Chapter 384: Pinoconi (Chapter 63)

"..."

Laatio let out a long sigh, then slowly raised his head: "Go ahead, what do you need me to do?"

Xingqiri's mouth curved into a confident smile; his voice remained composed, yet a barely concealed delight slipped through: "I need Mr. Shajin's full plan."

Laatio chuckled: "Haven't you all already taken his Foundation Stone? A peacock stripped of its feathers can't take flight."

"But I've also heard that the ten elite of the Strategic Investment Department are extremely united, advancing and retreating together for the company's interests."

Laatio's gaze darkened: "You could be clearer."

Xingqiri shifted his gaze to a handbag and a case placed nearby: "The Foundation Stone Mr. Shajin submitted—does it truly belong to him?"

Laatio said bluntly: "You doubt he would hand you someone else's Foundation Stone? You think the ten stone‑hearted men are too united—that thing is far more important than their lives."

"But you also know he's a mad gambler. The flashier he is, the more carefully you must watch him."

Laatio was startled, then with a sincere expression said, "I never imagined anyone would think like him. Honestly, you'd better see a psychologist." He extended a hand to Xingqiri, "Take it. The case that holds the Foundation Stone is custom‑made; aside from senior executives and relevant personnel, no one can open it—but I happen to be among them."

Xingqiri gave a slight smile: "Excuse me."

——

Nezha's demon child stirs the sea.

"Ugh! What a damn professor! The company sends this sort of person to work with Shajin? Even though Shajin trusts him so much, he sold out Shajin with a few research reports! Star core? There's one inside a stellar body; you want to study it, you go find a star? Why cooperate with someone like that?!"

Nezha was nearly fuming to death, his spit almost landing on Taiyi Zhenren's face.

"Ah, disciple, don't be impatient. Sit down, sit down… have something to eat and calm your anger." Taiyi Zhenren flicked his dust‑sweeping staff, and a plump, vivid peach flew into Nezha's hand.

Nezha said irritably, "I just feel it's unfair to Shajin… That guy trusted him so much, and the result? Betrayal! The thing I despise most is betrayal!"

"I know, but before entering the room, didn't Professor Laatio also give Shajin a warning? He said himself that it might not be certain he'd betray him."

"Huh?? Wasn't that just a joke? They've cracked so many jokes along the way, and this one was taken seriously?" Nezha, fuming, snapped the peach in his hand with a "crack".

"Nezha, stay calm…" Ao Bing, also incredulous about the professor's betrayal, sighed lightly: "But I trust Professor Laatio's character; when he and Xing fought the Grand Duke of Nether Fire before, that was enough to judge him as upright. This time, perhaps he has some unspeakable secret…"

"No unspeakable secret! We all misread him!"

Nezha crossed his arms, plopped onto a stone bench: "Then we'll see. I want to watch what end awaits such a person. Collaborating with Xingqiri caused the company to lose the Foundation Stone… Shajin will be held accountable, and his peer can't escape responsibility either!"

——

Laatio opened the case and saw a yellow gem lying quietly inside.

"—Unfortunately, you guessed right."

Xingqiri examined the stone closely, "Ha, a golden‑yellow stone. Its luster mirrors that of the Crippo Sacred Body's radiance."

"This is the excuse he prepared to deceive you. He won't tell you: the ten stone‑hearted men must carve the Foundation Stone with their own will, causing it to emit a unique brilliance." Laatio looked at the Foundation Stone before him, "And this golden‑yellow stone belongs to Topa; its other name is Yellow Jade—not Shajin."

"So, shall we confront him?"

Xingqiri shook his head: "Not for now. I'd rather know where his Foundation Stone is."

"The safest place is somewhere you'd never imagine. Because he never intended to hide it—" Laatio glanced at the luggage bag holding the gift money at his feet, "From the start, that Foundation Stone has been in your hands."

Laatio pulled an emerald‑green gem from the bag.

Xingqiri suddenly realized, "So that's it. This luggage bag… mixes the Foundation Stone, more precious than life, among a heap of cheap jewels, disguising it as gift money awaiting seizure. That does fit Mr. Shajin's style."

"Then he makes up a flimsy excuse, sidesteps the heavy part, and asks you to retrieve the gift money. It's a gamble; he knows it too well—one misstep by you, and the whole board is lost."

——

Honkai 3.

"Eh—Topa?! That Miss Topa?"

Qiyana's blue eyes widened sharply; although she sensed something amiss when she saw the Yellow Jade, the moment Professor Laatio revealed the truth, she couldn't help but feel despair.

"Ah! No Foundation Stone—does that mean Miss Topa will suffer too?"

Since the incident at Beiluo Bo Ge, she'd always had a good impression of Topa. She didn't expect that Shajin's phone call not only ruined his future but also dragged Miss Topa down with it.

Jizi slightly furrowed his brow, his slender fingers lightly resting on his chin: "So, back at Beiluo Bo Ge, when Topa applied for a special operation on the train unit, she truly would have used the Foundation Stone's power, temporarily becoming a guardian envoy? That's a bit exaggerated…"

But what was even more outrageous, without doubt, was Shajin's resolve. What surprised Jizi was that he managed to persuade Topa to stake two Foundation Stones at once, with Topa's stone as bait, while the real killing move was the hidden Shajin Stone.

Using a Foundation Stone as bait… truly a downright madman.

"But if both stones are found, what then? Do we really have to retreat as Professor Laatio said?" Ya Yi asked anxiously.

Jizi shook his head lightly: "It's impossible to retreat; at this point, going back would mean total ruin. The unfair gamble has already begun… Shajin has no way back now."

——

"Thanks to you having a discerning friend, I could add a complete failure to your career," Xingqiri said smugly, looking at him.

Shajin stared at the two Foundation Stones on the table, his anger breaking his reason for the first time. He fixed his gaze on the professor, jaw clenched, each word seeming forged with fire and blood: "Laatio, you bastard…"

Laatio said nothing, merely watching him in silence.

Xingqiri actually relished Shajin's breakdown, gloating, "Your true nature is exposed. By the way, you have only seventeen system cycles left, temporarily. Cherish this time and savor the lingering taste of failure."