Inside the President's Office on the top floor of the Devon Corporation.
Steven sat in the main guest chair, while Erika and Xia You sat on the same side. She quietly watched Xia You and Steven converse in low voices, occasionally joining in with a few words. The atmosphere in the office seemed relaxed and pleasant.
Steven was exceedingly polite, but he was not actually the sort to talk at length. Still, on an occasion like this, as the well-bred son of a wealthy family, he could also display his social finesse, attending to everyone's feelings. His conversation was clearly exceptional, and every gesture carried an unforced elegance.
Aside from the three of them, President Stone was the only other person in the office.
Kuroda had his own work to attend to, as well as the aftermath of the Team Aqua incident to deal with, so naturally, he could not stay with them the whole time. Stone, on the other hand, despite being the president, looked as though he had nothing to do. Sitting in his office chair some distance away, he watched them chat with a smile, seemingly very much hoping that a young, accomplished person like Xia You would become friends with his son.
Pushing the teacups toward the two of them, Steven said, "I've been traveling all over lately, collecting all kinds of stones. It was only by chance that I came back this time, wanting to bring the stones I'd collected to the company for research. I never expected to hear that something like this had happened the moment I walked through the door."
Erika could not help asking, "What kinds of stones are they, exactly?"
"They're all mysterious stones containing different powers," Steven said with a smile. "They're hidden in the mountains, in caves, and