"I dare to dream of anything." Stelle lifted her brows, pride radiating from her face.
She ticked her fingers, counting one by one: "First and foremost, I'll become the Queen of Trash Cans. Next, I'll be the CEO of the Interastral Peace Corporation. Once I'm CEO, no more endless interviews, no more cutthroat culture—we'll flip the schedule to work two days, rest five. On rest days, every employee must join me on the streets to clean trash cans. That way, every single trash can will be a pristine experience."
"And then, I'll open the biggest electric fan factory in Belobog. Or maybe set up a fried chicken stand in front of Dawn Theatre in Penacony…"
Dan Heng and March 7th sank into the chairs in the lounge, one staring at the scenery outside, the other chatting with Qingque about Celestial Jade.
As for the Trailblazer? Who's that? Never heard of her—must be from the Astral Express Crew.
Even Sylvester was left speechless by Stelle's boundless imagination.
Wrecking a corporation was one thing.
But selling fans in Belobog? That was a guaranteed bankruptcy waiting to happen. Even Bronya would be embarrassed to give her a business license.
And fried chicken in front of Dawn Theatre? Did she even know whose doorstep that was?
Holding Penacony shares made her hands itch so much she just had to throw them away, huh?
No choice—he had to spell things out more clearly.
"I mean, do you have a dream to achieve through knowledge? Like the Genius Society—making a major contribution to an unknown field, something like that."
Stelle rubbed her chin thoughtfully, then asked with complete seriousness: "Does becoming the King of Trash Cans count as an unknown field? And isn't that a pretty outstanding contribution?"
"Pheeeew…"
Sylvester let out a long breath.
So, he had underestimated her—who knew she'd have such burning passion for this particular "track"?
He eyed Stelle with an odd frustration.
All this time running his shop, and this was the first time someone had turned the tables on him like this.
…No, he'd need a different approach.
His eyes flickered with an idea. "Of course it counts. Absolutely. Just be careful back on the Astral Express—not to dirty the floors Pom-Pom just cleaned."
"Uh…" Stelle's face deflated, sinking into thought.
That really was a problem.
The Conductor was hypersensitive to filth—couldn't even stand stray hairs on the sofa.
If one day she ascended as King, leading her loyal trash cans back aboard the train… wouldn't Pom-Pom explode on the spot?
And then drag her down in the blast?
Pom-Pom in a rage was terrifying!
Clutching her chest, Stelle murmured wistfully: "Alright… fine. I'll put that dream aside for now."
"What?!"
Dan Heng and March 7th turned in shock.
The Trailblazer—parting with trash cans, with tears in her heart?
He's that powerful?!
Dan Heng's eyes went wide, slowly nodding at Sylvester in solemn respect.
March 7th whipped out her camera, snapping a shot of Stelle's slumped, dejected look.
This was history in the making—an Emanator of Elation was stripped of joy itself! Even Aha would shed tears… or maybe burst out laughing?
Seeing their reactions, Sylvester finally felt satisfied.
No one could outshine him on his own turf.
"Don't worry. This Curio practically grants the chance to fulfill any dream."
"Really?" Stelle's head snapped up, hope blazing in her eyes.
Dan Heng and March 7th, on the other hand, were at their wits' end.
Forget the trash cans already, Stelle! Focus on something that matters!
Her stubborn obsession left them exhausted. If not for the fact that this hobby caused no real harm, they'd have already booked her an appointment with the Healer Lady in the Alchemy Commission.
"It's true. If your dream has even the slightest chance of being realized, then nothing will go wrong."
Sylvester pointed at the skeletal crystal in Stelle's hand. "This is the [Hand of Deconstruction]. Anything you touch with it—you'll instantly and fully comprehend. Science only advances through endless trial and error. Every scientific law we hold today might be false."
"But this Curio? Just by touch, it skips observation, experiment, summary, verification—all the countless steps that normally consume unimaginable manpower and resources. You gain the correct knowledge instantly."
He paused, then concluded: "In a sense… this is the database of the universe. Or rather, the truth of the cosmos itself."
Before Stelle could react, March 7th shouted: "That's way too powerful!"
"This… this can't exist!" Dan Heng exclaimed. As the Astral Express's archivist, he knew the state of science across the universe better than anyone.
And because he knew, the shock hit him harder than most.
Even members of the Genius Society—most of them only achieved one great contribution in their lifetime.
Granted, it wasn't really fair to measure them that way.
But if the geniuses were here, they'd surely think the same!
Their reputation across the cosmos needed no elaboration. But if they learned this Curio existed?
They'd abandon their most important experiments, flocking here from every corner of the universe.
The chance to bypass endless struggle and receive the teachings of the cosmos itself?
They'd lose their minds!
And this wasn't just wild speculation. Could even Nous claim THEIR knowledge was flawless?
The more Dan Heng thought about it, the heavier the weight in his chest.
He turned to Qingque: "Miss Qingque, regarding this Curio, I ask that you tell no one except the Master Diviner. And this isn't just from me—it's from the Astral Express itself. On behalf of the Astral Express's alliance with the Xianzhou Luofu, I beg you: do not reveal this."
He had no choice. Members of the Genius Society could be called geniuses, but equally, they were lunatics. Especially someone like the Dr. Primitive, a true madman without restraint.
Unlike the Luofu or the IPC, they weren't bound by diplomacy, cost, or consequence.
As individuals, they were virtually unchecked. If even one grew covetous…
A chill ran down Dan Heng's back.
He feared no battle—few forces in the universe could outright crush the Astral Express. But the Genius Society was different. Their research could kill the Astral Express Crew in a hundred invisible ways.
Qingque studied his expression, then nodded. "I'll carry your message faithfully to the Master Diviner."
Even so, Dan Heng wasn't reassured.
The Divination Commission wasn't the Luofu's highest authority.
For safety, he would need to face Jing Yuan directly.
Much as it pained him—he had to try. For the Express's sake.
"What message must be carried to ME?"
Just as Dan Heng steeled his resolve, a pink-haired beauty stepped into the shop. Clearly, she had overheard part of the conversation.
"Master Diviner." Qingque stood at once and bowed deeply.
"It's been a while, Luofu's Master Diviner." Stelle, Dan Heng, and March 7th rose and greeted her as well.
"Greetings, Astral Express Crew." Fu Xuan inclined her head politely in return.
Sylvester simply grinned and waved. "Morning. Haven't seen you in days. Got a little free time to visit today?"
Fu Xuan didn't take offense. She only sighed softly.
After all, not only were the two on good terms now, but in strict rank, Sylvester also stood above her.
"These past days have been unbearably hectic. Especially we only just concluded the negotiations with the IPC, and the official document that was sent has finally came back to the Marshal. Only now have I found this moment of leisure."
She walked quietly to the counter and pressed a tightly sealed letter into Sylvester's hand.
"What's this?" He examined it closely. Though it looked like paper, it was far sturdier, yet just as pliant.
Strange stuff. There's a material like this in the universe?
As he toyed with the envelope, Fu Xuan's cool, even voice slipped into his ear.
"This is your letter of appointment as General of the Xianzhou Luofu. The Marshal has already given approval for this."
Her soft words struck like thunder in everyone's ears.
"I'm… a General?" Sylvester's head jerked up in shock. "Then what's Jing Yuan going to do?"