Chapter 555

【Are we leaving?】

【Then take this one too.】

Shu Weng handed Stelle a newly prepared drink.

【This final specialty drink, I made extra of.】

【The past is but smoke—I hope this lets you remember the taste of Pinoconny.】

Shu Weng said with a smile.

【Thank you. I think it will surely be an unforgettable flavor.】

Welt nodded in thanks.

【If you see Gallagher, let him have a sip too.】

【I know that guy's taste—he'll love it.】

Shu Weng added.

【But... what if we don't?】

Stelle said after hesitating.

【Then... don't see him.】

【That's enough.】

【You still have serious matters to discuss—don't let the mood grow sadder.】

【Whether it's the Stellar Train or Pinoconny, there's still a long road ahead—cheer up.】

【Then, go toward our own tomorrows.】

Xiangling: "It's clear that Miss Shu Weng is deeply saddened by Gallagher's disappearance."

Hu Tao: "They were kindred spirits in mixology."

Hu Tao: "Losing a friend like that—anyone would be heartbroken."

Gallagher: "To be honest, I never thought a fictional old dog like me would be missed after death."

Gallagher: "It makes me feel a bit guilty."

Stelle: "Then don't die. Live well."

Stelle: "Your skill—wouldn't it be a waste to die?"

March 7th: "Stelle's right. You're a master mixologist—stay and shine in Pinoconny."

March 7th: "Consider it helping Senior Mikhail watch over Pinoconny?"

Gallagher: "Heh, if I can live, I'll live."

Gallagher: "But you know—fictional things lose their truth once seen through."

Gallagher: "I can still exist only because of the light from this livestream."

Miss Qingque: "Mr. Gallagher, don't be so pessimistic."

Miss Qingque: "Maybe you can keep basking in this livestream's light forever?"

Paimon: "Mm-hmm, definitely!"

Paimon: "I hope Mr. Gallagher can live well!"

The video continues.

The scene shifts,

back to the negotiation site.

At this moment, Topa and Emerald were having a private meeting.

【... He's a tough one, that old Odi.】

【I never expected that at Pinoconny's most critical moment, he'd take the risky step of going public.】

Topa frowned slightly, finding the situation tricky.

【Yes, he has courage.】

【It was precisely this boldness that made him today's Odi Aifafa.】

【But the scales of victory haven't tipped yet.】

【No matter how loud the shouting, the voice itself has no weight.】

【Topa, did your phone call yield any results?】

Emerald asked.

【Yes, they agreed.】

【But the person won't arrive until a while later.】

Topa nodded in reply.

【Perfect.】

【The nectar must be served after the poison.】

Emerald smiled.

【It seems the apple exchange will be skipped this time.】

Topa understood Emerald's intent.

【What can you expect from a greedy merchant?】

【A bland, unremarkable apple won't solve anything—ah, that remark somehow wounded me too.】

Paimon: "Nectar... poison... apple????"

Paimon: "What are they even talking about??"

Paimon: "Paimon's gonna faint!"

Stelle: "I get it now. It means Old Aob was too tough to deal with."

Stelle: "So Jade has to poison him hard, and then poison him to death!"

Stelle: "That way he won't go crazy anymore."

Silver Wolf: "God-tier comprehension!"

March 7th: "Hey, Stelle, what the heck do you understand?"

March 7th: "This is clearly 'a slap followed by a sweet date,' right?"

Paimon: "Oh, so that's how it is!"

Paimon: "Once Young Lady March 7th puts it that way, I get it now!"

Lumine: "Then swapping apples means a mutual exchange of interests?"

Lumine: "But that won't work right now..."

Jade: "So this step just has to be skipped~"

The video continues.

【I'm suddenly a little curious, Topaz. In your view, would Penacony count as a quality asset?】

Jade's tone shifted as she suddenly asked.

【Good credit, high profits, promising prospects—even after this calamity, it's still a top-tier quality asset in the galaxy. That much is beyond doubt.】

Topaz gave her assessment without hesitation.

【Mm, plainly so.】

【But what I want to ask is, by your standards, this project is clearly a bit *boring*, isn't it?】

Jade said languidly.

【Heh, indeed.】

【If Aventurine hadn't pulled me into this, I would never have come here.】

Topaz did not deny this point.

【But you trust him a great deal. The cornerstone, as precious to us as life itself—you're actually willing to entrust it to him to complete a gamble.】

Jade continued.

【Aren't you the same, Ms. Jade?】

【If we hadn't followed the bet, your Jade Stone couldn't have entered the country so smoothly, taking in every last drop of desire flowing through the Sweet Dreams, and winning bargaining chips for the negotiation....】

【For that, of course, I'm also willing to put up Topaz as cover for you.... What a grand game of chess this is.】

Stelle: "Taking in every last drop of desire flowing through the Sweet Dreams?"

Stelle: "So the Jade Stone is basically a surveillance camera?"

March 7th: "Ah, this..."