Bo Yunjian, the current chairwoman of the Blacktide Chamber of Commerce and the Bo family's de facto head, was the person most people meant when they referred to “the heiress.”
Throughout Wavefoam Harbor, the Blacktide Chamber of Commerce was a colossal power with influence in both the legitimate and underground worlds. Whether it was the deliberations of government officials in the Tidal Palace or the tangled web of the city's criminal forces, there was hardly anything it couldn't get involved in.
This was the second time Chen Miemie had met Miss Bo.
She was dressed entirely in black: black leather shoes, black hair, black eyes, and a black decorative umbrella in her hand. She wasn't very old, but beneath her elegant black attire, she seemed exceptionally mature.
Since Miss Bo had personally come to deliver the equipment, Chen Miemie greeted her warmly. “Please, have a seat. Um, and this is...”
The Auctioneer smiled faintly. “I'll stand.”
With that, the butler quietly positioned himself behind the sofa where Bo Yunjian sat.
Miss Bo watched the Dentist hurriedly straighten himself up. “It seems you and the Tour Guide have been getting along rather well, Mr. Chen.”
“Of course. The Dentist is a very nice person. And, well, he has quite an appetite too.”
He went around and poured everyone tea.
The tea from the Heartless Pot was no ordinary brew. Even Miss Bo, who had seen countless rare treasures, couldn't help praising it as “excellent tea” after merely catching its faint, refreshing aroma.
She wasted no time on pleasantries. With a gentle wave of her hand, the Auctioneer stepped forward and placed two small boxes on the table.
“The pumice box and the rubber bag,” the Auctioneer explained. “These are currently the versions with the largest internal capacity.”
After saying this, he returned to his place behind the sofa.
Once Bo Yunjian and Chen Miemie began their conversation, neither the Dentist nor the Auctioneer spoke again.
Chen Miemie looked at the two items. The pumice box resembled a small backpack, while the rubber bag looked like a crossbody satchel.
“Not bad at all. They'll solve quite a few problems for me. Chairwoman Bo, I'll take both.”
“Very well, Chen Miemie. These two items are rather rare. How about I sell them to you at five percent above the market price?” Bo Yunjian asked with a faint smile.
“What? You're charging a premium?”
“Of course. These are ordinary commercial transactions. A favor from me isn't something that can be exchanged so easily for two small pieces of equipment.”
Looking at Bo Yunjian, who sat with perfect poise and a smile on her face, Chen Miemie silently praised her.
No wonder she was the person in charge of a massive power like the Blacktide Chamber of Commerce. With just a few words, she had defined the delivery of two high-level items that weren't normally available for purchase as a straightforward transaction, even making it seem as though she might have earned a little extra. At the same time, she had made it clear that this was not a favor. She had helped him while making him feel perfectly comfortable about it.
Even if it technically wasn't a favor, his impression of her had certainly improved.
“All right. And don't call me ‘Mr. Chen.’ I prefer people to use my name.”
“Is that so? That habit is the same as our city's Eight-Clawed Governor. Chen Miemie, then you should call me by my name as well.”
“Sure. So, Bo Yunjian, you didn't come here just to get acquainted with me, did you?”
“Indeed. There's something I need your help with.” Bo Yunjian stated her purpose directly.
Chen Miemie frowned slightly.
He didn't even need to ask what it was. Whatever the matter, it had to be extremely difficult—difficult enough that even the Blacktide Chamber of Commerce was powerless to resolve it.
“Are you sure I can help?”
“I'm not sure, but I want to try. Naturally, I won't ask you to help for nothing. I know you aren't short of time, Chen Miemie, but if this matter yields a result, regardless of whether we succeed or fail, I'm willing to give you ownership of a [Wonder].”
At the mention of a [Wonder], Chen Miemie was genuinely tempted.
[Wonders] were extraordinarily rare. To those who could make use of them, they were practically priceless. The core of the Eternal Kisaragi base, the [Cloud-Herd], was itself a [Wonder].
In all this time, even counting the occasions when Evermoon had looked down upon the world from the sky, Chen Miemie had encountered only one [Wonder]: the [Cloud-Herd].
“Tell me about it first. I need to hear what the matter is.”
“Very well.” Seeing that Chen Miemie had agreed to listen, Bo Yunjian smiled even more brightly.
“About six years ago, my father led a fleet out to sea on an expedition. They never returned.
“When I received the news, I refused to believe it. During my father's tenure, the Blacktide Chamber of Commerce reached the height of its power under his leadership. Its influence was even greater than it is now. The ships he led possessed enough strength that neither the fiercest storm nor the most formidable enemy should have been capable of wiping them out completely—much less leaving behind not even a single message.
“I want you to help me uncover the truth, Chen Miemie.”
Chen Miemie had assumed Miss Bo wanted him to help with fighting, killing, or some struggle for power. He hadn't expected her to ask him to investigate a case.
“You must have been looking into this all along. Your Blacktide Chamber of Commerce is the largest civilian power in the city. If even you couldn't find anything, what use would it be to ask me?”
For the first time, Bo Yunjian lifted her teacup and took a small sip, as if to steady her emotions.
“When it first happened, I used every resource at my disposal to investigate. I kept at it for two or three years. Unfortunately, trying to find clues in the ocean is like searching for a needle in the sea. After a long time without results, even I began to feel that hope was fading.
“But not long ago, people discovered a great rift deep within the Sea Ridge.
“Unlike ordinary citizens, who only knew the outcome, I learned more details. One of the temporary expedition teams that discovered the rift included a member of the Blacktide Chamber of Commerce.
“Near the rift, he found a badge.”
“What kind of badge?”
“Several senior members of the chamber accompanied my father on that expedition. One of their [Mysteries] was connected to a badge. It was his personal insignia.”
Chen Miemie felt he already knew enough about the case, but he repeated the question he had asked earlier.
“Why ask me to investigate?”
“The Blacktide Chamber of Commerce has considerable influence in Wavefoam Harbor. Lord Bajiao once helped us as well, but none of us found anything.
“I've run out of people to turn to. The city is about to go to war, and I can't keep selfishly distracting everyone to investigate this case. From now on, the Blacktide Chamber of Commerce will devote all its strength to the coming battle.
“I have a feeling that if we don't seize this new lead, there may never be another opportunity. Before I give up, you are the only possibility I can reach.
“Chen Miemie, please help me.”
The room fell utterly silent.
Under the girl's expectant gaze, Chen Miemie slowly closed his eyes and fell into thought. His fingers tapped lightly against the tabletop out of habit.
After a few taps, he shifted his hand slightly and his fingers brushed against the pumice box the Auctioneer had just handed over.
He opened his eyes and smiled faintly.
“All right. I'll give it a try. Not because I want to help you, of course. It's for the [Wonder]. After all, a favor from Miss Bo isn't something that can be obtained so easily.”
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
e vast world of cultivation, where he becomes the master of the Heavenly Ruins Sacred Hall, a dying old man with barely a tenth of his former cultivation remaining. He is immediately confronted with a deadly crisis: his subordinates have rebelled, and his protectors are forcing him to abdicate. At the critical moment, the system descends from the heavens: [Ding! The host has been detected facing a life-or-death crisis. The system is now officially activated!] [As a gift, you have received the Supreme Beginner’s Pack and awakened the ultimate cheat: ten thousand years of pure cultivation essence every second!] Yin Tianjue: “Wait… ten thousand years of cultivation every second? That’s six hundred thousand years a minute, and in one day… I can’t even calculate it. Either way, I’m already invincible!” You’re a peerless prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re an undying ancestor who has guarded a sacred land for countless ages? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re the strongest chosen one, blessed with heaven-defying destiny? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. From this day forth, I have only one thing to say: “I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. Now, how exactly are you supposed to deal with that?”
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
