So it was his?

"A stone?"

Shen Que's first thought was of those precious S+N-grade stones Pei Ji had bought.

"Not those!"

Demi threw caution to the wind and told Shen Que everything, from Pei Ji running off during the wedding to the Symbiotic Stone he had brought back.

Shen Que leaned against the doorframe, trying to concentrate on what she was saying.

His body was still exhausted from the heat that had just come over him, and he was not feeling particularly alert either.

At first, his eyes remained lowered, but as Demi spoke, his lashes slowly lifted.

A faint light flickered in his eyes.

"That stone... did you leave it at Dion's workshop to be worked on?"

There was a barely perceptible tremor in his voice.

Demi nodded repeatedly. "Yes!"

The Symbiotic Stone, shimmering with beautiful light, appeared in his mind.

[This stone is a gift from her master to his new spouse. It won't be sold to anyone else.]

So.

That Symbiotic Stone.

Was his?

"...Sir?" Demi's voice reached him.

Shen Que took a deep breath and straightened. "Anya, bring me a coat. We're going to the study."

Then he turned to Demi. "Tell me from the beginning. What exactly happened to my stone?"

The underground Golden Casino, in the desert district.

Exaggerated numerical effects burst across the flashing screens one after another, as dazzling as neon lights.

Sensuous, suggestive lighting fractured the gamblers' fields of vision.

Alcohol and tobacco fueled cheers and screams, along with faint, muffled moans.

Gabi had one arm hooked around a blond Omega while his other hand tossed a handful of chips onto the table.

The gorgeous dealer swept up the chips with a sweet smile. "Master Gabi raises by 2,000 Starcoins."

The pungent incense mingled with musky pheromones.

The Omega went limp all over, and Gabi's hand wandered over her. "Once I finish this round, I'll take you upstairs..."

The Omega did not seem to like his scent. She resisted slightly, dodging his hand in a pleading gesture.

Gabi's expression darkened. He seized the Omega's long blond hair and forced her face upward.

"Did I give you permission to resist?"

"You filthy little bitch! You eat my food, drink my liquor, and take my money. Who do you think you are?!"

He glanced at the blond hair between his fingers.

"If you didn't have a few things worth looking at, do you think I'd have picked you?!"

The Omega whimpered in pain. "Master, master, I was wrong..."

Hearing the commotion, the dealer who had just collected the chips came back. She leaned against the gambling table, trailed her fingertips over Gabi's shoulder, and lightly brushed his cheek.

"Why are you so angry today, master? Is it because... our little bird upset you?"

Holding the Omega by her hair, Gabi leaned close to her neck, sniffed, and bit down hard.

The Omega gave a soft cry. Under the dealer's warning gaze, she draped herself ingratiatingly over his knees like a sinuous snake.

Someone approached the opposite side of Gabi's table and pulled out an ornate armchair.

"Has the round started?" He propped his chin on his fingertips, watching the scene across the table with amusement.

The dealer circled around to him and hooked both arms around his neck.

"You missed this round, Lord Ling."

The gloom on Gabi's face vanished the instant he saw the bronze-skinned man opposite him.

He looked the handsome man up and down for a moment. "You're Lord Ling?"

Ling Yu smiled faintly and tossed an exquisitely wrapped chocolate onto the table.

The candy slid across the gambling table to Gabi.

Gabi paused. "What's this?"

"Something good to make you happy."

Gabi's expression tightened.

"Don't get the wrong idea." Ling Yu chuckled. "It's only candy, just... with a little added spice."

"A small gesture of goodwill." He twined his long silver earring around a finger. "Where's my item?"

Gabi put the candy away. "They were right. You really are easier to deal with than the others."

Ling Yu said, "Of course."

The rotund Alpha pulled a palm-sized parcel from behind him and pushed it toward Ling Yu.

Ling Yu lifted one corner of the wrapping, narrowed his eyes, and smiled in satisfaction.

Inside the study at the Fallen Star Palace.

Slightly pale, Shen Que sat wrapped in a thick blanket and quietly listened as the Little Maid finished her account.

"You mean people from the General Affairs Office took the Symbiotic Stone?"

"Yes!" Demi nodded. "The General Affairs Office's Trade Department."

"On what grounds?"

"They said the stone was smuggled, and they had all the paperwork and proof!"

"Did you see it?" Shen Que asked gravely.

Demi nodded. "Phil and I went to the General Affairs Office, and the people at the Market Trade Department showed us the documents. It's true! They even had the Ore Department's stamp on them!"

"It's outrageous," Phil said angrily. "The General practically turned into a water monkey for that stone, and then suddenly it belonged to the state!"

"They didn't know Pei Ji brought the ore back?"

Demi shook her head. "Madam Ai Fan hates waste. To avoid getting scolded by her, the General always has old Dion do the work anonymously. No one knew that Symbiotic Stone belonged to the General."

"And..."

Her voice grew softer.

"He wanted to surprise you, too."

Shen Que rubbed the Memory Stone against his chest.

Pei Ji might seem unreliable, but when he wanted to keep something secret, his lips were sealed tighter than a dead man's.

If he had let anything slip, it was probably that question during their earlier call: "What about you? Do you like it?"

But the Trade Department could not have seized the stone without a reason. They should not even have known that Symbiotic Stone existed.

Old Dion... from Shen Que's dealings with him, he was also a tight-lipped man.

Most likely, some noble had seen the Symbiotic Stone while having jewelry commissioned.

And had gotten ideas.

"Does the Trade Department often investigate smuggled goods?" Shen Que asked gravely.

"They do."

Demi nodded.

"The largest Black Market in the area operates in White Sand Star's desert district. Desert bandits often raid small mining bases and smuggle the ore into the Black Market to sell."

"According to the regulations, all ore circulating on the market has to be registered. The Trade Department conducts spot checks regularly, lists the ore without proper paperwork, and sends the list to the Ore Department for verification and stamping. Then they go confiscate it."

Phil said, "When Demi and I went to the Trade Department, the place was piled high with ore. It had all been seized today.

"We wanted to see the Symbiotic Stone, but the Trade Department chased us out, saying they couldn't give us special treatment or something..."

But Pei Ji's Symbiotic Stone had only been sent to be worked on. It had never circulated on the market, much less generated any profit.

No matter how he looked at it, it should not have been subject to registration.

A cold glint flashed through Shen Que's eyes.

"Go back and get some sleep," he instructed the maids. "Get a good rest."

"Tomorrow, we'll pay the Trade Department a visit."