Looking at Fu Xuan and Kafka's gradually receding backs, Dan Heng pulled out his phone and shared the intel he had gathered with the Express crew.
[Astral Express Family]
[Dan Heng:] The Stellaron Hunter has been taken away by the Divination Commission's Master Diviner, Fu Xuan. The interrogation will start tomorrow.
[Dan Heng:] Remember to meet at Evernight Pavilion.
[March 7th:] [Pam-Pom peeking.jpg]
[March 7th:] I have one piece of good news and one piece of bad news—which do you want to hear?
[Stelle:] Only kids make choices. I want them all.
[Welt:] Let's hear the bad news first?
[March 7th:] The Miss Tingyun we met is Phantylia the Lord Ravager in disguise.
[Dan Heng:] ?
[Welt:] ??
[Himeko:] ???
[Stelle:] Don't rush to spam question marks yet. We still have good news.
[Stelle:] [Pam-Pom charging.jpg]
[March 7th:] The good news is, Stelle and I found Teacher Adrian! And the real Miss Tingyun is here too!
[Adrian:] 1
Seeing this message, Dan Heng, Welt, and Himeko on the train all breathed a sigh of relief. Adrian's Emanator identity was highly reassuring.
Back at the milk tea shop, March 7th and Stelle looked at Adrian with doubtful expressions.
"A meaningless number one. You didn't even send a milk tea emoji; I don't really approve."
"A thumbs-up '1' just proves I'm online." On ordinary days, Silver Wolf would bombard him with several messages of [1] first when she wanted to play games.
[Dan Heng:] Send the location. Mr. Welt and I will come find you.
[March 7th:] No need to find us. Just set the meeting point at Evernight Pavilion Square! Isn't the area around the square super lively?
[Welt:] …
Did no one consider his feelings? Not only was he led to the Exalting Sanctum Inn by a Lord Ravager, but now getting to Evernight Pavilion Square was going to be a problem.
[Himeko:] [Pam-Pom peeking.jpg]
[Dan Heng:] I'll go pick up Mr. Welt.
He had just arrived at Evernight Pavilion via starskiff, so he still knew the way.
[Welt:] …
[March 7th:] The world is upside down. It used to be Uncle Yang coming to pick us up.
[Dan Heng:] You all be careful.
With Stelle and March 7th having found Adrian, Dan Heng no longer had to worry about them going to Evernight Pavilion.
At the same time, under March 7th and Stelle's strong insistence, Adrian was forced to rejoin the team, bringing his pleasant time of slacking off to an end. At this time point in the past, he would have been lying in a rocking chair, leisurely enjoying a nap.
"Dan Heng told us to go to that square or whatever. Teacher Adrian, we'll trouble you to lead the way."
Adrian was pushed out by Stelle and March 7th together. Before leaving, he didn't forget to toss the shop keys to Tingyun.
"Huh?"
Tingyun tilted her head. How did she become the acting shop boss in such a short time?
Mm… substitute store-keeping is an unexpected path.
Adrian and the others had just left the front door when a high-spirited Cloud Knight guard rushed over immediately after.
"Teacher! Eh… how did the staff change again?" Yanqing lifted his head and met the dazed Tingyun's gaze.
Clever as she was, Tingyun immediately found a response: "How regrettable, Boss Adrian hasn't returned yet. Miss Qingque was taken away by the Master Diviner, only entrusting this lady… ahem, entrusting me to manage the milk tea shop in the meantime."
"Is that so…" Yanqing tentatively believed Tingyun's words, but after all, it was an unfamiliar face not seen on the Xianzhou before. The attire and appearance at a glance weren't those of Xianzhou natives; she could be an outsider who couldn't find work and came to the Luofu seeking employment. For safety's sake, Yanqing still kept a close eye on her.
...
On the Way to Evernight Pavilion.
On the way to Evernight Pavilion, March 7th peppered Adrian with a barrage of questions.
"Hey Teacher Adrian, have you really never considered renovating this milk tea shop? It has such a unique renovation style. Can a shop that's too rundown really attract customers?"
"Teacher Adrian, what kind of work do you do? The milk tea shop looks like it has no staff. Don't tell me you handle the whole thing alone?"
"And, and, can we get discounts when we come to buy milk tea in the future?"
"By the way, what exactly does the Divination Commission do…"
Adrian patiently explained to March 7th: "I open the shop not for profit, just for convenience."
"Wow… then isn't it losing money every day?"
"I have low customer flow and make very little milk tea, so there's no issue of losing or not losing money."
Since Adrian settled on the Xianzhou, the patrons who had visited his milk tea shop could be counted on one hand. In chronological order: Jing Yuan, Tingyun, Qingque, and Yanqing.
Looking at it that way, the customer flow truly was dismal; not even a single repeat customer.
"March, why do you only say such heartbreaking things!" Stelle playfully knocked on March 7th's head.
She had an intuitive understanding of Adrian's financial power. Eight hundred million credits given away on a whim. At first, she thought it was just a loser's consolation prize (she lost a pillow fight in one second). Then, the next day, Adrian gave her another 2 billion credits, saying it was transferred on Kafka's behalf. When the Divination Commission interrogated Kafka, Stelle definitely had to ask her clearly about this matter.
"As for the Divination Commission that Miss March just asked about… simply put, the Divination Commission oversees the Xianzhou's intelligence, planning, and divination."
"Divination? Interrogating via divination? Isn't that pure luck?"
"The Xianzhou's divination method isn't coin tosses or drawing lots, or that sort of deceptive play, but a technique named [Jade Omen]," Adrian patiently explained to the two. "From the Xianzhou's operational routes up top, to court governance policies, down to military maneuvers and livelihood issues, all are deduced and divined by the Divination Commission, seeking fortune and avoiding calamity."
"Oh, oh… then can the Divination Commission divine Teacher Adrian?" March 7th was very curious.
"Not sure. When the time comes, we can have Master Diviner Fu give me a divination."
Ah, but that way my identity would be exposed.
"Additionally, if Miss March wants to drink milk tea, just say the word."
Even the Erudition Honored One thinks the milk tea is worth drinking; the quality control is trustworthy. Adrian felt that in the aspect of making milk tea… whether it was attainment or status, he ranked at the forefront, especially among Aeon colleagues. Those stronger than HER don't make milk tea like HER, and those who make milk tea better than HER aren't as powerful as HER. After all, she was an Aeon; her strength was online.
If March 7th knew HER true identity, she would surely complain at this time:
"No Aeon would be so bored as to make milk tea!!!"
Stelle talked to Adrian about the just-netted Kafka: "All that's happened so far… it feels like it's within her expectations? Otherwise, she has no reason to appear on the Express, just to throw herself into the net?"
Adrian smiled slightly. From a certain angle, Kafka really did take the correct step.
"As if someone reminded her."
"Elio—the [Stellaron Hunters]' leader. No one knows who he is or what he looks like; the Interastral Peace Corporation only calls him the [Slave of Fate]."
"Legend has it he possesses the power to foresee [possibilities]. The Corporation believes Elio can see the time branches produced by infinite possibilities; such an ability is nearly equivalent to precognition of the future."
"If the rumors are true, then every step of the Stellaron Hunters that seems void and nihil is, in substance, a choice toward a specific [possibility]."
"But, who isn't a variable of the future?"
"We all are variables of the future, solidifying reality through choices. The future isn't anything remarkable; it's just a fog of mist awaiting our decisions."
"Ah… Teacher Adrian suddenly said such profound words."
March 7th was dazed. Did the topic jump that fast?