Serval said she still had important matters to attend to and politely declined March 7th's invitation to go see Bronya together.
The three members of the Astral Express crew entered Qlipoth Fort without any obstruction.
"Bronya!"
March 7th waved her hand.
"Welcome back…"
Bronya forced out a faint smile.
"It's really embarrassing to trouble you again, making you run around everywhere for this city."
March 7th: "Don't be so polite, Bronya. Your voice sounds a bit weak… Are you okay?"
Even she could see the exhaustion hidden under Bronya's makeup.
"I'm fine, it's just…"
Bronya shook her head and forced herself to perk up.
"It's just that I haven't rested for a while. There have been too many sudden situations."
Stelle: "I can understand. This kind of tough situation would give anyone a headache."
Afterward, Stelle quickly recounted what had happened in the Lower District.
After learning about this, Bronya tightened her fists but could only press her dry lips together.
Right now, she was already suffocating under the pressure of the debt issue and had no time to take care of too many things in the Lower District. She could only trouble everyone underground.
Bronya spoke in a low tone as she narrated the general situation during this period.
"The IPC is moving very quickly. Belobog is now filled with their people everywhere, and they all have the same unified line — asset evaluation."
"However, aside from the Great Mining Area you mentioned, there haven't been any intense conflicts in other places."
"Probably because Topaz gave orders not to allow them to arbitrarily harass citizens."
"But this doesn't stop the panic from building up in people's hearts… Everyone is somewhat at a loss."
"They don't know where these unfamiliar people in black clothes came from or what purpose they hold."
March 7th: "Did Topaz contact you afterward? We couldn't get through to her communications."
Bronya nodded: "She did. The reason I asked you to come is that I want to hear your opinions."
After the Stellaron disaster ended, Belobog's revival plan could proceed smoothly thanks to the help of the Nameless.
Now, Belobog had once again stepped onto a fork in the road that would decide its future fate.
She must take responsibility for Belobog and its people. She was not ashamed to ask those with broader experience for advice to avoid stepping into pitfalls.
"Huh?"
Hearing Bronya's words, Stelle tilted her head and stared at her phone.
A row of missed call records.
Topaz wouldn't answer the Nameless' calls. So it was intentional?
Leon didn't narrow his eyes and asked directly: "What did she say?"
"Look." Bronya forwarded the letter to the group chat.
After opening it, Leon's gaze quickly scanned the letter's content and the contract terms.
He read extremely fast. In less than two seconds, he looked away, calmly crossed his arms, and waited.
The handwritten letter left by Topaz was not a threat. Instead, it told the story of her hometown.
Topaz was born on an insignificant, barren planet on the edge of the galaxy.
Its name was known to almost no one except the natives, and survival resources were extremely scarce.
To survive, the residents there had no choice but to sell large amounts of labor, engaging in grueling odd jobs for other civilizations between the stars.
These occupations were mostly high-risk chemical industries or heavy industries — dangerous and exhausting.
Against this background, the planet's natural environment deteriorated sharply.
At some point, in Topaz's childhood memories, people had to wear breathing masks just to go outside.
From morning to night, the sound of heartbreaking, nonstop coughing filled their ears.
Not many years later, that planet reached its end.
A small number of rich people chose interstellar migration and started over.
However, the vast majority could only linger on in torment under sewage, acid rain, and smog, desperately waiting for death to arrive.
Until one day, an IPC fleet came to Topaz's home planet and brought an advanced environmental transformation plan.
In exchange, the IPC required every resident on the planet to sign a contract, becoming the IPC's affiliated assets or lifetime employees of the IPC in the future.
To put it nicely, it was a contract of indentured servitude.
To put it bluntly, it was slavery with some human rights retained.
But for people who had no way out, being slaves was still better than turning into rotten dust where not even bones remained.
Two years after the contracts were signed, the black clouds and lethal smog covering the sky miraculously disappeared. People could finally remove their masks and breathe freely.
Three years later, the withered vegetation and trees revived and grew luxuriantly.
Five years later, animals that had once gone extinct reappeared, and the planet was completely alive again.
It was also at that time that Topaz officially became a member of the IPC's Strategic Investment Department.
Having witnessed the earth-shaking changes in her hometown with her own eyes, she vowed to bring the same vitality and hope to the many worlds across the galaxy that were suffering.
Leon had no particular reaction to the content in the letter.
Not long ago, Himeko had already sent him the investigation results regarding Topaz.
It was just that the part about her hometown wasn't that detailed.
The days after signing the contract could hardly be called wonderful.
But using personal freedom in exchange for the chance to survive — outsiders had no right to harshly criticize or lecture such a choice.
The key was what choice the people of Belobog would make.
Not only Bronya's opinion, but the will of the people was equally crucial.
Whether the leader could gain the sincere support of the people and whether their views could be unified was the key to whether this world could truly live.
Assuming Topaz had not become an IPC executive, her hometown living under IPC control would be nothing more than an empty shell without a soul.
Thinking from another perspective, if he were Topaz, he would absolutely not give the people and leaders of Belobog too much time to think.
He would force them to make a choice as soon as possible.
To put it unpleasantly and bluntly, it was a coup.
After March 7th and Stelle finished reading the letter, complex emotions welled up in their hearts.
"The tone in Topaz's letter feels quite sincere…"
March 7th looked at her companions. "Leon, Stelle, what do you think?"
Stelle raised her index finger and spoke concisely.
"From an objective perspective, she is very skilled at communication rhetoric."
Then she raised a second finger.
"From a subjective perspective, the polite words sound good, but unfortunately I don't trust her."
If there was nothing wrong in her heart, why wouldn't she answer the phone?
IPC executives were extremely busy. Busy was busy, but every call could be a business opportunity. Normally, they wouldn't ignore calls easily.
But the result?
Leon looked into Bronya's eyes: "What do you think?"
Bronya's voice was low.
"She is right about one thing — this choice is indeed too difficult."
"The fate of Jarilo-VI, the civilization it carries, everything that has happened here and everything that will happen here in the future —"
"Now it all hangs on my fingertips."
At this point, Bronya's expression became resolute.
"But I know that the fate of this world absolutely cannot, and should not, be decided by me alone!"
Hearing this, Leon showed a smile.
He hadn't guessed wrong, hadn't misjudged the person, and the arrangements he had made in advance were not wrong.
Stelle caught onto Bronya's idea: "You want to collect the opinions of Belobog's people?"
Bronya nodded: "That's what I'm thinking."
March 7th: "It should be like this. We absolutely cannot let Bronya bear such a big choice and its possible consequences alone!"
Bronya subconsciously frowned.
"Topaz gave a very tight deadline. I guess she wants me to make a decision as soon as possible."
"I originally planned to organize a referendum for all residents in the Upper and Lower Districts… but from the current time frame, that path is probably already blocked."
Leon looked up: "How much time did Topaz give you?"