Chapter 82

There is nothing!

This takes Aventurine by surprise!

[What you are looking for...]

[Is it these?]

Sunday is not surprised by this result.

He lifts the white cloth that had been covering the table,

and two Cornerstones as dazzling and brilliant as gems

are immediately revealed.

Furina: "This, this... Aventurine actually..."

Furina: "Actually lost so miserably?!"

Hu Tao: "Sigh, a total defeat, a total defeat!!"

Xiangling: "Shocking, this result is simply unbelievable!"

Stelle: "I thought Aventurine was already insidious and cunning enough..."

Stelle: "Now that I see it, there's always someone higher!!"

March 7th: "I'm a bit confused watching this; Aventurine is clearly being played around, right?"

Lumine: "Ever since Aventurine entered this room, he has completely fallen into Mr. Sunday's palm."

Lumine: "This just makes his previous ideas look a bit like a clown."

Nahida: "Mr. Sunday's method surprises me a bit."

Nahida: "Is this also a manifestation of the power of Harmony?"

Welt: "This power... why is it a bit strange?"

Welt: "Is this truly the power of Harmony?"

Sunday: "Regarding this, of course!"

Jing Yuan: "Harmony... is it?"

Jing Yuan: "Hehe, amazing, interesting..."

Herta: "Tsk tsk, it's getting a bit interesting."

Nilou: "I have some doubts; the questions Mr. Sunday asked in the middle don't seem to have any connection, right?"

Paimon: "Yes, Paimon didn't really understand either."

Zhongli: "Asking these questions is partly because Mr. Sunday is a cautious person."

Zhongli: "On the other hand, there seems to be some deeper meaning in it."

Acheron: "Then Mr. Aventurine..."

Acheron: "Do you hate, and want to destroy... this world with your own hands?"

Aventurine: "Why ask such inexplicable questions?"

Aventurine: "I'm perfectly fine... why would I hate and destroy this world?"

Black Swan: "Is that so?"

Black Swan: "Even if this world... no longer has your relatives... nor your clansmen."

Black Swan: "You are the only survivor of the clan..."

Black Swan: "Even so... you don't hate this... unfair world to you?"

Black Swan: "Is that really what you think, Mr. Aventurine?"

Aventurine: "..."

Alhaitham: "This question... has a bit of an inductive meaning."

Dr. Ratio: "But it is a question worth thinking about."

Guinaifen: "Family is gone, clansmen are gone, everyone I care about in this world is gone."

Guinaifen: "If this happened to me, I'd probably go dark, right?"

Miss Sushang: "You outlanders call it going dark; if this were on the Luofu Xianzhou, you'd probably get the Mara-Struck!"

Stelle: "That's right, if I encountered this, I'd get the 'Moe-Struck'!"

March 7th: "Eh... wait!"

March 7th: "Say it again, what struck?"

Stelle: "Moe-Struck!"

Stelle: "Don't you know?"

Stelle: "It's a disease where you only say 'ying ying ying' after getting it."

Miss Bailu: "Since I started practicing medicine, I've never heard of such a disease!"

Judge Hanya: "Indeed, I have never heard of this disease."

Judge Hanya: "But I have to say, it sounds quite cute."

Jing Yuan: "Moe-Struck? Haha, that's truly a trendy way of saying it."

Paimon: "What Mara-Struck, Moe-Struck... mmm... so hard to say."

Paimon: "So annoying, Paimon doesn't understand."

Judge Xueyi: "You don't need to understand, because this is a taboo."

Venti: "Mara-Struck, huh... seems like an incredible thing too."

The video continues.

The scene comes to a few system hours ago, at the Dewlight Pavilion.

[Since you have arrived as scheduled, learned Professor...]

[Does this mean you are willing to stand on the Family's side in this farce?]

Sunday looks at Dr. Ratio, who arrived on time, and asks.

[What makes you think you can win me over?]

Dr. Ratio asks back indifferently.

[I have heard that your relationship with Mr. Aventurine is not pleasant.]

[I also know that you are a true scholar, whose pursuit of knowledge outweighs everything else.]

Sunday reveals a gentle smile.

[Then you should also understand that a qualified scholar can recognize his position and will not lose more important things for boring dignity.]

Dr. Ratio begins to negotiate with Sunday.

[If you agree to assist the Family, I will offer you all our research results on the Stellaron.]

[You should know very well that apart from the Family, no other faction is willing to share such knowledge.]

Sunday has long been prepared with conditions that are quite tempting for Dr. Ratio.

[...]

[Tell me, what do you need me to do?]

Sure enough,

the price Sunday offered is high,

so high that Dr. Ratio cannot refuse such temptation!

After a moment of silence, he agrees.

[I need Mr. Aventurine's entire plan.]

Sunday asks Dr. Ratio to betray Aventurine as soon as he speaks.

[Hehe.]

[Haven't you already confiscated his Cornerstone?]

[A peacock with its feathers plucked can't fly.]

Dr. Ratio replies with a light laugh.

[But I have also heard that the ten elites of the Strategic Investment Department are extremely united, advancing and retreating together in the face of IPC interests.]

Sunday is noncommittal.

[You can speak more clearly.]

Dr. Ratio doesn't intend to beat around the bush with Sunday.

[The Cornerstone submitted by Mr. Aventurine—does it truly belong to him personally?]

Sunday asks the question he wants to know.

[Heh.]

[You suspect he would hand someone else's Cornerstone to you?]

[You think too highly of the Stonehearts' unity—that thing is much more important than their lives.]

Regarding Sunday's doubt, Dr. Ratio sneers.

[But you also know he is a crazy gambler.]

[The more ostentatious the display, the more careful you must be.]

Sunday doesn't agree with Dr. Ratio's statement.

[I never thought anyone would have the same train of thought as him.]

[Seriously, you'd better see a psychiatrist.]

Dr. Ratio shakes his head after a moment of astonishment,

and then gives Sunday a sincere reminder.

[Bring it here.]

[The box containing the Cornerstone is specially made; no one can open it except for IPC senior management and relevant personnel—but I happen to be among them.]

Dr. Ratio agrees to help Sunday open the box.

[Please.]

Sunday comes to the box and nods to Dr. Ratio.

Dr. Ratio walks to the table,

and opens the box in front of Sunday.

[...]

[Unfortunately, you guessed right.]

Looking at the Cornerstone in the box, Dr. Ratio's tone is helpless.

[Heh.]

[A golden stone.]

[Its luster is exactly the same as the light of Qlipoth's holy body.]

Sunday looks at this Cornerstone, his expression playful.

[This is exactly the excuse he prepared to deceive you.]

[He won't tell you: the Stonehearts need to carve the Cornerstone with their own will, making it bloom with unique brilliance.]

[And this golden stone belongs to Topaz; its alias is Topaz—not Aventurine.]

[How about it, do you want to confront him?]

Dr. Ratio introduces it, exposing Aventurine's bottom line.

[Not yet.]

[I would rather know now, where is the Cornerstone that belongs to him?]

Sunday shakes his head and asks.

[The safest place, a place you would never think of.]

[Because he never intended to hide it—from the very beginning, that Cornerstone was already in your hands.]

Dr. Ratio points to the inconspicuous bag on the ground,

then squats down and fumbles in the bag,

finds another Cornerstone,

and places it on the table.

[So that's it, this luggage bag...]

[Mixing a Cornerstone more precious than life with a pile of cheap jewelry, disguised as gift money waiting to be confiscated, it does indeed fit the style of Mr. Aventurine.]

Looking at the two Cornerstones,

Sunday seems to understand Aventurine's true intention.

[And then make up any excuse, avoiding the important and dwelling on the trivial, and ask you to return the gift money.]

[This is a gamble; he is too familiar with it. He is betting that you will lose everything if you are not careful.]

Dr. Ratio adds, following Sunday's words.

[Learned Professor, thank you for your help.]

[The Family will naturally reward the righteous.]

[As for the villain... may he retreat and be humiliated.]

Stelle: "Holy crap!!!"

Stelle: "Dr. Ratio, you look so honest and upright, but you're actually a traitor!!"

March 7th: "To get knowledge about the Stellaron, you sold Aventurine without hesitation?"

March 7th: "Isn't that too low?"

Xiangling: "Although Aventurine's behavior seems annoying, Dr. Ratio's approach is even worse..."

Furina: "Defected just like that??"

Furina: "Isn't this too sudden?"

Furina: "Feels like there was no foreshadowing at all?"

Paimon: "Uh, Dr. Ratio's previous image was still very tall in my heart."

Paimon: "But now this image has collapsed..."

Lumine: "It feels a bit abrupt... Dr. Ratio shouldn't be that kind of person, right?"

Sparkle: "Hahahaha, this plot is good!"

Sparkle: "Good to watch, love to watch, the little peacock was fiercely backstabbed by his own people!"

Sparkle: "Such a plot is interesting, can we have more~"

Boothill: "I'll be a son of a..."

Boothill: "Awesome! Truly awesome!"

Boothill: "You IPC folks are getting better and better at pulling stunts!"

Boothill: "What? Is the IPC preparing to switch to the circus industry?"

Boothill: "Otherwise, why are the employees you recruit all clowns?"

Boothill: "If you wanted to make me laugh, I have to admit, you son of a... you did it!"

Boothill: "Because I'm really going to laugh until I can't breathe!"

Aventurine: "Professor, I find it a pity to see you do this."

Dr. Ratio: "What's there to be sorry about?"

Dr. Ratio: "Didn't I warn you before?"

Dr. Ratio: "You should have been mentally prepared."

Aventurine: "Also true, I didn't take it seriously, so now I've lost everything, even my pants are going to be lost."

Hu Tao: "Eh?"

Hu Tao: "Shouldn't you be accusing each other and then cursing?"

Hu Tao: "Why are you still so calm?"

Zhongli: "Probably because of... some unspoken tacit understanding."

Venti: "Ehe, not bad for Mr. Zhongli, did you see something?"

Nahida: "People's thoughts are really complicated; it seems I still need to understand and experience more."