Topaz's thoughts were not particularly complex.
The Xianzhou Alliance was a good civilization, Yu Xian was a good person, and the time she had spent on this business trip to the Luofu and interacting with him had been genuinely enjoyable.
Especially since she had the rare opportunity to personally meet a legendary Masked Fool like Yu Xian—someone completely different from the others, who seemed driven only by capricious amusement and operated without discernible rules. He was a legend who, much like a steadfast city-builder, had consistently extended aid to others.
Having witnessed Yu Xian's unique demeanor and finding herself gradually drawn to him, a small, persistent wish had quietly taken root in Topaz's heart.
If only I could continue working with Yu Xian in the future, how wonderful that would be.
No matter how high her position might rise, no matter how far she traveled on her path of debt collection and how much of humanity's darker facets she witnessed along the way, there was no denying that Topaz was still a young woman at heart.
She still cherished innocent hopes, and she earnestly believed they could come true.
"After all, the Xianzhou Alliance and the Corporation have always maintained amicable relations. This time, the Corporation specifically assigned me to liaise with the Xianzhou and discuss cooperation. I wasn't even originally responsible for this kind of duty, which suggests they intend for me to take on related responsibilities going forward..."
Wait, didn't that mean she might continue with this assignment? That she would have more opportunities to communicate and interact with the Xianzhou?
If so, then she would likely be able to collaborate more with Yu Xian as well.
Topaz considered that, given the current trajectory, this future seemed highly probable. So, she could allow herself to look forward to it, right?
It was simply unthinkable that immediately after she and Yu Xian signed the agreement, the relationship between the Xianzhou Alliance and the IPC would deteriorate to the point of irreparable breakdown, right?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible!
The moment such an absurd notion crossed her mind, Topaz dismissed it instantly, inwardly chiding herself for entertaining such an unrealistic scenario.
No matter what, the Corporation would never turn against a market as vast as the Xianzhou Alliance. Who, after all, didn't appreciate a steady flow of credits?
Hahaha—
…
In the days that followed, Yu Xian dedicated himself to attending to Topaz with meticulous care. Having learned his lesson from the incident where he accidentally over-served her, he was careful to avoid any further missteps.
Of course, during their formal negotiations, there were moments of strategic push and pull, but the overall outcome was mutually satisfactory.
Representing the Luofu Xianzhou and the Interastral Peace Corporation respectively, the two signed a comprehensive friendly agreement. The Luofu committed to broadening market access for the Corporation, encouraging the inflow of corporate goods, capital, and business entities—
…while providing supportive tariff measures. In return, the Corporation pledged to extend reciprocal treatment to the Luofu Xianzhou.
Furthermore, at Yu Xian's insistence, the Corporation made an additional commitment: should the Luofu Xianzhou face invasion by external forces within the next century, the IPC would deploy military assistance in its defense.
With such favorable results from the negotiations, it could truly be said that all parties were pleased.
Thus, after several largely pleasant days, Yu Xian finally saw Topaz off at her return spacecraft, marking the successful conclusion of his assignment.
As the hatch of the vessel, emblazoned with the distinctive IPC logo, hissed open, Topaz stood at the threshold and suddenly turned to look back at Yu Xian.
A timely breeze stirred, causing her chin-length hair to flutter and her short cape to sway gently. Her eyes held a complex, shimmering emotion.
"Mr. Yu Xian, thank you for your gracious hospitality over these past few days," Topaz called out to him.
"These negotiations were truly stimulating. It seems you are quite adept at the bargaining table as well..."
"I hope we have the opportunity for another such pleasant exchange in the future! It's fortunate I've already added you as a contact. Let's be sure to keep in touch! Well then, farewell~"
Topaz's figure gradually receded into the ship's interior. Soon after, the spacecraft itself shrank in Yu Xian's field of vision until it became a mere speck and finally vanished into the depths of space.
Only after confirming Topaz's departure did Yu Xian finally allow himself to exhale fully.
"Phew… Even though Topaz comes across as quite approachable in daily life, I really didn't expect—or perhaps I should have known…"
Yu Xian murmured to himself.
"When Topaz gets serious during negotiations, she becomes remarkably formidable."
She had behaved with such apparent admiration and deference that Yu Xian had occasionally wondered if she might secretly offer him concessions at the table…
Reality, however, proved otherwise. In the negotiation chamber, Topaz transformed into a different persona—precise, unyielding, and sharply analytical, the very epitome of a seasoned corporate executive.
But still, Topaz, huh?
Yu Xian's gaze lifted once more toward the vanished direction of the ship, then dropped to his phone. Topaz's name now resided securely in his contact list.
He gave a slight shake of his head, yet a faint, involuntary smile touched the corner of his mouth.
That woman really is something else.
Next time we meet, I'll have to treat her to a proper meal—
Oh, right.
Yu Xian suddenly recalled.
Miss Topaz, I've duly noted your low alcohol tolerance I won't let you touch a drop next time I host you. Juice it will be.
I certainly won't allow a repeat of that… memorable evening.
A quiet sense of anticipation settled within Yu Xian as he looked forward to their next encounter.
…
Thereafter, Yu Xian entered a period of tranquil routine—so tranquil it felt almost unnatural to him. After all, he hadn't forgotten the corporate secret Topaz had inadvertently disclosed not long ago.
Somehow, the IPC had acquired technology related to Imaginary Collapse Pulses. Yet for two years, they had managed to conceal a breakthrough of such magnitude completely, without even a whisper of public announcement—
Something about that felt profoundly wrong, Yu Xian thought.
When he relayed this information to Fu Xuan, she immediately sensed the anomaly. Was the Interastral Peace Corporation, perhaps, quietly preparing for some earth-shattering, ruthless maneuver?
Fu Xuan promptly attempted a divination.
With too little concrete information and the matter entangled with too many variables, her divination failed to yield a clear result.
Then again, wasn't Fu Xuan's divination notoriously unreliable for major events? For trivial matters, she could be omniscient; for affairs of great consequence, her visions often remained obscured…
Yu Xian had grown accustomed to this pattern.
In any case, standard procedure followed. Fu Xuan reported the intelligence to Jing Yuan, who convened a meeting of the Luofu's Six Chariots for discussion before escalating the matter to Marshal Hua. The Marshal then held a high-level council with Xuling, after which it was decided to pass the information to the Yuque Xianzhou.
Currently, it was said the message had reached General Jiaoguang of Yuque. Her Excellency had activated the Ten Directions Illuminating Dharmadhatu to conduct a divination. The results were expected in approximately three days.
Regarding this, Yu Xian could only offer a resigned thought: let it be.
Based on his extensive simulation experience, a significant event was almost certain to occur within these three days. If nothing happened, he would wash his hair standing on his head!
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A/n: Hey over on my patreon there are currently two for the time being exclusive books which are
Zenless Zone Zero: Loving Daily Life Starting in New Eridu
Honkai Impact 3rd, I Can Transform into a Valkyrie!
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