At that point, the little secretary paused slightly.
She bit her lip and clenched her fist tight, but only for a moment before relaxing again. She lowered her head, a faint trace of loneliness appearing between her brows.
"The Luofu is temporarily docked for recuperation, and trade with the IPC has become more frequent than ever. The guild has finally encountered a real threat."
"The IPC publicly announced its intention to compete for control over Aurum Alley's development. Their promises are tangible, visible, and extremely aggressive."
"The gentle downhill slope suddenly collapsed beneath our feet. No one can keep pretending not to notice anymore. Both the guild and Aurum Alley itself are already on the brink."
"The operating contract for the Aurum Alley commercial district is about to expire. The IPC regional supervisor has taken this as his target and has already begun laying the groundwork. The dock debt crisis is only one part of the plan."
"At the same time, the various shops in the district are wavering. Some see the IPC as a tiger lying beside their bed, harboring ill intentions. Others see the massive profits promised by the IPC as an opportunity..."
"The unease has only continued to grow. Right now, everyone is worried that 'Aurum Alley is about to disappear.' The guild has to do something, at the very least to fight for a little more for the local merchants."
"I see." Stelle nodded.
"So, on behalf of the guild, I would like to formally invite all of you to participate in the plan to save Aurum Alley as commercial consultants," the little secretary said.
Stelle blinked. "Does the consultant position come with a generous salary?"
"Uh..." The little secretary fell silent for a moment, visibly lacking confidence. "The guild's finances aren't exactly abundant, but we definitely won't treat you unfairly."
"No problem. I'll cover the consultant fees myself. No matter what, Aurum Alley has to be preserved," Nero declared proudly.
"That's right. Aurum Alley can't just disappear like this, otherwise what are we supposed to eat?" Bailu agreed seriously.
Stelle turned to look at Nero and smiled.
It was obvious that Aurum Alley, or more specifically its food, really mattered to this kid.
Sushang leaned closer and said to Stelle, "I definitely hope you'll help too! You wouldn't want me barking like a puppy in front of all those people, right?"
"Besides, I really do want to help Aurum Alley. Didn't Nero and Bailu both decide to help already?"
Clearly, she had taken Stelle's usual trash-talking seriously.
Stelle didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked at Sushang and thought that honestly, hearing Sushang bark like a puppy didn't sound too bad. It actually seemed like it'd be pretty entertaining.
Still, that commissioner with all his dramatic ups and downs barking like a dog sounded even more worth looking forward to.
This whole matter didn't actually have much to do with Stelle. Even if she chose not to help, it wouldn't matter.
But Little Grey Hair was kindhearted by nature. She hated seeing people fail to get what they wanted.
That commissioner wanted to bark like a dog, so naturally she had to fulfill his wish.
'And wasn't there a saying about this?'
'Helping beautiful girls is my duty!'
The fun had to be watched, Sushang had to be helped, Bailu had to be supported, and Nero had to be spoiled.
Then Sushang sighed and continued, "My hometown is the Yaoqing, and our trade ties with the IPC are even closer there.
Supposedly, it all started with the IPC investing in mutual trade markets. But over time, things started to change...
"Gradually, the younger generation on the Yaoqing started liking the films and toys produced by the IPC entertainment division."
"They started wearing stylish IPC clothes tailored to fit perfectly. At this point, you can barely tell whether they're Xianzhou natives or IPC employees anymore."
"And plenty of people dream about heading to the IPC worlds to make money once they come of age."
"Even the architecture inside the delves has completely changed. The elegant flying eaves I saw as a child are becoming rarer and rarer. Glazed roof tiles and breathing-earth bricks have vanished too."
"In their place, smooth-surfaced IPC buildings that look like monuments keep rising from the ground one after another."
"Anyone on the Yaoqing who's lived over five hundred years, like my mom, says the Yaoqing has changed."
"But even they can't tell whether all of this is leading toward a better future or sliding into a decline controlled by short-life species... they're just uneasy."
"When I saw Mingxi facing that IPC guy, I felt the same unease. Even after living several times longer than him, she still looked completely lost when facing people like them."
"If the enemy were some powerful villain, I could at least step forward and trade a few blows. But problems like Aurum Alley can't be solved with fists alone. I've got strength, but nowhere to use it."
Listening to Sushang's explanation, Nero fell into thought. Based on what she said, the architectural style of the Yaoqing was probably far more modernized than the Luofu's.
And what Sushang brought up really was a serious issue, but there was no good solution for it.
Even though the universe of Star Rail was countless eras more advanced than Earth, one thing never changed no matter the era, all living beings were swept forward by the tides of their age.
Life climbed upward, yet none were travelers. Civilizations were like broken planks tossed about in floods and tidal waves, drifting helplessly with rushing currents and crashing seas.
Everything would eventually be recorded within the torrent of time and the memory of history. Even rejuvenation, even traveling through time, merely deepened and intensified the meaning of the word "time."
The advance of civilization and the climb of life were, at their core, like entropy increasing, while countless people fell from the cliffs during the process.
Nero shook his wide sleeves lightly, the tips of his fingers twitching softly as they emerged.
He felt like he finally understood where Sushang's worries came from. They were afraid of something called "roots" being erased.
Information, the underlying logic and fundamental color of the world born within the cold universe and gatherings of life.
Different forms of culture possessed different "roots," dazzling landscapes accumulated throughout the passage of history.
But Xianzhou culture resembled his homeland closely, so Nero had complete confidence in the Xianzhou, just like he would always have confidence in his home.
The thoughts flashed through Nero's mind in an instant. Those grand philosophical thoughts felt so lofty that even he thought they didn't sound like his own brain talking.
The boy shook his head and said, "Honestly, I like the IPC's films and games too. But I don't think going to the IPC worlds to make money is a good idea."
"I think maybe you should explain to your hometown people what '996' and '007' mean."
"Let them understand what it means to be livestock at home and workhorses at the company, where your entire life becomes nothing but work and overtime every single day."
"I'm very authoritative on this subject. I know people inside the IPC. I can ask Big Sis Topaz to send over the work schedule of the lowest-level IPC employees."
"If the people you mentioned are mostly attracted there because of money, then I believe that schedule alone would scare plenty of them awake and make them come to their senses."
Sushang stared at Nero in slight astonishment.
To many people her age on the Yaoqing, the IPC sounded wonderful. But hearing Nero describe it now, the inside of the company sounded terrifyingly dark.
Even someone as slow on the uptake as Li Big Pillow couldn't help shivering at this moment, suddenly feeling that Nero's idea was actually a good one.
Stelle smiled, crouched down in front of Nero, and asked, "What about you? You're part of the younger generation on the Xianzhou too. What do you think?"
Nero blinked. "I'm a Nameless! But every Nameless has their own Trailblazing philosophy. As for me..."
The boy's frost-like eyelashes trembled softly before a confident smile spread across his face. Stelle froze slightly as she looked at his flawless pale features.
His voice fell into her ears. The boy before her looked like a blazing sun, and his words carried overwhelming, untamed arrogance.
"I'll make the world adapt to me and ride the waves with me, instead of being drowned by the world and swept away with the current!"