weren't involved in this project?"

"I'll handle the logistics and make sure the orders are completed on time and to the required standard. There's no need for me to go in personally," Vill-V replied lazily. Ai Yue could even picture her lounging on the table, looking completely nonchalant. "Besides, my fortifications aren't finished yet. How can I just abandon them?"

"Not finished yet?" Ai Yue couldn't help but feel a headache coming on when he thought of Vill-V's outrageous plan to turn all the planets in the Solar System into weapons. "You're not going to wreak havoc on every single planet in the Solar System, are you?"

"Of course not," Vill-V laughed heartily. "But the territory we control now extends far beyond the Solar System, so naturally, my defenses need to be expanded outwards."

"If you continue like this, I seriously doubt what kind of image the Solar System civilization will have in the eyes of other powers," Ai Yue shook his head and sighed. "That's enough. Isn't it time you got tired of this kind of thing?"

"That's true, but it's really hard to find someone like me useful in peacetime," Vill-V said with a hint of helplessness. "I've thought about doing something else, but all my plans have been rejected by that girl May—it's infuriating! She's practically retired, yet she still insists on cutting off my research funding!"

"The resources of the Solar System are also limited. Without reviewing them, who knows what you'll do with them?" Ai Yue shook his head, then suddenly thought of something. "Speaking of which, I know a place that would be perfect for you. How about we arrange for you to be a diplomat there?"

There is indeed no war in the Solar System now, but the situation is different on the Immortal Ship. It not only has to face the revitalized Abundance People, but also has to fight against the Antimatter Legion. Obviously, it urgently needs someone who can provide high-quality weapons.

"We'll have to wait until things are settled in the Sea of Quantum. I'm a key figure responsible for protecting the entire Solar System, okay?" Vill-V didn't press further, but she didn't intend to refuse either. "Oh, by the way, should we inform May and the others about the Penacony situation? Maybe they can bring Aponia back."

"No rush, let's wait until the Abyssal Eye is finished," Ai Yue said, clearly having a new idea. "Also, remember to tell them to be cautious. It's too risky to invest too much resources in this. If the plan fails, that's a minor issue; if people get caught up in it, it will be a huge loss."

"Don't worry, that guy named So is a hundred times more cautious than you. Do you think all those people were transferred there to recklessly charge ahead? Actually, they're all there as backup plans for her." Vill-V smiled. "Speaking of which, that guy is really diligent. I heard he's never taken a single day off. Can you find me one of those useful guys too?"

"You're not incapable of making Artificial Intelligence, why don't you just create one yourself?" Ai Yue couldn't help but roll his eyes. "It was once a false god, after all. Do you think it's like a cabbage on the roadside, coming everywhere..."

Ai Yue suddenly stopped halfway through his speech, then looked thoughtful.

He suddenly thought of Phantylia, whom he had been keeping under his control—in a sense, shouldn't Great Extinguisher and Suo be considered to be on the same level?

But he quickly rejected these nonsensical ideas.

What a joke! Vill-V is already a troublemaker, and if you put her and Phantylia together, even if you brainwash Phantylia, Ai Yue has reason to suspect that these two could cause something on par with the Cosmic Plague and the Emperor War.

Not to mention that Phantylia has other uses in his hands, so naturally he can't hand him over to Vill-V.

Unfortunately, Vill-V had already sensed something from Ai Yue's suspicious pause. "I mean, you don't actually have one, do you?"

"I don't have any on hand, but the universe is so vast, maybe one day I'll come across a suitable one and I can consider catching one for you alive." Ai Yue casually made up an excuse to brush it off, "But the premise is that you have to behave yourself and not cause me any trouble."

"That makes it sound like I'm a real handful," Vill-V muttered, but didn't dwell on it any longer. "Alright, alright, since there's no rush, let's leave it at that for now. I still need to tighten screws on the assembly line."

"You're making it sound so real," Ai Yue said, too lazy to expose her little scheme. "Fine, just remember to tell Mei and the others to take a break after you've finished what you're doing and wait for my message."

With the Penacony affair nearing its end, Ai Yue also had to start thinking about the next stop on the train.

This time, however, was different from all the previous ones—because, apart from knowing that the train's next stop was a closed world called "Onfaros," Ai Yue knew nothing else.

Yes, the experience we've relied on for so long ends here, after all, the game had only been updated to this point before he came into this world.

Strictly speaking, even the Penacony storyline wasn't finished at the time. Ai Yue vaguely remembered that there was a conspiracy about the fate of reproduction hidden behind it, but to this day, no trace of the swarm has been found.

After ending his communication with Vill-V, Ai Yue returned to the dream world and appeared on the Huichangshi. The people there were still immersed in their decadent lifestyle and did not notice that there was an extra person next to them.

However, Ai Yue soon felt a pair of eyes staring at him. He looked in the direction he felt and saw a red figure disappearing into the crowd.

"I've found you!" In the blink of an eye, a familiar voice came from behind Ai Yue, "I was wondering why you haven't appeared in my dreams, Ai Yue?"

That deliberately sweet voice—only Spark could probably produce it.

"You need something?" Ai Yue wasn't surprised by Spark's appearance, after all, she played a very important role in the dream. "Let me make this clear beforehand, I'm not going to play any pranks for you unless you offer something in return."

"Oh dear, this is so boring," Spark's face showed obvious disappointment, but it was quickly masked by her signature smile. "But you did remind me..."

As she spoke, she whispered something in Ai Yue's ear, causing him to look somewhat surprised. "It's possible... but are you sure you want to use your promise here?"

"Of course, what could be more important than having fun?" Spark nodded without hesitation, a hopeful smile on her face. "Wow, I never imagined that the biggest obstacle in our plan could be eliminated in this way! This is fantastic!"

Then, Spark suddenly looked around, followed by a subtle smile, "Looks like someone's looking for you. I'll be going now—don't forget what you promised me!"

After saying that, Spark skipped and hopped away into the crowd, just as she brushed past another figure looking around.

The gray-haired girl looked around the hall and quickly spotted Ai Yue: "Ah, here he is!"

She shouted as she rushed towards Ai Yue, grabbing his hand and trying to pull him outside. "Quick, quick, Brother Yue, saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda!"

Knowing what the other person was talking about, Ai Yue did not resist and let them drag him to a private rest room.

And here, a seemingly frail young girl was waiting anxiously.

"Don't be nervous, Flowing Firefly. I've met the person A Xing mentioned. He's a very easygoing big shot." Beside her, a small virtual projection was playing a game while chewing bubble gum. "Given his personality, plus A Xing's connection, and that wicked woman's relationship, he wouldn't just stand by and watch you die."

"It's not that I'm worried about that, it's just... if all of this comes true, what will I have to give up?" The girl shook her head slightly, saying with some hesitation, "I just went to see the owner of 'Jade Tender,' and even she couldn't grant my wish... or rather, I'm not worth making her do it."

"Don't pay too much attention to what that old woman from the company said. They're all like that, always talking about profit and value, like those are the only things left in the world," the virtual projector said seriously, putting away its game console. "Don't worry, that one is different, he..."

Halfway through his sentence, the virtual projection suddenly vanished completely. "Oh dear, they've arrived. I'll be going now!"

"Silver Wolf?"

The girl called Flowing Firefly paused for a moment, clearly not expecting the other person to run away before she could finish speaking. But there was no point in dwelling on it now, so the girl could only stand up and tidy herself up again, hoping to leave a good impression.

She had just straightened her skirt when the door was impatiently flung open, and a gray-haired girl pulled a stranger into the room. "This is it, Brother Yue!"