After being scolded by Cocolia, the IPC employee realized his sales pitch was a bit too crude and slunk away.
"Tch."
Annoyed by the IPC guy, Cocolia's mood soured further. If it weren't for the fact they were all on the same side in the end, she'd have given Gepard a "friendly" greeting by now.
Whoosh—
Just then, the Spatial Anchor flickered, and four figures appeared out of thin air—the Astral Express crew who'd left not long ago.
They actually came? Cocolia froze for a moment, then forced a smile and stepped forward to greet them.
"Ah, you're here."
Guests were guests, after all. Despite her grievances, Cocolia quickly adjusted, smiling. "The train's ready. I'll take you to see Gep—er, the Great Guardian."
—"Huh? Why is it really Cocolia?"
Welt adjusted his glasses, blurting out the comment.
Cocolia: ?
Dan Heng coughed lightly, explaining, "Lady Cocolia, please don't mind. They were betting on who Gepard would send to wait for us. Mr. Welt thought it'd be Serval, while Stelle and March thought it'd be you."
"Hmph~ Uncle Yang, looks like you don't get it at all. Were you too busy studying Svarog back in Belobog?"
Stelle put her hands on her hips, grinning smugly. "Sigh, but I can't blame you. Who else has my keen insight, the so-called master of emotions?"
"The relationships between these three—I can see through them at a glance… their friendship is deep, stronger than gold." Stelle was mid-sentence when she abruptly switched gears, looking serious.
Cocolia sheathed the ice dagger aimed at Stelle's waist, smiling warmly. "Good kid, if you don't know how to talk, talk less. Now, shall I take you to Qlipoth Fort?"
"What're we going there for?" Stelle asked. "Aren't we here for the festival?"
"You'll need funds for the festival activities," Cocolia said. "This is a great opportunity."
…
Qlipoth Fort.
"Uh… Mr. Gepard, it's been a day, and I've missed you dearly."
Skott approached Gepard humbly, holding an exquisite gift box. "This is an m-platform brew from the Xianzhou, top-notch stuff. I'm telling you, just a sip—the aroma, the flavor, it's better than any stimulant!"
"Just one bottle is 50,000 credits. I brought you two, plus two packs of cigarettes, just a small token of my appreciation."
Gepard glanced faintly at the gift box, took it, and casually set it by his feet.
Seeing Gepard accept it, Skott's face lit up with a smile. "So, Great Guardian, how's that proposal I mentioned earlier? I'll give you an eighty percent discount on the debt, and you just need to pay it off within twenty years."
Gepard glanced at him. "Brother, didn't I tell you? I personally would love to pay, but Belobog isn't my personal dictatorship. If others don't agree, there's nothing I can do, right?"
"Haha, don't worry about that. These past few days, I've taken care of things—every minister's received my gifts. If you draft the proposal, it'll pass immediately!"
"And I guarantee, even if everyone else ends up in debt, you and those close to you will have no worries."
"Oh? Is that so? Alright, I'll draft the proposal, but it'll take ten working days for approval. Please be patient."
"…That long? That's slower than our company's bureaucracy."
"Sigh, you've seen it yourself—this little rundown place has nothing. Mobile phones only became common recently. Our work efficiency is just low."
"…!"
Bang!
As Gepard was sparring verbally with Skott, the door was pushed open. Cocolia strode in with the Astral Express crew. "Gepard, I need to talk to you."
Gepard's eyes narrowed, and he stood abruptly, startling Skott. "How dare you, Cocolia! What did you just call me?"
"You address me by my title during work hours!"
"Yo, Gep bro!" Stelle stood on her toes, waving at Gepard from afar.
The other three from the Express gave polite greetings.
"Well, hello. Apologies for not greeting you properly—I'm tied up with official business," Gepard said with a smile.
Cocolia's mouth twitched. "Tch… Great Guardian, have you approved the funding request I sent you? The guests are here—you can't just leave them waiting, right?"
"Hm? When did you send it? Let me check… Oh, alright, approved. Take this check and get the funds."
Gepard swiftly signed a check and handed it to Cocolia.
Skott: ?
"Ahem… Cocolia, be careful. This is an emergency pass for the guests—don't make it a habit!"
Skott fell silent: Am I not a guest? Am I not from offworld? Am I a person or not?
Suddenly, Skott's gaze froze. He looked at the gray-haired girl nearby in disbelief, exclaiming, "It's you?"
Back on the Luofu, before challenging Bailu, this girl had jumped out to criticize him. They'd crossed paths once, and he never expected to meet her here.
He still remembered what happened after losing that duel.
The mocking whispers from his subordinates:
"Heh, our boss is so delusional. He thinks just because they call him Black Monkey, he's the real deal? Even a black chimp couldn't beat a dragon!"
"Sigh, you don't get it. You know the saying? 'With the golden hoop, I can't love you; without it, I can't save you.' I say our boss is just missing a pineapple crown."
"Shh, keep it down, don't let anyone hear."
"…!"
And the ridicule from former admirers:
"Ohohoho—Skott, you're getting worse by the day. To think I used to like you so much. Good thing the legal department's boss lady backed me up and helped me see through you early."
And the pressure from top brass:
"This mission is led by Numby as the primary supervisor, with Skott as deputy. Rewards will go directly to the primary supervisor, while penalties will go straight to the deputy."
"…!"
Why? Why was his life always like walking on thin ice?
Why? Why, in a galaxy so vast, did he run into this gray-haired girl twice? Was this some kind of cosmic hint?
A hint that this trip was doomed to fail?
At that thought, Skott's anger flared. He stood defiantly in front of Gepard and declared, "Mr. Gepard, don't push me!"
"Pay up now, and no one gets hurt!"
"Otherwise, you'll all be in debt!"