vivo's 500,000 Credits

The night was as cool as water.

Bai Heng recounted his seven-day experience on the Xianzhou to Ruan Mei, naturally omitting any mention of Jingliu throughout the entire process.

After the pleasantries were exchanged, Ruan Mei broached the main topic.

Namely, the academic exchange meeting scheduled for tomorrow.

In her words, the academic exchange meeting was merely a facade.

If the sole purpose was to attend this academic exchange meeting, she wouldn't have needed to come to Punklorde in person.

Even staying in her own laboratory, she could have participated in the forum held on the Interastral Network.

Her true intention in coming here was actually for the auction following the academic forum.

Reportedly, the anonymous organizer of that auction had several artifacts of special significance in their collection.

Although the other party hadn't revealed specific information about those artifacts, the fact that they had garnered the attention of the Genius Society was enough to guarantee the authenticity and value of the auction.

The next day, in the auditorium converted from the hundredth floor of the Bololorenz Grand Hotel.

Ruan Mei was organizing the papers on her tablet.

The girl with chestnut-silver hair elegantly crossed her legs, leaned back in her exclusive seat, and gritted her teeth, saying:

"Ruan Mei, now I know why you stood me up yesterday. It was for this guy."

Herta's gaze fell on Bai Heng, who was chugging milk tea.

Her purplish-red eyes held both anger and amusement.

"Want a cup?" Bai Heng had two unopened cups of milk tea beside him, and he casually picked one up.

"I don't need it." Herta tossed her chestnut-silver hair and said coldly, clearly still upset.

Since she said she didn't want it, Bai Heng ignored her and continued to chug his milk tea while observing the venue of the academic forum.

To be honest, he hadn't expected even Herta to attend this event.

Even if it was just one of her mass-produced puppets.

Meanwhile, Ruan Mei finished organizing her materials and naturally sat down to Bai Heng's right, then selected one of the two milk teas, the almond osmanthus flavor.

Seeing this, Herta turned her head and said to Ruan Mei:

"Why do you get to pick first?"

"Didn't you say you didn't want it?" Ruan Mei calmly retorted, her gaze like she was looking at a grumpy kitten.

Although it was a bit undignified for two members of the Genius Society to argue over milk tea, it was indeed happening.

But at its core, Herta was still upset about Ruan Mei standing her up yesterday.

After Ruan Mei chose a cup of milk tea, Herta naturally didn't want to choose the one she left behind.

So, she raised her hand.

A bodyguard in a black leather jacket walked to her side and asked:

"Ms. Herta, what do you need?"

Herta rested her chin on her hand, raised her delicate face, and said:

"Buy out all the milk tea and dessert shops near the Bololorenz Grand Hotel, then bring the milk tea here for me to choose from one by one."

"Yes, Ms. Herta."

When she said this, Herta deliberately emphasized the last few words.

"You're so bored," Ruan Mei commented blandly.

"I'm enjoying myself."

A quarter of an hour later, several bodyguards brought all kinds of milk tea and desserts and placed them in front of Herta.

Watching this scene unfold, Bai Heng bit his milk tea straw and said:

"Herta, so that's how Topaz's frozen astronomical bill at the Space Station came about last time."

To Bai Heng's words, Herta snorted coldly:

"Just a few milk tea shops. The money spent to buy them doesn't even compare to the expenses consumed by the Simulated Universe running for three seconds."

Bai Heng gave a thumbs up:

"Wow, rich lady, 500,000 credit points prove your strength."

"Alright," a smile appeared on Herta's delicate face. "If you can kick Ruan Mei away with one foot, then shout 'Long live Ms. Herta,' and voluntarily become my research subject, I might consider it."

"Also, this puppet only bears a seven-tenth resemblance to me when I was young. If you agree, I might let you see my true face."

Bai Heng sucked on his milk tea and said:

"No interest."

Herta glanced at Bai Heng's foot, which was being stepped on by Ruan Mei, and said:

"Hmph, you're such a hypocrite."

At that moment, Ruan Mei suddenly said, seemingly out of the blue:

"I have a photo with Herta's real body."

"Hey, Ruan Mei, that's cheating!" Herta's slender eyelashes fluttered, her tone changing.

Ruan Mei smiled faintly:

"You were the one who broke the rules first."

Sensing the increasingly tense atmosphere between the two, Bai Heng could only lower his head and chug his drink, pondering.

What is this? A rehearsal for a shura field?

Time flew by, and the opening of the academic forum arrived.

Inside the long-silent venue, the boundary between reality and illusion began to blur.

Particle projections appeared throughout the venue.

However, if anyone were to look around, they might notice three figures in the exclusive seats on the second floor, each holding a milk tea in perfect synchronization.

In about three minutes, the once-empty venue was filled with particle projections.

Many big names in academia, as well as representatives from organizations with reputations throughout the universe, such as the Genius Society, the Erudition Society, and the Interastral Astronomical Society, had sent people to attend.

"I'll go up and prepare," Ruan Mei said to Bai Heng in a soft voice.

"Mm," he replied.

Ruan Mei would be the first academic speaker to kick off the forum.

Each to their own expertise; Bai Heng didn't understand Ruan Mei's research.

But watching her, so elegant and refined in the center of the venue, her every gesture exuding grace and poise, Bai Heng suddenly felt a sense of pride, like the man behind a wealthy woman.

After the experimental report on resurrecting a "The Propagation" Emissary was presented, Bai Heng joined the audience in applauding.

However, a small interlude occurred during the question-and-answer session that followed.

A reporter from the Interastral Peace Weekly, following the normal procedure, asked a question after Ruan Mei's presentation.

Ruan Mei answered his question with ease and grace.

But after that, the reporter suddenly rubbed his nose and smiled a little embarrassedly:

"Ms. Ruan Mei, your academic achievements in the field of life science are obvious to all throughout the universe, and there is no doubt about that. But I actually have another question today; if it's convenient for you, could I take up a little of your time?"

Ruan Mei's eyes narrowed slightly, and she said:

"Please ask."

The reporter seized the opportunity and asked:

"My question may involve your personal privacy, and you can choose to ignore it if you don't want to answer. In my eyes, Ms. Ruan Mei, your beauty is as unparalleled as your wisdom, so I imagine you must have many admirers around you."

"So I would like to know, do you currently have someone you are fond of? And if so, are they here today watching your speech?"