Ruan Mei noticed that Sylvia seemed a bit shy about being called "dear."
Before long, she smoothly switched to using her name instead.
"Is something the matter?"
"I was wondering if you were aware of the recent events on the Xianzhou Luofu—how the Ambrosial Arbor was resuscitated, only to vanish shortly after?"
Sylvia blinked.
Why was Ruan Mei bringing this up all of a sudden?
Was it for the Arbor?
The fact that she had claimed the Ambrosial Arbor for herself was something only a few involved parties knew; the Luofu authorities had intentionally suppressed any leaked information.
It should have been impossible for Ruan Mei to know.
Still... a thing like the Ambrosial Arbor would certainly hold a particular allure for someone like Ruan Mei, wouldn't it?
As these thoughts swirled through her mind, Sylvia offered a tactful deflection. "I happened to be on the Luofu that day, so I do know a bit. But is Ms. Ruan Mei interested in the creations of Abundance as well?"
"But of course. Who wouldn't be interested in a gift from an Aeon? Even a genius feels a touch of curiosity toward such things."
The power of the Ambrosial Arbor, in particular, happened to intersect perfectly with Ruan Mei's own research. Naturally, her interest was piqued.
Her reason for studying Propagation wasn't that the path was easier to research than others.
It was simply that the swarm's bugs were easy to find, and more importantly, no one would lecture her or gossip regardless of what she did to them.
Other Aeons were a different story.
Miracles of Abundance weren't exactly hard to find, either. However, they were usually either under the watchful eye of the Xianzhou Alliance or guarded by the Denizens of Abundance. Offending either side was a hassle.
But if a true opportunity to investigate presented itself, Ruan Mei certainly wouldn't want to miss it.
If she were to voice this level of curiosity regarding the Arbor on the Xianzhou, she'd likely be escorted to the Realm-Keeping Commission by the Cloud Knights for a very long "chat" over tea.
But this was the Space Station—the domain of geniuses. This kind of "heretical" talk had probably been exchanged here more times than anyone could count.
Faced with Ruan Mei's inquiry, however, Sylvia could only offer a denial. "Unfortunately, I don't know much about the details of how it disappeared. Though, the roots of the Arbor do still remain on the Luofu."
Sylvia truly didn't understand how something as massive as the Ambrosial Arbor could be whisked away by that card just like that—cleanly, completely, and without a trace of its presence leaking out.
"I see. What a shame," Ruan Mei said. "I thought I might be lucky enough to witness the majesty of a gift from the Abundance firsthand."
Ruan Mei didn't press the matter further.
From where she stood, Sylvia was actually quite suspicious. This included the powers of Destruction and Abundance she had wielded—intentionally or otherwise—while testing the Simulated Universe.
Coincidentally, the Ambrosial Arbor wasn't the only thing that had vanished from the Luofu recently. That Lord Ravager of Destruction had also slipped away without a trace. The Luofu authorities hadn't breathed a word of their official opinion on the matter of the Lord Ravager.
More interestingly, Sylvia was actually a Pathstrider of Permanence. She was a Pathstrider who had even manifested the draconic aspect.
Ruan Mei suspected that Sylvia had found some way to utilize the power of the Ambrosial Arbor. Perhaps a remnant of the tree was even now in her possession.
She's quite guarded, isn't she? Ruan Mei thought, letting the topic drop.
Just then, Asta arrived with the pastries and tea she had prepared for Ruan Mei. Asta remembered Ruan Mei's preferences and would always set some aside whenever she visited the station; it had become something of a habit.
Though eating in Herta's office felt a bit surreal, Asta simply set the tray down and took her leave.
Ruan Mei reached out and shared a pastry from the plate with Sylvia. "This is a flavor I haven't tried before. The aroma is lovely. Would you like a piece?"
"Thank you."
Sylvia accepted the small plate and took a light bite. However, as she ate, she used a flicker of power to wrap the morsel, ensuring it never actually touched her digestive system.
Seeing this, Ruan Mei offered a small smile and helped herself to a pastry.
After savoring it for a moment, she finally brought up the true purpose of her visit—the artificial Emanator and the "artificial genius" experiments taking place in the lower levels of the station.
Ruan Mei spoke as if she didn't mind her experiments being known at all.
She openly disclosed the details of her work below the station to Sylvia—not just the research on the swarm, but also the strange creations born from those experiments.
"...That is essentially the gist of it. Though I must wonder how you caught wind of it, Sylvia. Even Herta hadn't noticed."
Ruan Mei's expression remained placid. Even as she voiced her "complaint," her features retained a gentle poise, showing no intent to hold Sylvia accountable.
After all, according to Ruan Mei, she had planned to finish her experiments in secret and quietly clean up the site afterward.
It wouldn't have endangered the station, and Herta never would have known she had birthed a being like an Emanator within the station's walls.
Sylvia's little comment from the day before had effectively blown the lid off Ruan Mei's plan. After being nagged by Herta for a good while, she had been forced to arrive at the station ahead of schedule.
Well... at least, that's what Ruan Mei said.
Sylvia didn't entirely buy it. For instance, the claim that Herta knew absolutely nothing. While both the "plot" and Ruan Mei's words suggested Herta was oblivious to what was being nurtured down there, Sylvia felt otherwise.
Herta might not have known the exact specifics, but she surely knew that whatever Ruan Mei was tinkering with was no ordinary organism.
And as for "having no choice but to come to the station early"...
Having witnessed the pride of geniuses firsthand, Sylvia doubted that the arrogant Herta would truly worry about a fellow genius's experiment spiraling out of control to the point of interfering with her own work. Especially not when Ruan Mei had given her word.
In a normal scenario, after receiving Ruan Mei's explanation, Herta would at most bill her for damages and call it a day. They were partners on a project, after all.
Someone like Herta didn't just think she was the best; she generally assumed her colleagues were equally formidable.
Therefore, Sylvia felt it was more likely that Ruan Mei was using this narrative to gain her sympathy.
As for the goal... she probably wanted Sylvia to deal with the bugs down below.
Sylvia didn't have any particular feelings about exterminating bugs—as long as the pay was good, she was game. Plus, she was genuinely curious about those bouncy "Cake Cats" she'd seen in the game.
They were cute enough on screen, but she wondered what they looked like in reality. Would that mooncake-like shell make them look bizarre and uncanny?
She couldn't quite wrap her head around why Ruan Mei, in her attempt to create an artificial genius, would end up making them look like strange desserts.
Her gene-editing style was certainly... free-spirited.
Despite these wandering thoughts, Sylvia's face remained a mask of calm as she smiled. "My senses are just a bit sensitive. I actually thought it was Herta's idea."
"Heh... Regardless, now that Herta has found out, I suppose it's best to go down and check on the situation."
Ruan Mei said this, then extended an invitation to Sylvia. "So, might I ask you to accompany me?"
--+--
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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.