"So this beautiful young lady must be the Kiana that Madam Herta mentioned. What a pleasure to meet you."
Inside Herta Space Station's reception room, a purple-haired beauty in IPC uniform was greeting Kiana.
Kiana glanced sideways at her.
Honestly, were all people from the Strategic Investment Department like this?
Say one thing to people, another to ghosts.
Back when Kiana had still been at IPC headquarters, the Strategic Investment Department and the Market Development Department had never gotten along. Even though she had only held a nominal position in Market Development, this Miss Jade in front of her had never given her much of a pleasant face.
Who would have thought that now, after becoming a Lord Ravager, she would get to see this colleague of hers wearing such a different expression?
"Hello, Miss Jade." Kiana nodded politely.
Jade smiled in return.
"I had long heard that Herta Space Station had welcomed a very special guest. Now that I've seen you in person, the rumors truly did not exaggerate."
"Though I certainly didn't expect there to be not just one Lord Ravager here."
Jade's gaze drifted casually to Xingxiao, who stood behind Kiana, and her pupils contracted slightly.
According to the company's intelligence network, Jade naturally knew about Xingxiao's assault on the station the day before.
What she had absolutely not expected, however, was that the infamous Xingxiao would now be standing quietly behind Kiana like a maid.
That was certainly... surprising.
For the first time, Jade regretted not waiting for her boss, Diamond, to come with her.
"Let's skip the small talk, Miss Jade. Herta told me you came here because you needed something from me?" Kiana cut in, interrupting Jade's thoughts.
Originally, according to Kiana's own script, the IPC was not supposed to enter the stage this early.
Looks like they had planted informants around her after all, if they were already able to gather intel about Kiana.
Still, that could not really be helped. Back when her Destruction persona had not yet fully taken shape, Kiana had told her subordinates no shortage of outrageous stories in order to secure startup capital.
"In that case, I'll be direct." Jade smiled faintly.
"Roughly two weeks ago, Madam Herta awakened you on a planet called Jarilo. You remember that, I presume?"
Kiana raised a brow.
Of course she remembered. That had been her alter ego's first public appearance, the starting point of her rise from nothing.
"Naturally. And what does that have to do with you, Miss Jade?"
The smile on Jade's face deepened slightly.
"It has quite a lot to do with us, actually. After all, the reason Madam Herta went to Jarilo in the first place was because of an invitation from the IPC."
"Come to think of it, Director Wen Liang, the one who invited Madam Herta, happens to be a close friend of mine."
"Unfortunately, he is occupied with important business at the moment. Otherwise, I really would have brought him along to personally thank Madam Herta."
Heh.
Inwardly, Kiana silently raised a middle finger at Jade.
"So, according to the company's logic, you're saying my successful awakening was partly thanks to the IPC as well?"
"You misunderstand, Miss Kiana." Jade shook her head lightly.
"The company has no intention of claiming credit that is not ours. We merely hope to use this opportunity to establish a friendlier relationship with you."
"After all, Jarilo is now a valuable planet on our Preservation blueprint. If not for you and Madam Herta, I imagine that world would still be suffering under the Stellaron's corruption."
"A friendlier relationship?" Kiana did not answer right away.
"For example?"
Jade took an exquisitely prepared document from her sleeve and placed it gently on the table between them.
"This is a small token of the company's goodwill."
Kiana glanced at the document but made no move to pick it up.
"Oh? Let me guess. You want me to join the IPC, then give me some title like Senior Consultant or something along those lines?"
"Mm... perhaps you'll also tell me it's just an honorary post, that I won't be expected to actually do anything most of the time, and that if I ever need funding, I can simply request it from the company directly?"
Jade's smile stiffened for the briefest instant.
This Miss Kiana really did not behave according to script.
And worse, she had guessed correctly.
The IPC—or rather, the Strategic Investment Department—really did intend to court this Lord Ravager.
Lord Ravagers had an abysmal reputation across the galaxy. They were widely regarded as dangerously extreme beings.
But judging from the information Jade had gathered at the station, this particular Lord Ravager did not seem to possess much actual inclination toward destruction.
And in any case, she was still an immensely powerful Emanator. Maintaining friendly relations with such a figure was undoubtedly the safer course.
So even if this investment carried enormous risk, Strategic Investment had still decided it was worth placing the bet.
Unfortunately for them, Kiana could not even be bothered to return a smile this time.
Because this was exactly how the IPC had once invited her in as well.
The benefits had indeed been real—quite generous, in fact.
But for Kiana's current persona, that kind of investment would only become dead weight.
"If that's all you came here for, Miss Jade, then you may as well leave. I have no interest in this."
Jade's smile froze for a moment before smoothing back into place.
"You misunderstand, Miss Kiana." Jade withdrew the document with an elegant motion.
"The company does indeed hope to cooperate with you, but never in such a perfunctory way. The true purpose of my visit concerns the Preservation Emanator who attacked you."
Kiana's attitude turned even more perfunctory.
Because of the competition for seats on the IPC board, relations between Market Development and Strategic Investment had grown increasingly strained.
And a possible Preservation Emanator operating outside the company would, in Diamond's eyes, surely represent a significant opportunity—or a significant achievement.
The only problem was that Kiana herself had not even figured out how she wanted to arrange the Preservation alter ego yet. What information could she possibly share with the IPC?
Still, since Diamond had already sent Jade, Kiana naturally had no intention of wasting a chance to fabricate some more history.
Kiana lifted the teacup on the table and took a light sip.
"Oh? Don't tell me the IPC is also planning the same thing that woman tried before—using my identity as a Lord Ravager as an excuse to carry out some so-called humanitarian elimination?"
That sentence immediately robbed Jade of her composure.
"Miss Kiana, surely you jest. You have not done anything heinous in the present, so how could the company possibly commit such a rude act?"
Kiana continued, "Then what exactly does the IPC want?"
"We would like to ask for your help, Miss Kiana. Help us find that Preservation Emanator."
At last, Jade stated her real purpose.
Everything the company knew about that Preservation Emanator ultimately came from this Lord Ravager's word alone.
But what if it was true?
You could ignore ninety-nine false alarms, but not the one real one.
At worst, they would spend a little extra time verifying the matter—and the IPC had more than enough time.
The moment Jade finished speaking, before Kiana could respond, a chilling aura rose behind her.
"Insolence!"
Xingxiao's voice sounded like it came from the depths of the underworld itself. The aura of Destruction surged forth and engulfed Jade in an instant.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 175)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 126)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter105)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter100)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter134)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 87
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 79
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 64
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 73
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 45
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 49
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 45
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 45
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 31
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 27
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 26
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