Sylvia still remembered the plot. After Topaz had dealt with the Jarilo-VI situation, back when she got chewed out, Aventurine had finally told her a decision had been reached regarding Penacony.
Right now, Stelle was still in the Aurum Alley every day, putting in the work with that Cycrane game. The Astral Express was also still docked at the Luofu, the Xianzhou flagship.
Clearly, the Jarilo thing hadn't happened yet.
If this had been any later, the intel she had might have lost a lot of its value. But at this moment in time, it was probably just perfect.
These thoughts circled in her mind.
Sylvia rubbed her chin and pressed the answer button.
"Hello again, Miss Sylvia. It's a relief to see you safe and sound."
Topaz's projection appeared before her, giving a slight nod. Her expression looked genuinely pleased for Sylvia.
"Thanks for your concern, Miss Topaz."
Sylvia smiled, in no hurry to get down to business.
Topaz observed Sylvia's calm demeanor.
At the very least, this confirmed one thing: that so-called "death" within the dream wasn't true death.
Or, at the very least, it wasn't an absolute dead end. Otherwise, Sylvia wouldn't be standing here greeting her.
So, what exactly Sylvia had experienced after that was what really mattered.
In fact, the main reason Topaz was contacting her now was to fish for information. The matter concerning the planet Separius had, for the moment, taken a backseat.
Diamond was still deliberating on who to put in charge of the Penacony situation.
The record of Topaz's previous call with Sylvia essentially corroborated some of the intel the Corporation had gathered.
Her colleagues all thought she'd stumbled into a lucky break—landing this kind of evidence at such a critical moment.
There was no doubt she'd made a contribution.
Regardless of whether the Penacony project ended up in her hands, this merit was already locked in.
If the plan to reclaim Penacony went smoothly, she might even get a promotion. And all this credit came from a couple of old bad debts Topaz, in her good-natured way, had fished out of the dumpster.
Every other colleague, upon learning the whole story, sighed at how only someone like Topaz could stumble onto such good fortune.
After all, none of them were particularly keen on digging into deals that clearly weren't profitable from the start.
Topaz watched Sylvia, then said with practiced casualness, "I don't suppose you'd mind sharing what you experienced after that, and how you're doing now? I can recommend some excellent psychological counselors, or even the best physical recovery plans in the galaxy."
"You're too kind, Miss Topaz. I'm actually doing alright. If you'd like to continue our last conversation, Miss Topaz, we can start whenever you're ready."
"Oh?" Topaz's eyes lit up. "Really? Well, since you're offering, I'll pick up where I left off and fill you in on the details..."
Seeing Sylvia gloss over her own experience, Topaz maintained a calm exterior. But inwardly, she sensed that Sylvia might be deliberately holding back.
Had she witnessed something significant?
Topaz knew Sylvia had a good relationship with Robin. And Robin's brother was the head of the Oak Family.
Looking at it from that angle, it wouldn't be hard for Sylvia to understand the entanglement between Penacony and the Corporation.
And she'd naturally lean toward the Family's side. It made sense that she'd be evasive.
For the next while, Topaz didn't bring up their previous "accident."
Instead, she focused on explaining the Separius situation to Sylvia.
This included the specific planetary restoration plan and the potential profit-sharing projects the Corporation could offer.
She also sent Sylvia a detailed proposal to look over whenever she had time.
Honestly, just listening to Topaz, it all sounded pretty good. But Sylvia had neither the credits nor the manpower.
Which meant any loans or hiring would have to go through the Corporation.
Back and forth like that, she'd be drowning in debt to them before she knew it. So, the funding was something the Corporation absolutely had to cover.
"...So, Miss Sylvia, what do you think?"
"I'll think it over. The loan is just too much. For someone like me... it's a bit of a raw deal."
Sylvia cut straight to the point, stating what she wanted.
Topaz, as if expecting this, smiled and said, "Taking on the restoration of an entire planet is indeed a bit much for an individual. How about this—I have a proposal. Why not consider it?"
"What kind of proposal?"
"Have you ever heard of the history between Penacony and the Interastral Peace Corporation?"
"You mean Penacony's history of independence?"
"Exactly."
Topaz nodded with a smile. So, Sylvia did know about this.
Then she could probably guess what the Corporation wanted with Penacony. And since Sylvia had brought up the credit issue herself, it meant there was an opportunity.
"That's precisely it. For the upcoming Charmony Festival, the Corporation aims to reclaim Penacony."
"Miss Sylvia, if you could assist me during the Festival, all the credits outlined in this proposal could be waived entirely."
Sylvia listened, her expression unchanged, and gave a slight shake of her head.
"Miss Topaz should know that I'm currently employed by Miss Robin."
"Helping the Corporation go against the Family isn't possible. But if it's just about vouching for the content of our last call, that's something we could discuss."
One named her price from the high ground, the other bargained from the low.
There was no way Topaz would agree to Sylvia's terms.
Vouch for what? Prove she'd been killed in a dream? How could a dead person stand up and testify? What kind of testimony would that be? It was ridiculous.
"Saying that, Miss Sylvia, doesn't show much good faith."
"That depends on how much good faith Director Topaz is showing. Planet Separius, if I'm not mistaken, was originally a bad debt, wasn't it?"
"If it were really that profitable, why wouldn't the Corporation just handle it themselves? Why pass it on to me?"
With the Corporation's massive scale, if they truly wanted that planet, they'd have plenty of ways.
Why go through all this trouble, insisting Sylvia take it on? It was all about shifting the risk onto her.
Hearing this, Topaz actually smiled. "How about we both compromise? I don't need you to betray Robin."
"I just want to ask you for some information—specifically, what happens after 'death' in the dreams of Penacony. And my previous offer regarding Separius still stands."
Sylvia thought for a moment, then pressed on.
"If you're asking for everything that happened after that event, that's impossible. But I can give you one piece of intel concerning Penacony, and in return, you cover all the credits in that proposal."
"...That's quite the steep demand."
Topaz squinted slightly, studying Sylvia.
She had a feeling this condition wasn't a coincidence. It was more like Sylvia knew certain things and was asking accordingly.
Sylvia just shrugged with a smile.
"Opportunities concerning Penacony are rare."
"And at this moment, if Director Topaz could get her hands on one or two crucial pieces of intel, it would surely give you a significant advantage within the Corporation, wouldn't it?"
"—!!"
Topaz kept her cool outwardly, but her mind was far from calm.
Just as she'd suspected, Sylvia had made that offer with some prior knowledge.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.