[The Radiant Feldspar]
"...That old Aiden is really difficult to deal with. I never thought that at Penacony's most critical moment, he would actually take the risky step of going public." Topaz said to Jade.
"That's right. He has quite some nerve." Jade said. "It is precisely because of this boldness that he became the Aiden Ifffa he is today.
"But the scales of victory haven't tipped either way yet. No matter how loud the shouting is, sound itself has no weight. Topaz, how did that phone call you made go?"
After Old Aiden proposed the idea of taking Penacony public, the meeting between the IPC and the Clover Family came to an end for the time being. Jade and Topaz had to make some preparations during this time.
"Yes, they agreed." Topaz smiled. She looked to be in a good mood. "But they won't be able to arrive for a while."
"That works out perfectly." Jade said. "The honeydew should naturally be served after the poisoned wine."
"Looks like we'll be skipping the exchange of apples this time." Topaz said.
"Who can blame them when they're a greedy merchant?" Jade raised an eyebrow slightly. "One plain, tasteless apple won't solve the problem. Ah, that seems to have hurt me too."
The conversation between the two was clearly based on how well they understood Jade's methods. To an outsider, it would probably seem somewhat incomprehensible.
If Stelle or Nero were here too, they might ask the two of them to say something they could actually understand.
Of course, negotiations like this couldn't have unrelated people listening in either.
"I suddenly find myself a little curious." Jade looked at Topaz. "Topaz, in your opinion, would you consider Penacony a high-quality asset?"
"Good credit, huge profits, promising prospects. Even after going through this disaster, it's still one of the top-tier high-quality assets in the galaxy. There's no doubt about that." Topaz gave her answer.
"Mm, obviously." Jade nodded. "But what I want to ask is, with your tastes, this project is clearly a little boring, isn't it?"
Topaz smiled. "If we're only looking at the project itself, heh, indeed."
"Heh... Do you and Aventurine really like that child that much?"
"Mm... About that question. The power of Beauty certainly has some influence, but isn't someone who can receive Beauty's favor even rarer?" Topaz said. "It seems... we've gotten a little off topic, Miss Jade. Shouldn't we discuss our strategy going forward?"
"No need. I'll go in alone later." Jade shook her head. "Go receive our distinguished guest. Wait for my signal before taking action."
"Understood."
Once everything had basically been arranged, Topaz left, and Jade began wandering around the Radiant Feldspar.
When she reached the bow deck, Jade saw an unexpected figure.
The famous singer Robin was standing at the edge of the deck, one hand resting on the railing as she faced the wind of the dream and looked toward the sky outside the Radiant Feldspar.
After thinking about it, Jade decided to go over and say hello.
"Miss Robin, hello. I didn't expect to run into you on this ship."
Robin turned around and smiled at Jade. "Hello, Miss Jade. The opening ceremony of the Charmony Festival has been moved to the Radiant Feldspar, so I came up early to make some preparations. What about you? Have you spoken with Mr. Old Aiden?"
"Actually, I'm just about to go see him." Jade said. "Are you very familiar with him, Miss Robin?"
"Unfortunately, I've never met him." Robin gently shook her head. "I only heard a few brief comments about him from... the former Oak Family head, Sunday. Mr. Old Aiden is a very capable merchant, but in other respects... I wouldn't recommend him."
"Then where do you think the future of the festival's star will go?" Jade asked again, paying no attention to Robin's pause when mentioning Sunday.
"Just like the Radiant Feldspar was once forced to stop sailing, only to set sail again. I believe the sweet dream will be reborn." Robin had a relatively positive attitude toward the future.
"The Harmony needs to find a new direction. Only by saying goodbye to the past can we sail toward tomorrow."
Robin looked at Jade and said seriously, "There are no eternal allies, nor eternal enemies. I hope that through this transaction... we can each get what we need."
"Of course." Jade returned her smile. "I look forward to your performance. I'll see you at the celebration."
"Mm, see you later, Miss Jade."
After saying goodbye to Robin, Jade returned to the negotiation table with Old Aiden, preparing to begin the second half of their meeting.
Jade sat down opposite Old Aiden and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Aiden. We can continue the meeting."
"Ho ho ho ho, you've already come up with a countermeasure so quickly, Miss Jade?" Old Aiden still began with his distinctive laughter, but he soon noticed something was wrong. "Hmm... Where did Miss Topaz go?"
"Topaz has another assignment. You'll see her later." Jade said. "We can still continue the conversation, just you and me."
"Is it my imagination, ma'am?" Old Aiden's expression changed slightly. "The way you're speaking... is very different from before."
"You have to set a good example in front of your juniors." Jade's expression became serious. "Being loose-lipped at the negotiating table isn't a good habit, is it?"
"Now, we can speak frankly. Do you believe that, Aiden? The past was an Amber Era. You aren't the only merchant who personally experienced the changes in the cosmic market."
"Interesting... Ho ho ho ho, now this is interesting." Old Aiden muttered, then looked at Jade. "Speak frankly, very good! What I like most is openness and transparency. Let's hear it. Where are you planning to make your move?"
Jade smiled slightly. "Unfortunately, my habit is to checkmate first, then make my move. Let's get straight to the conclusion. First, your plan is impossible. There is absolutely no way for Penacony to go public without going through the Company."
"Second, you can't stop the Company from entering Penacony either. We have plenty of time and plenty of ways to find the right opening, tear it open bit by bit, then fill it up and make the Asdana system familiar with the Company's methods once again."
"I'll return every word you said to me. To preserve your dignity, and so you won't become the target of everyone's anger at the formal negotiations, you'd better give up that absurd plan."
"Ho hahahahaha!" Old Aiden suddenly began laughing like a madman. "Interesting, this is really too interesting!"
"You painted-face woman, you've got quite the nerve! Today, I want to see exactly what cards you're holding."
"Heh, don't forget, Mr. Aiden. The Company controls the largest propaganda platform between the stars. More than half of the news networks in the entire universe are our mouthpieces."
"The second you spread the news that Penacony is going public, trillions upon trillions of users will simultaneously receive a notification like this: The Family's protection of Penacony has failed. An accident in the dreamscape may result in permanent brain death."
"Take a guess. When the entire galaxy has its eyes on Penacony, how many ways does the Company have to make Clover Credits worthless within twenty-four system hours with just this one piece of news?"
Old Aiden stared at Jade, breathing heavily, as if someone had grabbed him by the throat. "You think you can do that?"
"Heh, my whip is very long. Even in Pier Point, I can easily wrap it around your neck." Jade smiled.
"And... you may not know this yet, but the darling of the Knights of Beauty has also filmed an advertisement for the Company."
"With Beauty's fame throughout the cosmos, even an unrelated advertisement like this would be enough to create a huge psychological bias across the universe. By then, Penacony might find it difficult even to struggle."
"But as long as you give up that foolish plan to go public, the Company will promise this: we will never harm the interests of the Family Heads, with you at their head."
"Mm... If we're lucky, perhaps Beauty could even promote Penacony for us?"
"In Asdana, we also need allies. The Company can help Penacony raise funds, starting by purchasing 30% of its shares. With our capital flowing in, stabilizing and rebuilding Penacony would be nothing more than an overnight job."
Old Aiden frowned. He was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected the faction of Beauty to be involved in this matter as well.
But...
Precisely because it was the faction of Beauty, he believed that what Jade had said was true.
After all... the Knights might not object to you promoting Beauty, but if you used Beauty's name to bully or deceive people, you'd better be prepared to be pierced by a knight's lance.
But he still couldn't understand why the faction of Beauty would get involved in something so full of the smell of money. Still, he had to admit that with Beauty's reputation, it would definitely cause quite a stir throughout the universe.
It was like the difference between two products of the same type, where the spokesperson for the first was a disgraced celebrity with a history of misconduct, while the spokesperson for the second was a nationally treasured celebrity widely recognized by the people in every respect. The difference might even be greater than that.
But now... the Clover Family... Penacony, under the Company's coercion, indeed seemed to have little chance of turning things around.
If they wanted to survive...
Old Aiden let out a long sigh. "Thirty percent. Who can guarantee that your appetite won't keep growing?"
He gave in.
Seeing Old Aiden give in, Jade smiled slightly.
Beauty really was a useful bargaining chip. She wasn't as familiar with Nero as Aventurine and Topaz were, but that didn't stop her from adding another bargaining chip for herself.
Moreover, the fact that Nero had come to the Company to film a program was an established fact, so she didn't need to worry about provoking the Knights' hostility.
No wonder Topaz and Aventurine liked that child so much. Who would've thought that even at a time like this, he could unexpectedly come in handy.