Herta stood before the shelves, her eyes sweeping over the remaining trash cans while her right hand delicately rubbed the newly obtained hairpin-shaped Curio between her fingers.
This Curio could transform into her preferred weapon type, and the special ability it held was something utterly unheard of.
A weapon that judged not by matter, but by an abstract concept such as 'righteousness'—now that was a phenomenon worth recording in the annals of impossibility.
As a top-tier scientist, her pursuit of underlying principles was etched into her very bones, as was her faith in the tangible.
And yet, the thing in her hand—so brimming with idealism—had just dealt her a firm slap across the face.
Still, rather than spiraling into existential hysteria at the thought of her worldview being overturned, she accepted reality almost immediately.
The nature of the world didn't matter. So long as she could uncover the truth, everything else was irrelevant.
Moreover…
A faint curve tugged at the corner of her lips, tinted with pride.
She was, in all likelihood, the first to discover this. That meant she was standing at the forefront of all knowledge—no, sprinting ahead of the vanguard of curiosity itself!
To integrate morality into the realm of scientific inquiry was to open an entirely new discipline within modern science. Even if she was starting from zero, even if she had no direction yet—she was first.
And being ahead was reason enough.
That sluggish blob Screwllum, who once matched her stride in cosmic exploration, was now miles behind!
And Ruan Mei… what sort of expression would she make if she learned that the universe itself might be an unimaginably vast, sentient organism?
Herta didn't particularly care to see Ruan Mei's face.
What she relished was this—the intoxicating thrill of standing on the edge of scientific revelation.
That feeling alone was enough to bring her joy.
It was this feeling that deepened Herta's fascination with the little trash can shop before her.
Perhaps… this store itself was the true subject worthy of study?
The idea flickered through her mind, only to be quickly dismissed.
She shook her head. Her schedule was already overflowing.
The Simulated Universe, the Digital World, this hairpin in her hand—and if she could finally obtain the Power of Concepts, she'd long desired—that would make four major research projects. And every single one was the kind that made others despair and drove even Screwllum to the brink of quitting.
She could manufacture countless puppets, but she couldn't replicate countless minds.
These matters had to be done one at a time. If she lost interest in one project someday, she could always switch.
With that thought, she refocused her gaze on the trash cans and placed her hand on one of them.
Herta exhaled softly, clutching the hairpin, whispering in her heart, 'Power of Concepts.'
She adapted quickly to new realities. Having just realized the power of idealism, she was already putting it into practice.
For Sylvester, such behavior was nothing new. He casually refilled his teacup, while Qingque continued eating without a care in the world.
Only Fu Xuan sat upright, watching this newest Xianzhou collaborator with full attention, waiting for a new Curio to emerge.
If Herta drew a purple or even a golden Curio, Fu Xuan would be more than pleased.
First of all, there was no real reason for these geniuses to conflict with the Xianzhou Alliance. In fact, after Chadwick's fate, they ought to be more wary of the Corporation.
Second, Herta's research prowess was beyond question.
Unlike other geniuses who each had a single great achievement, her accomplishments were countless.
As a child, she solved the Solitary Wave Theory and the Spark Model Hypothesis. As a young adult, she discovered the Sigma Baryon conversion method. In her middle years, she proposed the Herta Sequence, published papers on reversing aging, and in her old age—truly reversed it.
And when she was young again, she unlocked the secrets of the Imaginary Leakage Phenomenon, captured a Stellaron, and sealed it—only for the Stellaron to gain sentience.
But none of that diminished her prestige in the scientific community.
If she obtained a powerful Curio and unraveled its mysteries, Xianzhou could collaborate under the banner of joint research and claim a share of the achievement. After all, Herta had long said that she only cared about research—who used the results was of no concern to her.
The combination of a remarkable Curio and a prodigious mind—no one could predict the spark it might ignite. But one thing was certain: it would be an unprecedented opportunity. Perhaps it could even elevate Xianzhou's technological power to a new level.
She had, after all, just acquired an incredibly valuable Curio not moments ago!
Fu Xuan couldn't help but take this seriously—and with no small excitement.
She crossed her arms, feeling somewhat pleased with herself.
Who would have thought that simply bringing Sylv—ahem, bringing lunch to a subordinate—would lead her to such critical information? Clearly, she should do this more often.
It was all for the future of Xianzhou!
Yes, that was certainly the justification.
As Herta continued her silent chant, she gradually began to feel as though she could truly see through luck itself.
She reached for the lid of another trash can, and the puppet's energy core—its equivalent of a heart—suddenly began to hum faster.
Yes. Idealism truly worked!
Without hesitation, confidence flickering behind her cool gaze, she yanked the lid open.
Fu Xuan couldn't read Herta's expression from behind, but from the shift in the puppet's aura, she realized something shocking—had Herta already grasped the secret behind the trash cans? Could she truly discern the higher-grade Curios hidden within?
That was something even she, Jing Yuan, Feixiao, and the Interastral Peace Corporation's Ten Stonehearts had never managed to achieve!
Could she really have understood it so quickly?
As expected of a genius!
Yet in the next moment, amid Herta's confidence and Fu Xuan's anticipation, a beam of green light shot into the air.
Herta's expression froze instantly—colder than the black-helmeted boy's worst jokes, ten times over. She glanced down at the hairpin in her hand.
All that idealism nonsense? Completely fake! Tangible matter was still the only thing worth trusting!
Fu Xuan's eager hope deflated into speechless resignation.
So, geniuses were human after all.
Qingque licked a bit of rice from the corner of her mouth and looked up blankly. Her sensitivity to her superior's mood shifts was uncanny.
What's going on? Did something happen?
Eh? Why did the Master Diviner just close her eyes?
"Ah!"
Too engrossed in her meal to notice her surroundings, Qingque was caught off guard as the trash can's glow nearly blinded her.
"Ugh… what terrible luck today."
No customers in the morning, ran into the Master Diviner while slacking off, and now she'd been flash-banged while eating. Maybe it was karma for winning five rounds of cards in a row last night?
"Argh."
Still squinting, Qingque stuffed another large bite of food into her mouth in defiance. She was determined to slack off to the very end—and she'd keep her head down until the Master Diviner was gone.
Herta, meanwhile, stared darkly at the peculiar object in her hands.
It was a pair of high heels—crafted with exquisite material and a stylish design—but with an odd twist: instead of a heel spike, each shoe bore a tiny pair of wheels.
"What… is this?"
She turned toward Sylvester for clarification.
She was sure it was useless, but it was still worth asking. Trash and display pieces ought to be clearly distinguished.
"Though it's a green Curio," Sylvester said, rapping his knuckles on the solid wood counter with gravity, "its value is far from low—because it contains an infinite energy core!"
"Infinite energy?"
Herta, who had been utterly disinterested a moment ago, was instantly intrigued.
Now this—this was something worth studying.