After ending the conversation with Stelle, Wilder let out a relieved sigh.
He was convinced that what he had just done would absolutely bring one more new player into Aetherium Wars.
As a company employee, that was solid performance to his name. And as an Aetherium Wars player, dragging other people into the game was also something he genuinely enjoyed.
"This is great..."
Wilder sighed emotionally before leaning back into his chair. He seriously loved Belobog.
That's right, he was currently in Belobog, one of the people helping prepare for the festival.
And at this very moment, he felt completely refreshed, so happy he could barely contain himself.
It was rare to experience a moment where work and personal enjoyment aligned so perfectly. Wilder firmly believed this business trip would become one of the most unforgettable work memories of his life.
Sure, at first he had complained that the planet was too remote and the climate too harsh.
But now that he thought about it, wasn't that fine too?
When people are in a good mood, almost everything starts to look pleasant. Even if there were a pile of dog crap lying in front of them, they'd start admiring its artistic shape and discussing it enthusiastically. Some people might even feel tempted to "pick it up."
That was probably the state Wilder was in right now.
Of course, neither Belobog nor Aetherium Wars was dog crap, which only made him feel even better.
"Wilder, did you hear? Some idiot showed up in our company." A coworker walked over and started chatting with him.
"An idiot?" Wilder turned around curiously. "Go on. What happened?"
The flames of gossip were already burning. Seeing the eager curiosity in Wilder's eyes, the coworker felt a surge of satisfaction and immediately gave full rein to his overflowing desire to share the story.
"I heard some guy named Lyndon Scott actually went and played roulette with Director Aventurine. He lost everything down to his underwear!"
"No way, seriously?" Wilder asked in disbelief.
"Seriously," the coworker said.
"I've even got photos. A friend of mine went to deliver documents to the office yesterday and happened to catch Scott playing roulette with Director Aventurine."
"So he stayed to watch and snapped pictures the whole time. Look at the last one, Scott ended up with nothing left except a pair of sunglasses. See that strip of toilet paper he's holding?"
As he spoke, the coworker pulled out the photos on his phone for Wilder to see.
"I seriously never thought there'd still be people dumb enough to gamble with Director Aventurine. Tell me, isn't this Scott guy an idiot?"
The coworker's mocking laughter echoed in his ears. Looking at Scott's miserable appearance in the photos, Wilder couldn't help laughing too.
He nodded repeatedly, "That really is something."
The IPC was enormous. Even employees within the same department often didn't know each other, much less people from entirely different departments.
Neither Wilder nor his coworker knew Scott personally, but that didn't matter. They knew him now. And being strangers didn't lessen their ridicule in the slightest. If anything, it made them even harsher.
As for whether Scott was genuinely stupid or not, or what reasons might have led him to do something like this, gambling with Aventurine, nobody cared about those details lurking beneath the surface.
To the vast majority of people in the company, only one thing mattered today.
Some idiot named Lyndon Scott had played roulette with Director Aventurine and gambled away even his underwear.
For quite a long time after this day, Scott would probably hear people around him discussing him every single day, while none of them actually knew who he was.
It would become a long-lasting and brutally cruel torment to his self-esteem.
The lone wolf had finally tasted the indescribable bitterness of defeat.
He didn't even understand why Director Aventurine had suddenly called him over to play a few rounds of roulette with him, nor why he gradually got so carried away while playing...
Nero, meanwhile, knew nothing about everything that had happened to Scott.
Because he simply did not care.
And on Aventurine's side, he also felt that these details weren't something Nero needed to know.
He had only sent a message saying that he had helped Nero teach Scott a lesson, without explaining anything more specific.
Some more time passed, and eventually the day arrived when the Astral Express was about to dock at Jarilo-VI.
During these past few days, March had taken plenty of photos for the "kids" from the Xianzhou Luofu, and she had even appointed Qingque, who had already become a seasoned corporate worker and had become "thoroughly enlightened," as the "big sister."
Working out, playing cards, eating nonstop...
Every member of the Luofu's younger generation had their own things to do.
During this stretch of leisurely downtime, March sat down between Stelle and Nero and said,
"You heard, right? Once we finish handling the miscellaneous stuff here, we'll be setting off again. Our next stop is Penacony! I heard it's a world as beautiful as a dream... I'm really looking forward to it."
Nero nodded after hearing that.
"Penacony, I know about it. Sister Robin even invited me there."
"Oh please, what are you showing off for? Everyone on the Express already knows you got an autograph. You're the one who brought back Miss Robin's records." March pouted and rubbed Nero's face twice as punishment.
Stelle nodded.
"Penacony is preparing for the Charmony Festival. The Charmony Festival is a celebration, the Interastral Tournament Festival is also a celebration, and so is the Radiant Feldspar Festival..."
As she spoke, Stelle rubbed her hands together excitedly, "This is actually my first time attending a festival in my life. Looks like I can get some practice in first."
"Speaking of the Radiant Feldspar Festival, before Bronya messaged us a few days ago, I honestly thought there was only going to be that offline player meetup."
"Turns out Belobog really is holding an actual festival. Come to think of it, Bronya's obviously still so young, but her taste in reaction stickers always makes me feel like I'm talking to a group of Xianzhou grandmas." Hearing Stelle's words, March chimed in.
"So young, yet already spiritually elderly. I think being Supreme Guardian did that to her," Stelle said, completely making things up.
"But things feel really good right now. Our factories are opening and developing smoothly, Belobog's reconstruction has already achieved some major results, and after resolving the crisis on the Xianzhou Luofu, we even get to attend a festival."
"Suddenly it feels like our Trailblazing journey is going a lot more smoothly," March said.
"Speaking of which, do you think Teacher Dan Heng will come to the festival this time? Ever since we got back from the Xianzhou, it feels like he's been in closed-door cultivation the whole time," Nero said.
"What are you talking about? Wasn't he basically in closed-door cultivation even before we went to the Xianzhou?" March replied. "Let's go ask him. Come on, let's move out right now."
With March taking the lead, the three of them left the observation car together and headed toward the archive room where the Data Bank was located.
As usual, Dan Heng was buried in the sea of information inside the Data Bank, tinkering away with various materials.
"Dan Heng, are you going to Belobog's festival this time?" March asked.
Dan Heng shook his head.
"Sorry. Ever since the Luofu incident, I've been reflecting and thinking things over. The process has been mentally exhausting... I don't think my current state is suitable for going out and attending a festival with you all. It might... affect your enthusiasm and the festive atmosphere."
"Then Teacher Dan Heng should stay on the train and get some extra sleep. We'll take pictures for you," Nero said.
Dan Heng lowered his gaze toward Nero.
"Thank you."
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