Chapter 319: Organizing the Annual Meeting

Consciousness detached from that mysterious "Origin Chamber," returning to the weight of reality left Xia Wan momentarily dazed. The power surging within her and the marked authority of the "Tiankong Guardian" etched into her soul clearly reminded her it was no dream. She stood in the grand hall of the Origin Sacred Hall, beside her floated the projection of the Origin Core, and beside her stood Qin Feng, motionless as a mountain.

"It's time to go back."

Qin Feng's plain words brought this journey to Miao Fa Xuan Zhou to an end. No extra sentiment, no celebration of trial success—as if everything had merely unfolded as expected, naturally and inevitably.

The next instant, a faint dizziness of spatial transition struck. When Xia Wan focused again, she found herself no longer in that beautiful yet dangerous realm, but back in the familiar place—the Living Quarters of the Base, inside Qin Feng's empty Quiet Chamber.

The Star Shuttle that brought them was gone; their return required only Qin Feng's thought. Everything in the Quiet Chamber remained unchanged, as if they had merely stepped away for a moment—but Xia Wan knew time had surely passed.

Before she could process the complex emotions of returning home, her Personal Communicator buzzed urgently—it was Lei Dong.

"Xia Wan! You're back?!" Lei Dong's voice crackled with unrestrained excitement and a hint of relief, "Great! The Base detected anomalous spatial fluctuations in your area—I guessed it might be you! Are you alright? Did the Trial… go well?"

"Commander Lei, we're back. Everything went smoothly." Xia Wan replied succinctly, her tone naturally carrying a calm authority—the change brought by power and responsibility.

Lei Dong clearly noticed the shift in her voice. He paused, then spoke with greater solemnity: "Good! You're back—that's all that matters! There's something urgent I need to discuss with you and Mr. Qin—I'm coming right over!"

Shortly after the call ended, the Quiet Chamber door opened and Lei Dong stepped in quickly. He swiftly glanced at Xia Wan, his eyes flashing with awe and shock—the girl before him had undergone a radical transformation: serene and restrained, yet seemingly brimming with the boundless power of stars, making it hard to meet her gaze. He then bowed respectfully to Qin Feng: "Mr. Qin."

Qin Feng gave a slight nod in response.

Lei Dong got straight to the point, his voice tinged with excitement and urgency: "Mr. Qin, Xia Wan—you've returned at the perfect moment! We've just received top-level directives and, in coordination with major global partners, have decided to hold an unprecedented, global-scale 'New Era' strategic announcement and annual celebration in half a month, at the Base's largest 'Deep Space Eye' auditorium!"

He paused, emphasizing: "This isn't just an internal annual meeting—it's a rallying ceremony to showcase our 'New Era' achievements, unify humanity's confidence, and jointly confront future challenges! Top scientists, national representatives, key partners, and media from across the globe will attend—it will be of the highest caliber!"

Xia Wan listened in silence. She understood the importance of this grand event. Against the backdrop of the looming cosmic threat, unifying will, integrating resources, and conveying necessary information to the public (of course, filtered) was critical.

"So," Lei Dong turned to Xia Wan, his eyes filled with expectation and a hint of pleading, "Xia Wan, you are now unquestionably one of our 'New Era's' iconic figures and a key force in facing future crises. For this annual meeting, we hope you'll attend as a core member—and perhaps… need to deliver a speech, or perform some… appropriate demonstrations of ability—to boost morale and deter hostile forces."

He turned to Qin Feng, his tone even more reverent: "Mr. Qin, we sincerely hope to invite you as a special guest—and even… Honorary Chairperson. Your presence alone is the strongest reassurance."

For Xia Wan to attend and demonstrate her power—she could understand that. But inviting Qin Feng to such a worldly, public event? She instinctively felt the gentleman would have no interest.

Yet after hearing Lei Dong's words, Qin Feng neither immediately refused nor agreed. His calm gaze swept over Lei Dong, then seemed to pierce through the walls, seeing beyond the Base, into the wider world, into the hidden currents beneath the surface of peace, and into the shadows slowly approaching from the stars.

He fell silent for a moment. Just as Lei Dong thought he would ignore or outright refuse as usual, Qin Feng spoke, asking an unexpected question:

"Annual meeting,"

he paused, as if searching for the right words,

"do they serve food?"

Lei Dong: "？？？"

Xia Wan: "…"

A brief silence filled the Quiet Chamber.

Lei Dong's expression froze, his mind seemingly rebooting for several seconds before he barely processed the question. He opened his mouth, stammering: "Y-yes! Of course they serve food! Five-star state banquet cuisine! A fusion of East and West, everything you could want! Drinks and alcohol guaranteed to be top quality!"

Fearing Qin Feng might be dissatisfied, he hurriedly added: "If Mr. Qin has any special preferences for flavors or ingredients, we'll prepare them immediately! We'll make sure you're completely satisfied!"

Qin Feng listened, his face still expressionless, then simply murmured, "Mm."

Then, under the bewildered gazes of Lei Dong and Xia Wan, he spoke again, his tone as casual as commenting on the weather:

"Then,"

"arrange it."

With that, he ignored the two, turned, and walked to a corner of the Quiet Chamber, closing his eyes as he always did to meditate.

Leaving Lei Dong and Xia Wan staring at each other.

So… did the gentleman just… agree?

Just because… they serve food?

Lei Dong blinked hard, confirming he hadn't misheard, then his face erupted in overwhelming joy! Qin Feng attending the annual meeting was of immense significance—it would dramatically elevate the event's weight and the 'New Era's' prestige!

"Wonderful! Mr. Qin! Thank you so much! I'll arrange everything immediately! I'll make sure the annual meeting is flawless!" Lei Dong's voice trembled with excitement. He bowed deeply, then, barely containing his elation, gave Xia Wan a meaningful glance and quietly slipped out of the Quiet Chamber.

Xia Wan watched Qin Feng's detached figure, recalling his earth-shattering question—"Do they serve food?"—and couldn't help but twitch her lips slightly.

The gentleman's thinking… sometimes was truly… impossible to fathom.

Still, no matter what, his attendance was a good thing.

She exited the Quiet Chamber and gently closed the door. Outside, Lei Dong was pacing back and forth, rubbing his hands in excitement.

"Xia Wan, you heard it! Mr. Qin agreed! This is incredible news!" Lei Dong said the moment he saw her, "The annual meeting is now the Base's top priority! Every department is already mobilized! Venue setup, agenda design, enhanced security, guest invitations, media coordination… countless details!"

He clapped her shoulder, his tone serious: "Your task is heavy too! You must prepare for possible speeches and demonstrations, and bring your own condition to peak readiness! This annual meeting may not just be a display—it could be a 'drawing of the sword' against internal and external forces!"

Xia Wan nodded, her eyes sharp: "I understand, Commander Lei."

She knew this seemingly festive annual meeting hid deeper currents. The G. S. C. threat remained unresolved; the cosmic crisis hung like a sword of Damocles above them, and internal dissent might also exist. Her and Qin Feng's appearance would inevitably trigger a chain reaction.

"Go on," Lei Dong's tone softened, "visit your parents first—they've been worried about you. We'll discuss the details later."

"Yes."

Xia Wan bid farewell to Lei Dong and walked toward the Living Quarters. Her return, and the upcoming grand annual meeting, were like a massive stone cast into a calm lake—what ripples would they stir within the 'New Era' Base, and beyond?

All answers would be revealed in half a month, at that highly anticipated annual meeting.