"Hey, Trailblazer, so you were here!" Guinaifen spotted Stelle and rushed into the Curio Trash Can shop.
She'd been ready to complain about running all over the Exalting Sanctum in search of her, only to find Stelle standing here all along.
But when she saw Stelle and Qingque standing with such grim faces, she realized something was wrong.
Sylvester eyed the two Jade Abacuses Skott had tossed on the counter, the gesture dripping with contempt. His mood soured instantly.
But business always brought its share of scum. Sylvester decided, for now, not to take the bait.
Calmly, he said, "My shop has a purchase limit. Each person can only buy ten per week."
"Exactly," Skott replied, rubbing his neck. "There's plenty of us. One each. Problem?"
"Heh. Even if it's just half each, could your little shop keep up with the supply?"
He turned his gaze to the shelves—lined with old-fashioned tin trash cans. "Tch. Charging this much for such junk? And the Xianzhou's laws allow it?"
"Hey, hey! Either buy it or don't," Guinaifen snapped, unable to stomach his arrogance. "But tossing money at people while insulting them—what kind of attitude is that?"
"Oh? The boss hasn't said a word, yet you, a little girl, and you dare to butt in? Besides, if I've got money to throw around, why should you care how I spend it?"
"Skott," Stelle stepped forward, placing herself between him and Guinaifen, "looks like you still haven't learned your lesson in Aurum Alley."
"Hmm? Who—" Skott adjusted his sunglasses. When he saw Stelle's face clearly, he yelped, "You? Why are you here?!"
That face—he'd never forget it, not even in death.
Skott, who had trampled even his own father to climb ahead, had thrived in the IPC since day one.
His dream of being a lone wolf had advanced with ruthless precision—seizing every chance, scheming against every rival, betraying even friends.
But Aurum Alley… that one humiliation haunted him every night, teeth grinding the sheets to shreds.
Shame! Utter disgrace!
"Hmph~ Still as brazen as ever. Skott, do you want to bark like a dog again?" Stelle smirked, mockery dripping from her tone.
She believed the shadow she'd cast over him would be enough to keep him docile.
But reality proved Skott was far darker than she'd imagined.
Skott's lips curled into a sinister grin. "Bark like a dog? Hahaha. You really don't get it, do you? Heh heh…"
The madness hiding beneath his reason sent a chill prickling through Stelle's brows.
Had this guy finally snapped? His deranged laughter made even her feel uneasy.
Bending forward, Skott hissed, "Trailblazer, right? Passenger of the Astral Express, right? The one who humiliated me in Aurum Alley, trampled my dignity, right?!"
His voice rose, growing more frenzied, teeth grinding audibly like claws on glass, the sound making one's ears ache.
He stared at his clawed, trembling hands, veins bulging, his grin twisting into pure madness.
"But humiliation—so what? Humiliation only awakens my wolf's blood. Humiliation only makes me sharper. One day, I'll have revenge. I'll repay you a hundredfold, a thousandfold for the shame!"
He snapped upright again, face suddenly calm, almost rational. "And I won't give you the chance to recover."
From his stance, Stelle felt only chaos and instability. He was teetering between control and collapse, and it was impossible to tell which side would win.
Last time she met him, he had been arrogant but calculating—never reckless. Today's Skott was different, his hysteria far stronger. Could Aurum Alley have scarred him that badly?
The two locked eyes, tension crackling in the air.
"Ahem—Miss Guinaifen, mind starting a livestream? I need a witness. If this lunatic snaps, it's not on me."
Sylvester's dry voice broke the standoff.
From the moment Skott entered, Sylvester had wondered how the IPC would move against him. But when Skott proposed "one can per person," Sylvester had felt oddly relieved.
His real fear was that the IPC would see through his bluff—crushing him with the sheer weight of corporate power, maybe even eliminating him outright. Better no one profit, than let him slip away.
But Skott's approach gave him insight: his smoke-and-mirrors had worked. The company was wary, unwilling to strike directly. Instead, they'd chosen this underhanded method, hoping to disrupt the Xianzhou's plans.
If they walked away with a few top-tier Curios, the IPC might even tip the balance against the Alliance.
Cautious but decisive—a plan with no real downside.
So… should he give the Xianzhou a hand here?
Qingque strolled over, speaking lazily. "A livestream's fine. Saves us trouble later if things go south."
As Fu Xuan's… less-than-diligent right hand, Qingque had at least picked up a sense of what all those overtime hours were really for. She knew nothing of the Phantom Slayer, but she understood her role now—stall for time.
Guinaifen flicked open her Jade Abacus. Viewers trickled into the stream, comments floating across the screen.
[Unlicensed Pilot: "Oh? Why's the streamer live at this hour? Just finished dinner. Guess I'll just watch for now."]
[Comedic Duo A: "This is the Curio Trash Can place, right? Heard it blew up after Lady Fu Xuan dropped by. Wonder if there are any left? I wanna buy one too!"]
[Comedic Duo B: "Huh? So many IPC people here? Damn. If the company's buying out, we're done for. Where are we supposed to buy then?"]
The chatter meant nothing to Skott—he couldn't care less.
"Livestream? Go ahead. Doesn't bother me. I've done nothing illegal. What's there to be afraid of?"
"But you, shopkeeper—selling scrap metal at sky-high prices? Ha! If I send you to the Interastral Court, they'll hand you three to five years, easy. And trust me, the cells there make the Shackling Prison look like a luxury suite…"
The words were casual, but the threat was clear.
"Oh-ho?" Sylvester smiled faintly at Skott's intimidation. "So, you're clean, but I'm the criminal? Buy or don't—if you won't, get out."
Instead of being silenced, Skott's excitement spiked. "Oho! Struck a nerve? I hit the mark, didn't I? Desperate to chase me off, aren't you? That's your weak spot, exposed! You're a fraud! You don't actually have Curios—your bluff's been exposed. You don't dare sell to me! I've seen your type before. Today, not only will you give me these cans—you'll give them for free! Or else I'll drag you to court!"
His confidence was absolute. After all, hadn't he been burned once before in Aurum Alley by failing to trust his own judgment?
To him, humans lived only for profit. Ideals, morals, friendships—all delusions for the weak. Credits were the only true, unlying power.
So, to see Sylvester putting priceless Curios into trash cans and selling them? To Skott, that was naked fraud. There was no profit in it.
What he could never know, was that Sylvester's system literally rewarded him for selling trash cans.
Thus, Skott was convinced Sylvester was just a cheap scammer, flashing one real Curio as bait, raking in cash, then preparing to skip town with the loot.
"Mm…" Sylvester pinched the bridge of his nose. This guy's ego was unbearable. "Get out. Now. Or I'll call the Ten-Lords Commission."
But Skott only grew more ecstatic. "Heh heh. Afraid, are you? Because I nailed it. You scam artist."